Much has been made about the experience that head coach Pete Carroll brings to the Las Vegas Raiders.
What flies under the radar oftentimes, however, is the incredible staff that he put together to help him out. Patrick Graham is an established defensive coordinator in the NFL, and Chip Kelly is expected to be one of the most innovative playcallers in football.
Kelly's first stint at the professional level, however, was deemed a bit of a failure. He was fired as head coach before his third season with the Philadelphia Eagles even ended, and he crashed and burned with the 49ers the year after.
NFL just handed Chip Kelly a major disadvantage in revenge game vs. Eagles
Fortunately for Kelly, he has the chance to avenge his former employer this season. The Raiders will travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in Week 15 at Lincoln Financial Field.
The unfortunate aspect of this news is that the game will take place on December 14. This will surely be a matchup played in the brutal cold, and maybe even the snow, which is a major disadvantage for Kelly and his team, who play in an indoor stadium on the West Coast.
As if taking on the defending Super Bowl champions on the road was not difficult enough, the NFL scheduled the Raiders to play the Eagles at the worst possible time. At this point in the year, Las Vegas may be vying for a playoff spot, but a game played in poor weather may get in the way.
RELATED: NFL royally screws Raiders by handing Cowboys an unfair advantage
The good news for Kelly is that he has running back Ashton Jeanty at his disposal, who should be able to grind out yards no matter the conditions.
Las Vegas also has a tremendous defensive line that should be able to push against the Eagles and their great rushing attack. Because of these two factors, the game could be a lot closer than most think.
Kelly will have to bring his best stuff to Philadelphia if he wants to take down his former team. The weather and circumstances will not be conducive to a victory, but this Raiders team should be built to overcome obstacles such as this.