‘Our interior three have played excellent football'

Raiders head coach Jon Gruden’s team reached the midpoint of the season with five wins and looking for more as the schedule hit mid-November. They did it despite numerous hurdles, including having all five starting offensive linemen quarantined at one point. Gruden addressed some of those issues, along with others, during his daily meetings with reporters.

Q: Are you seeing the best of Gabe Jackson right now since you’ve got here?

A: Yeah, I mean he dislocated his elbow our first year here and then last year he dislocated his knee cap in training camp and never was healthy. This man, if he’s not the best right guard in football, show me (who is). I wouldn’t trade Gabe for nothing. We think Rodney Hudson and Denzelle (Good), the inside guys are playing great. Obviously, we hope one day to have Trent (Brown) and Kolton (Miller)back on the field. In the time being, that’s the strength of this offense, the quarterback and the interior linemen. Boy they make the guys next to them play better. They really set the standard here. They know how to prepare. They know how to compete. I’m just proud of Gabe and really happy he’s healthy.

Q: Has Nick Kwiatkoski been everything you expected him to be when you signed him, and what has it been like working with him these last few months?

A: Yeah, he’s really important to us. I think the more he’s been around, the more communicative he is becoming. He’s not really a loud, screaming, yeller type. We need our middle linebacker to give reminders, checks and alerts. I think the more that he’s played, the more that’s coming out of him. His leadership, his playmaking, his intensity, those are things that we feed off of. We need a lot more from him down the stretch, that’s for sure.

Q: What’s been your assessment of your special teams play this season?