CINCINNATI BENGALS POSTGAME QUOTES
BENGALS HEAD COACH MARVIN LEWIS
Q: How was the game?
Lewis: "I was pleased with the victory. Obviously we have a lot of work to do. I thought we left a lot out there offensively today. Defensively, we have to do better and same thing with special teams. We have things to work on it. I'm proud of the guys. We stayed true to the process, but we have work to do. It's probably a good thing to have after a good win. It was a good strong win. Good effort, but we have a lot of work to do, so we'll get back home and get to work."
Q: Can you talk about the first half?
Lewis: "I think we had another chance for scores. I think there were some conversions we didn't make. We had to kick a field goal, I remember at least. I don't really remember much about the first half. I think the game overshadowed it for me."
Q: How much did you want to win this game for Hue?
Lewis: "It's no doubt our guys want to win this game for Hue Jackson. We had some things to work on in execution, but a good plan overall. To both run and throw the football was good and productive."
Q: What did you see from [tight end] Tyler Eifert:
Lewis: "He's a great weapon to have, he does a nice job with the run game and a good job receiving the football. He's good in match-ups that way. He makes the things go, if they rotate coverage one-way or another. You got guys who can win match-ups. A big, tall guy is what football comes to. We have big long guys, and big long guys have opportunities to make plays and put the ball where it belongs."
Q: What happened towards the end of the game?
Lewis: "We have some issues with substitution. You want to close out the game right. It's the first game. You have some young guys, but you want to close out the game right. If we don't make the third and one, or third and two – we had the chance to stop them. They had a couple chances to stop them. They converted a couple fourth downs at the end of the game and we stopped that. You feel a little better right now."
Q: Describe the environment when playing in the Coliseum.
Lewis: "Obviously, the crowd was jacked up. It was a big deal today. It was opening day for them, and the history and the heritage here. It's always a tough place to play. It was an exciting big crowd. Excitement on the sidelines all day. I thought our guys handled it pretty well."
Q: Talk about the decision to keep Andy Dalton in throughout the game.
Lewis: "We played him [Dalton] most of the game. That's what we've done. He [Dalton] did a good job."
Q: How do you create game plans for game one of the season?
Lewis: "Back in the springtime, as soon as the schedule comes out, we start looking at teams and what they do. But with these guys, we weren't sure what we were going to get until they started played preseason games. We weren't quite sure until we saw the preseason games and then we go to work that way."
Q: On the team's "chippy-ness" throughout the game:
Lewis: "We have got to be better about that. We know who's going to be that way. It's opening day. We have to play with better poise throughout the football game."
BENGALS QB ANDY DALTON
Q: Is this the vision? Is this the way it was supposed to look out there, particularly the first half?
Dalton: "Yeah I think even with everything that we were able to do today, we still had some other chances that we could have hit some more plays. It's great having all our guys back. Our guys played well. We spread it around, got both backs going and that's what we wanted to do."
Q: Talk about what Tyler Eifert does for you. How many times today did him making plays change the dynamic of what your offense did for that particular play?
Dalton: "Yeah I mean it was big. We knew that we were going to have some chances with some of the looks that we were getting and he was in the right spot, right time and he made some really good plays for us. It's what we expect from him. That's what we missed on last year, but just happy to have him back."
Q: The second touchdown to Eifert it looked like the guy was right there on him. Did you throw it because he had his back turned? What did you see on that throw?
Dalton: "Yeah. We have size advantage. The guy wasn't looking so. Tyler was able to make a really good catch. That's the matchup that we wanted."
Q: Did you feel like with your game plan you were one step ahead? The receivers seemed to have a lot of room to run around.
Dalton: "Yeah we felt like with what we were doing we got the looks that we wanted and our guys made plays. That's what it came down to. We executed exactly how we wanted to and allowed us to have big gains."
Q: How much did all the pre-snap movement and formation changes keep them off balanced?
