Ladies of FSR from SBLX Radio Row - Wednesday

Live from Super Week (Super Bowl LX Media Week)  Alex Curry, Carmen Vitali, Tracy Sandler, and Nikki Kay break down how the Patriots and Seahawks punched their tickets to the Super Bowl. Storylines, playoff paths, and what this matchup really means — straight from the ladies of Fox Sports Radio. They share their biggest takeaways from the NFL season — from the Vikings firing their GM, to Josh Allen falling short again, to the wild journey of Sam Darnold. Real talk, bold opinions, straight from Fox Sports Radio. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Welcome to Super Week, everybody. We are so excited to
be here. I'm Alex Curry here with Nikki k Cracey Sandler,
Carmen Vitally, and we are so excited to be here,
you guys. I mean, I'm just gonna paint the picture
a little bit. If you've ever been to Radio Row,
it's basically every single sports network, every show, all under
one roof, all doing their shows right next to each other,

(00:26):
and it is such a beautiful vibe and way to
really kind of get the week going and get you
excited for Super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
It's also where like anything goes. You can talk about anything.
You can see anyone.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
You see people passing by. I mean, Gronk just walked by,
He's right next door.

Speaker 4 (00:44):
It's kind of funny.

Speaker 5 (00:45):
I'm like fangirl when I hear when I see people
whose podcasts I listen to, Yeah, it's.

Speaker 6 (00:51):
Doing podcast that you probably listen to.

Speaker 7 (00:54):
And we'll listen to later and be like I saw
them doing that book, dude. But like Vija high around
the city. We're in San Francisco, obviously the game. If
you if you've never been to Levi Stadium.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
It's about an hour hour and a half outside of
the city, but in the city of San Francisco. You guys,
this week it has just been chef's kiss. I mean,
my Uber driver this morning, my Brazilian Uber driver was
just blasting Soundgarden, huge smile on his face at like
six am.

Speaker 8 (01:19):
I'm like, yeah, no, it's it's going to be a
great one.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
Can I can I tell you my crazy Uber story
that can only happen. I feel like at the super
Bowl that happened last night. Please, I'm going from having
drinks with a friend of mine to dinner, right, yeah,
and we happened to be by I guess the Warriors Stadium,
the Oracle Center. Love didn't know. But anyway, so I
called Uber he can get in there. Like immediately, I
was like, oh gosh. So I run out there, get

(01:43):
in the car. We get to talking. He's like, are
you here from the super Bowl?

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:47):
What do you do? I'm a reporter? He's like, do
you do every sport? I was like, well, for a
radio show, I do, but I'm the NFL. And he's like,
I'm going to show you something and oh and I
was like, I'm going to give you this business car
and you're gonna tell me if you notice anything about
the last name. So he gives me his business card. Yeah,
I want to know what his last name is. What
I escw do you know who he was? And Scu's

(02:09):
dabs unbelievable.

Speaker 6 (02:11):
I know I had.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
We had a twenty minute ride. We are out bet
her name, her dad's name is Dan and Dan he
is so incredible. He was just the most incredible man.
He was so gregarious and we became absolute besties. He's like,
when do you go to the airport? Let me go
take you this, that the other, and yeah, telling me
all about He was like, well, you know who Sabrina

(02:32):
is married to. I was like, yeah, she's got an
offensive lineman husband. He's like, yeah, you took that away
from me. I thought you I thought I was gonna tell.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
You something like this is my favorite she's my favorite
musition by the Yeah, assess with the old lineman. I
don't know if you guys know this, but like Carmen
number one position off.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
Oh yeah, I told him my whole I was like,
offensive linemen are the best football players. They're the best guys,
the best personality.

Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yes, but you know it's really cool.

Speaker 5 (02:56):
Sabrina is one of the most universally loved competitors across
all sports and the things she does other athletes all
levels of the game. I've seen her deliver shoes to
girls who didn't or women who didn't have their contracts yet,
you know, and that is just so like it's in
a microcosm of why she is.

Speaker 8 (03:13):
Well, she was the woman.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
She was Kobe's mentee, right, yes, kind of like sit forward,
ye rung her under his wing, like very early on
in his mirror because he did so much for the W.
But like she was kind of the first face the
W that I think like was crossed over to both
sides of everybody.

Speaker 8 (03:31):
She was because of Kobe.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
Hurry, she still like she flies out his trainer. Is
what her dad was telling me. I'm very competitive. I
mean like that, she's very competitive. He told me too.
He was like, you said, you're good at your job.
I'm the best at my job.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
Oh my god, I love that.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
I know.

Speaker 6 (03:51):
I'm id.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
He's like, modesty has no place in your career. He's
still humbleness is one thing. Honesty is not allowed. You
are the best at what you do. And I'm like Yes,
that's my favorite, Mara, that's my Super Bowl uber story.

Speaker 8 (04:07):
I love.

Speaker 4 (04:07):
I took a cable car yesterday and we saw its
getting married in the streets.

Speaker 5 (04:14):
Like like they're their engagement pictures, and our cable car
driver was ringing the bell.

Speaker 7 (04:19):
It was like, were you close to the city hall? Well,
the city hall is gorgeous.

Speaker 8 (04:24):
Who are you? Where are we?

Speaker 6 (04:25):
Well?

Speaker 8 (04:25):
Why would you ask me that?

Speaker 7 (04:27):
Because San Francisco City Hall was just like, I don't know,
San Francisco City Hall is gorgeous, and so many people
get married there. It's like a thing that people do
because it's beautiful. Okay, that is one of the more
wedding visits in the city, So it's possible.

Speaker 8 (04:39):
Okay, that tracks.

Speaker 5 (04:40):
Yeah, so that would be why that makes Anyways, congratulate
you graduations, Dan grad.

Speaker 6 (04:50):
That was so good.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
Okay, But let's get to the main reason we're here,
you guys. Super Bowl sixty Seahawks and Patriots. The last
time that these two teams met was twenty fourteen in
the Super Bowl the Malcolm Butler interception to seal the
win for the Patriots. You guys, and Seahawks back for
the first time since that. Patriots back for the first

(05:12):
time since Tom Brady. So there's just both these teams
right now have a lot of firsts, which leads us
to I think our topic of the day, our biggest
takeaway from this season. Okay, we're each gonna go We're
each gonna give ours. I'm gonna start with mine because
it kind of goes hand in hand with this.

Speaker 8 (05:31):
And it's first season success.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
I am so impressed with how many coaches or players
have had incredible success in their first season with a team.
And let's start with a guy like Sam Darnold, right
because first season with the Seahawks, he kind of he
started to prove all of his doubters wrong with the

(05:54):
Vikings last season, but with the way the season ended
and then losing in the first round of the playoffs,
the big knock, well can he win in big games?

Speaker 8 (06:01):
Can he win in the in the playoffs?

Speaker 2 (06:03):
And obviously the Vikings didn't think so, which is why
he ended up in Seattle.

