Head Coach Jack Del Rio
Prior to practice on Wednesday, Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio addressed the media to talk about facing the Tennessee Titans this Sunday. Heading into the matchup both teams hold a record of 1-1 and the Silver and Black will be tasked with stopping a tough run-heavy offense.
Here are the quick hits from Del Rio's time at the stand:
He shared his thoughts on second-year quarterback Marcus Mariota's progress thus far.
"He's progressing like quarterbacks do. The good ones, they should. He's more decisive in his reads. Probably a little more accurate with his throws. Obviously, he's a tremendous athlete and had a great career at Oregon, but he's progressing nicely. He's done a nice job. He's a good young quarterback."
Del Rio praised the Raiders offensive line for keeping quarterback Derek Carr protected.
"I think the O-line group is doing a great job looking to keep our quarterback clean and open up some holes for our running backs. Kelechi has been really a great fit for us. He's done a nice job of coming in and learning our system and becoming a good teammate. He's a powerful guy. He's done a nice job. First two games into the year, he's got off to a great start."
He discussed some of the issues the Titans offense can present for defenses.
"They've got two really big backs that are really talented. They've got a big offensive line that they've invested three first-round picks in. They've got a quarterback that can move and will do things with his feet, bootlegs and play action passes that extend plays and things like that. It's a good team. They're playing really good on defense. I think they've only given up one touchdown on the year. A lot of different things they're doing well right now to start the year."
Del Rio thinks the defensive players are doing a nice job of holding themselves accountable.
"I think they've been outstanding in that regard. I think there's accountability here. I think we all recognize the obvious, but we're not going to dwell on it. We're not going to sit around and wait for somebody to come by and feel sorry for us. I think the guys are very purposeful going about their work. We've got a good group."
He also acknowledged the play of Titans tight end Delanie Walker and what he brings to the table.
"The guy's a good player, man. He's one of these guys that can be a mismatch in the secondary. He's big enough to cause problems for safeties and he's fast enough to cause problems for linebackers. It's hard to put a corner on him all the time. He's a good player. I have a lot of respect for his game."
