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Be thankful for: Derek Carr's understanding of Jon Gruden's offense. Is there another quarterback in the NFL who seems to know exactly what his coach wants him to do on every play? It might not always work, and there will be mistakes, but it's so obvious during Raiders games that Gruden has provided Carr with answers, and Carr knows them inside and out. The Raiders lost to the Chiefs on Sunday night, but they shredded Kansas City's defense, scoring on five of seven possessions. And they do this every week. The Raiders rank fourth in overall offense.

They can score points with Derek Carr playing well. But the defense still has major issues that have to be fixed.

Maybe they should've just become a traveling road show given how much better they play away from home (4-1 this season). They visit the Falcons and Jets over the next two weeks.

What they're thankful for: QB Derek Carr

Who else is old enough to remember when Carr was going to be replaced by $7.5 million backup quarterback Marcus Mariota by midseason? While Mariota has yet to be active for a game, Carr is thriving in this, his third season in coach Jon Gruden's offense. Sure, many would like Carr to revert to his old gunslinger ways at times, but he has shown he can win by throwing deep, taking what defenses give him, or by commanding a punishing running game. -- Paul Gutierrez

The Raiders didn't have an opportunity to take a victory lap around the parking lot this time, but they had no reason to hang their heads after a narrow 35-31 loss to the Chiefs. Derek Carr delivered one of the best performances of his career, throwing three touchdowns while leading the offense with expert precision. Vegas punted just twice all night, and Carr's scoring connection with Jason Witten put the Raiders ahead with less than two minutes to play. The defense wasn't up to the task of stopping Patrick Mahomes with the game on the line, but you could argue there's no defense that can say that right now. The biggest positive? The Raiders have proved over two games that they aren't afraid of the defending champions. This is a rivalry reborn.