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RAIDERS HEAD COACH JACK DEL RIO**
Opening Statement: "Let me just say that that was one heck of an effort. I saw a lot of examples of guys really empty in their bucket. Phrase that says really had given all they had. Straining, not flinching in tough circumstances, finding a way. The head coach and the quarterback are the only two guys in the organization that are tied directly to wins and losses and see our young quarterback take our football team down there to the end, that was special. That was special. Really proud of the men in that room. We've worked hard. This is the first of many moments like that. It's going to be a lot of fun. They're a very good football team that we went against. That was a tough, hard-fought win. I'm sure there are plenty of things that we'll pick apart and talk about that weren't how they need to be going forward. But for today, they were enough. For today we'll take that huge win that we needed so badly and go enjoy it tonight."
Q: Can you talk about Derek Carr's performance especially after being hurt? Coach Del Rio:"On top of a week of people thinking maybe I'm hiding something or whatever [laughing]. He came in the morning after and said he was fine. Threw the ball well all week and prepared hard all week. It was a normal week in those respects. There was just a lot of really because he couldn't finish last week. He really got it behind him really quickly. It's a testament to his well, his desire and his willingness to do the extra things to get his body to recover, which is part of that to be able to bounce back from an injury like that. Really, really pleased with him. How about Charles Woodson? How about Charles finding a way to make it out here today. With the shoulder and him being questionable all week and very limited all week. That's what makes this game so special. It's a team effort, that's what it takes, and we had a full team effort today."
Q: What was Carr's demeanor like after the interception? Coach Del Rio:"He just kept playing. Our thought coming in here was, 'Hey, let's come in and relax and play good football.' We know we paid the price. We prepared, we're ready to do this thing together, let's just relax and go play and have fun. I think for our football team that was important. We clearly wanted it real bad, and we worked real hard. Obviously, the beginning last week wasn't what we were looking for. That was a tough one to take, but I think we owned up to somethings that went wrong and just kind of forged ahead and he we are with a big comeback win at home."
Q: What a way for Seth Roberts to step forward into the spotlight. Coach Del Rio:"Step forward with a game-winner? Yeah, that was nice. He's worked hard. He's worked hard. The wide receiver group because we brought in [Amari Cooper] and [Michael Crabtree], the guys that were here before, there was a lot of competition for those spots and playing time and what not. He's earned his way. Great for him, great for us to see him do real well there."
Q: How much did getting the ball down field open things up on offense? Coach Del Rio: "Well I think there are a lot of things that we want to do offensively. Some of which we were able to get done today at a little better rate. We have people that can get down the field. We have a quarterback that's very accurate down the field. We're going to be able to run the ball well. That's a really physical front, a physical defense that we went against today, and our offense was terrific for most of the day. I would just say that today was a little closer to what we're looking for with the offensive production."
Q: I don't think they touched Carr a lot today. Did you do something different with the offensive line today? Coach Del Rio: "No. Our protection has been really good. I think all camp, all preseason and for the first two games, I think our protection has been really good. I think the O-line is doing a nice job with that."
Q: Was there a point during practice that you saw what you saw today? Coach Del Rio: "I see great examples every day. In terms of turning the corner and going on to next, it's so important. We've got to go on to next now. We're going to enjoy this one, but we've got to go on to next. When we visit on Tuesday, you're going to hear me talking about we have to go on to next. It's the next opportunity. That's what this league is about. People have big wins, big losses, things happens, but you have to go on to the next one as quickly as possible. We'll enjoy it tonight, but we understand it's one game. It's a big win and it was certainly after a really productive offseason. It kind of shows that some of that hard work and all of those sacrifices, that there's light at the end of the tunnel. That there is a pay off when you're doing things the right way."
Q: Was there a point during practice this week you thought you would be better? Coach Del Rio: "That's what I'm saying, it has been continuous. It's been continuous. We've been giving good effort. I think there was a point throughout the week where each day I thought we got a little better about getting over the game. I was concerned about turning our attention forward with a positive energy and not dwelling on the negative vibe of what was. Of course, no offense, but you guys like to dwell on the negative, so it's a battle. But I do believe that our guys did have the faith, did continue to believe and work and prepare. And that allowed us to come out and have a moment like that. We're going to play a lot better football going forward. It was good enough today."