Dalton: "I think it was a big part of it. I think some of the stuff they weren't able to get lined up on and we were able to take advantage of it. I think that's just because it's part of our offense."
Q: How important is it for you and your offense to find your rhythm early in the game especially in a hostile environment?
Dalton: "Yeah. We knew kind of coming in what the environment was going to be like. You always want to start fast, especially on the road and we were able to that."
Q: What about the job that your offensive line did. It seems like you were only pressured a few times today.
Dalton: "Yeah they did a really good job. We knew what we were going up against: a couple really good rushers and they are good up front. No it was big for us. Those guys played really, really well and my hats off to them."
Q: How much did you want to win this one for Hue?
Dalton: "I mean we definitely wanted to win this for him. You could tell how important it was. He never said anything about it, but you know with him coaching here and everything it was big to get a win for him. I'm happy for him."
Q: Did you say anything to him after the game?
Dalton: "Yeah. Just congrats. I know that he wanted this one and I said it's good to get this win for him."
Q: If you had to guess, how many different formations did you use during the course of that first half?
Dalton: "At least one or two I think (laughs). Yeah I mean we had different looks and different stuff. It's just kind of part of what we do. I'm not going to put a number on it. I don't know how many but if there's we can get a matchup we're going to do it."
Q: You had a third down pass to A.J. Green on 3rd-and-7 where you found him deep in the zone for a 30 yard gain. Can you take me through that play and what you saw?
Dalton: "Yeah it's just one of those things. We got a look that wasn't good for our original play. It's just kind of part of want we do, which is spreading the ball around and at that point we needed a big third down conversion and we were able to get it. It was great. A.J. was in a really good spot and made a good play."
Q: How does Eifert affect that particular play?
Dalton: "I mean it's one of those things it's like what are they going to do to A.J.? And Tyler was able to get going and then it's like are they going to do anything different? Are they going to change? We were still able to take advantage of some of the looks that we had. Tyler, I don't think he's going to surprise anybody anymore. He's a good player."
Q: They didn't really check out what they were doing right?
Dalton: "Yeah that's one thing you kind of see, they play their team and we were able to take advantage of looks."
Q: They're going to double A.J. but they aren't going to double Eifert.
Dalton: "Right. They were doing different things. It's what you always. With the type of player that A.J. is, a lot of teams won't be singling him up.
Q: Did you feel like they were a beat behind or a step slower?
Dalton: "I mean with the fast start that we had, that's what you try to do. You try to get that leg up and we were able to do that."
Q: Is there any kind of statement you can make week 1?
Dalton: "Yeah. You want to start fast and play well. I'm happy for our team. I'm happy that we did that. It kind of sets the tone for the season. Regardless you got to win by one point and it's going to happen different ways different weeks so this was a good start for us. Like I said, there's plenty to be left out there but we're happy with the win."
BENGALS TE TYLER EIFERT
Q: Did you know they were going to go to you that often today?
Eifert: "You know, I wasn't sure. But I knew we had a lot of good plays in the gameplan. And we were confident in what we were doing. We went out there and executed and started fast. That was good for our team."
Q: It was a long road back. How satisfying was it, all those tough times of rehab and getting back to being as effective as you were today?
Eifert: "Yeah, it felt great. It's been a lot of hard work coming back. To go out there and have a great game and help our team win was great. So we just have to keep going. This is only week 1. So let's just keep getting better."
Q: You and Andy [Dalton] were really in a rhythm today, that's going to be key to this season.
Eifert: "Yeah, I mean I missed all of last year and we're still developing that relationship and the trust factor. So hopefully that keeps developing and the offense keeps putting up points."
Q: How much do you like when your quarterback gives you a chance and lets you make a play?
Eifert: "Yeah, for me those are my favorite balls. Just put it up there and let me go make a play on it. He (Dalton) did that twice today, so that was good.
BENGALS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR HUE JACKSON
Q: How do you think the team played today?
