Raiders' Josh McDaniels Entire Wednesday Update

Las Vegas Raiders Josh McDaniels gave his Wednesday state of the Las Vegas Raiders address for Week 16.

HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) and headed to a collision in the cold against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Christmas Eve, Saturday.

Moments ago, Josh McDaniels looked ahead to this weekend versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and discussed the franchise's state.

You can watch the entire press conference below and read the transcript as well:

Head Coach Josh McDaniels

Opening Statement: "Before I start, obviously heard the news of Franco Harris' passing, and I think it's appropriate for our entire organization to send condolences to Dana, his wife, and the Harris family and the entire Pittsburgh organization. He obviously was an iconic player, Hall of Fame player and a great ambassador for our game and the league. We know what this weekend is the anniversary of, and obviously he played a significant role in the Immaculate Reception and all that. So, just want to make sure we pass along our condolences on Franco's passing. On to the Steelers, obviously this is a really tough football team. Mike [Tomlin] has done a tremendous job for a long time. I have a great deal of respect for the way they play, how hard they compete, how well prepared they are -- physical group in all three phases. It's going to be a big challenge in that regard. They do a really good job -- last week was a great example of it -- controlling the entire game. They run the ball well, every third down is third and short. They're the best team in the league on third-and-one, fourth-and-one by far, not even close to the next best team. Defense, very stingy against the running game. They do a good job of taking advantage of offensive mistakes, turning the ball over and then given their offense a short field. They've got a good return game, the kicker is very good. So, this is a team that's obviously been in a lot of close games, very similar to us, that has a lot to play for. This will be a big challenge on the road, and it's always a great atmosphere there. I've played there a number of times, and this should be a fun a fun atmosphere to play in and compete in. So we're getting ready for the Steelers."

Q: This game sometimes reminds you how big it is and historic it is, especially a day like today. Did you ever meet Franco Harris?

Coach McDaniels: "I did not. I want to say I've seen him multiple times in Canton over the years just because I was a fan when I was a little guy, and obviously I'm very well aware of his career and what he's done and what he meant to the Steelers organization. But no, I did not have the good fortune of meeting him in person."

Q: I know you weren't alive when that play happened, but growing up as a football fan, do you have recollections and memories of the Immaculate Reception?

Coach McDaniels: "I mean there's a handful of I would say iconic plays and they all have a nickname, and they're going to be unforgettable forever. That certainly was one when I was growing up, obviously a fan of football. I lived in Ohio, so it wasn't too far away from Pittsburgh. So, that's obviously a classic play in Steelers history, certainly plays a role in our history for sure. So I mean, the celebration this week of those moments -- obviously the game of football has a lot of them. It'll be fun to be there obviously to celebrate the anniversary, even though it didn't go in our favor at that time."

Q: How much of the game plan depends on when you go out before the game and see the conditions and what you can and can't do?

Coach McDaniels: "I mean, obviously you need to be ready to adjust if something determines that you need to adjust. Fortunately for me -- or unfortunately maybe -- I've been in a whole bunch of cold weather, East Coast late-in-the-year type games. Whether it's temperature, wind, snow, rain -- whatever it is. I mean look, we have no control over the weather. We're not playing the weather, we're playing the Steelers. Our preparation is going to be solely focused on them. If something in the weather would dictate -- 50 mile per hour winds, or something like that -- obviously you need to be ready to adjust accordingly. And there are a lot of things that would go into that, but clearly when you play in these kinds of games you have to be ready to do it. It doesn't mean that you've got to go in and assume that those things are going to happen, but I think preparation the next few days is going to be important just in case we need to adjust."

Q: Have you enjoyed these kinds of games in the past?

Coach McDaniels: "Yeah. I mean to me this is football, and I think part of this is just handling the conditions, being able to play in the conditions, being able to think in the conditions. Certainly when you have wind and elements that could contribute to situational plays, the kicking game obviously gets affected first, so there's a lot of decision-making that goes into it. I enjoy the challenge of handling those things and competing in them, but you've certainly got to do them right."

Q: Organizations you've been with in the past, dealing with those conditions, practicing in them was pretty easy. You guys could prepare, just go outside and deal with it, but here it's not quite the same. Is there anything that you could do other than just doing it in your mind?

Coach McDaniels: "I mean look, we can't simulate zero degrees here, although I asked to see how cold we could get the indoor. They said it might shut the building down if we got it down to zero or 10 degrees. So, look it is what it is. I've had the reverse, where you're practicing in cold weather, and then you go south or west and you have to deal with temperatures you haven't practiced in in three months or been in in two months. There's nothing we can control. I think really it's up here mentally. You just have to understand that it is what it is, we don't play in those conditions or practice in them regularly, so we're just going to have to go and get acclimated quickly to it. Football is football."

Q: The last five games have all been close. Is it more frustrating or encouraging that margin in this league is that close each week?

Coach McDaniels: "Neither for me. To me, I just think each game is its own entity. You've got to get ready to play it, coach it and adjust if you need to. I think that the nature of the league is that there are a lot of good players, a lot of good coaches who we get to compete against, and it's hard. I think the league has proven over and over and over and over and over again, it's very difficult to get away from people because there's a lot of parity. And that just speaks to the volume of good players and good coaches that there are in the league. You've just got to play 60 minutes, we obviously have learned that over and over again this year. And being ready to do that, and not assuming that you're going to go and get away from anybody. I think that's the way that you have to think nowadays. So, I don't spend a whole lot of time being frustrated about it, I just think that's the nature of competing in the NFL today, and I would expect nothing different this weekend."

