Here’s what Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio had to say to the media on Wednesday:
Q: How do you feel where your team is at heading into the Falcons game?
A: "I feel like we are dialing in the Falcons. We know that we have a good football team coming in and we are excited to get our second game going. We're glad to be at home. We look forward to the challenge."
Q: What’s the general assessment of Atlanta right now?
A: "It's a good football team. They have a defense that plays real fast. They've obviously have a quarterback, who's one of the best quarterbacks in the league and he's got some tremendous talent around him that he throws to. We know that we have a big challenge in front of us."
Q: How do you stop Julio Jones?
A: "A lot of people have tried to figure that out. We'll get ourselves prepared and we look forward to competing against him. He's a heck of a player."
Q: How do you feel about your offense and the way they executed?
A: "I feel really good about the fact that our team found a way to go into a tough place and scratch out a win. When we came back, there were a lot of things that we want to correct in all three phases really. I'm proud of our guys, but obviously, the offense, in particular, at the end to go down there and finishing that drive our and getting the big two-point play converted, was a huge, huge effort. I'm real proud of those guys."
Q: What do you think of you’re team’s 14 penalties for a lot of yardage?
A: "I appreciate the difficult jobs the refs have with making so many judgment calls, but I can assure you that our team is highly discipline. We are going to work hard and compete. I think as people get used to seeing our players compete like that, these penalties are going to disappear."
Q: What do you see from Falcons running back Tevin Coleman?
A: "We have respect for both of these backs. They are good runners and they get the ball in their hands. They were targeted 11 or 12 times and they caught just about every one. Whether if they are handing it to them or throwing it to them, they are explosive players."
Q: What have you seen from Atlanta’s revamped defense?
A: "They've got some speed on their defense. They play hard. They attack the ball. I think they do a good job. I was with Richard Smith up in Denver. I've got a lot of respect for Richard and I know he does a great job with those guys."
Q: What’s your assessment of Desmond Trufant as a cornerback, who set to shadow Amari Cooper?
A: "He's a good player. I loved him years ago when he was a good player. He's been a good player for awhile now. That will be a good matchup. We look forward to the challenges that we have coming in on Sunday."
Q: What are your thoughts on Matt Ryan at this point in his career?
A: "He's one of the really good quarterbacks that are in our league. We fortunate because we have a good one, too. Matt is a terrific football player. He's got some serious weapons. He does a great job with those guys. We just want to do all we can to slow him down. Every week you're going to have challenge coming in. We started off with Drew Brees and he was red hot and I'm sure Matt saw that tape. We are going to have to make sure that we close some of those gaps up.
Q: What’s your assessment of your pass rush?
A: "The best friend for DBs is a really good pass rush. Tight coverage and a really good pass rush, they go hand in hand. Typically, if you're having a great day getting to the quarterback there is some coverage that allows that when the quarterback's first look isn't open. So, when we make the quarterback reload, then we expect our defense to get there. I think they are complimentary. They go hand in hand when you are playing good pass defense you get both the rush and the coverage that you are looking for.
Q: What are the elements of Derek Carr’s game that you like early in his career?
A: "I think it's just the progression. The time that he spend studying and analyzing his opponent. The work behind the scenes is what I'm most impressed with. When we get to game-day, we just play. …He's a grinder. He's kind of a film junkie. He's here early, stays late."
Q: What’s Khalil Mack bringing to the defense after his 15 sacks season in 2015?
A: "What he's going to do is bring great energy every day and work at his trade. He's going to get his numbers, so I'm not worried about that… I know he's a really good player and he's going to get his numbers. But what he does every day is express himself in the way that he compete and become a great player."