Jackson: "They responded today. But they know there's a lot of work to be done. I'm not satisfied, and they're not either. So we got to get better."
Q: This game wasn't about you; I know you didn't want to make it like that. But it has to be satisfying coming back here [Oakland] to beat your old team.
Jackson: "Well, it's satisfying to win. Obviously, like I said before, this place will always be special to me because of Al Davis. Coach Davis was tremendous to me, and gave me an opportunity with this organization. But at the end of the day, I work for the Bengals, and it's always good to come on the road and win, especially when we haven't won here. So our guys took care of business, it was a team win. We're looking forward to next week."
Q: I saw you before the game walking around; can you share your thoughts in those moments?
Jackson: "There were some emotions there, no question. I've experienced a lot of blood, sweat, and tears here in the past. So I remember a lot of the good times and a lot of great people here. The fans were great today, and the players were great today that I knew, so that was really important to me too. At the end of the day, it's a great, great day to be a Bengal. That's what it's truly all about."
BENGALS CB ADAM JONES
Q: What happened on that play with Amari Cooper?
Jones: "Whatever you saw happen, that's what happened. I'm here to play football. I don't back down from anybody and I'm not out here trying to start anything. I'm just out here playing football. "
Q: How tough is it to stay composed in the moment?
Jones: "I was in the moment on that play. Like I said, I'm just out playing football. I'm not out to do that. I don't want to hurt my team in any form or fashion, but I have to make sure I protect myself, too."
Q: How important is the first win of the year?
Jones: "We came out playing on all cylinders today. I think we had a great game, and I think we matched their intensity from the beginning to the end. We let it slip a little bit right at the end, but for the most part I think we matched their intensity."
Q: How do you think you played today?
Jones: "Well the ball came my way today… a lot. I did a good job of tackling; we've been harping on that all week. Coach [Marvin] Lewis is making sure you get in the right position in practice, without hitting people. Today was a good day for all of us. It's a good team win. It's good for the city."
BENGALS S GEORGE ILOKA
Q: What happened on that taunting penalty in the first quarter?
Iloka: "I was just celebrating with my teammates. I was in the moment. Stuff happens."
Q: How challenging is it to play in this atmosphere?
Iloka: "The fans are just like any other fans, the fans will talk [trash]. You travel anywhere in the NFL and the opposing team's fans are going to talk trash. It's all fine and dandy, I didn't get caught up into that whole thing."
Q: You were out there flying around, how did you prepare and adjust for this game?
Iloka: "For me the biggest thing was getting used to the footing. They have the infield, the little dirt part, so we came in here Saturday and just backpedaled on it and broke in on it so we could get adjusted to it. For me I felt like coming into the game, I didn't really notice it. Once the game started, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."
Q: How important is it to get the first win?
Iloka: "Definitely important. You always want to start out 1-0, get the monkey off your back and get the first win out of the way so there's not pressure building from within or from outside with the media or fans or anything like that. We're just happy we came out of here with the win. There are definitely some things on the tape we can learn from. Obviously we gave up the shut out so as a defense there's definitely things we can clean up."
BENGALS RB JEREMY HILL
Q: How do you feel about your performance today?
Hill: "Obviously I'm a perfectionist so I'm thinking about the little things I could have done better. Past that, we got out of here with the win and I think that's always the most important thing. We have to go back and look at the stuff we did wrong and get better and get ready for next week."
Q: Tell me about your touchdown dances.
Hill: "The first one, I kind of didn't know what I wanted to do so it was a little awkward. The second one, it'll be funny whenever I put the video out there. People will kind of know what it was."
Q: We saw you thank your linemen; is that important for you to get over and talk to those guys?
Hill: "Oh yeah. I'm always trying to communicate with those guys to get what we saw out there. What they saw, what I saw, and every little thing – anything to give us a competitive advantage. Obviously, if I made a wrong cut or if I could have made a guy miss...just anything to help those guys because they probably have the hardest job. Every play starts with them upfront. I have to do everything I can to help the guys out so I'm always going to be congratulating those guys and talking to those guys throughout the game."
