Prior to the Oakland Raiders game against the Denver Broncos, Head Coach Jack Del Rio wrapped up practice for the week with a media session.
Opening Statement:"Alright, Fast Friday. Ready to roll. Have a couple of guys on the injury report that are questionable. We'll see how it goes. Whether they'll be able to go or not, we'll make that determination as we get closer to the game. Everybody else is ready to go. Obviously, a tough challenge up there. It's a great place to play. It'll be loud. It'll be orange. Two teams that know each other. Big divisional matchup. Both coming off tough losses on the road last week. Both need this game really bad. Should be a heck of a ball game."
Q: Michael Crabtree didn't practice today, is that a set back? Do you want to go into that?
Coach Del Rio:"No, don't want to go into it."
Q: How did you find the altitude and elements affected the game from when you coached there?
Coach Del Rio:"Not a great deal, really. Hydrate and go play. For me, it's about setting your mind and going and playing football."
**Q: It has the reputation of being one of the toughest places to play. Is that the noise?
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Coach Del Rio:"What makes tough places to play? Just add it up. What is it? It's not just a place on the Earth, it's a team, it's fans. The team being good. The fans being loud. Typically, road games, the crowd is going to be as loud as we let them. It's up to us to play good football. Play well enough to not have them be frenzied. If they get rolling, they're having a party, it's going to be really loud. That's typically how it goes on road games."
Q: What have you seen from Jamaal Charles on film? Has he seen new life in the last few weeks?
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah. Yeah, Jamaal is a good player. He's historically one of the top producers at that position ever, if not the top. I've got a lot of respect for Jamaal. I've seen him too often. Good football player. We'll be ready."
Q: Do you think he's back to where he was?
Coach Del Rio:"I don't know if you ever go back to where you were. I think you just are who you are. I think he is who he is. I think he's a really good player. For us, each week we recognize new challenges. I mean C.J. [Anderson] runs behind his pads. He's a heck of a load as a running back. Good back field. They're running the ball well right now."
Q: How does Sean Smith missing practice and meetings today impact his ability to play Sunday?
Coach Del Rio:"He'll be fine. Sean will be ready to go."