Speaker 6 (06:07):
But is.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
Also like best case scenario for Sam because he got
to go to a place that believed in him to
be the number one guy. Because remember he was coming
into the Vikings as number two behind JJ who ended
up getting hurt, and then he got the opportunity to
get that starting role and had one of the most
incredible seasons. I think that that most people didn't think

(06:33):
was possible for a guy like sat Arnold, So to
see him do what he did and be the most
winning his quarterback the last two seasons on two different
franchises is absolutely incredible. And then you go to a
guy like Mike Rabel, I mean first season as the

(06:54):
head coach of the Patriots obviously born.

Speaker 5 (06:58):
We talked about, you talk about because that is Brabel's
role and there is.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
Not a more perfect match. Mike Frable head coach of
the Patriots.

Speaker 6 (07:10):
He won I think it.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
Was what three rings as a player with the Patriots,
but he took a team that went four and thirteen
last year, last in their division to fourteen and three
winning their division, and now they're headed to the super Bowl.

Speaker 8 (07:24):
It's just he turned Drake May into an MVP candidate.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
I think that also was helpful that he brought in
with a second the doster oc who was there Tom Brady.

Speaker 3 (07:35):
How to develop quarterbacks for all of their quarterback friendly scheme.

Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yes, which is huge, but it's just it's it's so
impressive and so crazy. I mean, they're not the only ones,
like you had Ben Johnson and the Bears, Liam Cohen
and the Jags, like all these first time coaches and
players just having the most incredible success with these new franchises.

Speaker 8 (07:54):
Is this kind of the new standard or.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
Is it almost an unrealistic expectation that they set moving
forward like culture is a real thing.

Speaker 7 (08:03):
Yeah, well it's going to be both. It's going to
be the standard and an unrealistic.

Speaker 6 (08:08):
Guess in the NFL. Then the owners go, I want
that too.

Speaker 7 (08:13):
Well, if they're doing it well, it was like the
Sean McVay hire, the young, new, exciting coach. Then all
of a sudden there was this wave of oh, we
got to get the young, hot, next guy, and that's
what it became.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
That that's why it's called the copycat league and everybody
is just trying to replicate the success. But what people
don't understand is there are so many factors that go
into that. Rabel is an interesting one because it's not
as if he's a first time head coach. Yeah, it's
the first year of but he had a lot of
success as a head coach with the Ta Taps. He

(08:42):
did and so he knows how to build a culture.
And I think Mike Rabel is the best Patriot way
example but also fun but.

Speaker 8 (08:52):
By example because he in there.

Speaker 2 (08:53):
He knows how to win as a player, but he
also seems like a coach that guys want to, like
literally put their.

Speaker 3 (08:58):
Life on the line. They still have helmets on his
nose is like cut up every other game.

Speaker 7 (09:04):
But when they were when they were stuck in Denver
and he was like, go go out have fun. But
if you're not on that bus tomorrow morning at eight,
you're not playing in.

Speaker 4 (09:11):
The super Bowl.

Speaker 7 (09:11):
And they all were like, we're going to go out
and we're gonna be in the bus because he means it.

Speaker 6 (09:17):
But he's also out.

Speaker 8 (09:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (09:21):
Well, Tom Brady said that this week.

Speaker 5 (09:22):
You ever, I would love to know how many calories
he burns during a game because of how active he
is on the.

Speaker 6 (09:30):
Side down his blood pressure is going through the roof.

Speaker 4 (09:34):
And how active do you think he is in calling.

Speaker 5 (09:37):
I know he's not truly the defensive color, but right
they had the change up in their defensive coordinator situation
mid season. He's got to be a big presence in
the Patriots deepen mean.

Speaker 3 (09:47):
He's still the architective of the defense, but he's the
one that everything still has to go through. And if
you don't think that he's clicking over into that headsetting,
like hey, hey, I need a blitz Like he's absolutely.

Speaker 8 (09:58):
True now but like right now, but that's I work.

Speaker 3 (10:00):
Yeah exactly, but he's still I think what really works.
And we've seen this about this these two teams that
are in the Super Bowl, between Mike McDonald and Mike Rabel,
defensive head coaches that have placed their trust in their
offensive coordinator to be essentially the head coach of the offense.
And that's why Clint Kubiak he's getting is getting a job.

(10:21):
And that's why Mike Josh McDaniel he was already already
had a proven track record, So Mike Rabel knew, hey,
I can I can leave you the offense and this
can happen. And then what happens, Drake May is an
MVP candidate.

Speaker 6 (10:34):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (10:34):
So I think that that's a really good recipe. I
don't know that the rest of the league has learned.

Speaker 2 (10:40):
But it's crazy because there was such a like there
was such a shift to like, oh, we need an
offensive minded coach for so long and now we're kind
of seeing that shift kind of maybe even out a
little more. Go back to the fact that it's like, Okay,
we can bring in a defensive guy and then as
long as he gets his staff right, yes, then we're
going to.

Speaker 6 (10:56):
Be And that's the hard part.

Speaker 3 (10:57):
And that's that's the hard part, especially when you're talking
first time head coach, which is why Mike McDonald is
also I mean, I know this is his second year,
but the turnaround that Mike McDonald has done in Seattle
is incredible. Yeah, because that was his this is his
first crack at being a head coach. Yeah, anywhere with yes,
with two within two years, you have that team in
the super Bowl. Especially in this last offseason, I think

(11:17):
we all were confused as to what the Seahawks were
doing as far as free agency and the acquisitions and
the people they let go and this that the other
and you were like, what are what are you doing?

Speaker 6 (11:25):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (11:26):
Turns out doing it right now. They have like the
most dominant defense. They have a great quarterback in sam
Donold and that's a really good and they have a
good staff. Mike McDonald has a great Salem and that's
a recipe for success.

Speaker 1 (11:38):
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Speaker 6 (11:51):
So you got here.

Speaker 9 (11:52):
I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow, and
I have brought it here to iHeart. I'm also doing
a live radio show from three to five pm Eastern
because my wife wanted to kick me out of the house.
It's called Stu Gotson Company Live, which is available in
podcast form right when the show finishes every single day.

(12:13):
Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of phone.

Speaker 5 (12:16):
Calls, I love you guys your show.

Speaker 6 (12:17):
It's one of my favorites.

Speaker 9 (12:18):
A lot of interact shit guys not taking themselves too seriously.
Those are just some of the things that you can
expect from Stu Gottson Company and Steve Gotson Company Live.
So listen to Stu Gotson Company Live and our original podcast.
Please subscribe, rate and review Stu Gotson Company and God
Bless Football Taylor's livelihood depends on it. You do it

(12:40):
today and you can check all of those out on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Speaker 2 (12:52):
We are so excited to welcome our first guest of
the day, Lindsay Rhodes.

Speaker 8 (12:56):
I mean, you iconic.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
I don't know if you guys have like followed at
her post of her career, like been covering the NFL
every sport imaginable for so long.

Speaker 6 (13:04):
I love you.

Speaker 2 (13:05):
I think you're absolutely fabulous, and congratulations.

Speaker 8 (13:08):
On your new show.

Speaker 10 (13:09):
Thanks the evaluation, right, we're really excited.