Q: What did this team show the nation in week one?
Hill: "The first half and the beginning of the second half, I think we did a lot of great things. We definitely showed what we're capable of doing with all the weapons we have as an offense. We just have to continue to get better. I think the sky is the limit for us, especially after just seeing some of the things we could do. I'm excited looking forward. We can get better. There are so many things we did wrong today that fans probably wouldn't see, but I'm excited. "
OAKLAND RAIDERS POSTGAME QUOTES
RAIDERS HEAD COACH JACK DEL RIO
Opening Statement: "Not the kind of performance we expected to have out there today. I thought our fans were excited about the opening of the season, as we were, and it's a very disappointing, embarrassing effort. I take full responsibility, but we'll get it turned around and corrected. Win or not, you got to move on. I really anticipated sitting up talking the need to move on after we got through the tape, and that is the case regardless. Win or lose, that's what you do. You have to make your corrections and move on, so we'll do that. Looking at it, we went into this game saying, 'OK, special teams, they have a really good return group.' We have to keep those guys bottled up. I thought that was pretty solid. Offense, we have to be able to run it. We have to be able to protect our quarterback. We have to be able to protect the ball. Our quarterback ended up getting hurt. We didn't run it well enough. And we didn't protect the ball, we were minus two in turnovers. Defense, we said nothing cheap. And tight ends were still running wide open. We said we're going to leverage and tackle. One the first possession alone, we had four leverage issues. So it just wasn't very good. It wasn't very good. We're going to have better days. I believe in the men in that room. I believe in our staff. And we'll get things corrected and move ahead. Injury-wise we lost four guys that I have here to talk about briefly. Nate [Allen] had a knee, [Charles] Woodson had a shoulder, [Derek] Carr had a hand, and [Justin Ellis] had an ankle. Look I don't believe in consolation prizes for playing hard. I expect us to play hard every snap. It wasn't good enough, and we'll move on."
Q: What's Derek Carr's Status?
Coach Del Rio: "I don't know at this point."
Q: What are the specific's behind his injury?
Coach Del Rio: "I really don't have a lot of information."
Q: Is it his throwing hand?
Coach Del Rio: "I believe it is."
Q: Do you know how the injury happened?
Coach Del Rio: "I'm not sure. The x-rays were negative."
Q: Was it an energy issue?
Coach Del Rio: "No, it wasn't an energy issue. If you go out on the defense on the first drive and you allow a long drive because you didn't do some things to get off the field. I mean, the first third-down was a leverage issue. It should be a tackle for loss, and they end up going around the corner and getting some positive yardage to keep the chains moving. That was part of that whole drive. It did not start sharp, it did not start with that crispness that you need to play really good football."
Q: How did Aldon Smith do? Did you think there was any rustiness?
Coach Del Rio: "I didn't think our group brought the kind of pressure that they will throughout the season today. I didn't think anything in particular about him. I just say overall we're going to expect and anticipate to get a lot better push from our rush and pressure from our rush. But I wouldn't try to put that on him. We had a group of guys that were working in there. It just wasn't what it will be."
Q: How were the practices this week? They looked unprepared today.
Coah Del Rio: "I'll take that. But I thought the week was excellent. I thought really we came out in great shape, ready to play, looking to kick off our season the right way. We all felt really good about the preparation, but it didn't look that way today. The bottom line is we're paid for production on game day, and it wasn't near good enough today."
Q: Do you have a plan for maybe bringing in another quarterback?
Coach Del Rio: "There's no reason to speculate on all of that. Obviously, if there's any length of time there, then yes we would. But at this point I can't answer that question."
Q: After Carr got hurt you went for a fourth-and-one. What was your thinking there? Was that a key moment?
