Head Coach Jack Del Rio
The Oakland Raiders depart Wednesday for their Thursday night game against the Kansas City Chiefs and have prepared on the short week for the bout. This matchup has gained a lot of attention for the amount of significance it holds, considering both teams are fighting for the top spot in the division and playoff implications are on the line.
Prior to the team's departure, Head Coach Jack Del Rio talked with reporters about the division showdown and recapped the team's preparation.
Here's the full transcript from his media session:
**Head Coach Jack Del Rio
**
Opening Statement:"Fast Friday, turns into Saturday as soon as we land. Questions?"
Q: It's cold today, but not what you're going to see in Kansas City.
Coach Del Rio:"No, it'll be a little different." (laughing)
Q: How do you prepare for conditions like that?
Coach Del Rio:"Just get your mind right and go play. We'll be ready to go. We have a good group of guys. Feel like we're weather proof. We'll go play."
Q: Is staying away from mistakes more important with the Chiefs since more than half of their points come from special teams or defense?
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah. Some teams do a great job of taking the ball off you and things like that. Both of our teams are doing a great job in turnover ratio. That's one of the number one factors in winning football [games]. It's no surprise really that two teams with a lot of wins stacked up thus far are both taking the ball away and protecting themselves. That's what you have to do."
Q: Are you thinking about playoffs already?
Coach Del Rio:"No, but I'm aware that our fans think that way. I encourage it. Hey, why not? Have fun. The team you're rooting for is relevant, is a good team and very much in the mix. For us, it gets a little more boring for what we have to do because we just go about our business. We recover from the last game, we prepare for the next game and then we go compete. That's what we do. We really try to keep it simple. That's our process. That's what we do."
**Q: Did you envision being here at this time?
**
Coach Del Rio:"Yes. I'm really upset that we didn't get there last year. The idea is to win your division every year and that was our goal from the beginning. We came up a little short last year. We've got an opportunity this year. We have four more games, and we take them one at a time. We're looking forward to this week."
Q: Did you grow up listening Bill King?
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah, a little bit, I did. He has a great voice and did a great job calling the games. I was really more into the players, honestly, but I definitely respect his work."
Q: Do you have to bring up that the Chiefs were your last loss for motivation?
Coach Del Rio:"No. No, we'll be ready to go."
