Photo by Tony Gonzales
HEAD COACH DENNIS ALLEN
Opening Statement: "That's a recipe to getting your butt kicked. I told the players in there just now, only people that can change it are the people in that locker room, coaches and players. We've got to make a conscious decision that we want to get this thing changed. But, you can't start off a game like that and allow the opponent to just run the football down the field. You can't have the four turnovers like that, specifically in the situations that we had them, where we had the ball going in. One of those was kind of deep down in our own territory, so that was disappointing. We've got to get better on third down. They won the third-down battle, which in turn, allowed them to win the time of possession battle. We've got a lot of getting better to do and we need to do it in a short period of time."
Q: How did you feel Derek [Carr] played overall?
Coach Allen: "Overall, I thought he played well. Obviously, I thought, at the end of the game, his operation there in the two-minute situation, that was good for his development. I thought our offensive line protected well. I thought he had some time to throw the football. Again, I thought we did some good things offensively, but we turned the ball over and you can't do that against a good football team. Not only did we turn the ball over, but those turnovers…they ended up getting good return yardage and putting themselves in scoring position. We've got to learn from that. We've got to get better there. We've got to protect the football better and we have to stop the run and get off the field on third down."
Q: Was your lack of a consistent pass rush have a lot to do with having them run on you? It seemed like other than [Khalil] Mack getting him [Ryan Fitzpatrick] down one time, I can't remember you getting the quarterback on the ground.
Coach Allen: "A lot of it is the ball came out quick and they weren't going to allow us to get to the quarterback. And, listen, we had some times where we were there in coverage and they end up making the play and we don't. That's where we have to get better at that moment of truth play and be able to make the play at the moment of truth. But some of that had to do with we kept ourselves out on the field too long. When you give up that much time of possession, it's hard to get a consistent pass rush."
Q: The first quarter, was the defense a step slow? Did they come out flat?
Coach Allen:"I thought they blocked us. That's what I thought happened in the first half. I thought they blocked us, at least the first couple of drives. After the first couple of drives, I thought our defense settled in a little bit more and played a little bit better. But the first couple of drives, I thought they blocked us."
Q: The receiving corps had a lot of drop balls today and fumbles. How do you fix that?
Coach Allen: "The only way I know to fix that is to go back and emphasize it and continue to work on it and try to get our guys to understand the importance of respecting the football and taking care of it."
Q: You seem more upset than you usually do...
Coach Allen: "Listen, we had a good week of practice and to come out and play like we did is…we need change. We need to do better because we're a better football team than what we put out on the field today."
Q: At this point, do you change personnel or what do you change?
Coach Allen: "I think we go back and look at a lot of different things. We need to figure out how to give ourselves a chance to win some football games."
Q: Even as Houston was dominating a lot of that game, [JJ] Watt statistically, other than the touchdown catch, didn't do much for them until late in the game. How much of an emphasis was he for you guys to try to control?
Coach Allen: "That was a big portion of our game plan from an offensive standpoint. We watched the first game of the season and he wrecked the game for the opponent. So we knew we wanted to try to make sure we knew where he was on every play and try to make sure we had the right people in position to get him blocked. I thought for the most part we were able to do that. Like I said, I thought Derek had some time to throw the ball and so I thought overall, I thought our offensive line did a good job."
Q: The run defense…how surprised are you given the changes you obviously made?
Coach Allen: "Yeah, I'm a little surprised because that's been an area that we've been fairly decent at over the last couple of years. We've faced a couple of good backs the first two weeks of the season but it all starts up front with our ability to stop the run and we have to do a better job of stopping the run."
Q: You aren't back here until October 12 to play a game. What do you expect to see by that point in time?
Coach Allen: "That's a long way away. I want to see a better team next week."
Q: How did you feel about Derek breaking out on some of those long runs?
Coach Allen: "It was a point of emphasis for us. It was something that we talked to him about, being able to use his athleticism, use his feet, to create a little bit. And so I thought that was good to see."
Q: Is there any indication of Sio Moore's injury?
Coach Allen: "No, the only thing I know is that he has an ankle injury. We took X-rays and the X-rays were negative."
Q: You guys are pretty thin at linebacker – how much of an impact do you think that's having on your run defense?
Coach Allen: "I think that's a factor, but we're all professionals here and we need to do a better job there."
Q: How about Rod Streater?
Coach Allen: "He's got a hip flexor."
QB DEREK CARR
Q: On the game…
Carr:"Yeah, I mean, all I care about is winning. He [Fresno reporter] can tell you from experience, I genuinely mean that. I could care less if I throw five touchdowns or five interceptions, if we win the game, I'm going to be the happiest guy in that locker room. So, obviously we have a lot to work on, myself included. Whenever we lose, anything goes bad, put it all on me because I can handle it. I have no problem doing that. As the leader of the offense, I need to do a better job at my position and we'll be better. I can promise you that. I work my tail off and I'm going to continue to work my tail off until this thing gets fixed."
Q: How do you feel about running today?
