Raiders' McDaniels Midweek Press Conference
The Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) must improve their execution and performance as they head into a game on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., against the Los Angeles Chargers (1-2).
Coach Josh McDaniels held his regular midweek press conference, and we have it in its entirety for you to watch; additionally, you can read the transcript below:
Head Coach Josh McDaniels' Opening statement: “Chargers week, just getting into these guys. Obviously, Brandon [Staley] and Tom [Telesco], they've built a good football team. Coach Staley has done a really good job there in three years. It's a very talented team, no question about it. All three phases, very aggressive. They really do a lot of different things that you got to get ready for as you're preparing for them during the course of the week in all three phases. Got some really key players that you need to know where they're at and where they're lined up. They can hurt you quick, whether that's [Joey] Bosa and [Khalil] Mack on defense, or [Asante] Samuel [Jr.], J.C. [Jackson], Derwin James [Jr.], [Kenneth] Murray [Jr.]. They've got a lot of guys who create disruptive plays on defense.
"And then obviously [quarterback Justin] Herbert, I mean, look at any category you want, he's really at or near the top of it in every situation. He has taken care of the ball, obviously has got a big arm and can move it down the field. They've got a lot of big targets. Thwy drafted another one in the first round this year in [Quentin] Johnston. [Keenan] Allen is obviously one of the best players at his position in the entire National Football League. [Austin] Ekeler, what can you say about Austin, he leads the league in touchdowns the last two years and catches the ball, blocks, runs with it after the catch. The punter, it's one of the things that stands out among all the things that they do well. The punter is one of the best players, period. I mean, what he does and how he changes field position and the hang time. DeAndre [Carter] knows it firsthand because he was there but averages 4.8 yards per punt (return). The ball is up there forever, and you have got to do a great job of catching and taking care of the football . It doesn't give him a chance to return. So, a lot of challenges. We're excited obviously to go to L.A. We usually have a great turnout there and another division game on the road."
Q: What are the challenges from a coaching perspective for preparing to play three quarterbacks?
Coach McDaniels: "You can only do what you can do. Every meeting is productive. This is really every week for us, it just happens this week it's centers around the quarterback. But you've got to get everybody ready to go in the meetings. We can incur an injury anytime in practice too, so we kind of treat all our players as if they're going to be ready to go and they got to play. So, this is no different in that regard. The two guys who haven't played yet have done a tremendous amount of preparation for the first three games, and that won't change this week. To me, if they're preparing the right way nothing should change just because they might have a better chance to potentially play than they would have the first three games. So, use all of our time wisely in walk-throughs and meetings. Jimmy [Garoppolo] is here and available to do all that stuff too, in terms of the meetings. And then we're just going to go through the week and see where it all lies. We'll give the guys reps in practice, and they usually get reps anyway,, to some degree. It would be a little bit more obviously if Jimmy's not out there today. We're just kind of taking it one day at a time, doing the best we can and preparing them as hard as we can for today, and then we'll see what tomorrow brings."
Q: Quarterback Brian Hoyer has been in the league a long time, and Aidan O'Connell is a rookie. What goes into the decision-making process when you have a player with way more experience than the other?
Coach McDaniels: "I think you just evaluate it in real time. You're right, experience is valuable. And at the same time, we'll try to play the right person based on what the situation is and how practice goes, if that's what it comes to you. I think everybody is going to get ready to go and I think sometimes experience is a good thing, but it doesn't mean that it's going to determine how it's going to go for one guy versus another. I mean, there arw a lot of guys who don't have a lot of experience but can play well because they're prepared, and they do the right thing to get ready. And ultimately, what matters is how they perform, not how long they've been in the NFL, or how many games they've played in or what have you. Both guys will get ready to go, both of them have an opportunity in practice and, like I said, we'll see how Jimmy progresses as we go through the week."
Q: What is it that you need to see from the younger guy to feel comfortable that he's going to be able to go out there and handle the situation?
Coach McDaniels: "We're trying to play the guys who will help us have the best chance to win. So, consistency of performance, understanding the plan and his job, and his role in it. Again, that would be for any position. It could be for the center, the guard, the receivers; whatever it is you have to do a good job of making determinations on that. Curtis Bolton has got a little bit of a thing he's dealing with, and so, he's been our PP (personal protector), which is not an unimportant job either. We're trying to make decisions about what we think gives us the best chance to be successful in each phase, and that's what we'll do today and this week."
Q: How beneficial has DeAndre Carter been since he's been in the locker room and on special teams?
Coach McDaniels: "Yeah, you always kind of know when you have players who played somewhere else for a specific coaching staff, you get a little bit of an inside look at maybe some of the things that they do and why they're doing them, or how they teach them, or what have you. So, every team, we try to take as much information as we can from those kinds of players. I'm sure they would do the same thing. Every team I think does it. DeAndre is very bright, so he understands what he remembers from his time there. Obviously, each year is different. Each team goes through a lot of changes, there are different things that they could do. And I've always kind of taken that with a grain of salt because they know we have guys on our team who know some of their terminology and language and we try to do the same thing. You might use the same word, but it might mean something different because you know they know and all the rest of it. So, you have to be careful about how much stock you put in that, but he's given us a great synopsis of what he recalls."