Q: How do you make sure they don't get too high after this win? Coach Del Rio: "We're just not going to travel to St. Louis. Isn't that what happened last year [laughing]?"
Q: Growing up in Hayward, Calif., was this win special for you? Coach Del Rio: "It was special. It was special. Yeah. I had to focus on taking my mind elsewhere so I didn't get all choked up. Very special for me."
Q: Did you see the pass rush starting to get there? Coach Del Rio: "I really believe that pass defense is something that we'll improve at as we go through this year. I really believe that. We have some really dynamic rushers. Our coverage is going to need to be better. It's being challenged. The first couple of weeks, it has not been anywhere near what it's going to need to be. We'll address, we'll work on it, we'll correct it and we'll do the things we can to help clean it up. I do believe that we have the makings of a pretty salty rush and that will help our coverage."
Q: Is defense a concern after giving up so many yards? Coach Del Rio: "I think both defenses will come out of the game saying, 'We certainly feel like we're capable of doing better.' The difference is we're going to make our corrections with a 'W.' I think both offenses were really terrific today. A lot of offensive productivity. For those who like the high scoring games, there was a lot of scoring there, lot of activity, lot of action. I'm sure the defensive coaches on both sides are going to talk about the things they need to correct, and rightly so. But as a team, we get to go home happy."
Q: Can you talk about Amari Cooper's performance? Big day for him. Coach Del Rio: "He's a good player, a good player. He's very active. I didn't see the stats on it, let me take a peek. Yeah, he went over 100 yards. It's good to see. He's got a lot of ability and he's a hard worker."
Q: How much did the heat affect the team? Coach Del Rio:"I think it's a testament to the work that's been done with the conditioning. It was hot, as hot as I can remember him being in the Bay Area. It was very warm. I thought our guys weathered it fairly well. We had a few guys that sought out IVs and things. Hydration was stressed all week, it's part of what we do any how. We really made it a focus this week leading into the game. I thought for the most part we weathered, we did a good job."
Q: Did they get IVs at halftime or throughout the game? Coach Del Rio: "Yeah, throughout."
Q: Do you come away with better feeling after winning a back and forth game like that?
Coach Del Rio: "I don't know. To me it's one in the plus column, one in the minus column and we move on. You don't get style points. At the end of the year they're going to add up how many you won and that's one in the win column. We'll take it and move on."
Q: Were you surprised by anything out there today? Coach Del Rio: "No."
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Q: Can it inspire confidence in your team winning like that? Coach Del Rio: **"Positive experiences, negative experiences, they're experiences. We're going to either win or going to learn. And we're going to learn when we win and we'll move on. I said it when I started, I think it's a validation of the hard work, but I don't want to get too carried away. It's a nice win. We're going to enjoy it today. Then on Tuesday we'll turn our attention forward."
RAIDERS QB DEREK CARR
Q: Pretty emotional game?
Carr: "Oh my goodness, yes. Emotional, I think that's to say the least. We knew it was going to be a fight. Obviously Baltimore, they have been to the playoffs how many times the last seven, eight years, Super Bowl MVP quarterback, great defense, very physical defense, we knew it was going to be a challenge today but it just makes me so happy to see my teammates fight the way we did."
Q: What happened to the sleeves?
Carr: "Oh, I got really hot. I got really hot, a little too hot, so I needed to cool down anyway that I could so I just had them cut them off."
Q: Were you showing off your guns?
Carr:"No, that's why I wear sleeves all the time. I try and hide it."
Q: What were you thinking after the interception?
Carr: "Yeah, of course, that's a tough play too. It's a tough play the way it happened, but, all I was thinking man, was just give us a chance, please Lord, just give us a chance. I'm thankful our defense held up and Coach Del Rio did great with the time outs. I think the clock management was awesome to give us that much time and get the ball back. Then after that, I just told the guys in the huddle to believe it. We've done this a thousand times, believe it and they did a great job of making plays."
