DB Jason McCourty
(When you a receiver with the speed of Raiders WR Henry Ruggs. Obviously you face a couple of them in practice. How much of an alert is that for you as a free safety?) – “I would say every play you kind of want to know where your speed threats are – just guys that can attack the deep part of the field so that goes for (Henry) Ruggs, that goes for (Darren) Waller. Those guys can get on you in a hurry and I think it’s just kind of knowing who you’re going against. You know where (Hunter) Renfrow is at. He’s a guy – space – but he’s a guy that they can hit double moves and he’s a guy that Derek Carr trusts. And then you saw (Bryan) Edwards in the Baltimore late in overtime come up with big plays down the field – one on kind of a wheel route scramble play and one kind of on a deep in cut. So I think a guy like Ruggs, Waller, all of these guys; it’s just a matter of knowing, “All right, where are these guys at? Where are my matchups in front of me? Where do I think I need to help?” And so forth. So I think it’s just overall knowledge of the offense and just trying to read Derek Carr but also have an awareness of where the deep threats are.”
(What’s impressed you most about the way Raiders QB Derek Carr has played this year?) – “He’s just been so efficient. When you watch, he’s getting the ball out, but when there’s opportunities to take shots, he’s taking advantage of those and that’s on every single down and every single personnel and that’s what makes him tough. You turn the film on and they’re shifting, they’re motioning, they’re lining up in a bunch and then they shift and those same three guys all rotate to different positions in a bunch and they’re able to run routes whether it’s 13-personnel, 22-personnel and there’s multiple tight ends or the fullback in. They’re still going empty, they’re still getting four guys down the field so that’s the tough thing with them and you can just tell Derek Carr has a great grasp on the offense. He knows exactly what’s going on in every play. He’s able to read the defense. He’s checking them in and out of plays. So he’s been extremely impressive. I believe he’s the passing leader right now so he’s making tons of plays on every down for them.”
(Is that just continuity or is it just QB Derek Carr and the offense have reached that status?) – “I don’t know. Hopefully they slow down a little bit by the time Sunday comes, but I would assume the more you work with the same guys, the better it’s going to be. That goes for anybody playing this game. The more you can work with the same coaching staff, the more you can work with the same weapons that you have. You can see it’s showing up for them on Sunday. We played against them last year when I was on another team and you saw his talent and now you can just see them taking the next step forward and that’s what you want to do as a team and as an organization, so we know the challenge that they pose come Sunday.”
(This obviously is the most safety work you’ve gotten in a while or perhaps in your career I would venture to say. How has the transition gone? Are you happy with where you’re at personally?) – “It’s been fun. I think whenever you walk into a new challenge, you kind of put it upon yourself to learn as much as you can and as fast as you can. And I think the fun part about it has been as a veteran next to me – Eric Rowe, there’s a rookie beside me in Jevon Holland, another young guy in Brandon Jones and that’s been a lot of fun just in our group. I’m an old guy, but I’m also new kind of to learning the ins and outs of the position so us kind of all being able to collaborate, talk about what we see, talk about the upcoming matchup has been a lot of fun just to continue to grow as a group and we’re a group where some guys have strengths in one thing, weaknesses in others and it’s just been fun to see how we’re deployed and the plays we can make and how we can all work together.”
(Speaking of S Jevon Holland what was he like when he came over with the football on that fumble recovery last week? He lit up on Zoom when he was talking about it.) – “Yeah, he’s a guy who’s just fired up to be here and you love to be around young guys that just want to learn and just want to get better and Jevon is the type of guy when one of his favorite players kind of growing up – if they follow him on Instagram or if he meets him and they know his name, he’s fired up about it. So those are the kind of things we talk about outside of football and that’s fun to see as an older guy for me, just to see his excitement and I remember the first preseason game – because obviously he didn’t play football opting out last year at Oregon – and the first preseason game he’s just looking at his name on the back of the jersey and you can see how special it meant. For me as an old guy doing preseason after preseason, that’s fun and exciting to see a guy just fired up like ‘man, I’m in the National Football League.’ And as kids, you dreamed about being here and we get an opportunity together in this organization on this team to go out there and live our dreams out every Sunday. So it’s been fun to watch him amongst a lot of guys on this team.”
