Oakland Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio
Opening Statement:
Head Coach Del Rio:"It was a really hard-fought, back-and-forth game. Give them credit. They made the play at the end to win. It comes down to making plays in the end. In the National Football League, the team that makes the play at the end wins. It was a tough, determined effort. We just came up a little short. There are plenty of things to correct and coach up and make better.
"We get the interception by Wood [Charles Woodson], get a little over-excited on the sideline, draw a 15-yarder and it backed us up. We moved it out of that hole, but that's not how we want to conduct ourselves there.
"We end up with a couple turnovers. We weren't very efficient on third down. Defense couldn't get off the field. Those are a couple of areas that will stand out. We'll take ownership of what happened and look to make the corrections and move on and get ready for the second quarter of our season next week."
On if maturity was a reason the Raiders didn't win:
Head Coach Del Rio:"No. The games you should win or shouldn't win? The NFL contests are competitive with good players and good coaches. Our football team was well aware of the strengths and the capabilities of this football team we played today. It wasn't anything to do with our preparation. We had good preparation. We came out here and played really hard and really gritty and just didn't make enough plays at the end."
On why Latavius Murray did not return after his fumble:
Head Coach Del Rio:"We have an active 46 [man roster]. We try and take advantage and utilize those guys. We did what we thought we could at the end to give ourselves a lift."
On running three straight times on the final possession:
Head Coach Del Rio:"I think we felt like we were moving it pretty good and thought we had a better shot to move the sticks on that third-and-two. We came up a little short there."
On if the week's preparation was effected by Cutler starting the game:
Head Coach Del Rio:"No. We knew he'd play."
**On the Raiders' offensive rhythm:
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Head Coach Del Rio:"They played well and we didn't play as well as we're capable of. These things happen. They get paid too."
Oakland Raiders Quarterback Derek Carr
On this being a game they should have won, and loss of mental focus"
Carr:"No. This was just one of those old fashioned NFL fights down to the wire. There was no lack of focus or lack of effort, nothing that would alarm you or anything like that. It came down to, at the end, they made great plays."
On what made it rough for them offensively this game:
Carr:"Well they're a good defense. They are a really good defense. Not really giving up a lot of yards. They were very stingy. That front, they have a good front, but I think, as we started getting in our rhythm and finding completions and those kinds of things, we started moving the ball better. Especially, they had the ball a lot that first half, so it's hard to get in that rhythm. But still, we have so much to get better at in a short time."
On liking the early response of coming back after the Bears jumped out ahead:
Carr:"Absolutely. I look back at that, they scored and I just remember looking at the guys and you know it's telling when you look at people. I looked at them and there was no inch of worry, there was no doubt, nothing like that. We did what we had to do. That was kind of the thing for the whole game. Any time they would make a play or anytime they would change the score or anything like that, I would look at them and no doubt, no worry. Let's just continue to go down and whatever it takes at that point. You just want to win the football game and I think that we did a good job of putting ourselves in that position."
On what kind of looks he was getting in the secondary:
Carr:"Yeah, they like to double Amari (Cooper) a lot. They like to give help to those guys and I don't blame them. He's a good football player. But coach Musgrave did a great job of finding ways to get him the ball, finding ways to get the ball in his hands and creating route concepts to create one on ones. So I thought they didn't do anything that we couldn't handle. I thought we handled it very well."
On the Latavius Murray fumble:
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Carr: **"This is a team game. This is the ultimate team game. Those turnovers could happen and they could miss the kick and we win. It's the ultimate team game, you know. Not one person can ever just take the blame. I appreciate him trying to stand up and do that. It takes a lot for someone to try and do that, but this is a team game and I can do a better job of helping him out."
On talking to Latavius Murray:
Carr:"Oh yeah. I talk to my teammates all the time. I talk to him I always try to go around, make sure everybody's good and healthy and all those kind of things so I already talked to him and he, like all of us, we're ready to move on and get the next one."
