Head Coach Jack Del Rio
The Oakland Raiders are nearing their Sunday afternoon bout with the Carolina Panthers and have continued their preparation all week. The Silver and Black will host last year's Super Bowl runner-up at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and it should be a physical battle. Friday afternoon, Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio met with reporters for "Fast Friday" and discussed what challenges the Panthers can present.
Here's the transcript from Del Rio's media session:
Opening Statement:"Alright, well Fast Friday. We're ready to go. We've had a good week of prep. The recovery part is over. The preparation part has been really solid this week. We know we have a heck of a team coming. I know they have a few guys banged up, but they have a heck of a football team coming in here. We expect a real physical game."
Q: Will Luke Kuechly being out have a big impact on the Panthers' defense?
Coach Del Rio:"No, they have good players. They have good people throughout their defense, throughout their football team. It's a good group of guys. We expect a tough game."
Q: Is David Amerson a game-time decision?
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah, I think he's questionable. Yeah, he's questionable. He did a little bit today. He hadn't done much before this, so we still have a question mark on him."
Q: Is there any area in particular that Karl Joseph has made strides in or is it just his overall game?
Coach Del Rio:"I would say just gaining experience, getting more comfortable with his responsibilities and making his calls and things like that. He's going to be a good player, and he's just going to continue to improve as he gets his experience."
Q: Joseph liked to go for the big hits in college. Do some guys have to differentiate between trying to get big hits and trying to tackle to make sure they get the guy down?
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah, yeah. Guys that like to hit, tend to keep on hitting. He likes to hit, so he seeks contact. There's a strike zone that we have to work within. I think he's embraced that idea and understands that, but I like the way he's trending. Just want to continue to grow as a unit."
Q: He doesn't seem to miss the tackle because he was going for a big hit.
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah, some guys have a good sense of timing. One of the better guys that I ever coached was Ray Lewis. He would blow guys up but he wasn't a big tackle misser either. Some guys have a knack for being able to coil and strike and be impactful, but not be all or nothing."
Q: What kind of challenge will Greg Olsen be this week?
Coach Del Rio:"Oh yeah, great challenge. He's a really good player, one of Cam's [Newton] favorite targets. He can run. He's athletic. He has great hands. He's a good football player. He's a tough matchup."
Q: Have the guys moved past the trip to Mexico City?
Coach Del Rio:"Yeah, yeah, I think we're done with all that. That lingers for a day or so, but we had a good week of practice, good preparation. We just lightened up Wednesday a little bit, but beyond that, it's been fairly normal. Paused for Thanksgiving and gave thanks; so much to be thankful for. We did that, but back on track today with Fast Friday and looking forward to the ball game on Sunday."
