ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders locker room was a minefield of overstuffed duffel bags and laundry Friday as players finished packing for a 10-day road trip that would take them to Indianapolis to face the Colts and then to London, where they'll play host to the Chicago Bears.
In one corner, safety Dallin Leavitt struggled to get a sweatshirt in his carry-on. In another, linebacker Tahir Whitehead made sure his music was with him, saying, "Can't go across the pond without my tunes."
It was a far different scene from a year earlier, when the Raiders did not arrive in London for a Sunday night game against the Seattle Seahawks until late Friday afternoon and departed immediately after the final whistle of a 27-3 blowout loss.