On today’s episode of The NFL Report, Steve Wyche & James Palmer discuss the fallout from the Raiders firing of former HC Josh McDaniels, GM Dave Ziegler, OC Mick Lombardi and the benching of Jimmy Garoppolo. They raise the question - is the organization being hindered by hanging on to the glory days of the past and do they have an identity crisis? One of the NFL’s best tight ends, Jacksonville’s Evan Engram joins us to discuss if his team has the best group of offensive skill players in the league, their opportunistic defense, which tight ends he studies on film and the Jaguars popularity in London. Broncos safety Justin Simmons tells us what it’s like to win AFC Defensive Player of The Week for the first time, how he seems to have Patrick Mahomes’ number (has intercepted him more than any other player), the excitement around the team during their 2-game win streak, and his favorite safeties past and present. Brian Baldinger is here to give us his thoughts on Antonio Pierce being named Raiders interim HC, what Chase Young brings to the 49ers, and shows us his favorite films on the Seahawks... Plus, former NFL Offensive Coordinator & NFL Network Analyst Pep Hamilton is also us with us & explains why quarterbacks are struggling so much this year and the impact the high turnover rate of coaches and play callers is having on offenses.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome back into a Thursday edition of the NFL Report.
James Palmer, Steve watch with you you know what Thursdays
Me and Steve player interviews. How about the Jaguars tight
end Evan Ingram, Defensive player of the Week from the
Denver Broncos Justin Simmons. Both of those guys will join
the show as well as Baldy's Favorite Films, my favorite
segment each and every week, and also the coach Pep Hamilton.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Will be joining pass as well.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
As is there a QB crisis in the NFL right now? Steve,
Pep's gonna break that down for us. But we have
to start this show with where the biggest news came out,
and that is the Las Vegas Raiders and they are
moving on from not just head coach Josh McDaniels, but
also general manager Dave Zigler.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Where were you in this news, broke, Steve?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, I don't know. It's so funny, Jp, because all
these Raiders fans who are sick and tired of being
sick and tired of being sick and tired, Like, I'm
so happy, I'm so happy they fired Josh, so happy
that they got rid of these guys, but really, are
you happy? How can a Raiders fan be happy? The
one person who is happy is the guy who's taking
(01:13):
over now, and that's interim head coach Antonio Pierce.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
The short story, as a matter of fact, is I grew
up in Compton, California. I was born a Raider. I
was born with the Raiders rolling in the coliseum in LA.
I was rolling with NWA, talking to straight out of
Compton Rock and Raider hats. So an opportunity came to
work with Josh and Pat Graham and Dave, I jumped
on it.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
So that's what set me up for this. I was
born this way. Yeah, okay, so then that's got the
hoo flavor. That's good. I feel it, especially come from Antonio.
You know, a great player with the Giants. He has
paid his dues among the coaching rates. But JP he
heard what he said. I was born a Raider when
they used to roll into the coliseum. That's unfortunately, where
(01:57):
this organization's head is stuck at. Whether it's the LA
Coliseum or the Oakland Coliseum. It seems as if they
are just locked into the commitment to excellence and and
all of this stuff. Herd Antonio talk about her, Gruden
talk about it her, Dennis Allen talk about her, Hugh
Jackson talk about it. But but are they really committed.
(02:19):
You're fired hiring the wrong coaches, fired him after a
year and a half paying quarterbacks. When you end up
benching halfway through the season after you fire your stef
JP it it seems like they're stuck in forty years ago,
thinking that Lyle Alzado is gonna come walking through that door.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
You know, we'll get to Josh McDaniels and and Dave
Ziggler and the mistakes maybe that were made over the
last year and a half in the future of the
Las Vegas Raiders. But you're right, Steve. I made this
point to you this morning, and I actually was talking
to an assistant coach in the NFL before we did
this show who thought the exact same thing. I don't
know a team we're in organization that has been stuck
(03:05):
or uses or is attached to the culture and the
identity that is that organization more than the Raiders, And
maybe just maybe it plays a bigger part in how
this organization is run, what they're looking for, how they're
trying to operate than any other organization in all of football.
(03:27):
It really is fascinating. I mean, this is an owner
and Mark Davis, who obviously takes over from his father,
Al Davis, who just like his father, listens to players
a lot.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
That happens in.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
This process specifically pretty much some meetings with some star
players within that organization, but also listens to the fans
a lot. And we know the way the Raiders Nation is.
I remember being there when Gruden was hired, being up
there at the facility in Oakland and the amount of
alumni that was in the building for John Gruden's press conference,
(03:57):
the amount of fans that were standing outside that facility
for that press conference, and it was We're going back.
That's what we keep hearing every time people get hired
or they come as an interim head coach in this
fashion with Piers is we're going back to the Raiders' way.
And the other quote that we didn't run and plays
right into this Steve is Antonio Pierce another quote where
(04:18):
he said a big part of this is we're gonna
make Raiders Nation and.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
The alumni proud with how we play.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
This is almost a broken record with the Raiders in
terms of how the thinking is, I know that's not
wrong to think that way, but it's almost a higher
emphasis than in any other building in football.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, man, you know, and I'm really hoping Antonio Piers
gets us right because I think again he's paid his dues.
I really like Antonio in a lot of different ways.
But then I'm saying to myself, if he does get
it right, remember they're only three and five, they've got
nine games left to play. He's got an opportunity. Well, well,
Mark Davis, keep him. He had a chance to do
this with Rich Pisaceia a couple of years ago to
(04:57):
over Regruden and got the playoffs teams to the playoffs
in t wins. We will to keep Antonio Pierce because
he always wants that shiny new toy in his beautiful
stadium in Las Vegas, which is where the Super Bowl
will we played this year. And so you're just wondering
what decisions will be made and if this team actually
has a chance because JP, they've got Devonte Adams, have
(05:17):
got Next Crosby, they got Josh Jacobs, but they've had
those guys. Now they're open Aid and O'Connell can come
there at the rookie the Blay quarterback to get things
over the hump. But it's just where are these guys headed.
What is going to happen with this organization? Because, like
you said, everybody else has at least tried to make
(05:38):
a step forward, and they keep on just stepping forward
on a treadmill.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I don't know if you came up with that yourself, Steve,
but that's a great line. Keep making a step forward
on a treadmill. I'm not sure who you stole that from.
If it's an original, I give you all the credit,
but I'm not sure who is that fault here? Really,
I think we know this is probably the last chance
we're gonna see Josh McDaniels as a head coach in
the NFL. This is only time in NFL history a
guy hasn't made it two full seasons as the head
(06:05):
coach of two separate organizations. But if you look at
the way this thing was set up, it was set
by Dave Ziggler. This offseason, the general manager that player
development was more important than wins this season, right, So
that's where the thinking was from the front office perspective
of developing this team. But it's a draft class that
hasn't developed, is a draft class that has hard time
getting on the field as well. And then Mark Davis
(06:27):
knows that, but then pulls the trigger quickly. So it
has to be really Steve that he saw something to
where speaking with players and speaking to people in that organization,
and I've made plenty of phone calls out probably as
you have over the last couple of days. It was
I don't see this going anywhere in the eyes of
Mark Davis. So he ends up pulling the plug now
as opposed to later, and we get a chance for
(06:49):
a long stretch to see an interim head coach with
the Raiders. It's fascinating, but we have to move on
because we have two massive interviews with two organizations that
had a.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Very very good week.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Unlike the Raiders, the Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Ingram
will be joining the show.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Jacks.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Is it the best group of skill position players in
the NFL. We'll find out what Evan thinks coming up
on the NFL Report.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
I'm Jason Kelsey, and you're watching the NFL Report.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
All right, Steve, Welcome back to the NFL Report. We
are joined by Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Ingram, who
I think I'm his favorite person to speak to because
after we talked in the week leading into that Steelers game,
he has ten targets, ten catches for eighty eight yards.
And I want to say this, I don't know if
you know this, Evan, with that performance, it's you and
(07:43):
Jeremy Shockey alone in NFL history in terms of tight
ends with more than forty catches and four hundred receiving
yards in each of their first seven seasons.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
Yeah, somebody at tagged me in that this past week,
and sometimes like kind of try to skip over that
kind of stuff, but that one was pretty cool actually,
just just that name alone, Jeremy's was a great tight
end and just even how hard it is to even
get to this point.
Speaker 6 (08:11):
Definitely, uh, definitely was a cool little stat for me
for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Well, even stats aside, you guys got the dumb right five.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
In a row.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
You go over there and you go over to London,
you guys get things kickstarted. Like what is the feel
of the team right now, because you know, it looks
to us like you're rolling and you're you're you're going upwards, right,
You're still kind of finding your stride.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Yeah, it's it's awesome right now. The locker room has
definitely got a nice little bus to it, but it's
it's well earned. We understood we were in the kind
of a rough spot after week three, and we kind
of had to look ourselves in the mirror and hold
each other accountable to what we knew, what we were
capable of, and just pretty really put our head down
(08:54):
and put the work in.
Speaker 6 (08:55):
And now we're in a good spot going into the
bye weekend.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
Probably the more impressive and special thing about it is,
you know, we understand that we really haven't done anything yet.
This is all expected and this is what we've been
you know, we've been working for and see for ourselves,
and so now it's how do we continue it to
improve and continue to be consistent in what we've been doing.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Let's talk about locker room buzz Evan, because I was
in that locker room in Pittsburgh that had a lot
of buzz in it, specifically from your defensive side of
the football.
Speaker 6 (09:25):
After some of.
Speaker 7 (09:26):
The comments from George Pickens got out there, Hope defense,
you guys were called for Sean Jenkins to be had
the best line of anybody on that side ball, I said,
I was hoping they were going to come out and
show up today, but apparently they did. And when Josh
Allen told me, this was a statement game for your defense, right, Like,
I love the way those guys kind of embraced that
(09:46):
trash down. You guys are you want.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
To be known as a physical team, don't you?
Speaker 6 (09:51):
For sure?
Speaker 5 (09:52):
That's that's who we are, that's our identity. Our defense
takes pride in that one hundred percent. And even those comments,
it created edge for us in our preparation and that's
where we win the games. We win Sundays, in our
process during the week. I mean, that's something we all
kind of buy into. So you know, it was kind
of fortunate that they were kind of filling themselves a
(10:13):
little bit because it was it allowed us to create
an edge, especially our especially for our defense man. They've
already been balling, so they kind of poked a bear
on that one. And to see the performance they put together,
even me, you look at our offense. We did everything
we weren't supposed to do, and they kept the Senate
allowed us to, uh to capitalize on some of our opportunities.
(10:35):
But yeah, it was awesome week. You know, that's that's
the NFL AFC matchup.
Speaker 6 (10:40):
We learned about the rivalry and.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
All the previous big matchups between Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, and
that was my first time playing in that stadium.
