Raiders Coordinators Know There's Still Room to Improve Mental Toughness

Over the offseason, Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco, Coach Antonio Pierce and the players insisted this year’s team was different from last year’s.

While there had been challenging moments before their matchup against the Denver Broncos, none of those moments tested the team’s mental toughness as much as quarterback Gardner Minshew throwing an interception just a few yards away from the endzone as the Raiders were marching to a commanding 17-3 lead.

The interception would be returned for a touchdown, and instead of being up by 14 points, the Raiders were tied in the blink of an eye. They never recovered mentally or physically. The Raiders coaching staff has preached mental toughness all offseason. Sunday’s loss to the Broncos proved they still have work to do.

"Yeah, it started way back in April,” said Raiders offensive coordinator Luke Getsy on Thursday. “And I think you start talking about what you want that environment to look like in the room and the brotherhood that we have in that room. I think that's the starting point of it all. And there has to be this trust in one another as you go through the process.

Although the team fell short last week on the road, Getsy said the offense is putting in work. Many times, coaches and coordinators say the politically correct things. However, based on how well the offense played before Minshew’s mistake, it is clear the offense had done the work to improve.

The unit looked the best it had all season under Getsy during the first quarter and a half against the Broncos.

“And we're putting in the work, players putting in the work, and everyone trusts in one another,” Getsy said. “And I think as you go through that process, that trust just builds, and that brotherhood just builds. And I think that's the starting point of it all. And then, as you're building a new culture, you go through things, right?

“We talked about it before, where this game's a roller coaster, your seasons are rollercoasters, and there's these moments. It's not just the lows. It's the highs that you got to learn how to deal with, too, and sometimes those are even more difficult.”

Getsy noted part of changing the culture is changing how the team mentally and physically prepares. He credited the offense with how they ended last Sunday’s game against the Broncos. The Raiders offense had more success in the fourth quarter against the Broncos than they did at any point after Minshew’s interception, which was returned for a touchdown.

“I think that's the important part of it is that you come into work every single day [and] you're consistent with your approach,” Getsy said. “The work ethic is there, the toughness is there, and you're there every single day, and you prove it to one another. Then you're willing to go do more for your brother whenever that opportunity hits.

“And I think, I said it to our offense, the way that they finished the game and the mindset they had on the sideline and the togetherness, I thought that spoke really high about where we're going."

While the offense was undoubtedly the catalyst for last week’s loss, the defense had its issues as well. The unit struggled with missed tackles and allowed multiple scores after the offense failed to sustain drives.

Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham said the team decides what mental toughness is.

"We define it. What mental toughness is: making the decision that's best for the team, not necessarily for you,” Graham said. “There's a quote from Coach [Greg] Popovich that I use all the time, because naturally, my natural personality, I'm very moody, very moody, very moody. But I have to combat that every day and realize it's not about me.

“You've got to get over yourself,” Graham said. “You've got to get over yourself. That's what we talk about in terms of, get over yourself and understand it takes a team to get this thing done. Whatever it is, it could be in any walk of life, in terms of what you're thinking about with that, but we talk about what mental toughness isin terms of making the choice that's right for the team.

“That could be on individual play, that could be in the weight room, that could be with your nutrition, that could be with the decisions you make off the field. So, it starts there, and in terms of the next-man-up mentality, it's football. I mean, that's how it's going to go for all the teams in the league. So, somebody's going to go down. Somebody has to be ready to step up. And you've got to really seize the opportunity. You've got to seize it."

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