Quarterback Derek Carr
Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio
Opening Statement:"Alright, a little Wild West out there today. A couple of AFC West teams going at. Back and forth. In fair our guys hung in there [and] made enough plays to go home happy today. That's what the idea is, come out of here with a smile on your face and celebrate being tied for first after five weeks. We're happy with that. Obviously, not always all you want. We were only 1-of-3 in the red zone today. We've been on fire down there, but we did get the one we needed. Gave up a lot of yards today, but Philip does that to you. All in all I think we had 12 rookies that played today and started five of them. Winning a big game like that with a bunch of young guys contributing, a guy named Perry Riley [Jr.] coming in here, signed on Tuesday and played the whole game. Really proud of the effort that our guys put forth. Good, solid victory. A lot to correct like we always say and we move on. Questions?"
Q: What were your thoughts on going for it on fourth-and-2?
Coach Del Rio:"It's like all these situations, you make the call, what you think is best for the team and then you count on your guys going out and executing. Crab [Michael Crabtree] got open and made a nice play."
Q: Can you talk about Crabtree's performance with getting better each week?
Coach Del Rio:"He's a great football and really having a heck of a year for us. A lot of hard work with him and Derek [Carr] getting on the same page with timing. I know we got Coop [Amari Cooper] on track today for one touchdown. Really a couple others were really close, could have been. On the replay one, I'm still not sure how that ended up not being a touchdown, but bottom line is the guys are working hard. Crab and Coop and all the guys really with Derek has been a good thing for us. A strength for us."
Q: Why did you make the decision to go for it on fourth-and-2?
Coach Del Rio:"Usually you don't have to answer a lot about why when you get it (laughing). Especially a touchdown. I mean come on (laughing)."
Q: What did you see in Perry Riley Jr. to start him?
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah, he did a good job. I think he lead our team in tackles. Veteran guy. He's got fire. You can just see the fire in him and his desire to soak up everything he could this week and be prepared to help us today. Malcolm [Smith] was dressed and available in an emergency, but really didn't want to play him if we didn't have to. That was the plan coming in. We held up fairly well throughout the day and so Perry stayed in there throughout."
Q: Are you looking forward to a game that doesn't come down to the last couple of minutes?
Coach Del Rio:"I'm OK with 3-2 or 50-49. Winning at the end of the day is what we're about. We'll keep looking to correct things that we know have to be better. We'll continue to enjoy the victories."
Q: Where there any continuous mistakes in the red zone?
Coach Del Rio:"No. It just comes down to execution. You're not going to go through the year at whatever the percentage that 10-for-11 is. You're not going to go through the year at that percentage rate. I think everybody understands that."
**Q: What does it take to get to a spot where the quarterback can easily trust a wide receiver like Carr does with Crabtree?
**
Coach Del Rio:"I think the timing, the reps, the trust that they've built and the relationship. I really think that's where it begins. That's what gives you a chance to end up doing those types of things."
Q: Did you think that Carr was sharp early on or later?
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah, I thought he got stronger as the day went on. You can't be on fire all the time. Early in the game, we were able to force some turnovers. I think on the day we ended up 3, which is a great thing for our football team. We're looking to generate those turnovers. We just want to take advantage of them when we get them. Get that touchdown punched in there and jump up on people when you're turning the ball over like that."
Q: What did you think of the two rookie running backs?
Coach Del Rio:"I thought they were solid. I thought the rotation of those guys, all three of the guys that dressed today and played today, that they shared the work and did a nice job. Gave us what we needed."
Q: Can you talk about Stacy McGee's performance?
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah, Stacy. Yeah, he did a nice job. I think he ended up involved in a couple of sacks. We count on him for a lot of physical play. That was good to see. We need it from all the different guys, and Stacy shined today."
Q: Can you talk about the rookie defenders performance?
Coach Del Rio:"It was good to see. Getting a lot of guys up to speed and playing big roles. Obviously, guy that are starting, really big roles. Other guys that are playing back up roles, we count on anybody that we dress. We count on them to help us win. They've been doing their share."
