Raiders DC Patrick Graham Steelers Week

Las Vegas Raiders DC Patrick Graham spoke for his regularly scheduled midweek presser ahead of hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend at Allegiant Stadium.

Las Vegas Raiders DC Patrick Graham / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders (2-3), despite Davante Adams’ drama, are moving forward as they prepare to host the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) on Sunday.

The team has announced a switch at QB1 from Gardner Minshew to Aidan O’Connell, and the Silver and Black are marching on.

Raider Nation’s DC Patrick Graham spoke today, and you can watch that in its entirety below:

Below is the complete transcript of Graham’s press confernce

Q: You guys obviously have Christian Wilkins on IR, so other guys have to step up. You have a couple of veterans in Adam Butler and John Jenkins, but what are you seeing from some of the younger guys in that room?"

Coach Graham: "Younger guys, they're working really hard right now, looking forward to the opportunity. I'm sure they're excited about that and next man up mentality. But the thing I've seen from those guys is really the development of them being consistent with their hands. They've been working that in practice. Today, we won't have pads on today, but we'll get pads on eventually. And just really, the biggest thing is about getting the violence of the strike. Jonah [Laulu], those guys, Nesta [Jade Silvera], those guys working on the violence of the strike and making sure that as they strike their key there, they're imposing their will a little bit. We’ve got to make sure we do a good job there, because we know the Steelers, this is a run first team, and they do a good job. And it's been for years essentially the same offense. Duo, mixing in some stretch from what Arthur's [Smith] done in the past, but it's going to be Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. I don't know if everybody gets that reference, but hope they do. But that type of game, so we’ve got to get that strike going for today."

Q: Does it give you good feelings about the depth with all the injuries you had, that the depth can come through and play how you want it to?

Coach Graham: "Absolutely. You're always excited for the guys in the back part of the depth chart to be able to step up. And really, I give credit to position coaches, but it's also those assistant position coaches and the quality control coaches. They do a good job, the way AP [Antonio Pierce] has it set up in terms of our younger coaches making sure throughout the week, throughout the season, training camp, they're spending extra time to develop those guys. For both of us that came into the league, that's where we started. That's where I started when I was at New England. I was responsible, Matty P [Matt Patricia] was like, 'Pat, make sure you get so and so ready for when their time steps up.' And I think that's one of the ways you see how us young coaches - I'm not young anymore, I get I'm one of the old heads now - but that's how we were able to move up from quality control or assistant position coach to a position coach because you show that you were able to train those guys and help with their development. So that's always exciting to see that."

Q: When you look at Matthew Butler, a guy that will probably get a shot here because of what goes on with Christian Wilkins. Will you talk about his development?

Coach Graham: "Yeah, you talk about from his rookie year to now, he's in year three and I've had him the whole time since I've been here. Faced some adversity like most people in this league, most people in life. Well wishes to the people down there in Florida dealing with that hurricane. But he's persevered, and he persevered through hard work. There's no shortcut to this thing wherever you start, undrafted, drafted, wherever it may be, you’ve got to put the work in. And we talk a lot about that improving each day. And the only way to improve each day is to put the work in and move that line ahead a little bit. And you've seen that with that young man's life. He has kids, I believe he's married, but he's developing as a young man, and I'm real excited for him to get his opportunity to play. So I'm excited about that."

Q: How much time are you spending on both quarterbacks this week, now that Russell Wilson is back in practice, and just the possibility he could get some snaps?

Coach Graham: "It's our job to be prepared for all scenarios. So absolutely we've got to be prepared for that. I'm sure Mike [Tomlin] is not going to let us know anytime soon, we saw that he was a full participant with practice yesterday. Russell [Wilson] is a pro. I've known him since he was a young kid in high school or middle school, when I was at the University of Richmond, we coached his brother. But you've got to get ready for both. But that's really not different from any week. To the extent maybe, but us as a coaching staff, we've got to know what could happen. It’s collision sport, we've got to make sure we know what could happen if one of the quarterbacks go down. So, we've got to be responsible and make sure we cover all bases right there."

Q: When you talk about the Steelers, part of their identity is a run-first team. Can you just talk about the threat that Najee Harris poses. How can you stop that in terms of your linebackers and your front seven of really combating that?

