Head Coach Jack Del Rio
The Oakland Raiders have gained a lot of media attention lately due to their success this season. Currently, the Silver and Black have a record of 6-2 and quarterback Derek Carr has established himself as a potential MVP candidate. Thursday, Head Coach Jack Del Rio was on air with radio and television host Colin Cowherd to talk all things Raiders. He touched on a wide array of topics, from establishing a new culture, to the growth of Carr.
Here are the quick hits from Del Rio's time on air:
**The Raiders skipper talked about how he's tried to establish a new culture with the team and bring back the Raiders winning-ways.
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"I think first you have to start with making sure that you're coming in and it's an environment that guys want to be in, players and coaches where they enjoy coming to work. It's such a grind, you create an environment where guys are excited to be there, and then you have a chance to develop your players, develop your staff, and create a real positive atmosphere."
Del Rio broke down how Carr has progressed as a quarterback and what he's capable of doing on the field.
"Yes, he has the ability to audible a lot, we want him to have control at the line of scrimmage to get us out of bad plays, and into good plays. We trust the work that he puts in during the week to prepare, the knowledge that he has, his ability to communicate at the line; whether it be changing the call to a run, or changing the run to a pass, and the execution of those. That's part of what we've done with him being in the system, and him having that comfort zone."
He also expressed how he thinks he's grown as a coach over the last decade and where he's improved.
"I think in every facet, my willingness to use the guy up top to help me make decisions on game day. We've got a guy up in the booth, that's well coordinated. The way I work the staff, the demand of the staff, being involved in all phases, but letting them do their jobs, let them work. The way we put the staff together, the way I treat the players. Not to overreact, if something goes on, a guy responds in a way you don't like, he probably needs to be taught, needs to be talked to, needs to understand the why. So I think, a little more under control myself, a little more mature of myself."
Del Rio shared that he doesn't plan on changing his coaching style, he believes in doing what's best for the team.
"I don't think our record is going to change how I coach. I think for me, it's most important to have the courage to do the things I believe are right for our football team, and they give us a chance to win. I understand if it doesn't go well, I understand I'm going to take the heat that's part of the deal, but I have to have the courage to stand up for what's right."
He reflected on last Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but remains focused on the positives.
"Let's not focus on the negative, we're going to make our corrections, obviously we're going to do that. At the end of the day it's about winning and losing in this league, we're going to celebrate the wins [and] enjoy it. We correct everything, every Tuesday we're going to get together as a team and we're going to talk about the things that went well, and tell the truth about that. We're going to take a look at the things that didn't go well, and tell the truth about that. And then we put it behind us and go forward with positive energy."
