Raiders' Jarrett Stidham Entire Post-Game Comments
HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders saw an improved offense after moving from quarterback Derek Carr to Jarrett Stidham.
Still, they got the same results when an anemic defense again gave away a significant lead...
After the Raiders fell to 6-10 this season, Stidham talked about his first start in the NFL and the loss.
You can watch the entire press conference below and read the transcript.
Raiders Quarterback Jarrett Stidham
Q: I know you said all week you are confident in your abilities and were just going to go out there and play. It certainly seemed like you were playing loose once you were in there in the moment. Any nerves and how did it feel to make your first start?
Stidham: “I didn't feel like I had really any nerves at all this week. [My] perspective has changed a lot over the years and it's not worth stressing over, getting all uptight. So, I just wanted to go out there and play free today and try and facilitate the offense in a way to win. And we just fell short a little bit.”
Q: You were a high recruit coming out of high school and obviously played a lot in college, but you had to wait a while to get your first start in the NFL. Was it a process of just sort of maintaining your confidence throughout these years where you didn't get that opportunity on gameday?
Stidham: “Yeah, for sure. I think the thing about the NFL is, everybody's a good player, and everybody was probably the best player on their high school team growing up, and probably one of the best players on their college team through college. So, my thing has always just been to work hard. I don't know anything else. I don't know how to do anything other than the hard way. So, I just tried to continue to stay grounded in who I am as a person and as a player, and just be ready whenever my number was called. So, whether that's rookie year, second year, third year, or now, fourth year.”
Q: Your feet we're able to extend plays both running the ball and just getting out of the pocket. At what point did you feel comfortable?
Stidham: “Yeah, I mean, I honestly think during the middle of that first drive, once we just kind of started moving the ball consistently was kind of whenever I felt comfortable and just felt like I was ready to go. So, it was probably somewhere around there.”
Q: What did it mean to have your teammates rally and play for you?
Stidham: “Yeah, I mean, it's everything. Playing on a team … football is the ultimate team sport and that's why we play, is to play for the guys in the locker room each and every week. Like I said, that's just the joy of getting to play this game. Get to meet a lot of amazing people, coaches, players, support staff. There's just so many awesome people we get to go to work with every day and you grow close to. I mean, I spend more time with these guys than I do with my own family. So, you just get close, and you just want to do everything you can to make those people happy. So, it's tough the way that today went, but I thought we fought extremely hard until the end, obviously.”
Q: We saw you connect with Davante on a couple of huge plays. Had you guys kind of developed a rapport that we kind of hadn't seen behind the scenes? Or is it just a case of having a receiver with his ability and trusting him to make a play?
Stidham: “Yeah, obviously I haven’t gotten the chance to throw to Davante [Adams] all that much throughout the year, but we've worked hard this week in practice to try to get some timing between the two of us. Yeah, I mean, he's an amazing player, clearly. I just tried to put the ball somewhere where he can get it and touch it. And that's my job as the as the quarterback, is to facilitate the offense and get those guys involved. So, him along with Darren [Waller], Foster [Moreau], JJ [Josh Jacobs], Hunter [Renfrow], Mack [Hollins], Kee [Keelan Cole. I mean, all those guys are tremendous football players and I'm happy I get to throw to those guys.
Q: Darren Waller and Davante Adams both said that they were not surprised whatsoever with your performance. Davante also said after the game in the team meeting, you apologized that you didn't get the job done. Did you take this one personally and are you are sort of shouldering the burden of the loss yourself? Did you feel like that immediately afterward?
Stidham: “The ball is in my hands every play. I'm the only one who gets to touch it every play and unfortunately there were two interceptions in the game and probably some things that I definitely could have done better to win. So, obviously, we're going to look at the look at the film tomorrow morning and see what I could have done better. I definitely feel like I left some football out there on the field today. But we're just going to keep grinding and we've got one more shot at this thing next week against the Chiefs and obviously they're another good football team. So, we're going to learn from this one and get to work this week and see if we can end the year the right way.”
Q: You seem like a pretty measured guy, but after some of the big plays out there today you were pretty emotive and fired up. Is there like a switch for you that flips when kickoff happens and where you get a little bit more energized out there on the field?
Stidham: “Yeah, I just try to play with emotion. I never get too high or too low. But football is fun. I mean, we get to play football for a living and if you're not excited and having fun with your teammates, then what are you doing? So, that's how I look at it. If one of my teammates makes a great play, I'm going to go celebrate with them. That's just how I've always looked at it. I love playing with emotion and trying to rally the guys the best I can. So, that's what I'm going to keep doing.”
Q: As a leader on this team, how do you set that tone in the locker room, whether it be post-game or on the sidelines?
Stidham: “Yeah, just be myself. I don’t try to be anybody that I'm not. I've grown up a certain way, and like I said earlier, I'm just grounded in the kind of player and person that I am. So, I just try to be myself and be genuine with the guys. Like I said earlier, playing with a group of guys like this, it's all you can ask for. That's the beauty of playing this sport, so I just try to be myself.”
Q: At what point did you feel not only that your nerves were gone, but that your teammates were on the same page with you?
Stidham: “Yeah, I think for me, it wasn't really a certain point or a certain thing that happened. Once we kind of got going with that first series and we were moving the ball pretty well, I just felt comfortable. Those guys obviously did a tremendous job today of battling and we were there for each other. And like I said, it was tough to end that way. Like I said, we got another week here and we're all on the same page on how we need to finish the year.”
The Raiders' final game of the season is at Allegiant Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, Jan. 7, and kicks off at 1:30 p.m. PST/4:30 p.m. PST. It will be available to watch on ESPN and ABC.
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