Adam Gase – September 19, 2018 (Conference Call)
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Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Head Coach Adam Gase Conference Call with Oakland Media
(This is a very different Raiders team than the one you saw last season. What sort of impressions of this team have you made so far these two weeks?) – “I think it’s tough to really label the team yet. I know they’re learning two different … Both sides of the ball are learning new systems. On defense, it’s completely … It’s different than what they did in the last few years. Usually after those first two weeks, when you’re in a new system, there are a lot of learning experiences that go on. Usually from Week 2 to 3, that’s when you have a really big jump. Offensively, (it’s the) same thing. Coach Gruden probably is going to be able to really start spinning that offense the way that he wants it because guys have two games in now. It moves quick as far as how quick players learn and everybody kind of gets a feel for each other. The longer the season goes, it’s going to be more things they do on both sides of the ball and then it keeps improving. We understand, because we’ve gone through it the last couple years, to where when you start a new program and new systems, it takes a few games to really dial it in to where everybody knows what’s going on.”
(What has RB Frank Gore brought to you guys and are you amazed at all the production he’s still able to put up at this age?) – “I don’t think I’m amazed by it because I was around Frank 10 years ago and just knowing him, he’s just one of those guys you just never doubt. When he says he’s going to do something, I’ve never seen him not follow through. I think it’s been fun to be around him again. I love watching him practice. I love watching him play in games. Everything he does, the way he meets, he’s a great influence in our locker room. And then when we get him on the field and we get him touches, it’s fun to watch him find the holes and make plays for us.”
(Besides RB Frank Gore, you’ve got LS John Denney and DE Cameron Wake and WR Danny Amendola and DE Will Hayes. When Gruden got here, he brought in a lot of veterans to try and get the program going. What does having those guys do for a team?) – “I think when you first start a program – and you guys see this a lot of times – where players that when you’re the head coach and you have players that have already played for you and understand you, it’s good to have in the locker room, because other guys are just learning who you are, your personality, how you operate and how you do things. It’s always nice to have guys that – recognizable faces – that understand you so when guys are like, ‘Why are we doing this?’ and other guys can step in and speak up when sometimes guys, they don’t want to ask that question. A lot of times when you have veteran players, those guys have seen so much and they’ve been around different programs or they’ve been around this league long enough to where their experience can help you in the locker room and help guys understand why you’re doing certain things and help toe the line for you to where you’re not constantly talking on every little point where you’ve got guys that are backing you up.”
(What have you seen from Raiders rookie left tackle Kolton Miller?) – “For us, we’re looking at a really good group in general. It’s a tough group that we had to face last year. Even if new guys are in there, it makes it difficult for us, because that’s where a lot of our things are generated from – our defensive line. We know the challenge that we have ahead of us. That’s really going to be a key matchup for us as far as our guys playing well against this group because this has been a very good group the last few years.”
(QB Ryan Tannehill lost his entire season last year. How engaged was he throughout the year in keeping up with the offense and helping in that regard? And has he pretty much hit the ground running after missing that year?) – “Yes, pretty much. He was here every day. He was in every meeting. He was at every practice. He was very engaged. He probably spent more time with me really just helping me out with some of the things he saw on tape. I think, unfortunately, he lost a season, but I think it was good for him to take a step back, because ever since he’s been in the NFL he’s been the starting quarterback. For him to be able to step back and see everything that was going on – and he was listening different because when you’re in the middle of first year of a program and you’re trying to take everything in, you’ve got guys asking questions, you’re trying to help direct them – he was able to take a step back and really listen to the fine points of a lot of things we talk about. I think he absorbed a lot of it and has a better feel for what we’re asking him to do a lot of the times.”
(I know you spoke a little bit earlier about Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden’s offense here. I was curious, what are your impressions of it from a sense of sophistication conceptually?) – “He’s obviously evolved over time. I think the time off that he was away from the game, he studied a ton of film. I think it was beneficial for what he was doing because he was able to ask a lot of questions, watch a lot a ton of tape and see a lot of different schemes. His offense was always tough to prepare for in the past. Even though I wasn’t a head coach, being on the offensive side and listening to defensive coaches anytime that we had to play him about how difficult things were for them, I think now he’s able to add a few wrinkles here and there. That’s really what makes it harder to defend now probably than in the past, because he has a huge library that he can always go to and find what’s best for that week.”
(Can you give an example of a wrinkle that stands out to you?) – “That’s tough for me to say. I’d rather not say anything like what we’re looking at. That’s really what I’m avoiding there.”
(It seems like there’s been a lot of attention paid to QB Derek Carr’s release time both last season and through the first two games this season. I think he’s been one of the quickest quarterbacks in the NFL as far as getting the ball out. As somebody who’s worked with quarterbacks, what is that an indication of when a quarterback has a fast release time for you?) – “I look at it as his guys are getting open quick. He just has one of those releases where it’s just so smooth. It’s like he flicks his wrist and the ball just comes out and the distance is irrelevant. He does a great job changing his arm angle. When he throws the ball, it looks as clean as it can get. It has zip on it and it just looks smooth. I think sometimes when guys get open quick and he knows where to go with the ball and the coverage is right for what is called offensively, that’s where he hurts you a lot. He’s able to get the ball out quick and out in front and let guys run after the catch.”
(Does his tendency to release the ball quick almost – defensively – not say force you, but certainly play a little more press coverage than you might otherwise?) – “It always depends what you’re playing. I think really if it affects anybody, it’s the fact that the d-line, how much impact are they going to have? What happens is guys are looking to try to affect the game somehow and now all of a sudden you run a play-action pass where he’s able to hold onto the ball and now you’ve helped the offensive line out. When you mix it up and you’re getting the ball out fast and then when you go to hold onto it and the d-line is not thinking you’re going to, now all of a sudden that causes an issue to where the d-line is kind of slow as far as getting going on the rush and the offensive line is at an advantage.”
(What have you see from Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch on film?) – “I know this, he’s extremely hard to tackle still. He almost popped out a big one last week again. He’s a dangerous guy to deal with. He’s a big man that does not like to touch the ground. I’ve seen him way too much it seems like.”
(You’ve been asked a lot locally about your backfield and carries and workload and that sort of thing. It seems like a pretty nice problem for you to have in terms of RB Frank Gore and RB Kenyan Drake. What’s that been like with those two as part of your backfield?) – “I think the people that complain about it are the ones that aren’t living it. I’ve got no problems with the group we have. I like the fact that we have a lot of different guys that we can go to. I like that we have a lot of different personnel groups we can get to. Really, that was the focus and our guys knew it, heading into the season – that we’re going to spread the ball out and it might be a different guy every game that has a bigger game than somebody else. It’s a positive thing, the way I look at it, because it makes it harder for us to defend. That’s really the direction that we knew we were going to go at the beginning of the season and I don’t know if it’s going to change anytime soon.”
(With roster spots at a premium, it’s unusual for teams to carry four quarterbacks. I’m curious as to why and your assessment of QB David Fales, a local guy from around here.) – “The one thing that I look at it as I’m a quarterback guy, so I don’t mind having as many as we can get. We had an opportunity with Luke (Falk) becoming available and we felt like it was worthy of keeping four. David has done a great job. It was good to get him back last year. That was circumstances where we had some injuries and he was able to come in and he did a great job of improving every week. He was probably playing some of his best football towards the end of the year. And then we were able to give him an opportunity in that last game and he had to go against a team that ended up playing in the playoffs and they needed to beat us to make the playoffs. He played well in that game and really showed that he can play at this level and he can be a guy that went in the game and did a lot of good things. He’s a guy that we’ve been developing since 2015 when we were in Chicago and I don’t see it stopping anytime soon.”
(What’s it been like for you and for your guys to see RB Frank Gore and what it takes to be playing at his level at this stage in his career? Not many guys at his position can play into their mid-30s. The day-to-day, what’s behind the scenes with him, what’s the value of that for you and also for your locker room?) – “It’s huge. You don’t have to say anything because you see it every day. You see it in meetings; you see it on the practice field. The way he practices is exactly how he plays in the game. You wouldn’t know when you watch him practice, you wouldn’t know his age. I think guys respect him so much and they see what he does and I think he’s been great in that running back room. I think it’s great for Drake to see that, but we’ve got a couple other young guys between Senorise (Perry) and (Kalen) Ballage in there and those guys just being around that environment and watching him practice, it really helps us because Frank, he doesn’t say a whole bunch; but guys pay attention to that and it affects other guys in a positive way.”
