Q: Where are you physically?

MATT CASSEL: “I feel like I’m leaps and bounds ahead of where I was last week at this time. Any time you have an injury, you’re just trying to work hard, you’re trying to do whatever it is they have you doing in terms of treatment and everything. I feel like we’ve made a lot of progress.”

Q: When did you get the final word that you wouldn’t be playing Sunday?

CASSEL: “You know it was that morning. I went over to the field early and I did some workouts and some movement drills and coach made the final decision. It really came down to Coach (Haley’s) and the trainers decision to that I wasn’t going to play. It was always difficult because as a competitor you want to be out there. They took the decision out of my hands, which was probably the right decision and I’m further along because of it now I’m sure.”

Q: Will you know sooner in the week this week if you can or cannot play?

CASSEL: “I’m sure we will. Coach has said we’re going to take it day-by-day and see how I progress and go from there. Like I said, we’re making a lot of progress. I feel like I’m leaps and bounds ahead of where I was last week at this time.”

Q: Do you think you will know by tomorrow?

CASSEL: “I hope so. The sooner the better.”

Q: Coach has always talked about you coming in and talking to him and giving input on stuff. Has he allowed you input on this at all?

CASSEL: “He makes up his mind on these decisions. I know that he collaborates with the trainers and everybody else. As a player, you always want to be out there, so even if you’re not at 100 percent you want to go because it’s the competitor in you. But at the same time I know they’re looking out for my best interests as a coaching staff and as a training staff.”

Q: If last Sunday was a playoff game would you have been out there?

CASSEL: “I would like to think that I could been. Then again, it would have to come down to Coach’s decision.”

Q: How tough was it after not starting in the league for so long, then to start 15 games last year, to then have to sit and watch the first game again?

CASSEL: “It’s always tough. Any time the team’s out there on the field, you’re the guy that wants to be in the huddle. (New England QB Tom) Brady once told me you never want to see somebody else doing your job, and that’s part of this position – you never want to see someone else doing your job. You always want to be out there on the field with your teammates, with your team and fighting for that win. Yes, it was disappointing that I didn’t get to play, but hopefully I’ll be out there this week ready to go.”

Q: What were your thoughts on the offense watching from the sideline?

CASSEL: “I thought the offense did a good job. Our game plan was that we were going to take care of the ball and give ourselves a chance to win at the end of the game. I think QB Brodie Croyle did a great job of doing that. We made some big plays down the field. I think WR Mark Bradley made a great catch on the ball that Brodie threw, he also made a great throw on that. We had some big plays, mainly in the second half. Our conservative approach paid off because it gave us a chance to win at the end of the ball game.”

Q: What are your thoughts on DE Richard Seymour joining the Raiders?

CASSEL: “He’s been a teammate of mine for the last four years prior to this, and I’ll tell you I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He’s a perennial Pro Bowler. He plays hard. He’s a guy that everybody looked up to in the locker room, and the Raiders are lucky to have him. Unfortunately I’ll be on the other side of the ball this week. I know he’s a great player and we’ll have a lot of respect for him as we get ready.”

Q: He’s such a difference-maker, do you have to account for that or have to know where he is at all times?

CASSEL: “I think there’s no doubt. You have to pay attention to him when he’s on the field because he can take on double teams and he can do some wonderful things in terms of moving bodies around in there because he’s such a big body himself.”

Q: What did you think about the Raiders defense (on Monday night)?

CASSEL: “They’re big, they’re fast, they’re physical. They’re going to line up and they’re going to say our guys are better than yours and you’re not going to beat us. It’s one of those teams where you’re going to have to go out and strap up your helmet and we’re going to play hard for 60 minutes because that’s the only way you’re going to beat this kind of team because they’re going to be out there and ready to go and we’ve got to be up for the challenge.”

Q: Coach said that he wanted WR Bobby Wade to get ready as fast as he could to be out there. Is he the kind of guy that you can throw in there and you would have good rapport with him real quickly?

CASSEL: “I would like to think so. Again, this is the second day that I’ve been with him out there. He’s working hard, he looks good, he was running crisp routes. The big thing for him is how quickly he can pick up the offensive scheme. He’s been doing a great job, he’s studying. He was in here until late last night doing the things that the coaches asked which was to really bear down on the mental side of it and he’ll be ready to go. He’s a veteran guy and knows how to prepare.”

Q: How was your practice workload compared to what it was last week?

CASSEL: “I think it was a little bit more definitely this week because last week I was limited to certain things, I couldn’t do certain movements and this week my workload has definitely gone up.”

Q: Do you feel you have full mobility to move in the pocket?

CASSEL: “For the most part I do. Like I said, we’re still in the healing process and that’s part of an injury, but at the same time, I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

Q: Would you be opposed to playing a limited amount or a certain amount, if you were to start Sunday?

CASSEL: “If I’m playing, I’m playing. I think that’s really what it comes down to. If Coach gives me the green light then I’m going to be out there unless they take me out. That’s my thoughts on it.”

Q: Was last Sunday’s decision just you couldn’t go, or did it matter who the opponent was or what week it was?

CASSEL: “I think it came down to that I couldn’t go no matter what week it was in the season. It was injury-based. It wasn’t anything else. It wasn’t ‘Matt can probably go but he can’t do this, this and this.’ It was ‘look, we want to give this thing time to heal and we don’t want to make any rash decisions.’ They thought that was the best decision for myself and for the team, and you’ve got to respect that.”

Q: Last week, people could sense when you talked that you were planning on playing. Do you have that same sense now, or is it stronger at this time this week?

CASSEL: “I think anytime you’re preparing to go into a game, and whether or not you whether you’re going to play or not, you have to prepare mentally like you’re going to play. If you take a day off and you’re lackadaisical in terms of game-planning and not getting mentally right, then you’re out there on the field and you’re making stupid mistakes because you didn’t prepare appropriately. For me, I go out and take the same approach whether I’m injured or not because it gets me mentally ready to play the game.”

Q: Have you learned anything about the Chiefs-Raiders rivalry?

CASSEL: “We’ll, I’m excited to be a part of the rivalry first and foremost. I know that it’s a big rivalry and everybody has talked about it, and now being a part of it, you really start to see the city get excited about it. I’m excited, not only the fact that it’s the Raiders and the rivalry, but also being the first home game of the year and the fans will be there cheering. I’m excited about being there out in front of our home crowd and it’s also a division game, and we’ve got to win our division games. You only have so many during the year, and this is a big game for a number of different reasons. We’ll be ready for the challenge and we’ll be ready to play and we’re going to go out there and get ready to go.”

Q: Are there any moves or movements in the pocket that affect you more than others right now?

CASSEL: “No, not really. I can’t pinpoint anything for you right now in terms of movements or anything.”

Q: What have the guys told you about this rivalry? It sounds like it can get interesting in the trenches?

CASSEL: “That’s why in Pop Warner I didn’t sign up to be a lineman. I said I don’t want to do the whole spitting, the mud throwing and all that. I hope it is one of those games. That’s what football is all about. It’s about the rivalries and about the competitive nature. It’s about 11 guys going against 11 guys for 60 minutes of hard-nosed football, and that’s what this game is going to be about.”