Speaker 6 (10:47):
And obviously, you know, that's a really historic.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
Franchise and we just all we bought into all that
and this is what we prepare for. This is what
we you know, this is a dream. We're living the
dream playing in the league. And it was a cool
matchup and I'm glad we got to go dominated.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Speaking of living in dream, the number nine, ten, and
eleven receivers in the NFL are tight end, it's it's
Kelsey and nine Hockinson a ten you and eleven. Laporta
from the Lions is at nineteen. So for of the
top twenty receivers in the NFL are tight ends. What
about kind of the evolution of that position and the
(11:24):
fact that someone like yourself or Kelsey, you've made yourself
a go to option.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Yeah, I mean you named off some dogs. Those guys
are elite, and uh yeah, it's none us. I mean, well,
we all watch tape and you know, we try to,
you know, watch film or how to be opponents.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
And better our game.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
And those guys are the ones that I see the
most that pop up on tape. And the position as
a whole is just evolving. We're asked to do more. Obviously,
the talent that is coming into this league is evolving
as well. You got just freak athletes able to play
this position, and you know, you got the right kind
of offensive mindset and offensive mine, drawing up plays and
(12:06):
putting together game plans to exploit some of the mismatches
that you know, athletes are like ourselves calls. So it
is it's a it's a cool position, and it's a
great position for myself and my teammates and in that
tighter room in this offense. And but at the end
of the day, I just put the work in, try
to be reliable and the ball comes my way. You know,
I just try to take pride and being special and
(12:28):
you know, changing the game and being a spark and
and I've learned how to do that, do a lot
of hard work and watching you know, some of the
names that you just mentioned.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
I gotta jump onto that you mentioned watching the film
of these guys. If you have one film to put
on it's one offense, it's one player. Maybe it's howel
the tight end is used, or it's the tight end.
What what film are you putting on?
Speaker 5 (12:50):
Yeah, nah, it's easy. Man travels is Travers is the
standard right now. And you turn that offense, you kind
of get in trouble. Watch in their offense they do
a lot off off yeah stuff, but it's it's also
you can tell it's an understanding of the game too,
an understanding of the defenses they're playing, and some of
(13:10):
the players that they that they that they come up with,
and the players that they make and and Titan University
is actually a cool thing that we do in the
off season and all the Titands get together, and you know,
Travis Travers is a great mind to pick and having
conversations with him about things that he sees and things
that he does, it's different. It's a it's a different level.
(13:31):
So he's he's been the guy, he's been the top
dog for the last couple of years, and you know
he's even the younger generation coming up underneath him. He's
a great example and one of my favorite players.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Will watch well, you guys had some great games with
him the last couple of seasons and you know, I
want to talk about your quarterback though, Trevor Lawrence. I mean,
we've seen him grow up very quickly. Mean, last year
had some coaches tell me he's seeing it differently. Now,
what if you noticed his evolution just were this first
half of the season.
Speaker 6 (14:02):
Yeah, man, it's maturity.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
It shocks me every time I realize how old he
is and just the talent he has, with the mindset
that he has in the and in the system that
he's in. He it's it's just a really good uh,
it's a really good spot for him.
Speaker 6 (14:20):
And how competitive he is too. He's a real competitive dude.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
And when he gets in his owne it's fun to
see and it's fun to be on the on the
same field with so just even coming in and building
a relationship.
Speaker 6 (14:31):
With him, and it's.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
Been cool because you know, the objective is to win
ball game, so you come in trying to build a
you know, a relationship and chemistry on the field. But
he's he's even a better guy. He's one of our
he's our biggest leader. He's a real humble dude, and
and it's it's been a blessing to play with him.
It's been cool to get to know him and spend
time with him, and we have a lot of goals
for ourselves and we're all on the same page. We
(14:54):
all play with the chip on our shoulder, and we're
under We play under a great coach that we all
like to go play for for him, but we're in
a great environment. Jacksonville is a great a great place
for us to come in and work and stay focused
and and and be a team and build a brotherhood.
And you know it's it's showing right now.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Well, it's also probably pretty nice to be Trevor Lawrence
right now. I think when he looks out in his
skill positions, are you Christian.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Kirk, Calvin Red Lady.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
He's got his college teammate and Traves etn out there,
Zey isn't even back yet, and now he's going to
be returning for you guys after the bye with when
everybody's healthy, everybody's out there, it might be this might
be the best group of skill players in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Is that accurate?
Speaker 6 (15:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (15:36):
Man, I mean we all have really high expectations for
ourselves and high standards for ourselves, and you know, we
all work our butts off every single day. We're all committed,
we're all bought in and you feel that from each other.
And our relationships are really cool too. We're becoming brothers
and and when you become brothers, you know you genuinely
want the best for that for that person. And we're
(15:57):
all in the field together, We're all supporting each other,
we all keeping each other uplifted, and even in the
rough times, we stick together and we and we rally together.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
And it's just a great locker room.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
Top down. Everybody's bought and everybody's on the same page.
And and uh and like those names, those guys are dogs.
Speaker 6 (16:15):
And we we have a lot of talent on our team.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
And we have a great system too that that gets
everybody the touches, that gets everybody in space and and
really puts defenses in the mind just using our talents,
just our god given the ability.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
So top down, I mean's it's a whole team effort.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
It's an organizational effort, and we all understand that and
we know together we're we can be a force.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I mean, you guys are also in the unique situation
playing for the Jaguars, right. I did something this summer
with your team owners shot con over in London, right,
you guys have two games over there, They've got an
office over there. You guys have tremendous exposure in London,
he says. He tells guys you have an opportunity to
become international celebrities as well. What's it like knowing that
(17:00):
you do have that type of potential, in that type
of presence overseas.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
Man, that's it's so cool to me, just that aspect
last year coming to Jacksonville, that was my first time
going over to London and and getting that experience, you know,
coming into the league and uh, man, it's it's unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (17:18):
Actually, it's just a whole different you know culture.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
I'm a different energy and you know, I've I've grown
up playing FIFA and and and and really loving watching
soccer and never played. It was never good at all.
I wish I more. But big soccer fan.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
And your team, who's your Premier League team? Uh?
Speaker 6 (17:40):
Fifa Chelsea was my team back in the day. Fulham.
I've been playing with Fulham now that.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Of course Shawn's team.
Speaker 5 (17:46):
I mean got to and uh and actually we went
to a game when we got there too. So just
it's that kind of atmosphere out there. It's it's just
a different type of energy and and and the Jags
get a lot of love out there.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
Was really cool.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
We did a whole little trip, a little media trip
to kind of promote it last summer and did a
lot of things, got to meet a lot of the
fans out there and just just their support. How in
tune they are with us in Jacksonville. You can come
to Jacksonville. It's nothing like London, but so it's kind
of crazy going pond and you know, getting that same
amount of love like we're doing.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Jack's right. All we'll have an eagleman, thank you so
much for joining the NFL report, Keeckball doing your thing. Man,
you were great. And by the way, tell your wife
she has got great interior design taste. That kitchen you
have is the bomb.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
Yeah, she's doing the things. I'm just hoping that.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
All right, then, appreciate you man, appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Appreciate it well.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
The best tight ends in the NFL. And up next,
we talked to the a FC Defensive Player of the Week,
Justin Simmons, and he explains what it's like covering those
elite tight ends on the NFL Report.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
After the break.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Four man pressure Russell the pocket floats on the back
of the EU.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
He's got Judy, Judy us and he's a touchdown.
Speaker 8 (19:12):
Denver Russell in the pocket, balls's around can break contain,
throws the ball.
Speaker 6 (19:16):
Back of the zel.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Touchdown.
Speaker 9 (19:18):
Denver Cortlands Seton mahoves in the pocket in trouble, tries
to climb the stiffs arms.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Bnito throws the ball on the run. That ball is intersector.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Justin Simmons, Simmons in Kansas City Territory, get out of dows.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Justin.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
This is a huge win for the Denver Broncos as
they have beaten the World champions, breaking a sixteen game
losing streak. Welcome into the NFL Report, Steve White, James
Palmer with you, and we have one of my favorite
people in the NFL. I'm probably not alone in this
Justin Simmons. Three times Walter Payton Man of the Year
nominee for the Denver Broncos, multiple All Pros. But for
(19:57):
the first time, Justin win Defensive Player of the Week.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
How is this.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Possible that this is Can you with this award with
as well as you've played over eight years?
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 10 (20:09):
Hey, I'm man. First of all, thanks you guys, Thank
you guys for having me on. And yeah, you know
it's tough. It's been a it's been a long eight
year stretch. But you know, in a lot of games,
you know you're not gonna not going to get offered
up into that that role. But I'm super thankful and
appreciative of earning that on there this week.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Well, you know you earned it because you guys really
put a decisive victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah,
you recovered bumble, you get that late interception. I think
that gives you five picks of Patrick Mahomes. You've intercepted
him more than anybody's intercepting him.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
More than anybody.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Yeah, I mean, what what is it. It's just a
matter of playing them twice a season or you you
guys know, especially schematically, what they're trying to do, and
it puts you in position to make plays.
Speaker 10 (20:54):
Yeah, it's it's honestly all the of both. I mean,
playing them twice a year definitely gives me a up
on most of anybody else. But also on top of that,
if you go back and you watch all five interceptions,
you know or however many there are more times.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Than not we just get really great pressure.
Speaker 10 (21:13):
And Patrick Mahomes, as we all know, is a tremendous talent,
one of, if not the best quarterback in the league,
and so he's not going to not try and make
a play. I mean, he's known for doing that. Ball
is going to be in the air and it's just
a matter of executing. So with a great rush like
we have and a great execution and the secondary in
the back end. In terms of the past game, you know,
(21:34):
sometimes I'm the beneficiary of an interception.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
I got to put this out there justin because I
don't know if enough people know this. Since you came
into the league in twenty sixteen, there is nobody in
the NFL that has more interceptions than you. Twenty nine
picks is phenomenal for what you've been able to do
with the safety position. And I use that to lead
into there was a lot of talk about the Broncos
being sellers at the trade deadline, and your name kept
(21:58):
kind of coming up because obviously what I just mentioned,
teams want you. You're a great player. What goes through
a player's mind in those couple of days leading into
the deadline wondering do you talk to your agent, do
you want to know? Do you block it out? Do
you hit up George Peyton?
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Chop it?
Speaker 1 (22:14):
What goes through your head? What did you do in
those days? And you're now a Bronco right now?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, great question.
Speaker 10 (22:21):
I immediately hit my agent, you know, just hearing rumors that,
you know, my name is being thrown around.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
And I just told him. I was like, hey, I
don't know it.
Speaker 10 (22:29):
You know, rumors are true or whatever the case may be,
but don't don't tell me until you know something's official.
I don't want to hear, Hey, they called, and you
know we're working something out, this, that and the other.
You know, I'd rather just put my head down focus.
I'm all in on the Broncos and trying to figure out,
you know, how to win and how to help us
win games, and if it comes up, it comes up.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
You know.
Speaker 10 (22:51):
That's that was really my mindset during the uh, you know,
during the whole rumor phase of the trade deadline. And man,
I'm super thankful that while you know, one, we go
into the bye week with a win, and you know too,
I'm still a Bronco and hoping to turn this thing
around in the second half of the season.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
And justin that's what I wanted to get to. Okay,
you guys didn't didn't make any big moves, right, and
so you know who you're rolling with, and you guys
have put together, especially defensively, a nice run of games.