Speaker 4 (13:13):
I'm I'm really okay.

Speaker 2 (13:14):
So we kind of got like a little blurb sneak
peak of what it's about. But in your words, best
explain like what fans can expect to see from this show.

Speaker 11 (13:23):
So I think it will be like if you are
the kind of draft fan who does your own mock draft.

Speaker 8 (13:28):
Yeah, a lot of people like.

Speaker 10 (13:31):
Depindion on the.

Speaker 11 (13:33):
Third round, here's who I think will be the best,
and we can get value in that spot, then this
is the show for you. It's like it's the draft
show that kind of goes into all of the positional
value and opportunity cost with also the evaluations attached. The
thing that I think makes it so cool and need
it so cool to participate in for me is that
we have a bunch of scouts and former general managers

(13:54):
and personnel directors and stuff like that are part of
our staff at Suomer. Yeah, and they have been trained
their whole lives to not tell you anything, right they
are so ya if I remember going to pro days
as a reporter and being like, what did he run?
And they're like, no, if that's someone else, it's a
forty like it's gonna come out.

Speaker 8 (14:13):
But they're gonna be.

Speaker 4 (14:15):
That fetrit.

Speaker 2 (14:17):
They have other people to know cause they have like
a little secret insight on a player.

Speaker 8 (14:21):
That's why they're secretive.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
It's like, well, my team might be looking at him
for a different reason than you are, so I might
tell you why I think he's going to be great.

Speaker 11 (14:29):
And then even a lot of times, what I found
is once they're no longer like a general manager, they
still don't tell their secrets because they're like, well, what
if I get hired to work for a team again,
and so like all of my proprietary thoughts and so
all of our guys just like unleashed. So we have
a bunch of former general managers having conversations with each
other about the guys in the draft. And then I

(14:50):
got to participate, and I'm so excited, and then we
also have our data scientists wigh in and saying, here's
what the data says about. From the tracking data, we
can pull all sorts of like trade evaluations about players.
And so it's kind of one conversation with like the
old school and new school way of looking at evaluation
and trying to figure out what the best ways are

(15:11):
in twenty twenty six to find out who is good?

Speaker 6 (15:14):
Did this change the way that you view draft prospects
very much?

Speaker 9 (15:18):
So?

Speaker 11 (15:18):
Yeah, so well, and I'm super nerdy by the way,
I need to tell you five years. I'm like, what
is a new data metric that we can evaluate with
the best one?

Speaker 10 (15:30):
What I thought was so cool was some of the
things that.

Speaker 11 (15:33):
They talked about that they see as evaluators, Like there
was a story in the defensive Backs episode where one
of the scouts talked about counting steps as a defensive
back as you're like going along with the wide receiver,
and he was like, but you can tell which ones
don't do that because if you watch their eyes, you

(15:54):
can see where their eyes are going. And sometimes if
a wide receiver sees where I'm going on the field,
they can And so I was like, you're looking at
their eye.

Speaker 4 (16:02):
Well yeah, when they're running routs.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
Similar in soccer when you have a PK, it's like
where are they looking? You can't give anything away, any
little inside away.

Speaker 3 (16:10):
I'll never forget boating that either where and especially when
it comes to quarterbacking where you are looking off of
safety or oh yeah, because defensive backs are trained to
look at quarterbacks eyes. But now it's you're right, it's
gone down the line of position groups. And that's the
type of detail that that guys are evaluating when they're
trying to determine who is going to be.

Speaker 11 (16:32):
And we have so many data points now that are
like new and new, like just the tracking data, and
we can find different things. And I ended up doing
a deep dive on a bunch of different positions. Like
one of the things is offensive tackle and we kind
of we're all after my own heart to lean how
many offensive tackles are actually good in the NFL that

(16:53):
the number is fifteen on average?

Speaker 4 (16:55):
Excuse me, fififteen.

Speaker 6 (16:57):
That does not surprise.

Speaker 11 (16:58):
There are sixty four starting off the tackles that so
that explains the Chargers this year.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
Pop tier though, it's like when you're good, you're good
when you have Okay, so what else did these like
data and analytics, because that's that's how you're really understanding Yeah,
kind of like the gap between the best of the
best and like a good player.

Speaker 8 (17:19):
What were some other.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
Surprises that you saw once you got like a look
at the data and analytics that like, this is really
kind of like pulling back the curtain on.

Speaker 8 (17:28):
This position or this situation.

Speaker 10 (17:30):
I think, so, what's surprising for me now?

Speaker 11 (17:32):
But I think it is it will be for a
lot of people at home, and I think it is
an ongoing conversation. The data about running backs is just
it is, it is, it.

Speaker 6 (17:43):
Is, It is just.

Speaker 3 (17:47):
Right, and then you know, just pay them. How long
are their careers, how much tread do they have on
them when?

Speaker 11 (17:53):
But also how how much does a very good running
back actually do for a team? Interesting, and that's the
common versation about positional value and whether you do in
the first round. And people go, well, look at like
Saquon and CMC and I'm like, yeah, and they're doing
really well on their second teams. Yeah, because running backs
and we see this with Bijeon, We've seen it.

Speaker 4 (18:11):
With Ashton gent Ye.

Speaker 11 (18:12):
They're both incredible, like incredible, But they're so dependent on
environment and offensive line and quarterback play and they can't
tilt losses to wins.

Speaker 8 (18:23):
No, they just can't.

Speaker 11 (18:24):
So from a roster building standpoint, you plug that running
back in when you are ready to go from very
good to great, if you're ready to make a Super
Bowl run. Like the Eagles last year, everyone was like,
see Saquon, he just put that running back conversation to
bet and I'm like, he literally made the.

Speaker 4 (18:39):
Point, he made the plant protection.

Speaker 8 (18:42):
Yeah, we were in a quarterback and he had protection.
He was everywhere.

Speaker 3 (18:46):
Yeah, it's really so it's essentially EPA for running It's
like rushing EPA and running back EPA that actually adds
to the team success.

Speaker 11 (18:54):
Well, it's interesting because EPA is my favorite stat in
the whole wide world.

Speaker 10 (18:58):
And this is okay, five just please don't know it.

Speaker 8 (19:01):
Explain it, okay.

Speaker 11 (19:02):
So it's expected points added and it is a convoluted thing.
I'm just going to tell you to trust me in
every person who has ever gon into the data right like,
it will tell it takes into account like the average
of field position and situation in terms of like if
you're in third and seven or.

Speaker 6 (19:18):
What it was distant?

Speaker 11 (19:19):
How many yards do you need for the play to
be an impactful play? And it takes into consideration honestly,
things like this is one of the yards issues, Like
if you're a running back and it is third and
one and you gain four yards, that is you just
crush that play. If it's third and ten and you
gain four yards, you failed for a quarterback, right, So

(19:41):
every situation calls for a different output, and so you're
measuring efficiency of your options. And so that's why we
like EPA because it takes into account the situation. It
has context added to the yards.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
And yeah, because I've just and I it matters when
the game's on the line or well.