On the drive resulting in the go-ahead field goal:
Carr:"You know, I think we tried to boot on the one and they did a good job of playing up the field so we saw that they were playing everything honest and at that point we always feel like we're in field range as you cross the 50. But the point there is if we can move it and get the first down, then yeah, let's see what we can do but I just do what's called."
On the possibility of having gone into the next game with a three game winning streak vs. where they are now with this loss:
Carr:"We're 2-2. Looking at it, we have a division opponent, we're looking forward to that. First one of the year, especially at home, getting them at home early. That'll be big but the Colosseum will be rocking. We'll be ready to go, we'll put in the hard work this week and be ready to play."
On having to throw guys open:
Carr:"Versus certain coverages you do have to do that. You're exactly right. That's good to hear you saying that. Versus certain coverages they were playing you have to throw the ball early, before they can get their head around and make a play on it and I thought our receivers did a good job understanding that and making great plays but you're right."
On his general takeaway of Bears defense vs. what he saw on film:
Carr:"Absolutely. We turn the film on, I said this at the beginning of the week, they are very good and I'm not one to lie. They are a very good defense, very good front. Secondary has a lot of playmakers, very athletic in the secondary. So we knew it was going to be hard. We knew, we talked about it all week. It's going to be a very good fight to the end and it sure was."
**On this being a different team with Cutler:
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Carr:"Yeah, I'm just glad that I don't play defense. That would hurt us a lot. I didn't watch him."
On Crabtree coming back with an injured ankle:
Carr:"It says a lot about his character. It says a lot about what kind of guy he is, especially where we're at in that football game. A lot of people could… no, I don't know if I could go. He just went right in and he made probably the biggest play of the game for us as an offense if we would have won. That one down the right side … that he caught, ran a great route and I just trust him. The guy fell off Amari and he just went off and made a play and he did what he was supposed to do. He made a play and I'm so proud of him and I'm so thankful that he's here."
Oakland Raiders Safety Charles Woodson
On what cost the team the ballgame:
Woodson:"Defensively, staying on the field too long. Not getting off the field on third downs killed us, especially before the half. We had them third-and-14; they throw a quick check down to the flats and get a first down. They end up going down and scoring. Then we turned the ball over. You have those things, not getting off the field on third down and turnovers, it's hard to win games like that."
On thinking his interception would lead to a score:
Woodson:"No doubt. We got confidence in those guys. They've done it. Last couple of weeks they've been able to do that. We were confident they would go down and do the same thing."
On being 2-2 instead of 3-1:
Woodson:"It's a loss. They're all hard to swallow. It is what it is. We got a tough, tough game coming up. You can't dwell on this one too long, 'cause the week gets on you fast. It'll be time to get back to work."
On what he's learned from this team:
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Woodson: **"We fight. That's what it's all about. We got guys on this team that'll fight, regardless of the score or if you're down, up or what not. It doesn't matter. Guys will fight. We fought today. We just came up short."
Oakland Raiders Running Back Latavius Murray
On thoughts about the game:
Murray:"It starts with turnovers. I was the root of two of those. It's hard to win like that. I think that's where it starts."
On the first fumble:
Murray:"Just took my eyes off it. [I] was paying attention to the defender. I know you can't do that. You got to make sure you secure the ball first. Do what you're going to do after that."
On the second fumble:
Murray:"Just took my eyes off it. Just trying to get out of there. Get to some open space. I got to be better at that, and I will."
On not returning to the field:
Murray:"He (Jack Del Rio) didn't say anything. He just told Roy (Helu Jr.) to go ahead and step in. No particular reason. That's just how it is."
On tough running against the Bear defense:
Murray:"They got a solid front. Give credit to them, they have a good defense. Nothing we haven't seen or wasn't coached up on. They are a good defense. They played well. Give them credit."
Oakland Raiders Defensive End Khalil Mack
On the Bears offense:
Mack:"They had a good scheme ready today. They played solid up front. Got to get better."
On being 2-2 rather than 3-1 and facing Denver next week:
Mack:"We have to look at this game first and make the corrections. We can move forward and prepare for a great team."
