Las Vegas Raiders DC Patrick Graham's entire press conference before the season finale with the Denver Broncos.
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00:00 >> Happy New Year.
00:02 >> Yeah, Happy New Year everybody, Happy New Year.
00:04 >> Coach, your defense is performing at such a high level right now.
00:08 With only one game left in the regular season, do you continue to push for, hey,
00:12 let's leave the last game as our best game?
00:14 Or is there other things you may be looking at, younger players?
00:17 What's your mindset, sir?
00:19 >> Push is the finish.
00:20 Gotta finish what we started.
00:22 The goal is to play great defense and play consistently.
00:26 And thankfully, we got our last game is here at home in front of our fans.
00:30 And put on a good showing there, limit the explosives from Denver.
00:34 Try to limit the run game and tackle well and get off the blocks,
00:38 all the stuff we talk about.
00:39 And that's the goal, that's always the goal, and getting turn over the ball.
00:44 >> Considering you're going up against a pretty familiar quarterback in Jerry
00:47 Stidham, what are some challenges that he presents, but
00:49 also some of the pros that come along with knowing him as well as you guys do?
00:53 >> The thing that stands out to me is, again, the quick decision making.
00:57 He does have an arm, he's mobile in the pocket.
00:59 It looked like last week we had a pretty good understanding of the offense
01:04 that Sean's running.
01:04 So all the normal challenges, each week we have to prepare for
01:08 multiple quarterbacks cuz you never know what could happen in our sport.
01:11 Any game, the next guy could be up.
01:13 So looking forward to the challenge, and they got good weapons offensively.
01:18 And then the scheme from Sean is top notch.
01:21 He's one of the best that ever do it, in my opinion.
01:24 So we got our hands full this week.
01:26 >> We talked to Antonio about this too, but how do you manage the human side of
01:30 guys where it's like you're pushing, pushing, pushing for a playoff.
01:33 And all of a sudden they know that that's not out there,
01:35 that's not the carrot that's out there in front of them anymore.
01:38 How do you deal with that human side with the players?
01:40 >> The human side to me is that they're professional athletes.
01:43 And Raiders have done a good job of getting the right people in here to be Raiders.
01:51 And you only get 17 opportunities guaranteed.
01:55 And it's a game we love to play, love to coach.
01:58 And I just can't imagine going out on the field and
02:02 not playing it to your fullest, coaching it to your fullest.
02:08 Whether we're in our meetings, getting ready right now, game planning.
02:12 We owe that to the players.
02:14 The players owe the game.
02:15 We play hard, and it never crosses my mind, any team I've been a part of,
02:19 that we're not gonna play to our fullest, whatever is at stake or what's not at stake.
02:23 It's the game of football.
02:24 I mean, the unique thing about football is this, when you're done, you're done.
02:28 You go play pickup basketball, people play pickup hockey.
02:32 You can play baseball, I mean, you can't play football.
02:35 I mean, when I played my last football game, that was it.
02:37 That was it.
02:40 You can say flag football, but it's not the same.
02:43 It's not the same.
02:43 And I think, and I know our guys understand that they cherish this game.
02:48 It's the best team sport, in my opinion.
02:51 I'm sure the players would echo that.
02:52 I'm sure the coaches would echo that.
02:54 And the game provides so much for us, whether it's the chance to travel the world,
02:59 to get the money we make, all that stuff like that.
03:02 The fun we have, the brotherhood, you owe the game.
03:06 So I mean, I don't think I need to bring it up to them,
03:08 because I think that's what everybody signs up for when they play this sport.
03:12 It's beautiful, beautiful.
03:14 >> Patrick, this has been an up and
03:15 down year just with things going on that you don't control.
03:18 I'm just curious, how much fun have you had coaching this group of guys?
03:22 >> Told the guys the other day, I'm not gonna get emotional, I promise you that.
03:29 But I've had the most fun this year coaching this group of players that I had
03:34 my whole career, playing simple.