(So 13 years later into your career, what was your S Jevon Holland moment like “oh my God, this is it?”) – “I remember as a rookie walking into the locker room – I guess I was showing my age a little bit, but Jevon Kearse was in the locker room, Vince Young was in the locker room. For me, I used to play NCAA with Texas so I used to run the option with ‘V.Y.’ So that was cool and Vince (Young) was a guy that talked to everybody so as a sixth-round draft pick, ‘V.Y.’ is talking to me, I’m like ‘all right, maybe I am somebody.’ And then for me, Keith Bulluck is from the same hometown as me so as a rookie being able to be in the locker room with him and just knowing that growing up he was kind of the guy that kind of let us know like ‘hey, maybe we have a chance because Keith made it.’ So for me as a rookie just being in the locker room with some of those guys was kind of a moment. Like ‘dang, I’m actually here.’ So it’s fun to still be able to be here a whole decade-plus later.”
(Did you watch the game last year that the Dolphins played in Las Vegas and that final play with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick? Do you remember?) – “I remember. Yeah, I watched it – I remember watching it last year because I got a chance to play with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) in Tennessee so it was just kind of in ‘Fitz’ fashion – helmet being ripped to the other side, chucked the ball up and make a play. So I know that was probably fun times for those guys and the focus for us is obviously we’re going back down there again and stay focused and try to come out of Vegas with a win.”
(You’ve had a week to watch WR Will Fuller. What kind of impressions do you have that he can make for this offense?) – “Well, I got a chance to play against Will Fuller back when I was in their division and a guy with his level of speed is tough. The same way we opened up and you asked about Henry Ruggs and being able to know where he is on every given play, Fuller brings that type of dynamic to an offense with his speed and his down-the-field playmaking ability. So I’m just excited for him to be on the team. Obviously it’ll be a process for him and the entire offense to continue to work together, continue to make plays. But he’s a guy who’s been here throughout the spring, throughout training camp so obviously we all go through things and the whole nine, so it’s fun to just see him out here practicing with the guys and smiling and just being able to get acclimated.”
(Tell us why it’s important for you to get involved in Project Nigeria.) – “Sickle cell is something that’s been in my family. My aunt had the disease. She passed away in 2019. I have an uncle that has the disease and my father had the trait, so growing up, I lost my father at a young age and my aunt was really the connection for Devin and myself to that side of our family. I just grew up really close and watched her struggle and watched her continue to fight against the disease. Probably for the past decade, we’ve done work here in the States and whatever city I’ve played in, ‘Dev’ (Devin McCourty) and then back home in the New Jersey area, and we’ve always hoped to be able to expand and this Project Nigeria gives us an opportunity to expand and just bring something as simple as vitamins to young kids in Nigeria that will help them tremendously – those with the sickle cell disease. It’s amazing to know that kids under five have a mortality rate of 50 percent and you think about in our country, a lot of times kids are tested. I remember being a kid going and being tested for sickle cell and there’s a lot of different things that kids are able to survive and continue to live long lives. My aunt lived to 69 years old ,so to think that in Nigeria a kid at five years old has a 50 percent chance of living if he has sickle cell disease is a scary statistic. So Devin and myself will be matching up to $25,000 in donations to be able to help kids there so excited to see that project coming to fruition.”
CB Byron Jones
(When you have a player with WR Henry Ruggs’ type of speed, obviously you see that a lot in practice here with the team. How does that impact your style of play and mindset?) – “You just have to understand how they want to use him and when they want to use him. He’s a big-play threat and obviously he’s taking the top off of the defense. Understanding the sets that they like to use him in and understand the position on the field in which his best routes are going to be coming from. The defense, we talk to each other on the back end like, ‘Hey, it’s tight split here, maybe nasty.’ Then talking to the safety and understanding that the backside corner can help us as well. Just understanding the set that you are getting and what they want to get out of it, essentially.”
(I don’t know how involved you’ll be in this aspect but covering TE Darren Waller, what does that take from a defense as a whole?) – “He’s big, fast, strong and he runs great routes. It just takes everybody. It takes good pressure. It takes good coverage. It’s a team effort. He’s a really good player and we’ll have our hands full.”