Q: Do you get the sense that Cooper and Carr feel relieved to get Cooper's first touchdown of the season?
Coach Del Rio:"I didn't sense that at all. I think we know that Coop is going to get his numbers. Like I said, Khalil [Mack] is going to get his numbers. These guys are good players. They're going to play. We just want them to play. We don't want to start pressing about numbers. It's about winning games. It's about growing and improving as a team. We have a lot of growth in front of us. A lot to improve on. In the meantime, we're finding ways to come out of here with victories and that's important."
Q: What were your thoughts on the challenge in the end zone?
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah, I thought right foot, left foot and a catch. There was a pass interference or an illegal contact, whichever way…Whether the ball's in the air or not, I couldn't judge that from my angle. He was definitely in the pocket. It was definitely an illegal contact of some sort. I thought he did re-establish himself, therefore it would be a touchdown. Those guys have a lot better viewpoint than me. They go under the hood and look at it in slow-mo. I have to trust that they're seeing it better than I am standing on the sideline. We went ahead and punched in with Jamize [Olawale] after that anyhow. It would've just been nice for Derek and Coop to have that touchdown pass. Especially, for those fantasy league people out there that were playing them (laughing)."
Q: What has the team learned from these close wins?
Coach Del Rio:"Well, we talked last year about learning how to compete and stay in the fight in every game. I thought we did that with all [games with the] exception of the opener against Cincinnati. Every game from then on, we kind of understood what felt like and what it was to stay in the fight and battle the whole day. I think this year, we wanted to take a step forward in terms of understanding how you flourish in those situations and make the winning plays. We work hard at it and we've been successful to start the year. That means that we have a lot in front of us that we have to continue to do and do well as a football team to find ways to close the games. The NFL is about close games. Most of our games are one score games and you have to play well in those critical moments in order to win."
Q: How's the team's confidence in the close games?
Coach Del Rio:"We're gaining confidence the more you do it. The more you work at it. The more you perfect the things you're looking at, I think you gain confidence with that. I think everybody in that locker room understands we have a long way to go and a lot to improve."
**
Q: What specifically on defense can you improve on?**
Coach Del Rio:"Stop playing Santa Claus. Stop giving out presents. We gave out a couple today, a couple of 50-yard passes gift wrapped and placed them under the tree. At some point we'll stop doing that."
Q: What was going through your mind during the snap on the blocked field goal?
Coach Del Rio:"I was already kind of going ahead, 'Hey, if we don't block it and they make the kick, somehow we're going to come out of here with a win regardless.' I was kind of thinking that way. Then all of a sudden, the ball squirted through there and we ended up gaining possession. At that point it's like, 'OK, this one you have to put away.'"
Q: How did you address the team on the first win at home?
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah, my whole things was let's make sure we're performing and we create that lead up to the game the way we do when we travel. I think we do a really good job of when we travel. We've got them kind of sequestered. There's a routine and the lead up to the game is all of us are in it. I just wanted to make sure we were feeling that way leading up to our home games as well. That was addressed and emphasized this week. We'll see. We're 1-1 at home. We need to continue to put together wins at home. Our crowd was tremendous. There's nothing like giving them the present of a great effort and a big win when we're at home."
Q: Does being tied with Denver mean anything to you right now?
Coach Del Rio:"That means we're tied for first after five games. It means there's a lot of season in front of us and a lot of opportunities to grow as a football team. That's what we'll do."
RAIDERS QB DEREK CARR
Q: Was it a surprise when Coach Del Rio went for it on the 4th-and-2?
Carr: "No surprise. I think he was probably just as frustrated as we were that we weren't getting touchdowns. We love that he believes in us and the empowerment of the offense that he believes in us to get it down. I'm just thankful I didn't overthrow it."
Q: Did you expect Coach Del Rio to go for it?
Carr: "I'm starting to kind of think like him. I kind of was like; he's going to go for it. He looked at the kicker and said no get off. And in my head, it's just natural. 4th and 2 in the red zone and we're going to go for it. I'm starting to think, we're getting on the same page, which is pretty cool."
