Head Coach Jack Del Rio
Monday afternoon, Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio was back at the team's practice facility to recap Sunday's win with reporters and look ahead to their next opponent. Del Rio shared his thoughts on the team's come-from-behind win and the support of Raider Nation in San Diego.
Although the team has officially clinched a playoff spot, Del Rio remains focused on taking matters a week at a time. Following the team's 19-16 victory over the Chargers, here are the quick hits from his press conference on Monday.
Del Rio kicked off Week 16 by discussing the team's upcoming battle this Saturday with the Indianapolis Colts.
"Well, we're digging in on the preparation right now for it, but obviously, Andrew Luck is a terrific quarterback. Frank Gore is a heck of a back. They have some speed at wide receiver and some tight ends that can hurt you. They have a good group. It looks like they played really, really well yesterday. They played very well on defense as well."
He talked about the defenses' ability to step up as of late and pull out some clutch plays to end games.
"Anytime you're playing good pass defense, it's a combination of the rush and the coverage. I think that they've really kind of stepped up in critical moments. The coverage has been a little better and the rush has been a little better. You add it up and it's been able to help us come up with some key stops."
He shared his thoughts on linebacker Bruce Irvin and what he's been able to contribute to the team.
"I saw a quote of his that said, 'You've asked me about Khalil [Mack] more than you've asked me about me.' He's a proud guy. He's brought toughness and athleticism and speed to our defense. He played great yesterday. Really stepped up in some key moments and made some big time plays for us."
Del Rio broke down what it means for players with postseason experience to share their experience with the rest of the team.
"I think guys that have been there just have that experience. They're able to share with some of the younger guys of what it's really like, how the intensity picks up, the importance of each possession picks up, but it's still a game. I think that's what they'll be able to remind them. For us, we just want to play the game. We want to be as prepared as possible in the next two opportunities in the regular season to determine what the final seeding will be. But, for us, it's one at a time. It's not going to change. We've got Indy coming in, good football team and I know they need to win and we need to win."
He acknowledged the impressive turn out by Raider Nation at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday and stated he wasn't surprised.
"I wasn't startled by the number that I saw yesterday only because we kind of had a little bit of a hint ahead of time that it was trending that way and there were reports that I was aware of that it was going to be close to 70% Silver and Black. So, it was awesome to see, to take over a stadium like that and a great environment for our guys to play in."
