The Oakland Raiders have climbed into first place in the AFC West and as they looked further secure their division lead, they may have received a bit of a luck break. The Kansas City Chiefs have lost quarterback Matt Cassel for an indefinite period of time due to a hand injury. Cassel is likely going to require surgery and could cost him the rest of the season.
While the Chiefs await final word on Cassel, they will be rolling with Tyler Palko as their starting quarterback moving forward. Rookie Ricky Stanzi is always an option, but the Chiefs are taking their time with him at this point. Palko was 5 of 6 for 47 yards when he came in after Cassel hurt his hand.
It is possible Tyler Palko could turn into the second coming of Kurt Warner and lead the Chiefs to playoff glory. The more likely scenario has the Chiefs continuing their current slide out of the playoff picture. This is big for the Raiders because the Chiefs beat them in Oakland. The Raiders split with Denver and have already taken their road game against the San Diego Chargers. If the one team with a chance to sweep the season series loses their starting QB, all the better for the Raiders playoff chances.
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