Like most coaches and players, Gruden is not a fan of Thursday night games with only three days of preparation. That's even more the case when the Raiders are dealing with injuries on the offensive line that leave questions about who will even be available. Right tackle Trent Brown left the previous game with a knee injury in the first quarter and his status is unknown. Center Rodney Hudson missed last week's game with a sprained ankle that might not be healed in time for him to play against the Chargers.
''It's hard to prepare for them when you don't really know who's on your team,'' Gruden said. ''We've had so many changes it's tough to do that. I hate this. I don't believe in this Thursday football. I'm not going to be on my soap box any more than that. It hurts both teams, obviously the preparation. We take a lot of pride in getting our guys ready to play. We need a little time to do that, but a lot of people disagree with me obviously, so it'll be a challenge.''