Raiders' DC Patrick Graham on State of the Defense

Las Vegas Raiders' Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham gave his weekly state of the Silver and Black defense in a press conference, and we have it for you.

The Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) are fresh off an embarrassing loss at home last Sunday to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they have no time to feel sorry for themselves.

The NFL stops for no one, including the Silver and Black.

Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham spoke to the media, and we have all that he said on the state of the Silver and Black, and we have it in its entirety for you.

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

Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham 

Q: It seemed like you guys blitzed a little more this past week. What did you see on film as far asresults go and is it something you got to do going forward? 

Coach Graham: "We just took a look at what we thought was going to be best against the Steelers. They have so many weapons there on offense and we just wanted to do some things to change it up on the attack, and our guys have shown a good ability to blitz during the spring and during the summertime and training camp and we're just starting to build on the package a little bit." 

Q: You know going in that the Chargers are more apt to go for it on fourth down than other teams would be. Obviously on third down, it's like, 'Hey, protect the sticks and don't let them get there.' But now, if they're within a yard or two, that's just another play for them. Does that change the mentality at all? 

Coach Graham: "Definitely. You have to be aware of it. Coach [Brandon] Staley, he's an aggressive coach, and between him and the offensive coordinator, you have to have an understanding going into the game that fourth down is live. It also changes how you think about it on third down and second down, so you got to take that into account." 

Q: What's the next step for Tyree Wilson in his development? 

Coach Graham: "The one thing for Tyree, just keep getting acclimated to the league in terms of getting familiar with the different sets he's going to see, the different looks he's going to get from the offense, just getting familiar with that. And then just working on his own craft, whether it's in the running game or passing game and improving that. And then for most young players, just improving their strength and their endurance throughout the season. It's just getting used to NFL football, it's just a different animal."

Q: Do you take into account a player's level of experience in certain calls? Jakorian Bennett is a rookie cornerback and there's going to be a learning curve there. Is that on your radar when you're making decisions in a game? 

Coach Graham: "There's a bunch of stuff on our radar during the game and each player is different, each situation is different. Leading into this week, you're going against the Chargers, and they have a lot of offensive weapons and they're well coached with a new offensive coordinator. Just trying to get acclimated and learning what they're going to do with those guys. But you've got to take a bunch of stuff into account for each play, each situation, going into the game plan. So, I don't want to be specific there for JB, but you've got to take that into account for a bunch of stuff." 

Q: What have you liked about Jakorian Bennett so far through three games? 

Coach Graham: "Again, nothing has changed in terms of the way he prepares during the meetings, the way he prepares during the week. He's a real diligent young man. It's the same stuff I saw at the Senior Bowl and it's really encouraging to see him grow each week. And when you see corners who can tackle, that's always a positive." 

Q: A lot of the talk in the offseason was about trying to create turnovers. That hasn't happened on the field but there's been a couple that were close. Do you look at it as the process is close? Coach Graham: 

"Always trust the process. Always trust the process, find ways to practice it, find ways to measure it. Just practicing the habits, making sure that we're trying to attack the ball and really just stick with the process and make the tweaks where you can make the tweaks just to see if we could get more opportunities. But just keep grinding away at it." 

Q: So far what have you seen from defensive end Malcolm Koonce on the other side opposite of Maxx Crosby that you really like and think he is doing well? 

Coach Graham: "The physicality is showing up. You look at an edge player setting the edge in the run game, being disruptive in the passing game in terms of crushing the pocket, making moves on the inside or outside, just positives there. I can't speak for Tom [McMahon], but I know he plays on special teams, so it's always good to see that. He's grown as a young player." 

Q: Another thing I noticed is your interior defensive line starting to rotate a little bit more. How beneficial is it to have young players like Byron [Young] come in but also having veterans like Adam Butler and John Jenkins who can step in and kind of feed off each other? 

Coach Graham: "It's important to have those guys up front leading into this week. I know they didn't run the ball a lot last week, but the offensive coordinator is well known for being able to run the ball. It’s important to be able to be stout inside trying to affect the quarterback with the inside interior rush. And the more guys you have doing that, the better off you're going to be. We have a pretty good group of guys who work pretty hard. They're really hard workers and they’re also pretty intelligent. I love being around the defensive tackles and D-line. They're some of my favorite people to be around on the football field, so it's a positive." 

Q: You’ve faced him a few times, but what jumps out watching Justin Herbert on film or even live? 

Coach Graham: "He has access to the entire field, true access to entire field. He has a big arm and can throw it anywhere on the field. I'm not a quarterbacks coach, I don't know how they describe the different ways. He just gets the ball anywhere on the field. I think you're seeing his intelligence in terms of at the line of scrimmage, they're going more with the tempo and different things they're doing there. He's getting more and more comfortable and that comes with experience. So, you're seeing a quarterback out there who's comfortable making decisions. They are giving him more responsibility. He can make all the throws; he can hurt you with his legs. He’s a really dynamic player and it's going to be fun to go against him." 

Q: The defensive line as a unit, how have you kind of assessed how they’ve played so far and what more do you need from them? 

Coach Graham: "Just defensive line play, what you're looking for is being stout versus the run, disrupt the passer, get in the middle of the pocket and just good effort each play. Those guys are giving it to us during practice, they're given it to us during the game. So, I'm pleased with how all those guys are working together and just also becoming a cohesive unit, that's a good thing. They enjoy being around each other." 

Q: Have you seen Maxx approached differently by opponents so far? 

Coach Graham: "Maxx [Crosby] is a dynamic player and he's going to get every look you can think possible. That comes with the territory when you become a good player. It's no different than being a really good receiver, you're going see a whole bunch of different coverages, a whole bunch of different things. Good players, they get attention." 

Q: The Chargers lost wide receiver Mike Williams the other day to injury. How much does that change the prep or the look at it and maybe not knowing exactly how they react to not having him out there? 

Coach Graham: "Well, Mike [Williams] wasn't the only one they had. They are a pretty dynamic skill group in terms of whether you go down the list of tight ends or the wide receivers. So, I'm sure they'll figure out something. We'll have to be ready for it." 

Q: They made a big change at offensive coordinator in the offseason. Does it look discernibly different? 

Coach Graham: "They're getting the ball to their go-to guys and the quarterback is making the right decisions. Specifically with the scheme, I mean we're still in the beginning process of watching the tape and stuff. But from what I've seen, Keenan Allen is going to catch the ball, they're going to get the ball to tight ends, they're going to hand the ball to [Austin] Ekeler, if he's playing. So, I mean, that's been a pretty good formula for them." 

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.

Please tell us your thoughts when you like our Facebook Page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.