(What are your impressions of Las Vegas QB Derek Carr and what he’s done so far this year?) – “He’s rolling. When I watch the film, he’s making very decisive throws and he’s taking what the defense is giving him and he’s taking really good shots when he needs to. They’re really rolling right now. It’s a fun challenge for us on the backend. It’s a fun challenge for us as a team. But no, he’s definitely playing good. He’s been playing good for his entire career, so nothing new on that one.”
DL Adam Butler
(Obviously when you lose 35-0, that has to be something tough to digest. How do you cleanse it from the system and move forward?) – “You just got to let it go. Learn from your mistakes and let it go. You can’t go back and fix it. You’ve just got to move on.”
(You’ve played everywhere obviously across the d-line. When you step into DT Raekwon Davis’ role at nose tackle or however identified in the particular front that you’re in, any responsibilities different for you than if you’re just coming in as a pass-rushing end, as far as priorities and responsibilities?) – “My entire career has been about being versatile and being able to do a bunch of different things. I said it when I first got here, that I was coming to help the team in any way I can. Anywhere they need me, I’m going to step in.”
(What stands out about the way the Raiders try to run the football?) – “They are a good football team. I don’t really want to point out any specifics. We won’t take them for granted. We won’t take this team lightly.”
(Did you get a chance to catch the Dolphins’ game at Las Vegas last year on television? If so, what was going through your mind watching it, especially that fourth quarter?) – “I was probably playing sometime around that time, so I don’t think I saw it last year.”
WR Albert Wilson
(I saw you throwing a couple of passes on the sideline last game. Are you the emergency quarterback?) – “Nah. (laughter) Just helping out.”
(I was going to say, you were a pretty good quarterback in high school right?) – “Yeah, them days over with. (laughter)”
(Do you still have it in you?) – “It never goes but my job title is something else now. (laughter)”
(You weren’t playing last season, but I can imagine you watched the Dolphins game in Las Vegas last year. What was that like from your viewing experience?) – “It was exciting. You get those games that go down to the wire, that’s the best ones to watch. Not necessarily to be in, but at home watching, you want them to go back and forth and go down until the final say so. It was very exciting.”
(How is the chemistry with the team with QB Jacoby Brissett and looking forward to the game on Sunday, how is that going?) – “It’s going pretty good. Jacoby came in as soon as he was picked up in the offseason. He was here the next day with Tua (Tagovailoa) and the rest of us throwing during the offseason. He’s been around. We’ve got a lot of chemistry with him and we believe in what he does. We’re excited to have him up, just looking forward to this next week.”
(Your teammates say QB Jacoby Brissett is a leader. Do you believe that he’s a leader on this team?) – “For sure. He’s definitely a leader. It’s exciting to have his leadership up and have him doing things.”
(A lot of the focus has been on the offensive line after the game against Buffalo. But the wide receiver corps didn’t perform up to it’s standards, I think you’d agree with that. Has there been talk amongst you guys about wanting to really bounce back, and show this was just a blip?) – “Yeah, for sure. We’ve just got to catch the ball. That’s our job. That’s what they expect us to do. That’s what the team expect us to do. That’s what the world expects us to do. We just have to have them. I know myself, I was just excited out there trying to make things happen. I kind of tend to leave the ball, so that’s what happened. But myself, I got to bring those in to have those for the team.”
(What’s it been like to practice with WR Will Fuller? We’ve been talking about speed, speed and the addition of speed, but what kind of weapon does he bring to this offense?) – “It doesn’t even look like he’s running. He’s picking up so much ground while he’s out there and moving along. You can’t even tell he’s trying. His speed is outstanding and it’s definitely going to be something we can use in this offense.”
(Have you seen QB Tua Tagovailoa? How are his spirits, if you have?) – “He’s in good spirits, but he’s always in good spirits. He’s a real good kid. You wouldn’t tell he has a rib issue or whatever. He’s in good spirits, just healing up and getting as much treatment as he can. Waiting to get him back.”
(Getting more reps with QB Jacoby Brissett this week, how can that affect the team’s confidence going into this Sunday?) – “We’ve got full confidence in him as we do with Tua (Tagovailoa). We don’t feel like we took a step back with him. We’re excited to have this challenge and move on to better things.”