Q: How does it feel to have WR Michael Crabtree as a safety net?
Carr: "Oh my gosh. I'm trying to think of something better to say, but it's just nice. You guys can think of a cooler way to say it, but that's good enough. It's nice, it just really is."
Q: Does it matter if WR Michael Crabtree is open?
Carr: "No, as you guys probably saw- I take some chances here and there. We just hope they work out more times than they don't, but he's a guy that's super competitive. He wants to win. Whenever, he's upset – if he's ever upset, it's because he's just competitive and wants the team to win. It's not that he wants the ball, it's just that he wants the team to win. I can roll with someone like that any day."
Q: How does it feel to be 4-1?
Carr: "It's nice, but the road still goes to Denver. They are Super bowl champs, division champs. I will always pay respects to them because that's what they've earned. We have earned absolutely nothing yet. We have earned 4 wins in 5 games, which is a great feeling. It's a great feeling, trust me. Don't twist that. It feels really nice, but we haven't done anything yet.
Q: Do you think you had a slow start today?
Carr: "Yes. It was frustrating because it was little things. The interception- they were holding our running back, on a screen, so I threw it at the running back, hoping to get the call. Then, their nose tackle picks the ball off. It's just one of those things. I should have burned it at his feet instead of trying to be cute and get the penalty, all those things. It was just ridiculous. The ball I overthrew to Jalen [Richard] on, which he would probably still be riding. I went to throw the ball at Crab [Michael Crabtree] and then tucked it because I saw how open Jalen was and never reset my feet. I tried to get it to him fast because he was so open and then I did something that was so dumb. It was just bad. I told the guys; hey it's my fault that we started this slow. I'll pick it up. We're fine. I'm fine. Let's just win this game."
Q: Can you discuss the process behind the last two minutes of each half?
Carr: "You have to be ready. You have to be on top of it and in front of it. We sat there with Coach [Todd] Downing. Every time we have a two-minute drive, Nick Holz comes up, because he's the two-minute guy, he does the presentation during the week. We talk before the first half. He brought him over and he said this, this, this. They think this, this, this. They could do this. They haven't shown it, but they could to this. Same thing second half. He comes up, we all three have that conversation. Just to get our mind thinking that way. Then when it gets there and that happens. We do it enough times where I can go get ready.
Q: Do you think the team is much more confident in close games compared to 1-2 years ago?
Carr: "Absolutely. We have a lot of confidence and it's definitely not an arrogant thing. We're very humble, especially with this game. It will humble you really quick. That's nothing that we worry about. They guys have a lot of confidence because we work really hard. You guys know I don't like when we throw around that term loosely. Hard work, it sucks. We like to make sure we hang our hat up. We work extremely hard and especially in those situations. We spend a lot of time throwing routes, going over coverage, going over two-minute drills, end of game situations. You hang your head on that. We've done this before. Let's be confident when we take the field and go do it."
Q: Can you take us through the long pass to WR Amari Cooper that led to the touchdown?
Carr: "They brought down 31 – I believe it was him covering. They obviously had some injuries. They were swapping in guys and stuff like that. We saw them bring him down versus that look on Coop. Coop on a lot of matchups is what you like, especially down the field. I just tried my best to hold the safety – number 20, to the right hash and gave Coop a shot to go run underneath it."
Q: Did you feel like you could have had more touchdowns to WR Amari Cooper?
Carr: "It's something that we talked about when we came into the locker room. I was happy that we won, but him and I looked at each other and said man we left too much out there. We left so much out there, it's too much. We can't do that. We're not going to get away with that every time. We do a great job at holding each other accountable—whether I can make a better throw or him doing a better route. Whatever it is, we're going to work on it together. We scored 34 points and we're disappointed. That's a good feeling. It's a really good thing that as an offense we're there. If we can have that many yards and points and still feel like we haven't scratched the surface of what we can do. That's a good thing."
Q: Do you think the rest of the season is going to be a string of close games?