Speaker 11 (19:59):
For sure, if you're trying to figure out if your
team is good at something in terms of like you
want to be predictive, you want to go, we were
good at this in week one, will we be good
at it in the two and in week three? Yeah,
that's a number that's more likely to tell you whether
you're good as opposed to whether you faced a bad
defense or something like that. And to people who are
like you can't explain EPA, don't understand EPA, I say,

(20:21):
do you understand how passer rating is calculated.

Speaker 8 (20:23):
Yeah, no one, No one knows anything.

Speaker 2 (20:26):
They're just like, oh, this is a number that looks fancy,
So that's what we're going to go with, and that's
just going to determine an.

Speaker 8 (20:31):
Entire player's career. Yes, but why but so you were
the but why let me explain? But why?

Speaker 6 (20:38):
Yes?

Speaker 11 (20:38):
Well, and I just think some are misleading. Yes, you know,
like you have passing yards and Aaron Rodgers through for
a ton of yards for the Jets, and I had
people going like, are you sure he's not that great anymore?
And I was like, oh, passing yards, let's let's let's
let's pre tack. If we're playing fantasy football, you're trying
to figure out who you want to start, and you're
thinking about script. You're like, this team is going to

(21:00):
be behind, and so they're going to throw a lot. Yes,
that's how you can get a lot of passing yards
by being bad. Right, It doesn't mean that you were good.
It just means that you were behind a lot.

Speaker 3 (21:09):
Ms Winston who threw for almost five thousand yards under
personians but also through thirty interceptions, You're like, we were
he threw a lot because we were double right.

Speaker 11 (21:18):
It's a number, and it is the number, and it
did tell you that it passed a lot of yards
and just tell you whether you're good.

Speaker 4 (21:23):
And that's what a EPA for.

Speaker 3 (21:25):
Yes, And it sounds like these running back metrics or
these player metrics that you guys are dealing with, are
isolating whether that player is in fact good or important
to team success.

Speaker 11 (21:34):
But what and now I'm just going to make my
argument worse. EPA is a good team stat. Epaout running
back at right, because it'll tell you about quarterbacks because
everything kind of runs through the quarterback right, So like
it's good to use for quarterbacks, but if you use
it for a running back, what it's really telling you
is what the office.

Speaker 6 (21:50):
The office is, Yes, the rushing rush.

Speaker 11 (21:52):
So you'll see a lot of volatility in terms of
the EPA per rush for different running backs. And it's
just reflective of their environment. So things like yards after contact,
things that you can look for and say like that's them.
That's the breaking a tackle and picking up yards after
the defense is already on him. What's unfortunate in terms
of making it simple is that the stats that matter

(22:13):
for each position are different.

Speaker 6 (22:15):
Yes, but it's really.

Speaker 3 (22:17):
Cool that you get to dive into that with people
that are this for a living.

Speaker 11 (22:21):
Yes, for the to do it with their eyes, and
then we do it with like the we have conversations
about it with each other.

Speaker 3 (22:29):
That's just where you're like disproving something that they said
they saw with their eyes, but the data suggests that.

Speaker 2 (22:36):
Well, where it's like it's really interesting because it's like
the data verse like the human factor, right, that always
comes in and that's always kind of like the delicate balance.

Speaker 11 (22:44):
And everyone raft is an intangible process, yes, right, like
there is there are things that you're not gonna be
able to measure in your quarterback fronts that are very important,
like is he going to be a leader's leader to
show up every day in the facility and put all
of that work in Like yeah, you speak the same
language when we sit down and we come up with
the game plan for that week and I'm trying to
communicate it to you, you speak a shorthand that like

(23:08):
can we communicate easily?

Speaker 4 (23:10):
Because sometimes that person can be very.

Speaker 11 (23:11):
Good, but the two of you together, like we all
have people like that where're like that person's an awesome person,
but for whatever reason, when we sit down. It just
doesn't click, you know, And I think that that is
very important in that position, that you click with the
people in addition to also being capable in town.

Speaker 2 (23:26):
Yeah, it's crazy because obviously this is the biggest week
in football with the biggest game, but the moment the
confetti falls.

Speaker 8 (23:34):
Yeah, it's draft time.

Speaker 4 (23:35):
I know it's draft time. It's the beauty of the NFL.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
Like the confetti drop, the light turns out in the
stadium and it's like, who's next.

Speaker 4 (23:45):
Take a week off and then are you an Indy
for the Combine?

Speaker 6 (23:48):
My favorite week of the year.

Speaker 11 (23:49):
Two.

Speaker 6 (23:50):
Are you going to be doing anything at the Combine
this year?

Speaker 4 (23:52):
Yeah, we'll be there.

Speaker 6 (23:53):
You'll be there.

Speaker 4 (23:53):
Oh my god, you row and doing all yeah and amazing.

Speaker 10 (23:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (23:57):
So I love the Combine.

Speaker 11 (23:59):
I feel like the is this is kind of like
the party version of the NFL.

Speaker 8 (24:03):
That's all I've ever heard.

Speaker 2 (24:04):
Everyone's like, if you can get to the combine, get
to the combine. The combine is before you make your
relationships and connections and really get to know people.

Speaker 10 (24:13):
Yes, and coaches and gms.

Speaker 11 (24:16):
Yeah, they're they're like they're not really on the clock,
they're not preparing for a game. And to be honest
with you, the combine matters in very specific ways to them.

Speaker 4 (24:24):
They're not like, what is that guy running? What did
that guy do?

Speaker 11 (24:27):
It's got their evaluation wherever, and so they're just looking
for ways that the person did something that was different
than what they thought they could do. Okay, they're like,
did he run fast? I thought he was slow? Maybe
should go back and look at his tape. And that's
that's really all they're taking from it.

Speaker 3 (24:42):
Well, and you said that the draft is an intangible process.
The intangible evaluation happens at the combine when you actually
get the number these guys.

Speaker 8 (24:50):
Literally what it is, but they are four numbers.

Speaker 6 (24:52):
But then you get but no, but then you get
to talk to them.

Speaker 3 (24:54):
That's like you get the intangible of like putting these
guys on a whiteboard because they're meeting with every single team,
even seeing how they retain information and all.

Speaker 6 (25:02):
Of that kind of Yeah, on top of what the data.

Speaker 2 (25:04):
Says, where you can figure out if if like is
this kind of personality vibe?

Speaker 10 (25:09):
But then how good of a judge of character are you?

Speaker 4 (25:11):
I mean, all of the stuff that.

Speaker 8 (25:14):
Is so bad, so excited for you and so excited.

Speaker 2 (25:17):
For this and for fans to really like kind of
get an inside look of what goes into the evaluation
of these players and everything going into it. Have you
done anything evaluation wise? I know this is a draft show,
but for you personally, since I know you're a big
number as a data person on the.

Speaker 8 (25:32):
Super Bowl, Oh for sure. Okay, yeah, who do you
have and why I like this? Are you giving it yet?

Speaker 6 (25:38):
Okay?

Speaker 8 (25:38):
Oh yeah, okay.