I mean, do you feel that you guys are gaining
the proper traction again, especially on the defensive side of
the ball, is to where you constrain some ws together
(23:29):
and get back into the mix.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Yeah, one hundred percent believe that.
Speaker 10 (23:33):
And I think that Kansas City game was a was
kind of a statement a statement game for us. I
think defensively, we know that to start the season, you know,
it wasn't anywhere near what we're used to, how we're
used to playing, and what we're used to looking like.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
And we're getting some key guys back.
Speaker 10 (23:49):
I think Baron Browning coming back and especially in that
game and how how I came back was absolutely monster.
You know, we need him and the talent that he brings.
I know Zach Allen was on an interview shortly after
the Kansas City game and he said, you know, Baron
has like von Miller esque movement, and you know, you
don't get that type of praise. That's a lot, Yeah,
(24:10):
for no reason. And so really excited to have Baron.
Any any secondary player would tell you their favorite their
favorite position on the field as a good pass rusher.
So you know, love having Baron back. And I really do.
I really think we can we can make this push.
We're playing well in all three phases and that's what
it's going to take to win games, especially against the
teams that we play in the second half of the season.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Jones and takes kind of behind closed doors in a
meeting room, maybe with VJ and when you guys started
seeing how you guys could play in what he wants
you to do. I don't think we all have patients
around the NFL very often with you guys adjusting to
what he wants you guys to do.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Was there like a.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Conversation a meeting, anything that sticks out, maybe before this
three game run that you guys have turned it defensively,
that kind of goes, Okay, this is this is how
we can play.
Speaker 6 (24:55):
We just need to do blank.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
Yeah, yeah, it was.
Speaker 10 (25:00):
I want to say one particular meeting, but there is
one instance that came into my mind. It was it
was right right before we're getting ready to go play
the play the Jets at home, and we're pulling up
clips from you know, the Miami game, the Chicago game,
you know, the Washington game, you know games where they
kind of got out of hand, especially the Miami game,
(25:22):
and you know, he puts up all the clips of
you know, all the negative plays that we had, positives
that the offense had. Then he puts up clips of
all the positive plays we had, the negative plays you know,
that the offense had, and just showing the minute differences
and it's like one or two guys not being gap
disciplined or not reading the not reading their coverage right
(25:45):
in the first few seconds of their coverage responsibilities.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
And then it just as a trickling effect.
Speaker 10 (25:50):
Sometimes guys try to do too much, they try to
make up for another guy's mistake, and those can go.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
For big plays.
Speaker 10 (25:56):
And so, you know, the moral of the story when
he was going over this meeting is the difference maker
is you know, we're able to get takeaways. And the
second thing is we were playing sound discipline football and
it's not always pretty, doesn't always uh, you know, mark
up the stat sheet, you know, for whatever TFLs and
sacks and all this on all these things, but when
(26:17):
you play as a complete unit, all eleven to the football,
you guys can be really special.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
And it's it's on tape.
Speaker 10 (26:24):
So this is our standard weekend and week out, and
it's not going to be perfect, but you got to
control the x's and o's and you guys control your
effort and that's that's all it's going to be. And
so we've really bought into that these past few games,
and by no means hasn't been perfect, but the level
of consistency has stepped up.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Yeah, that's great stuff. I mean to be able to
understand you uphold integrity and discipline, how well that can
really bring things together. I want to talk a little
about the safety position because also on the show we
have Jaguars tight and Evan Ingram, we know an athletic
receiving tight and you got Travis Kelsey as a safety
who was often a signed to try to d up
some of these tight ends. What is it like seeing
(27:06):
maybe the evolution of that position team's don moving them
in and out of the slot, things like that, and
how difficult has that made your job?
Speaker 10 (27:15):
Yeah, it's made it extremely difficult, you know, especially when
you when you get creative, like you know Doug Peterson
and Andy Reid do with their personnels and how they
match up. You know, you hear twelve personnel, which is
one running back and two tight ends. You're thinking more
of a run heavy formation, right, You're thinking double wing,
you know, maybe both tight ends on the same side,
(27:38):
you know, tight end on the ball, tight end off
the ball. And you're thinking like duo gap schemes, maybe
zones and gap schemes, whatever the case may be. And
you know, here comes twelve personnel against the Chiefs. And
then now Travis Kelcey is lined up at the slot
at number two, and you have base out there, and
you know, you call a man play and then there
there he goes you know or yah, yeah, hey, or
(27:59):
you call zone. And he's one of the best tight
ends ever in my opinion, when you're asked to get
open and he knows what the defenses are in and
I mean Evan Ingram as well.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
I mean you even.
Speaker 10 (28:11):
Safeties, uh, you know, it's it's pretty tough to guard him.
And so the game is, the game is definitely evolving,
its changing. You know, I think you're starting to see
the evolution from the tight end position the safety position.
I mean, you got to be able to do way
more than just you know, play free, play strong.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
You gotta do way more than just be a pass
blocker or just a catching tight end.
Speaker 10 (28:32):
I mean you kind of got to be all of
it in one And it's fun doing that every week
and trying to figure that out.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
That.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
With that said, justin your position is becoming, you know,
adversely even more important to defenses right to guard that
chess piece. So let's let's this might be hard, but
kind of let's play a Frankenstein game here in a sense,
if you could just start pulling pieces from your favorite
safeties of all time, maybe they're still playing now or
or or they're done playing, kind of build that safety,
(29:01):
that would be the best on the field because I know,
you study your position and you watch a ton of film.
What what what kind of traits are you taking and
who are you taking them from?
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Yeah? Yeah, that man, that's a that's a tough one.
Speaker 6 (29:15):
I'm gonna just.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Kind of go we should I should talk about that
before the show.
Speaker 11 (29:19):
Yeah yeah, hey, you know, I give me some go
off the top of my head here, I think when
you look at my number one thing is like the physicality,
and that's so hard because there's so many good physical safeties.
Speaker 10 (29:36):
I mean that's what it was, especially watching the game
growing up. You know, I would have to go with
like a like a Bob Sanders or I would have
to go with Yeah, I would.
Speaker 6 (29:48):
I would.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
I think, man, watching him play in Indie, I.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Was like, oh, man, let's play of the year.
Speaker 10 (29:56):
Yeah, I mean unbelievable, So him like a Steve Atwall
type of physicality. I would go with Brian Dawkins for
like energy, like like unmatched it is. I think, yeah,
you know, I think what he brought to the game
in terms of his passion, his energy, I think not
(30:16):
to be able to play with some of that.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Going more modern, I think, uh IQ.
Speaker 10 (30:23):
Yeah, I was just about to say, I think going
more modern, and I Q I kind of I'm kind
of at a split. I want to go Minka and
and Tyron. I think those two beautiful When I watched
him week in and week out, I think those two
do it at an extremely high level and they're so versatile,
(30:44):
and I think that's what makes them. I mean, anytime
you watch whenever, you know what you watched him with
the with the with the Cardinals, the Texans, the Saints,
and the Chiefs. I mean, you know, Tyrant's playing slot,
he's playing corner, he's playing high. Safety's playing in the box.
And then Minka, I mean he's pressed up on you know,
a slot receiver, a tight end, and then sometimes he's
(31:06):
in the deep middle. And in order to move like that,
you got to have the IQ and know what's going on.
And those guys are still ball productive. You know another
guy I think when you're talking about instinctiveness and playing
the run and being around the line of scrimmage, I'm
gonna say Jamal Adams, you know, especially.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
When he was with uh New York, what he was doing.
Speaker 10 (31:29):
I mean, to have the ability to to blitz and
and like I said, I would, I would like a
Jamal And and this is no you know, like Troy
POLAMALU like to have the ability to know and to
be instinctual around the football and just like, hey, I'm
supposed to blitz here, but this is open.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Uh yeah, I'm kind of taking this.
Speaker 10 (31:48):
And then you know you're getting strip sacks and you're
making game changing plays.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
I think that's huge.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Justin real quick because we're running short on time. What
the one thing I love all day I wish you
had more time is the physicality of all those guys.
And Justin really appreciates you with the time you gave us,
but also the time you give all those young people
with the Justin Simmons Foundation. You get a three time
Walter Payton of the Year nominee for the Denver Broncos.
(32:18):
Justin Simmons appreciates your joy to the NFL Report.
Speaker 10 (32:22):
Yeah, Hey, thank you guys so much for having me again.
It was really a blast and I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Just an absolutely special player and a special interview coming
up next to James Palmer's favorite segment of the week,
Baldi's film Breakdowns. We're gonna take a look at Chase Young,
who's headed to the forty nine ers. Next on the
NFL Report.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Welcome into my favorite segment each and every week, it's
Baldy's favorite films here on the NFL Report with Steve
Which and the man himself, Brian Baldinger in the middle.
What I love each week, though, is you always watch
these interviews that we have on before you What was
your take anything jump out of you from either Evan
Ingram or Justin Simmons.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
There was a lot.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
There with both those guys.
Speaker 8 (33:12):
Well, first of all, I'm always trying to glean information
from intelligent players. I mean, obviously these are thinking man
type players, right. You listen to Evan speak, you listen
to Justin speak. I mean, these guys just aren't showing
up on Sunday. This is a year round. You know,
profession they take it seriously. They take your question seriously.
You know, there's a respect for what you guys do.
(33:32):
So I took that. But I just think that you know,
when you look at Evan and you talk about the
evolution of the tight end, and see if you bring
up the stat and for the top twenty receivers are
tight ends. I mean they're calling plays for these guys now,
these plays the offense is going through Evan, especially on
third downs. And then you look at Justin Simmons and
(33:53):
I just think I thought it was very interesting that
even when they gave up seventy to Miami, just the
difference between the explosive plays they surrendered that yeah, and
plays they could have made, and that it's not as
bad as it looked, and it's just Okay, we gotta
we gotta tighten this up.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
We gotta fix this, you know.
Speaker 8 (34:13):
And here they are, you know, keeping the Chiefs out
of the end zone and taking the ball away five now,
you know, five different times. And all of a sudden
you start looking at some of the players, Barreon Browning
and some of the guys that are there right now
and what they're doing. You know, they're putting this thing
on the right track in Denver.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Faulty quickly before we get to your favorite films, the
Raider situation. I mean, just to change over the timing
of it. Ain't no Connon coming in a quarterback now.
I mean, do they have a shot to get this
thing together?
Speaker 3 (34:44):
I don't know.
