ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Is it possible for a 38-year-old NFL player to actually get better?

"With Charles [Woodson], it is," Oakland Raiders defensive end Justin Tuck said. "He's getting better. There's not too many players that I can think of who get better at 38, but Charles has stayed young."

Even the greatest NFL stars often begin to deteriorate around 35. However, Woodson, who turned 38 earlier this month, is still playing at a high level. One of Oakland's few bright lights in a 0-6 start, Woodson has been making plays all season, including a touchdown-saving tackle and an interception last week against the Arizona Cardinals.

"I really think he's getting better in the past few years," Tuck said. "It's something else. He is so physically gifted and then he uses his brain to figure things out so well, too. It's just a special combination."

Woodson returned to Oakland -- which drafted him in 1998 -- in 2013 after seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers. The Raiders were hoping they were bringing back a former star who could be an inspirational leader at the end of his career. Woodson has been so much more.

He is getting better at the safety position, which he converted to from cornerback in 2012. Tuck said Woodson never stops working at his craft. They sit near each other on flights and Tuck said Woodson is always studying the game.

"He's gotten better at the safety position," Oakland defensive coordinator Jason Tarver said. "He's gotten better with his breaks, his angles, what we call 'eyes before feet,' because the further you are away from the ball, you find the angle with your eyes before your feet take you there. He's gotten better and better on that. The tipped pick last week was an example of that. He was a little deeper like he was supposed to be, maybe last year he was tighter, and now he gets the ball. He's gotten better ... It's amazing that he can get that much better."