Speaker 4 (25:39):
I like the Seahawks. I think.

Speaker 10 (25:43):
The I don't know. Here's how the Patriots can win it?

Speaker 11 (25:48):
I think, yeah, I think you have to find a
way to limit what Jackson Smith and Jigwa does. I'm
not sure that they will be able to like good
luck seen real good defenses struggle with that. The Rams
like rams in a blender. Yeah, Like they just didn't
know and they tried a bunch of different things, like
they were pivoting the whole game and nothing was working.

Speaker 4 (26:07):
He's so good.

Speaker 11 (26:08):
And then if they are able to do that, like
to put two people on him, then somebody will be open.
And then it's up to Sam Darnold, who I think
has evolved so much in his quarterbacking development. He'll be
able to identify where the open man is, so that
part I'm not really thinking is that big a deal.
I think that if Rabel can find a way to
force him to make mistakes and not in the the

(26:30):
carriage is going to turn into a pump game.

Speaker 4 (26:33):
That's what I'm hearing.

Speaker 11 (26:34):
A lot people are like, will he see ghosts again
around the other shoots? I think past that, We're past that.
We saw Josh Allen throw interceptions in the playoffs. So
good defense can bait you into making mistakes and that's
how the Patriots win as if they do that to
Sam and that.

Speaker 3 (26:47):
Defensive front has really come on in the last part
of the season and in the postseason, especially where they
are getting a ton of pressure and that comes directly
from Mike Rabel.

Speaker 11 (26:56):
I have to think, yeah, And I'm the interior of
the Seahawks offensive one is really good. But they're gonna
get They're gonna get some inside push, and they're gonna
get a tested Milton Williams woul talking about him after
the Super Bowl for the second year in a row.

Speaker 10 (27:07):
I'm worried about the pressure on Drake may Yes.

Speaker 6 (27:11):
Because that on the line is not where I think
they even want it to be.

Speaker 2 (27:14):
Still and he also wasn't like he didn't give the
kind of performance that Sam Donald did in the playoffs.
He he heavily relied on his defense.

Speaker 11 (27:22):
He has faced some insane defense he has and the
Seahawks are yet another one.

Speaker 3 (27:26):
I was gonna say they're probably the best for the best,
I mean Texans Brons, the Seahawks throw the Browns and
that conversation to the defenses, like that's three of the
top four defenses.

Speaker 11 (27:35):
In the league that you had to go through in
order to get here. But I think we've seen it
affect his play. So we've seen some turnovers, and we've
seen like low scoring games, and we've seen him get sacked,
to be honest, and if there's one thing that he
needs to work on, and I voted for him for
the All Pro Quarterback first team, he was my guy
over Stafford and they're both amazing. But like I think

(27:56):
Drake did amazing things this year. Yes, if there's a
hole in his game, it is sacked avoidance. And we
saw Caleb Williams takes strides forward in that way. That's
that's what we still need to see from him. He
has two games Drake May in the postseason where the
pressure has led to zero escape attempts for him, So

(28:16):
he's taking sacks at a relatively high rate in terms
of the pressure to sack ratio. And what you want
to see is what Caleb did this year against the Rams.
He had a zero pressure to sack ratio. None of
them turned into sacks, but he had a very high
escape attempt So he's escaping and not just tucking and running,
but he's eyes up looking to throw the ball down field,
which is the most efficient way to move the ball downfield.

(28:38):
That's the thing that Drake needs to work on. And
so I will be keeping my eye on whether or
not he's able to get one or two of those
in yeah, which sounds like such a small numbered out,
but it's literally been.

Speaker 6 (28:49):
Zero yeah that you're talking about.

Speaker 8 (28:52):
It's gonna be yeah, exactly.

Speaker 6 (28:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (28:54):
I think that's something he did last year too when
he first got in, because that offensive line was just
an absolute piecemeal offensive line. And I was scared to
death when Drake May got in for the Patriots, where
I was like.

Speaker 6 (29:04):
He's gonna it's gonna be over before it starts.

Speaker 3 (29:07):
But I think he showed a little bit of that
his capability last year, so we'll see if you can
get it back for this one.

Speaker 8 (29:11):
Yeah, Lindsay, thank you so much for joining us.

Speaker 2 (29:14):
Let everyone know where they can find the evaluation when
it airs all all of the.

Speaker 11 (29:18):
Goodnsumer sports dot com because you can also find a
link to a live advanced data dashboard that you can
have up as a second screen during the game and
get all of these weird nerdy stats like live and
updating after every single play. There's also a draft guid
or a draft guide went live yesterday, so you can
find a lot of detail about like I know, a
lot of the other ones tell you like this guy

(29:39):
is good and yes, work on this ours is more usage.
We'll paint a picture from our charting data about how
he was used in college, whether he was good in
what areas.

Speaker 3 (29:50):
See maybe where he would be good in the NFL,
what teams he could potentially jewelling in.

Speaker 11 (29:55):
Chris, I think it's a really interesting supplemental draft guide
to put with. Like the Beast from the Athletics, it'll
tell you about the player, like whether they're good or
not good, and then you go, oh, like Carnel Tate
run a ton of go routes.

Speaker 4 (30:10):
Yeah, and so you're like.

Speaker 11 (30:11):
Looking at we have like a route tree chart about
how how many times or what percentage of their routes
were each route. Yeah, and what depth they're actually thrown
to its steep So yeah. So that's all supersports dot
Com and that's s U m er lame, Lindsay.

Speaker 2 (30:27):
Thank you got too, subscribers, Thank you so much for
coming on.

Speaker 10 (30:32):
Thank you guys.

Speaker 6 (30:32):
I love that.

Speaker 1 (30:33):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 2 (30:45):
Okay, we are back to the four of us. Lindsay
Rhodes was awesome, Carme. I knew that you were gonna
love that because I'm going to whole like science, like
data science, nerd deep dive.

Speaker 8 (30:55):
So awesome. But let's get back to our top of.

Speaker 2 (30:57):
The day was each of our biggest takeaways from the season,
and I obviously started with the first season success and
how impressive it's been. Whether you're a first time coach
or first first year coach with a new franchise or
Sam Darnold first time with the Seahawks. Karmie, what is
your biggest takeaway from the season.

Speaker 3 (31:16):
So it's interesting because we talk about now, is this
going to be the new standard for guys, Are you
only going to get a year?

Speaker 6 (31:21):
Yes, and because other owners are going to see, hey,
so and so did it, so and so did it.

Speaker 8 (31:26):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (31:26):
Well that but the expectations that ownership now has has
had a real tangible effect on the coaching cycle. We
saw this year on decisions that were made perhaps without.

Speaker 6 (31:39):
A whole lot of planning. So this is going.

Speaker 3 (31:45):
I saw a lot of reactionary decision when talking about
the Bills, whose owner Terry Pagoula comes out and says, yeah.

Speaker 6 (31:53):
I basically made the decision.

Speaker 3 (31:55):
When I saw Josh Allen crying in the locker room
after the Broncos so emotional decision. I was like, man,
for everybody that that's women are emotional when they make decisions.