Carr:"Yeah, it was good. I never ran that far in Fresno. So, it was good, that run, I wanted to put that in the run game. I feel very comfortable doing it. It's something that I did a little bit in college, so it's not something that I would make a living doing, but it's one more thing that people have to be ready for and make them play back side a little bit slower. I feel comfortable doing those kind of things."
Q: How did you feel about the offensive line?
Carr:"I always think they do a great job, even if I get hit every play. They're fighting their tail off just to make sure I don't get hit. So, anybody trying to do that for me I appreciate, so I thought they did a great job all day."
Q: On the interception…
Carr:"I saw the pressure, it was just like we saw on tape, saw the pressure, saw the coverage, saw 25 [Kareem Jackson]. I saw everything, and I felt a little color on my left side, so I had to try to get it out quicker and I made a bad decision, don't get me wrong, I'm just explaining the whole play. But, I saw it all. I threw it, I have to see the tape honestly to give you a better answer, but I saw it. I saw it right, but maybe I should have pumped inside, worked outside. Those things will come. I think I can do a better job of not turning the ball over obviously, that's not good for anybody, but I'll get those things fixed."
Q: As a rookie quarterback, are you confident enough to get on your wide receivers after fumbles like the ones today?
Carr:"Honestly, something about our team which is really cool, they don't care how old anybody is. We're all one, we all have the same mindset. I'm not a big 'chew someone out,' because if I throw a pick, I don't want them to come get in my face kind of thing. I don't think anyone wants to be demeaned like that, but at the same time, if someone were to come up to me and say, 'Hey, you're better than that,' absolutely. I appreciate that. I appreciate my teammates doing those kinds of things. As a rookie, so to speak, on this team it really doesn't matter because we have a great locker room, we have a great team. I love this team. We've got a lot of talent. That kind of stuff in there, it just doesn't matter. If something happens, we're there for each other to help each other out."
Q: Did you talk to James Jones after his fumble?
Carr:"Yeah, I mean James, you look up the stats. The guy has to be top two, touchdowns in the past what, five years? The guy is a great player. He led the League in touchdowns one year, recently. He's a good guy. Obviously, I feel very comfortable with him, I give him a lot of chances. So, when it happens, I don't need to say anything to James. I went up to him and I said, 'Hey, are you good?' He's a professional, he's like, 'Yeah, my bad. Now let's go get the next one,' kind of deal. That's all it is. This whole thing, this whole deal, I can guarantee you, you know the thing you hear, the same old thing, this is not the same old thing. Those guys in that locker room are so determined to get this thing right, I don't believe that it's the same old thing. We're going to get it right, I promise you that. We're going to fix things and I'm going to get better and we're going to get better as a team, I can promise you that."
RB DARREN McFADDEN
Q: How was it out there on offense?
McFadden:"We just turned the ball over. It's hard to keep something going like that."
Q: How would it help to start fast?
McFadden:"We've got to start fast and stay on schedule. Once you get behind it's hard to do that."
Q: Did you get in a rhythm in the second half?
McFadden:"I felt I was going pretty good, but as I said, once you get behind you can't run the ball like you want to."
C STEFEN WISNIEWSKI
Q: How was (Derek) Carr in the huddle today?
Wisniewski:"I think he does a great job in the huddle. He's always positive, he's confident. You can tell he believes in himself and our offense and that's contagious. It's just a matter of time before we are all clicking."* *
Q: What were your thoughts on the game today?
Wisniewski:"I think Houston had rhythm all day. The time of possession was real lopsided. That's no way to put points on the board. We've got to keep the ball and not turn it over as much. Running the ball is part of that. We've also have got to be better on third downs."
Q: Would starting faster help the team?
Wisniewski:"It's tough to say committed to the run game without it. Starting fast is what we have to do to change that offensively. Last year we were good at scoring points on the first drive. And that is on us, if we start fast, we will be able to stick with the run game.
Q: Was Houston's fast start a shock?
Wisniewski:"I just try to stay emotionally out of it and just go to work. If I was shocked, I think it would affect my performance, I just go to work and play every play. It's the exact opposite of how we want to start out."* *
Q: Is it frustrating to be 0-2 right now? Wisniewski:"It's really frustrating, we have a lot to fix and we better fix it fast because New England is a good team."
DE JUSTIN TUCK
Q: How surprised were you that they were able to run the ball like that?
Tuck:"Very. You know, it's a zone scheme. I got to say, you've got to give those guys credit. Arian [Foster] is a tremendous back, very patient, and he just waited. He just waited until a little seam opened us here and there. Obviously, I haven't watched the film yet, but I don't think we were that far out of our gaps. It's just him making plays and we didn't. You combat that with some missed tackles and he's that type of back that can really embarrass you. Just go back and watch the film and you try and correct this, because obviously, we don't have any time to sulk. We've got New England coming up and we're out there. Everyone knows what type of team they got and how prepared they'll be. We've got to fix this and we've got to fix it quickly."
Q: It's only two games, but there is a sense of urgency, isn't there?
