Adam Shaheen – December 24, 2020
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Thursday, December 24, 2020
TE Adam Shaheen
(Going back earlier in the week, I don’t know if you saw that you guys were a part of the ‘Angry Runs’ segment on Good Morning Football. I was curious if you guys have something similar as far as run-blocking goes. Maybe not the scepter they have, but something you guys rally around when it comes to digging out guys in the running game.) – “We don’t really have anything like that, like a scepter or something we do with ourselves. (We don’t) have really a physical item, but we take good pride in being some dogs in the trenches.”
(You deserve all of the credit for the very good year that you’ve had. I wonder what you think Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey and Tight Ends Coach George Godsey have done for you personally to maximize your skills this year?) – “I think just giving me the opportunity to come in here and play, as well as the strength staff and training staff for keeping me healthy. Really being able to stay on the field has been my biggest strength. I’ve played all 14 games here so far and I’m looking for finish it out here strong. Being able to maximize and stay out there, and do whatever they ask of me. That’s grown a little bit, week by week, and it’s gotten to the point where me, Mike (Gesicki), and Durham (Smythe) are all playing a pretty significant role. It’s been, I think, a strength of ours.”
(You guys got 250 rushing yards – a whopping 250 rushing yards – last week. What do you guys need to do as a line and as tight ends to re-create that?) – “I think last week was awesome as far as what you said about running for 250. I think just staying on them like we did all game, and then eventually wearing them down, and then we finally broke open some big ones. You could feel that momentum and them just being completely drained and us just taking over.”
Raekwon Davis – December 24, 2020
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Thursday, December 24, 2020
DT Raekwon Davis
(Has there been anything that an opposing player or coach on the field after a game has said to you to make you feel good about how you’ve played, because you’ve obviously made a favorable impression during your rookie season?) – “No, we don’t talk about nothing like that. I just do my job. They just let me know when I’m wrong or right. That’s about it.”
(I wanted to ask you about a Christmas event you did in your hometown in Meridian. Can you tell us about that a little bit?) – “I have my marketing team. They provided meals and gifts and stuff for the kids and for the moms and dads and stuff like that back at the Boys and Girls Club.”
(There’s often talk about rookie walls, but obviously you played in a college program that had long seasons because of the playoffs. Has that do you think helped you at all? Have you felt at all tired? Because you played in a big-time program that played a lot of games, do you think that benefits with stamina?) – “I would say it helped. Around this time, we were still playing in games. My body feels the same, so I guess you could say it helped a little bit.”
Brian Flores – December 24, 2020
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Thursday, December 24, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores
(RB Myles Gaskin was activated yesterday. What are you seeing at this very early stage out of him? Is it possible we’ll see him in action Saturday night?) – “It was good to have him back out there. I thought he looked good, had some juice, energy. We’ll see how practice goes today and make a decision on whether or not he’s ready to go.”
(I know you guys are trying to figure out who you might be facing in terms of quarterback, but if it is Raiders QB Marcus Mariota, is the key – looking back at film – is the key to try to keep him in the pocket or are there some things you can do when he’s on the move that can be more disruptive?) – “Marcus is very talented, obviously can extend plays, make plays with his feet as well as with his arm. I think with any quarterback, you want to try to keep him in the pocket, especially one who’s as athletic, fast and skilled as Marcus. But (Derek) Carr, he’s also been able to step up and make plays with his feet as well. I’m not really sure which one we’re going to get. I think the game plan for both guys is to try to keep him in the pocket in the pass game and we’ve just got to do a good job with reading our keys on the some of the zone-read things that they do with both quarterbacks, but I would say I think we all know that Marcus is more apt to probably keep the ball and can make plays with his legs.”
(I’m curious your reaction, I guess your thoughts on how the NFL and your team handled 2020 from a COVID standpoint. There has not been any missed weeks. Your team has, I don’t think, really even missed practice. I don’t want to jinx it here obviously, but how do you think it has been handled internally?) – “I think the league and – I think it starts with the league, the players. I think we’ve done a good job getting the games in thus far. I think everyone’s had to make some sacrifices. I think the protocols that were put into place, which are changing all the time; they try to put us in the best position to obviously not get COVID, but then try to contain it when guys do get it. I think overall, it’s been good, as long as guys follow the protocols, make the sacrifices and make smart decisions. We’re still in it, though. We’re not done by any stretch of the imagination, so we’ve all got to continue to be smart and make good decisions and not feel like, ‘oh, it’s been good so far, so we’re okay.’ I don’t even like to talk about how good it’s been. We need to just continue to do the things we’ve been doing so that we talk about whatever it is at the end. So hopefully you didn’t jinx it.”
