Oakland Raiders Practice at Night Before TNF

Nov 16, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders fans during the third quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

After letting another game slip through their hands in a 13-6 loss to the San Diego Chargers where a botched snap on the first play of the game leading to a Chargers touchdown served as the difference between a first win of the season and 0-10, the Oakland Raiders have little time to prepare for another division rival as they host the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football.

Already taking Monday off last week to make sure the team could get some rest in a compressed schedule, the Raiders used a night practice this Monday to get a break after the loss to the Chargers as well as to get acclimated to playing at night before they host the Chiefs during primetime on Thursday.

From the Associated Press

"Maybe a change in the practice schedule will shake the Oakland Raiders out of their winless slide — now at 16 games and longer than a full calendar year.With his team set to make its only appearance in prime time this season at home against Kansas City on Thursday night, interim Oakland coach Tony Sparano had no choice but to switch from the team’s normal routine.Instead of an afternoon of meetings and rehab Monday, the Raiders went through a one-hour walkthrough under the lights at the team’s facility not far from the Oakland Coliseum.Large towers of lights were brought in to illuminate the three practice fields. One bank of lights was placed on the fields while the other hung from a crane in an adjacent parking lot.Sparano altered the schedule to help his players get better acclimated to a night game.“The challenges are in getting the players’ routine down more than anything else,” he said. “We did a good job of trying to keep the practice at a time where the game is going to be played. That was really important.”"

Sparano has tried a variety of things to get the Raiders going so far since taking over, and few have them have worked out as the team has yet to win with him at the helm since firing former head coach Dennis Allen. However this move is more out of necessity than anything and it can’t hurt to get used to playing at night. Oakland’s best game in 2013 game late at night at home against the San Diego Chargers, so perhaps playing under the lights will awaken a Raiders team that has struggled mightily all year.