Carr: "It has been so far. We were talking about it, it would be nice to enjoy a fourth quarter at some point. But in this league, teams are too good. I said it last week, this league is designed for everyone to go 8-8. It really is. It's that close in talent, coaching, everything. Somewhere, you just have to find ways to win and get it done in the end. It would be nice if we didn't have to do the stress and drama in the end. That would be nice, but knowing this league, we're going to keep fighting, straining. Coach Del Rio uses that word a lot, strain. It's very going to be easy. We can never expect it to be easy. We have to go out there and strain for everything and earn everything."
Q: How did you feel about the Chargers' snap?
Carr: "Super thankful. The way the game was going, a guy like Phillip, he's thrown for a billion yards in his career against every defense known to man. He's seen every coverage. He's seen every blitz. You're not going to throw something at him that he hasn't seen. In a game with him, you know you just have to score. That's a credit to Philip. He's a dominant player. He's up there with Peyton [Manning] in yards and touchdowns. I have so much respect for him and he knows that. When it comes down to the end, when you get a play like that, you don't feel as good."
Q: How did it feel to get the first touchdown to Amari Cooper?
Carr: "First one is always the hardest, no matter what it is. I'm just happy for him because he works his tail off. He works extremely hard. He had his best week of practice. That's a credit because he's had really good weeks of practice. He's working extremely hard to get better and he doesn't get frustrated with those kinds of things. He keeps his head down, just like everybody on this team. They keep their head down; they don't worry about those things. Let's just worry about winning. What can we do to contribute to winning? I'm just happy he got into the end zone and we could throw that one away."
Q: Charles Woodson once said he saw greatness in you. Can you discuss how that has impacted you as a player?
Carr: "Wow. I do remember 'Wood' talking to me and saying that to me. I didn't know he was ever going to bring it up. That moment right there meant a lot. Obviously because who was saying it. I was 20-something years old and he was saying that to me. I was only here for a couple months. I appreciate it, though. For him to say those things, I just have so much respect for him. I'll never say those things. I'll let someone else say those kinds of things. I'm very honored that he would say that. I'm thankful. 'Wood,' I love you man. Happy 40th, belated. You're up there now."
Q: How do you think Joey Bosa performed today?
Carr: "A couple of those plays where he got the sack, when the ball was in my hand late, I have to figure out a way to get rid of it. Not let those things happen. I did a better job during the beginning of the year. Just getting rid of it, even if it's not there. Just burning it and that's the fine line I have to fight all the time of trying to make every play. I think that he's a good player. I told him afterwards, keep working hard. You could tell he's a high motor, hard-working guy. I love playing against really good people. I hope he continues to get better because it's going to be fun competing against him for a long time."
Q: Did you see your alma mater, Fresno State play at half time? How did you feel about your fans today?
Carr:"I heard a little bit as we were coming down. That was really cool. I love Raider Nation. I love Fresno State. Fresno knows that. Whenever we get to the game, you'll see Fresno State flags. Some guys are wearing No. 4 jerseys in red. It's things like that, that just grabs my heart, every time. Just to see that much support. The No. 4 jerseys, things like that will never get old to me. I've been dreaming about things like that ever since I was a little kid. I'm very blessed and honored that people would even want to wear mine, which is really cool. I love our fans, I really do. I'm thankful for them. I'm just happy that we're 4-1. I love for other people to feel good. I don't care how I feel. I'm thankful that they can go home and feel happy today."
RAIDERS DT STACY MCGEE
Q: That's five games that came down to the wire. How do you like playing in these games that seem to come down to the final minute?
McGee:"It's exciting. It's fun but this is what football is all about, what the NFL is all about. The last drive, it always comes down to the two minutes. We just kept going and we wanted it more."
Q: Offensively, it has to be nice to see Derek Carr on the other side of that huddle when you're in that situation and to have him beat the chargers and put you guys in position to be successful."
McGee:"I have faith in Derek, he is a great offensive player. We have a great offense this year. I'd put anything on them going down and scoring in a two-minute situation."
Q: Tell us about this sack of [Philip] Rivers.
