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What are the Raiders Saying About the Bolts?

Oct 05, 2018 at 09:50 AM

Rachel Gossen

Contributing Writer

Notable comments from the Oakland Raiders in the lead up to the Week 5 matchup vs. the Los Angeles Chargers.

On Philip Rivers…

"He's very tough. He loves football and I think we have a lot of things in common. I think that's why we have a genuine respect for one another. We both love to be the tough guy, we both love to talk trash sometimes and we both love to win and compete with our teammates. Philip, hopefully one day he'll be in the Hall of Fame because he deserves it. He's one of the best quarterbacks to ever play. I love his game. His toughness, his competitiveness, he tries to be second to none." – QB Derek Carr

"He's had success against everybody. I think he's what the NFL is all about. He's one of my favorite players. Not only a great performer, he's a great competitor. He's durable. He's tough. Look at the number of players that he's played with. Different backs, different linemen, different receivers, different coaches, different systems. He's going to be a handful for us. … He's a great talent. He's a son of a coach. He has all the intangibles. The work ethic, the personal drive, the commitment to be great. He's got one of the quickest releases that you'll ever see. He's as tough as they get. He has all the talent to make all the throws. He's the terminator. He won't go away. He just will not quit." – Head Coach Jon Gruden

"He's a very high confidence guy and you can see it in his play from the decisions he makes with the ball to after the play when he's doing a little bit of chatting. That's a guy that you like to have fun and play against." – CB Daryl Worley

On Melvin Gordon…

"Gordon is impressive. I've played him as a rookie. I watched the tape of that game. Just the impression on that guy, this guy is a hard runner. He gets to the sideline and (becomes) more violent on the sideline. There was a play the other day in the 49ers game where he's running up the sideline and the defenders are pulling back on him. Then all of sudden he keeps going and you see the change of speed. I said, 'We can't have change of speed on this guy. We have to put a hat on this guy and get all 11 guys to him.'" – Defensive Coordinator Paul Guenther

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On Derwin James…

"We wanted to take Derwin James. Everybody wanted Derwin James. ... Having been in the AFC West before, he just has that Rodney Harrison playing style that I love. He's an intimidating player, he is a physical presence. I think he's got range to play deep, he's got coverage ability. He can run through you, he can run around you, he can run right over you. He is a dynamite young player, and he'll be one of the building blocks in L.A. for a long time for the Chargers." – Head Coach Jon Gruden

"He's a rookie, he's a new player, but he's a good player. He doesn't play like a rookie. Obviously, he has a few plays here and there that anybody would want back, but that's anybody. He doesn't look like a rookie. He's a really good player. I think he's going to be there for a long time. I'm sure this will be the first time I'll get to see him, but it won't be the last." – QB Derek Carr

On Austin Ekeler…

"He has added a lot. That's one thing that Whisenhunt has always been able to do is use his backs in the passing game as well as the running game. … When Melvin (Gordon) gets tired, you get happy that he goes off to the bench, you're glad he's out of the game and then this young man comes in and geez, you wish we would've signed the guy. He's running hard, he can make you miss, he's got flexibility to line up in the backfield or come out of the backfield or line up in the slot or out wide. He's obviously a very sharp customer. He knows how to play the game. They have a real good combination going on." – Head Coach Jon Gruden

On the team as a whole…

"Obviously, they're a very physical team. They can physically get after you. They're playing really good defense, I think, without (Joey) Bosa on the tape that I've seen. (Corey) Liuget hasn't played, they've been missing some key guys but they're developing some young players. Obviously Derwin James pops off the film, I think (Kyzir) White is going to be a very good young player. Gus Bradley's defense is going to be all that's advertised, especially when they get back to full strength. Really impressed with (Philip) Rivers and the creative running game that Ken Whisenhunt has put in. They're doing a great job helping Melvin Gordon become one of the best all-purpose backs in football, so we'll have our hands full." – Head Coach Jon Gruden

On Chargers defense…

"(Melvin) Ingram is a premier pass rusher in this league. We'll have to account for him on every snap. They did a great job in a young draft pick in Derwin James. But defensively, overall, they'll provide a real challenge for us." – Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson