Raiders road trip 2021: Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead

Why a December game in KC is the ideal Raiders’ road trip

Raiders fans, I have the perfect suggestion for a 2021 NFL road trip — Kansas City.

As part of SB Nation’s NFL City Guides project, we’ve been tasked with picking the perfect 2021 Las Vegas Raiders’ road trip. After careful consideration, I have come up with this date: Dec. 12, 2021, against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium

Why in the name of Ken “Snake” Stabler, would anyone recommend going to Kansas City in December? More about that later …

I have to be honest. I seriously considered choosing the Thanksgiving Day game (Thursday, Nov. 25) at the Dallas Cowboys. However, I opted against drawing the ire of angry mothers across the Raiders Nation. So, enjoy your turkey with all the trimmings and eat plenty of Mom’s pumpkin pie as you watch the Raiders play on Thanksgiving with the family.

Oh and remember, a road trip this season may be the best way to see the Raiders in person. It is going to take a second mortgage loan to see the Silver and Black play this year at Allegiant Stadium, the first season the team will play with fans in the seats in the majestic new digs located right off the Vegas Strip.

Now, onto Kansas City.

Here are various reasons why going to see the Las Vegas play at Arrowhead Stadium is the top choice for our Raiders’ 2021 road trip.

It could be a huge game and the Raiders will need you there:
This will be the Raiders’ 13th game of the season. If they are going to break the Chiefs’ five-year stranglehold on the AFC West title, they will very well may have to win this game. There is a strong chance this game is going to have all the feelings of a post-season contest. All of the Raider Nation will want to be at this game and the team will need your support. This is a premier Raiders’ road trip and could be an NFL memory for the ages.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

A chance to take a victory lap:
The above photo says it all. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs were stunned last October when the Raiders won at Arrowhead Stadium, giving Kansas City its first loss of the season and the Raiders’ first win there since 2012. The Chiefs will be counting the days until this game. They are probably still smarting that Raiders coach Jon Gruden directed team bus drivers to take a victory lap around Arrowhead Stadium before the Raiders’ charter buses drove to the airport after the game. If the Raiders win this game in December, feel free to run around the stadium or drive your rental rig around Arrowhead Stadium. Maybe this will be become a thing for the Raiders and their fans.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a cool place:
Say what you want about the Chiefs and I’m sure you will say a lot, but Arrowhead Stadium is a place all football fans should attend at least one game at. From the red seats to the “home of Chiefs” chant at the end of the National Anthem, to the intoxicating fragrance of BBQ in the parking lot all day, this should be a bucket-list destination for all NFL fans.

December football is awesome:
It takes real gall to suggest a December trip to watch football outside in the heartland 13 days before Christmas. I get it. But hear me out. Please? OK, thanks. Here goes: Yes, there is a very strong chance it is going to bone-chillingly cold in the stands at Arrowhead Stadium that day. The average low in Kansas City is December is 25 degrees. I’ve been to a game at Arrowhead Stadium in mid-December. I’m not going to lie. I wanted to to steal a flaming barbecue from the parking lot and stash it under my seat in the press box. I’m a little chilly just thinking about it.

But guess what? This is a football road trip not a weekend jaunt to Cabo. So, it’s going to be cold. Embrace it. Feel the chill and laugh it off. The Raiders’ players will need you and feed off of you. And, I promise, you will start to regain the feelings in your extremities by Wednesday … or Friday at the very latest.

The BBQ is fabulous:
Kansas City BBQ is the real deal. The parking lot prior to the game could challenge any champion BBQ cook-off. Plus, you can easily make this a weekend of great BBQ. There is world-class BBQ throughout this city from Arthur Bryant’s to Jack Stack to Joe’s Kansas City Barbecue to Harp Barbecue and many more great spots. Pick your spot, bring your bib and a toothpick, though, because this the BBQ big leagues.

The city is underrated:
The fun on this trip will not start and end at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City is a fun town to explore and has a vibrant night life with plenty of food options other than BBQ (there’s great steakhouses here). Cap your Saturday night at the Plaza, Power and Lights District, the Westport area or visit the many casinos nearby. There’s plenty of places to have fun in this city. Oh, and Kansas City’s Boulevard beer is the best I’ve ever had (and I’ve sampled a few beers in my day).

It’s an easy trip:
This would not be one of those NFL trips were it would be a big headache. The Kansas City International Airport is easy enough to get in and out of. The city is easy to get around and the game-day experience is fairly easy to navigate. It all makes for a pretty painless trip.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Conclusion:
Every Raiders’ fan should experience a Raiders-Chiefs game in Kansas City. This is one of the NFL’s greatest and oldest rivalries. Saying you represented the Silver and Black amid the sea of Kansas City red is a badge of any for member of the Raider Nation. The football should be great. The weather will be, um, memorable. The tailgate scene will be awesome. The rest of the weekend will be good an easy to manage. There is no downside making this your ideal Raiders’ 2021 road trip. Put on your best Raiders’ parka and hope for another Kansas City Gruden-led Raiders’ victory lap. I’ll expect a postcard (do they still make those thing?).