Q: How happy are you for Seth Roberts?
Carr: "I can't even say how happy I am for him. I told him in there I'm so proud for you, you deserve it. Talk about a guy that the first day we threw routes on there, it didn't look too pretty. Back in rookie minicamp days and just to watch him work, watch him get better at his craft, to make the team after being on practice squad and to make the game winning catch and he deserves all the credit. I had to throw it low and tried to protect him and he did a great of job of going down and making that catch. I'm so happy for him."
**Q: Big question, what can you say about the resilience about this team after losing last week?
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Carr: "We had a big jump from week one to week two, we did. That's good and that's great but one thing about this team and one thing we've learned is just one game. We have to have a bigger jump from week two to week three and as long as we continue to do that, we're heading in the right place and I said that last year. We're heading the right way and this is proof of it. We're heading the right way and we just got to keep doing it. We've got to keep coming to work every day and busting our tails at practice and making sure we get the extra throws in but also, making sure we just continue to believe in each other. After last week, it's probably easy for guys to say man, here we go again but we didn't because it's not like that way anymore. It's a new team, it's a new culture and I think coach Del Rio and his staff has done a great job.
Q: What did you see on the first touchdown to Amari Cooper?
Carr:"We knew that we were going to have an opportunity in certain situations for those kinds of plays. I just remember Amari ran part of the route. I threw it early because I think someone hit me, coming off late, because I was probably holding the ball a little too long. I threw it and just as soon as I looked up he was catching the ball and he was running to it. All I was praying was that I didn't overthrow it, but he caught it. I knew when he caught it, I was like ok he's gone. That was a big juice for our team really. It gave us a shot of life. I think that he deserves a lot of credit, man. He's a great spark plug."
Q: Was your big run called from upstairs?
Carr: "We were reading it out, if they had gotten a certain look and did a certain thing, then that was going to happen. Our coaches did a great job of designing it and telling me what to look for and when it happened, man, I just kept it. I don't know how Latavius [Murray] does it that many times."
Q: Did you think that you could keep going?
Carr: "No, that's why I went out of bounds as fast as I could."
Q: Last week you said that you may have been too amped up. You seem pretty amped up today. Is it different?
Carr: "Yes, just at the start of the game. Coach [Todd] Downing and Coach [Bill] Musgrave did a great job of just saying hey. They'd look at me and just say 'hey.' Because in pregame, I'm an athlete and I've worked so hard, I love lifting weights, but the quarterback has to be calm. When you step in the huddle, I have to talk to them just like this and sometimes I get a little fired up. They did a great job of just saying hey, keep calm, so throughout pregame I just stayed even keeled, encouraging guys and all that, and it really helped. It really helped and I'm very thankful to them for noticing it."
Q: What did you see on that game-winning touchdown?
Carr: "They played a little middle open coverage in the mike actually. I was going to work [Mychal] Rivera and the mike actually pushed to mike. I knew it was going to open the hole up to Seth [Roberts]. What a play call, that Coach Musgrave knew that they were going to be in that look. He said this is going to perfect and we went out there and I just did what he told me. We worked Seth and Seth did a great job, man. Talk about a guy, I think it's his, is it his first catch? It's at least his first touchdown. In a big situation, to read the coverage right, to run the right, correct route and then to make the play. He did a great job."
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Q: On the play before, the interception was called back.**
Carr:"Oh yeah. I was trying to body Mychal and the guy kind of pulled him and jumped in front of it. As soon as I threw it I was like, ok if they don't call this I'm going to be hot, but they called it and they did a great job. The guy was behind Mychal, so I was trying to put it on him, just kind of turn him inside and put it on him. I kind of just saw it."
Q: Did your heart go into your throat there for a second?
Carr: "It did because I was just hoping that they called it, because they could easily have not and then we're like ok great, but they called it. As soon as I threw it I was looking like 'ok they better have thrown it' and I'm glad that they made a great call."
