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Thursday night, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith will be looking to bounce back after a bad showing in Week 6. Smith completed 19 passes on 34 attempts for 246 yards and a touchdown in the Chief’s first loss of the year, to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also ran the ball four times for 13 yards. The Steelers have traditionally owned this head-to-head matchup, winning four of the last five meetings since Smith joined the Chiefs in 2013.
Division rivals Oakland Raiders will be a much easier opponent for Smith Thursday night. The Raiders passing defense is ranked 23rd in the league. The defense has allowed over 220 passing yards or a touchdown to every opposing quarterback this season. Sunday, Los Angeles Chargers QB Philip Rivers had a 100.2 QB rating after completing 25 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown against Oakland.
Fantasy impact: The bubble was going to bust for Smith eventually. It was not his worst throwing game statistically; however, it was by far his worst outing of the season. As expected the Chiefs faltered against a really good passing defense. Thursday night, Smith will have an easier time against Oakland’s defensive front.