(I wanted to ask you about the offensive line. Obviously after a 250-yard performance, you kind of – I’m assuming – want to stick with what works, but now that G Solomon Kindley appears to be sidelined, how has G Ereck Flowers looked and can you address C/G Michael Deiter’s development in terms of how he played versus what you saw last year?) – “I think Deiter’s really developed. I think he’s done a great job this year. He’s dealt with some adversity. Obviously played a lot last year and hasn’t played as much this year, goes in last week, plays well for us, has practiced well, has played different positions. This kid, he’s got all the characteristics we’re looking for. He’s tough, he’s competitive, he’s smart. I’m excited for him and his future here and I thought he did a nice job last week. As far as the o-line situation, we’ve got some injuries and we’ve had guys out really the entire year. The next guy just steps up, steps in and just tries to basically step in and play well, and just execute the fundamentals and techniques that we talk about on a daily basis – not try to do too much, just handle his responsibility and do his role in a specific play. Whether that’s Ereck or that’s Deiter, whether we make another move, we’ll just see where it lands. But it’s good to have Ereck out there. It’s good to have ‘Deits’ (Michael Deiter) out there. It’s a tough opponent. They’ve got a good d-line, (line)backers, so we’ve got to play well if we want to run the ball, if we want to protect, if we want to – whatever we want to do offensively, we’re going to have to play with good fundamentals, technique and execute.”
(We all know that family is important to you, and it’s life in the NFL at Christmas time. Making sure that there is time for your family this week – for you, and your coaches and your players – do you struggle with that? Do you ever get to the point where you are comfortable with the balance that you’ve set for the team?) – “Yeah, I’m comfortable with the amount of time we’re giving to the team. I think family is important. It’s important to me. I think you need a balance. If you don’t, you’re not going to be at your optimum level. I’ve said this before, if I don’t see my family, you’re going to get a lesser version of me. I just assume that for everybody on our team. We’ll make time for our families during Christmas, Thanksgiving, the holidays and things of that nature. I think that’s kind of my thought process on that.”
(I really wanted to ask you about the status of TE Mike Gesicki, WR DeVante Parker and WR Jakeem Grant and if any of them have a chance to go on Saturday. But I really want to ask you how does a coach do some Christmas shopping for your family and loved ones during this time?) – “Christmas shopping – Amazon. That’s how we get it done, like everybody else. It’s a pandemic. (laughter) … We handle that with Amazon. But look, DeVante, Mike, Jakeem are doing everything they can to get out there. They are really working hard. It’s important for everyone to be out there. It’s obviously an important game. All of those guys are working hard and hopefully they are wearing masks when they are in the mall.”
(We haven’t asked in a few weeks as we get towards the end of the season. Are you still holding out hope for WR Preston Williams or DT Devon Godchaux to come back at some point? Or are those guys focused more on 2021 at this point?) – “I’m always holding out hope. Those guys are training, they are rehabbing, they are getting treatment. We’ll see how this shakes out here. Obviously not this week, but we’ll see how this shakes out. I’m always holding out hope and so are they.”
(All of the pro teams here in South Florida, there are a lot of high-ranking men and women of color throughout the organization. That’s obviously rare. What are the Dolphins and other teams here doing differently and how can it be replicated across the various leagues?) – “I’d say that starts with ownership (Stephen Ross) – interviewing qualified minority candidates and creating an environment where the people who are qualified and capable, and giving those people an opportunity. I think it’s about putting good people together. I look at our situation with myself and (General Manager) Chris Grier. It’s been great, honestly. For me personally, I’m at times not the easiest guy to deal with, and Chris deals with me at times. When I’m locked into football mode, he’s making sure that things from the roster standpoint are where they need to be. I think we have a great relationship that way; but to your question, I think it starts with ownership and just trying to find good minority candidates to interview. Then if they feel like it’s the right fit within the organization, giving them an opportunity and then I think they’ve got to take advantage of that opportunity, regardless if you’re a minority or not.”
Matt Breida – December 23, 2020
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Wednesday, December 23, 2020
RB Matt Breida
(When you’re in the huddle and a play is called for you, knowing that you stand a real good chance of beating your man to the corner and turning the corner once you hit the edge, what’s going through your mind? What’s that like?) – “Just thinking about executing the play at the time. I’m not really worrying about one guy on a particular play. I just worry about executing the play and using my ability. If I can’t get to the edge, then good. If not, then I’ll run up the middle.”