Q: Did you have any issues with your hand today?
Carr: "No it was good. Thank you."
Q: At what point did you know you would score on that last drive?
Carr: "Oh man, probably at the beginning. I just looked in the huddle. It was just a great look on everyone's face. It was just a confident, we're just at practice. We did this. We practiced against this. We practiced against these looks. It was just a confident look in everyone in that huddle and I just said hey man, I better not screw it up. These guys are ready to go. I just tried to get the playmakers the ball and they did a great job."
Q: Is it easier to deal with Elvis Dumervil when Terrell Suggs is off the field?
Carr: "Obviously when there's two of them out there it's tough, but it's never easy to deal with Dumervil. He's such a great player. Him, [Courtney] Upshaw, they have two great middle linebackers. We know that. Their defense is always going to be loaded. I think that our guys did a great job. Now Suggs is a great player, don't get me wrong, but if he's out there or not we just have to keep competing. I think that dealing with Dumervil is never easy for anybody."
Q: What does the final drive say about your growth?
Carr: "I'm just thankful for a good outcome, honestly. It feels great to win it like that, but it's not about me. It's about this team. We have a good, young team and I think that we're growing, like you said. I think that we're going ahead in the right direction, but again, this is just one game. We can forget about this one real quick and get ready for the next one and we have to."
Q: Was Jack Del Rio emotional after the game?
Carr: "Yeah I think it meant a lot for coach to get his first win, especially the way we did it. He's been drilling in us to always compete and there's always a chance to win. How are you going to bounce back when you get punched in the face kind of a deal? We didn't cower away at all and that's credit to him and his character. The way he leads us, is the way we go. Whatever message he's trying to get across, as a leader that's what I take the message and I try to affect the locker room with whatever message he's trying to bring every single day. You have to give him so much credit for the way that we fought, him and his coaches I mean goodness, gracious they've done a great job of working with us and teaching us the game situationally also. I can't say enough good things about him. I'm just very happy for him. He was very emotional. It meant a lot to him."
Q: Talk about the fan's support.
Carr: "Love the fans. You guys know how I feel. I think Raider Nation is the best in the world in any sport. They know how I feel. I tell them all the time, at least on Twitter." RAIDERS WR MICHAEL CRABTREE
Q: What can you tell me about the game?
Crabtree:"Tough, it was a tough game. The quarterback stuck in there just like everybody else. The offensive line did good. The running backs making extra plays. The wide receivers out there doing all they can do. It was a good team win.
**Q: The throw Derek Carr made on your touchdown reception was a long throw across the field.
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Crabtree:"Yeah, whatever we've got to do. Like I said, this is one game. We've still got 14 more, so it's how we respond after this game."
Q: What was the conversation in the huddle before the final drive?
Crabtree:"Hold onto the ball and hang in there. Make a play, which we did. I'm proud of the team."
Q: It seems like everybody was making plays today, every unit. Is this what you envisioned the offensive unit could be this year?
Crabtree:"We've been doing it so long – training camp, OTAs. It's just really time to put it together on Sundays, which we did today. A hard-fought game, we came through. Like I said, we've still got many more."
Q: How did it feel to be able to have a good game against a really good secondary in the Ravens?
Crabtree:"Yeah, I feel like I owed them, talking about the Ravens. They had me thinking (inaudible)."
Q: So you were thinking a little about the past?
Crabtree:"Yeah, you've got to – motivation. Like I said, I'm just happy we pulled it out today. I'm proud of my teammates."
Q: How special was it to get that kind of reception from the Raiders fans?
Crabtree:"They want it as badly as we want it. We're in this thing together. I appreciate the fans' support. That's motivation for us. I always say just be thankful and go out there and play ball, give the fans something to see." Q: How much did you want that first touchdown?
Crabtree:"I just let it play out. Do my job and whatever comes after that, and have fun with it."
RAIDERS RB LATAVIUS MURRAY
Q: How does it feel to get the win?
Murray:"It feels very good. That's what it's all about. We're just on to next week and trying to do the same thing again. Get back to work. But it feels good and we're going to enjoy it."
