The Chiefs are still the best team in football. Sitting atop the AFC at 10-1 on the season and are undefeated at Arrowhead.
That’s where the Raiders are headed. Enough of a challenge in and of itself. But they will do so on a short week, which means they won’t even have time for an actual practice.
“Really won’t be able to practice this week, there’ll be walk-thrus for the most part,” said head coach Antonio Pierce.
Monday will be for rehab from Sunday’s game — something they usually have a couple days of. Then they have two days before they hop on a plane on Thanksgiving day to head for Kansas City for the game on Friday.
Oh, yeah, and they will do all this while trying to figure out who will be starting at quarterback.
Gardner Minshew is lost for the season, Aidan O’Connell is coming off injured reserve this week and may not be ready, and Desmond Ridder has only been with the team a month with almost no work with the first team offense.
This is how they will go into the lion’s den against a top five defense against a Chiefs team looking for revenge in their own house against the last team to beat them there.
Meanwhile, the defense has to try and prepare for Patrick Mahomes and company without two starting cornerbacks.
I don’t mean to be all doom and gloom about this, but there is no question the Raiders have considerable challenges ahead of them this week.