Las Vegas Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell spoke ahead of hosting the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend.
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:05 >> Ready to roll, guys?
00:07 What did you see, John Moraes, watching back from that defense?
00:10 >> Yeah, I think just a lot of opportunities missed.
00:15 There's guys open that I missed.
00:17 And I think just having to play within myself and
00:21 take it one play at a time, don't look ahead, don't look back.
00:24 Yeah, so just a lot of opportunities missed, frustrating in that aspect of it.
00:28 But a lot of good things too, so I think our guys are confident.
00:33 Again, just a great job by our defense keeping us in the game.
00:36 >> When Devontae says you're not freaking out, he's not freaking out,
00:39 the team's not freaking out,
00:40 what does that say to you about the confidence that your teammates have in you?
00:43 >> Yeah, that's been something that we've talked about before, it's been huge for
00:47 me, is just the unwavering confidence that they give me.
00:50 And guys are vocally and how they act, super supportive, and
00:55 it's much appreciated by me.
00:57 I'm obviously a rookie, so I'm figuring it out, and
01:00 the guys have come along by my side and helped me in that way.
01:04 So yeah, Devontae as the leader he is, it's huge when a guy like that has
01:08 an attitude like how he does.
01:11 >> There's been so much about the energy, the vibe,
01:13 the last couple weeks since Antonio's been around.
01:16 How do you maintain that?
01:17 What have you seen from the team, I guess,
01:18 in terms of dealing with the loss at that same level?
01:20 And I guess, how do you maintain that after losing again?
01:23 >> Yeah, I think guys just really wanna win.
01:25 I think that's where the energy and the passion came from.
01:27 And so I don't think that changes after loss.
01:31 And so I think guys wanna get back to work, wanna lock in and
01:35 understand in the NFL, it's just good games and good teams after the other.
01:41 And obviously we're playing a really good team this week.
01:43 And so guys, I think, are just excited to get back to work.
01:45 >> As a rookie, what do you know about Chiefs week, being a Raider?
01:49 >> Yeah, you can feel it pretty early on.
01:51 And even Ben talked about in the offseason,
01:53 obviously they're defending champs, and so it's gonna take high level of execution.
01:58 And like we talked about, passion and energy, and
02:00 we're gonna have to play a really good game cuz they're a great team.
02:03 >> You watched the film, what are some things that you believe you can do best,
02:06 that the team can do, in a third down situation, to kinda ease the process?
02:09 >> Yeah, I think before we get to third down is helping ourselves out in first and
02:13 second down, and not being behind the sticks.
02:15 Second and long, it's hard to play from, it's hard to call plays from.
02:18 And so trying to stay ahead of the sticks and manage the game better,
02:22 I think is something I'm trying to do, trying to learn.
02:24 Just put ourselves in good situations.
02:28 And third down, those are hard downs to win.
02:33 The pressure is amped up and execution is at a premium.
02:36 So I think just put pressure on ourselves throughout the week,
02:40 when we go over third downs, to understand the importance of it and
02:45 the reason behind what we do, what we do.
02:48 >> The first couple of starts you had, you were trying to look at the first downs,
02:51 kinda look for completions.
02:52 But you started handing out a little bit in Miami.
02:54 How much would you say you have that confidence to move forward into your arm,
02:58 kinda make plays like that as you progress through the season?
03:01 >> Yeah, I think you just gotta take what the defense gives you.
03:03 And sometimes there's opportunities down the field, and sometimes there's not.
03:06 And so that's really my job, is to assess quickly if the opportunity down
03:11 the field presents itself, and if it's a good option.
03:14 If not, find something underneath.
03:16 And so that's something, it's not unique to me as a quarterback,
03:19 that's what the quarterback's job is.
03:20 And so that's what I'm trying to do on a week to week basis.
03:23 >> I know he's not an old guy, but your college career,
03:25 at least Patrick Mahomes has been the standard, right?
03:27 He's been the best quarterback in the world.
03:29 Has it been a process, you're starting against him on Sunday?
03:32 Has that been anything to you?
03:34 >> Yeah, it's definitely very cool.
03:36 Obviously, Patrick has had an unbelievable amount of success and
03:39 is a great player.
03:40 And so everybody knows him, he's super famous and, like I said, a great player.
03:46 And so it's really gonna, like I said,
03:48 take our execution offensively to try to do our job on a play to play basis.
03:53 >> Excuse me if I butcher his last name, but there's a guy,
03:56 George Colafas, who you're pretty familiar with on the other side.
03:59 How cool is it gonna be to go up against him?
04:02 >> Yeah, I am good friends with George, was at Purdue for the whole time.
04:07 I guess I doubled George in Purdue years, but
04:10 was there the whole time that he was, and he's a great guy, a great player.
04:15 I always thought, back in the day, I'm super happy I don't have to get
04:18 tackled by this guy, and it's gonna be fun to play him.
04:21 I'm already texting with him a little bit, so it's been super fun.
04:25 >> What do you think of Keelan Cole as a teammate?
04:27 >> I don't really like Keelan very much.
04:28 >> [LAUGH] >> Keelan is one of the guys who
04:33 welcomed me pretty early on.
04:35 You can go away for this part.
04:37 >> All right.
04:37 >> He welcomed me pretty early on, and I'll seriously say he's a super funny guy.
04:42 And he, like I said, in the spring, I was throwing a lot of balls to him.
04:45 And before I knew what was really going on around here,
04:48 he kinda took me under his wing and helped me a lot.
04:50 And just some days, I just put his arm around and be like, hey, it's okay.
04:53 It's hard to see him at the helm, so.
04:55 >> Now that we know you can talk trash, have the texts with George been cordial?
04:59 Are you guys going at each other a little bit?
05:00 >> They've been cordial.
05:02 It's gonna be fun to see him.
05:03 I haven't seen him in a while.
05:04 And so, yeah, a lot of good memories with George.
05:08 Like I said, an unbelievable player.
05:09 And yeah, I'm super proud of him.
05:13 As a friend, to all the success he's had, obviously,
05:15 to win Super Bowls and rookie is pretty cool.
05:17 So it'll be fun to see him.
05:19 >> Where'd you watch the game last night?
05:21 >> At home.
05:23 At home, on the couch.
05:24 >> Yeah, okay.
05:25 >> That's good.
05:26 All right, thank you.