Las Vegas Raiders Derek Carr Week 5 Update
In this story:
HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have moved all of their attention off of their first win last week against the Denver Broncos, to their Monday Night Football battle on national TV versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
Derek Carr took time to talk after practice about the state of the team, and to look ahead to the battle at Arrowhead Stadium Monday night.
You can watch the entire video and read the transcript below:
Quarterback Derek Carr
Q: Going back to Kansas City, the last three years had very different outcomes. What do you expect going into Arrowhead Stadium? What's that particular trip like?
Carr: "Yeah, it's a hostile environment. It's one of the loudest in the whole NFL. But it's a division game, it's going to be tough, it's going to be a physical game. They have great coaches, great players. Since I've been here, they've had really good football teams. So, this is just a new team, new year. Both teams are different, but looking forward to going out there and competing. But it's always a hostile environment."
Q: With so many young guys on the line who maybe haven't been in that loud atmosphere, how do you work this week to help with the snap counts for as loud as it's going to be?
Carr: "Yeah, you would hope that you can simulate some things in practice. But also, you'd hoped that game experience that they've had on the road helps. So far they've handled noise, I thought they've done a great job, and they'll definitely have to do it this week in Kansas City. Like I said, it's one of the loudest places in all of sports. It's always a hostile environment, but it's an environment that I've always enjoyed playing in that place - the history, the rivalry all that kind of stuff. It's fun."
Q: Do you have a favorite place to play?
Carr: "Yeah, Allegiant."
Q: Josh talked about how last game he went with a little more pace because he felt like you guys are ready for it, and you executed it at a high level. You saw him be more aggressive in spots as well. Did you guys get a lift from that pace and aggression? Do you feel like it's something you're going to utilize more going forward?
Carr: "Yeah, I mean that'll be up to Josh if he wants to do that, depending on each team and things like that. I thought that we did some really nice things. When you do that, you've got to run positive plays, and our guys executed well. If you don't execute, you're just basically giving the ball back faster. So, you have to be able to execute if you want to play that way. We liked it, I know he liked it after the game and things like that. But going forward, he'll tell us every week what the plan is and all that going forward. So, we'll see. Time will tell if that's what he wants to do."
Q: When you see what Josh Jacobs did last week from your point of view, how excited does that make you to see the running game start to develop?
Carr: "Yeah, I always have the best seat. I can turn around and watch all the holes and I'm not the one getting 'ratatatted.' And I turned around like, 'Oh,' and then there's sometimes he makes some cuts and I'm like, 'I don't know how you saw that one.' He definitely was given a lot of that at birth that I was not given. When I run, I don't make the cuts that he makes. Watching him cut and watching how aggressive he's ran this season for us, it really gives energy to the team and an excitement for us. And I'm excited for him, he's done really well with the opportunities he's been given and I'm really proud of him and excited to watch him going on during the season."
Q: Have you been able to talk to Hunter Renfrow about how anxious he is to get back?
Carr: "Yeah, he's definitely anxious. Anytime you're dealing with injury - as football players, no one wants to get hurt, one, and no one wants to sit there and watch their team practice, go to workouts, go to games and you can't participate. That's the hardest thing I've ever experienced as an athlete is getting hurt and you can't be out there. You're missing the work; you feel like you're letting somebody down and sometimes there's nothing you can do. So yeah, there's that feeling. He's excited to hopefully be able to get out there and play and all that kind of stuff with what he's dealing with and all that kind of stuff. The doctors and all that will tell him, and he'll know when they're ready and all that kind of stuff. So, I don't know, but you can definitely tell he's anxious. The last couple of weeks he wanted to be out there, but obviously the doctors are just trying to make sure that he's ready."
Q: Have you talked to Maxx Crosby about what it's like becoming a father for the first time?
Carr: "Yes, we have talked about it, and I told him, I said, 'There's nothing in the world like it, and you won't regret any moment you spend with them. You won't regret any anytime that you can have with your wife or your children.' We've had some really good talks about it because him and I are very work-oriented people, and we have to remind ourselves sometimes like, 'Hey, make sure you go home and love on mama, make sure you go home and love on them babies instead of just going straight to work.' So, it's good to have friends like that for reminders. But he's very excited, I can promise you. The more days we keep going that's going to be a big baby, so I can't wait to see."
Q: Mick Lombardi talked yesterday about the importance of forgetting a loss and moving on, but also the importance of forgetting a win and moving on. Is that how you think of it too and how do you do that?