McGee:"Working hard, practicing hard as a d-line to get to the quarterback all year. Hopefully we're going to keep getting them, piling them up as a d-line."
Q: Well you got him. I saw the body language, you snapped up and gave a 'Yeah'.
McGee:"It's all exciting to get the sacks going. Hopefully the whole d-line, we get them going together."
Q: Four turnovers by the defense today, it took a while to shake them off. What does that say about this defense that seems to be gelling by the week?
McGee:"We're coming together as a defense very week, playing Raider ball. That's what we talk about every day, playing Raider ball and being great."
Q: What does Raider ball mean?
McGee:"Being great, being relentless, being smart out there flying around hitting people."
Q: I don't know if you know this, but Denver lost today. You guys have a share of the AFC West lead.
McGee:"That's good for us. We're going to make our run. Hopefully we go to the Super Bowl."
**Raiders S Reggie Nelson
**
Q: What are your feelings with all of these close games every week?
Nelson:"We make it interesting on ourselves. We got to come out and finish games and put a complete defensive game together."
Q: What is it about this team that made you guys make the big stops and plays when you had to today?
Nelson:"One thing about this team is we don't give up. We showed that numerous times now and I think we really don't want to be in that position, but it just so happens to be it. We just got to keep on getting better each week and not put ourselves in those positions."
Q: It seems like every week now it goes down to the last minute…
Nelson:"Some people may think it is fun, but it is pretty stressful. [laughing] I mean we get paid to do this job and that is what we play defense for. We love it and we take the challenge head on."
Q: How important was it to finally get a win in front of your home fans?
Nelson:"It was really important for us to get this win at home, in this stadium. We gave our fans something to cheer about and give them a reason to come back out next weekend and cheer for us again. It is always important to get those wins at home and make it exciting for the home fans."
Q: How big a win is this with it being a division win?
Nelson:"It was a big win. We know how important this game was and we stepped up together and came out on top. It is always good to get that division win."
Q: What are your thoughts about the Chiefs coming next week?
Nelson:"You only got a couple of hours to enjoy it. Enjoy it while you can, but like I said, we got a tough division game and hopefully our fans come out and we can give them something to cheer about again."
Q: You are tied now atop the AFC West with the Broncos loss today, how does that feel?
Nelson:"As long as we keep winning it is good for us. I can't worry about the Broncos until they show up on our schedule so my focus right now is on the Kansas City Chiefs and try to get this next division win."
Q: Why has it taken this defense so long to gel together and what has been the big difference?
Nelson:"Just a lot of work we put in. There is always something to fix, and I'm sure there are things to fix from this game. We just got to continue to fix the problems and play good football. Shout out to Karl Joseph for his first pick in the NFL, so we just got to continue to work the defense and keep putting teams away." * *
Raiders RB DeAndré Washington
Q: Seemed like you were able to find some space, make one cut and run. Was the game plan today?
Washington:"We just wanted to move and push those chains. I think collectively we did a good job of picking up the slack with Latavius [Murray] down, so I think we did a good job between the running backs."
Q: How does it feel to be 4-1 and atop the division?
Washington:"It feels magnificent. We look forward to another division match next week and we need that one."
Q: What should we call you and Jalen?
Washington:"I don't know what to tell you *[laughing]. *I think we have a nice package. With Latavius [Murray] there we are even better. We just got to continue to work and play off of each other."
Q: Did the team feel there were missed opportunities coming off the first-half down 10-9?
Washington:"Definitely. I think we were in the red-zone at least a good two or three times and we just didn't come away with points. Luckily, we found a way to win and take advantage of those opportunities."
Q: As you are driving down the field trying to take the lead, what is the mood like in the huddle?
Washington:"You look at our games and they have down to the wire. We knew it was going to be a tough fight, and San Diego led a lot of games all the way down to two minutes. Even though we were unable to find the groove early, we were able to make those big plays in the end."
Q: How did you guys react when Coach [Del Rio] said we are going to go for it on the 4th and 2?
Washington:"We know the type of coach Jack [Del Rio] is and he makes those calls. He believes in us and we just got to go out there and execute."
