Don't talk to Raiders coach Jack Del Rio about overconfidence.
Yes, he's got a team with a young nucleus currently holding on to a spot in the playoffs. The team has won two games in a row over fairly strong opponents and, in reality, have given Raiders fans their first glimmer of hope in almost a decade.
But none of that concerns Del Rio as he prepares his team for a huge matchup against the Steelers this weekend.
"We're a 4-3 team. We've battled each and every week," Del Rio said, via IBABuzz.com. "We're going to continue to battle each and every week. These kinds of questions are kind of silly to me. There are talented people all across the league playing and coaching. We've got a really talented team that we're going into their place, with plenty of challenges in front of us.
"Those kinds of thoughts are the furthest thing from my mind."
The nice thing for Del Rio is that his team still seems to be flying under the radar. Derek Carr is fifth in the league in touchdown passes (15), Amari Cooper is averaging more than 80 yards per game and Khalil Mack is still one of the three best players at his position. Yet they don't seem to be getting the respect they deserve.
Until that happens, Del Rio knows he has nothing to worry about, though beating the Steelers in Pittsburgh would certainly turn some heads.
