Oakland Raiders v Kansas City Chiefs: X-Factors To Keep An Eye On

Oct 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack (52) celebrates after a sack against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack (52) celebrates after a sack against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Reports have been coming in all day about the fact that Kansas City’s field – despite having underground heaters – froze over beneath the tarp used to cover it. Maybe somebody’s looking for a little home field advantage, huh?

It is going to be cold out there tonight. Forecasts put it in the low 20’s – perhaps in the teens come game time. And the Raiders haven’t fared particularly well in cold weather games in their history. Hey, they’re a west coast team, they don’t have to deal with sleet and snow flurries!

The one silver lining is that there doesn’t seem to be a forecast of rain/snow in the offing, which means it’s just going to be cold. Really, really cold. That might not be fun to play in, but it’s certainly going to be better than playing in a driving snowstorm.

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Still, by virtue of being a west coast based team, Kansas City may enjoy a bit of an advantage on their home field because of it. They play in it. Train in it. They’re used to it.

But if there is one thing the Raiders have excelled at this season, it’s overcoming adversity. They’ve had plenty of it so far this year and they’ve performed admirably. This is just one more bump in the road that they’ll have to contend with.

The cold may not have a very big impact on the game overall, but it’s something to keep an eye on – and how each team responds to it.