Tuck:"There has to be. The good thing about playing in this league long enough, you've seen it all types of ways. I've been a part of a team to start 11-1 and didn't do anything and I've been a part of a team that started 0-2, gave up 80 points in the first two games, and needed a goal-line stand in the final seconds of the third game to win that game, and ended up winning the Super Bowl. So it's no panic, but it has to be a sense of urgency. It has to be a button that you push that says we got to fix this and we've got to fix this in a hurry."
DE LAMARR WOODLEY
Q: It's pretty difficult to get a pass rush going. You guys are supposed to be a good pass rushing team, but when a team runs the ball like that, does it make it more difficult?
Woodley:"The thing is if you want to be a good pass rushing team defense, if you want to go out there and you want to get a lot of sacks, if you want to force some turnovers or allow the secondary to get some interceptions, you number one have to stop the run. In order for our good pass rushers to have that opportunity, you have to make a team one dimensional. Right now, we're not making any team one-dimensional. We're allowing them to have two options, run and pass. So we have to make the corrections up front and make tackles, get them in third-and-long. Those are the things you have to do first. You have to stop the run in order for you to see the good pass rush that we have. But until you stop the run, you will never see that good pass rush."
Q: How confident are you guys that you can turn things around?
Woodley:"I'm real confident in it. This is only the second game. We have to eliminate those things: pre-snap, post-snap penalties and missed tackles and quit giving up the big plays. In the last two weeks, we gave up some big play s and put ourselves in bad field positions. When you do that, teams take advantage of that. So we have to make teams one-dimensional. This was a running team. We have to stop the run first if you even want to see that good pass rush that we have. But until we stop the run, you will never see that pass rush."
Q: Is that easier said than done?
Woodley:"We got to get it done. That's something that each individual has to go back and make that correction and say, 'Hey, was I in my gap? Did I do the right thing? Did I miss that tackle?' You have to do that. Then when you come together as a team, that's when things get done."
Q: Why do you think you had trouble stopping the run?
Woodley:"I really can't say right now. Usually when it's a big gap like that there's usually somebody out their gap or somebody missing tackles. Without looking at film, those are the only two things you really can say right away."
CB TARELL BROWN
Q: Five tackles in the game today. As you look at it overall, and you've been around a while, are the Texans that good or did the Raiders struggle that much?
Brown: "We struggled today. We couldn't stop the run. They got a lot of penetration on us up front and once they got to the secondary, we just had to make tackles. But the good thing about this team, guys are going to keep fighting. It's still early. We're 0-2, but we're not hanging out heads. We've got a lot of work to do, get in and make a lot of corrections, but hopefully we can get it back on a roll."
Q: In the first quarter when they went three-wide, they checked down, hit a run and then there was just no answer.
Brown:"Yeah, it looked like that. We played a lot of man-to-man today and I have to watch the film to see kind of what happened, but what I saw today, we just couldn't stop the run and it did a lot of great things and they beat us today."
Q: No offense to their quarterback, but Ryan Fitzpatrick kind of looked like Tom Brady out there.
Brown:"Yeah, I would say that, too. But like they say, on any given Sunday, anything can happen. So all we can do is learn from our mistakes today, get better and get ready for the next week."
S CHARLES WOODSON
Q: The defense was pretty confident coming into the season. How surprising was today's result and what happened to you guys in the first quarter?
Woodson:"It's disappointing. I don't know what else to say about it. Like you said, coming into the season, we felt a lot better about where we were at that point. Whatever reason, we haven't put it together on the field.
Q: Why do you think they got off to such a quick start?
Woodson:"We're not very good. We're not very good and they executed. That's about as simple as you can be."
Q: Can you put your finger on any more detail, like guys not being in the right gaps or not being physical enough?
Woodson:"I think that's always the case on the run. Either somebody's not in the right gap or you don't set the edge or you miss tackles. It's one of those things; that I can assure you."
Q: You say the defense is not very good. When you look at this team, how shocked are you that we're two weeks in the season and you're saying, "We're not very good?"
Woodson:"We sucked today. That's as blunt as I can put it. For whatever reason, defensively, we just won't stop people, especially early in games. Every drive, every first drive, a team is able to go and get points. Today it happened all day. Offensively, we put the ball on the ground. We had opportunities and we didn't capitalize on them. Collectively, we looked bad and it's frustrating because everything that the other people say about you, we're making them right. It's almost as if you allow other people to write your story and we're not going out there and doing anything about it. That's hard, man. I'm really embarrassed. When I came into the stadium today on the bus and I saw all the fans there, everybody's optimistic. It's our first home game. They're excited to see their Raiders. What was that we put out on the field today? That's embarrassing and I'm embarrassed for this team, I'm embarrassed for the fans. The thing about it is I'm a part of it. So I don't know what we need to do as a team going forward, but something's going to have to be done. I don't know what it is, but we go to do better than what we did today."
Q: Are the mistakes correctable?
Woodson:"I think the mistakes are correctable, but we said that last week. So how many weeks in a row are we going to say mistakes are correctable before we get to a point, I guess, when we realize that they're not correctable? I don't know. Are they correctable, yeah? But from when do they be correctable? That's what we're trying to figure out."
