Good afternoon. It’s great to be standing here after a hard-fought win against the Raiders. I want to start by commending our players and staff for the preparation and resilience they have exhibited over the past couple of weeks. It’s a step forward, but we know we have a lot of work ahead.
Reporter 1: Coach, this was your first win over the Raiders since taking over. How significant was this victory for you personally and the team?
This win was significant for all of us. Beating a division rival like the Raiders carries extra weight. It’s not just about me and the team, we need to come through for the fans, and this city. We’ve been working hard to establish a winning culture here, and this win is a testament to our progress.
Reporter 2: You started strong but seemed to struggle with execution late, almost giving up the lead. What do you attribute that to?
You’re right on point. We came out fast and aggressive, scoring on the first drive and creating a turnover on theirs, exactly how we want to start every game. But in the second half, we let some fundamentals slip—missed tackles, blown assignments and costly mental mistakes. They’ve got a great roster over there in Las Vegas, a team that hurts you on both sides of the ball and you can never count out. But the simple fact of the matter is, no team in this league is good enough to overcome a 25 point lead against us. A choke like that comes from us beating ourselves… or Jamal Murray’s girlfriend on IG live.
But overall, that’s on me, these young men need to understand that no lead is good enough until that final whistle, the score in their head should always be 0-0. These are things myself and the coaching staff have already begun to clean up. We need to have better execution, and that’s going to be a focal point in practice this week.
Reporter 3: Marvin Mims Jr. has been exceptional this season. Do you foresee a contract extension for him soon?
Junior has done nothing but exceed my expectations since I stepped foot into the building. He’s a dynamic player and a key piece of our offense. As I am sure you all know he has really taken the next step in his development, he’s earned every bit of the praise he’s getting and we’re lucky to have him. With that being said our front office and his agent have been in communication and both parties have agreed that the focus should be on contending this year. But I can assure the press, fans, and other franchises who may be interested that he will be back on a long-term deal.
Reporter 4: With Javonte Williams out for the next four games, who do you see stepping up in the backfield?
Losing Javonte is tough. He’s a special talent and is one of our focal leaders in the locker room. That said, we’re prepared and we’ve got depth. In terms of our starter during Javonte’s absence we have delegated that responsibility to Donovan Edwards. He is another one of our essential playmakers and I have full confidence in him with handling the bulk of the workload. This also gives us a chance to incorporate up the reps for players in the run game and implement some new schemes. With Donny moving up to starter, it has allowed Mixon and Akers to get more reps in as the third down back, both have been preparing like starters and have the skill sets to keep our ground game effective.
Reporter 5: After an 0-3 start, you’re now 2-3. How has your mindset shifted, and what are your expectations moving forward?
We knew this was going to be a process. 3 straight losses to start the season was brutal to say the least, but it never shook our belief in what we’re building. These last two wins have shown what we’re capable of when we play together and stay disciplined. Moving forward, our expectation is to keep improving, take it one week at a time, and compete for a playoff spot. It’s a long season, we’re just getting started.
Reporter 6: Puka Nacua is heating up with 79 yards and a touchdown per game. Can you put into words what his addition to this team has meant?
Puka’s been outstanding. I can speak for hours about his route-running ability, strong hands and sheer grit. Watching him and PS2 every week in practice is poetry in motion. We love him here and the feeling is mutual, we are thrilled to have him on the roster for the foreseeable future.
Reporter 7: The Falcons are coming to town winless at 0-5. How do you keep the team focused and avoid complacency?
Every single team in this league is equipped with the talent necessary to win a game, regardless of their record. We can’t take any opponent lightly. The Falcons are hungry for a win, and we expect their best shot. That secondary is one of the best I have ever seen assembled, this will be no walk in the park on offense. Our focus is on replicating the start we had this past week, sticking to the game plan, staying disciplined and under no circumstances can we finish as lackadaisical as we were a week ago. Above all, we’re looking forward to keeping that momentum rolling in front of the Mile High crowd with just our second home game in six weeks.