Speaker 8 (34:44):
We'll see what Antonio does. I've been on teams that
fire coaches. You play for the interim coach. The Raiders
have been through this with Gruden, you know, a couple
of years ago. The roster looks pretty incomplete to me. Yeah,
And I thought the contrast, honestly, of playing in the
t Troit on Monday night was a big part of
what Mark Davis did. I mean, here's the Lions and
(35:05):
we can see the building, we can see the development,
the draft picks, the stability at quarterback, all those things
that Detroit has, and then you see the fans and
just a dominant performance against the Raiders. I thought it
was because that's what the Raiders were supposed to be
doing with Josh and Dave Ziggler. They're supposed to be
(35:27):
doing what the Lions are, and it was clear they're
a long ways away from that.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Right now. All right, Baldy, Now let's get to your
film breakdowns, and let's start with a very intriguing trade
to me, and that's San Francisco going out and get
Washington defensive and Chase Young. And a few weeks ago
you said you really wanted to see him because frankly
we hadn't.
Speaker 8 (35:48):
Yeah, well, I look at Chase Young, got off to
a slow start. He's played better the last three weeks.
But I think for a third round pick, the forty
nine ers needed to do something up front. Cleveland Ferrell
isn't the answer. Nick Bosa is not having a great
season so far. They needed and like just an induction
of energy and talent to that defense front because the
(36:11):
entire defense Steve is built around their front floor. And
Justin Hargrave is underperformed to this point, and they're not
making the impactful plays and affecting the quarterback the way
they want to, and they're zone team behind it, Steve,
and so all of a sudden, like you look at
what Kirk Cousins did. You look what Joe Burrow did
last week. If you're not hitting those guys and affecting
(36:33):
them and getting them down to the ground, they're gonna
carve you up. And both quarterbacks just carved the forty
nine ers defense up. I plauged John Lynch for making
the move because I think it's gonna help.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Let's stay over there on the West coast, Baldy and
talk about a game and a team that you covered
and called last week in the Seattle Seahaws, And they
made some moves on their defensive line over the last
couple weeks. And at the deadline, you get Frank Clark,
they get Leonard Williams, they bolster that group. It's just
on the phone of the defensive fourty, ay are saying,
defensive line right now means more than anything in the
(37:05):
way the NFL is going right now. And you saw
Seattle up front, what do you see upfront specifically and
with this defense.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Well, I mean that Jeron Reeve has been a great signing.
Speaker 8 (37:14):
You know, in the middle, he's played great boy A Mafey,
the second year defensive end at of Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
He keeps developing.
Speaker 8 (37:20):
But I think you know, to your point, James, it
is about your defensive fronts and how you can affect
a quarterback, especially when.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
You get to January.
Speaker 8 (37:28):
You've got to be able to like knock these guys
off their spots and hit them and not let the
pass the game just take over. And so Big Kat
Williams a good player against the run.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
In the pass. Frank Clark, I mean, I remember Pete
Carroll said when he was.
Speaker 8 (37:42):
A rookie, He's the single most explosive player I've ever drafted. Now,
I don't know that Frank is still the same guy,
but he you know, he shows up in the postseason.
He has the last couple of years of Kansas City.
So I expect that to be a difference because on
the back end, you look at Jordan Brooks and you
look at Bobby Way, they're silent, Jamal Adams, you look
(38:02):
at what Witherspoon is doing, and wooland and then Quandre
Diggs and Julian Love. They've got a great back end
of their defense. They'll all be better if they get
better rush and better push up front.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
Yeah, Baldy, I mean you text to me like this
team is going to be tough to be in December.
Let's look on the other side of the ball though,
I mean Geno Smith, Now he's not surprising anybody anymore,
but he also has two rookie wide receivers. Two rookie
wide receivers that.
Speaker 8 (38:31):
Are well look, I mean Dats and Smith and Jig
but the first round pick and Jake Bobo, the free
agent out of Duke. I mean, they have scored touchdowns
in each of the last two games, and they have
certain packages for him where I mean, it's still kind
of mind blowing to be where they take dk Metcalf
and Tyler Lockett off the field. Wow, And they're playing
(38:52):
these young guys out there, you know, and d Eskridge
got a chance to get activated last week.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
So they have different packages for different things.
Speaker 8 (38:59):
They also have the three tight end package, which as
good as there is in the league whether you put
out this league, Parkinson and at tight end, and then
they have two backs, you know, in Kenneth Walker and
the rookie Zach Charbonay. I just think they have what
you need to have. You've got to have versatility. Where
some team matches up with you, it can take something away.
(39:21):
Can you beat them a different way? And I think
Seattle is creating different ways to win. They juggled their
offensive line because of injuries. They've played a lot of
rookies in there. They've got a rookie right guard who's
playing great, but Charles Gross is back like they are.
They have fifteen rookies on the fifty three man roster,
which is almost unheard of, and so many of them
(39:43):
are contributing to this Pete Carroll team.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
I bet you a lot of those guys are watching
Jason Peters pay back in his heyday, Baldy, and now
they're on the same squad.
Speaker 8 (39:53):
You know, I told Jason the other day's right, he's
ready to go in.
Speaker 2 (39:59):
Yeah, he's ready. He's ready.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
He's still got there, He's still out there, Baldy. Appreciate
it's my favorite segment each and every week. Appreciate you
stip by once again. It's Aidan O'Connell. He's gonna be
starting for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Do we have a.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Quarterback crisis on our hands? Steve, Pep Hamilton's gonna answer
that question on the NFL Report coming up.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Next back with the final segment here the NFL Report
in James, it's time for aught a Pep talk with
our in house coach, former head coach offense, Pep Hamilton
in the house, Pep, I'm loving the Howard University helmet
(40:39):
are Alma water sitting there behind you. But let's get
to somethings more important, and that is what you described
to us off air as a quarterback crisis going on
in the NFL right now. Please explain it well.
Speaker 9 (40:56):
I think is two parts, Steve. It's a quarterback crisis
that's ultimately fueled by a patience crisis, meaning that the
fantasy owners, the active owners, the franchise owners, the fans,
everybody extremely impatient with your quarterbacks. And it's a process
(41:20):
that takes you know, it takes you years at times
and in order to really.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Get your quarterback ready to play winning football.
Speaker 9 (41:27):
But specific to the quarterback crisis that I think we're
dealing with right now, we've had forty two starting quarterbacks
up until this point of the season. True and We're
coming off a year where we had sixty four starting
quarterback steeds last year, which was, by the way, a
NFL record for the number of different starting quarterbacks. So
(41:48):
availability is the most important ability, and right now we
can't keep our quarterbacks upright and they're not available.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Pepa, I'm curious, what is the reason why we can't
keep quarterbacks upright and available? If you could put your
finger on maybe three different maybe reasons why or something
like that.
Speaker 9 (42:06):
Well, I'm glad you asked that, James, because first and foremost,
it's the first time you know that in my you know,
my years in the NFL, my years in coaching, that
we've had a trickle up effect. In years past, there
would be different trends and different things that teams did
schematically across the NFL that you would see at times
(42:27):
on Saturday afternoon when you're watching college football. Where now
it's the inverse of that is, you know, NFL teams
are now majoring in shotgun formations, majoring in eleven personnel,
running more RPOs, and calling specifically more plays where the
quarterback is being asked to run the football and leave
(42:48):
and vacate that halo, that sanctuary that you have in
the pocket where it's intended to keep them safe and upright.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
Well, you know it's interesting. It's also you talk by
the lack of patience in Las Vegas. That goes to
the extreme because you're blowing up the head coach no
see the GM. But now they're also blowing out their
quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. They're putting in rookie Aiden O'Connell. Okay,
but here's the question for you. He's had, he's got
a little bit of action, but you just got rid
(43:18):
of his play designer and his play caller, and Josh
McDaniels and his play installer and Mick Lombardi. The guy
who's gonna be hanling all of that for him now
is bo Hart Agree, who's been a long time assistant
in quarterback coach, but he hasn't called plays based on
everything we know about him.
Speaker 9 (43:37):
Well, I think the good news is boheart Agree is
going to continue to filter through the information that that
that Aidan O'Connor is going to need to be able
to go out and play fast and play winning football.
And when I say filtered through it, you know with
the quarterback, less is more and with young quarterbacks. You
want to almost stage each play for them so that
(44:01):
you can mitigate the what is and the possibilities of
bad things happening and hope that their instincts allowed them
to go out and function in a way that you
can win each play. But yeah, he's going to be
faced with a ton of challenges. I'm talking Aidan O'Connell.
But the good news is his quarterback coach, his position coach,
(44:21):
which is likely the person that he spit the most
one on one time with, will continue to be in
his ear.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Pep if you could, because Steve and I have never
had the luxury of doing this, take us behind closed
doors into what that quarterback room might be like this
week and what really has to go down for as
much success as possible on Sunday between Bow between Aid
and O'Connell, and what needs to happen, what probably is
happening in that room. When you say less is more.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
Well, you know I would say this.
Speaker 9 (44:53):
I think that you know, Bo is going to have
his hands full in just you know, carrying that responsibility
of coming up with the game play, coming up with
the strategies that they're going to feel are going to
be necessary for them to go out and win the game.
One thing I do know is he's going to have
the luxury of having an experienced play caller in the
(45:13):
building on the offensive side of the ball.
Speaker 6 (45:16):
Specifically is Scott Turner. You know, Scott Turner.
Speaker 9 (45:19):
Is a part of the offensive staff at the Raiders,
and so I'm sure that Scott will help to facilitate
some of the organizational things that Boa is going to
have to take on in his new role as the
play caller and the offensive coordinator. But there's nothing more important,
all right than the coordinator's ability to play call, his
ability to translate his thoughts to that young quarterback who's
(45:44):
got to go out there and function and play at
a high level.
Speaker 6 (45:48):
Truly under the rest.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Yeah, they're playing the Giants. What's wake Martindale gonna be
throwing at an ogonal building? You may not see right
safety in the post entire So we're and this is
great because we were talking last night. We were talking
about the turnover not just in head coaches but in coordinators,
(46:10):
and got like, how has that impacted the quarterback because
the level has been significant.
Speaker 9 (46:17):
Well since two thousand and six, I think it is, Steve,
there's been two hundred and twenty six offensive coordinator opens
in the NFL. And fortunately, but unfortunately, I've had the opportunity.
Speaker 2 (46:30):
That's right, two hundred you're clienting that number pounds.
Speaker 9 (46:34):
Yeah, yeah, when you add when you had Nick Lombardi
to that, you know, I just added Nick Lombardy.
Speaker 2 (46:39):
It was two twenty five. Now we had tune twenty
six since the last time we.
Speaker 1 (46:43):
Talked, and on the fly bath right there.
Speaker 9 (46:45):
Yeah, right, during that period, I had the opportunity to
call plays with three different NFL franchises. But nevertheless, what
we're seeing is, and I go back to my point
of we have a patience crisis going on, not just
in the National Football League but in America, in society
as all. Everybody wants an instant grit. So you know,
(47:07):
they don't want to put the beans in the in
the crock pot and let him similar anymore.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
They want the.
Speaker 9 (47:12):
Quarterbacks to get out of college football and be ready
to control and fly the space shuttle to the moon.
Speaker 2 (47:19):
And that's ambitious. Yeah, that is ambitious, even though even
though we know Josh Dobbs might be able to at
least fly the rocket to the mood. Yeah, he could
take it. This here's a rocket tie this. You know,
Josh Dobbs, you'll probably be starting with the Vikings, sometimes
doing a quarterback. Bet Pampleton a great job with the
Pep Talk JP. Another awesome episode of the NFL Report.
(47:44):
We will be back one day. A couple really good
games coming up this weekend. JP. We will make sure
you've got the fresh popcorn in here for next Thursday
for ball these films, but Monday again. Be sure to
check out the NFL Report and listen to the podcast ship.
You know this is also a podcast. It certainly is
(48:06):
also a potfut Well done. That's what six years of
college will do for you, Steve,
Welcome back into a Thursday edition of the NFL Report.
James Palmer, Steve watch with you you know what Thursdays
Me and Steve player interviews. How about the Jaguars tight
end Evan Ingram, Defensive player of the Week from the
Denver Broncos Justin Simmons. Both of those guys will join
the show as well as Baldy's Favorite Films, my favorite
segment each and every week, and also the coach Pep Hamilton.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Will be joining pass as well.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
As is there a QB crisis in the NFL right now? Steve,
Pep's gonna break that down for us. But we have
to start this show with where the biggest news came out,
and that is the Las Vegas Raiders and they are
moving on from not just head coach Josh McDaniels, but
also general manager Dave Zigler.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Where were you in this news, broke, Steve?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, I don't know. It's so funny, Jp, because all
these Raiders fans who are sick and tired of being
sick and tired of being sick and tired, Like, I'm
so happy, I'm so happy they fired Josh, so happy
that they got rid of these guys, but really, are
you happy? How can a Raiders fan be happy? The
one person who is happy is the guy who's taking
(01:13):
over now, and that's interim head coach Antonio Pierce.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
The short story, as a matter of fact, is I grew
up in Compton, California. I was born a Raider. I
was born with the Raiders rolling in the coliseum in LA.
I was rolling with NWA, talking to straight out of
Compton Rock and Raider hats. So an opportunity came to
work with Josh and Pat Graham and Dave, I jumped
on it.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
So that's what set me up for this. I was
born this way. Yeah, okay, so then that's got the
hoo flavor. That's good. I feel it, especially come from Antonio.
You know, a great player with the Giants. He has
paid his dues among the coaching rates. But JP he
heard what he said. I was born a Raider when
they used to roll into the coliseum. That's unfortunately, where
(01:57):
this organization's head is stuck at. Whether it's the LA
Coliseum or the Oakland Coliseum. It seems as if they
are just locked into the commitment to excellence and and
all of this stuff. Herd Antonio talk about her, Gruden
talk about it her, Dennis Allen talk about her, Hugh
Jackson talk about it. But but are they really committed.
(02:19):
You're fired hiring the wrong coaches, fired him after a
year and a half paying quarterbacks. When you end up
benching halfway through the season after you fire your stef
JP it it seems like they're stuck in forty years ago,
thinking that Lyle Alzado is gonna come walking through that door.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
You know, we'll get to Josh McDaniels and and Dave
Ziggler and the mistakes maybe that were made over the
last year and a half in the future of the
Las Vegas Raiders. But you're right, Steve. I made this
point to you this morning, and I actually was talking
to an assistant coach in the NFL before we did
this show who thought the exact same thing. I don't
know a team we're in organization that has been stuck
(03:05):
or uses or is attached to the culture and the
identity that is that organization more than the Raiders, And
maybe just maybe it plays a bigger part in how
this organization is run, what they're looking for, how they're
trying to operate than any other organization in all of football.
(03:27):
It really is fascinating. I mean, this is an owner
and Mark Davis, who obviously takes over from his father,
Al Davis, who just like his father, listens to players
a lot.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
That happens in.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
This process specifically pretty much some meetings with some star
players within that organization, but also listens to the fans
a lot. And we know the way the Raiders Nation is.
I remember being there when Gruden was hired, being up
there at the facility in Oakland and the amount of
alumni that was in the building for John Gruden's press conference,
(03:57):
the amount of fans that were standing outside that facility
for that press conference, and it was We're going back.
That's what we keep hearing every time people get hired
or they come as an interim head coach in this
fashion with Piers is we're going back to the Raiders' way.
And the other quote that we didn't run and plays
right into this Steve is Antonio Pierce another quote where
(04:18):
he said a big part of this is we're gonna
make Raiders Nation and.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
The alumni proud with how we play.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
This is almost a broken record with the Raiders in
terms of how the thinking is, I know that's not
wrong to think that way, but it's almost a higher
emphasis than in any other building in football.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, man, you know, and I'm really hoping Antonio Piers
gets us right because I think again he's paid his dues.
I really like Antonio in a lot of different ways.
But then I'm saying to myself, if he does get
it right, remember they're only three and five, they've got
nine games left to play. He's got an opportunity. Well, well,
Mark Davis, keep him. He had a chance to do
this with Rich Pisaceia a couple of years ago to
(04:57):
over Regruden and got the playoffs teams to the playoffs
in t wins. We will to keep Antonio Pierce because
he always wants that shiny new toy in his beautiful
stadium in Las Vegas, which is where the Super Bowl
will we played this year. And so you're just wondering
what decisions will be made and if this team actually
has a chance because JP, they've got Devonte Adams, have
(05:17):
got Next Crosby, they got Josh Jacobs, but they've had
those guys. Now they're open Aid and O'Connell can come
there at the rookie the Blay quarterback to get things
over the hump. But it's just where are these guys headed.
What is going to happen with this organization? Because, like
you said, everybody else has at least tried to make
(05:38):
a step forward, and they keep on just stepping forward
on a treadmill.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I don't know if you came up with that yourself, Steve,
but that's a great line. Keep making a step forward
on a treadmill. I'm not sure who you stole that from.
If it's an original, I give you all the credit,
but I'm not sure who is that fault here? Really,
I think we know this is probably the last chance
we're gonna see Josh McDaniels as a head coach in
the NFL. This is only time in NFL history a
guy hasn't made it two full seasons as the head
(06:05):
coach of two separate organizations. But if you look at
the way this thing was set up, it was set
by Dave Ziggler. This offseason, the general manager that player
development was more important than wins this season, right, So
that's where the thinking was from the front office perspective
of developing this team. But it's a draft class that
hasn't developed, is a draft class that has hard time
getting on the field as well. And then Mark Davis
(06:27):
knows that, but then pulls the trigger quickly. So it
has to be really Steve that he saw something to
where speaking with players and speaking to people in that organization,
and I've made plenty of phone calls out probably as
you have over the last couple of days. It was
I don't see this going anywhere in the eyes of
Mark Davis. So he ends up pulling the plug now
as opposed to later, and we get a chance for
(06:49):
a long stretch to see an interim head coach with
the Raiders. It's fascinating, but we have to move on
because we have two massive interviews with two organizations that
had a.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Very very good week.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Unlike the Raiders, the Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Ingram
will be joining the show.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Jacks.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Is it the best group of skill position players in
the NFL. We'll find out what Evan thinks coming up
on the NFL Report.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
I'm Jason Kelsey, and you're watching the NFL Report.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
All right, Steve, Welcome back to the NFL Report. We
are joined by Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Ingram, who
I think I'm his favorite person to speak to because
after we talked in the week leading into that Steelers game,
he has ten targets, ten catches for eighty eight yards.
And I want to say this, I don't know if
you know this, Evan, with that performance, it's you and
(07:43):
Jeremy Shockey alone in NFL history in terms of tight
ends with more than forty catches and four hundred receiving
yards in each of their first seven seasons.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
Yeah, somebody at tagged me in that this past week,
and sometimes like kind of try to skip over that
kind of stuff, but that one was pretty cool actually,
just just that name alone, Jeremy's was a great tight
end and just even how hard it is to even
get to this point.
Speaker 6 (08:11):
Definitely, uh, definitely was a cool little stat for me
for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Well, even stats aside, you guys got the dumb right five.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
In a row.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
You go over there and you go over to London,
you guys get things kickstarted. Like what is the feel
of the team right now, because you know, it looks
to us like you're rolling and you're you're you're going upwards, right,
You're still kind of finding your stride.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
Yeah, it's it's awesome right now. The locker room has
definitely got a nice little bus to it, but it's
it's well earned. We understood we were in the kind
of a rough spot after week three, and we kind
of had to look ourselves in the mirror and hold
each other accountable to what we knew, what we were
capable of, and just pretty really put our head down
(08:54):
and put the work in.
Speaker 6 (08:55):
And now we're in a good spot going into the
bye weekend.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
Probably the more impressive and special thing about it is,
you know, we understand that we really haven't done anything yet.
This is all expected and this is what we've been
you know, we've been working for and see for ourselves,
and so now it's how do we continue it to
improve and continue to be consistent in what we've been doing.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Let's talk about locker room buzz Evan, because I was
in that locker room in Pittsburgh that had a lot
of buzz in it, specifically from your defensive side of
the football.
Speaker 6 (09:25):
After some of.
Speaker 7 (09:26):
The comments from George Pickens got out there, Hope defense,
you guys were called for Sean Jenkins to be had
the best line of anybody on that side ball, I said,
I was hoping they were going to come out and
show up today, but apparently they did. And when Josh
Allen told me, this was a statement game for your defense, right, Like,
I love the way those guys kind of embraced that
(09:46):
trash down. You guys are you want.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
To be known as a physical team, don't you?
Speaker 6 (09:51):
For sure?
Speaker 5 (09:52):
That's that's who we are, that's our identity. Our defense
takes pride in that one hundred percent. And even those comments,
it created edge for us in our preparation and that's
where we win the games. We win Sundays, in our
process during the week. I mean, that's something we all
kind of buy into. So you know, it was kind
of fortunate that they were kind of filling themselves a
(10:13):
little bit because it was it allowed us to create
an edge, especially our especially for our defense man. They've
already been balling, so they kind of poked a bear
on that one. And to see the performance they put together,
even me, you look at our offense. We did everything
we weren't supposed to do, and they kept the Senate
allowed us to, uh to capitalize on some of our opportunities.
(10:35):
But yeah, it was awesome week. You know, that's that's
the NFL AFC matchup.
Speaker 6 (10:40):
We learned about the rivalry and.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
All the previous big matchups between Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, and
that was my first time playing in that stadium.
Speaker 6 (10:47):
And obviously, you know, that's a really historic.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
Franchise and we just all we bought into all that
and this is what we prepare for. This is what
we you know, this is a dream. We're living the
dream playing in the league. And it was a cool
matchup and I'm glad we got to go dominated.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Speaking of living in dream, the number nine, ten, and
eleven receivers in the NFL are tight end, it's it's
Kelsey and nine Hockinson a ten you and eleven. Laporta
from the Lions is at nineteen. So for of the
top twenty receivers in the NFL are tight ends. What
about kind of the evolution of that position and the
(11:24):
fact that someone like yourself or Kelsey, you've made yourself
a go to option.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Yeah, I mean you named off some dogs. Those guys
are elite, and uh yeah, it's none us. I mean, well,
we all watch tape and you know, we try to,
you know, watch film or how to be opponents.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
And better our game.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
And those guys are the ones that I see the
most that pop up on tape. And the position as
a whole is just evolving. We're asked to do more. Obviously,
the talent that is coming into this league is evolving
as well. You got just freak athletes able to play
this position, and you know, you got the right kind
of offensive mindset and offensive mine, drawing up plays and
(12:06):
putting together game plans to exploit some of the mismatches
that you know, athletes are like ourselves calls. So it
is it's a it's a cool position, and it's a
great position for myself and my teammates and in that
tighter room in this offense. And but at the end
of the day, I just put the work in, try
to be reliable and the ball comes my way. You know,
I just try to take pride and being special and
(12:28):
you know, changing the game and being a spark and
and I've learned how to do that, do a lot
of hard work and watching you know, some of the
names that you just mentioned.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
I gotta jump onto that you mentioned watching the film
of these guys. If you have one film to put
on it's one offense, it's one player. Maybe it's howel
the tight end is used, or it's the tight end.