Q: Do you think those calls have helped send a winning attitude and make you guys 4-1?
Washington:"I think it is just the culture we have going on here. We want to put our down on the gas pedal and that is the approach that helps the team."
**Raiders LB Khalil Mack
**
Q: Would you say you guys still have some flaws after giving up some big plays?
Mack:"Oh yeah definitely. We gave up too many big plays and we will make sure we fix them ahead of our game next week against the Chiefs."
Q: What has been the difference in coming out ahead in these games that go down to the wire?
Mack:"The difference is defense. The defense has to be the difference in these games. We can't have too many of these games coming down to the wire so we got to learn from these games and continue to get better. We had a few turnovers in there. Karl [Joseph] turnover there was big. There are some things though that we got to finish coming down the stretch."
Q: How are you feeling overall?
Mack:"No doubt I'm happy we won the game. But defensively, we got to do a lot better." * *
**Raiders CB Sean Smith
**
Q: Did you feel like you know you were going to make a play, did you know were going to win this game?
Smith:"It's all in the mentality, just in the right moment, who we are. We have the utmost confidence in everyone on defense. We know everyone is capable of playing the way we need to win the game. For us, I feel like we should have won this game easily. With the talent we have on defense, it shouldn't have been close. You have somebody who shouldn't have been in the game still in the game. These hard fought games are fun, but at the same time they're unnecessary."
Q: What's the next step for the defensive line?
Smith:"We just need to finish guys off, execute what we're set up to do. We're well-coached, well-prepared. We need to get these games over with early. "
Q: You guys have given up a lot of yardage, but you always seem to have that one big play, that one big break where things go your way. Would you say you're blessed right now?
Smith:"That's not a word I would use. We'll definitely take the win. A win is a win, they're very hard to come by. But when you think about those yards, when you go into the details as a defense this is going to catch up to us. We have some work to improve but we'll take this win."
Raiders LB Bruce Irvin
Q: How do you look at this win? You guys are 4-1, you're supposed to be a great team with the best defense. Do you guys say 'hey, we're getting by despite that'?
Irvin:"You're always happy to get the win with how hard it is to win in this league. We're not even close to where we're supposed to be at. It's bad. I'm glad we got the win but I'm not in a good mood about how it's going."
Q: What do you think the problem is?
Irvin: "I just think guys need to communicate, need to talk, let each other know what we're seeing so we can make the right adjustments. When that lapses, we give up explosive plays. That was the case today. We gave up a chunk of yards. We keep getting better each and every week. We just need to work on communicating, playing together."
Q: Have you seen a time where you guys were communicating, is it just misfires?
Irvin:"The biggest thing in this league is being consistent. You can't have a good couple plays then give up explosive plays. Unless we fix that, everybody including myself, we're going to continue to be an inconsistent defense with a lot of talent. Once again, I'm happy about the win, guys played their butts off, but we're far from where we need to be at."
Q: When they lined up for the field goal to tie the game what was the mood like? What was going through your minds at that point?
Irvin:"We thought we were going to go to overtime. The football gods looked out for the Oakland Raiders today and we appreciate it."
RAIDERS S KARL JOSEPH
Q: How long did it seem like the ball was floating in the air on that interception?
Joseph:"It felt like it was in slow motion. I caught it like a punt, too."
Q: Have you ever been a punt returner?
Joseph:"No. Those are probably some of the hardest ones to catch. It felt like it was in the air forever. I was just happy I came down with it."
Q: Bruce [Irvin] was saying you guys need to communicate more. Are you guys trying to do that, talk on the sideline?
Joseph:"I thought we are. We just have to make the plays when we need to make them. That's what it comes down to. We just need to keep going to work. Come Tuesday we'll what we need to work on. I know myself, I left a lot of plays out there. I know I have to keep getting better. We have to keep getting better as a team."
Q: On that interception, you had to wait for it to come down. On the fumble recovery you didn't even have time to think about it.
Joseph:"I was just happy I got on the ball."
