The Oakland Raiders were unable to end their three-game road trip on a high note after losing a nailbiter to the Houston Texans in Week 8 to move to 3-4 in the 2019 NFL season.
The trip started in Week 3 with trips to the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts. They then had a “home” game against the Chicago Bears that saw them pull out a victory across the pond in London before their bye week before making their way to take on the Green Bay Packers and wrapping things up in Houston.
Logging in this many miles in such a short span of time is certainly no easy task. Fortunately, the Raiders can take solace in the fact that the most difficult stretch of their schedule is now behind them.
Head coach Jon Gruden is admittedly glad to have his team returning to Oakland, via Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle:
“This has been the most ridiculous road trip I’ve ever been on,” Gruden said. “I’m going to become a travel agent after this trip. I know a lot about moving around, flying around.”
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr added that he is looking forward to staying relatively close to home moving forward after that trip:
“I try to do a really good job of nutrition, sleep, all that kind of stuff, taking care of my body,” Carr said. “But those miles add up, man. I’m glad I’m done with, that’s for sure.”
Their comments are certainly understandable given just how much wear and tear that comes with such daunting travel. It is safe to say that they are not the only players and coaches that feel this way since exhaustion and fatigue are often the most common factors that lead to severe injuries. The players face a much higher risk when they are forced by the league to take on these kinds of road trips.
The Raiders may very well have suffered a key casualty of this after center Rodney Hudson was carted off the field with an ankle injury during the first quarter against the Texans. It was the first time that they had their offensive line fully intact this season and it now remains to be seen if it will be the only time.
Fortunately, they are now moving onto the most favorable part of their schedule with three straight games in Oakland against teams with a combined record of 6-16-1. This is a perfect time for the Raiders to get back on track to their promising start to the year.