(How’s the team doing in terms of never getting too high or too low? The first week, you have a very good result. The second week, not so much. How have you guys been able to handle both sides?) – “We went up to New England, played a decent game, came out with the victory. Would say we were kind of feeling ourselves, I guess so. We definitely got humbled by Buffalo. We know we’re a good team. We know if we execute right, do the right things, listen to our coaches and be where we need to be, we know we’ll be able to compete with anybody in this league. We’ve just got to get back to doing the small things right, making sure we’re doing our assignments, I don’t think we’ll have a problem with this game coming up, or any issues or any trouble like that.”
C/G Michael Deiter
(What’s the room been like in terms of spirits this week? Obviously as a collective offensive line group, you wanted to put something better on tape than last week. Have you guys been motivated, have you been down, incentivized? What sort of emotions?) – “A little bit of both. Down but the down is motivation to be better. Obviously it wasn’t a good showing and we needed to be a lot better and that’s the focus. What can we do each day to be better, be cleaner with communication, all that stuff, better technique and all of it? It was definitely down at first but use that to fuel you to get better so it doesn’t happen ever again.”
(It seemed like a lot of the issues that you guys had was identification, in terms of the blitzers that were coming. How much responsibility do you take for that? How much of that is on everybody?) – “It definitely starts with the center and quarterback, how are we IDing it, how are we communicating things. But it does come down to all five or all six who are in protection, just making sure the communication is clean. There is no gray are on who’s got what, what front they’re in, what could they possibly bring. I would say it definitely starts with the center and QB and making sure that they are echoing it out to the rest of the guys.
(You mentioned communication. How do you work on that? Is that something that happens from one week to the other? Does it take a little more time?) – “You work on it in meetings, in walkthroughs and then in practice. Then you take it to the game and it has to translate. Obviously, we’ll spend the meetings with the running backs and the quarterbacks talking through third down stuff, early down pressures and all that stuff. We’ll go out, walk through it and then go practice it. It can look clean all week long but then it needs to look clean on Sunday too. It’s got to be the exact same throughout the week and then execution on Sunday.”
(On Tuesday, Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre said that, I asked him about this as well, he said the quarterback and center at the end of the day have to come to an agreement on IDing the front and whether to shift protection. That’s a lot to do in a couple seconds before you have to snap the ball. Are there any cases where you’re not in agreement on who the Mike is or whatever and how do you resolve that in a short amount of time?) – “There’s definitely some instances where we might be seeing the front a little different between center and QB but ultimately we will work it out whether it is the QB overriding everything, getting us to a different ID and the center hearing it and making sure I can get the call to the O-line. The QB gets us right and then I can get the proper call to the rest of the five then we can cut it loose and play fast. It’s just me getting up and getting set, everyone getting up and getting set and getting things IDed quick. Then if something is a little weird, we will have time to adjust it. That way the play clock is not at four seconds and we are trying to switch things and then cadence gets brought into it and it get really ugly. The faster you can get up and get set, start IDing things, center and QB work things out and then it all gets echoed to the rest of the five or six who are protecting. We’ve got to play fast after that.”
(What is your impression of how G/T Liam Eichenberg has handled different roles as a guy, yourself, who has been versatile in his career?) – “He’s been good. He’s been mature about it. Ready to work every day, making sure he’s studying on top of his assignment, on top of his technique no matter where it is he’s playing and whatever his role is. He’s been really impressive to how his approach has been.”
(How would you describe QB Jacoby Brissett’s confidence level and leadership approach?) – “They’re great. Both of them are really high. His confidence is high, his leadership is really good and you can tell he’s a guy who’s been in this league for a while. He’s seen a lot of offense, he’s played in a lot of offense and it’s cool. He’s got a ton of confidence. He’s got a ton of talent and he’s also smart. It gives us a lot of confidence to have him back there with all that knowledge.”
