It's been a tough preseason for the Oakland Raiders, having faced an enormous blowout loss, numerous injuries, and now the police asking questions.
But one thing the Raiders have yet to deal with is a hostile crowd at an away game. They've played two games at the Oakland Coliseum, and one game at Candlestick Park with more Raider fans onhand than there usually were back when they played at the L.A. Coliseum.
That all changes Thursday night, when the Raiders take on the Seattle Seahawks in front of more than 60,000 screaming fans at Qwest Field.
Qwest Field is not only spelled wrong and ugly to look at, it's a very difficult place to play. That "12th Man" schtick of theirs is stolen, but it accurately reflects the extra difficulty opponents face when playing in Seattle. The architecture of the stadium is designed to maximize crowd noise, and the New York Giants once had 11 false start penalties in a playoff game there. Of course, there was also one time at Qwest Field when Tony Romo had a little trouble handling a field goal snap.
Coach Tom Cable Knows what the Raiders will be dealing with, and he's on it. "We’ll have to work on our cadence, managing the game, all those things," Cable told the Oakland Tribune.
After a rough preseason close to home, a game in enemy territory might actually be a refreshing change of pace.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer whose spellcheck is freaking out over the name of that Seattle stadium.
