Raiders WR Davante Adams Colts Week

The Las Vegas Raiders (7-8) will spend New Year's Eve in Indianapolis vs. the Colts (8-7) and are looking to bring in 2024 celebrating on their charter jet home with their NFL Playoff hopes still alive.

Davante Adams stepped to the podium to discuss the team's state and turn the page to the Colts after another historic win at Kansas City.

You can watch the entire Pierce press conference above and read the transcript below.

Wide Receiver Davante Adams

Q: It feels like you guys are at a point where everybody can rely on everybody. How good of a feeling is that for a team, knowing everybody's got each other’s back?

Adams: "It's a great feeling. It's definitely the intention of the team. Pretty selfless team, a lot of great players, obviously. I think we're starting to learn how to play together, all units together. We still have to figure out a way to play better on offense. Our defense is playing really well right now carrying the team, and our special teams been lights out this year. We just got to find a way to be more consistent so we don't end up being that weak link of the squad, especially with the talent that we have. So, just finding a way to be more consistent."

Q: There were times you guys got vcitories earlier in the season and you had better numbers in those wins than you had in this win, and you still weren't really satisfied with how the team played. Why are you so much happier now with a win over the Chiefs then you were earlier in the year?

Adams: "It's the Chiefs. I mean, that changes a lot. It's a big game for us, a big time of the year, and then these are the ones where sometimes you've just go to get gritty and find a way to get the , and you can correct things. But early in the season, you're trying to establish an identity and you obviously don't want to settle for a win like the one versus the Packers or the Patriots. That's not our standard of football. I don't think collectively that even this was. This wasn't our best ball, but it was definitely our best win of the year. So, sometimes you got to swallow your pride and find a way to still be excited and joyful even though you didn't really maximize everything you could have done, but still was definitely a good feeling."

Q: Being able to beat the defending Super Bowl champions, does that show you guys that on any given Sunday you can go get that result and potentially win out?

Adams: "I've been saying that all year. It doesn’t really matter who we're playing, this team in particular, it kind of just depends on who we go out as that day. That's how football is in the NFL. It's not about how good you are, it's about how good you play. So, you can be the best team in the world, which they have been for quite a bit of time now. But they weren't on Monday, so that's how it works."

Q: Do you give yourself a little time to look at what the various playoff scenarios are?

Adams: "I mean, you hear about it, but I don't really get too focused on that, especially when it's a situation where we most likely have to win all the games. You can't get too focused on all that other stuff because you start worrying about what other people are doing. If you win a game and it's the last game of the year, and then you want to watch and see if a team beats a team to help you out, that's one thing. But I think just being focused and in the moment is what got us to win our last two. So, we just got to stick to that formula."

Q: What difference has Interim Coach Antonio Pierce made football-wise on a day-to-day basis?

Adams: "Everything we do, we do it with a purpose. And you can tell with him being a former player, he's not really into all the extra stuff just to do it. It's all very intentional, everything that we do. The mindset that he brings. Having a certain coach sometimes can just allow certain players to realize their full potential and continue to go and be who they're supposed to be. And I think you can see it with our defense with the way they're running around now. We've got a lot of guys who have made some plays this season, but when you watch the way that those guys were competing to get after the ball carrier in that game, it’s definitely different than it was before. So, having him leading those guys out there and sharing a few words, few stories, whatever, it's clearly paid off."

Q: Antonio Pierce talks about being a Raider, embodying that Raider spirit, talking that talk, all that. But you also look at the fact that you guys are the least penalized team in the NFL. It feels like there's an understanding amongst players that freedom still comes with some responsibility. Do you feel like he's tapped into that?

Adams: "Yeah, he's preached for guys to play fast, play with their hair on fire, and play instinctually rather than playing scared. I don't really see anybody moving around timid out there like how it was before. So, that makes a huge difference in the way you're allowed to execute. Typically, if you're in control and you’re playing as fast you can, it's going to be to your advantage and you’re not going to end up playing with penalties and holding and a lot of the things that we struggled with last year or earlier on in the season. So, just the way you talk to your guys is a useful tool and he's definitely done a good job with that."

Q: There was a lot of talk in the media about how well the team performe on Christmas Day will have a lot to do with Antonio Pierce keeping the job going forward. How much do you think it played in the team's head to go out there and play for him?

Adams: "I don't know if the team's like: 'Oh, let’s go in and ball out for AP to get the job.' That's not really the thought process of the guys, but it's more about playing as hard as you can for the man himself and then those things kind of work themselves out. So, it definitely gave him a better shot, and I'm definitely rooting for him. I mean, I love the guy, love what he's brought, his mentality. His passion for the game is undeniable, you can see it every single day. His evolution as far as speaking to the team and just the 'head coachness' of the deal is something that you kind of have to learn and come into your own,same as being a captain on the team or a leader on a football team. You've got to learn a way to lead men and he's done a great job of that ever since he spoke to us when we had our little deal before Josh [McDaniels] left. He left a lasting impression on everybody, definitely me, and I think we connected from that."

Q: How do you handle it as a team when the offense isn't moving the way it's supposed to be? Do you say something, not say something, does it differ from game to game? How does that work for you?

Adams: "It's not the same every time, it depends on what it is. You got to read the room too, to see where everybody is mentally. Sometimes you can see it in guys' eyes that there's a lot going on in their head, and those are times we usually speak up. But everybody's out there trying to do the right thing. So, it's not like you're in the huddle barking or anything like that. It's more on the sidelines is when you do that type of stuff. During timeouts, we'll sometimes speak to each other. But for the most part, everybody is locked in and confident in the huddle. So, it's not too much that needs to go on in there, but obviously you look at the production of the offense and you’d think that we need to say something, but that's not really the time. You don't really have too much time anyway, you got to get the call in and get to the line. So, like I said, when we get to the to the sideline, that's something that we try to do and make sure we figure out whatever we need to figure out, whether it's calls or getting somebody's mind right or whatever it is."

Q: Is there something about Aidan O'Connell's demeanor that maybe the team would get more irritated with another quarterback not being able to complete a pass for a few quarters, but with him and his temperament, is that something that stops that from happening?

Adams: "No, look, this is a very tough game. This was a weird game in itself and what is it going to do? The best quarterback or the most experienced or most inexperienced, it's not going to help getting out there and putting extra pressure and showing frustration or coming down on somebody. So, regardless of what his temperament is like, or his personality, that has nothing to do with it. We're just doing what's best for any quarterback and trying to be the best teammates that we can to help a young, inexperienced guy who's trying to play against one of the best quarterbacks the game has seen. It's not going to be an easy match-up, so we try to do the best job we can of keeping his mind right and making sure he stays confident, even when it's tough times like that. He didn't draw it up the way that it ended up, but we got the W, so it's something we can learn from and move on."

Q: You guys have a pretty young secondary, but how have you seen them grow from some of the guys on the team last year, to training camp this year, all the way to being able to do what they did against Patrick Mahomes?

Adams: "Man, I mean, it's a bunch of dogs out there. When you have some dogs, whether you're young, old or in between, it kind of doesn't matter. You got to just turn it on. And as long as you're confident out there, flying around and playing that position, I mean, other than quarterback, that's probably the most difficult position to play out there. So, I'm proud of those guys and the way they've been flying around, tackling, catching the ball and scoring touchdowns to help us out too. So, we all work this thing together."

The Silver and Black continue the season on New Year's Eve versus the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Don't miss it on Sunday, December 31, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.

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