ALAMEDA, Calif. _ Coming off a tough loss where lack of a pass rush was a major factor, Raiders coach Jon Gruden said Monday he isn't spending any time wondering if things would be different with defensive end Khalil Mack.
"No, it doesn't make me regret making the decision," Gruden said at his weekly press conference the day after a 20-19 road loss to the Denver Broncos. "We made the trade. We made the trade. There's going to be hindsight, 50-50, all that stuff. We would have loved to have had him here, but he's not here.
"Somebody's got to step up. We've got to keep building our team and that's what we're going to do. Hopefully we'll see more from Arden Key. Hopefully, we see more from PJ Hall when he gets healthy. Hopefully we prove that in the long term we did the right thing."
Mack was traded to the Chicago Bears at the final cutdown when he couldn't come to terms with the Raiders on a contract extension. He received a reported $141 million with $90 million guaranteed.
The Raiders (0-2) sacked Case Keenum once in 35 attempts against the Broncos. They made Keenum uncomfortable in the first half, but pressure was non-existent in the second half, especially on Denver's game-winning drive.
Denver drove 62 yards in 10 plays for a game-winning 36-yard field goal by Brandon McManus. The Broncos opened the drive at the 20 and were backed up to the 10. On second-and-20, Keenum found Emmanuel Sanders for a 21-yard gain.
Because of injuries, the Raiders played with two defensive tackles that signed during the week in Clinton McDonald and Johanathan Hankins. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther rotated players throughout in an attempt to keep them fresh in unseasonable 90 degree heat plus the mile high altitude.
Hall said he hoped to face Miami and said he would run on Tuesday to test it out, although Gruden sounded dubious about his return for Week 3.
Gruden also said the Raiders need to get more out of defensive end Bruce Irvin, the team's top pass rusher with Mack off the roster.
"Obviously we need to get more out of our captain. He's been put in some tough spots, certainly," Gruden said. "He's a good player. He's had some really good snaps. We need more and more from him. I know he's giving us everything he has, and it's tough on him certainly because we do have a lot of new guys around him up front. But we're happy he's here."
Irvin declined comment in the locker room (availability took place before Gruden's press conference). Rookie defensive tackle Maurice Hurst said Gruden's call to improve the pass rush falls on the entire defensive front.
"It's definitely a challenge for us to be more productive in terms of a pass rush later in the game," Hurst said. "It should motivate us to do better and have more disruption."
Although conditions were an issue, players weren't looking to use it as an excuse.
"I think it actually wasn't as bad as I heard they made it sound on TV," defensive tackle Brian Price said.
Gruden has a pretty good idea of the outside perception of the Raiders, and he's not interested in wallowing in negative thoughts.
"I have a pretty good feel for what's going on here," Gruden said. "I know what the reality is. The reality is our quarterback played great yesterday, in one of the toughest places to play against one of the most formidable fronts in all of football.
"We pass protected very well. We had balance. Disappointed in the outcomes. Going to continue to see the glass as half full. At the same time, going to put my head down and keep digging, keep scratching, keep looking for ways to build the foundation of this team."
