QB Carson Palmer
Q:You got to play against these guys for less than a half, did that help the fact that you somewhat kind of know what they're about?
Palmer:Not really, I'm not taking much from that game. They're a different team, we're a different offense now. Personnel-wise I guess it helps a little bit, but they're playing a little differently now and we're definitely playing a little bit differently and it's in their environment. It's going to be a hostile environment, it's going to be wild, there's going to be a lot of energy from last week's game, the new head coach thing, they're all fighting for him and the fans I'm sure are fighting for him. So, it's going to be a much different game than the last time we played them.
Q:Have you ever been in a situation like that Carson? Where you had a return game so to speak where both teams are almost completely different from what they were the first time?
Palmer:Yes, a lot of times those divisions games, not every year, but there's a lot of coaching changes that shake things up. Or you play a division team early in the year and you don't play them again, kind of like this situation. It's happened before and you watch the film and you kind of digest what they did to you last time and then it's kind of a guessing game, are they going to do the same thing or are they going to completely change it up? So, we're preparing really for everything and don't know what we're going to see, but we're going to have to adjust on the fly and make plays when it comes down to it.
Q:What were they able against Green Bay, what did you see in terms of what they did against Green Bay and shut that offense down?
Palmer:Covered the receivers, got pressure on the quarterback, and there was little to no run game. They had a couple nice plays here and there, but they tried to throw the ball on them and it was a tough day. Both corners are really good, really physical, fast. They're safeties are rangy and they've got Tamba Hali on one side and a bunch of good pass rushers around him. So, it's just a really good unit top to bottom.
Q:Do you look at that game and does it sort of surprise you from other games that they've had where they didn't play as well as that?
Palmer:I've seen a lot of coaching changes midseason and played against a new head coach or one that's about to change and it just shakes the whole thing up. You just don't know what the new guy is going to do. Are they going to change the way they practice, the way the meet, are they going to change the way the play completely? So you know, it's tough you just have to really prepare for everything you've seen on film and be ready to adjust to what you see on Sunday.
Q:The last game you had, was that kind of a product of having [Denarius] Moore back, almost all of the guys back and now you've been here for six, seven, eight weeks and missed on eight passes but two of them stopped the clock and I think a couple of others hit guys in the hands. Has it all clicked now?
Palmer:I thought we did a good job last week executing. Guys did a good job fighting to get open, pass protection against a really good defensive line was great. That's what I expect and that's just something that we need to grow off of and keep getting better offensively. Keep finding ways to get completions, keep finding ways to sneak some run yards in here and there and reverses and screens and misdirection type things and hopefully we get to keep playing and we slowly get Jacoby [Ford] back and Darren McFadden back and Taiwan [Jones]. Hopefully as the season continues we slowly get healthier and healthier and we get to keep playing with them.
Q:On that pass to Denarius early did he get held up a little bit by the corner?
Palmer:No, that was my fault completely. Sometimes things get called and sometimes they don't. When they don't get called you still got to hit them and I need to hit those plays.
Q:What were your impressions of Darrius before you arrived here, how much did you know about him before you got here?
Palmer:I didn't know much. I knew about him from the Combine because I think everybody figured out who he was at the Combine. There haven't been a ton of Raider games on national television and as a player, if you're not in the AFC West, unless you're playing the AFC West you don't see the AFC West really. Unless they're playing on Monday night or Sunday night, so I didn't really know what to expect and he's been a very pleasant surprise. I mean he's an extremely hard worker, a guy that cares, studies, prepares and everybody knows he fast. He's always out catching balls and the jugs working on his hands, working on his game. So he's been a pleasant surprise.
Q:Speaking of that, most of Louis' [Murphy] success that you guys have had together has been on the shorter intermediate stuff, what do you have to do to get connected with him on the deep ball? What goes into that with a receiver and a quarterback?
Palmer:Getting people to play the underneath stuff. Everybody knows he can run. He's not going to sneak up on anybody and people just turn and run and do a good job at taking away the deep stuff because they know that's something that's very difficult to cover. People have really been turning and running and we've been taking the short stuff. He's been doing a good job making plays in the short stuff and he had the big post for the touchdown last week on a shorter pass where he broke a couple tackles there, it's a work in progress.