Q: How practical is the potential of moving through the process for Jimmy Garoppolo in a week? I mean, is that something that can happen?
Coach McDaniels: “He's already moving through it. Again, it doesn't mean that we know what the ultimate end result will be, but he's doing good so far. And that's out of my jurisdiction, so we’ll just find out when they tell us."
Q: Would you need to see Jimmy practice this week?
Coach McDaniels: "We'd have to obviously make a decision. I think every player is quite different in that regard. So, we just want to kind of see where we're at. I don't want to speculate on a hypothetical on that. But I mean, each player would have to be evaluated in that regard. How comfortable they feel is part of that process, too. It's not just how I feel or somebody else. I mean, they would have to feel comfortable with being able to play without practice, which is part of the equation."
Q: Just to be clear, he is still in protocol?
Coach McDaniels: "Yes sir."
Q: When you look at the offense, you've got a bunch of leaders who kind of lead by example. Do you have that guy who you feel like stands out and kind of is that vocal leader as well?
Coach McDaniels: "We have a bunch of guys who honestly speak. I think there's a lot of different forms of leadership. I mean, J.J. [Josh Jacobs] is very passionate and can be a very vocal leader. I think Davante [Adams] does a really good job of addressing things that he feels need to be addressed, and it's not always negative. I think a lot of people attach leadership to adversity, and that's definitely one part of it, but I think there's also another element to it where you've got to emphasize both sides. When it's going good and it's positive, it's great leadership, and when you need something else, then you've got to be able to know that. So, I think those guys do a good job. I think Jimmy [Garoppolo] does a good job. I think Kolton [Miller] does a good job. I think all of our captains have really stepped up in different ways. Again, there are not two leaders that are the same. I mean, I've never been around two guys who are identical in that regard. Some guys will do it personally, some guys will do it in front of the group. Some guys will do it in the moment at practice, some guys do it in the meeting room, but leadership takes on all forms."
Q: You started mentioning Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco. How important is that fraternity of guys that have come from John Carroll University? And how tight are you guys all still in the league?
Coach McDaniels: "I'm tight with the guys who are here. Look, there are some relationships across the league for sure and I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the two guys we're getting ready to compete with over there. There's another guy, Tom Arth. I mean, there are other people beside those two who are there, and they do a phenomenal job. They're also great people. I think everybody takes a lot of pride in it. It's a small school in Ohio. We all went there to try to play football because we weren't getting offered scholarships and full rides to go somewhere else. Most of us just kept playing because we love the game, and we also wanted to try to find a place where we could do it where there was an opportunity to get a great education and put ourselves in a position to provide for our families down the road. I don't know that any of us went there thinking we were going to go into the National Football League or do anything like that, I certainly didn't. So, I take a lot of pride in what some of those guys have done. I think we all try to give back as best we can to the school and university. I think the university does a tremendous job of staying connected to us. So, I think to answer your question, I think there are a lot of us who have strong feelings about the guys who have been able to make it and are very supportive of one another."
Q: Obviously, you made some changes in the offseason with free agents and the draft just like every year. How would you evaluate the newcomers and how they've impacted the team so far?
Coach McDaniels: “I mean, obviously, there are a lot of changes on our team. And I'd say most teams are in that same situation. I thought obviously we've gotten some guys who just came in here and became captains quickly, which is I think a tribute to them and what they've done. They've invested themselves in our program and our culture, and really made an impact on other people. Like we talked about the other day, our young players that we've drafted are coming along and they learn every day, one way or the other. They either do it right, or we feel like we make some progress because we learn from a mistake. I think all of that stuff is still fresh. We're still in September and we want to just keep plugging along here. I think we have a long way to go and a lot of a lot of things to go through and a lot of improvements to make. But I've been really impressed with a lot of the veteran players we've added and then the attitude and the approach by the young players to try to acclimate to that style and that work pace and everything else. They've got a lot of good people to learn from.”
Q: Can you just describe the leadership style of Kolton Miller and what he provides to the offensive line?
Coach McDaniels: “He's consistent, tough, really approaches his job the right way and wants to do it the right way. He asks good questions, practices hard. Sometimes you don't hear him a lot because he's just kind of a softer-spoken guy in that regard. But when you watch him play, there is a different aggression to him. And again, it's just a consistent performance. He's been out there every day, just working at his craft and he puts out a really good product and does his job at a really high level, and I think there arw a lot of people who see that and try to emulate that with their own day.
The Silver and Black return to the road this week in Inglewood, Calif., to play the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT.
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