NFL Week 2 Chiefs vs. Raiders: Last-ever NFL game on a baseball field
Sunday will mark the end of an era of sorts for the Oakland Raiders and the NFL when the Silver and Black host the Chiefs.
If you watched the late NFL game on Monday night between the Broncos and Raiders from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum – OK it's now called RingCentral Coliseum but we aren't calling it that – then you no doubt notice that the teams played on a hybrid baseball diamond-football field. It looks bad with half the action taking place on the dirt of an MLB diamond and frankly isn't very safe.
The Raiders are now the only NFL team that shares a stadium with a baseball team, the Oakland A's. The Oakland Coliseum is so old and decrepit that it's the biggest reason why the Raiders are moving to Las Vegas next year. The A's also are in the process of getting a new ballpark. Well, here's the good news: The last-ever NFL game played on a baseball diamond will happen this Sunday when the Raiders host the Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff is at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS and the Chiefs are 7.5-point favorites.
Obviously, the baseball portion of the stadium is only needed when the A's are still in season. The Raiders don't have another home game scheduled after Sunday until Nov. 3. Even if the A's make the World Series, it would be over by then. Oakland is the home team on Oct. 6 vs. Chicago, but that game is in London. Thus, the team will go nearly two months without a true home game.
Oakland running back Josh Jacobs improved his odds to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with 113 yards from scrimmage and two rushing scores in Monday's 24-16 win over Denver. Jacobs became the first player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2001 with 100 yards from scrimmage and two rush TDs in his NFL debut. However, good-looking rookie safety Johnathan Abram was lost to a season-ending shoulder injury.
Kansas City was an easy winner in Jacksonville in Week 1 but lost electric Pro Bowl receiver Tyreek Hill for 4-6 weeks to a collarbone injury. The Chiefs swept the Raiders last year and Hill totaled six catches for 114 yards and a TD with a rushing score. Kansas City has won eight of the past nine in the series overall. The home team has covered the past five in the series.
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