Raiders' Josh McDaniels Entire Monday Recap

HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders had one of the most historical finishes after beating the New England Patriots, 30-24, at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.

Now standing at 6-8 this season, the Raiders' NFL Playoff dreams are still alive. Coach Josh McDaniels spoke moments ago after reviewing the film.

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

Head Coach Josh McDaniels

Opening Statement: "So, kind of like what we said yesterday, this was kind of a grind it out type of a game. I thought we got some critical plays in each phase, wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I thought we got off to a decent start, and then after Dylan's [Parham] injury, we were shuffling again inside, and really had a harder time blocking them in the second half, there and really trying to establish ourselves at the line of scrimmage. They got some pressure on us in the pocket too, so we didn't really get a lot of rhythm and positive plays in the second half and we're fortunate that we were able to put together the two-minute drive there at the end to tie it. Defensively, I thought we got off to a decent start again, and then we were better in the pass defense, certainly, than we were in the running game. And so there are certainly things to look at, and fix, and try to shore up for ourselves. But I thought we tried to do a decent job of playing down there in the Red Zone. We were able to create some long yardage situations during the course of the game, get off the field with our third down defense, that I thought was pretty good. And then in the kicking game, which we knew this was going to be a huge challenge, I was proud of the effort, and also the execution of some of the things we're trying to do. I thought AJ [Cole] had a really good day; really gave them one ball to return there, I want to say it was in the second quarter; maybe late in the first quarter. Just really the one ball that he had a chance to return. And he brought it back maybe 15 yards. But I thought we covered decent, thought he punted really well, we tried to really limit you know Marcus Jones' ability to impact the game. And I thought for the most part, our guys did a good job there. And I thought we did a decent job of trying to create some field position on the kickoff return. Ameer [Abdullah[ ran well; I thought, other than the one when we had the penalty, we gave ourselves a chance to have some good field position. So, we really battled them in the kicking game, which we knew was going to be a challenge. So, at the end of the day, it comes down to turnovers. It kind of ended up even at the end of the day on it, and then situational football. We were able to put it in the Red Zone, and keep them out, and obviously to be able to stop them in the four-minute defense to get the ball back, and then able to put together a two-minute drive there to tie it. So, all those things are huge, and they ultimately, create the result. So, fortunate enough that we made just enough plays to win."

Q: When you get to the point where you guys were at guard, a couple of guys haven't been playing that position or haven't even been in the building. Does that have to be managed sometimes with your play calling?

Coach McDaniels: "It does. And you never want to say that it's OK to punt the ball on offense. I mean, as being a former offensive coordinator, and somebody who is, obviously, very involved in that side of the ball. But there are times where the game dictates that you got to be smart versus trying to do too much. I thought those guys battled their butt off, and we certainly – that was not the only reason why we didn't have more success as the game went on. And again, they deserve a lot of credit. That's a really good front, obviously; it's a really good defense. But yeah, communication, I thought was OK. I thought just in general terms, you've just got to be smart with what you're attempting to do there. You've got to know who you're out there with, and how long they've been here, like you said, and what their limitations might be."

Q: You had a lot of penalties yesterday; do you think the offensive line rotation and guys being out there for the first time in a while, do you think all the moving parts contributed to that?

Coach McDaniels: "There's really no excuses. I mean, we all know that snap count to be having those types of issues now. And again, we've had some cleaner games recently. And then all of a sudden, to have as many as we did yesterday hurt us the way that they did and put us in long yardage. There's no excuses for those. We need to be able to go out and call a play in the huddle, break the huddle, and get to the line of scrimmage, and snap the ball without penalty before the play clock's down. So, no, we can’t do that – not inconsistently play good offense."

Q: You've talked about the process a lot, so when you're 14 games in, and that is happening, how does the process deal with that?

