Inside the Raiders Organization Before Chargers Clash

Q: What did you like most about your second half defense? 

Coach Carroll: "Well, I think we picked up from the first half because we played solid the whole game, but we played better, and I thought Pat [Graham] really adjusted well to what was going on in the game. If you notice, they threw the ball quite a bit, and he adjusted quickly and put us in good positions for rushing in, for covering and changing up and disguising and things like that.

That really worked out for us. It was a really good surge. You could feel the surge on defense. It kind of changed the complexion of the game. The first drive of the second half was obviously part of that, but we responded well, I'm talking about for the offense. But we responded really well. What that showed, again, to me, is that the guys were really comfortable playing in a tight game. At halftime, they weren't flustered about whatever, the score or nothing. They were tuned in and very determined to finish well, and that's what it felt like we did." 

Q: With Elandon Roberts going down, you talk about being stout in the run defense and also giving a lot of disguises, can you talk about what Jamal Adams and Tommy Eichenberg were able to contribute once he went down within that linebacker room? 

Coach Carroll: "Yeah, well, Tommy [Eichenberg] was the one that had to answer the call because he came in. Jamal [Adams] was in and out of the game anyway as we were rotating him through. I thought Tommy did a really good job of jumping out there, communicating, doing right, picking up and not letting that be a factor. Jamal played a nice game too. He was active and moving around. But I really credit Tommy with coming off the bench. It's hard to do that and play as actively as he did. So it was really, really good." 

Q: What switch flipped for him? It seemed like in the middle of training camp all of sudden he just... 

Coach Carroll: "I don't know. We haven't really nailed that one, what it was, but there was a shift. Coming out of the offseason, I didn't see it coming. I didn't see it because he was kind of bouncing around different spots a little bit, played a little bit of nickel and all that. But it was about now probably three weeks ago that there was some clarity here, that something's happening. And there's rumblings coming on where 36 was playing, and so we just gave him more chances. Didn't we start him in the third preseason game? "