When today's afternoon practice commenced, the Oakland Raiders had their minds on the Dallas Cowboys and their upcoming preseason opener. The players left the field with their bodies wearied, but their minds ready to study film and undergo the needed preparation off the field. With playbooks in hand, each player had a sense of excitement to finally get away from training camp and onto the playing field.
Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable gave an assessment of the Dallas Cowboys and what the upcoming opponent could bring out in his team. "Well I think that they are a very physical team on both sides of the ball. So it is a good start for us to be in that environment and especially on the road. It will be our first game and there second obviously. I think that's what they will bring to the table and that is what we should expect," Cable remarked.
WR Nick Miller is one of those players that are ready to finally take the playing field. "It's been a while since I got on the field. I was injured last year, and with tough work that goes along with training camp, I'm just ready to put all the work I've done onto the field," said Miller. Miller is just one of the many players who has stressed a strong work ethic not only on the field, but off it as well. "We study film every day. I've been taking it just one step at a time. Before every practice, I like to go over every play to make sure I know what routes I'm supposed to be running," Miller said.
WR Shaun Bodiford is excited to get on the field in his first game as a Raider. "You practice so much, two-a-days, the vigorous work and everything like that. I'm just waiting the chance to put my play on film, get out there with my brothers, and make some plays out there." Bodiford agrees with Miller in that his off the field work amplifies his level of play on the field. "Some of the stuff I do off the field is making sure that I have all my assignments right. I get my mind right, make sure I know my blitz pickups, 'sights' and 'hots.' I just want to make sure that I am in the right position to make plays for my team," Bodiford explained.
TE Brandon Myers is on the same page with his teammates and is ready to put his work onto the field. "I am really focused on excelling in what we've been trying to do this training camp. Having a couple guys ahead of you, you don't always get the chance to see the field during the regular season, so you really have to take advantage of the opportunity that these preseason games bring," Myers said.
The Raiders look forward to taking on the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium Thursday night. The team will hit the field for two practices tomorrow at their Napa Valley Training complex.