RB Myles Gaskin
(There hasn’t been a huge volume of carries for the running backs the first two games. Part of that a function of not having a lot of plays, three-and outs and etc. Has there been a renewed sense from Co-Offensive Coordinator/TEs George Godsey and Co-Offensive Coordinator Eric Studesville this week of wanting to get the running game going?) – “I guess. I think we are more focused on whatever the play call is. We just kind of leave that to the coaches. As an offensive unit, I think we are just focused on whatever the play call is and being able to perform to our best abilities. We don’t make those types of decisions.”
(You never want to leave a game scoring zero points. When you looked back at the film, did you feel a little more confident and optimistic given that you were able to advance to Buffalo’s side of the field and you just weren’t able to finish drives?) – “I guess. We’re not into small victories. I’m not really worried about Buffalo; I’m worried about Las Vegas. I guess when you look at it, there were some takeaways but we just didn’t play up to what we wanted to.”
(From the running back’s perspective, is a point of emphasis for you in the Las Vegas game, relative to helping the blocking, the overall offense blocking situation?) – “When we get our opportunities to run the ball, just making the most out of them, making those guys right. Try to focus on making those 10-yard carries maybe 20-yard carries or 30-yard carries. Just kind of move the ball as best as we can. As a running back, as the running back unit, we always just focus on what we can do. If it’s blocking, if it’s running the ball, if it’s catching the ball, just keep on working on those things.”
(Going back to Las Vegas, nice memories after the game last year and how much fun was that fourth quarter from your vantage point?) – “Yeah, it was a lot of fun. But I’m not really focused on that. We have a new team, they have a new team. It’s not the same at all. But yeah, that was a fun game and I’m just excited to get back there.”
(What has QB Jacoby Brissett been like this week in practice knowing fairly early in the week that he would be the starter?) – “He’s been great. Just a leader. Obviously he’s been around the league for a while now. He’s always been a leader, even when Tua (Tagovailoa) was the guy. He was always trying to help him, help other guys talking to receivers and talking to the backs when Tua might be talking to somebody else, and telling everybody how he sees it. Like I said, he’s been around in the league and he’s seen what works. For him to step up into the role that he’s in right now, I don’t think that he’s worried about it at all. He’s been a leader on this team for a while.”
(How much time, prior to this week, did you and QB Jacoby Brissett have to get on the same page and how much time have you spent in that backfield with him under center?) – “Not a lot, I guess. Like I said, he’s been around the league for a long time. It’s not like you’re putting in a young guy, stepping in. He’s made a lot of good decisions and he’s played a lot of good ball. I’m always listening to him. Whatever he says, he’s the quarterback and everybody knows he’s a real smart quarterback.”
(I assume the focus tape-wise has been watching Las Vegas against Pittsburgh and what their defense did. You had such a big game in Week 16, do you go back this week and look at that tape at all even though there have been personnel changes on the Raiders defense?) – “No. New DC (defensive coordinator). New team. A few new pieces, not a totally new team. Just different. It’s not going to be the same type of game, it’s not going to be played the same, they’re not going to have the same calls, we’re not going to have the same calls, we’ve got new OCs (offensive coordinators).”
(What sticks out from the new Raiders defense?) – “Those guys just fly around to the ball. They play hard. I don’t know much about defense but when I did play defense in high school, I feel like that’s the biggest thing is just fly around to the ball, run to the ball. You hear it from our defensive coaches so I think that’s No. 1 and they always do that. That’s just kind of high alert, like these are guys want to play ball.”
(What position did you play in high school?) – “I played corner and safety. I was never that good (laughter).”
S Eric Rowe
(So last year was pretty much you and S Bobby McCain getting the safety snaps. S Brandon Jones was weaved in some and occasionally we’d see a little of S Clayton Fejedelem. This year is new for this team with four safeties all getting significant workload. Is that an adjustment for you at all? What’s the strengths of having four guys rotating in and out of that spot?) – “Yeah, just like Jason (McCourty) said, our safety room, everybody has different strengths and different weaknesses. Combine it all and we’re a pretty talented group. I think just early on in the season, everyone was just trying to figure out – even coaches – what role people were going to play. It was what, the second game? We’ve got 15 or however many games (left) this year. We still have a long season so with us four kind of weaving in and out, we’re just trying to find the strengths that we all have.”
