BREAKING: Raiders' Coach Pierce Final Presser Rams Week

Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce moments ago held his final press conference before the team leaves for Los Angeles to take on the Rams Sunday.

Las Vegas Raiders Antonio Pierce / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) are back at work trying to fix a faltering franchise before they head to Los Angeles this Sunday to take on the (1-4) Rams.

The Silver and Black are not good enough to head to Los Angeles and beat the Rams and themselves.

That is why player execution and tremendous leadership from the coaching staff are critical to the win.

Moments aog, Coach Antonio Pierce addressed the media, and we have everything he said for you.

You can watch that presser in its entirety below:

Below is a transcript of Antonio Pierce’s entire press conference on Wednesday:

Q: When you go up against a veteran like Matthew Stafford, how does that complicate things in terms of somebody who kind of maybe knows all the tricks?

Coach Graham: "We definitely talked about that a lot this week. The main thing to look at with [Matthew] Stafford when you watch the tape, and you’re talking about just targets, he has full access to the field. Arm strength wise, we know that. A lot of the quarterbacks we played this past year had the ability to get the ball to all different spots on the field, but he's really accessing all parts of the field. So, he could throw it to the flat, he could throw it deep down the sideline, he could throw the intermediate on the inside. So now, how we say it to our guys, we said, 'Listen, he has full access to the field.’ So, it starts with defending the field inside out. You're trying to force him to where the completion rate is a little bit lower outside. But when you got arm talent like he has, it's like I talk about with my older brother who’s a basketball fan, Melo [Carmelo Anthony], he could give it to you any way you want. Stafford could give it to you any way you want."

Q: What have you made of Kyren Williams and his number of touchdowns this season?

Coach Graham: "I like him a lot. I like him a lot. He's a very patient runner. Does a good job of pressing the line of scrimmage. He has the ability to jump cut both right and to the left, and then his ability on contact. He runs behind his pads but he's able to shrink his surface area to make it hard to tackle, but just watching him, he's really impressive. He's really impressive."

Q: That offense is right at the top of the league when it comes to their use of motion. How does that element challenge you as a defense in terms of the communication?

Coach Graham: "That's where it starts right there. We told the guys this week, I think GA [Gerald Alexander] made the point of it right from jump, 'Listen, every play we're going to have to talk.’ So, every time we show film, we should be talking. Every time we have a practice rep, we have to talk because they force you to communicate. And I think that's the beauty of the scheme that Sean [McVay] runs. Whether it was in the past, last year, I was so impressed with what they did with that group, because we practiced against them in the summer and where they got to, but the stress they put on the defense to communicate, get lined up, still try to play aggressively so you're not being passive with some of the window dressing. And they're really good at the plays they run. The menu is not big, but they run those plays to perfection, and that's why they're always one of the top offenses in the league. Really good coaching staff, too. Nick Caley, I know [Ryan] Wendell, Jerry's [Schuplinski] over there. They got a really good staff. They do a good job."

Q: Divine Deablo came back last week and showed some progress. What did you see from him and his growth? And what do you expect from him this week?

Coach Graham: “I thought for him, he had very productive game and created some splash plays for us. You know, the play he made on the screen, that was big time right there. As these teams try to drain you out and try to create the one-on-one situation there, made a good play on the sack, really decisive on that one when he came off the edge. And then I was pleased with his production. Obviously, we all have room to grow, especially off a loss. And then moving on to this week, I'm just looking to just get better. We got to get better. We're chopping wood at that, just trying to keep that the main thing. Get improvement daily, and I know the fans and everybody might get sick of me saying that, but like that's how we're going to get what we want. We got to get better every day. We got to get better at what we're doing every day, better at being consistent, better at me coaching, just we got to get better every day.

Q: Cooper Kupp returned to practice this week. How much more of a threat and challenge does his return present a challenge to your defense?

Coach Graham: “As soon asthey say he's working out, that's where my mind went, he's playing. So, tough, tough, great route runner. Can block in the run game. He gets open, he catches the ball, he blocks in the run game. He makes yards after contact and after the catch. Yeah, it's real tough. He's one of the best in the league in the business right now, and so it'll change some of the game plan a little bit. But they got other receivers too that are really coming on. Again, I just think they do a real good job of knowing what they're going to do. I think that comes from the coaching. They're also a talented group, but the thing that stands out the most with their receiving core is their toughness. They're willing to block in the run game and to do all the extra stuff. That's what stands out. And to me, that's a culture that they've built there, and that starts with the head coach and the GM.

Q: Jakorian Bennett has really stepped up in terms of growth and how well he's been shutting down the traffic that comes his way and targets. What would you attribute that to?

Coach Graham: "The work he's put in. We talk about practice execution becomes game reality, whether it's the plays that happen in practice, the drill work that happens in practice, the extra drill work that happens in practice. From that builds his confidence to go ahead and make those plays. Then the next step is going to turn around and get an interception, then you're going to see, oh, then it's going to go to a whole different level. We've all seen that in our careers with young DBs. So, just want to keep progressing. But it came from him making a decision to work on it like most of these guys. You got to make a decision. It's not going to happen by luck. You got to make a decision, and it's going to be hard. So, I'm sure it was hard for him, but it's paying off."

Q: Antonio Pierce referred to Adam Butler last week as a sparkplug for this defense. What have you seen from him on and off the field as one of the leaders in that interior group that is continuing to gel and build chemistry?

Coach Graham: "First thing is consistency in terms of his demeanor, in terms of his approach to work. It's always been the same since I've known him. He comes in with a certain energy every day. He's a no[1]nonsense guy. And if he has a question, he's going to ask you, you know he's going to say, why are we doing this? Which any good coach, we're not going to shy away from that. That's good stuff. But his energy on the field is just how he approaches the game. It's really important to him, you could tell that. Just even the first time I met him. The first time I watched him on tape, you could tell it's important to him. He knows his role and what we're asking him to do. And he just wants to be the best at what we're asking him to do and then challenge himself to put himself in those different categories with the players around the league. But I mean, the consistency from him is always a positive for me."

Q: As a defensive coordinator, how do you walk the fine line of getting pressure from your defensive ends on the quarterback, but not having them shoot too far up the field and then the running back getting underneath that. How do you navigate that?

Coach Graham: “It's a delicate process. This is a passing league. It's a passing league, so you know how it is in the run game, we're trying to constrict the space. So, you don't want to give in, dip in, dip out lanes. So, a lot of that starts with our angles, in terms of outside in, using the run pass tendencies to try to tie that together, but it's a delicate balance. It's a passing league, but if you don't stop the run then it makes for very long Sundays. It definitely comes into play, like, can you recognize the backfield set? Can you recognize the situation? Can you get any bird, rabbit keys off of the linemen or whatever it may be? And then try to play it accordingly.”

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