Coach Del Rio: "Yeah, I would say that was a key moment and one that didn't go well. Even without getting it there, we get them to third and long and let them off the hook on that next series. A lot of opportunities to turn the game and to play better football, and we just did not get it done."
Q: Why were you unable to run the ball?
Coach Del Rio: "Look, I think some things happen where you did see runs. [Jamize] Olawale breaks the run and then we get a hold on the back side that was called. I haven't seen it yet, but a tough one to get there. We had some moments where maybe it looked like it was going to get on track. Bottom line is you have to sustain drives. In order to run it, you have to convert on third down. Overall, on third down, it wasn't very good to what it ended up, 25 percent, three out of 12. I would bet that some of those came late. If you want to run the ball, you have to convert on third down and stay on the field. We just weren't able to get that going."
Q: Everything you threw was short. Was that the plan?
Coach Del Rio: "No, I wouldn't say that. I really think that we are a group that will be able to push it deep this year. That will be part of what we do. It may not feel that way sitting here tonight, but that is the design and how we will approach it."
Q: Do you want to take more deep shots then?
Coach Del Rio: "Without a question."
Q: Why were the tight ends left open?
Coach Del Rio: "Look, if you don't execute well then it ends up coming down to that. The way I've always said is we're all in it together. Coaches will always take our part in terms of how we can help our guys be in a better position, but players have to take their part in terms of executing the things we have designed. And together we make it happen."
Q: Why are you confident that your team will improve?
Coach Del Rio: "Well, because I've seen the work we put in. I've seen the commitment level. I've seen the improvement over the course of the offseason. I feel like today was a moment where a couple of things went wrong, didn't go well. We had a little trouble finding ourselves. I believe that we'll settle down and understand the basic fundamentals that we have to be able to execute to play good football. There's some basic things that you have to do. You have to leverage and tackle if you're going to be any good on defense. It doesn't matter what your scheme is. If you're not leveraging and tackling, you're going to have a hard time. I believe in that. I believe in blocking up front, being able to throw the football and catch it, and just execute good football. I've seen enough examples of what it looks like to know that we are capable, and we will be better."
Q: What was going through tour mind when you were behind 24-0 in your first game as the Raiders head coach?
Coach Del Rio: "Real simple. Let's start playing good football at some point here. And then let it carry over and start playing good football because it wasn't good football early. At some point you just have to start playing good football. That's going to make these press conferences a lot more fun for me and make that locker room a lot more joyful when we do."
Q: Can you count the fourth quarter as good football?
Coach Del Rio: "I'm not ready to claim anything about that being real good."
Q: How do you describe your feelings after the game?
Coach Del Rio: "Look, I'm disappointed that the effort to open the season wasn't better. Our fans were excited, fired up. We get an opportunity at home to open up the season and we didn't play well. And that's disappointing to me. Look, I know what works still. Getting back to work and taking ownership of the things that went wrong is where it starts."
Q: Why was it hard to get them to improve after halftime?
Coach Del Rio: "It was not from a lack of desire. Like I said, when you play better and you execute better, it feels a whole lot better."
Q: Did you see the Pacman incident with Amari Cooper?
Coach Del Rio: "I didn't see that. If that was going on, I'm sure the officials were all over it. They had to see that."
Q: They didn't call anything.
Coach Del Rio: "Maybe they somehow didn't see that. I don't know. I don't know what to tell you if it happened. Typically the officials do a pretty good job of catching that stuff."
Q: When do you think Carr will be back?
Coach Del Rio: "I don't know anything about that right now."
RAIDERS WR AMARI COOPER
Q: What happened on the play with Bengals CB Adam Jones?
Cooper: "I was blocking him on a long run and he got on top of me after the play and ripped my helmet off."
Q: It seemed pretty uncalled for. Is that how you felt?
Cooper: "I mean, it's football. It's a physical game so you kind of expect it."
Q: Did you feel like they were trying to get after you physically? Like they were trying to hit you pretty hard every time?