What what film are you putting on?
Speaker 5 (12:50):
Yeah, nah, it's easy. Man travels is Travers is the
standard right now. And you turn that offense, you kind
of get in trouble. Watch in their offense they do
a lot off off yeah stuff, but it's it's also
you can tell it's an understanding of the game too,
an understanding of the defenses they're playing, and some of
(13:10):
the players that they that they that they come up with,
and the players that they make and and Titan University
is actually a cool thing that we do in the
off season and all the Titands get together, and you know,
Travis Travers is a great mind to pick and having
conversations with him about things that he sees and things
that he does, it's different. It's a it's a different level.
(13:31):
So he's he's been the guy, he's been the top
dog for the last couple of years, and you know
he's even the younger generation coming up underneath him. He's
a great example and one of my favorite players.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Will watch well, you guys had some great games with
him the last couple of seasons and you know, I
want to talk about your quarterback though, Trevor Lawrence. I mean,
we've seen him grow up very quickly. Mean, last year
had some coaches tell me he's seeing it differently. Now,
what if you noticed his evolution just were this first
half of the season.
Speaker 6 (14:02):
Yeah, man, it's maturity.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
It shocks me every time I realize how old he
is and just the talent he has, with the mindset
that he has in the and in the system that
he's in. He it's it's just a really good uh,
it's a really good spot for him.
Speaker 6 (14:20):
And how competitive he is too. He's a real competitive dude.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
And when he gets in his owne it's fun to
see and it's fun to be on the on the
same field with so just even coming in and building
a relationship.
Speaker 6 (14:31):
With him, and it's.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
Been cool because you know, the objective is to win
ball game, so you come in trying to build a
you know, a relationship and chemistry on the field. But
he's he's even a better guy. He's one of our
he's our biggest leader. He's a real humble dude, and
and it's it's been a blessing to play with him.
It's been cool to get to know him and spend
time with him, and we have a lot of goals
for ourselves and we're all on the same page. We
(14:54):
all play with the chip on our shoulder, and we're
under We play under a great coach that we all
like to go play for for him, but we're in
a great environment. Jacksonville is a great a great place
for us to come in and work and stay focused
and and and be a team and build a brotherhood.
And you know it's it's showing right now.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Well, it's also probably pretty nice to be Trevor Lawrence
right now. I think when he looks out in his
skill positions, are you Christian.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Kirk, Calvin Red Lady.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
He's got his college teammate and Traves etn out there,
Zey isn't even back yet, and now he's going to
be returning for you guys after the bye with when
everybody's healthy, everybody's out there, it might be this might
be the best group of skill players in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Is that accurate?
Speaker 6 (15:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (15:36):
Man, I mean we all have really high expectations for
ourselves and high standards for ourselves, and you know, we
all work our butts off every single day. We're all committed,
we're all bought in and you feel that from each other.
And our relationships are really cool too. We're becoming brothers
and and when you become brothers, you know you genuinely
want the best for that for that person. And we're
(15:57):
all in the field together, We're all supporting each other,
we all keeping each other uplifted, and even in the
rough times, we stick together and we and we rally together.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
And it's just a great locker room.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
Top down. Everybody's bought and everybody's on the same page.
And and uh and like those names, those guys are dogs.
Speaker 6 (16:15):
And we we have a lot of talent on our team.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
And we have a great system too that that gets
everybody the touches, that gets everybody in space and and
really puts defenses in the mind just using our talents,
just our god given the ability.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
So top down, I mean's it's a whole team effort.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
It's an organizational effort, and we all understand that and
we know together we're we can be a force.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I mean, you guys are also in the unique situation
playing for the Jaguars, right. I did something this summer
with your team owners shot con over in London, right,
you guys have two games over there, They've got an
office over there. You guys have tremendous exposure in London,
he says. He tells guys you have an opportunity to
become international celebrities as well. What's it like knowing that
(17:00):
you do have that type of potential, in that type
of presence overseas.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
Man, that's it's so cool to me, just that aspect
last year coming to Jacksonville, that was my first time
going over to London and and getting that experience, you know,
coming into the league and uh, man, it's it's unbelievable.
Speaker 6 (17:18):
Actually, it's just a whole different you know culture.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
I'm a different energy and you know, I've I've grown
up playing FIFA and and and and really loving watching
soccer and never played. It was never good at all.
I wish I more. But big soccer fan.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
And your team, who's your Premier League team? Uh?
Speaker 6 (17:40):
Fifa Chelsea was my team back in the day. Fulham.
I've been playing with Fulham now that.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Of course Shawn's team.
Speaker 5 (17:46):
I mean got to and uh and actually we went
to a game when we got there too. So just
it's that kind of atmosphere out there. It's it's just
a different type of energy and and and the Jags
get a lot of love out there.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
Was really cool.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
We did a whole little trip, a little media trip
to kind of promote it last summer and did a
lot of things, got to meet a lot of the
fans out there and just just their support. How in
tune they are with us in Jacksonville. You can come
to Jacksonville. It's nothing like London, but so it's kind
of crazy going pond and you know, getting that same
amount of love like we're doing.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Jack's right. All we'll have an eagleman, thank you so
much for joining the NFL report, Keeckball doing your thing. Man,
you were great. And by the way, tell your wife
she has got great interior design taste. That kitchen you
have is the bomb.
Speaker 5 (18:35):
Yeah, she's doing the things. I'm just hoping that.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
All right, then, appreciate you man, appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Appreciate it well.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
The best tight ends in the NFL. And up next,
we talked to the a FC Defensive Player of the Week,
Justin Simmons, and he explains what it's like covering those
elite tight ends on the NFL Report.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
After the break.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Four man pressure Russell the pocket floats on the back
of the EU.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
He's got Judy, Judy us and he's a touchdown.
Speaker 8 (19:12):
Denver Russell in the pocket, balls's around can break contain,
throws the ball.
Speaker 6 (19:16):
Back of the zel.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Touchdown.
Speaker 9 (19:18):
Denver Cortlands Seton mahoves in the pocket in trouble, tries
to climb the stiffs arms.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Bnito throws the ball on the run. That ball is intersector.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Justin Simmons, Simmons in Kansas City Territory, get out of dows.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Justin.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
This is a huge win for the Denver Broncos as
they have beaten the World champions, breaking a sixteen game
losing streak. Welcome into the NFL Report, Steve White, James
Palmer with you, and we have one of my favorite
people in the NFL. I'm probably not alone in this
Justin Simmons. Three times Walter Payton Man of the Year
nominee for the Denver Broncos, multiple All Pros. But for
(19:57):
the first time, Justin win Defensive Player of the Week.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
How is this.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Possible that this is Can you with this award with
as well as you've played over eight years?
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 10 (20:09):
Hey, I'm man. First of all, thanks you guys, Thank
you guys for having me on. And yeah, you know
it's tough. It's been a it's been a long eight
year stretch. But you know, in a lot of games,
you know you're not gonna not going to get offered
up into that that role. But I'm super thankful and
appreciative of earning that on there this week.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Well, you know you earned it because you guys really
put a decisive victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah,
you recovered bumble, you get that late interception. I think
that gives you five picks of Patrick Mahomes. You've intercepted
him more than anybody's intercepting him.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
More than anybody.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
Yeah, I mean, what what is it. It's just a
matter of playing them twice a season or you you
guys know, especially schematically, what they're trying to do, and
it puts you in position to make plays.
Speaker 10 (20:54):
Yeah, it's it's honestly all the of both. I mean,
playing them twice a year definitely gives me a up
on most of anybody else. But also on top of that,
if you go back and you watch all five interceptions,
you know or however many there are more times.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Than not we just get really great pressure.
Speaker 10 (21:13):
And Patrick Mahomes, as we all know, is a tremendous talent,
one of, if not the best quarterback in the league,
and so he's not going to not try and make
a play. I mean, he's known for doing that. Ball
is going to be in the air and it's just
a matter of executing. So with a great rush like
we have and a great execution and the secondary in
the back end. In terms of the past game, you know,
(21:34):
sometimes I'm the beneficiary of an interception.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
I got to put this out there justin because I
don't know if enough people know this. Since you came
into the league in twenty sixteen, there is nobody in
the NFL that has more interceptions than you. Twenty nine
picks is phenomenal for what you've been able to do
with the safety position. And I use that to lead
into there was a lot of talk about the Broncos
being sellers at the trade deadline, and your name kept
(21:58):
kind of coming up because obviously what I just mentioned,
teams want you. You're a great player. What goes through
a player's mind in those couple of days leading into
the deadline wondering do you talk to your agent, do
you want to know? Do you block it out? Do
you hit up George Peyton?
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Chop it?
Speaker 1 (22:14):
What goes through your head? What did you do in
those days? And you're now a Bronco right now?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, great question.
Speaker 10 (22:21):
I immediately hit my agent, you know, just hearing rumors that,
you know, my name is being thrown around.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
And I just told him. I was like, hey, I
don't know it.
Speaker 10 (22:29):
You know, rumors are true or whatever the case may be,
but don't don't tell me until you know something's official.
I don't want to hear, Hey, they called, and you
know we're working something out, this, that and the other.
You know, I'd rather just put my head down focus.
I'm all in on the Broncos and trying to figure out,
you know, how to win and how to help us
win games, and if it comes up, it comes up.
Speaker 6 (22:51):
You know.
Speaker 10 (22:51):
That's that was really my mindset during the uh, you know,
during the whole rumor phase of the trade deadline. And man,
I'm super thankful that while you know, one, we go
into the bye week with a win, and you know too,
I'm still a Bronco and hoping to turn this thing
around in the second half of the season.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
And justin that's what I wanted to get to. Okay,
you guys didn't didn't make any big moves, right, and
so you know who you're rolling with, and you guys
have put together, especially defensively, a nice run of games.
I mean, do you feel that you guys are gaining
the proper traction again, especially on the defensive side of
the ball, is to where you constrain some ws together
(23:29):
and get back into the mix.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Yeah, one hundred percent believe that.
Speaker 10 (23:33):
And I think that Kansas City game was a was
kind of a statement a statement game for us. I
think defensively, we know that to start the season, you know,
it wasn't anywhere near what we're used to, how we're
used to playing, and what we're used to looking like.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
And we're getting some key guys back.
