Podcast: Raiders Face Critical Game, NFL Info, & More

In the latest Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast episode, we discuss the importance of the game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football for Coach Josh McDaniels and more.

The Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) are precisely what we thought they would be heading into the home opener at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1).

In the latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast, we discuss what is a critical game on Sunday night and a bevy of NFL topics relevant to the Silver and Black.

You can watch the entire podcast below:

Raiders' Coach Josh McDaniels discussed teams loaded in the box at the line of scrimmage to stop Josh Jacobs.

 "Yeah, I think there's a lot that goes into this conversation," McDaniels said. "I mean, certainly, there's the counter punch where if you go ahead and throw the ball productively when they do that outside and try to force them to play more split safety coverage, then that's certainly an element that can be helpful. At the end of the day, we saw a lot of safety down last year as well, so I'm careful to say that we have to do something else all the time. We have to execute what we're doing too better than what we've done. And so, like I said, we saw a lot of safety down in certain packages last year and somebody's got to do some tough stuff when that's the case because there are bodies near the line of scrimmage. You can't always just throw it when there's the safety down, and you can't always just run it when there's two safeties back. So, kind of all that stuff goes hand in hand, but I think executing whatever the call is when that's the case is important, force the defense to play some other things, but also be able to grind out some tough yards when they do, do that." 

McDaniels seemed to contradict his star running back, Josh Jacobs, who had alluded to some potential chemistry issue. While not intimating them to be severe, McDaniels disagreed.

"No issues, just working to create all of the things that go into being productive in that area," McDaniels said. "Running the ball is similar to pass protection and how the quarterback manipulates the pocket inside, and there are times where the quarterback has to move to help the linemen out based on what's going on with the rush or the blitzes. The running game is very similar to that. There might be a designed point of attack and whether that's a double team block or whatever it is, and the runner reading it, the double team being effective, being able to get up on the linebackers at the right timing. So, we didn't start the game -- we didn't start the season last year as productively as we would have wanted either. Doesn't mean we're guaranteed to flip it around quickly, either. It just takes repetitions. I think there's learning the style of the runner, learning the blockers, there's a couple guys up there who -- Greg [Van Roten] is a little new to JJ [Josh Jacobs] in terms of that whole thing. It's not chemistry issues, it's just creating those kinds of repetitions and habits through practice over and over again so that we can be productive when we use them in the game. So, no shortcut to it, just time and effort." 

The Silver and Black return home to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 8:20 p.m. EDT/5:20 p.m. PDT.

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