Q: On the whole, especially during this last stretch, statistically, it seems like you guys have taken some steps in the right direction defensively. Where do you think you guys made the biggest strides on that side of the ball late in the season?

Coach McDaniels: "I think over the course of the year we've tried to continue to harp on the things that are really important to playing good team defense -- fundamentals, playing blocks, tackling, playing with your proper leverage in coverage, defending the deep part of the field, pass rush coordination, discipline, communication. There's no secret. There's no one thing that we could just say: 'Hey, if we do this then all of a sudden everything will magically be great.' That's just not the game of football. It's not that way in any phase -- offense, special teams, defense. So, we've just tried to continue to, you know, focus on the things that fundamentally you have to do them right in order to be sound. I think our guys have really continued to work hard at that. I think the chemistry in our group -- we've battled through some injuries all year long, which every team does. So I think the more those guys get to play together, the more communication is between the same guys, I think the more comfortable some of them feel together. So there's not one thing, I think it's just continuing to try to get better at the fundamental aspects of playing it, and I think we've had some good days and some better days and then we obviously have things we need to improve still."

Q: In a really 'grind-it-out' cold weather game like this, how fortunate are you to have a really tough running back like Josh Jacobs, and how much pride and what's been the reaction you've noticed from him after becoming a team captain?

Coach McDaniels: "I mean look, these games late in the year, running the football, being able to try to gain control of the line of scrimmage is important. JJ [Josh Jacobs] has obviously done a great job all year for us in his role. He'd probably be the first one to tell you that there's a lot that goes into that -- certainly the guys up front, the tight ends, the fullback, the receivers blocking for him have done a good job, and obviously that'll be an important part of this weekend. But he's behaved like a captain all year, so the fact that the captains felt strongly enough about him and I would say his leadership, his commitment to the team, the things he's done to try to help us win all year long, I think that speaks volumes in its own right. But he hasn't changed, he's continued to do the same things to try to help us win, and that would shock me if he did."

Q: Any update on Alex Bars and Dylan Parham?

Coach McDaniels: "We're hopeful that that we're gaining here. Again, we'll see a lot more tomorrow I think when we're actually out on the grass, but both guys are working really hard. They're going to be around in the walk-through today, so hopefully you know if we can if we can have a few good days here, there's a shot. I think that's the best I could say now."

Q: Andrew Billings in that same sort of situation?

Coach McDaniels: "Yep. I mean look, we're trying to get as healthy as we can here for the last few."

Q: We've talked about the kicking game being most impacted obviously by conditions. How specific do you want your special teams people to be with you before the game? Like: 'We're good from 52 this direction, 54 this direction.' Are you that specific or is there a range you guys talk about?

Coach McDaniels: "I would say that every week we have those conversations, and I think knowing exactly what it is and what it isn't is really critical on a week-to-week basis. We need to know what their range is, where they're able to make kicks from. Same thing with our side, going both directions, depending on if it's a crosswind or not, which hash-mark we may or may not want the ball on, those are obviously important. I'd say punting the ball is a whole different conversation, because again if you're with it it's one thing, if you're against it it's another. If it's a crosswind, it could obviously impact it significantly, too. Ball-handling is obviously paramount in a game where wind is a factor. So, there are a lot of things that would go into each decision that we make and then each kicking play, because if you if it becomes that type of a game where field position is really going to have a lot to do with the outcome and the result of the game, you don't want to be losing by 10 or 12 yards every time you exchange the ball. So, those are the things I was referring to when I say there are a lot of decisions and a lot of situational plays, a lot of special teams plays that can quickly impact the game when weather becomes a factor. So this will be a good challenge for us, I think one that our guys are eager to handle and play in."

Q: On Sunday there was that one [third] down pass play where Darren Waller got into Davante Adams' way. What happened there?

Coach McDaniels: "Honestly it really wasn't anybody's fault. I think Darren [Waller] thought that the ball was held long enough that it was kind of like almost like a scramble situation, so he was just trying to do the right thing. He thought that it was like a scramble play, so he was kind of coming back this way. Certainly that wasn't the intent of the play, but that wasn't a mistake I would say. I think he was just trying to be a football player."

Q: I know it's not the top of your mind, but Pro Bowl rosters are getting announced. What does it mean to a player and to a team to have their guys recognized in that way?

Coach McDaniels: "I think it's obviously a great honor for those guys. I think that they work hard all year long to try to earn the respect and admiration of their peers and the people in the league that vote for that -- the coaches, the players. I think individually that could mean different things to different people. I would also tell you that I've probably never been around guys who get nominated and voted in that don't think that their teammates have a ton to do with the fact that they were voted that way. It's the greatest team sport in the world and people are going to get obviously nominated and voted in and all, and it's a great accolade individually. I think a lot of our guys, if they if they're fortunate enough to make it, would be the first to tell you that there are a lot of other people who have something to do with that. Their teammates have certainly impacted them."

The Raiders return to action on Christmas Eve, on Saturday in Pittsburgh versus the Steelers. That game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. EST/5:15 p.m. PST and can be seen on NFLN.

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