Eric Rowe – December 23, 2020
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Wednesday, December 23, 2020
S Eric Rowe
(I wanted to ask you about TE Darren Waller, obviously a big challenge for you. When you watch him on tape, what do you see and how do you deal with this guy?) – “Waller, he is definitely a different breed. He’s not really a tight end. He’s basically a receiver – a big receiver. He’s explosive, he can run. I see cornerbacks and safeties covering him and he’s beating them. It’s definitely going to be a huge challenge this week.”
(When you have a guy like TE Darren Waller, and like you said, he’s so versatile with where he lines up, what do you think that does for an offense?) – “That just creates a whole bunch of personnel mismatches. They use him in 13, 22, 21 (personnel) and usually when you get big people personnel like that, most teams put more linebackers out there to cover tight ends of some sort. That’s just a huge mismatch for him, and that’s what they want. When you have a guy like that, you can just open up the whole playbook.”
(I know that the Raiders are Job No. 1; but it’s Christmas week. You all have families. What does the holiday mean to you in the middle of football season and how do you handle it?) – “The holiday means a lot because families come together, spend time, have Christmas dinner or lunch, a hot breakfast or however families do it. This year it’s a little bit different because usually every Christmas or around Christmas, there is always a game; but I’ve never had to leave on Christmas Day. It’s definitely an adjustment but it’s not a forever thing. We’ve got a job to get done and we’ve just got to go.”
(How do you feel about the opportunity to be the only game on TV on NFL Network on a Saturday night? What opportunity comes with that?) – “Honestly, I forgot it was a prime time game. (laughter) Usually with those, at the end of the day, it’s just another game. But maybe this time if you’ve got family that’s in a different part of the country, they can watch it because it’s the only game on that night. Yeah, you get a little bit more exposure. There is always a little bit more hype to it when it comes down to that game day.”
(A lot has been talked about how strange a year it has been for everybody in the league given what’s going on. When you think back, what was the real sign you had, the first real sign in-person, where you told yourself … was it when you got tested or some of the protocols, what was it?) – “It was when we didn’t have to come in for the offseason program. (laughter) Usually it’s a cycle every year. I go home for January, February to the end of March. Come back in April to whatever city I’m at. But this year, I stayed at home. I’m from Texas so I stayed at home all of the way until I think I got out here in June. I think it was around mid-June. That was weird because I have been doing this routine, cycle, for about six years. Ever since that moment, I knew this whole year was going to be different.”
Tua Tagovailoa – December 23, 2020
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Wednesday, December 23, 2020
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(You’re going to get a lot of Marcus Mariota questions today, so I guess I’ll start right with it. I read you were a fourth grader when you first met him? How vividly do you remember that exchange and what did you take with you from that time?) – “At the time, Marcus was really big in the college football realm. He was at Oregon. He was a big role model for a lot of us kids back home; but I think fourth grade when I first met him at a football camp, man, (he was) just a humble guy, a hard worker. He was one of the guys who kind of took me under his wing, so to say, when we went to passing camps at our alma mater, at Saint Louis in Hawaii. And I went and threw with the high schoolers at fourth grade. Everyone was wondering, ‘why are you throwing with us, you’re a fourth grader.’ Marcus kind of took me under his wing, so to say. I guess from there, I just really looked up to him and he’s just really been the same person.”
(If you guys both start, you and Raiders QB Marcus Mariota, it’d be the first battle of Hawaiian quarterbacks in the NFL. I’m curious what you think that would mean for the Polynesian community, the Samoan community, the Hawaiian community, to see you guys on that primetime stage Saturday?) – “I think it’s something really cool being that me and Marcus are both of Samoan heritage. His dad is Samoan and then both my parents are Samoan, and we come from Hawaii. I think that’s something super cool to see for the kids back home in Hawaii, to see two guys compete against one another, if Marcus is named the starter. But I think it’s also enlightening for someone like Kamu (Grugier-Hill) as well, who comes from the islands and who I believe knows Marcus personally, too. So if Marcus does get that opportunity, I think it’ll be really fun.”
