‘It's fun to learn positive things once in a while'

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has had his hands full trying to keep the Raiders in the playoff hunt and he’s found plenty of reasons to be optimistic about their chances. Gruden talked to reporters about some of the team’s players who will be key down the stretch, including kicker Daniel Carlson who quietly has put together a very solid season.

Q: Do you feel like Clelin Ferrell is turning the corner in terms of the pass rush?

A: Well to say that you have to string some good games together. You just can’t have a couple plays and say everything is all great. We’re not just counting sacks here, we’re counting pressures and production and factor grade plays. But yeah, we think he’s on his way. He’s still a young player, he’s missed some time, but he’s got to string two or three or four or five in a row. And I think that’s his goal and that’s his expectation, and that’s ours.

Q: Can you talk about the year Daniel Carlson is having?

A: I really like him a lot. I think he’s a talent. He’s a rare talent. He’s also got a great demeanor about him. He’s never too high, never too low. His first year kicking here, I think he made 17 in a row. He did run into some tough times last year like a lot of these kickers do. I’ve seen great golfers three-putt greens. I don’t think anybody’s perfect. He never lost his confidence. Rich Bisaccia and Byron Storer, our special teams coaches, believe in him. We have a great battery too. A.J. Cole is a great holder. Trent (Sieg) is a really good long-snapper, and I just think the kid is money. He’s a guy I got a lot of confidence in.

Q: The last few weeks, have you seen that you are a block away or very close to breaking some runs?