Not a lot of things get NFL fans as fired up as a divisional rivalry, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders’ history stands out as an “iconic” one for Jon Gruden. Chiefs fans are famously loud, while the Raiders’ faithful are notoriously brash.
The AFC West showdown has seen some spectacular moments throughout history, and Gruden spoke about it.
Jon Gruden Recalls Historic Raiders-Chiefs Game in Contrast With Modern Rivalry
The AFC West was one of the most interesting divisions to watch this past season. The Chiefs shockingly missed the playoffs, while the Denver Broncos dominated their way to a first-round bye, with the LA Chargers behind them at 11-6. The Raiders once again lagged behind, finishing 3-14.
However, the Raiders and Chiefs once saw an iconic rivalry around the turn of the century, during Gruden’s first stint coaching the Raiders. The former coach compared the rivalry’s current state to when he led the team from 1998 to 2001.
“The Raiders-Chiefs is an iconic matchup,” he said on the “Games With Names” show (2:04-2:44). “It’s a great rivalry still is today, but the Chiefs have been kicking the Raiders’ a**, 10 years, it has been a one-sided a**-kicking.”
He recalled a golden era of the rivalry, naming the 1999 regular-season finale as a memorable game. With the Chiefs’ playoff hopes on the line, the heat of the matchup was naturally dialed up.
“And [the Chiefs] had great players,” Gruden added. “And the Chiefs are playing at home. All they gotta do is beat us, and they win the division, and they get a home playoff game. If they lose the game, they’re out. And my old boss, Mike Holmgren, in Seattle, wins the West and gets in.”
What seemingly looked like a losing season for Gruden and Oakland turned into a regular-season-finale upset. The Chiefs took a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Raiders fought back and led 28-24 at halftime, ultimately winning in overtime.
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“It’s the last game of the year, my quarterback was Rich Gannon, who the Chiefs [let go],” Gruden said. “They went with Elvis Grbac. And we’re down 17-0. Everybody wanted Gruden fired, but we f*** hung in there, man, and it was one hell of a win for us.”
The Chiefs-Raiders rivalry of today doesn’t nearly live up the its heights from years past. It’s been several years now of Patrick Mahomes’ dominance with the Chiefs (91 PFSN Offense Impact in 2022). Whether we see a turn in the Raiders’ fortunes remains to be seen.