Q: How did QB Derek Carr respond after he threw the pick? What was he like when he came back to the bench?
Murray:"He was fine. Obviously he took a shot there so the ball drifted away from him there or from the receiver, but he responded fine, as you can see. We responded as an offense, defense stepped up as well. He responded fine and we went down for the game-winning score."
Q: Is it fair to say he grew up on that last drive?
Murray:"I'm sure he learned from this game, as he probably learned each drive as the game went on. But yeah, he's growing. He's young, I'm young; there's a lot of young guys on the squad. We're just getting better and going to continue to get better so we can go out there and put performances like that out there."
Q: Is this a better representation of your offense? The running game was working pretty well and the passing game seemed to open things up a bit.
Murray:"I think so. Obviously we want to run the ball, and when we need to throw the ball we're going to put the ball in the air because we have the ability to do it and we have playmakers on the outside to do it. It's definitely what we're about."
Q: First time since 2012 you guys had two receivers go over 100 yards in a game. Talk about those two out there.
Murray:"With Crab [WR Michael Crabtree] and Coop [WR Amari Cooper], you have to pick your poison with them. They're going to make you pay. [WR] Seth [Roberts] stepped up, too, with that game-winning score, so we have all the ability outside."
RAIDERS S CHARLES WOODSON
Q: You've been on this field for many games. When was the last time you can remember you guys needing a touchdown in the fourth quarter and the offense going down and actually getting it for you.
Woodson:"I remember one time last year. Derek went down – I think it was Kansas City – and hit James Jones for the touchdown for the win. I tell you what, man, that felt good. Any time we can get it, I'll take it."
Q: You've always talked about his maturity level and how he plays above his experience, but did you see him grow up more on that last drive?
Woodson:"I think a lot of people did. Not only Derek, I look at my side of the ball, I look at our young corners and I think they continue to grow leaps and bounds from where they started. It's good to see those guys out there performing."
Q: How did you feel out there today? Obviously you weren't 100 percent, but have you played feeling worse than that before?
Woodson:"I had the harness on and was kind of winded with it. It's kind of restricting. Other than that, I felt fine."
Q: As a leader of this team, do you feel like if you can fight through injury you know people will look at you as a leader and they'll fight too?
Woodson:"I think that's part of it. I think part of it, too, is I don't ever plan on missing a down. I don't want to sit out if I'm up. The name of the game is availability. If you're available, if you feel like you can get through something … usually you have to get through things mentally way before you have to get through the physical part of it. I was able to go out there and do what I needed to do for the team and show those guys that if I can go, I'm going."
Q: Did you say anything to the DBs on that last drive?
Woodson:"Yeah, make sure we get our depth. We're not taking anything over the top in this situation, man. In this situation, just make sure you get back where you need to be and let's secure this victory."
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Q: Going back to Derek, how much more impressive was it to watch him orchestrate the game-winning drive after throwing an interception the previous time out there?**
Woodson:"The thing about this game is you've got to have that short-term memory. You've got to go out and perform regardless of what happened the last play, the last series or the last game, whatever it may be. He showed poise and he stood in there in the pocket, made some great throws. Receivers and tight ends and backs made some great catches for him and they moved that ball down the field and put us in a position to win and they got it done. This guy, man, he's a special guy and you saw that with that last drive today."
Q: What's the difference between 1-1 and 0-2?
Woodson:"It's a big difference. The last couple of years I've been here, it's been that way. This time around, today, we went out there and man, we showed that we can claw back into a game, that we can get some stops when we do need to get stops. We feel like they got way too many yards and way too many points, but today, our offense, the way they moved up and down the field, kept the ball in their hands and kept us on the sidelines, that was huge for us. It all works together."
Q: When did you know you were going to be able to play?
Woodson:"Once they put my shoulder back in place on Sunday, I never intended on missing the game. I could say my mind was made up pretty quickly. It was just up to convincing the coaches, the staff and the whole thing that I was going to be able to go." RAIDERS WR AMARI COOPER
Q: Take us through that final drive.