Coach Graham: "There has to be a plan. There has to be a tackling plan, no different than a game plan. For a man of his size, a man of his production, and I don't want to say stubbornness, but they're going to run the ball. It doesn't matter. I forget what game it was, he had three yards rushing in the first half, 70 in the second half. They're not going to abandon it. And that comes from the identity of the organization, the identity of the head coach, the identity of the offensive coordinator, who all three levels I have a ton of respect for what they do. I have a ton of respect for what Arthur [Smith] does in terms of as a play caller. I have a ton of respect for how Coach [Mike] Tomlin shapes the team into his image, the toughness, and then the organization and how they represent the city of Pittsburgh. I mean, it's a tough team that comes in, it's a hard hat game like AP [Antonio Pierce] talks about, and you've got to be ready for that. You've got to be ready for that."

Q: We're constantly talking about mental toughness, and during this time when there's so many injuries, and we understand the next man up mentality, but how do you focus? How do you make sure that these players are mentally tough and prepared?

Coach Graham: "We define it. What mental toughness is, is making the decision that's best for the team, not necessarily for you. There's a quote from Coach [Greg] Popovich that I use all the time, because naturally, my natural personality, I'm very moody, very moody, very moody. But I have to combat that every day and realize it's not about me. You've got to get over yourself. You've got to get over yourself. That's what we talk about in terms of, get over yourself and understand takes a team to get this thing done. Whatever it is, it could be in any walk of life, in terms of what you're thinking about with that, but we talk about what mental toughness isin terms of making the choice that's right for the team. That could be on individual play, that could be in the weight room, that could be with your nutrition, that could be with the decisions you make off the field. So, it starts there, and in terms of the next man up mentality, it's football. I mean, that's how it's going to go for all the teams in the league. So, somebody's going to go down, somebody has to be ready to step up. And you've got to really seize the opportunity, you've got to seize it."

Q: We've seen some struggles with tackling. Is there anything that you can put your finger on why that has been?

Coach Graham: “It starts with me. Starts with me. I'm in charge of the defense, and each week we’ve got to do a better job in practice of what the focus is and the intentions. You’ve got pinpoint what the main issue is. If there's three issues, let's chip away at one, then let's chip away at two, let's chip away at three. So, it starts with me as the defensive coordinator, and we’ve got to figure out a way to get it right. We're working on it in practice, I can promise you that. And from there, then we’ve got to go out there and execute. So, we could talk about it and all that stuff like that. It's just got to show up. And this is the team where tackling has to show up. There has to be a tackling game plan. I think they are 10th in the league for yards after contact. Because of the way Pittsburgh is built, there's big bodies, skill players and then there's fast. And then, sometimes they get a mix of both, but like if you're big and fast, Pittsburgh wants you. That's how they're built. It’s AFC North football, and we got to be ready for that.”

Q: Following up on that question, I understand that it starts with you and it's your responsibility, but can you specifically tell us why do you think the team is struggling?

Coach Graham: “Starts with me. I haven't done a good enough job. It starts with me and we're pinpointing the issues, and we're going to work on them and we’re going to relentlessly attack that at practice. And especially when your head coach was a tackling machine, you know he's going to be looking at me sideways. ‘Pat, get this fixed,’ and I’m like, ‘Yes sir.”’

Q: What are the biggest challenges Justin Fields presents to you as a coordinator?

Coach Graham: "You see him at the line of scrimmage, I'm always impressed with young guys when they graduate to the point where at the line of scrimmage, they’re able to get in and out of checks. He's doing some of that. He has a big arm and his ability to make plays when people are around him, when he's throwing the ball, like you’ve got to wrap this guy up. I'm not saying it's Ben Roethlisberger, like that was a whole tackling plan for him back in the day, but he could get rid of the ball from different angles with people around him. You’ve got to get his arm down. And obviously as a runner, when the play breaks down he can make some plays, especially in the red area. You see that in the red area, his ability to say, ‘Okay, it's not there,’ he goes. And we know that as a defense that most quarterbacks, there's a certain level of them being fearless to run the ball down there in the red, so we’ve got to be ready for that."

Q: Jakorian Bennett is at the top of the league in terms of third down pass breakups. What have you seen from him and his development on third downs? And it seems like he's at the point where he kind of wants the ball thrown his way on third down.

Coach Graham: "I think any corner wants action. The thing I've seen from JB [Jakorian Bennett] is his development. It started with practice in terms of, he's spending every moment out there on that field to train to improve as a football player. There's no wasted time out there for that young man. Between special teams periods, he's over there with GA [Gerald Alexander] and Ricky [Manning], he's working on his technique at the line of scrimmage. Then it might go between the offense going and us going with the show team, he's working on that. So there's no wasted time on the field, every rep counts for him, good or bad. Every rep counts for him and he's out there training to get ready for Sunday as opposed to just out there practicing. That’s Pop Warner stuff if he was just out there practicing. "

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