RB Darren McFadden drops back to throw a 16-yard touchdown pass to FB Marcel Reece.Photo by Tony Gonzales
Head Coach Dennis Allen
On the game: Just an update on the injuries – we have two guys with concussions, Tracy Porter and Terrelle Pryor. Those really were the two injuries to note out of this game. When you look at this game, in the first half, we started off slow. I thought that was a big deal in the football game. We weren't able to run the football like we needed to do. We weren't able to maintain time of possession. We weren't able to convert third downs and therefore, their offense was on the field a lot. Our defense had a couple of opportunities to stop them on third down drives and we weren't able to get that done. When you fall behind a team like that, it's tough to come back. We just didn't play well tonight. We have to go back and go to work. We get another opportunity on a short week to come back and play Washington. We'll be ready to play.
On Terrelle Pryor: I thought he was a little hot and cold. Early in the game I thought he wasn't as sharp as what he needed to be early on in the game. I thought as the game wore on, specifically in the second half, I thought he probably executed a little more and made a couple more big plays for us. I think it's just one of those deals where we have to come out and we have to be able to execute better early in the game to start with the right tempo.
On if Pryor's slow start was due to pressure of Monday Night Football: I don't know what the result is, I just know we didn't start as fast as we needed to.
On giving up a touchdown right after WR Denarius Moore's touchdown: It's deflating. You can't give up those explosive plays like that and that's what happens when you play this football team is they frustrate you because they complete the short passes. A lot of times they'll get just enough yards for a first down to keep drives alive and it becomes frustrating. And then guys try to go make a play and that's when the big plays happen. Obviously, we'll go back and look at the tape and see where we fell short. That's a good football team that we played. Their offense, they're well rounded. They've got an outstanding offense, outstanding defense, they play well in special teams, but I think we can play better than we did.
On the hit Pryor took: I couldn't tell and even that, within the rules, it's inside the tackle box, but it was a pretty good hit.
On Pryor's availability this week: I have no idea. I really don't.
On if he has to go through concussion protocol: He has to go through the protocol just like everybody else.
On if they dialed back blitzes: We had some that we anticipated to be able to run, but we just weren't able to get to it as much as we wanted to. That's the thing about Manning is he makes it difficult to come after him because he's got his shot plays up when you want to come after him. We tried to mix it as well as we could and, obviously, he was better than us today.
On Broncos rushing game: That's a factor of the fact we wore down as the game went on. We knew going into the game that takeaways were going to be a big part of this game. We knew that being able to control the time of possession was a critical factor in this game. And we knew being able to play great in the red zone was a critical factor. We really, other than getting the two takeaways there in the second half, we really weren't able to do the things we wanted to get done.
On setback with Pryor's injury: We'll see. We'll go in tomorrow; we'll have an evaluation and we'll get a better feel for where we're at and go from there.
On if potential for injury is a problem with mobile quarterbacks: I don't know. He took a shot on that particular play, but I think that play could happen to just about anybody.
On defensive secondary breakdowns in the first half: I wouldn't say there were a lot of breakdowns. Obviously, I'll go back and look at the tape and see where we're at, but there was a lot of good execution on their part in hitting some of the underneath defenders. He made some good throws. The one throw on the first drive over the seven-route down to about the 2- or 3-yard line, it was a great throw. We were in good position; it was a great throw. He beat us.
On Denver's touchdowns: Yeah, they had a great play action fake on the first one. The safety bit up and he got fooled on that one. On the second touchdown, I thought Welker ran a great route. He put a little double move on us and was able to beat us inside. Now, they beat us some plays; I wouldn't say that it was a lot of breakdowns.
On if he considered attempting a 68-yard field goal to end the first half: No, not really. I thought we had a better chance of being able to get a hail-mary pass than really attempting a 68-yarder.
On the Raiders running game: Listen, I thought they won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. I think generally when you look at your inability to run the ball or your inability to stop the run, I think you have to start up front. I don't think we controlled the line of scrimmage like we needed to.
On open-field tackling: I don't think we tackled like we need to.