Cooper: "For that final drive, everybody just believed we would go down and score. Every time we practice the two-minute [drill] in practice, we always put ourselves in a good situation to go down and get some points. So we were definitely comfortable."
Q: How did it feel to get loose on that touchdown?
Cooper:"It felt great to score my first touchdown, but we still have to go back to the drawing board – especially me – be more precise in my routes, looking the ball all the way through and things like that."
Q: How'd it feel to have your first 100-yard game, too?
Cooper:"It feels good. Like I said, I always want more. I felt like I definitely could have got more out of the game."
Q: What was the excitement level of the game?
Cooper:"Any time you win a really close game like this, you feel like you're the team who prepared better and you were the most relentless team. That's a really good feeling."
Q: How did it feel to have success against a good secondary coming off a strong game?
Cooper:"They have pretty good overall defense and their corners are really good as well. It was encouraging. It made me – and I think the rest of the guys – feel like we have a real shot."
Q: What does it say about this receiving core to have two 100-yard receivers today?
Cooper:"Man, we work so hard. We're all really talented players, in my opinion. I already knew what to expect out of my guys today."
Q: How does it feel to get your first win like this?
Cooper:"It's really special, especially against a team like the Ravens, who are a really strong defensive team. It's a really good feeling."
Q: How can you guys build off a game like this?
Cooper:"It's one game, but it's a really encouraging thing to win a close game like this. It makes you feel like you have a relentless team. But we just have to keep going back to the drawing board, keep our eyes set on the next team, and I think we'll be fine."
RAIDERS DE Justin Tuck
Q: Are you injured?
Tuck:"Injured? No. I'm hurt."
Q: How did you hurt yourself?
Tuck: "Football."
Q: What does a win like this do for the culture of a team?
Tuck: "I hope it just elevates what we've been saying. This not the Raiders team of old. But at the end of the day, it's one win. We're very happy to get it. That's a great football team. I know they are 0-2 now, but that team, you can mark my words, they are going to be right there in the midst of things come December and January. To get a win against a quality opponent like that in front of our home crowd after not playing well here last week, that's a plus. It wasn't pretty, but what I liked is that everybody just kept fighting until we found a way. Hopefully it's something we can build on going on the road next week. I'm excited about it."
Q: What do you tell the guys going forward to keep them on the right track?
Tuck: "It's one win. Don't act surprised. This is something that we've worked our butts off all offseason to do, so once we start playing well and start having success, don't act surprised by it. Just continue to do what we've done and we have a lot of work to do. It isn't like we found the milky river or whatever you want to call it. We still have a lot of work to do. That starts coming back in here this week and getting our bodies back prepared to go."
Q: What was the difference from last week to this week?
Tuck: "I know what happened last week – we got our butts whipped. We didn't play well. I thought today we did in spurts. I thought our offense played a great game. I thought they did a great job mixing it up, especially against the quality defensive opponent they went against today. Nobody on defense wants to give up 30-plus points, but whenever you can get a win, you don't really care how it comes. It makes film on Monday and Tuesday a lot easier to watch."
Q: Was it fun to watch your offense drive down the field at the end? How would you describe the feeling watching your offense try to win it at the end?
Tuck: "You have to ask different people that question. For me, I kind of stay even-keeled. I just sat on the end of the bench and let them go to work. There is nothing I can do over there. I had my chance when I was on the football field. I've been in games like that where you just trust them. There was never a moment in that drive where I didn't trust them. If it didn't go down, I was prepared to take our defense back out there and try to figure out a way to get the ball back for them to do it. So for me, I don't really get too high or low out there. Obviously, we are excited about it but we knew with 26 seconds to go, we still had a job to do. We were just fortunate to have Derek Carr come out there and save the day for us."
Q: How big was it to hold them to a field goal on their last possession?