(What makes Raiders TE Darren Waller so difficult to cover and what do you remember from facing him last year?) – “Darren is a big guy. Huge, like 6-6. And he’s fast. When you’re that big and fast – and he’s strong too – he’s a tough cover, especially with a quarterback like Derek Carr. He’s always played at a high level but this year, at least the past two games, he’s stepped it up a lot. Just having a quarterback like him, he can put it where only he can get it and the DB can’t. It just makes it super tough.”
(Last year, you guys had a very interesting matchup. I could say you covered him quite well. He still had 115 yards. How forward have you been looking to this matchup – a rematch?) – “Yeah, since I came off the field after that game. I know we came out with the win but just personally, I know that I was there in position and just needed to take that extra step and either knock it down or catch the ball – it was right there. Obviously you have to put it in the past because that’s the past. Different teams each year. We’ve got a different team and they’ve got a different team. Maybe (some of) the same players. This week coming up will be something new.”
(Was QB Jacoby Brissett a teammate in New England for one year?) – “Yeah.”
(So you know QB Jacoby Brissett a little bit on and off the field. What do you think are his strengths as a player and his characteristics in general?) – “As a player, when I was with him I’ve seen him grow from – I remember he was running kind of on the look team quarterback and he had trouble making some reads or whatever but he was a rookie. Then when he left, I was watching him on the Colts and he got immensely better. Now out here, kind of what he brings is toughness because he’s tough. He’ll stand in the pocket. He’ll take the hits. And obviously his accuracy and his throwing. Yeah, him and Tua (Tagovailoa), they had him as No. 2 but he can easily be a starter somewhere else. Obviously we have full confidence in him going out this week.”
(I’m sure you go into any game wanting to not give up a single completion, but do you agree with what was said a minute ago that even though Raiders TE Darren Waller put up some numbers last year, that you played a pretty good game? Do you agree with that?) – “For me or really any of the DBs, it’s really only a good game if you’re in position – I still didn’t get the job done. He made some great catches but at the end of the day, I didn’t get the job done. I didn’t break up the pass or intercept it. They still got the yards on however long those balls were. I was in position, I can say that, but to be a corner or a safety in this league to cover, you’ve got to make a play on the ball.”
(So what do you do? You mentioned what Raiders TE Darren Waller’s strengths are and how he’s a weird combination of size and speed, so what do you do? How do you combat that?) – “I don’t know. You’ve just got to play hard. (laughter) You’ve got to play hard. You’ve got to trust your abilities, have confidence and just go out there. If you go out there with no confidence then it’ll be a lot worse. You have to go out there with full confidence, trust your abilities and get the job done.”
T Liam Eichenberg
(So what’s your week been like?) – “It’s been great. Obviously we lost to the Bills. That wasn’t awesome. That stung, for sure. We made the corrections and we’re looking forward to this weekend. We have a great team coming up in the Raiders. They’re very experienced, a great coaching staff. We’re excited for the opportunity to play again.”
(You played significant snaps in both games. What have you taken and learned from those opportunities?) – “I think I would say it just kind of goes back to your technique and fundamentals. Coach ‘Lem’ (Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre) coaches to me and communicates to me. Being out there, there’s different players. There’s a lot of different guys that end up rotating throughout the game so it’s kind of not specifically thinking about one person’s move but kind of going back to your basics – having good balance, mixing up your hands and staying in front of guys.”
(Having had about a month at right tackle, can you be as comfortable there – are you as comfortable there now as you are at left tackle after spending a college career at left tackle?) – “Yeah, you know I remember when you guys asked me that last time about playing at left. It’s all – I don’t know how to say this. It’s all different now. Even going back to left, it felt different. I’ve been playing a lot of different positions – been playing guard, tackle, flipping sides of the line. It just kind of takes a couple of days to re-adjust to wherever I’m at.”
(Have you had the opportunity to focus on one thing this week?) – “No. I’ve been playing guard and tackle again. They kind of flip me around. We’ve been rotating in. It’s been hot out so we’re kind of rotating guys in and giving guys a blow. It’s just day-by-day, I just kind of do my best to improve at wherever I’m at.”
(You played left tackle against New England and you played right tackle against the Bills. Even if it was one or two snaps, is there any kind of adjustment period that you have to go through when moving from side to side?) – “Yeah, definitely. I would just say it just kind of goes back to balance – flipping sides. Normally when you’re on the left, you want to have more weight on your inside leg and then it’s the same at right. Just those adjustments.”