Q: Are you feeling a lot more comfortable than you were a couple weeks ago?
Joseph:"Most definitely. I think each week I go out there I feel more comfortable. I trust the process. I'm still bothered a bit with the knee, so I just have to keep trusting the process, keep going and getting better every week."
Q: In a game where there's lots of yards, does it magnify those turnovers. Does it make it even more important?
Joseph:"We have to get better. We have a lot of work to do. We still have to get better. Our best football is ahead of us as a defense. I know with our secondary, we're not happy with it. We're happy with the win but we're not happy with the performance. Myself, I know there are a lot of plays I could have made."
Q: [Philip] Rivers plays this team twice a year, the Chargers play this team twice a year. I don't know that we've ever seen any as many deep balls as he threw today. Did that come as a surprise?
Joseph:"Watching film, we knew he was going to try us deep in our secondary. We made lots of plays on it, but we also missed lots of plays. It's something we're going to have to look at next time we play."
Raiders LB Perry Riley Jr.
Q: How did you feel playing today?
Riley Jr.:"I've been playing football for 22 years now, never took a year off, so at the end of the day it comes back to making tackles, making plays and that's what I try to do."
Q: Did the first forced fumble make you feel good?
Riley Jr.:"It did. I was mad he caught it, because he kind of gave me a push, but getting them to fumble it and we getting it back definitely made up for that."
Q: Did you enjoy playing in front of the Raiders' crowd?
Riley Jr.:"I did, I did. The crowd was definitely into it the whole game. It was a close game for the majority game, so it was fun to have them on our backs and on our sides and giving us the extra push we needed in the fourth quarter."
Q: Did you have an idea that you would have an extensive amount of playing time?
Riley Jr.:"Yeah, I was ready for it. I didn't know exactly until we got here and they told me I was going out for intros. But, I was ready for it, I prepared for it. I didn't want to get caught off guard. I prepared as if I was starting."
Q: Do you feel like you were playing with a little extra fire today?
Riley Jr.:"I mean, I always try to play with fire. This is my first game of the season, so maybe. But, every game I try to come with fire, so I don't know about anything extra, that's just me."
**Q: What was this week like for you adjusting to the defense?
**
Riley Jr.:"The terminology was the biggest thing to getting the playbook down. At the end of the day, it's 11-on-11, you can only run a certain amount of coverages, they're all pretty much the same everywhere, it's just the terminology is different. Once I got that down, the rest came."
Q: Was it big getting the forced fumble early in the game?
Riley Jr.:"I mean, yeah, anytime, you get a forced fumble home or away, it doesn't matter. A turnover is a big play for a team and I was happy to get it done."
Q: How important are turnovers when there are a lot of yards given up?
Riley Jr.:"Very important. I mean, we had three turnovers in the first half. I think we were still losing going into halftime. Turnovers played a huge part in taking points off the board. You know, any game like I said, no matter if it's the first game of the season, super bowl, a turnover's big as far as momentum, just changing the flow of things and getting us the ball back."
Q: Do you believe that you and Cory James played well together?
Riley Jr.:"For the most part, for the most part. There were things that we need to clean up and I'm sure we'll get to that on the film, we'll correct it. For the most part, we did a good job of playing well with each other and we got the win."
Q: Where does this week rank as far as tough things you've experienced in your career?
Riley Jr.:"I mean, it's up there. I don't know about the exact ranking, but it was pretty tough. I just hit it hard and relied on my experience."
Q: How happy are you to be playing with Bruce Irvin again?
Riley Jr.:"Very happy, we haven't played together since our sophomore year in high school, It's good. It's good to get to see him on the field again next to me and talking to him throughout the plays. It's definitely good. It's easier to settle in here having somebody I consider my brother like that being here with me."
Q: How special is it to you being a part of a Raiders team that's now tied for first place in the division after your first week here?
Riley Jr.:"Very special. Their record and the talent they had on this team was a big thing to get me to come here. I was very high on them. I knew they were a good team, they were already 3-1, they have great offensive talent, great defensive talent, so I just wanted to come here and be a part of it."
