Oakland Raiders Transcript

Oakland Raiders Transcript Head Coach Jack Del Rio Opening Statement: “Alright, ready to roll. It’s obviously opening game, opening weekend; very exciting time in the league [for] each team. You go through the offseason and you look for ways to make your football team better. Opening days are always very exciting. Great opportunity to go out and express who we are and what we stand for, what we believe in and how we’re going to play football in 2016. We got an obvious reminder of last year when despite all those intentions, we went out and didn’t really play well to start the year. We collected ourselves and we had a solid year, but clearly we’d like to start 2016 a little better than we did 2015. Anyways, questions?” Q: Sounds like you reminded the players of how you opened last year. Coach Del Rio: “No, not really. I didn’t really focus on it. We’re really all about us and now. It’s just a little talking point for you.” (laughing) Q: Reggie Nelson is a team captain in his first year. What kind of impact has he had on this locker room so far? Coach Del Rio: “I think really if you look at our group there, it’s four guys that are all young. Khalil [Mack] and Derek [Carr] have been playing well, but they’re still really young players. Then Rodney [Hudson], it’s his second year with the team and Reggie’s first year. I think what you’re seeing in our team is that, it’s team vote, the players vote on it. I think they recognize the consistency, the professionalism that those guys have exhibited. A little tongue tied there. (laughing) The bottom line is, it’s exactly what we’re looking for is leadership to take a strong step forward and show the way and do it not only with your actions but also lead and lead other people. I think all of those guys have done that where they’ve done it themselves professionally and they’ve also touched teammates and helped them be better. I think in Reggie’s case, as a senior guy in the secondary, he has a calming demeanor about him. Really professional in the meetings and practices and taking charge and making guys accountable, making guys want to communicate with each other. I think those are real positive things for us.” Q: With the way Reggie Nelson has been playing so far, is he good to go on Sunday? Coach Del Rio: “Yeah. Yeah.” Q: What’s the dynamic like starting the season on the road and dealing with the road noise? Coach Del Rio: “Well, dynamic is that all the hype kind of goes away after that first time that you hit somebody. For us, we just want to settle in and play good football. We’re completing our preparation. We’ve been working on this game for a while, as I’m sure they have. Both teams come into opening day with a lot of preparation. You just want to settle in and start playing really good football. Play one would be just fine for me.” Q: Is there something psychology with it being the first game and wanting to get it under your belt? Coach Del Rio: “There can be. There can be. At the end of the day, it is one game, but I think there can be. Certainly, football is a very emotional sport. I think teams can get hot and get feeling good about the way they’re doing things and it can go the other. I think that’s what you… You want to build a team that’s very consistent in its approach and kind of flatten out those things and not really try to play on pure emotion, but try to play on preparation and effort and go out there and compete every play.” Q: Can this be one of those “let’s see where we stand” type of games going against a tough Saints team that plays well at home? Coach Del Rio: “Well there’s no question that each team this weekend, all across the league, it’s going to be, ‘Let’s see where we stand after one week.’ The idea is to be standing with a victory after one week. That’s why these opening days are so exciting. Everybody has a kind of a clean slate, a fresh start and an opportunity to make this season what they’re all about.” 9.7.16 Oakland Raiders Transcript Q: Have you had to speak to your players about how to handle the talk about where the franchise’s future and where it might be going and how to set that aside or address it? Coach Del Rio: “No.” Q: How are you handling it? Coach Del Rio: “The way I handle it is I say the same thing that I’ve said all of last year and I’ll say it again this year, we’re focused on the here and now. We’re going to be present. Let’s kind of be where our feet are. Let’s control the things we control. I think that’s how I’ve approached it. So, we don’t spend a lot of time talking about anything outside of the New Orleans Saints. These are the things they like. These are the players and their strengths and weaknesses. Alright, this is our football team. We’re going to play this football team and that’s what it’s all about.” Q: So the topic never comes up in coaches meeting? What would you do if it did come up? Coach Del Rio: “I would say what I’m saying right now. Not much. There’s not much to talk about.” Q: What are the tangible benefits you see of having the entire coaching staff return for its second year? Coach Del Rio: “When you return a staff, you have cohesiveness, you have a group that worked together for a year. We went through the end of the season kind of, ‘Hey, these are things that we can do better next year.’ In our relations, in how we communicate with one another and how we utilize a talent that we know we have, that we’ve uncovered him this year. It’s an ongoing process. It’s a people business. I think the time and the relationships are important. We work hard at the relationships and I think having that and having that with our staff and having this staff with the players, I think there is value in it. Now we just want to see that reflected in the win total at the end of the year. I do believe there’s value in it.” Q: What factored into the decision to put Nate Allen at the top of the depth chart? Coach Del Rio: “Obviously, that’s a natural question, a depth chart question, especially at the start of the year. I think for us, it’s all about competition. Guys competing and then you basically get what you earn. We like the way Karl [Joseph] is working. Anybody that’s not starting right now that’s on our team, we like the way they’re working. We’re going to play guys. We’re going to play a lot of people. So, everybody’s prepared. Everybody is ready to play. We’ll just let it unfold. [Senior Director of Media Relations] Will [Kiss] makes me. I mean, heck, [Saints Head Coach] Sean [Payton] doesn’t even have a depth chart out yet and Will has got me having one out, so we’re going to talk about it today. (laughing) Sean’s not talking about it at his press conference right now because he doesn’t have one.” (laughing) Q: With the Saints having a guy like Drew Brees, does it help having Nate Allen, who’s been in that position already and maybe thinks a little bit quicker? Coach Del Rio: “Well, look we had a good offseason. We’re prepared. I wouldn’t put it on any one player. As a football team, we’ll get ready to slow down their football team. Obviously, we know it’s a great challenge. [They’re] a prolific offense, one of the top, one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. We know we’ve got our work cut out for us, but we’ll see who we have up this week.” Q: Do you have any personal memories in the Superdome? Coach Del Rio: “I remember spiking the ball so hard after I scored a touchdown that I fell back. (laughing) It was a great moment and then it was an embarrassing moment.” Q: Fumble recovery or interception? Coach Del Rio: “It was a fumble recovery that I scooped and scored a touchdown on. I slammed it down and couldn’t keep my balance. [I] went down on both knees and just went, ‘Yeah!’” 9.7.16 Oakland Raiders Transcript Q: How unique is that place in terms of a home field advantage? Coach Del Rio: “It gets rocking. Really all home crowds are as loud as the visiting team lets them be. It’s a challenge to go in and play in crowd noise. The better we play, the less crowd noise we’ll have to face. It’s on us to go in and play good football and try to get them to not be as loud.” Q: Is there any urgency to add that 53rd man? Or are you just being patient with that? Coach Del Rio: “Yeah, [General Manager] Reggie [McKenzie] and I have talked about that.

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