Raiders report: ‘Clutch genes,’ team help RB arrive for birth of child

Alexander Mattison got the text from his wife, Drea, around 3 a.m. Sunday.

She felt like she was starting to go into labor with the couple’s second child, more than a week before her due date and hours before the running back’s debut with the Raiders against the Chargers in Southern California.

The couple had discussed this possibility in advance, so he knew the plan was to stay with the team and play in the game, then rush to her side at the hospital.

What he couldn’t have planned was scoring a highlight-reel touchdown and creating a lasting memory for what would become his first son’s birthday.

“On the touchdown, it was one of those things where I forgot about (what was going on back home) in the moment,” Mattison said Wednesday. “Two drives went by, and I went to the equipment guy and asked if he had grabbed the ball, and thankfully they did a great job saving it for me.”

Mattison credited the organization for the assistance and support he was provided throughout the day. Staffers were in constant communication with his wife and others at the hospital to give him updates throughout the game. Then there were the logistics of making sure he got off the plane in Las Vegas and to the hospital as quickly as possible.

“I got there around 8:15 p.m., and he was born at 9:22,” Mattison said. “I had to pull the clutch genes out. Really appreciate the logistical support from the team for that.

“It was a long day, but it was beautiful.”

While the backup plan was executed, it certainly wasn’t a contingency Mattison and his wife were hoping they would need to implement.

The plan was to induce labor on Tuesday, the team’s off day. But Mattison was pleased with how it all worked out.

“My wife is so strong, and she was holding it down and giving me the encouragement to just go play ball and not worry about anything,” he said. “It was a true blessing to be able to make it back in time.”

It’s also going to be a busy time of year moving forward for the family. The couple’s daughter celebrated her second birthday in the hospital Monday alongside her new brother.

Injury report

The biggest news on the first injury report of the week was on the Ravens’ side, as quarterback Lamar Jackson was not even listed despite missing practice Monday with what was described as “soreness.”

Defensive end Tyree Wilson did not practice for the Raiders after leaving Sunday’s game early with a knee injury.

“Still not looking good,” coach Antonio Pierce said of Wilson’s availability. “We’ll know probably later on this week, but not looking good.”

With Malcolm Koonce already on injured reserve, the Raiders added defensive line depth by signing former first-round pick K’Lavon Chaisson to the practice squad Tuesday.

“There’s a bunch of talent there,” Pierce said. “I think there’s still some untapped talent there as well. He’s 25 years old, and we’re battling with injuries at that position. Here’s a guy that can help us. He’s played a lot of football, he’s experienced, and he has a little juice in his legs that we need right now.”

Cornerback Decamerion Richardson was still absent from practice with a hamstring injury.

Offensive linemen Andre James (elbow) and Kolton Miller (knee) were limited in practice, as was rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson, who missed Sunday’s game with an illness.

“He’ll be active,” Pierce said of Powers-Johnson’s status for Sunday. “But how many practices has he had? Today, he’ll be out there at practice, so that’s step one.”

Set the alarm

The Raiders will look to reverse a trend on Sunday, as they are 1-7 in 10 a.m. kickoffs the past two seasons.

Pierce said the team is taking some steps to try to deal with the earlier kickoff.

“We try to speed up our clock, like we’re doing today,” he said. “We woke up earlier, start our day at 6 a.m., try to be on the same time as the East Coast. So, when we go out to practice, it’ll be around 11, and we’ll shorten that down to about 10:30 on Friday. Just trying to speed up our clock, get guys up so when we get over here Saturday at 4 p.m., we kind of get on that East Coast clock.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.