Speaker 10 (23:49):
I think Baron Browning coming back and especially in that
game and how how I came back was absolutely monster.
You know, we need him and the talent that he brings.
I know Zach Allen was on an interview shortly after
the Kansas City game and he said, you know, Baron
has like von Miller esque movement, and you know, you
don't get that type of praise. That's a lot, Yeah,
(24:10):
for no reason. And so really excited to have Baron.
Any any secondary player would tell you their favorite their
favorite position on the field as a good pass rusher.
So you know, love having Baron back. And I really do.
I really think we can we can make this push.
We're playing well in all three phases and that's what
it's going to take to win games, especially against the
teams that we play in the second half of the season.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Jones and takes kind of behind closed doors in a
meeting room, maybe with VJ and when you guys started
seeing how you guys could play in what he wants
you to do. I don't think we all have patients
around the NFL very often with you guys adjusting to
what he wants you guys to do.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Was there like a.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Conversation a meeting, anything that sticks out, maybe before this
three game run that you guys have turned it defensively,
that kind of goes, Okay, this is this is how
we can play.
Speaker 6 (24:55):
We just need to do blank.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
Yeah, yeah, it was.
Speaker 10 (25:00):
I want to say one particular meeting, but there is
one instance that came into my mind. It was it
was right right before we're getting ready to go play
the play the Jets at home, and we're pulling up
clips from you know, the Miami game, the Chicago game,
you know, the Washington game, you know games where they
kind of got out of hand, especially the Miami game,
(25:22):
and you know, he puts up all the clips of
you know, all the negative plays that we had, positives
that the offense had. Then he puts up clips of
all the positive plays we had, the negative plays you know,
that the offense had, and just showing the minute differences
and it's like one or two guys not being gap
disciplined or not reading the not reading their coverage right
(25:45):
in the first few seconds of their coverage responsibilities.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
And then it just as a trickling effect.
Speaker 10 (25:50):
Sometimes guys try to do too much, they try to
make up for another guy's mistake, and those can go.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
For big plays.
Speaker 10 (25:56):
And so, you know, the moral of the story when
he was going over this meeting is the difference maker
is you know, we're able to get takeaways. And the
second thing is we were playing sound discipline football and
it's not always pretty, doesn't always uh, you know, mark
up the stat sheet, you know, for whatever TFLs and
sacks and all this on all these things, but when
(26:17):
you play as a complete unit, all eleven to the football,
you guys can be really special.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
And it's it's on tape.
Speaker 10 (26:24):
So this is our standard weekend and week out, and
it's not going to be perfect, but you got to
control the x's and o's and you guys control your
effort and that's that's all it's going to be. And
so we've really bought into that these past few games,
and by no means hasn't been perfect, but the level
of consistency has stepped up.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Yeah, that's great stuff. I mean to be able to
understand you uphold integrity and discipline, how well that can
really bring things together. I want to talk a little
about the safety position because also on the show we
have Jaguars tight and Evan Ingram, we know an athletic
receiving tight and you got Travis Kelsey as a safety
who was often a signed to try to d up
some of these tight ends. What is it like seeing
(27:06):
maybe the evolution of that position team's don moving them
in and out of the slot, things like that, and
how difficult has that made your job?
Speaker 10 (27:15):
Yeah, it's made it extremely difficult, you know, especially when
you when you get creative, like you know Doug Peterson
and Andy Reid do with their personnels and how they
match up. You know, you hear twelve personnel, which is
one running back and two tight ends. You're thinking more
of a run heavy formation, right, You're thinking double wing,
you know, maybe both tight ends on the same side,
(27:38):
you know, tight end on the ball, tight end off
the ball. And you're thinking like duo gap schemes, maybe
zones and gap schemes, whatever the case may be. And
you know, here comes twelve personnel against the Chiefs. And
then now Travis Kelcey is lined up at the slot
at number two, and you have base out there, and
you know, you call a man play and then there
there he goes you know or yah, yeah, hey, or
(27:59):
you call zone. And he's one of the best tight
ends ever in my opinion, when you're asked to get
open and he knows what the defenses are in and
I mean Evan Ingram as well.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
I mean you even.
Speaker 10 (28:11):
Safeties, uh, you know, it's it's pretty tough to guard him.
And so the game is, the game is definitely evolving,
its changing. You know, I think you're starting to see
the evolution from the tight end position the safety position.
I mean, you got to be able to do way
more than just you know, play free, play strong.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
You gotta do way more than just be a pass
blocker or just a catching tight end.
Speaker 10 (28:32):
I mean you kind of got to be all of
it in one And it's fun doing that every week
and trying to figure that out.
Speaker 5 (28:40):
That.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
With that said, justin your position is becoming, you know,
adversely even more important to defenses right to guard that
chess piece. So let's let's this might be hard, but
kind of let's play a Frankenstein game here in a sense,
if you could just start pulling pieces from your favorite
safeties of all time, maybe they're still playing now or
or or they're done playing, kind of build that safety,
(29:01):
that would be the best on the field because I know,
you study your position and you watch a ton of film.
What what what kind of traits are you taking and
who are you taking them from?
Speaker 3 (29:10):
Yeah? Yeah, that man, that's a that's a tough one.
Speaker 6 (29:15):
I'm gonna just.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Kind of go we should I should talk about that
before the show.
Speaker 11 (29:19):
Yeah yeah, hey, you know, I give me some go
off the top of my head here, I think when
you look at my number one thing is like the physicality,
and that's so hard because there's so many good physical safeties.
Speaker 10 (29:36):
I mean that's what it was, especially watching the game
growing up. You know, I would have to go with
like a like a Bob Sanders or I would have
to go with Yeah, I would.
Speaker 6 (29:48):
I would.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
I think, man, watching him play in Indie, I.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Was like, oh, man, let's play of the year.
Speaker 10 (29:56):
Yeah, I mean unbelievable, So him like a Steve Atwall
type of physicality. I would go with Brian Dawkins for
like energy, like like unmatched it is. I think, yeah,
you know, I think what he brought to the game
in terms of his passion, his energy, I think not
(30:16):
to be able to play with some of that.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Going more modern, I think, uh IQ.
Speaker 10 (30:23):
Yeah, I was just about to say, I think going
more modern, and I Q I kind of I'm kind
of at a split. I want to go Minka and
and Tyron. I think those two beautiful When I watched
him week in and week out, I think those two
do it at an extremely high level and they're so versatile,
(30:44):
and I think that's what makes them. I mean, anytime
you watch whenever, you know what you watched him with
the with the with the Cardinals, the Texans, the Saints,
and the Chiefs. I mean, you know, Tyrant's playing slot,
he's playing corner, he's playing high. Safety's playing in the box.
And then Minka, I mean he's pressed up on you know,
a slot receiver, a tight end, and then sometimes he's
(31:06):
in the deep middle. And in order to move like that,
you got to have the IQ and know what's going on.
And those guys are still ball productive. You know another
guy I think when you're talking about instinctiveness and playing
the run and being around the line of scrimmage, I'm
gonna say Jamal Adams, you know, especially.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
When he was with uh New York, what he was doing.
Speaker 10 (31:29):
I mean, to have the ability to to blitz and
and like I said, I would, I would like a
Jamal And and this is no you know, like Troy
POLAMALU like to have the ability to know and to
be instinctual around the football and just like, hey, I'm
supposed to blitz here, but this is open.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Uh yeah, I'm kind of taking this.
Speaker 10 (31:48):
And then you know you're getting strip sacks and you're
making game changing plays.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
I think that's huge.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Justin real quick because we're running short on time. What
the one thing I love all day I wish you
had more time is the physicality of all those guys.
And Justin really appreciates you with the time you gave us,
but also the time you give all those young people
with the Justin Simmons Foundation. You get a three time
Walter Payton of the Year nominee for the Denver Broncos.
(32:18):
Justin Simmons appreciates your joy to the NFL Report.
Speaker 10 (32:22):
Yeah, Hey, thank you guys so much for having me again.
It was really a blast and I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Just an absolutely special player and a special interview coming
up next to James Palmer's favorite segment of the week,
Baldi's film Breakdowns. We're gonna take a look at Chase Young,
who's headed to the forty nine ers. Next on the
NFL Report.
Speaker 1 (32:50):
Welcome into my favorite segment each and every week, it's
Baldy's favorite films here on the NFL Report with Steve
Which and the man himself, Brian Baldinger in the middle.
What I love each week, though, is you always watch
these interviews that we have on before you What was
your take anything jump out of you from either Evan
Ingram or Justin Simmons.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
There was a lot.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
There with both those guys.
Speaker 8 (33:12):
Well, first of all, I'm always trying to glean information
from intelligent players. I mean, obviously these are thinking man
type players, right. You listen to Evan speak, you listen
to Justin speak. I mean, these guys just aren't showing
up on Sunday. This is a year round. You know,
profession they take it seriously. They take your question seriously.
You know, there's a respect for what you guys do.
(33:32):
So I took that. But I just think that you know,
when you look at Evan and you talk about the
evolution of the tight end, and see if you bring
up the stat and for the top twenty receivers are
tight ends. I mean they're calling plays for these guys now,
these plays the offense is going through Evan, especially on
third downs. And then you look at Justin Simmons and
(33:53):
I just think I thought it was very interesting that
even when they gave up seventy to Miami, just the
difference between the explosive plays they surrendered that yeah, and
plays they could have made, and that it's not as
bad as it looked, and it's just Okay, we gotta
we gotta tighten this up.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
We gotta fix this, you know.
Speaker 8 (34:13):
And here they are, you know, keeping the Chiefs out
of the end zone and taking the ball away five now,
you know, five different times. And all of a sudden
you start looking at some of the players, Barreon Browning
and some of the guys that are there right now
and what they're doing. You know, they're putting this thing
on the right track in Denver.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Faulty quickly before we get to your favorite films, the
Raider situation. I mean, just to change over the timing
of it. Ain't no Connon coming in a quarterback now.
I mean, do they have a shot to get this
thing together?
Speaker 3 (34:44):
I don't know.
Speaker 8 (34:44):
We'll see what Antonio does. I've been on teams that
fire coaches. You play for the interim coach. The Raiders
have been through this with Gruden, you know, a couple
of years ago. The roster looks pretty incomplete to me. Yeah,
And I thought the contrast, honestly, of playing in the
t Troit on Monday night was a big part of
what Mark Davis did. I mean, here's the Lions and
(35:05):
we can see the building, we can see the development,
the draft picks, the stability at quarterback, all those things
that Detroit has, and then you see the fans and
just a dominant performance against the Raiders. I thought it
was because that's what the Raiders were supposed to be
doing with Josh and Dave Ziggler. They're supposed to be
(35:27):
doing what the Lions are, and it was clear they're
a long ways away from that.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Right now. All right, Baldy, Now let's get to your
film breakdowns, and let's start with a very intriguing trade
to me, and that's San Francisco going out and get
Washington defensive and Chase Young. And a few weeks ago
you said you really wanted to see him because frankly
we hadn't.
