Each day of Raiders Training Camp, presented by Under Armour, focuses on improving a different aspect of the football team. Earlier in camp, the Silver and Black practiced more fundamental drills that aided them in getting reacquainted with their playbooks after a long offseason.
This morning, with the 14th practice in Napa, Calif., the Raiders took their most significant step towards practicing game-like situations. With their first pre-season game of the year only six days away, the team practices are becoming more realistic and complex. Soon, the horns of training camp will be replaced by the referee’s whistle, and the Raiders have to be fit to play hard each down on long drives.
“It’s called a long drive period, so I didn’t let the coaches pull the guys out. They had to stay in there for 10 plays, as you saw, we tried to push the tempo as fast as we could. We were getting plays off in 35 seconds, so it was realistic game situations and that usually doesn’t happen in practice,”
said Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin.
According to Coach Kiffin, this style of practice is mutually beneficial to coaches and players. “All of these guys played 10 plays in a row so they can know if, ‘boy I am a long ways away from being ready or I am right there.’ I think guys got a real good feeling for where they are at and how far some guys have to go.”
Raiders RB Michael Bush is quite possibly the most excited player at camp. After sitting out last season to rehabilitate an injured leg, he is exuberant. Bush is already making a strong impact, exhibiting his sheer strength by powering through defenders during a variety of drills.
“Thursday’s night practice was the first time I strapped on full pads for the first time in around two years,”
said an energized Bush. “I enjoyed it a lot and I felt really good.”
Bush recognizes the importance of today’s practice in not only a physical light, but a mental one too. “We’re just trying to get into the speed of the game and make sure the mind is focused when you get tired. That was the coaches’ main focus for today.”
