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Welcome to the Raiders.com Travel Blog, presented by United Airlines. Each road trip, I'll bring you some insight on how the Raiders travel, where we go and what we do to take in the local flavor and get ready for the game.
It has been well documented of late the Raiders have lost their last 13 games in the Eastern Time zone. That's not to say the team hasn't won on the road during that time but east of Missouri has been Kryptonite. Normally the Raiders depart their Alameda facility Friday afternoon for an East Coast game. Head Coach Dennis Allen and the coaching staff decided to switch things up and leave Thursday and hold a full practice in Jersey City Friday afternoon.
The Raiders board the plane bound for New Jersey Thursday morning. Photo by Tony Gonzales.
So, the team boarded a United Airlines jet Thursday morning and arrived at the Newark Liberty International Airport in the late afternoon. Several New York icons were visible from the interstate as we made our way from the airport to the team hotel – the Statue of Liberty, the Freedom Tower, the Empire State Building and more.
The Raiders headed out for practice at Cochran Field at Caven Point in Jersey City Friday afternoon. The team held a full practice complete with media access. You can see the Freedom Tower from Cochran Field. Coach Allen spoke to a small group of reporters including Raiders.com and Silver and Black Productions.
"I think it went good. I thought we had a good practice today," Coach Allen said after practice. "Obviously, the travel plans are a little bit different, but I think the guys are focused in and I think the guys are ready to go."
The New York City skyline was visible from the bus on the ride from the airport to the hotel. Photo by Tony Gonzales.
The team completed practice and headed back to the hotel for lunch and meetings. On field work concluded with a walk-through at St. Peters Prep Sports Field earlier today.
Staying in this part of Jersey City provides easy access to New York City. A PATH train station is a short walk and there is so much to see and do in New York. It just happens to be Fashion Week and the city is buzzing with activity. Manhattan alone can take you a day to get through on foot – from Central Park and iconic delis to Radio City Music Hall, from Times Square to Broadway, restaurants, night clubs, and pizza parlors, this truly is the city that never sleeps.
It doesn't matter what time of year you visit, there is always something going on in New York. All five boroughs hold festivals and block parties that are unique to the various and varied neighborhoods - from the Atlantic Antic in Brooklyn to the holidays in Rockefeller Center, the neighborhoods are alive.
Much like the San Francisco Bay Area, the more you move around the area, the more you see some of the most famous and recognizable movie and television show locales.
The Raiders will make their second appearance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, tomorrow. The Jets have chosen to wear all white (home team's choice), which means the Raiders will be in their black jerseys and silver pants. It's supposed to get to 91° today with thunderstorms in the forecast. However, tomorrow's high is expected to be 82°.
"It's a little warm today (Friday), a little humid," Coach Allen said. "We have to make sure we do a good job of staying hydrated, but we're not going to let any external factors affect how we go out and play the game."
After unseasonably warm temperatures in Napa for Training Camp this year, the Raiders should be ready for the heat.
Kickoff is set for 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET on CBS. Be sure to follow all the action right here on Raiders.com and all of our social networks – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And be sure to log on after the game for complete postgame coverage.