(I know that a lot of football players like to try to keep things the same no matter what – big, small game, it doesn’t matter. I’m curious, what are some routines that you’ve maybe had for a long time? The night before the game, day of the game, things you like to always do the same way.) – “I’m not too sure. I guess if we have a home game, I go home, I shower. I don’t know, I don’t always do things the same game day. Sometimes I’ll eat before the game. Most of the time, I won’t eat. But yeah, I wouldn’t say I have something that is spot-on, I have to do or like I need to listen this song every time. I don’t have anything.”
(How would you describe Raiders QB Marcus Mariota’s legacy at your high school as you were coming in?) – “Marcus (Mariota) had a big legacy while I was coming in to start my first time at Saint Louis. That was my seventh grade year, and I believe Marcus had just left for college when I came. They just won a state championship. Marcus has just been the standard a lot of the kids back home look to as a person, as a human being and being as good as he was, that didn’t change who he was as a person.”
(I saw on social media that there was some gift giving involved with the offensive line from you, I guess last week. I know this week is Christmas. What does Christmas mean to you and what is your personal testimony that’s any part of Christmas for you?) – “I would say from a belief standpoint, what Christmas means to me is to be able to give, and that’s kind of like what the Father has done for us. He gave us the gift, which was His only Son, which was Jesus Christ, and we’re able to celebrate his birth; but for me, just being able to give something like that to the linemen, something that I know that they could use every day. They love grilling, they love cooking. So it’s something I could get that they would use. I thought that’d be pretty cool. Then just also trying to do things for others and I’m also in the process of trying to do things for the community, too.”
(I noticed there were some similarities between the interception in the first quarter of the game and your three-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter – both on the 3-yard line, both on third down, and they sent an extra rusher on both those plays. I’m wondering for you if that was a process of kind of trying to learn something in-game and applying it later on in the game and what’s that process like for you throughout the course of the game. You try to maybe apply some of the lessons you learned within the game?) – “I think that’s exactly what happened. They were different looks, but in a way similar; and the first one where I threw the interception, that was really rookie-esque, if you will – throwing that ball blindly. I could’ve just taken the sack. We had points there, whether it was a touchdown or field goal, and I threw that away and kind of gave the momentum back to the Patriots in that game. But I would say I definitely learned from that – don’t want to force anything. If I could’ve made it with my legs, then that was kind of the thing. And if not, then we still would’ve had points. We would’ve been able to kick the field goal.”
(You’re going up against obviously Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden and the Raiders this week. What do you think a Jon Gruden QB camp type TV show – what do you think that experience would be like for you and him, if that ever happened between you guys, if you’re a fan of the show?) – “(laugher) Yeah, I was a big fan growing up watching those shows. I watched them with my dad when I was young growing up. A lot of those – ‘Spider 2 Y peel bananas’ – (laughter) whatever he had going on, I thought that was so cool. But I don’t know how that’d be. I could only imagine how that’d be. (laughter) It’s either getting yelled at or ‘hey, good job.’ I don’t know (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you about how the offense is doing in terms of being able to pass the ball downfield, get those deep balls downfield and how do you approach that when it’s time to take a chance throwing the ball downfield and when it’s not?) – “I believe this game is taking what the defense gives us and if they’re going to continue to give us things underneath, for me, I’m going to take it and going to trust that our guys are going to catch and you never know what could happen. You never know with the yards after catch – after guys catch the ball – so I just want to get the ball in the hands of our playmakers and let them do the work. If there is a shot and it’s open, then that’s what I should be taking.”
Brian Flores – December 23, 2020 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Head Coach Brian Flores Conference Call with Las Vegas Media
(When it gets down to it, with a team like the Raiders and the way that they’ve been playing of late, why are they still a dangerous team that you have to be weary of, knowing that they’re mathematically alive? And what do you see that they’re still maybe doing well?) – “I mean they’re well coached and they’re talented. I think that in itself makes them dangerous. They’ve won some games against some very good teams – the Chiefs, New Orleans, Cleveland. Those are pretty good teams, some of the top teams in the league. They’re well coached. They’ve played in big games and won big games this year. They’ve got a lot of good players. We have our work cut out for us.”
(With how well your team has improved just progressively and exponentially, especially on the defensive end, are you confident in continuing with the progression over these last few games and what they’ve done? What maybe has impressed you or surprised you that you’ve just pleasantly surprised with as you get down here in crunch time, with how they’re performing?) – “I think we have a lot of guys on this team who work hard and are tough and competitive and team-first. They love to play football. I think when you bring a group of guys together with those characteristics, if they prepare the right way, that’s all you can do. You let the chips fall where they fall. It’s week-to-week in this league so with the way you prepare, the way you walk through and the way you practice, it gives you a chance to execute the game and that’s what we preach on a weekly basis. What’s happened in past weeks doesn’t really have any effect on this particular week or this particular opponent. We’re going to have to play well against a good football team.”
