London is calling the Oakland Raiders.
After a disappointing loss last weekend at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers, Head Coach Jon Gruden and his team are now just a few days away from heading across The Pond in advance of their Week 6 clash against the Seattle Seahawks.
Sitting at 1-4, the Silver and Black need to fly back home with a "W" but any team quarterbacked by Russell Wilson presents quite the challenge.
Kickoff at Wembley Stadium is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. PT; let's get to your questions.
From Penny Chaney Himes: Why does there seem to be so many more interceptions this season?? And if it's the same issues why do you keep running them??
EP: Penny, you are indeed correct, with eight interceptions through five games, Carr's eight interceptions are the most in the NFL, but just to put that in perspective, with 1,641 passing yards, D.C. ranks No. 5 in that metric too. Look, turning the ball over – especially in the red zone – is never a good thing, and while Carr will assuredly like that number to dip over the final 11 games, I think you could attribute a handful of those interceptions to a quarterback just trying to make a play. Following the loss to the Chargers, Coach Gruden said that at times D.C. can kind of force the issue throwing the ball in tight spaces, but as the season soldiers on, and Carr gets more comfortable, I expect that number to go down.
From Raymel Shaw: Can someone ask Carr to just target Amari regardless of who's covering him?
EP: Raymel, I understand your sentiment, I really do, but let's also keep things in perspective here. Is one catch on one target for "Coop" what we all want to see on Sundays? Nope, not at all, but at some point, you have to take what the defense gives you, and if they're taking away Amari, it gives other guys on the offense a chance to make plays. Through five weeks, it's been a feast or famine type situation for No. 89 – he's eclipsed the 100-yard mark twice, but in the three games he hasn't, his biggest output is just 17 yards. The Seahawks boast a Top 10 passing defense, so Cooper will have his hands full at Wembley Stadium; I'm expecting a big day from him in London.
From Edgar Trevino: Where will you guys be Saturday night in London?
EP: Where will I be? Edgar, brother, I'll be in bed resting up for the game, but you – as well as all the other Raiders fans who make the trip – should be at Admiralty Pub (66 Trafalgar Square London, WC2N 5DS) on Friday, hanging out with other members of the Silver and Black, as well as getting your chance to buy a commemorative pub glass. I've seen what the glass looks like, and it's pretty legit, so make sure you get there early to pick one up – it's first come, first served, and the pub will start selling at 11:00 a.m.
Make sure you roll through.
P.S. this has been our shameless plug of the week.
From James Heynen: Why was Conley on the sideline the entire game?
EP: While Conley didn't play a ton – just 13 defensive snaps – against the Chargers, I think it's a little unfair to say that the second-year cornerback was on the sideline the entire game. That said, I think the return of Daryl Worley, combined with a healthy Rashaan Melvin contributed to the decrease in reps for the former Ohio State Buckeye. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther has said time and again that the team will rotate its defensive backs to try to find the best two, and I think that rotation led to Conley being a spectator for much of Sunday's game.
