Following the Oakland Raiders 34-20 Week 8 win over the New York Jets at O.co Coliseum, Head Coach Del Rio held his weekly Monday press conference at the team's Alameda, Calif., facility.
Here are the highlights from his time behind the microphone.
Confidence is key.
"Confidence is huge. That's what working on fundamentals is all about. You work on shedding a block, a basic fundamental of shedding a block, and you drill it. You drill it. You get stronger in the weight room. You work the technique with coaches and over time you develop a confidence that you can shed blocks in certain circumstances. Then it comes up in a game and you're ready to react and get it done."
Coach Del Rio isn't concerned about his team becoming overconfident.
"We're a 4-3 team. We've battled each and every week. We're going to continue to battle each and every week. These kind of questions are kind of silly to me. There are talented people all over the league playing, coaching. We have a really talented team that we're going into their place, hostile environment. We have plenty of challenges in front of us. Plenty to worry about in terms of improving ourselves, of being a better football team going forward. So much work to be done. Those kind of thoughts are the furthest thing from my mind."
Rookie defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., is progressing nicely.
"He's a talented young man that has earned more playing time with Justin [Tuck] going down. He's been thrust into a role that he really had earned from his performance, but the timing of it made it such that he's going to get the lion's share of the work there and he's really flourished. He's really done a nice job for us."
He also praised the blocking of the Raiders wide receivers.
"It's huge. Without it, you can't have the big play. In order for a play to go big, you typically have to have blocking downfield. Your receivers are going to be involved. When you have a group that's working for each other like ours is, it gives you an opportunity. For backs when they get in space, the receivers themselves, other receivers getting space, tight ends, whoever happens to get in space, when there is blocking downfield by those guys that helps it go big."
The offensive line is on the rise.
"I think the whole group has gotten better and better. I think what we try to do is instill confidence in the group that the combination blocks that we work so hard on, that they will improve over time, that we understand the timing of it, understand the different looks we're going to see. That was a very talented front that we went against and they really believed in their technique and stayed with it and stayed with each other and executed well."