Speaker 2 (32:05):
Men are the owners.

Speaker 3 (32:10):
Yes, let me throw my drink on you, so let
me know that right now, I think one of the other.
And when the Bills did that, it was very clear
that they didn't have a plan for how they were
going to replace Sean McDermott or how it was going
to be different. Now they elevated Joe Brady, their offensive
coordinator to that head coaching spot. But if you're wanting
a breath of fresh air, and that's the reason you're

(32:32):
getting rid of Sean McDermott's Joe Brady has been part
of Sean McDermott's staff, this same culture. It's not a
breath of fresh seller. It's not the same. And then
when you look at something like what the Minnesota Vikings
just did with Quesado, and it wasn't so much that
I didn't think there was a case for Questi to
have been let go, but when you look at the

(32:52):
timing of it coincided with Sam Darnold to the Super Bowl.

Speaker 7 (32:58):
It was like writing the text you should have taken
just a minute to read and take a breath. Yes,
that's literally what it was like, you're fired, Well now
we did it.

Speaker 4 (33:06):
Yeah, but if you have chat GBT write the text
for you.

Speaker 6 (33:10):
Or but like also that's a text that gets deleted
and ever.

Speaker 3 (33:14):
And at this point they are having again an in
house person take over that through the draft and then
they will revisit that that position no plan, But why
would you do that when also Questiadoho Menza was just
at the Senior Bowl for them, had just gone to
the Senior Bowl for them, and then he's starting to
do the draft process work that a GM does and

(33:35):
then you fire him. That doesn't make any sense to me,
the timing at least, And it just screams that this
was again an emotional decision, and this is having real
consequences for so many guys around the league, so many
franchises around the league where it's like, it's very clear
that they did not have a plan going into some
some of these firings and.

Speaker 6 (33:54):
Things are not going to be better right away.

Speaker 8 (33:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (33:57):
No, and so you and now you couple that with
the expectation we just talked about of wanting to turn
around a team in a year. I look at Joe
Brady in Buffalo where I'm like, he has no leash.

Speaker 6 (34:07):
He has no leash.

Speaker 3 (34:08):
Whatsoever because it is Super Bowl or bus for the
Buffalo Bills. Yeah, and because he was already on the staff,
because he has the MVP Josh Allen quarterback, like they are, their.

Speaker 6 (34:18):
Expectation is to get to the Super Bowl.

Speaker 5 (34:20):
What I want to know as a fan, how are
you reacting when you're seeing your ownership group be so reactionary?

Speaker 6 (34:27):
Right?

Speaker 5 (34:28):
And It's like, is that's that's something a fan should
be saying, Fire this person, fire that, Right.

Speaker 6 (34:33):
You're not supposed to listen to if you're an outer.

Speaker 4 (34:35):
But they are.

Speaker 7 (34:36):
I wonder how much of it in the social media
world is that probably doesn't right? They say they don't,
but they do what the bills that they do. The
bills are interesting because of the bills. Now going to
become one of these teams.

Speaker 4 (34:48):
That fires their coach every year, like if Joe Brady,
what if where show?

Speaker 3 (34:52):
Sean McDermott was the third longest tenured coach I think
technically fourth because there were three two that were tied,
but third longest tenure in the league when he got tired.
And so now it's like, do you become and to
your to your guys' point of these guys see everything.
I can prove that because I was part of that
when I worked for the Buccaneers. There is a clip
package that goes out to every coach and it is

(35:13):
PR's job to put it all together, to tell them
what is being said about that, just to peruse social
media and see what's on there both through all the
video clips they get sent a video clip clip package
with all video clips from the TV shows and this,
that and the other. They also get sent a package
that or a packet that has all of the articles
that are written about them, and some.

Speaker 6 (35:34):
Do have a social media.

Speaker 3 (35:36):
Sean Payton is actually notorious for also lurking himself. Sean Payton,
I think still follows me. When I was a Buccaneers
reporter was not the same.

Speaker 5 (35:45):
Did you ever see when Russell Westbrook postgame just tweeted
out his name because he was actually searching himself.

Speaker 6 (35:52):
Yes, yes, yes he was searching.

Speaker 8 (35:55):
Was it from a burner?

Speaker 1 (35:57):
No?

Speaker 4 (35:57):
It was Russell west brought the We literally don't either.

Speaker 8 (36:05):
Don't Rustle Westbrook.

Speaker 4 (36:06):
Guys.

Speaker 8 (36:06):
Everybody has been amazing.

Speaker 2 (36:08):
Everyone's human, and we all crave that validation, whether it's
good or bad, especially like when you're a public figure
running a team, you want to kind.

Speaker 8 (36:18):
Of test the temperature. Ves.

Speaker 2 (36:19):
I didn't see it, but I mean the Mills and
Brady're gonna have like the most pressure on them this
season because of.

Speaker 8 (36:24):
The super Bowl or bus.

Speaker 2 (36:25):
He doesn't have the wiggle room or any grace to like,
oh let me see if like if if he's like
changing anything, it's gonna work. No, this is like this
is where the the Mike Rabol, the Ben Johnson and
the Liam Cohen example of like you better come in
and have success immediately as the head coach with this franchise.

Speaker 6 (36:47):
Yeah, and you're out.

Speaker 3 (36:48):
And it's not fair to put that off Joe Brady
at this point because of again the dysfunction that's happening
in the organization. Where you look at the environment that
these guys go in. That is so important. We talk
to Liz Runs the environment that quarterbacks go into and
how that's really important, or even running backs or whatever.
But what's also really important is what the coach inherits

(37:09):
and and how the entire organization works, and how ownership
works with are they micromanager?

Speaker 6 (37:15):
They let you do your job.

Speaker 3 (37:17):
That stuff all matters, and that's not awfully thought about
when you're placing these expectations on guys. So I'm very
interested to see what happens for Buffalo this year.

Speaker 5 (37:25):
So your takeaway is emotional emotional.

Speaker 12 (37:28):
Our emotional season, first season success and way too emotional.
And men are emotional emotional, well, just like emotional divisions
by management.

Speaker 8 (37:39):
All right, who's next?

Speaker 7 (37:41):
Well, I think my piggybacks a little bit on that,
and I want to talk about quarterbacks. I feel like
this is the year of the rise of the quarterback,
but but the rise of the quarterbacks that were left
and discarded.

Speaker 4 (37:54):
You talked about some chances, second chance, second chance, second chance.

Speaker 8 (37:59):
That's the rift show because.

Speaker 4 (38:01):
Now they are now they are fully high price. The
season fire season fires, action is over.

Speaker 7 (38:07):
But I think when we talk about the pressure on coaches,
we talk about the success with first year. Yeah, we
have all these quarterbacks, and it's kind of sort with
Baker Mayfield. You know a couple of years ago.

Speaker 4 (38:18):
Who were discarded their bus, forget it.

Speaker 7 (38:21):
And now you look at what a difference resources make,
what a difference a coach makes, what a difference a
situation makes, And it's almost asinine in a weird way.
It's like crazy that we draft these kids one, two,
and three because they go into organizations that were not.