03:37 Not taking anything away from the guys I've coached before, but their growth,
03:42 how they've improved, how they embraced myself, the coaches,
03:46 the turmoil that we face, and how they laid out there on the line for us.
03:54 Starting with our leader, Max, from him to the rookie that has the least amount of
04:00 playing time, and I've had a lot of fun.
04:03 I've had a lot of fun seeing them go out there, win games, lose games, and
04:07 try their best, and try to do what I'm asking them to do.
04:13 Learn from their mistakes.
04:15 Again, it's just been a real fun year.
04:17 I mean, I've been proud to be part of the Raiders.
04:19 That's been a cool thing, just even when you think about the alumni and
04:24 the people involved with this organization.
04:26 It's been cool.
04:28 I would say dope, cuz I'm from the 90s.
04:30 That's been real dope.
04:31 >> [LAUGH] >> Patrick,
04:33 we've seen the benefit of the continuity here with you and this defense.
04:38 It's obviously gotten tremendously better from last year to this year.
04:42 They're buying into what you're doing and
04:45 having a better understanding of it, vice versa.
04:47 How much do you wanna be part of this thing?
04:49 >> [LAUGH] That stuff's out of my hands.
04:53 I mean, we got one more game together.
04:56 Each season's so different, though, with the NFL.
05:00 This is the last time this group of players and coaches will be together intact,
05:04 fully.
05:05 We know that, we know that, regardless of what the situation is.
05:08 So the important thing is to stay in the present and just cherish this right now.
05:12 And I promise you I'm gonna cherish every moment, every meeting.
05:16 I'm gonna have fun with them.
05:17 I'm gonna correct them.
05:18 I'm gonna listen to their input.
05:20 And then be at my best on Sunday to put them in the right spot and
05:24 adjust throughout the game and just enjoy the last game with these guys.
05:29 But enjoy the process, too.
05:31 Enjoy the process, that's gonna be important to me.
05:33 >> Coach, specifically,
05:34 where have you seen the defense grow the most over the season?
05:37 >> I think it started with just communication from me to them, them to me.
05:44 That improved.
05:45 And then from the communication, I think the vision became clearer for everybody.
05:50 Whatever, when we started the offseason, in terms of the vision,
05:55 in terms of where we wanted the defense to go, starting with Josh, myself,
06:00 the staff, and then talking and articulating that to the players.
06:04 And finding the best way to articulate that and get it conveyed to them.
06:08 And then them having their input, and you can just see through communication,
06:12 through collaborative effort, we've been able to see the vision come to life.
06:17 Again, it hasn't resulted in everything we wanted so far, but
06:21 that's a big part of it.
06:22 And once you have that communication and clear understanding of what's expected,
06:27 the beauty of what these guys do, they try to do.
06:30 If you're talking about trying to win games and try to put them in the right
06:33 spot, they're gonna listen.
06:35 They're gonna try to do what you ask them to do, and
06:36 they've done a good job of that.
06:38 >> Coach, go back to Max Crosby.
06:40 Obviously, the discussion of defensive player of the year is out there.
06:44 Can you give us a case for him now as a player on and
06:48 off the field, and obviously his stats that play that?
06:53 >> He's the most disruptive defensive player in the league, in my opinion.
06:58 I mean, as much attention as he draws in the run in the pass, and
07:01 still having to make plays, whether it's tackles for loss, pressures, QB hits,
07:07 sacks, and then the thing that stands out to me, and I tell him all the time when he
07:11 puts on the cape and he does the Superman stuff in terms of the plays from the back
07:15 side, I mean, whether it's a screen, whether it's chasing down the quarterback,
07:20 whether it's backside on the run.
07:22 I mean, you know each week the focus is on him because he's a game wrecker.
07:28 And he knows that, and he's embraced that, and he's still out there making plays.