Cooper: "I mean, yeah. That's what they're supposed to do."
Q: Coach Del Rio said after the play he's sure the officials were all over it. It seemed like, looking at it, if the officials were all over it there would have been a harsher penalty. Did you feel that way in the moment?
Cooper: "Not really. I just felt like they didn't see it. I felt like if they would've seen it then they would've called a harsher penalty or something."
Q: How was your first game overall?
Cooper: "Tough loss. There's always room for improvement. I think we just have to go back to the drawing board and get better."
Q: Why do you think the offense struggled today?
Cooper: "I think it all comes down to execution. We have to go back and look at the film and make some of those corrections."
Q: Were there any nerves at the beginning?
Cooper: "Not really."
Q: It's never good to see your quarterback go down. With all the work you've put in with Derek – and no one knows for how long, but at least just this game – what kind of a blow was that?
Cooper: "It's a huge blow. He's our starting quarterback and the leader of our offense. We need him. We'll see how it plays out."
Q: Did you get a chance to talk to him?
Cooper: "No, but I will."
RAIDERS DE Justin Tuck
Q: Are you shocked about the way that game went?
Tuck: "Yeah, I'm truly shocked. Yeah, I am shocked. I thought we prepared well this week. I thought we had a good game plan, but without watching the film and seeing everything up close, man, obviously we didn't execute that game plan and they came in and they executed theirs way better than we did. Hats off to them, obviously. They played a great game and give those guys credit. We've got to go back to work."
Q: What most shocked you about the game?
Tuck: "All levels. We didn't play good in any phase, but my job is on defense and we didn't set edges, we didn't get quarterback pressure. We had mistakes on the defensive line, linebackers and secondary. Obviously, there were some bright spots, but way, way too little obviously. So like I said, we all have to go back to work next week. We've got a really veteran and another good team from the AFC North coming in here next week and we don't have time to sit here and pity-pat [sic] about what just happened here. We've got to move forward, obviously learn from this, move forward and get ready for next week. I think that's what our process will be."
Q: How can you best explain the lack of pressure?
Tuck: "You've got Andy Dalton getting the ball out of his hands in under 2.5 seconds. You're not going to get a lot of pressure getting it out like that. What you want to do is get in the throwing lanes and bat some balls down and hope that gets him to hang on a little bit. That O-line is good, obviously. I thought we did an adequate job of making him a little uncomfortable in situations where he threw some great jobs and he had some great receivers and they made plays and we didn't."
Q: They were able to score in the two-minute drill at the end of that first half. Was that especially disappointing for you, not being able to stop them going into half?
Tuck: "Every time anybody has ever scored a touchdown on a defense that I've been on the field, it's been disappointing. There's never been a satisfying touchdown given up on my end. But anytime in the two-minute, you want to be able to get a stop and get some sentiments of a good feeling heading into halftime, something to build on, and especially how things were definitely not going our way right there, you want to be able to kind of hold, stand and at least force them to a field goal try. But like I said, things just didn't go our way today and I'm the type of guy that looks at the positives more than I look at the negatives. Obviously, you're going to learn from the negatives, but we can't truly beat ourselves up yet. It's one game – there's your quote – and it's something that we have to learn from. I've been in this league long enough to know that you don't reach your goals in the first week. I've started fast and gotten my butt kicked in at the end of the season, and I've started slow and won championships at the end of seasons. That's what I'm going to continue to tell these guys. We still have a lot of faith in what we can do, but that really doesn't mean much. We've got to go out there and do it."
RAIDERS QB MATT McGLOIN
Q: After so much optimism this preseason, how do you describe what happened out there today?
McGloin: "It was a tough situation. It's unfortunate any time your starting quarterback goes down with an injury, but a backup's job is to be ready, be ready mentally, be ready physically to go in there and do the best job that he can."
Q: Did the extensive preseason action help you when you got into today's game?
