SHANE STEICHEN: I'll just start off rehashing the game. I thought offensively we got off to a great start on that first drive, and then the second drive we were backed up, we were able to get out of a hole there and flip the field. Then before half, we had a chance to go down and tie it 14-14 offer even get points there, and obviously we turned the ball over, put our defense in a tough situation there.
Then I thought the second half we came out, we did some good things. Obviously we had the turnover down there again in the tight red zone, which was a critical penalty or critical turnover for us. We got to keep improving, taking care of the football, and go win this week.
Q. You spoke to us earlier in the season about the value of completion percentage. When you see Jalen in sub-60 percent three weeks in a row, does that concern you?
SHANE STEICHEN: Obviously, we want to complete more passes. That's our job as coaches to put him in those situations to give him easy completions. So we're looking at that this week to get that up.
Q. Gardner Minshew was running the scout team, so now that he's the backup, how do you know he's ready to be in that position and ready to play as needed?
SHANE STEICHEN: He's played a lot of football in this league and had success when he was in Jacksonville. He prepares like a pro in those meetings. He's in the meetings every day getting ready like he is up. So excited about Gardner being the backup.
Q. What's your assessment of him pre-draft and when you saw him in the league?
SHANE STEICHEN: I had a little bit of interaction with him at the combine, really smart, intelligent, when we interviewed him. His football IQ is really good. Obviously, he's able to create plays and make plays out of the pocket and obviously in the pocket as well. So good player.
Q. What did you notice from the defense after the first series where you guys were under center a little bit more and using a little bit more presnap movement? What did you notice from the defense? Did they play you any differently?
SHANE STEICHEN: No, they played what they played on defense.
Q. Shane, what was the thought process coming in a little bit more under center to start? Was that about what the Raiders do or is that about trying to get Miles involved?
SHANE STEICHEN: Yeah, we wanted to get the running game going a little bit. I thought Miles did a heck of a job on that first drive, obviously before he got injured, but he was running it good. We were excited about where the run game was.
Q. What have you learned about Jalen through seven games? What he likes? What he does?
SHANE STEICHEN: Jalen is an explosive player, as we know. He creates big plays out of the pocket on the scrambles, and he's continued to complete big plays on the run game. ^ we're really excited about Jalen.
Q. What about the pass game? What does he do best?
SHANE STEICHEN: I think some of the play action stuff we ran last week were good. He hit that big chunk to Dallas out of the play action, some quick game getting the ball out of his hand. And obviously, he does the RPOs really well.
Q. The fade to DeVonta in the third quarter, is that like a one-read play there? Is that a progression one?
SHANE STEICHEN: We had a one-on-one matchup right there with DeVonta in a single high coverage. When we get that one-on-one matchup, we want to take that.
Q. There were other options in that play. He just saw the free snap, and that's it?
SHANE STEICHEN: That's just his read. If we get one-on-one over there and we like it, we're going to take it.
Q. You mentioned Miles was running well in the first series and then obviously he got hurt. How did things change. Did things change? Going forward, can you get the same type of production like from Kenny and Boston?
SHANE STEICHEN: Definitely. We have a ton of respect for Kenny and Boston and what their capabilities are. So we're excited about those guys too. They're going to step up and be good players for us.
Q. You said you wanted to get Miles Sanders going in this one. What was different in this matchup than the first six weeks of the season?
SHANE STEICHEN: I don't know, just things we saw on tape from them defensively that we thought we could run a little bit there to start the game, and that's what we did.
Q. What is it about Gardner that makes him a fit for this offense?
SHANE STEICHEN: I think he's really intelligent. He's a football junkie. He loves balls. Him and Jalen both, they've been great in the QB room together. Just excited about him.
Q. Why is Jalen so almost elite in the red zone? Except for the fumble, why has he been really good in the red zone? But the rest of the -- the other 80 yards, not quite as effective?
SHANE STEICHEN: I think in the red zone obviously, we give him multiple options down there in the red zone. We do in the field as well, but when those things tighten down in the red zone, we have those QB runs we run down there sometimes and give him some different options. So it's been good for him.
Q. What did you see that the team allowed more edge pressure than in past games?
SHANE STEICHEN: Just as far as their four-man rush?
Q. Yes, and your offensive tackles.
SHANE STEICHEN: Say that again?
Q. Were they not as good as they normally are? It seemed like there was a lot of pressure from Crosby and Ngakoue in the game?
SHANE STEICHEN: I think we were fine. Obviously, they got to us twice, right? They got to us on that third down. And those happen, right? Sometimes you get beat, and that's what happens in football.
Q. This first game with Dallas as the tight end, tight end one, so to speak, without Zach. He looked pretty effective to the naked eye. How do you think he handled that uptick in playing time?
SHANE STEICHEN: I thought he did a nice job. Dallas is a heck of a football player. He's powerful, he's strong, he's got good hands, and he stepped up.
Q. Jalen Reagor is still getting a lot of snaps, but he's not getting a lot of targets or production. What has been the reason for that?
SHANE STEICHEN: I think we're looking through all those things. Obviously, we have a lot of guys we want to get the football. We've got Quez, we got DeVonta, we got Dallas, we got Miles, Kenny, all those guys. We want to get everyone the football, get everyone involved, and obviously he made a huge fourth down play for us, or that touchdown he made with three guys around him. Jalen is a heck of a football player.
Q. Is it easier for a guy like Jordan Howard if he sees more time, from going to no playing time to getting more carries? Do you have to do a little more this week to get him ready?
SHANE STEICHEN: Jordan's played a lot of football in this league. The preparation, he's been been preparing every week. Obviously, he's been on practice squad, but we're not worried about Jordan. He's a good football player. He'll plug in and do a nice job.
Q. With the running backs, will it be a pure committee or would you like to have one guy?
SHANE STEICHEN: We're looking through that, obviously with Miles being down. Kenny is a good player. Boston's played a lot of football in this league, and so has Jordan. We'll look through that this week.
Q. There were a few times this week when you guys were down on the play clock. There was a delay, a timeout. What's the operation there? Is that something you guys can do --
SHANE STEICHEN: Any time you have like a plan, we have to get the play in quicker. We've got to get it into him so we can get the play called.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports