Jon Gruden hates Thursday Night Football

The Oakland Raiders are flying high, winning three of their last five games and, at 4-4, find themselves in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Their next game, an important divisional battle with the 4-5 Los Angeles Chargers, comes in prime time, but Raiders head coach Jon Gruden isn't exactly thrilled about playing on Thursday Night Football.

"I hate this. I don't believe in this Thursday football," Gruden said Monday, according to Myles Simmons of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Gruden said it's difficult to prepare for the Chargers with three days between games and a banged-up roster that's constantly in flux.

"I'm not going to be on my soapbox any more than that. It hurts us - it hurts both teams. Obviously, the preparation," he said. "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."

Both teams are struggling to remain healthy this season. The Raiders have eight players on injured reserve after corner Isaiah Johnson was designated for return Monday. The Chargers have 14 players on IR, including star safety Derwin James.