The Las Vegas Raiders (5-8) DC Patrick Graham spoke ahead of the Silver and Black hosting the Los Angeles Chargers (5-8) Thursday night, and we have it all for you.
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00:00 >> [LAUGH] >> Years ago,
00:02 there was some movement back here.
00:03 >> [LAUGH] >> Coach,
00:05 your defense is performing exceptionally well right now.
00:09 And I'm curious, when it's performing at that level, is it more just keeping on
00:13 the tracks?
00:13 Are you still looking to nuances and making changes in anything you can do?
00:18 >> Each week is so different.
00:19 So again, the main objective for
00:21 us is to keep them from having more points than our offense.
00:25 So again, that's how we judge ourselves in terms of how we're doing.
00:29 So that's the most important thing there.
00:31 And then we know in this league, each week is different.
00:33 So the main thing is try to, within the six days, or in this case, four days,
00:39 see what's best for this to stop this opponent, to minimize their playmakers.
00:43 They got a good offensive line, they're working well together.
00:45 The skill guys, I know the situation at quarterback, but
00:48 from what I saw on the tape, this guy can throw the ball around.
00:52 Seems like he's pretty confident, has control of the offense.
00:54 So it's gonna be a challenge tomorrow night.
00:57 >> Jack Jones comes in two weeks, makes a humongous impact.
01:00 What is it about him that allowed him to adjust and make a huge impact?
01:04 >> Some similarities probably with some of the verbiage coming from New England.
01:08 I mean, again, I haven't been there for eight years, but I mean,
01:11 I'm sure there's some similar verbiage that goes on between the two defenses.
01:16 The fact that he's been well trained, I know that, whether from college to
01:19 the pros, I know that the coaches that have dealt with him.
01:22 And he has great energy, loves football.
01:26 I'll take those guys any day of the week.
01:28 >> How did you keep your defense from maybe frustration and
01:31 finger pointing last week when they're shutting them down the whole game and
01:34 there's nothing coming from the offense?
01:36 >> The thing, we're all professionals here and
01:40 our job is to minimize what they do offensively and stop them from scoring
01:44 points and the main objective is to win the game.
01:47 So the biggest thing about this group is a resilient group.
01:51 And again, they worry about what they have to do.
01:55 They have to do their job.
01:56 And the thing is, we know that we gotta do our job better each week.
02:02 Improvement, it's all about improvement.
02:04 And the reason why guys don't get frustrated,
02:05 because they're not thinking about it.
02:06 They don't blink.
02:07 Whatever the situation is, it doesn't matter.
02:10 They know that we just gotta do our job.
02:12 >> Pat, your blitz rate's pretty low, like the last month.
02:16 Is it fair to assume- >> Say what?
02:17 >> I said your blitz rate's kinda pretty low the last month.
02:20 Is it fair to assume that against a guy making his first start without giving
02:24 stuff away, you might wanna heat him up more, you're smiling than you normally?
02:28 >> No, [LAUGH] I mean, there's no way to answer that question without giving
02:32 anything away.
02:33 >> Right.
02:34 >> But- >> Good question.
02:36 >> I mean, we do what we think's best for the game.
02:38 I mean, sometimes it's the blitz, sometimes it's the drop eight,
02:41 sometimes it's the rush four, rush five.
02:44 I mean, again, we're gonna do what we think is best.
02:48 At this point in the season,
02:49 everybody's pretty much seen what everybody's done, week 14.
02:52 And the program stays the same all the time.
02:56 Stop the run, try to tackle, and then try to affect the quarterback.
02:59 Whatever you think is best.
03:00 They're disguised, pressure, man, zone.
03:04 I'm not trying to give you a, I'm purposely giving you a vague answer.
03:06 >> Right, I get it.
03:07 >> So I mean, I don't wanna insult your intelligence, but like, it is what it is.
03:11 >> Do you think they do a little more quarterback run game with him?
03:14 >> Everything's, when you got a guy that hasn't played a lot of snaps,
03:19 my job is to be ready for everything and
03:21 then prepare the guys to be ready for anything.
03:24 So I mean, I don't know what he's gonna do.
03:27 I know he's pretty creative in terms of what he's done in the past.
03:30 So we're gonna do what we think is best and prepare.
03:34 I mean, that's the fun part about our job on defense.
03:37 We gotta prepare for a lot of stuff, a lot of motions, formations, players,
03:42 coordinated situations.
03:44 I enjoy it.
03:45 And then the jam packed end of the short week, it's pretty fun.
03:49 >> Last thing from your record, Tyree inside now that you've seen it on film and
03:54 saw how successful he was last week, is that something potentially more of?
03:59 >> In my career, when you get those young rookies, those young players, and
04:02 you move them inside the defensive ends,
04:05 it gives them an opportunity to grow, to learn to use their hands.
04:09 Because I mean, however you slice it,
04:11 when you're talking about somebody that's had his success,
04:14 he probably hasn't really been blocked since he was in, I mean, even in Pop Warner.
04:17 I mean, truly blocked by, so when they get to this level, and now they're
04:20 professionals and guys that have skill sets that are better than what they went
04:25 against in college, and they're getting blocked, they gotta use their hands.
04:27 And that's one way, a tool that Robbie's used in the past, I've used in the past,
04:31 Chandler Jones, I think I told you guys before, we started him off rushing inside.
04:35 It helps those guys, and then they learn how to use their length.
04:39 And then it's gonna help them even when they go back outside.