Coach McDaniels: "Well, first of all, it doesn't happen every game. So this isn't something that's happening every week. But, for me, if it happened in week one, I would be pissed. You know what I mean? So, it's not something where it you need 12 games to fix it. The reality is, is it's a fundamental aspect of playing offense, defense, or special teams – playing without committing penalties. And we've talked a lot about, it's hard to win until you stop from losing, and penalties, obviously, are a way for you to hurt yourself and your team. So, we don't coach them, we're going to continue to coach the right techniques. We harp on that; you guys obviously saw us running laps and all that kind of stuff in training camp. That doesn't stop. So, we've just got to go back to the fundamental part of executing the snap and not committing a foul prior to it. There's no shortcut to it, though."

Q: Being able to have Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow at the end of the game, it looked like maybe the snap counts were being managed throughout the game. Is that something that you guys can change?

Coach McDaniels: "It should change. I mean, I was sensitive to it a little bit yesterday. And also, I think, like I said, I think Foster [Moreau], and Keelan [Cole], and those guys – and you guys have seen them all – they've earned the right to be in there, too. Different roles and different things. So, those guys all do different things well, and they're not all the same player. So, we definitely are kind of keeping track of that. Obviously, Hunter handled the returns yesterday and I thought he did a decent job there at creating some field position. He had a big third down catch. Darren made a couple of big plays, obviously in the passing game, and you're hoping that we can now progress in that as we move forward."

Q: Yesterday, after the game you said that was the most insane ending that you've ever dealt with. After a game like that, how much is there traction from your inner circle people saying: 'Man that game was crazy.' How does that work in your life?

Coach McDaniels: "I mean, probably the same way worked in your life. I mean, people texting you. I have friends and family that obviously thought that was just about what it was – crazy. We didn't do a whole lot other than take advantage of something that was presented to us in that last situation. I don't want to take too much credit for that. We were trying to hopefully go to overtime, is what we're trying to do. And so, I thought Chandler [Jones] made a really good individual play at the end of the game. But relative to communication, and all that stuff after the game, I'm sure it was very much like you guys. Holy cow."

Q: Any kind of an update on Dylan Parham and the availability of Alex Bars?

Coach McDaniels: "No, I would say nothing concrete yet. But hopefully we've got a chance. That's probably the best I could do right now. The fact that it's a little bit of a shorter week doesn't necessarily help us, but I know both those guys are really tough. And I know that they're going to do everything they can do to help us if they can. So, that's all we can ask of them."

Q: Defensively, over the last month, the run defense has been really good. Yesterday they took advantage of you a little bit in that department. Is that a match-up thing or was there something you guys maybe didn't do?

Coach McDaniels: "No. I mean, give them credit. Again, they did a good job of creating some space in there for [Rhamondre] Stevenson, and I thought he ran well. I don't think we tackled particularly well necessarily on some of those. He gained some yards after contact. But we were trying to take away a few things in a passing game at times, and then gave up some stuff in a running game. But we've got to be able to play it better than what we did. There's no doubt about that. There was too much, too many big chunk runs for us to be able to survive playing like that. So, no question, we're going to have to shorten things up there."

Q: A guy you've given a lot of praise to throughout the season has been Amik Robertson. Obviously, other than the penalty, how would you evaluate his game and how he played yesterday?

Coach McDaniels: "I thought he was competitive. They challenged him a handful of times down the field, and Amik was kind of right there, sticky, and made a couple plays on the ball; knocked a couple out. They had the one on the sideline there that we challenged and got overturned. But Amik does what he always does, he plays hard, he competes hard, and tries to do his job to the best of his ability. And like all of our guys in the secondary, we have a younger group, and so we really need to do a good job of being consistent and playing with good technique. Because like they're all learning. The minute you take a play off from doing the right thing is when you give up opportunities. And it doesn't take good quarterbacks long to find those when you do that. But I thought Amik battled, for sure."

Q: Luke Masterson is a rookie, so he makes rookie mistakes, but he does a lot of the little things you can't teach – that passion for football. What is it about him that you've seen and that he's earning more and more opportunities?

