Raiders Players Postgame Quotes 9/7
Brock Bowers, Tight End
(On what happened with his potential injury)
“Oh, I don’t know, my knee was a little sore, but it is okay. Maybe I just fell on it. I don’t really know. I just got up the next play and I’m a little sore, so I just came out and got it looked at. We have practice this week and we’ll see what happens.”
(On being back out on the field and the success of the passing game)
“It’s fun to get back. Man, I think it is just all the work we put in throughout the off season and during training camp and I think it really all kind of came together today and we were able to showcase what we’ve been doing.”
(On Coach [Pete] Carroll being animated after the game and playing for him)
“It has been awesome. I mean, Coach Carroll’s is “the man”, he brings the energy, brings the juice, and I mean, really happy to have him here.”
(On the approach against the Patriots Defense)
“Oh, man. I mean we weren’t totally sure what they were going to look like because of all the new parts and everything. So I think we did a good job at kind of recognizing what we needed to do and kind of adjust on the fly and I think we had a good plan coming in here.”
(On having Jakobi Meyers on the team)
“Like you said, he is reliable. He catches everything and gets open pretty much every time. I mean, he is just an all-around great guy, great receiver and just great everything. So it’s awesome.”
Jakobi Meyers, Wide Receiver
(On the importance of coming out and getting a win in Week 1)
“That was the most important thing to us, honestly. We needed this win and we really felt like we needed it. We played hard and practice hard. We just wanted an opportunity to go get somebody else and show what we’ve been working on all this time.”
(On level of happiness to be here right now)
“It was great, honestly. Like, my family was here and I know they got the chance to enjoy the game. My boys came back and it is like bringing your friends home almost, you know what I mean? Like, it was cool to just bring them here and see where I started out and now we are going to go back to Vegas and get ready for the next week.”
(On what it means to come here and leave with a victory)
“Honestly, that was the most important thing, man. You didn’t want to come out here and then take that five hour flight back home thinking about how you messed up and what was hurting, so getting that “W” with the guys, especially after everything we’ve been through last year. Just starting fresh and it’s like a new breath of air. You know what I mean? So I’m happy for everybody.”
(On what it means to come back here and play well)
“Once I am on the field, I am on the field, so you are going to get what you get every single time. Hopefully, you know, but outside of that, like just being in the hotel, and being around the city, that was cool to just think about everything that I’ve been through and getting to this point. So I would say that.”
(On the few players left on the Patriots that he played with and the turnover)
“It is what I am learning, is that is the NFL, unfortunately. I mean, it’s a young man’s league, so we all grew up at some point and kind of move around, but for the guys who are still here, I’m extremely proud of them. They played hard and played well. I thought in my opinion, and it was just really good to see them, man. They also, I’m just so proud of them.”
(On how happy he is to be a Raider)
“I’m happy to play football. I’m happy to be with my boys. I’m happy to be a Raider, but like I said, man, wherever the job takes me and whoever needs me to win and whoever want me to be there, I’m going to be there proudly.”
Isaiah Pola-Mao, Safety
(On his interception)
“Good thins ghappen when the pass rush and coverage go hand in hand. I think it was matched. We got pressure and the coaches joke about it all the time. I just have to catch it. It’s in the air and I just had to come down with it. That is everything we needed right there. We preach that it is all about the ball and that gave us a little bit of juice, especially coming outside the half. We didn’t have our best first half, so I think that (interception) brought a little bit of juice.”
(On his big hit on TreVeyon Henderson)
“I’m just doing my job. They brought me down and I was able to get a good hit on it. He’s going to be a nice player though. I think it is the coaches doing a good job of putting us all in good position to make plays. You just have to capitalize.”
(On the defense)
“Everybody is talking about the defense is going to be the weakness of our team but it was great to come out and have that type of game for our defense. You’ve got to build off that. It’s over now.”
Tyree Wilson, Defensive End
(On his sack)
“I just got off the ball and tried to get a jump on the stack. I kind of drove my guy back and I saw the QB step up so I just fell off inside and made a good play.”
(On the play of the defense)
“I just feel like it could come from practice. That is where we work. I feel like we are not where we want to be yet, and we are going to keep striving each and every week to get where we want to be. But that is a good first game.”
Maxx Crosby, DE
(On how it feels to come out with the win)
“Amazing, it’s amazing. This is what we work for, you know what I mean? It’s been a hell of an offseason. The culture, it’s something you want to be a part of. So, going out there and starting the season strong is what it’s all about.”
(On Pete Carroll’s culture and competition)
“It’s consistency. I mean, all the most successful people I know are consistent at what they believe in and how they work, and that’s what Pete’s all about. So, everyone’s bought in on that because he’s the same guy every day. That’s what it really all comes down to. So, it’s been a great start.”
(On how he feels personally going through so much last year)
“Amazing. I feel blessed. I knew Josh [McDaniels] was going to throw some heat at me. But that’s my guy, man. I respect the hell out of Coach McDaniels. He was always great to me. So, I have nothing but good things to say, but yeah, he definitely made it hard. But, like I said, you’ve got to find a way. That’s what it’s all about. Yeah, I feel incredible and healthy and that alone is just a blessing.”
Dylan Laube, RB
(On how special it was to have some of his former teammates also playing in the NFL)
“Yeah, so I just saw a post from UNH. We have four guys now in the NFL. It’s cool, like when you grow up and your dream is to be in the NFL and coming from a small school, we don’t really have a lot of opportunity. Just seeing that we’re getting more and more chances in the league, it’s really special.”
(On if it still feels surreal in year two that he’s in the NFL coming from an FCS school)
“It’s been really special, man. There’s been some days where I’m struggling and then like I just sit back and I’m like, ‘You know what, I’m playing in the NFL and it’s such a surreal thing for me.’ So, coming from that small school and everyone kind of backing me up and it is super, super, special.”
(On his background as a sixth-round pick from an FCS school and if it has helped him in the NFL)
“100%. Coming from year one to year two and a complete coaching staff change and once again, I had to prove myself again. I had to make this team from the bottom of the depth chart and prove myself over and over again.”
Ashton Jeanty, RB
(On how it feels playing in his first NFL game, scoring his first touchdown and getting his first win)
“It felt really good. It’s hard to win in this league. It’s exciting to see our team’s success and come away with the win.”
(On how frustrated he was on the third-and-1 play where he slipped in the backfield)
“Yeah, I mean, just as a running back, you live for those moments. The offensive line did an impeccable job, the receivers blocked perfect. All I had to do was make the guy miss but I just lost my footing.”
(On how easy or how hard it is to get the ball rolling again after starting off really well, then kind of stalling and then taking off in the second half again)
“Yeah, I think just communication, execution. There’s certain things I could have did better. As a team, we came back together, regrouped ourselves at halftime and came out firing. I mean, it’s not like they were doing anything out of the ordinary to beat us. It was more of us beating ourselves.”
(On how impressed he was to see Geno Smith bounce back after the interception?)
“I mean, that’s just Geno. He’s not going to hang his head over one play. I mean, he’s a leader, he’s leading this team, and, obviously, he balled out. One play doesn’t define the game.”