Prior to the Oakland Raiders hitting the field for their first practice of the week, quarterback Derek Carr held his weekly press conference at the team's Alameda, Calif., facility.
Here is what we learned from his time behind the microphone Wednesday.
Carr recapped what he did during his time away from the team facility.
"I hung out obviously with my family. But I went down to Bakersfield, caught the [Bakersfield Christian High School] Eagles game and saw my nephew score his first high school touchdown as a freshman on J.V., so I was fired up about that."
He also spoke about the caliber of the Chargers pass defense.
"Very athletic group, obviously. They have a mix of some good veterans and some good young athletic guys. [Jason] Verrett is one of those guys that I've gotten to know really well and we encourage each other every week, except this one. (laughing) I think that he's one of the up-and-coming guys that people are going to start talking about and really like."
Even during the bye, you have to stay locked in.
"You have to stay locked in. When you get time off, you can't go 100% without football. You have to at least watch the games, at least keep your mind in it, at least keep your mind, for me at least, calling plays or else when you get back out here it's like your tongue is tied. So you just want to really stay in it."
Carr also shared his thoughts about Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.
"He's one of the best. The guy puts the ball wherever he wants. You hear some people say, 'Oh, he forced that one.' No. He made a great throw and he did exactly what he wanted to do. The guy is unbelievable. He's a joy to watch obviously except when you're playing him – you just root your defense on then. But when he's playing against other teams, you can really cheer on some of the throws he makes."