(C/G Michael Deiter described the O-line room as first a little bit down but then motivated to get better. How can you describe what that room has been like this week?) – “Yeah, I would say this offensive line has a very high care factor. We’re very committed to improving every single day. Coming off that loss to Buffalo, it kind of was one of those instances where you have to look yourself in the mirror and realize that we need to improve. This offense, like it goes how we go. For us, it was a good wake up call. Obviously we didn’t want that to happen but it just exposed what we need to work on. We’ve worked hard this whole week so I’m looking forward to it. But there’s a lot of time left and the Raiders are a great defense.”
(How hard is it – as you flip back and forth – not to keep beating the same horse over again but how hard is it to not let your thinking about your mechanics on each side overcome your responsibility on that play?) – “I think most importantly it just goes back to what I’m doing. You’re kind of flipping the playbook. Depending on if I’m at guard or tackle, it’s different assignments. At first it was difficult but now that I’ve been in this offense for a while and kind of understand everything, it’s a lot easier. But at first when I got flipped to guard, I was like – I’m talking to Jesse Davis and he was like, ‘you’ve got to do this. This is how it works.’ Because he’s played like every position. (laughter) It’s great having those guys who are older and understand everything.”
(What’s your comfort level at left guard now?) – “It’s good. I practiced at it up in the Chicago week and then a couple of weeks before. I’ve played left guard before. It’s just kind of wherever they want me. They’ve been flipping me around the whole week. It’s just kind of how it is.”
(I’m sure you’ve had various ups and downs throughout various levels of playing football – high school, college and so forth – but can you compare what you guys are facing now to anything in your past in terms of that look yourself in the mirror moment?) – “Probably last season when we lost to Clemson. We got blown out. Then every time I’ve been in the playoffs, we got whooped – in college. So it’s just difficult. When we played Clemson when I was in college, it kind of gave me more motivation. I don’t know. For me, the losses hurt worse more than winning, obviously. But at the same time, I’m a guy that understands I need to improve every single day. I think everybody in our offensive line room understands that it’s not about what happened yesterday, it’s about how we can improve today. We try to take the right foot forward. But yeah, I’ve been blown out in college. It happens. Obviously it isn’t something that we want to happen but you have to kind of look at what went wrong and fix it.”
(So the pain of a loss is stronger than the joy from a win?) – “Yeah. I would say it definitely bothers me more. I’m a guy that every single practice, I go in there and I look at what I did wrong. It bothers me because you want to strive for perfection at the end of the day.”
(You went to Notre Dame so I’m sure you’re a fairly smart guy. What are some of the ways in which you can master, as you were saying earlier, all of the guard assignments and the tackle assignments? Do you have a dry erase board in your apartment? How do you – what do you do more to try to master that stuff?) – “I have flash cards kind of broken up for tackle and guard. Then also, I’m not saying this – for me, it’s happened where when I was in college, I played left tackle for the whole time so my brain kind of shut off when the coach is talking to the right guard. But now you have to listen to when he’s talking to tackles and guards. I listen to when he’s talking to the center too because you just never know. It’s a lot of information but if you can kind of understand it from everybody’s perspective, it makes it a lot easier.”
(Do you have a roommate or something? Someone that can…) – “No. No roommate but Rob Jones and I, during camp and stuff, we’d stay here extra and kind of go through all of the information and stuff.”
(Do the flash cards go with you everywhere you go?) – “Yeah, I had them in my backpack. Now they’re just at home, because I was in the hotel then.”
(How many cards are you having to memorize?) – “I mean when we did installs, I would make cards for every install, so it was a good amount. The offense – the playbook – is pretty large. It’s good stuff. It’s got everything in there.”
(Are we talking 20, 50, 100?) – “It just depends. Obviously there are different plays, there are different codenames depending on certain blitzes and stuff like that.”
(Did you utilize the same method for like finance exams in college and things like that?) – “Yeah, I did the same thing. When you have a lot of information, you need to break it down. I don’t think people really understand how much goes into running an offense and understanding everything.”