(You guys are professional football players and coaches so you’re used to this in terms of the holiday week that it is, but playing the day after Christmas and having to fly in, does the preparation make anything different to the players or coaches? Do you tell them to celebrate before or wait until we get back and that there will be plenty of time for that? How does that play on their mental game as far as this week, especially with how trying of a year this has been in terms of the pandemic? I’m sure they want to celebrate with their families and so on and so forth and embrace that. Does it make it a little bit tougher or is it business as usual?) – “I think as far as the holiday, it’s an important holiday for a lot of guys on the team and really this organization. We’ll let our guys and the people in this organization spend time with their family. Obviously we have to fly out on Christmas Day. Couple that with the pandemic and all of that that’s going on and yeah, it’s been a very different year. I think in a year like this, you see people’s resiliency, people’s ability to deal with adversity and make sacrifices – as our team has made and teams really across the league have made – to not see family and not do a lot of the things that we normally do so we can play football. So you see the importance of the game to the people within our organization and obviously the Las Vegas Raiders organization and really throughout the league, that they’re willing to make those sacrifices to play football. We have that on our team and I want them to celebrate the holiday. I want them to celebrate Christmas with their families. It means a lot to a lot of people. But we’re still focused on the game and focused on trying to play a high execution game on Saturday night.”
Robert Hunt – December 23, 2020
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Wednesday, December 23, 2020
T Robert Hunt
(What was your reaction last week when you got that Christmas gift from QB Tua Tagovailoa, and have you been able to make any of the food yet?) – “I was pretty excited about it. I’m still excited about it. I actually set it up the day I got it and I threw some of the hot dogs on it. So I have used it and I plan on using it this week as well.”
(What do you think was the biggest reason that the team was able to rush for 250 yards on Sunday?) – “Preparation I think. Preparation and practice. I think that we practiced hard, we prepared hard and I think everybody played and executed on the same level – that’s from tight ends to receivers to o-line, from the quarterback to the running back. I feel like everybody was on the same page and I think that helped us a little bit Sunday.”
(You guys were the first team in the NFL in two years to start six rookies on offense last week and obviously had a very successful day. How did you pull it off with all of those young guys? How is this success happening so quickly?) – “I would say again it’s preparation. I think that we prepare well. We don’t look at ourselves as – rookies, that’s what we are; but we’ve got to prepare. We’ve got a job to do. We try to execute that job because all of us are trying to help this team win. That’s our job to help this team win and I think that’s what we do. We take it serious and we prepare.”
(Two questions for you – No. 1, what do you think of quarterbacks who take care of their linemen? No. 2, more seriously, what is it like blocking for a guy like RB Matt Breida who can get outside with his quickness so well? How does that effect you as a lineman?) – “For the part of taking care off – that’s great. I love it that. Like I said, I like the grill a lot and I plan on using it a lot, so that was a great gift. For the (second) question, it doesn’t really matter who’s back there I think. I feel like as long as you try to do your job, and we execute our job the correct way, I feel like a lot of our guys can make something happen. Once you see them run past you – no matter if it’s Breida, (Myles) Gaskin or (Salvon) Ahmed, I always throw my hands up because I think it’s a touchdown. Whoever it is, I enjoy seeing them run past the second level. When I’m making a block, or we’re making a block, on the second level and you see them run past, that just brings joy to the linemen.”
(Fifteen weeks into the season, do you think of yourself as a rookie? Do you still consider the other guys in the 2020 class rookies?) – “I still get called a rookie. (laughter) I’m definitely a rookie still. We’re growing and we’re starting to get a hang of the game. We’re starting to get better and understanding the game a little more. This is a game that you’ve got to grow, and I think we’re all growing. We’re rookies still, but we’re definitely growing.”
(I saw you were involved with some of the long run plays on Sunday. I saw you using your long arms and also continuing to play for as long as you could. What are a couple of things that you feel you were focusing on since you started the season that you are a little better at now?” – “It’s the same thing daily. I came into the season wanting to get better, coming from a smaller school. I think that today, Week 16, I’m still trying to get better. I think it comes with preparation, like I keep saying, and the will of wanting to get better and trying to get better.”