Carr: "Yeah, absolutely. As soon as I'm done in the locker room after a game, I come in and I talk to y'all and then I walk through the locker room and like I've said it multiple times, 'Alright, on to the next one.' As soon as it's over it doesn't matter, you're going to correct it and coach is going to teach you things and things like that, but you can't waste any time getting ready for the next opponent. Like this last game, I went home and I'm watching the Chiefs and Buccaneers. I'm trying to learn everything I can, watch everything, refresh my mind. You have to be that way in this league. And then you give it everything that you have, and then at the end of it you look at it and it is what it is. Hopefully, you can win championships, but if you don't you're like, 'Okay, well then I've got to do this,' and it's just that constant pursuit of just going until your time in the NFL is done. For me I've always believed in that, so the fact that he said that, I completely agree. As soon as it's over, you can be excited, yeah, your friends may text you and all of that kind of stuff, like, 'Yeah, thank you so much man, but my minds already elsewhere.'"
Q: Throughout the offseason training camp I think everybody got excited about the big play from Tyron Johnson. It hasn't quite happened with him yet. What does he need to do to be more consistent to be out there and develop with you guys?
Carr: "I think he does some really nice thing at practice, I really do. The 'what's it going to take', I think Josh [McDaniels] would know better than me. Like I said, the way we practice there's guys in there and out of there all the time, and you guys saw that during camp at all times. And so for me, whoever's rolling in there, they're rolling in there and that's the play. Josh will probably have a better feel for that, but what I do know is that he works really hard at practice, and he looks good. He's doing some really nice things. Obviously, there's things he wants to work on, but he's doing things - even today, he did some really nice things that looked good."
Q: Tyron Johnson was on the field for a play where he kind of cleared things out. That is a role that he can have, right? Even if we're not seeing necessarily the big plays from [Tryon Johnson] is something that you're able to use him for?
Carr: "Oh, absolutely. You saw even like last year, as soon as we brought him in all four of the DB's were yelling at him like, 'look there he is,' because they know how fast he is. Whenever you have a guy like that - and we've had a few here in the past - that when they're on the field, the defense knows that they're on high alert for some things. Sometimes you throw it to him, and sometimes you use him in other ways. Sometimes they're just in there playing their position. Being able to be God-given like that, that's a blessing for not only yourself, but the football team as well."
Q: Last week we saw Denzel Perryman come back and it clearly lifted you guys especially on defense. Talking to him last week, he said it's really meant a lot to him being a captain and being a leader of this team. He felt like he was never taken seriously on other teams. I was wondering if you see why that is and what made you guys look beyond that to have him be such an influence on this year's team?
Carr: "Yeah, I think we always talk about just being yourself. Himself, he's funny, he's a jokester. He's just a funny guy. But there's one thing about him, when it's time to play, you want him on your side - violent football player. We love him to death, he's a great teammate. He's got the same attitude every day. Me and DP [Denzel Perryman], we've had some great conversations just about life, about personal things, all that kind of stuff. Once you get around him and you're around him, you're like, 'Yeah, he's a funny guy, but it means a lot to him.' He's definitely a leader on this football team. He's a Pro Bowl middle linebacker. I think that that's probably one of the hardest things to do in life. To play a middle linebacker in this league that long and then make a Pro Bowl, like that's saying something. And so for him being a leader on this football team and having a voice, there's no doubt because we see the work that he puts in. He may be funny and joke with coach or joke with us sometimes, but there's no denying that he loves football and he cares about this team."
Q: Getting ready for the Chiefs used to be Tyrann Mathieu and Daniel Sorensen that you'd have to prepare for. Now that they're gone, do you have to spend more time in the film room this week because they have new players back there that you don't know as well?
Carr: "Yeah, absolutely. I try and study. I'm very big on the mental side of the game, so my film study is a lot, and whenever there's the same defense and the same guys rolling out there, you're like, 'Okay I know what he tried to do to me last time.' It's a big chess match, it's big chess game. I know what body language he showed me last time and he did this, and you remember those mental snapshots so to speak, and you have them in your brain as you're watching the film and all that kind of stuff. But when they're new guys, you've got to study, especially when they're rookies. You have to get to know them. They're going to be on that team for a while and you have to get to know them and things like that. So, those two guys were some of their best production that they had. They trust them in some very key roles Spags [Steve Spagnuolo] did in that defense, now he's got some other guys playing in certain roles. So, it's going to be a lot of studying for me until game time to make sure that I'm on it and ready to play."
The Las Vegas Raiders travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs next. That game is on Monday, Oct. 10, and it can be seen on ESPN. The game starts at 8:15 p.m. EDT/5:15 p.m. PDT.
Watch the Silver and Black live when you get your Raiders tickets from SI Tickets HERE
Please make sure you tell us your thoughts when you like our Facebook Page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Want to talk about this? Want to air your opinion about all things Las Vegas Raiders? Maybe you like to talk about other sports that aren't Silver and Black related? We got your back. Join our 100% FREE message board, a brand new option, when you CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Want the latest breaking Las Vegas Raiders news delivered straight to you? CLICK THE FOLLOW button at the top of the page. Don't miss any of the latest up-to-the-second updates for your Las Vegas Raiders when you follow on Twitter @HondoCarpenter