McGloin: "I think so. Obviously, the more reps you get, you play better. I thought definitely the preseason helped, but we'll see. We'll see."
Q: I don't think anybody expected the game to go this way. How do you even bounce back from a game like this?
McGloin: "It's one game. We've got 15 games left. It's disappointing, but you learn from it. You watch film. You correct your mistakes and you move on and you've got to remember that you have to get ready for another game on Sunday."
Q: We haven't heard anything on Derek Carr yet. Can you tell us anything in terms of if he might be able to play next week or if you might be back in there?
McGloin: "Yeah, I'm not sure. Again, I'm sure you guys will find out as soon as I find out, but if I do have to play this week, it'll be good to kind of get a week's work with the first-team offense and kind of correct some of the things that we did wrong when I was in there. So we'll see."
Q: Malcolm Smith called this performance embarrassing. Do you agree?
McGloin: "Yeah, it was embarrassing to get beat like that."
Q: Were you able to talk to Derek at all after his injury?
McGloin: "No. We came in the locker room at halftime, made our corrections from the first half and focused on some of the things we were going to do in the second half. Other than that, I'm not sure where he stands with his injury. That's something you're going to have to ask Coach [Del Rio] or the training staff."
Q: How do you feel about the way you played?
McGloin: "I've got to be better. I've got to play better when I get in there. I've got to do some better things. I've got to just focus on completing the ball more, trying not to force throws downfield like I did with that interception, trying to do too much at once understanding that we were down and you get in there, try to make a big play, and unfortunately it was intercepted."
RAIDERS LB MALCOLM SMITH
Q: You couldn't have seen this coming.
Smith: "No, man. It's not something you expect. When you prepare all week you want to go out there and look good for your fans and for your teammates. It's just disappointing."
Q: What was Andy Dalton doing that was so effective? By the time you guys got any kind of a rush the ball was out of his hand.
Smith: "He does a good job of that. They executed well. We just have to be ready next time. They kind of jumped out and caught us off guard and we weren't able to get back."
Q: So many shifts, formations, bubble screens left and right; did you have a sense of what they were going to attack with? Or was that just a Hue Jackson wrinkle?
Smith: "After the first drive you have to be ready for it. They utilized it the entire game. They used the whole field, they used all their personnel, they used everybody. They did a good job and they had a good plan."
Q: What was Coach Del Rio's message to the team after the game?
Smith: "We just have to be mentally tough. We have to do things right for the whole game and be able to adjust and just execute. That's what we're going to work on: executing."
RAIDERS RB LATAVIUS MURRAY
Q: Do you think that Matt McGloin can step right in there and take the reins at quarterback?
Murray: "Absolutely. He's ready to go. He's done it before, so we have all the faith in the world in him."
Q: What did it do to this team emotionally when Derek Carr left to go to the locker room?
Murray: "At first I wasn't sure what had happened, but like I said, McGloin's always ready. That's how it is. You have to be ready to step up when a guy goes down, and again, we have all the confidence in the world in him and if he has to play and be the guy, he will be and he'll do great."
Q: I don't think anyone expected this game to be that lopsided. Are you guys just completely shocked and embarrassed?
Murray: "Definitely embarrassed to come out here and play the way we did, especially the first game of the season at home. But again, it's on to next week. Make the corrections, come out here next
week and do what we're supposed to do to win."
RAIDERS LB ALDON SMITH
Q: How was it out there today?
Smith: "It was good. It was good. I wish the result was better, but it was good."
Q: How did it feel to be out there without having any preseason games?
Smith: "I felt fresh. Yeah, I said the word fresh, but excited."
Q: Did you feel like you kind of knew what you were doing?
Smith: "Yeah, I would say so. My job was pretty easy today, and that was just try to get the quarterback."
Q: How did it feel to hit Andy Dalton?
Smith: "It was good. It was good. I felt like I was getting my rhythm back."