Tuck: "It was huge. Sudden change. We blew a 10-point lead there and things kind of unraveled a little bit. It's easy for a team that hasn't had success to start saying, 'Oh God, here we go again.' But to hold them to a field goal there and give our offense a chance to go back and win it for us, I think it's huge. I hope it's a momentum-builder. I hope it's something that we learn from. I think it is. You see Neiko Thorpe make that play on the interception at the end of the game, he got beat on that play earlier in the game. It just shows, guys are putting it together mentally as well as physically, and that's what we have to do." RAIDERS CB NEIKO THORPE
Q: What was the difference for you guys defensively this week as opposed to last week?
Thorpe:"I couldn't really tell you the difference. I would say that we know as we went in this week, just like last week, stick to the game plan. We just had a different outcome this time. [I feel] blessed and we're happy about it."
Q: How was it watching the offense go down the field to win it in the end?
Thorpe:"It was intense. I was nervous. As a defensive player, there's nothing you could really do, but then again, these are our boys. These are the guys we've practiced with all week. I know what they're capable of. I knew we would call the right call and guys would execute it."
Q: The way your offense looks like they can play, you guys don't have to be perfect. How do you feel like the offense and defense balance each other?
Thorpe:"I think it balanced out well. The offense, they put up points, and the defense, we're just trying to stop them from scoring. I feel like that's how it balances out."
Q: When you guys came out and held the Ravens on their first two drives of the second half, how big was that?
Thorpe:"Real big, real big. It's real big to always come out and start fast in the beginning of the game and the second half. You always want to start fast."
**Q: What were you looking for on that last play when you recorded the game-winning interception?
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Thorpe:"I was the corner, so I was on the end and I was just playing my coverage and doing my job. The ball came my way."
Q: How big did that ball look when it was coming to you?
Thorpe:"It looked real big, but probably not as big as my eyes when it got there. But it was pretty big."
RAIDERS WR SETH ROBERTS
Q: How does it feel to have one of the more historic grabs in the lore of great Raider finishes?
Roberts:"It feels awesome, man. I just want to thank the Raiders organization. We did it for us, for our organization, the team, the Raiders. We haven't had a win in a long time so it feels good to have our coaches with smiles on their faces and leaving happy."
Q: Could you believe you were that wide open?
Roberts:"I kind of read their coverage. Before the snap, D.C. [QB Derek Carr] gave them a cadence and it kind of showed their coverage, so I just slipped inside and caught the ball."
Q: Once you grabbed it and fell in the end zone, did you realize what you had done?
Roberts:"I don't know, man. I don't know. I heard the fans and everything. I knew what was going on. I just held my composure and made sure the game was over."
RAIDERS DE KHALIL MACK
Q: Do you think this will be team-builder, with this dramatic victory?
Mack: "Exactly, that's what Coach Del Rio preaches about all the time. Having that grit, that relentless to not stop fighting, fighting on every play, ever play, no matter the situation. The offense helped us out tremendously today. We have to get back to the film and study it and we tried to hold it down at the end."
Q: Do you feel like this defense grinded it out, holding them to a field goal after the late interception?
Mack: "Yeah, I think it's like that. It was very important. You all talk about it, but at the end of the day, we know we have to be better. That's the bottom line. Even though that's a great offense we went up against, there are some things early on, play-action-wise, they did a lot of things. We need to assess and get better."
Q: Was there a thought that you had to win one of these first two games at home?
Mack: "Yeah, man. We should have got both. But the fact that we finished out and got one, that speaks a lot about this team, especially when you're going up against a great team like we went up against. They did a lot of things early on, but we kept fighting, kept fighting and stayed together as a team. That's what it's all about."
Q: That was about as hot as it gets…
Mack: "Yeah, man. We knew the situation. We knew it was going to be hot. We had a couple of guys with a little nicks and bruises, but it's all about how you finish."
Q: How are you feeling?
Mack: "I'm good, man. I'm good. I'm a machine."
Q: Is there still some frustration about the lack of pass rush?
Mack: "It matters to me. It matters to me. It matter to this team. It matters to this defense. That's one of the things that we have to look at, assess and get better. We have to move forward, and hopefully next it will be a different outcome defensively because we want to win all the time. Keep getting wins."