Speaker 6 (38:38):
School reason the reason they have thirdig.

Speaker 7 (38:42):
And say to these kids twenty to twenty two, well,
you're good, bluff, it's your and if you're not, if
you're not a star in about a year, we're just
gonna throw you away. And so you talked about Sam Darnold,
the ultimate of this we sawt with Mac Jones in
San Francisco. He's not a starter, He's going to be
a starter. What a tremendous rise he had. Just like

(39:04):
Kyle Shanahan quarterback school. It's like everybody's going there to
get it back. Baker Mayfield, Trevor Lawrence, Caleb Williams, Kayla Williams.
After one year, one year was it's about a competent, Yeah,
it's about and then he brings in a compreperent coach
who brings in a system that works for him, that
goes to his strengths, that has confidence in him.

Speaker 4 (39:21):
And look what happens to the Chicago Bears. And I
think like maybe.

Speaker 7 (39:25):
The theme of all of this is success patients resources.

Speaker 4 (39:30):
You've got to give that to people, you have a cultivate.
We talked about Clure got A.

Speaker 3 (39:34):
Ultimately, the commient nominator in all of this is that
the situation drastically changes for these guys when they either
go to another team or the edited coach, where it
is no longer an organization of dysfunction, it's no longer
an environment of dysfunction.

Speaker 2 (39:47):
Well, they're not the savior they're getting in a plug
and play situation. Where they're coming into a good situation
and they have protection, and they have good weapons, and
they have good management, and they have good coaches. Yes,
Lindsay talked about this too, like the kind of the
comeback in the Rise of the Cultures, the running back right, yes.

Speaker 3 (40:02):
Running, it's the situation that they go into, because that
context matters greatly when you're talking about how these guys
caem have success, whether that's the offensive line in front
of them, whether that's the coach calling a very quarterback
friendly scheme, whether that's the fact that ownership is willing
to spend money to go get you some experience and
some guys around you.

Speaker 6 (40:22):
That is all. That doesn't happen with teams usually that
are first in the draft.

Speaker 2 (40:27):
Let me just like explain here the draft class of
Sam Darnald, right, because you talked about quarterbacks getting second, yes,
is here, and the first three that got picked before
the last two in the first round is wild when
you hear it. Okay, because Baker Mayfield number one one
round row did not work out.

Speaker 8 (40:42):
He was what team three or four to the.

Speaker 2 (40:45):
Bucks four four four?

Speaker 6 (40:48):
It was Panthers Rams.

Speaker 8 (40:50):
Yeah, yeah, there's ms.

Speaker 7 (40:51):
I forget about the Rams yeah, and then you have
Sam Donald number three to the Jets, also on four
or five team. Then you have Josh Allen seven to
the Bills. We got an MVP there, Josh Rosen tend
to the Cards. Obviously that didn't pan out great. No,
Lamar Jackson thirty two to the Ravens.

Speaker 6 (41:11):
So it's situation.

Speaker 5 (41:15):
I I do want to like give Sam Darnold some
love here because there is a reason why he kept
getting phone calls, you know, eight years and said it
was his character, it was his head down work ethic.

Speaker 4 (41:27):
And I love Baker. I've covered Baker.

Speaker 5 (41:29):
I know that dude thrives with a chip on his
shoulder and he'll even talk about that resentment day to day. Right,
But Sam when asked about his time with Carolina and
with the Jets, it's it's gratitude, it's humility. And you know,
there's a reason Shanahan wanted it in San Francisco, and
there's a reason why he's been given the opportunity over
and over again, where some quarterbacks like you know, maybe

(41:50):
a Cam Newton, they're not they're not still playing in
the league with those multiple chances because of the way
they've carried themselves and you know, throughout throughout their care
I think I.

Speaker 3 (42:01):
Think it's really interesting too when you can connect the
dots so vividly between like since for the Sam for instance,
Sam Darnold's path where he's in San Francisco as a
backup Kyle Shanahan, who's part of Kyle Shanahan's coaching tree.
Kevin O'Connell is right, so it was you know that
there was a conversation at one point between those guys
where Shanahan's like, dude, he's great, he has something. Yeah,

(42:21):
you need a high end backup. This is your guy,
and Kevin O'Connell brings him in. He leads the Vikings
to a fourteen win season, insane. And then you also
there was still doubt when he went to the Seahawk
of is he fixed quote unquote.

Speaker 2 (42:35):
Because he lost the biggest game of the season of
the regular season, and then he for seeding and then
he lost his first playoff.

Speaker 3 (42:41):
Game, which is getting all sample side, that was the
first time he'd been in that Since you.

Speaker 2 (42:46):
Made exactly what it is, you can kind of understand
both sides of that argument, right right, Like Okay, this
is our way, Like chicken Egg. We're not going to
spend all of our money on Sam. We're going to
go in on JJ. If he's in the building, he
might kind of like, yeah, he'd still be like.

Speaker 8 (43:00):
He'd be are in between, but he's not the actual choice.

Speaker 2 (43:02):
So I think it was best for Sam to be
that actual choice instead of the bridge or the in
between or someone who.

Speaker 8 (43:07):
Is is just keeping the seat warm for.

Speaker 2 (43:10):
The guy sitting like right next to you, because that's
also a weird vibe.

Speaker 4 (43:13):
As well a hunt. It's such a weird vibe.

Speaker 7 (43:15):
I can tell you from when the Fortnightitars drafted Trey
Lance and.

Speaker 4 (43:19):
Jimmy was still gonna be the starter.

Speaker 7 (43:22):
Rock Perdy has saved them on that because people forget
about l Ego and Rock Party has saved them because
could you imagine people would be talking about that for
years to come. But when they drafted Tray, Jimmy is
still going to be the starter. There was this kind
of weird vibe.

Speaker 4 (43:38):
But Jimmy's a starter.

Speaker 7 (43:39):
He takes him to an NFC championship game and he's done.
They don't trade him in the off season because they
can't because use a surgery. Yeah, then Trey comes in
as the starter, but it's very clear early in training
camp that Trey Lance should not start to see they
signed Jimmy Garoppolo. I would say that phone call with
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch if I go back as
some of the funniest not meant to be funny calls.

(44:02):
We're so excited. I mean, we're so excited. This word
Doug great, we have Jimmy. It's gonna be you know,
he's just there in case he's I mean, we're so excited.
I was like, I think they're really excited, but it
just was it just was so funny because it was
this weird situation. It's part of why there are a
lot of reasons trade and thrive. But that didn't help anything,

(44:23):
and it was a constant conversation and it's it's just
it's just funny. So I think we got to give
these kids, and.

Speaker 8 (44:32):
Their kids said that they are children.

Speaker 4 (44:36):
There and this is their job and this is what
they've been raised to do and all of that. But
it's a lot to put on.

Speaker 7 (44:42):
Okay, I think of Fernando Mendoza, who's probably gonna go
to the Raiders and it's gonna be like, well.

