LAS VEGAS, Nev. --The Las Vegas Raiders entered the season with more questions surrounding their defensive backfield than any other position group. They responded well in Week 1. However, Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers will be a much stiffer test.
Raiders CB Darnay Holmes spoke to the media about the upcoming matchup before practice on Friday.
Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll spoke before Thursday's practice. Below is a partial transcript.
Q: What does it mean to match up against Jim Harbaugh again?
Coach Carroll: "This is a division game, and it's the next game on our schedule, and it's a championship freaking game to me, and that's the only way I've ever looked at these games. Is there some game that's more important than another that you're going to try harder because you're playing somebody or somewhere or whatever? I don't believe in that. We don't talk like that.
“These guys are hammered with that thought that every game, every chance, every time we go out, we're going to give it everything we got until it's over, and then we're going to recalibrate by going through the process of the week, and we're going to do it again. So this has felt like a championship preparation. I just told them that it was a championship Friday on the field, and it doesn't matter who, where or whatever, to me. And maybe that's why we've been okay on these prime-time type of games. For years, we've been good at it because we know how to how to approach it. And hopefully we'll be able to do that again and perform like we're capable."
Q: How would you evaluate Jordan Meredith's first start last Sunday, and do you think there will be that big of adjustment with Alex Cappa?
Coach Carroll: "No, no. Not at all. Cap's [Alex Cappa] been with the first group a lot throughout the offseason, all that. Those guys have worked together. Jordan [Meredith] has done really well. Once we stuck him in there and gave him a chance to really own the position, it took him a week or so to really settle in, and he's been a guy we're really counting on. And he's steady, he's smart. You can count on him every step of the way to communicate well. He's done a beautiful job. He just happened to do that in the first game. Again, he's been doing that every chance he's had with us."
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