Coach McDaniels: "He works really hard. He's a young kid, but he doesn't prepare like a young kid. He's got a maturity about him. I think he really pays attention to the veteran players who could show a player like him how to do it right, even if they're not necessarily [in his room]. He has good guys in his room, obviously with Denzel [Perryman]. But I think he pays attention to Duron [Harmon], I think he pays attention to Maxx [Crosby] and Chandler [Jones]. I think he pays attention to guys like that, and just really approaches the week like a pro like a veteran pro. And, again, like you said, I mean, there are definitely things that Luke is going to be able to learn from and get better every week. But he studies hard, he prepares hard, he takes care of his body, he's out there every single day. He plays in a kicking game, he's tough, he'll tackle, and he's smart. So, he's got a lot going for him. And I think he really has a great mindset about how to approach his work. And I think that's showed in the more opportunities that he's gotten."

Q: It seems like every time you throw Tyler Hall out there, he kind of responds accordingly. Is he starting to expand a little bit in terms of his role and what you guys see him doing?

Coach McDaniels: “Yeah, I mean, he's earned this with what he's done. Really disciplined guy, scrappy, tough, does his job the right way, sticks his nose in there and tackles. I think he just continues to try to grow as a player and he’s really earned the opportunity that he's had playing inside as our nickel. So, we're pleased with what he's done. Again, like a lot of our young guys, has room to grow for sure. But it hasn't been too big for him for sure. He’s got right in there and he's played in some critical situations.”

Q: It’s a day by day, game by game season, obviously, but with three games left, how do you keep yourself and the staff and the guys in that locker room from starting to look at playoff possibilities? How do you kind of compartmentalize that and keep that as a goal, but at the same time, don't make it the goal at the end?

Coach McDaniels: “Yeah, I mean, first of all, it's confusing. Second of all, the one thing that we know we have to do in order to keep going, is win. So, to focus on anything other than our singular goal each week of trying to beat the opponent that we have on the schedule is kind of a waste of time and energy, honestly, because we don't have any control over what everybody else does. We don't have control over all that stuff three weeks from now. So, that’s best we can do, and I think our team understands that, is just to focus on what we have control over, which is our own preparation. And so, we'll try to keep it there. Like I said, we understand where we're at, the ramifications of the long season, like everything eventually will have an impact, whether it happened in Week 2 or Week 13, or whenever. I mean, it will all eventually tell the tale of your season and then what happens, happens, but I think our team has had a great mindset now for a while of just trying to focus on the one thing that we can control, which is this week.”

Q: Somebody says, so you're telling me there's a chance?

Coach McDaniels: “I mean, the reality is, is until they tell us there's not, there is. Again, in order for us to maintain that positioning, and that mindset, we have to do what we need to do ourselves this week to prepare and try to go to Pittsburgh and play a really good team on the road, and I'm sure in a great environment, and try to win one game. So, we're going to continue to try to do that one week at a time.”

Q: Malcolm Koonce doesn't get a lot of burn defensively, but he came up with that big punt block right before halftime and allowed you guys to get points. How big was that?

Coach McDaniels: “Yeah, and I know that they had some kind of a miscommunication relative to being, some of them thought that the ball wasn't going to be snapped, and then obviously the ball got snapped. So, I mean, I give credit to our guys for being ready to go even though there was some other stuff going on. Like, once he saw the ball get snapped, he just went and did his job, and was fortunate to have the opportunity presented to him and he took advantage of it. So, Malcolm's really tried hard to improve in a lot of ways this season. Unfortunately for him, he's in a room with two guys who have played a lot of football, and Cle [Clelin Ferrell] got a different role than Malcolm. So, really those three guys kind of have managed a lot of that stuff. But Malcolm's really been unselfish. He's played in a lot of kicking situations all season long and done a nice job for us. So, it doesn't surprise me that he was ready to go, and look forward to continue to have him grow as he gets older here.”

Q: Did you give any consideration to calling a timeout there before the punt block?

Coach McDaniels: “I did. We’re going to ask the question; they pumped the clock because the clock was getting low and then they did this and then they actually pumped the clock back up, which is why I think some of their guys were trying to get either the snapper or the punter to waste more time. And so, I was literally on the verge of doing this and then the ball got snapped. And so ... I'm not sure exactly what happened there with why the play clock got pumped again and so I was definitely on the verge of doing that when that happened. Such is life. And then we had timeouts left.”

Q: When you're in Week 16 with a short week, does it change practices? How does that change?