Speaker 3 (44:48):
Well, the college game and the NFL game, though they
look similar, are still dress especially for quarterbacks. They have
the one of the biggest learning curves when you talk
about positions from college to the NFL. They are taught
to see the field completely differently. In college, they are
in completely, wildly different schemes. There are quarterbacks that come

(45:09):
out of college that have never even been in a
huddle because all they do is go up tempo or
have never been under center because that's not what's scheme called. Yeah,
and that's something you're inevitably going to have to do
in the NFL, but it's wildly different. You have to
turn your back to an NFL defense and then try
to read it again.

Speaker 6 (45:25):
That's not easy for guys to do.

Speaker 5 (45:27):
Which is making a twenty three year old Drake may
look all the more impressive. Yeah, okay, your turn, My
takeaway kind of to bring everything we've been saying together.

Speaker 4 (45:38):
This has been a season of disruption, and.

Speaker 5 (45:41):
Not only when you look at the postseason picture as
a whole. Right, the perennial contenders have been gone no Chiefs,
no Ravens, no Bills.

Speaker 4 (45:50):
No Eagles.

Speaker 5 (45:51):
Right, the final four teams all top ten defenses, elite
defensive units. And then you look at the Super Bowl matchup,
like you said, two defensive minded coaches. Yeah, on the
biggest stage for the first time I think in nine years.
And we talked about the NFL being a copycat league,
and I think you looked at how the Seahawks looked
at McDonald said, we need you to be a disruptor
in the NFC West against the Shanahans and mcveigh's I

(46:14):
think this cycle, this might just be the tipping point
of are we going to see elite defense now be
the factor that means winning at the highest level and
it already has been, right championships and you know what,
then you back it up with Seattle's offense, which has
been delivering. But I just think that this as a

(46:35):
whole has been a season of disruption and we're not
only going to see you know, that trend of parody
in who can compete, but defense prevailing ten and ten again.

Speaker 2 (46:46):
I mean, it's wild. I think this has probably been
talked about all season. Beginning of the season, if you
asked who you thought was going to win each division,
I don't think this would have been the Patriots, a Steeler,
the Jilder, pat fan go on, I mean Eagles, Yes,
that that was okay, Bears, Panthers, Seahawks, Like I don't like,
I want to see who if they bet that?

Speaker 8 (47:08):
Who bet that?

Speaker 6 (47:08):
In the beginning, I think about it by. I think
about it by that would be.

Speaker 2 (47:13):
A millionaire if that was something you bet you the division,
you did.

Speaker 3 (47:17):
A parlay with all the division winners and you picked
all those guys, we would know about it way anybody.

Speaker 7 (47:22):
Well, I think about this point to the defense. Defense,
as usaid Carmon, it wins championships. That was the adage forever.
You know what I kind of think change that was
Patrick Mahomes because Patrick Mahomes is a generational talent who
it didn't matter as much and I don't think the
Chiefs defense ever got as much credit as it deserved
that run. But I think Patrick Mahomes kind of changed

(47:42):
that for people because it was like, well, they don't
have a great defense, but the Patrick, well you get
Patrick Mahomes as Patrick Mahomes. So I think that is
kind of what changed that. And now we're going back.

Speaker 3 (47:54):
The interesting thing is that's still an anomaly because actually,
so our set right now is right next door of
the fan duels that, which where is Kay Adams is doing?

Speaker 4 (48:00):
I didn't know what's.

Speaker 6 (48:01):
Going on over.

Speaker 8 (48:03):
She's on top. She's like, she did a choke hold.

Speaker 4 (48:09):
How you start a Wednesday morning? Always bring out.

Speaker 8 (48:12):
That's why there's a choke hold?

Speaker 2 (48:13):
Yes, okay, I bring up it looks like wrestling.

Speaker 8 (48:16):
It is wrestling. They have a wrestler, got it.

Speaker 3 (48:19):
I bring up Kay though, because she actually did something
on her show where she she went through all of
the Super Bowl winning quarterbacks and looked at their defenses
and only I think it was Peyton Manning and there
was one other that didn't have a top ten defense
when he won the Super Bowl.

Speaker 6 (48:36):
So it's I think the recipe is great quarterback, great defense.

Speaker 4 (48:42):
Yes, which trucks? Which truck?

Speaker 7 (48:45):
Imagine that that does? That doesn't make sense. And then
you had the Eagles last year. They were able to
do it in the trenches in Saqua and that was
kind of you know, but again in the trenches defense.

Speaker 3 (48:56):
I mean, don't get me started on the trenches guys.
I will go on and on about Arman. She lives
in the strip because they don't get the credit they deserve,
and they are the ones where games are won.

Speaker 6 (49:05):
And lost on the line of drummage.

Speaker 3 (49:07):
But what I think is interesting and talking about the
disruption of this year in particular Nikki, is this is
you're seeing the league evolve in real time, and this happens.
You know, you go from a passing league. We went
from a smash mouth, running like run the football, huge
like tough defenses to now it's a passing league. There's
a little bit more finesse. Well, what happens defenses evolved

(49:29):
to then be lighter and faster and more complex. Now
what we're seeing too is all right, get these run
games involved, take advantage of the fact that these guys
aren't as big anymore, and then power your way through
the line of scrimmage. That's how you can win. We're
seeing all of that evolution happen and we're at the
tipping point. I think you're right where this is where
things are starting to shift.

Speaker 5 (49:50):
And that's reflected also in the stat like explosive play
differential right now is one of the most telling stats
of these final four right like they were the most
you know, the defense is able to limit the explosive plays,
the offenses able to capitalize on that. So that's also
like you said this, this metamorphosis. Also, it is the

(50:10):
year of the Snake ending right now, the shedding.

Speaker 2 (50:13):
Oh you're not getting sports talk, but we're also going
to get astrology, and we do.

Speaker 5 (50:22):
It all and we do it all the fire Horses
on February seventeenth.

Speaker 4 (50:27):
So as is the NFL shutting right now?

Speaker 8 (50:31):
You're of the fire horse?

Speaker 7 (50:32):
Yeah?

Speaker 8 (50:33):
Is it Bronco? Oh there were shadows?

Speaker 4 (50:38):
Well you heard it here written and scene.

Speaker 2 (50:44):
You guys want to find first day day.

Speaker 3 (50:48):
I'm so excited. This is the first time we're all
four together.

Speaker 4 (50:51):
We never been I know, four of us. It's like
twos and two it is.

Speaker 2 (50:55):
I love this so much. Just we're about to have
the best week ever, you guys, So make sure you
come back tomorrow. Check us out on the Fox Sports
Radio YouTube page or if you're listening to the podcast
wherever you get your podcasts.

Speaker 8 (51:07):
Just well, I'm so excited.

Speaker 2 (51:09):
I mean, there are no words except for let's go,
because this is gonna be absolutely insane.

Speaker 8 (51:15):
So thank you so much for tuning in.

Speaker 2 (51:17):
Alex Curry, Nikki k Tracy Sandler, Carmen Vitally.

Speaker 8 (51:20):
We'll do it again tomorrow. Yeah yeah, see wait