Speaker 8 (35:48):
Yeah, well, I look at Chase Young, got off to
a slow start. He's played better the last three weeks.
But I think for a third round pick, the forty
nine ers needed to do something up front. Cleveland Ferrell
isn't the answer. Nick Bosa is not having a great
season so far. They needed and like just an induction
of energy and talent to that defense front because the
(36:11):
entire defense Steve is built around their front floor. And
Justin Hargrave is underperformed to this point, and they're not
making the impactful plays and affecting the quarterback the way
they want to, and they're zone team behind it, Steve,
and so all of a sudden, like you look at
what Kirk Cousins did. You look what Joe Burrow did
last week. If you're not hitting those guys and affecting
(36:33):
them and getting them down to the ground, they're gonna
carve you up. And both quarterbacks just carved the forty
nine ers defense up. I plauged John Lynch for making
the move because I think it's gonna help.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
Let's stay over there on the West coast, Baldy and
talk about a game and a team that you covered
and called last week in the Seattle Seahaws, And they
made some moves on their defensive line over the last
couple weeks. And at the deadline, you get Frank Clark,
they get Leonard Williams, they bolster that group. It's just
on the phone of the defensive fourty, ay are saying,
defensive line right now means more than anything in the
(37:05):
way the NFL is going right now. And you saw
Seattle up front, what do you see upfront specifically and
with this defense.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Well, I mean that Jeron Reeve has been a great signing.
Speaker 8 (37:14):
You know, in the middle, he's played great boy A Mafey,
the second year defensive end at of Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
He keeps developing.
Speaker 8 (37:20):
But I think you know, to your point, James, it
is about your defensive fronts and how you can affect
a quarterback, especially when.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
You get to January.
Speaker 8 (37:28):
You've got to be able to like knock these guys
off their spots and hit them and not let the
pass the game just take over. And so Big Kat
Williams a good player against the run.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
In the pass. Frank Clark, I mean, I remember Pete
Carroll said when he was.
Speaker 8 (37:42):
A rookie, He's the single most explosive player I've ever drafted. Now,
I don't know that Frank is still the same guy,
but he you know, he shows up in the postseason.
He has the last couple of years of Kansas City.
So I expect that to be a difference because on
the back end, you look at Jordan Brooks and you
look at Bobby Way, they're silent, Jamal Adams, you look
(38:02):
at what Witherspoon is doing, and wooland and then Quandre
Diggs and Julian Love. They've got a great back end
of their defense. They'll all be better if they get
better rush and better push up front.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
Yeah, Baldy, I mean you text to me like this
team is going to be tough to be in December.
Let's look on the other side of the ball though,
I mean Geno Smith, Now he's not surprising anybody anymore,
but he also has two rookie wide receivers. Two rookie
wide receivers that.
Speaker 8 (38:31):
Are well look, I mean Dats and Smith and Jig
but the first round pick and Jake Bobo, the free
agent out of Duke. I mean, they have scored touchdowns
in each of the last two games, and they have
certain packages for him where I mean, it's still kind
of mind blowing to be where they take dk Metcalf
and Tyler Lockett off the field. Wow, And they're playing
(38:52):
these young guys out there, you know, and d Eskridge
got a chance to get activated last week.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
So they have different packages for different things.
Speaker 8 (38:59):
They also have the three tight end package, which as
good as there is in the league whether you put
out this league, Parkinson and at tight end, and then
they have two backs, you know, in Kenneth Walker and
the rookie Zach Charbonay. I just think they have what
you need to have. You've got to have versatility. Where
some team matches up with you, it can take something away.
(39:21):
Can you beat them a different way? And I think
Seattle is creating different ways to win. They juggled their
offensive line because of injuries. They've played a lot of
rookies in there. They've got a rookie right guard who's
playing great, but Charles Gross is back like they are.
They have fifteen rookies on the fifty three man roster,
which is almost unheard of, and so many of them
(39:43):
are contributing to this Pete Carroll team.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
I bet you a lot of those guys are watching
Jason Peters pay back in his heyday, Baldy, and now
they're on the same squad.
Speaker 8 (39:53):
You know, I told Jason the other day's right, he's
ready to go in.
Speaker 2 (39:59):
Yeah, he's ready. He's ready.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
He's still got there, He's still out there, Baldy. Appreciate
it's my favorite segment each and every week. Appreciate you
stip by once again. It's Aidan O'Connell. He's gonna be
starting for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Do we have a.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Quarterback crisis on our hands? Steve, Pep Hamilton's gonna answer
that question on the NFL Report coming up.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Next back with the final segment here the NFL Report
in James, it's time for aught a Pep talk with
our in house coach, former head coach offense, Pep Hamilton
in the house, Pep, I'm loving the Howard University helmet
(40:39):
are Alma water sitting there behind you. But let's get
to somethings more important, and that is what you described
to us off air as a quarterback crisis going on
in the NFL right now. Please explain it well.
Speaker 9 (40:56):
I think is two parts, Steve. It's a quarterback crisis
that's ultimately fueled by a patience crisis, meaning that the
fantasy owners, the active owners, the franchise owners, the fans,
everybody extremely impatient with your quarterbacks. And it's a process
(41:20):
that takes you know, it takes you years at times
and in order to really.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
Get your quarterback ready to play winning football.
Speaker 9 (41:27):
But specific to the quarterback crisis that I think we're
dealing with right now, we've had forty two starting quarterbacks
up until this point of the season. True and We're
coming off a year where we had sixty four starting
quarterback steeds last year, which was, by the way, a
NFL record for the number of different starting quarterbacks. So
(41:48):
availability is the most important ability, and right now we
can't keep our quarterbacks upright and they're not available.
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Pepa, I'm curious, what is the reason why we can't
keep quarterbacks upright and available? If you could put your
finger on maybe three different maybe reasons why or something
like that.
Speaker 9 (42:06):
Well, I'm glad you asked that, James, because first and foremost,
it's the first time you know that in my you know,
my years in the NFL, my years in coaching, that
we've had a trickle up effect. In years past, there
would be different trends and different things that teams did
schematically across the NFL that you would see at times
(42:27):
on Saturday afternoon when you're watching college football. Where now
it's the inverse of that is, you know, NFL teams
are now majoring in shotgun formations, majoring in eleven personnel,
running more RPOs, and calling specifically more plays where the
quarterback is being asked to run the football and leave
(42:48):
and vacate that halo, that sanctuary that you have in
the pocket where it's intended to keep them safe and upright.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
Well, you know it's interesting. It's also you talk by
the lack of patience in Las Vegas. That goes to
the extreme because you're blowing up the head coach no
see the GM. But now they're also blowing out their
quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. They're putting in rookie Aiden O'Connell. Okay,
but here's the question for you. He's had, he's got
a little bit of action, but you just got rid
(43:18):
of his play designer and his play caller, and Josh
McDaniels and his play installer and Mick Lombardi. The guy
who's gonna be hanling all of that for him now
is bo Hart Agree, who's been a long time assistant
in quarterback coach, but he hasn't called plays based on
everything we know about him.
Speaker 9 (43:37):
Well, I think the good news is boheart Agree is
going to continue to filter through the information that that
that Aidan O'Connor is going to need to be able
to go out and play fast and play winning football.
And when I say filtered through it, you know with
the quarterback, less is more and with young quarterbacks. You
want to almost stage each play for them so that
(44:01):
you can mitigate the what is and the possibilities of
bad things happening and hope that their instincts allowed them
to go out and function in a way that you
can win each play. But yeah, he's going to be
faced with a ton of challenges. I'm talking Aidan O'Connell.
But the good news is his quarterback coach, his position coach,
(44:21):
which is likely the person that he spit the most
one on one time with, will continue to be in
his ear.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Pep if you could, because Steve and I have never
had the luxury of doing this, take us behind closed
doors into what that quarterback room might be like this
week and what really has to go down for as
much success as possible on Sunday between Bow between Aid
and O'Connell, and what needs to happen, what probably is
happening in that room. When you say less is more.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
Well, you know I would say this.
Speaker 9 (44:53):
I think that you know, Bo is going to have
his hands full in just you know, carrying that responsibility
of coming up with the game play, coming up with
the strategies that they're going to feel are going to
be necessary for them to go out and win the game.
One thing I do know is he's going to have
the luxury of having an experienced play caller in the
(45:13):
building on the offensive side of the ball.
Speaker 6 (45:16):
Specifically is Scott Turner. You know, Scott Turner.
Speaker 9 (45:19):
Is a part of the offensive staff at the Raiders,
and so I'm sure that Scott will help to facilitate
some of the organizational things that Boa is going to
have to take on in his new role as the
play caller and the offensive coordinator. But there's nothing more important,
all right than the coordinator's ability to play call, his
ability to translate his thoughts to that young quarterback who's
(45:44):
got to go out there and function and play at
a high level.
Speaker 6 (45:48):
Truly under the rest.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Yeah, they're playing the Giants. What's wake Martindale gonna be
throwing at an ogonal building? You may not see right
safety in the post entire So we're and this is
great because we were talking last night. We were talking
about the turnover not just in head coaches but in coordinators,
(46:10):
and got like, how has that impacted the quarterback because
the level has been significant.
Speaker 9 (46:17):
Well since two thousand and six, I think it is, Steve,
there's been two hundred and twenty six offensive coordinator opens
in the NFL. And fortunately, but unfortunately, I've had the opportunity.
Speaker 2 (46:30):
That's right, two hundred you're clienting that number pounds.
Speaker 9 (46:34):
Yeah, yeah, when you add when you had Nick Lombardi
to that, you know, I just added Nick Lombardy.
Speaker 2 (46:39):
It was two twenty five. Now we had tune twenty
six since the last time we.
Speaker 1 (46:43):
Talked, and on the fly bath right there.
Speaker 9 (46:45):
Yeah, right, during that period, I had the opportunity to
call plays with three different NFL franchises. But nevertheless, what
we're seeing is, and I go back to my point
of we have a patience crisis going on, not just
in the National Football League but in America, in society
as all. Everybody wants an instant grit. So you know,
(47:07):
they don't want to put the beans in the in
the crock pot and let him similar anymore.
Speaker 3 (47:12):
They want the.
Speaker 9 (47:12):
Quarterbacks to get out of college football and be ready
to control and fly the space shuttle to the moon.
Speaker 2 (47:19):
And that's ambitious. Yeah, that is ambitious, even though even
though we know Josh Dobbs might be able to at
least fly the rocket to the mood. Yeah, he could
take it. This here's a rocket tie this. You know,
Josh Dobbs, you'll probably be starting with the Vikings, sometimes
doing a quarterback. Bet Pampleton a great job with the
Pep Talk JP. Another awesome episode of the NFL Report.
(47:44):
We will be back one day. A couple really good
games coming up this weekend. JP. We will make sure
you've got the fresh popcorn in here for next Thursday
for ball these films, but Monday again. Be sure to
check out the NFL Report and listen to the podcast ship.
You know this is also a podcast. It certainly is
(48:06):
also a potfut Well done. That's what six years of
college will do for you, Steve,
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