07:34 It speaks to who he is as a person, it speaks to who he is as a player,
07:38 it speaks to his teammates, because just naturally he's raised the level of
07:43 his teammates because everybody's trying to know AP talked about trying to match
07:47 his level of intensity.
07:48 And it's just the influence he has on this locker room,
07:54 on this organization, on I think the fan base as well.
07:56 I can't, I mean, I can see it, I can't really speak for it, but
08:00 I mean, it's hard to say who's more valuable to him, in my opinion.
08:04 >> A follow up question to that, last week we watched him bring his defense off to
08:08 the side and have a meeting with him before he even went into the half.
08:11 Were you familiar, obviously you give him the trust to do those kinds of situations.
08:16 Did you know what that was gonna happen?
08:17 Was it something that just came out of nowhere?
08:19 And how does that work with you understanding what message is being
08:23 heard from him?
08:25 >> Trust, I trust him, I trust him, players trust him, coaches trust him.
08:30 His growth as a leader in terms of how he's able to articulate what he wants and
08:35 what he expects, that's what you assume happens with experience.
08:41 One of the best moments I've seen in practice when he,
08:45 the way he handled a correction with a younger player.
08:48 I mean, I was just like went over to him afterward,
08:50 cuz I went over there to talk to him.
08:52 I said, I got it, okay, and I watched, and I said, dude, that's dope.
08:59 [LAUGH] It was cool to see that, and just, I mean, again,
09:04 been wanting to coach this dude for a long time, man.
09:08 So I get a chance to coach him, and it's been great.
09:11 >> Last two, Hondo and Adam.
09:13 >> Coach, I'm curious about you personally, as you look at your defense.
09:17 Do you agree with that assessment?
09:19 I mean, as good as they've been, have they yet to play their best football?
09:22 Is there still more they can do?
09:23 >> Absolutely, absolutely.
09:25 We're always chasing for perfection, always chasing for perfection.
09:29 And especially when you go into a game like this weekend against the Broncos,
09:34 I mean, it's a division game, going against a very talented offense,
09:39 a very good scheme.
09:41 You know they got a talented defense on the other side of the ball.
09:44 There's a bunch of challenges that are still right in front of our face for
09:47 this weekend.
09:48 I know those guys are gonna be geared up to face those challenges and
09:52 try to exceed expectations.
09:54 And I just think that's just how they're built.
09:57 They're gonna come in here bouncing around, ready to go.
09:59 Obviously, people are disappointed.
10:01 It is what it is.
10:02 You can get mad.
10:03 But I always talk to them, don't get frustrated.
10:06 Don't get frustrated, and you're ready to go.
10:08 >> Last one, Adam.
10:09 >> Obviously, we've seen the highlight of plays that Jack has made since he's been
10:13 here, but it seems like he brought an energy to that room that's, I mean,
10:17 obviously, they had it already too, but that it was almost contagious when he
10:20 brought it.
10:20 Have you seen that?
10:21 And what do you think he's brought to the team since he's been here?
10:23 >> People talk about the energy, and
10:25 I think that's something that definitely stands out about Jack.
10:28 Most important, he's a good football player.
10:30 Good football player in terms of, I think, intellect out there on the field,
10:35 in terms of being able to decipher things at high speed,
10:38 because they're making quick decisions out there in the collision sport.
10:43 You see the study that he puts in in terms of a film study and
10:47 trying to get ready for the game.
10:49 And just his physical ability, he's a willing tackler, and
10:53 goes in there and throws his body around.
10:55 His ability to change direction, his ball skills, those all stand out to me.
11:00 And his ability to communicate and ask questions and
11:03 communicate what he's seeing on the field.
11:05 So all in all, the energy thing is there, no question.
11:11 But I don't wanna downplay the fact that he's just a really good football player,
11:16 and he's skilled.
11:17 That's the beauty of this league.
11:19 We're talking about skilled athletes who execute split-second decisions
11:23 all the time, and he's good at that.
11:25 >> All right, thanks Coach.