Which players are out of place for Week 8?

If the Las Vegas Raiders want to make any noise at all this season, it will be this week. There is no time left. If the Raiders can't take advantage of a home game against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, there's absolutely no hope of anything significant happening the rest of the year.

Let's set the stakes: The Chiefs are 6-0, in first place in the entire conference and are the only undefeated team in the league with a fairly comfortable lead (especially this early). They've also led the AFC West for several games and look set to win the division title for the ninth straight season. Yes, nine years in a row.

The Raiders are 2-5 and 4.5 games clear of the league lead. They occupy the basement and clearly appear to be the worst of the four teams competing for the West. Even if they're chasing wild-card glory instead of a division title, they're still 3 games under .500 at rotating quarterbacks after giving up their best pass-catcher at the deadline – a sign that they've given up on the year.

Well, Antonio Pierce won't tell you that much. He's a fiery head coach who was a fiery player, and his demeanor can prepare his players to play at higher limits than expected – especially against a rival. The Raiders need to conjure up that kind of internal fire this week, because if not, they're looking at a 2-6 record midseason and likely more sales before the Nov. 5 trade deadline.

Given the stakes. It's important to consider this week's inactive lists as they give us insight into which players are feeling healthy enough to play and which are not. That's important in a week where stars like Jakobi Meyers and Maxx Crosby missed practice for the Raiders.

The Chiefs are already without defensive end Mike Danna and wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster in Week 8, and the Chiefs hope to get them back soon. However, they are out this week, meaning KC is a little more vulnerable on the edge. KC is hoping that signing DeAndre Hopkins via trade will stop the bleeding on offense caused by Smith-Schuster's absence.