04:41 >> Did he at all come in and say, hey man, that was fun?
04:44 >> To me, you know, rookies don't talk to the court, they think,
04:49 I wish they would come and talk to me more often.
04:52 Rookies, sometimes they're a little nervous coming to talk to me, but
04:55 I'm sure he was smiling, like his smile, whatever.
04:58 I mean, he's pretty stoic face all the time, so I think he was smiling.
05:02 >> You talked about what you've seen from Easton.
05:04 Did you go, was it mostly preseason?
05:06 Did you go back to college, watch North Dakota State stuff?
05:09 >> I can tell you, I don't have any hobbies, I watch everything.
05:11 >> [LAUGH] >> Everything.
05:14 >> Everything I think is important, I mean, no hobbies, no hobbies.
05:17 >> Jerry, I'm sorry, Jerry was in his draft class in 2019.
05:21 Did you speak to him when he gets an insight?
05:23 >> I do, this is my job.
05:25 Whatever you think of, he probably did, he probably did.
05:28 >> So you talked to everyone, saw everything.
05:30 You know what he has for breakfast.
05:32 >> Jerry loves Chargers quarterbacks.
05:34 >> [LAUGH] >> Coach Antonio Pierce talked this
05:38 morning about how at the beginning his idea was for
05:42 the team as a whole to match Max Crosby's energy.
05:46 How did you get the rest of the defenders to match that energy?
05:50 Because that's what we've seen.
05:51 And how do you continue this energy through these four weeks as the season
05:54 goes the way it is?
05:56 >> That comes from Max and the players and a lot of them,
05:59 really in terms of the energy.
06:01 I know, I think one of the things that, I don't wanna speak for
06:04 any people, he's pointing out the objective.
06:07 And then the players, they go execute that.
06:09 And for me to say that, again, they're here in the NFL.
06:13 They've been highly successful people in their lives.
06:17 I don't know if any words for me is gonna motivate them.
06:19 I could always guide them, as a teacher would.
06:21 I try to guide them in the right direction.
06:23 And I think AP made a great point about let's match Max's energy.
06:27 And it's really the players making a choice.
06:29 No different than when they were kids and
06:30 they made a choice to try to be NFL players.
06:33 That's what the fun part of our job is.
06:36 Outside of winning games, outside of wearing sweats every day,
06:39 we get to see guys that are really motivated.
06:42 Guys that are young, that made these decisions at young ages,
06:46 that continue to make decisions and they executed.
06:49 I mean, I'm always proud of those guys.
06:51 >> Coach, I kind of have a two parter.
06:53 One is- >> You always have a two parter.
06:55 >> I guess, not too many left.
06:57 But is it hard to look at what happened on Sunday and
07:01 be like that was our best defensive performance without the winner?
07:03 Can you still look at it and be like, this was our best football?
07:06 And also, can you just also talk about the leadership of Marcus Epps with what he
07:10 brings to this team?
07:11 >> Anytime we lose, obviously, that's not the objective.
07:13 So is it hard?
07:14 I hate to lose.
07:16 I hate to lose.
07:17 So I hate to lose.
07:18 And so is it hard?
07:20 You just learn from the experience.
07:22 Each experience, each game is a chance to get better and grow from it.
07:26 Whether you win by 40 and lose by three, it's always a chance to grow.
07:30 And we use that tool the best we can.
07:32 And shorter week is a little bit different, but
07:34 we use that tool the best we can to see some improvement.
07:38 >> And Marcus Epps' leadership.
07:41 >> Epps, I mean, again, I think the nature of the position, the safety position,
07:45 the communication is huge.
07:47 So naturally, you're thrust into a leadership role.
07:49 And thankfully, he's embraced that and
07:52 he has natural leadership qualities in terms of the players gravitate to him in
07:56 the cafeteria, the players gravitate to him when we have team building exercises.
08:00 So it's always a positive there.
08:03 I never met him before, but you saw on the tape that he was one of the guys from
08:07 Philadelphia communicating, you heard great things about him.
08:11 And that's always important for that position.
08:13 Naturally, it's gonna happen to a certain degree, but
08:15 when it's natural for them to do it, it's A plus for us.
08:19 >> When Tyree was picked, the plan was to bring him along slow, obviously,
08:22 as he got healthy and hope next year is 100%.
08:25 I talked to him yesterday, he said he's still not 100 yet,
08:27 which that wasn't expectations.
08:29 How much joy do you take in your tutelage to watch guys grow and
08:35 just continue to get better?
08:37 I mean, that's a credit to you, he credited you yesterday.
08:41 What does that mean to you just to watch guys grow under your leadership?
08:44 >> I mean, the biggest thing is any teaching and technique improvement,
08:50 that's coming from Robbie Leonard and Matt Edwards.
08:52 Those are the guys dealing with him day to day, play to play, in and out meetings.
08:57 And it's also him making the choice.
08:59 I mean, once you leave college and you don't have anything but football to do,
09:03 I mean, it's a transition for them.
09:06 Before they had this balanced study hall, they had the balance going to class.
09:10 Now you're professional football, this is your profession.
09:12 Everything you do is geared towards being the best you can for
09:16 those 17 opportunities on Sundays during the fall.
09:22 And I think it's their decision to do that.
09:25 And I mean, I don't really wanna take any credit for that.
09:28 I mean, my job is to make sure I don't put them in the wrong spot,
09:31 not mess it up.
09:32 But I think it's his decision, hard work, and
09:35 then the coaching received from Robbie and from Matt.