Coach McDaniels: “Yeah, so this is a unique one. Monday night weeks early in the season, you don't want to give away that third day of preparation. So, when you play on Monday night, we never really even had one of these this year because our bye week came after a Monday nighter. So, we really never had a six-day week. Normally what you would do is, is Tuesday would be kind of like a combo Monday-Tuesday, and then you would start on the opponent on Wednesday. This week, what we're going to do is it's going to be some kind of a hybrid between a Sunday game after a Monday nighter and a Thursday game. So, we're going to take two days to recover, get a little bit of rest with the players, get a great workout in with our strength and conditioning staff. And then Wednesday, we'll be in and have a more of a let's just call it glorified walk-through, jog through to get our preparation really underway for Pittsburgh. And then we'll practice Thursday and then we're going to leave Friday. So, it's kind of a combo if you will.”

Q: The season you guys have rolled through 16 different offensive line combinations. Have you ever been in this kind of situation with an offensive line? What's going in to keeping this unit as one that could play and be sort of functional?

Coach McDaniels: “I mean, I've definitely been in some situations where we've had injuries and things like that have bothered the camaraderie or the chemistry of the unit, or whatever. I think part of why we do what we do in the off-season and in training camp, in terms of moving those guys around and making them play multiple positions, is to prepare ourselves for things like this and try to improve the value of each player by having more versatility, so that they're not just on the left. They might be on the right and then now they're talking to the right tackle instead of the left tackle and so on so forth. I think all of that kind of plays into this. Credit, Carmen [Bricillo] and Cam [Clemmons], I think they've done a tremendous job. They don't flinch when things like that happen, and they got to do extra work to prepare our group to get ready to go. And then credit goes to our guys up front. I mean, offensive linemen are resilient by nature. I think they just have that mentality about them. They kind of travel in packs to the lunchroom and to the training room, to the locker room and the meeting room and all that. They're kind of one group, Band of Brothers, if you will, and so I think that they deserve a lot of credit for being able to get in there and just compete and give our give our guys a chance. That's what their job is, is to give the skill group an opportunity to make some plays, whether it's run or pass. And by and large this year, they have done that.”

Q: Usually in a moment like that, the crazy chaos at the end of the game, there's one joyous sideline and one devastated. You had a moment with Mac Jones at the end of the game. How difficult was that? What was that kind of like to see what he was going through, but also to be ecstatic about what happened on your side?

Coach McDaniels: “Yeah, look, I'm overjoyed for our team. That's the No. 1 emotion I had. I think you have respect obviously in every game that we've played this year, there's a winner and a loser, and respect the emotion that the other side is going through. It doesn't take away from the joy you feel for your team, and for the players that played in our locker room. Like I said, I was really overjoyed for our guys, happy for the way that the game ended for them. But respectful of obviously the other side. Mac is a great kid. I've said that before and he fought his butt off all day and gave them a chance to win and it didn't work out for them. But that's just private communication obviously, between two people who know each other. I mean, I saw a bunch of them after the game, obviously on the field. Like I said, those are a lot of relationships that will last long beyond football.”

Q: Are you glad you never taught him to tackle?

Coach McDaniels: “There's a reason why quarterbacks aren't in those tackling drills. That was a tough position to be put in, obviously.”

Q: Not knowing which quarterback you're going to face; how does that affect your preparation?

Coach McDaniels: “You know, as we get into it here, I just would say there's a few things that they would do differently based on who the quarterback would be. So, it's not the first time we will have dealt with this. We'll make sure we know the things that one could possibly do that maybe the other one won't do as we go through it, and then try to present that information on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday to the guys. But that's this time of the year, I'd say it happens every single week. Sometimes not at quarterback, obviously, but like you're getting ready to play last week and there were a whole bunch of guys on the injury report. So, are you going to see [Jakobi] Myers? Are you not going to see Myers? Are you going to see [Rhamondre] Stevenson? Are you not going to see Stevenson? So, I mean, it basically happens every week once you kind of start playing because everybody's pretty banged up at this point.”

The Raiders return to action on Christmas Eve, on Saturday in Pittsburgh versus the Steelers. That game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. EST/5:15 p.m. PST and can be seen on NFLN.

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