Raiders DC Patrick Graham Talks Broncos

DENVER, Col.--After more than seven months, the long wandering in the desert of no National Football League for the Las Vegas Raiders is finally over.

The Silver and Black have invaded Empower Field at Mile High in Denver to kick off the 2023 National Football League regular season against their AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos.

Defensive Cordinator Patrick Graham spoke before the team flew to Denver about the state of the Silver, Black, and, of course, the Broncos.

You can watch it all below and read the transcript:

Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham

Q: Going against the Broncos team that obviously has a new staff this year, what goes into preparing for that?

Coach Graham: "You take a look back. First, you look at the players, see the games, get familiar with the game with the players in terms of how people have used them. They have a lot of good players on offense, starting with the quarterback. Offensive line, it had moving pieces last year, but now they're back with some additions, and you just get an idea of the players. Then from there, you look back in terms of Coach [Sean] Payton and the guys on his staff, past match-ups, trying to get feel. But again, it's Week 1 in the NFL, who knows. Everybody's working on something different during the offseason, so we'll find out on Sunday."

Q: What have you seen from the progression of Tyree Wilson here now that he's kind of gotten back into pads and stuff, and is he ready to have maybe a more significant role that he might have to on Sunday?

Coach Graham: "Just like all the rookies on our roster right now, he's working hard, using the extra time they have in terms of getting better in the film room, still progressing in terms of strength, getting acclimated to an NFL season. It's their first week of getting prepared for a regular season game. So, he's working hard, Nesta [Jade Silvera], all those guys are working hard and just looking forward to their opportunity to play in the NFL. I'm sure they're going to be excited."

Q: Something I've heard coming into this year was that coaches and assistant coaches and position coaches have given more leeway to sort of take ownership, whether it's in meetings or things of that nature. How do you think that's helped you guys come along just as a defensive coaching staff?

Coach Graham: "I just think, as a position coach, you take ownership of your position. For me now, being in a coordinator role, take ownership and coordinate in terms of the defense. It's something you have to have pride in, and I know we have a great staff here that has a lot of pride in what they do. They work hard to make sure that players are in the right position; good teaching in terms of just holding them accountable. So, I don't know if it's unique to us, but I'm sure all staffs are working towards that. But one thing I know is I love my staff, and I love the way they work -- smart guys and not afraid to speak up. So, that's all you could ask for when you're in somewhat of a leadership role."

Q: Obviously, some players come and go every year, but you guys have a lot of returning players this year. How do you feel like you guys have progressed when it comes to the relationships that you have?

Coach Graham: "I think that's always a positive, the more time you spend around somebody, the more comfortable you get. They get a feel for you, you get a feel for them -- whether it's pushing the buttons or just talk to them about certain things. And I really like our group of guys we have. It's the beauty of being a coach. I'm 44, but I get to stay young with these guys. I tell them they keep me young. I might not know all the slang and stuff, but I try to stay hip -- they'll probably make fun of me for that, but it's fun. I love it, I love it. I'm a teacher. I love it."

Q: What problems does Russell Wilson pose for you guys?

Coach Graham: "The same problems he poses for all 31 teams. He's experienced, start there; strong arm, smart, he's seen everything. I think it's year 12 for him if I'm not mistaken, year 12 for him. So, at the quarterback position, he's seen everything, so you know you have to do a good job of not making it easy for him. And then you talk about the mobility, and he's been doing that since his rookie year. But I mean to me, the quarterback position, when they make the right decisions, even with the run game, the check to the right run, that's a big thing -- right decisions in terms of where to get the ball to, and he's shown that he can do it at a high level for a long time."

The Silver and Black open the regular season at the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 4:25 p.m. EDT/1:25 p.m. PDT.

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