Q: A lot of times as soon as you rushed him, the ball was out of his hands.
Smith: "Yeah, he did a good job with getting rid of the ball. With the guys that we have, [Justin] Tuck, [Khalil] Mack and the other guys that can get to the quarterback, I'm pretty sure their game plan was to get the ball out. He did it."
Q: Did No. 77 Andrew Whitworth give you some trouble?
Smith: "I don't know. Seventy-seven has been playing preseason and everything and practicing, so he's probably in really good form."
Q: How long will it take you to get acclimated to this system?
Smith: "It's a daily thing. The more I practice, the more I'm around the guys and get a feel for them, it will all work out."
Q: Is it more complicated than the 49ers' system? Is it about the same?
Smith: "It's about the same. At the end of the day, football is football."
Q: Your agent said you had other choices of places to go and you wanted to come here. How did
that process play out and why here?
Smith: "Yeah, I had a couple of choices, places I could go, places – I had different offers, some more and some less, some the same. I've got a house here. I've got a son here. This is my home. I love the Bay Area, the people and I didn't want to go."
Q: How are you doing personally after the last incident? You got fired from your first team. You face charges again. How was all of that for you?
Smith: "I'm doing good. I'm doing really good. I'm just excited to be here, have this chance with this team, being part of a bunch of guys who work hard and an organization who looks out for their players, and just a fresh start."
Q: It's got to be surreal, there is a lot going on here. You've only been a Raider for a couple of days and now you're in the game.
Smith: "Yeah, that's just kind of how life works. Some day you're doing something, some day you're not. Things change, but I did a good job of just picking up and going along with it."
Q: Are you concerned about what is going to happen with the potential that you could be suspended or with your arraignment on October 6?
Smith: "I'm talking it like this, day by day. As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to learn from what happened today and see what I can do better, look at the film, see what we can do better, and that's how I'm looking at my days."
Q: Have you gotten any personal treatment or anything since the last incident? You did two years ago after the DUI, but have you done any kind of treatment program since then?
Smith: "I've been doing a good job taking care of myself. I've got a really good support system around me of people who care about me and people I can talk to. I'm fortunate to have the friends and the people around me that I do have."
Q: Is Justin Tuck part of that support system?
Smith: "Yeah, he's one of them."
Q: Is he a big reason why you're here?
Smith: "Me and Tuck are good friends, and he's a good influence. He's a guy who's been around the league and didn't have his ups and downs and everything. He's definitely somebody I can learn from and somebody who I look to if I need some help with something."
Q: Did you go through any struggles with depression or anything after you lost the job with the 49ers?
Smith: "I'm human, so if you lost your job, how would you feel… everything happens for a reason, you know? That's how I look at it. I don't point the finger at anybody. I don't think too much about it. I just move on and move forward."
Q: Physically, how close are you to where you need to be to be successful?
Smith: "I'm doing pretty good physically. I've been staying in shape, constantly working out and just preparing, because I was prepared for anytime just to come back. I've always been able to stay in shape."
Q: What are your thoughts on the guys you have around you on that defensive front?
Smith: "Like I said, a bunch of guys who work hard, guys who go out there and do their job. I think the
more we're around each other and the more we practice, we'll just continue to get better as a group."
Q: How do you feel about Coach Del Rio and Ken Norton, Jr. as your coaches? Are you already feeling a connection with them?
Smith: "Yeah. I'd say it's one of those things that goes with time. I'm grateful for Jack bringing me here and I'm excited to work with Ken. I mean, as far as I could tell you, I think it's my third day with the team, so I'm just taking it day by day and seeing how it goes."
Q: Were you able to learn any of the Raiders' scheme before this game?
Smith: "I learned some of the stuff, yeah."
Q: Have you heard any indication from the league about what might be coming down in terms of discipline?
Smith: "No."
Q: Did you expect to play as many snaps as you did today?
Smith: "I just expected to play. That's all."