QB Matt Flynn
On whether he was ready to go in tonight: Yes, definitely. Obviously that's part of the job; you always have to be ready to go in. Obviously the game didn't go the way we wanted to go, but I got in there and we had good field position when I got in there. We were fortunate in that aspect, but we just need to play better from start to finish.
On whether he is ready to start next week if needed: I'm always going to be ready and I'm always going to prepare. That's one thing that this team is never going to have to worry about.
On how difficult it is to come into the game cold: You're into every play and you know every play that is run. You're still into it and you are looking at the cards from the sideline, so you have a good idea of what they are doing on defense. As much as you can you try and keep your body as warm as you can. Your body does get a little cold out there physically, but once you get in there and the adrenaline starts pumping, it all takes care of itself.
RB Darren McFadden
On the Raiders running game: It was tough running tonight. Those guys came out and played great you need to give those guys all the credit, they did a heck of a job out there.
On his touchdown pass: It was a halfback pass and we were able to catch them in the right defense and get it off. I feel like I have a pretty good arm and can do something with it, but like I said we caught them in the right defense so I was able to get the pass off.
On his rushing touchdown: Yes I was looking to throw, but I made the decision to keep the ball because the tight end was covered.
On the Raiders slow start: It was slow starting for us, but once we settled down we were able to get a few drives going, but early on we weren't able to get pass third down.
On QB Terrelle Pryor: With him [Terrelle Pryor] out there running the defense has a to respect him, but we just couldn't get it going tonight and we're going to keep working and try to get better.
WR Denarius Moore
On chemistry with QB Terrelle Pryor: I think the chemistry with Terrelle is developing. We are just transferring what we are doing in practice to the game.
On the 73-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter: It was just Terrelle sitting in the pocket and nobody was getting open. I saw the safety coming in a little bit out of the corner of my eye, so I broke off my route and turned it up the field. It gave us some confidence that we were still able to move the ball, even with times like that, and coming back play after play and believing in ourselves.
On Pryor's demeanor in the huddle: The big stage doesn't bother him at all. It's like he has been a starting quarterback for five years now.
On offense's slow start: It was tough trying to figure out what they were doing on defense. We came in at halftime and figured out what they were doing and came back out in the second half and did better.
TE Nick Kasa
On coming back to Colorado: It would have been better with a win, but it's always good to be back in Colorado.
On his family and friends: A lot of family and a bunch of friends, it was actually nice though, a lot of people I know already had season tickets to the Broncos so I didn't need to get tickets.
On stopping QB Peyton Manning: It's a tough thing to do, I think we got it going in the second half but it was too late, they're a devastating team and that's obvious from tonight.
On QB Terrelle Pryor: I think he played pretty well, he's making steps every week and he's progressing, he's going to be a hell of a player.
LB Nick Roach
On facing QB Peyton Manning: It's really about being able to match, and even exceed, the efficiency that they are operating at. When you aren't able to do that, it kind of snowballs like it did tonight. You have to give them credit for that though.
On how to stop Peyton Manning: Honestly, you just have to be able to get the ball back. You have to be able to take away some possessions from him and try and get some momentum on your side. You need some big plays like sacks, interceptions or fumbles and things like that. He's really good at taking care of the football himself though, so it's tough.
On defense's open-field tackling: We definitely missed a lot of open-field tackling opportunities. Anytime you miss tackles you are adding yardage on to plays that wouldn't necessarily have been so long. That's fundamental football; it's not anything game plan-wise that we can blame on except for ourselves.
DE Lamarr Houston
On facing QB Peyton Manning: He's really good at reading the defenses that we put up, so he can make plays against you. When you aren't getting stops and you are facing long third downs on offense, it hurts. Tonight we just didn't get it done.
On whether the touchdown drives were hard to take in: I think they were all hard to take. I don't think we finished well today as a defense, so we need to come back better the next time.
On whether tonight's performance is easier to get over knowing it was Peyton Manning: I wouldn't say that you can just put it away because it is Peyton Manning. We still need to go back and correct the things that were wrong and come out next week better.
