Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is the Morning Drive with dadd and Cole.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Right elbow for the winds. It is a front rim
tampa is there. That's to reason they put it in.
They're gonna check the sieve. It's good to reason's right
hand got there.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
That ball is.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
One side says it's good, one doesn't says it's no good, unsuccessful.
Speaker 5 (00:39):
And did not meet to.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Table. Take the points off the board. The Blazers won
it one o three, one o two.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
A well, if you stayed up late, that's what she got.
And with that we say away we go in good morning.
It is the Morning Drive Dannon Cole's talk seven ninety.
As the Rockets fall last night one oh three, one
oh two there in Portland, they're gonna get another chance
against them tomorrow nights. So hopefully, uh Denny avid Jah
(01:13):
is not as as tough on you. I made it
to halftime.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
I mean that scoring forty one points put twenty eight
in the second half. He was tough. He was absolutely.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I feel like, you know, you're almost watching mirror images
of organizations, because I mean the Blazer's kind of gone
through a little bit of what the Rockets did about
you know, four or five years ago. I think that
this version of the Blazers is about like what the
Rockets were two years ago, where you can see the
(01:44):
light through the trees, you can see the light at
the end of the tunnel that hey, we're about to
be a competitive basketball team again, but you're not quite there.
But with Avid Jah, I mean, that gets them even closer.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Thirteen twenty four, thirteen to fifteen for the free throw line,
six rebounds to assist, five total turnovers, one steal plus
differential of a negative zero, and twenty seven points in
the second half. And that's how the Rockets were all
to twenty two and twelve on the year, eleven and
ten away from Toyota Center.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
So losing last night, that's a rough one. And as
I mentioned, they're gonna get another chance. I mean, you know,
before you know, just we get to the football weekend
as a whole, I mean, just with this Rockets team
right now, me and you were talking about a little
bit before you know we hopped on the air. There's
just there's something off. And I know that the point
(02:36):
guard is a big thing that people are going to
point to and I and I get it. And if
that's what you think is the missing equation right now?
That's been fine, Yeah, I mean, because offensively, you do
get into a situation where they get stagnant, there's not
a ton of ball movement. I think early on in
the game there was, and when you know, in the
third quarter they went on that eleven to two run,
you were starting to see that you were starting to
(02:56):
see a little bit more activity there. Not having auprin
Shingoon that's a massive one, but it's just I think
that you know, the off season, you made it a
point to try to be able to add as much
shooting as possible and as much linked as possible, and
you accomplished at least the second part.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
The first part as of recently has been terrible. When
you have two guards finishing with eighteen minutes of action
and zero points scored, you have a point guard problem.
I mean, I can go into four more details about
the defense allowing somebody to score forty one points, allowing
a team that has a eighteen and twenty record to
outscore you in the second quarter thirty two to twenty five.
(03:35):
I can mention all those things. Bad turnovers at the
worst time, inefficiency when it comes to defensive reboundings. Dan,
it's very simple, like we don't need to complicate everything
in the world because of we're trying to come up
with certain narratives or ways that we can make the
storyline fun. They don't have a point guard. They don't
have a reliable point guard that can facilitate and set
up offensive drives. That's what the problem is. That's what's
(03:58):
been the problem. That's going to be the problem. And
until you figure that part out, you're still going to
be a team that right now feels like you can
go to the playoffs when a playoff series, but you're
not near Denver, you're not near San Antonio, you're definitely
not near Oklahoma, Citting. You're not near any of those teams.
And those teams have a point guard, and you need
(04:19):
a point guard. And it's very clear that you can't
trust Reed Shepherd to be a full time starter. And
you don't like seeing Amen Thompson, who had a cool
twenty four points last night, shot fifty percent from the field,
a seven eleven for the three throw line, had a
plus six differential, really overall solid night. You don't like
seeing him at the one. You like see him as
the two. You like see him at the three, but
we have him at the one. It's gonna lead to
(04:40):
some problems. They need a point guard, like I need
a some of water well.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
And I mean, you know, I think another part of
this too is Tari Easson in the starting lineup. I
think that's something that is not working out well for
you right now. He's too inconsistent offensively. I just I
think that energy wise, in what he gives you defensively,
he's better as a six man, Like I just I
think that's that's what he is. But I think, you know,
(05:06):
another part of this too is a lot of this
is predicated on you need guys like Jabari Smith Junior
to step up. Two of thirteen from the field last
night one of seven from three. I mean this team
as a whole is awful from three right now, as
I mentioned twenty two percent last night.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Okay, hold up, So you're saying that Tari Shanmnby be
in the starting lineup, I'm gonna vehemently push back against that.
The reason why they're struggling in that standpoint is because
you don't have alprin Shangoon, which means you gotta give
more mins. Steven Adams, which means that you got to
keep Tarrii on the court longer, which means that you
got to then rotate in a guy like Clincapello, which
is not a good deal. So until shng Goon comes back,
I think it's hard to argue with the Eastern conversation
(05:41):
because if you have him and Shanguna on the court
at the same time, it probably ends up benefiting you
because you can pull Tari and take fewer minutes away
from him by rotating into Steven Adams. But you don't
have a shn Gun right now. And since you don't
have a shan Gun, that means you need to have
more minutes. And again, he nearly won the game last night,
but because of a technic when it came to the
buzzer situation, they end up losing one oh three one
(06:04):
oh two.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Well, I mean, the ball was still on his hands
when he tried to put it back, and I mean,
obviously if it's still on your hands, and then you've
got that tick tacking and then you got that lamp
right behind the basket that's already red, well then they're gonna.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Say either way that they easily could have gone either way.
They just like to go ahead and screw over Houston
because it's part of the narratives that's his year. You
and I both know this, Dan, When you play against
crampy teams as the Houston Rockets, you lose. When you
play against the contenders in the Western Conference, you win big.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
But you know it's funny you say that because I
know that fans will throw that at this team. And
I brought that up the other night with did you
see who Oklahoma City lost to a couple of nights ago?
It wasn't like the second workst team in the NBA. Yeah,
they lost it to Charlotte Hornets. So I mean to
say that this is a Rockets problem is not a
Rockets problem. I mean, it's eighty two games, and we
give the benefit of the doubt in baseball, and we
(06:55):
somewhat give it in basketball. But I don't think it's
as much because it's eighty two as opposed to one
sixty two. But it's still the same deal where you're
going to lose a game that as a team, as
a fan base us you look back at and you're like,
how the hell do you lose that game?
Speaker 6 (07:11):
Dan?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
They've lost their last four games. To let me remind you,
the Dallas Mavericks who are fourteen and twenty three, the
LA Clippers, who are thirteen and twenty three, the Sacramento
Kings who are eight and twenty nine, and the Portland
Trail Blazers that, because of an expanded playoff, are in
as the number nine seed two games under five hundred.
They're losing the bad teams, that's just did They're beating
(07:35):
teams like Oklahomas, I mean, like Denver. They're beating the Lakers,
they're beating the Timberwolves, they're beating the Suns. They're losing
to the incomparable rosters that aren't having any traction offensively
except on a night when they face off against Houston.
And that's that just because of bad officiating. It's because
of the lack of overall leadership outside of Kevin Durant.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Well, I mean, because you shoot thirty seven percent last night.
I mean, there's just they're off on the offensive end
right now. There's no other way to say it. They're
a bad offensive basketball team right now, and they're trying
to be able to find ways. I mean, of I
guess it's, hey, let's keep shooting eventually they'll go down. Well,
when you're eight of thirty six from three, they're probably
not going down. When you're thirty seven of ninety nine,
(08:18):
they're not going down. And I understand it too, as
you mentioned, I mean, and I'm fully on board with Alprin.
Shingoon not being on the offensive end is really hurting
this team right now, and you're seeing that. But the
good news is, at least it sounds like that his
progression to come back could see him be back sometime
during that five game homestand that you're gonna have so
(08:38):
get through these next couple of games and then hopefully
about middle of the next week you get him back.
Speaker 7 (08:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Rockets on the road tomorrow night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
They stay out on the road to take on the
Sacramento Kings on Sunday, return home the thirteenth. They have
a five game stretch against Chicago, Oklahoma City, Minnesota, New Orleans,
and San Antonio before they hit the road on January
twenty second to take on the Philadelphia seventy six ers
seven two five seven ninety Overall thoughts on last night's game,
(09:04):
in your opinion, what's missing for the rockets, because I'm
telling you right now, it's a point guard. Like we
can go through the whole spiel of well they don't
shoot well from three, Well they're struggling when it comes
to second chance rebound. So while they're struggling at the
field goal line, whatever it is, you don't have a
point guard to facilitate, Like like you're you're putting a
square peg in a round hole saying, amen, Thompson, go
(09:26):
play this role, even though you're better shooted as a three,
even though you're better shooted as a complimentary piece being
around the bucket, be a facilitator, and that doesn't work.
And I get it. You thought that you were gonna
have Fred. You thought you were gonna see more growth
when it came to reach Shepherd. Shepherd has to play
Mormans because you don't have Fred out there. But the
bottom line is that you don't have somebody that you
can reliably trust to set up pick and rolls and
(09:49):
screens and be able to put you in a better
position offensively.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
They played thirty four games this year, twenty one of
them have been on the road. So I think that
that's another thing that factors into all of this.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I mean, you've got to play on the road in
the NBA.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
I get all of that, but I mean, you know,
it's also too You're obviously going to be much better
at home. And as you mentioned, they're eleven and ten
away from Toyota Center this season, so hopefully you get
to twelve and ten tomorrow nights again. I mean, as
we've mentioned, they're gonna be playing the Blazers again.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
So another losing team against another losing team before they
take on the Chicago Bulls at home, which Dan, I
don't know if you know, this is another losing team,
another losing.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Team, So hopefully they can even start to you know,
that's the thing is is narratives start to build with teams,
So you know, maybe that's one for this year's team,
is that the losing teams are the ones getting the
better end of the deal in these But I mean
it was also as the Rockets started to find their
way back on to national TV.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
That's a couple of years ago.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Last year they were losing those games and you're just like, gosh,
can you guys win a national TV game?
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And they've finally done that this year Christmas Day. That's wonderful.
I mean, all we got to do now is watch
them lose four more games, three more games. My apologies
to be on a four game losing streak to then
be able to beat the brakes off of the Oklahoma
City Thunder, because that'll be a game to where they'll
play competitive, and they'll go to overtime, and they'll take
that down to the final bucket and maybe we'll get
a second overtime and Kadi will drop forty two and
(11:09):
we'll see a really solid performance from Jabari Smith in
the three point range, and I'm in Thomson will drop
a cool twenty nine, and they'll find a way to
win on a buzzer beater because of Alprin. But then
of course they have to go face off against the
Philadelphia seventy six ers, who are twenty and fifteen. That
may be a little bit more of a challenging contest.
I get it. It's the randomness of the NBA. Anything
can happen in an eighty two game stretch, But narratives
(11:30):
are meant to be formed when it's constantly seeing the
same results unfold against the common opponent. What's the common
denominator against all the teams they recently have lost to.
What's your record? Are you above five hundred? Oh, congratulations,
you're winning our game. Hey, are you under five hundred? Congratulations?
Other team just go ahead and embarrass the Rockets. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
And I mean, you know, as I mentioned too, you
do need to have the backup singers along with Kevin
Durant that are able to contribute. I mean, he thirty
seven points out of him last night, the twenty four
out of him and Thompson. I mean, that's a guy
that you need to count on, and he was able
to deliver. But again one of seven from three, two
of thirteen. Jabari Smith Junior, You've got a step up man,
(12:15):
like you have to in order for this team to
be better.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
And I think he knows that obviously.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Steven Adams is you know, I mean, whatever you get
offensively out of him, that's a bonus. But then one
more thing here before we take our first break. Three
points out of doriy and Finney Smith. I get that
he is a couple of weeks removed from just coming
back and he's slowly getting back out there more minutes.
Fourteen out of him three points last night, one of
four from the field, one of two from three. Clint Capella,
(12:42):
I think is in the same category as Steven Adams
offense is pretty much a bonus out of him. Two
points out of him reached Shepherd with eight. So you
had thirteen points off your bench last night. You get
out scored sixteen to thirteen by the bench players from Portland,
and I mean different in this game Caleb Love with
ten compared to your high bench scorer, Reed Shepherd.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
So I'll say on one of the bigger things is
that you look at the Rockets. They were one of
the more impressive offensive, defensive rebounding teams to begin the year.
They've dropped outside of the top ten. Still number one
in offensive rebounds, overall rebounds this year, currently number one
with forty nine point one. They're just not being able
to put away drives. They at one point were number
one in the NBA in three point efficiency. They've dropped
(13:26):
down from forty three percent to thirty seven percent. And
then for the field goal range, at one point they
were shooting around fifty one. Now they're shooting around forty eight.
So it feels like that all the offensive metrics are
still there, it's defensively allowing bad opponents to stick around
and you not being able to have to close your moment.
And that's where having a point guard I think is
really important for those final two minutes where you're able
(13:48):
to facilitate and get the ball out to Amen Thompson,
get the ball out to Katie, find a way to
be able to get around the back, back, get around
the basket if you are alpro chindo. Just a little
things like that can go a long way. And it's
evidently clear once again we're seeing the same results.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Yeah, so the rockets obviously can be a part of
the conversation today. You want to join in seven one
three two on two five seven ninety against semone three
two on two five seven ninety.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
As I mentioned, you know what the calls.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
I mean, it's kind of like you walk up on
a conversation at a party and you know we're talking
about it, or we have talked about it. You know
that take inventory there. Okay, fine, jump in on that.
So if you want to weigh in on it, then
we allow you to do it. So semone three two
on two five seven ninety against Seve one three two
on two five seven ninety. Let's get into the Texans
conversation though here on this Thursday morning, because I think
(14:37):
that Will Anderson Junior is who we wished that this
guy could be. We'll discuss that here as we get
into the show on a Thursday at Dan Matthews's. Cole
Thompson A triple, Emmanuel Elmore hanging out with you right
here on the morning Drive Sports Socks seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Good Morning Drive with DNN and Cole on Sports Talk
seven ninety, home of the Strolls, Rockets and Houston's best sports.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Talk into the Texans set topic here in just a second,
we were talking Rockets, so payoff on that with Jason,
who wants to wig in.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Good morning Jason.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Now the phone's doing the same thing again, triple if
you want to punch them up, Jason, good morning. How
you doing Jason on your phone? Not your radio? Bud
all right?
Speaker 8 (15:27):
Three?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Two, yeah, Hello, yeah, Okay, Hey, what's up? Jason?
Speaker 7 (15:32):
I don't know, I could out. I'm there for a minutes. Looks,
I'm just gonna say this, all right. I see shade
of the Celtics in the Rockets, where they won bad
games under email Udoka but still manage to make the
NBA Finals. And that's a good positive outlook. That's the
only good way to look at it, in my opinion.
Speaker 9 (15:56):
Lay that out again, I see shades of the Celtics.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I got that part, but what was the payoff with it?
Speaker 7 (16:06):
Well, the only positive thing is under Ema Dooka, the
Celtics won. They lost bad games, but still made the
NBA Finals.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Jase, I'm gonna ask you right now. You got seven
game series Rockets of the Oklahoma City thunder. The way
that these two teams are playing in a seven game series,
seven game series, the.
Speaker 7 (16:25):
Oklahoma City they're also losing bad games, so it's a
flip of the coin.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Oklahoma City has lost one bad game this year. The
Rockets consistently are losing to SEB five hundred teams. Let's
just ask I'll ask you that again. Who are you
going for?
Speaker 7 (16:39):
I'll take my chances with the Rockets.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
All right, listen. I respect the hell out of you, man,
I really do, but this is not a team that
can win a championship the way they're playing right now
against Portland, against Los Angeles and against other bad teams.
Indiana was a good win. You were supposed to be Indiana.
That sits currently at six and thirty one.
Speaker 10 (16:59):
I gotta be hones.
Speaker 7 (17:00):
All my buddies are Rockets stands and I'm a Spurs
stan so I'm sitting pretty good right now.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
I said, you gottaeel pretty good right now, man, I mean,
you're twenty six and eleven. You guys are four and
a half games back of Oklahoma City. You got a
great win last night. You gotta feel pretty good about
where you are, dude, I am.
Speaker 7 (17:18):
But at the same time, I feel bad for my
buddies who are die hard Rockets stand and know what,
and I like the Rockets, so, I mean, but I
gotta be honest. The way the Thunder is playing, I mean,
they're They're not a for sure thing either. I mean,
it's just right now, the West is clearly kind of
favorable for the top five teams.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
If you ask my opinion, you're right, and the Rockets
are number six.
Speaker 7 (17:44):
You're killing me, man, killing my buddies. Stot. You gotta
stop doing that. So fellas, I love this show.
Speaker 9 (17:50):
Thank you for your time.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I appreciate Jason. Hold on, hold up, you just said
it was buzzkiller. That's what you are. You buzz killed,
So you're the buzz killer. You just said a second
ago in a fine win. Oh, it was a fine
win over the over the team last night. Who did
they play? Oh, they played the Los Angeles Lakers. We're
gonna give any credit to the Spurs.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
They do enough of that fan bets does it enough
for themselves.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
They won by sixteen and they outshot them by forty
two percent in the second half. That's fine. It was
a great game by them last night. I'll give credit
RECRDS due no lebron. I want them to suffer. I
want them to suck. I don't want them to be
a good team. But right now they are playing more
kinsistent than the Rockets, and that should be an identity
thing that Emay's looking at currently inside the clubhouse and
asking what are we doing wrong in that san Antonio
(18:32):
is doing right? I mean, without hearing from email last night.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
I mean, I know, you know the Dallas game, for example,
I was on that post game, and you know, he
was asked about the effort and he said, I didn't
see effort was a problem. We just were awful offensively,
and I think it was clearly a lot of the
same deals last night. I mean, avid Ya, as we
mentioned forty one points out of him. So I mean,
certain guys are going to be able to get theirs,
and he definitely got his. But I mean, again, it
(18:56):
doesn't underscore the fact cold that when you shoot thirty
seven of ninety nine from the field, you're not going
to win very many games. And this team has to
find offense if they're going to win more games.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
So you're looking at a team like San Antonio and
you're talking about maybe the fact that they struggle with
three point shooting, because they shot sixteen percent from downtown
last night, but they also shot fifty percent for the field,
and they also shot eighty two percent for the free
throw age, and the little fundamentals go a long way.
Rockets didn't shoot that last night, but they shot twenty
three percent from the three point range, So better point
range when it comes to shooting for threes, but lesser
(19:28):
overall success coming from the offensive.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Consistency down in the pain. All right, So let's get
into the Texans here. As you know mentioned with Will
and Anderson Junior, where we played the audio from him
the other day where he talked about talking to the
defensive lineman and saying, now's the time to make the
sacrifices like this needs to be everything that you have
is into this, because well, you win one, then you
can get two. You win that second one, then you
(19:52):
get three, and then if you get to number four
and you win that one, your world champions. So the
presence of mind to be able to say that to
you his guys when he's what third year in the league, yep.
And I mean obviously somebody too that when you brought
him here in that draft, you brought him here with
the express purpose of being somebody that is going to
be a tone setter in that locker room and be
(20:13):
a tone setter for this team. But then it got
me thinking last night, Cole, don't we wish that that
was CJ. Stroud over Will Anderson Junior? That you want
that out of your quarterback as opposed to a guy
that's a really good standout edge rusher.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
No, I want my quarterback to win me football games.
That's all I care about. I don't care about it
what just sound like at the podium. I don't care
about what just sound like when it comes to meeting
with media. It'd be great to have a better rapport.
It'd be great to feel like that you're more frustrated
after a close game that you could have played better in.
But if you win a football game and your quarterback
is the reasoning why you're winning a football game, I
(20:46):
don't really care how you sound or how you approach things.
And that's kind of what I know, that's what you're
getting at. But yeah, that's that's more so important to me.
The thing is that Will Anderson is treating it in
a leadership perspective from a spotlight standpoint, but he's delivering
on the field. I mean, that's the thing is.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
That's what it really comes down there with CJ is
that at times inconsistency with his throwing and being able
to you know, hit open receivers and sometimes overthrowing guys,
and I mean, you know, he gets the intentional grounding
the other day where it was something that looked like
it could have been very avoidable out of him, and
you're like, come on, man, it's year three, Like, how
(21:24):
how is this still happening? Like I think that's what
kind of underscoes the frustration with CJ at times, like
where it's how like have you not made improvements in
these areas to be even better this year? And it's
not like this offensive line. It's great, but they're not
as bad as they were last year.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
You couldn't blame it on the offensive line for making
you have the rush to your throws. I mean, even
against in my opinion, sub pass rush, they give him
zero sacks. That's the thing.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Like is there's even times this year where I look
at this offensive line. And we'll continue this, but I mean,
you know how many times are you watching a game
and you're like, CJ.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Just get rid of the ball. There is at least
four or five times a game where the pressure comes
on in and it's not because the offensive line. It's
because of holding the football for too long or trying
to survey the field and get a pass downfield.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
And that's I mean, it's just sometimes I mean, he
is you know, he decides to go ahead and take
off and run, which is you know, I mean, something
else that you can add to party of your game.
But again, we'll continue this because I mean with will
Anderson Junior kind of to further the thoughts on him
being a team leader, is even trying to seek the
(22:30):
advice of a legend looks I we'll discuss that here
as we continue on the Morning Drive. It's me Dan Matthews,
Cole Thompson, Triple, Emmanuel Elmore hanging out with you this
morning right here.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Real takes Real Reaction, Real Houston. Sports Talk seven ninety
guarantee human talking about.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Will Anderson Junior.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
And one of the things that you know I'd mentioned
you just thought popped into my head. I go, you know,
I think Will Anderson Junior has turned into who we
would hope that CJ. Stroud would because you want your
quarterback to be the you know, standalone leader of the team,
Like that's the guy, he is the voice of the team.
What do you say about you know, successful teams, Well,
the quarterback is an extension of the head coach.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Well, in this case, I mean, I guess it kind.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Of makes sense because the quarterback of the defense is
as he's Al Shaier. But at the same time, Will
Anderson Junior and Daniel Hunter have been a massive part
of your defense this year. But it's also too with
guys that you look at and you say, never enough
for them, never satisfied. Will Anderson Junior seems like he's
one of those guys again, has a pedigree coming from Alabama,
(23:39):
a program that demands all of those things. When Nick
Saban was there, it was every little attention to detail,
and they did everything better than everybody else.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
That's why they won national titles almost year in and
year out.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
So the Houston Chronicle Sam Warren doing a good piece.
How a string of text messages from JJ Watt to
Will Anderson Junior raised the Houston New Star so Anderson Jr.
Talking about at first he was a little hesitant to
reach out, and then the interaction spanned to nearly fifty
to fifty five to zero text messages in a couple
(24:14):
of hours. Watt said the conversation was heavy but reassuring,
as the Texans top defender saw plenty of good from
the determined twenty four year old on a path to
take him from that. Watt said of the extent of
the exchange, that was intense. It started with the question,
(24:34):
It started to question stuff. I just had to calm
him down a and also b give him some real
advice I really thought could make him even a little
bit better. So again too, I mean trying to reach
out and trying to be able to find ways to
improve yourself. And I mean I think the first couple
(24:54):
of years we saw good things out of Will Anderson Jr.
We've seen definitely a massive step forward here year three.
So I mean, I think that young guys kind of
reached that point where there is a little bit of doubt.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Was there a doubt for Will Anderson going into year three?
Speaker 3 (25:09):
I don't think there was doubt, but I think that,
you know, it's one of those that maybe to him,
he kind of felt like that he had hit a
little bit of a early in your career wall and
trying to be able to get over that. So how
do I do that? All Right, Well, let me reach
out to somebody that knows what it's like to be
able to make really strong contributions in this league.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
And I credit him for doing that. I think it's
more so just hey, what did you do from year
one to year two to year three to turn you
into a two time a three time Defensive Player of
the Year cut type of candidate, because that's really where
the trajectory is of Will Anderson. When you trade up
and give away future draft compensation to get him at
number three, you're saying that you think he is going
(25:50):
to be the air apparent of the greatest pass rusher
to ever walk through the walls of NRG Stadium, and
so you deliver a solid rookie performance, you take that
next step forward with eleven sacks, but you're going into
a contract year and you want to make sure that
you've lived up to the billing of not only what
you've set as the goals for yourself coming out of
college and leaving as one of the greatest pass rushers
(26:12):
we've seen in the twenty first century at the collegiate level,
but living up to the narrative of you were worthy
of being traded up for the pick, because there were
people I still remember, nobody was upset about the move.
Nobody was sitting here and saying, oh, you got Will
Anderson and CJ. Stroud, But there were a lot of
people asking themselves, was it worth giving up all that
draft compensation for a pass rusher that may slightly be
(26:35):
better than a Tyree Wilson who was available at pick
number seven. Well, and Beholdens ended up being the blessing
in the guy becaucause Tyree Wilson is terrible out in
Las Vegas, and he's been great here. But there needs
to be a reason that you're able to take that
next jump forward. And Will's mindset's always been a I
am delivering for more than just me. I'm delivering for
a team, and I'm delivering for those who have put
(26:57):
their faith in me. And I think that that's where
you reach out to a guy like JJ Watt and say,
I understand that I may not be the reason our
team goes to Super Bowl, but I want to be
a reason. I want to be a factor. I want
to be a part of that success story because of
I think that if I get to that next level,
people are gonna follow my pathway. They're gonna follow my
(27:17):
workout regimen. They're gonna be able to want to stick
out behind and stay and stay and watch film. They're
gonna want to lead by example kind of met mentality.
And Will's done that and who did that before him?
One JJ Watt, who lived out of an NRG drive
for nine years.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
There's a reason he's here, Watts said, there's a reason
he was the third pick overall in the draft.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
He's that damn good.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
So I just try to I just keep trying to
make sure he remembers at the end of the day,
let it lose play free on Sundays. Go out there
and be Will Anderson, go out there and be the terminator.
Anderson did say that he was a little hesitant at
first to reach out, but I said that one thing
I've been learning from JJ is to be me, be free.
(27:58):
He was just telling me not to overcome complicate things.
He always acknowledges how hard I play. My technique has
gotten better from the first time he's seen me to now.
So just being free, going out there playing, just being myself,
being Will Anderson Junior.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Okay, well just be yourself. I mean like like, I mean, look,
everybody in life has someone that you model something after.
Because I'm gonna be completely real, lazy and Gentlemens you always, yes, Dan,
I'm always real, but I'm even more real when it
comes to this. It's a little bit of an edge
this morning. I kind of like it. Okay, everything has
been doing, everything's been done before. Everything in the world
(28:35):
you are copying somebody in some capacity. What you do
different is you take what is the formula that has
worked for somebody else and you turn it into your
own pathway. That's it. There are people that I model
my radio style after, but I still make it my own.
Because of it's me authentic the entire time, but somebody
else has sounded like me sitting in this chair or
(28:56):
another chair across the country. So it's all done differently.
You have to be yourself. If JJ would have said,
oh yeah, just be the next me, do you want
to how acid oine of a comment that would have been?
Because that there is nobody built like JJ Watt. There's
nobody who can pastors like JJ Watt. There's nobody who
can win one on one battles and win over locker
rooms and be a media darling like JJ Watt and
be able to call games in the broadcast like him.
(29:18):
But there's things that you can take from his game
that you can model the approach after that worked in
Houston while adding a little bit of spice in your
own side.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
It's practical advice from somebody where again, you know, like
you said, you're not gonna have the physical traits that
he had, You're not gonna have the size, You're not
gonna have all of those things. But it's exactly that,
don't overthink it, just play. You've got the ability like
That's that's what it really came down to for me,
and I see that in you, so you can absolutely
do that like it's it's things like that. And to
(29:45):
the point you brought up about no original ideas, I mean, yeah,
that's that's the whole thing. It's kind of like sports radio.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
You have to find your own pathway and carve out
a way that may people want to pay attention. And
Will Anderson's done that. And Will Anderson's put himself in
a position to where offensive coordinators are circling the whiteboard
and they're saying, fifty one, know where he's at at
all times, Know what his stump moves are. Know that
if you see him have his hand on the left side,
he could be shifting inside to go on a pass rust.
And when you get to that level of people are
(30:12):
making sure that you are a priority. You've reached the
standard in the NFL of being a name that people fear,
that people are intimidated by, and it's proven that you
have become one of the biggest stars in the sport.
And it's why going into this game against Pittsburgh, I
think a lot of people are looking at Will Anderson
and saying, what does he have in the tank? Because
(30:34):
of an Aaron Rodgers non mobile forty one year old
quarterback is gonna have to stay in the pocket. It
takes one hit for you to alter this game and
put the defense in a position to where they're getting
a fumble, they're causing a turnover, and the office gets
to work with the shortfield and it starts with the
trend s up front.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
You get one player to be able to double team
in the game. Who gets it? It's Will Anderson Jr.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Yeah, probably, though I still think that Daniel Hunter is
the one that's more dangerous team. I think that I
I think that Will is gonna win more reps one
on one. I mean, he's gonna win more double team
reps than Daniel Hunter. But I think that Daniel Hunter
is still gonna get is still gonna eat on his own.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
So it's it's kind of a negative con So you're
saying that Will is the one who gets double teamed
and then Daniel is free one on one.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
See, in my opinion, if I'd much rather see Daniel
get double team because I think that Daniel's gonna consistently
win his one on one reps. I think that Will
could lose a couple one on one reps to where
it ends up maybe benefiting a team like Pittsburgh where
if you're leaving fifty five on an island, he's witting.
He is kicking your ass every single play. I actually
would say, Dan Neil, you double team.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
And the man is chiseled from granite. It's quite a
sight to say what he's chiseled from.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Granted, No, he's just still like an action figure. No,
that's exactly it. I mean he's from granted, No, he's
he's bill like an actor. There's just there's.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Certain people who, you know, you could say, I can
eat as clean as possible, I could work out every
single day, I could do everything right, and I will
never look like that guy.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
That's actually one of the nicest people in the locker.
He's the best. Yeah, he's the best. It's it's very funny,
and many people have brought this up that near intimidated
to talk to him, and then you have one conversation
afterwards as like, oh okay, very soft spoken, very easy
to get a long dude. He's actually really good with
the media, Like every single post game he sticks behind
winner loss, very under the radar type of good guy
(32:17):
mentality for the locker.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
The few times I've talked with him. What do you
think we've talked about? Probably all shoot, yeah, yeah, there
you go. There you go, John in Downtown, See you're
right there.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
We'll get you in. You want to join him?
Speaker 3 (32:26):
Seven one three two on two five seven ninety gets
seven one three two one two five seven ninety in
addition to the Texans conversation, this is really rich coming
from this guy. We'll share that with you as we
close out six o'clock hour. Right here on a Thursday,
Sports Talk seven ninety they.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Are on Morning Drive. Here's Dan Matthews and Cole Thompson.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Sebone three two one two five seven ninety is the
number to get in. John in Downtown wants to wag in.
Good morning, John, Oh I did it again. Yeah, I'll
fix the phones on my end, triple. You appreciate John.
What's going on?
Speaker 9 (33:05):
How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (33:06):
I'm good, buddy. How are you? Cole is too?
Speaker 9 (33:08):
I think I'm Me and my friends were watching Pittsburgh,
you know, and and of course we want the Texas
to win. But well it's going to be a ground
game against air show because Aaron likes to put it
up there, you know, and somebody's gonna have to watch
Skyler because that guy, see what he did against the Ravens.
(33:32):
And I don't know, man, we were kind of worried
about our secondary. It's going to be tested. And to
tell you what, I don't know, what do you think? Uh?
Speaker 8 (33:44):
You know?
Speaker 9 (33:45):
Uh Jenner, I'll hang up and listen to what you're
gonna do. But uh, I just I don't know, man.
I mean, Aaron's he's been kind of quiet, you know,
the last couple of years, and then he's you know,
but you know, and then of course crowd, you know,
he's going to do his thing.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Aaron Rodgers has been kind of quiet the last couple
of years. Yeah, playoffs, so it's pretty big reason why
he's been quiet.
Speaker 9 (34:10):
Well, what I'm saying is that he's just he hasn't
you know, he has he has, he has, he's had
his bad season, you know, he's he's had one, you know,
and he's I don't know. It's just all we got
to say is it's going to be the ground game
against the air show, you know, and it's and I
(34:31):
hope that that are our team is. You know, the
ground game is gonna work good because they they I
think they have one older fellow on their defense.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
Sir, whose whose ground game is gonna work? Good?
Speaker 8 (34:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (34:46):
Well, I hope so you know it's.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
The Steelers are the Texans, the Texans.
Speaker 9 (34:52):
I hope that we have a good ground game, but
it's going to be an air show. You know, Pittsburgh
will put it up. I mean, they're not going to
think of they just put it out there or not.
Hope that our secondary is up to it.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Yet Johnny, Oh yeah, yeah, John, Johnny, I appreciate the call,
you know, just we've we've got to keep it, keep
it moving.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
But no, no, no, okay for starters again, what ground game?
I mean, like I'm again, I'm not I'm not trying
to be in mister doom and gloom. This is a
Texans team that so far this season has shown you
for the majority, they don't have a ground game. They
can run the football. He once in a while, I thought,
I thought last week against the Colts they were good
(35:35):
enough to run the grid to trust a rushing attack.
The British Brooks was your leading rusher.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Well, and we're also talking about a Texans ground game that,
for much of the season, if they got over one
hundred and the aggregates between three or four different guys.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Then we were like, okay, that'll do. Yeah. I mean
that's thirty four yards on thirty two carries. Four point
two yards.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
That's pretty much what you're asking for out of this
group because it's not like you know you're gonna count
on what he marks to be twenty twenty five times
a game. As a matter of fact, I think you've
seen that when they have tried to run him out
there as much as possible. You've seen him at periods
of a game have to leave because he's banged up,
he's injured, so you can't use him at that point.
And then Nick Chubb has been banged up, so that
(36:15):
means that you've had to try to count on Jawar Jordan. Oh,
by the way, Jawar Jordan leaving Sunday's game with an
injury issue. So that's what made it possible for British
Brooks to get on the field. The airing it out
part of it, though, from Steelers, I do not see that.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
I see a team that.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Again, their offense is very much based off of trying
to work the underneath routes and maybe take a shot
or two. But you're not going to see a ton
of them downfall.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Well, they have to have a moment to where the
defense back is making a mistake. Because look at the
Calvin Austin touchdown on Sunday, Chaudoba a Woozya was lined
up in coverage and he slipped trying to go ahead
and get to the out route which left Calvin Austin
wide open. But I will push back and I will
agree with John one thing. For Aaron Rodgers, this is
the way he's gonna have to win, and he's done
so consistently against the Texans throughout his career. In five
(37:04):
games he's won for them. In four of those five games,
he's averaged over two hundred and seventy passing yards. In
all five games, he's averaged two hundred and sixty seven
point two yards were game for thirteen to thirty six
passing yards and a seventeen to one touchdown interception ratio.
He has a one to twenty three passer rating, which
Dan that is the highest against any opponent he has
(37:26):
ever faced off against in the NFL highest passer rating,
and he's won the last four games against the Texans.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
Yeah, but again, I mean most of those were when
he was with Green Bay and he was Aaron Rodgers.
I mean, since he's gone to the Jets, he's been
a little bit better this year, but he's a shell
of who the.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Jets game was. I thought the Jets game against the
Texans was his best game in the Jets uniform. Three touchdowns,
two hundred and sixty five total yards of offense, I
mean two undred eleven yards of offense, zero turnovers, and
he had the big touchdowns strike to Devonte Adams and.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
It was a Thursday night to forget, that's for sure.
Jimbo Fisher, what are your thoughts on Jimbo Fisher as
a person. Yeah, that's pretty much. You don't you don't
have one one way or the other. For Lane Kiffin, well,
actually it was the other way around. Actually no, no, no, no,
it was yeah that he was like He's like maybe,
uh maybe.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Yeah, if it's got yeah, Jimo's got closu.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Maybe Jimbo will give me a clown costume. So that
probably leads into this. So you know, of course he
does work with ACC Network now and he's asked about
Lane Kiffin not letting former Ole Miss assistants help the
rebels finish the job, which I don't believe that's the case.
I think it was up to them if they wanted to.
Because Charlie Wise Junior is going back to help, but
(38:33):
a lot of the other assistants aren't going. Quote it's selfish,
that's what it is. It's stupid. And because here's why
I say that he wanted to coach Ole Miss and
thought he didn't get his way. Everybody get on the
plane with me, or you don't have a job, all right.
Well then he makes them all go and then he
gets down there, takes a pr hit because it looks
bad and you really don't care about the kids. Then
(38:55):
he says, okay, you can go back. That's really rich
coming from a guy that did what he did at
Florida State.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Sure, but he also did exactly what Lane Kiffin did,
which was take more money to go to college station. However,
his team wasn't playing for a national title, and his
team was also going into a moment of a lot
of the staff is following him down for a random
bowl game. That's difference. And I'm gonna push back and
say that Lane for a certain amount I don't think
(39:21):
really care. I think that he definitely had some moments
to where it was like, yeah, there are people that
you know I would like to have on my staff,
but let's be real. And you're the first one to say,
because you already said it last week. Nobody believed that
Ole Miss was gonna be Georgia, not a single person.
And Lane doesn't like that, because what's the narrative right
now around Ole Miss? They're winning without Lane. Lane so
(39:43):
longer than the spotlight, Lane's no longer the priority number one,
And you can you can like him, however much as
you do as a coach. I think he is an
offensive minded guy, one of the best in the industry,
and I'm not gonna take that away from him. Like
people are like, oh, trade at Chambliss and Keewan Lacy,
they're gonna be sticking around at Lane found a Division
two quarterback and turn him into a Heisman caliber player.
He'll he'll figure it out in Baton Rouge. But Lane's
(40:04):
a narcissist. Lane loves Lane. Lane loves the spotlight on
Lane Kiffin. And the spotlight's no longer shining bright from
the Oxford Rebels on Lane Kiffin. It's shining on Pete Golding.
And so he doesn't like that. And so the report
that came out by Ross Stellinger, who is a very
accredited reporter, saying that there were conversations about because of
(40:25):
the schedule, you are gonna have to go back, led
to a very bad negative pr Look. So, yeah, some
of the coaches are down there, but Charlie Wise Junior
was not leaving this team beforehand. Kevin Smith was not
leaving this team until they were eliminated. They could be
eliminated tonight and then they're on a plane of Baton
Rouge tomorrow or in two weeks, they're gonna be on
a plane in Baton Rouge. Guess what's happening. They're doing
(40:47):
their job while doing the job that they stuck around
to finish. Lane's being selfish. If it comes down to
the standpoint, he is. He's not keeping anybody from doing it.
That's the point. But if the report came out, you're
saying that Ross made up a report. No, I'm not
saying that, And I don't even know what the report is.
That Lane was going to pull the coaches, and they
had a conversation in a meeting that he that that
(41:09):
they were going to stick it out with Ole Miss,
But Lane wanted them to come and work for him
starting after the Sugar Bowl because that was when he
thought that the contract was going to be up.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
Okay, so I mean that's in, Yeah, that's Lane being Lane.
But he continues, Here's where he screwed up. He thought
they were going to lose to Georgia. The portal thing
was all over with, and it was going to be
all over with, and he'll look like the hero. Now
he's got a eggline his face, and the real Lane
came back.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
Okay. Interesting, Well, Okay, both are allowed to have snarky
comments because both of them are very snarky and narcissistic
in their own way. The difference is that one guy
gets to sit in a broadcast with and the other
one's getting ready to leave his team to alpful hopeful
college football player of appearance in twenty twice seven.
Speaker 3 (41:50):
We'll pick this up later because there is more on
tonight's game, and as I mentioned, Neil McCrady going to
join us Rogers.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
See you right there, Workie into the conversation.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
But I've got great news for Textan fans, your Super
Bowl champions, and somebody out there gives you some really
good reasons why to believe that can become a reality.
We will share those with you right here as we
get the seven o'clock hour on a Thursday. It is
the Morning Drive with Dan and Cole Sportstock seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
KD Houston, KTVZHD two Houston as a Rocket Sports Talk
seven ninety your home for your home teams and iHeartRadio
stations guaranteed youan this is the Morning Drive with Dad
(42:39):
and Cole.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
In the college Football Playoff, you get one out of
the gate tonight Miami and Ole Miss in the Fiesta
Bowls seven one three two one two five seven ninety
Rogers c.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
You're right there. We're working in.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
But the Houston Texans are the twenty twenty six Super
Bowl winner, according to Douglas Clawson of cbssports dot Com
and his headline super Bowl twenty twenty six Survivor, which
team will hoist the Lombardi based on five title trends. Okay,
so title trend number one must be elites. On one
(43:17):
side of the ball, we can agree that they're elite.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
Number one scoring defense in the NFL, number one total
defense in the NFL going into Week eight. I'd say
that that's elite.
Speaker 8 (43:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Now, if you're okay, let me ask you what is
where does the elite stop for you? Because the Texans
dropped out at number two and it was only because
of Riley Leonard decided to have a field days Yeah,
and Alex Pierce went off one hundred and thirty two yards.
Is top three elite or is it only top two? Like, well,
what's the what's the finite signature for you when it come?
Speaker 3 (43:44):
I think top three is five? I mean out of
thirty two, you're you're inside top ten percent. That's elite.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
So they're number two in the NFL and scoring defense,
they're number two in the NFL, I mean the number
one of the NFL scoring defense, they're number two in
the NFL in total yards allowed, the number two in
the NFL and turnovers, and their top five and run defense.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
So he writes the last twelve and fifty six of
fifty nine Super Bowl champions were top seven in either scoring,
offense or defense, or even both, and by his logic,
that eliminates six teams. The Chicago Bears, San Francisco forty
nine Ers, the team you're gonna play Monday night, The
Pittsburgh Steelers Green Bay, Packers, Chargers, and Panthers all eliminated
(44:19):
from there.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Do you have a pushback on any of those. No.
I think San Francisco just just quietly because of something
about Kyle Shanahan in the playoffs is a little intimidating.
Speaker 3 (44:29):
Kyle Shannan in the playoffs. Well, I mean, okay, not
the super Bowl. The playoffs. Okay, I mean yeah, the playoffs,
I'll give you. But the super Bowl it's a little
bit of a blind sure, but for three.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
But we're not talking abou super Bowl'm just talking about playoffs. Hey,
you're up twenty eight to three, You're dropping back to pass.
Why are you dropping back to pass? Okay? Do you
think for one, Okay, to be fair, the twenty nineteen
to one, is that on Shanahan or is that on
Garoppolo missing a wide open receiver? Probably on Garoppolo. I
will give him. I will because I am.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
He just was too easy to go off of twenty
eight to three. You're just like, there's Kyle Shanahan.
Speaker 8 (45:01):
Again.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
I'm the most critical when it comes to Shanahan because
of I think in the overall perspective, he is one
of the more overrated coaches in the NFL, and I've
had to come off of that take because of it's
been a very, very very bad take. But I've given
him the bead of the doubt. I don't think twenty
nineteen was his fault, and Jimmy Garoppolo hits who was
it the wiser than they traded for Emmanuel Sanders. If
(45:22):
he hits Manuel Sanders and stride, they're up by twenty
and Kandy has no shot of coming back. The twenty
twenty three one that was him and twenty eight to
three was him.
Speaker 3 (45:30):
Let's continue make critical stops. Must make critical stops. None
of the last eighteen Super Bowl champions were bottom ten
in the NFL and third down conversion rate allowed, so
that eliminates one team.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
Buffalo Bills. You gone, I still think that they're going
to make a run, Like I maybe it's because of
what you're playing Jacksonville, and maybe I just don't trust
in England. I still think they're going to make a run.
Speaker 3 (45:53):
Well, then that's interesting because then the trench has come
up and you're like, well, defensively, you're fine offensively, but
trench is twenty One of the last twenty three Super
Bowl champions had a positive sack differential. That eliminates two teams.
One of the teams you just mentioned that the Bills
are gonna be playing on Sunday and the Patriots.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
So there's gone. So the Patriots are bottom ten and
sack rate and pressures allowed this year. Drake may has
looked good underneath pressure. But the thing is that you've
been going up against subpar pass rushes too. All right,
two more, one of them clutch kicks.
Speaker 3 (46:24):
Only one of the last twenty five Super Bowl champions
ranked bottom five in the NFL and field goal percentage.
That was the twenty twenty two Kansas City Chiefs. So
that eliminates two more teams, the Eagles and the Rams.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
I don't know why. I just I got a gut
feeling that Los Angeles is going to make the run.
I don't believe. I will say I don't believe in Philadelphia,
and I think that largely it has nothing to do with,
you know, their special teams. But I just I think
that the Rams are going to make a run.
Speaker 8 (46:53):
In this point.
Speaker 3 (46:54):
They're really missing Ellen Moore, who that's what the owner
called him. Allen, Yeah, she called the Ellen Moore. Oh god,
why yeah, Gail Benson, Oh you're talking about Gail. I
was like, wait, hold up, why are you talking about
the Lord Ellen kellen Moore? But she accidentally called him
ellen Moore. So now like Matt Moscona, of course we've
had on numerous times, they always played the drop of her.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
Ellen Moore. Rams are four and five and one score
games this year, and I've arguably the worst special teams
in football. So if it really does come down to kicks,
that's gonna be a problem. They have Fatty Harrison Meves
kicking field rolls, final one turnover battle.
Speaker 3 (47:28):
Only two of the past forty one Super Bowl champions
ranked bottom five in the NFL either giveaways or takeaways,
the twenty fifteen Broncos and the twenty twenty three Kansas
City Chiefs. So that eliminates two teams, one of them
being the team that I mentioned in twenty fifteen, the Broncos,
and then the Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (47:45):
You going, okay, I will give you a reason why,
because of it's clear that if you're playing King of
the Hill, the Texans are going to be viewed as
the favorite to win the Super Bowl because of their defense.
Every team has a hit, which what does red zone
offense look like in that metric.
Speaker 3 (48:04):
Well, I'm glad you say that, because then it gets
to the twenty twenty six Super Bowl champion are the
Houston Texans, And he says that leaves us with a
Super Bowl champion, at least in terms of those that
championship indicators the Houston Texans.
Speaker 2 (48:17):
They aren't without red flags either.
Speaker 3 (48:19):
They have one of the worst red zone offenses in
the league thanks to a non existent run game and
a horrible offensive line.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
However, CJ.
Speaker 3 (48:26):
Stroud's starting to heat up with Jayden Higgins emerging as
a strong second option along with Nico Collins. The offense
could just do enough to support an incredible defense that
oozes talent in playmaking at every level.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
I just look at the red zone offense, and if
you're telling me this comes down to whoever can score
inside the twenty, the Technans are out of the running.
And I get it. You know, you look at all
the other metrics that say, well, the Texans can do
this really well, and they're great on third down conversion rate,
and they're good on opponents red zone opportunities, and they
can score because of the got Kayimi Fairman, who is
Jew's draining threes every single time that he takes the field.
(49:00):
But it comes down to the red zone offense. For me,
that is going to be the hinderance. I need to
see six points instead of three. And I thought what
was really interesting is that you look at that Colts gain,
it felt like on that final drive, the Texans want
to put the nail on the coffin. They weren't calling
conservative plays to put them in a position to where
they're just gonna settle for three. They ended up settling
(49:21):
for a field goal because if they want to walk
away with positive points, but they at least were being aggressive.
But what was the reason that they had to settle
for a field goal? Once again? Red zone inefficiencies, the
inability to score from with inside of the twenty, And
that's been an area of weakness all year and that's
going to continue to be a weakness of an air
weakness until we see it, and you're not gonna figure
it out once you're in the playoffs. Now, maybe it'll
(49:42):
look really good against Pittsburgh because Pittsburgh's a subpar red
zone defense, and maybe depending on who you face off
against the next week, maybe it will be Jacksonville because
there's enough upsets, or maybe you'll go face off against
New England because of there'll be an upset to where
the seven seed has to go. I mean, the sixth
seed has to go play against the one seed, whatever
it is. I still think that until I get a
(50:03):
matchup to where I can guarantee that the red zone
offense is going to be better, there's a reason for
self doubt. Now it's the only reason I have, but
it's a pretty big one. I think that's fair and
it's also too.
Speaker 3 (50:14):
I mean, if I'm not mistaken, I think the Texans
won the toss on Sunday and decide to go with
the offense first, which normally you want to give yourself
that benefit of the doubt. Come out of the locker
room second half, you give yourself that chance kind of
like you know, all right, well, if you're kicking it away,
then choose the side of the field where you're gonna
be kicking into the wind in the first and third quarter,
and the wins that you're back and the forth in
case you gotta line up and try for a game winner.
(50:36):
I get all of that, but it also too, I
think the thought process there is our offense goes on
the field and gives us points. Then that immediately because
you feel like with this defense right now, that you
already have the other side playing at a disadvantage, that
the other side is already playing seven points down.
Speaker 2 (50:52):
The thing that I've noticed, and I brought this up
when it came to like Indiana versus Alabama, it's only seventeen.
Nothing feels like thirty one nothing. That's the way that
the Texans defense plays right now is it's only a
three point game. It's not it's a ten point game.
Because if Houston's offense, well, it will stall and it
won't always have none and attraction. They'll be There'll be
(51:13):
moments to worry a that. Yeah, you're like, oh, what
play like fifteen yard passes down? A fifteen yard play
down the field of Jaden Higgins, great catch by Jalen
Nol Dalton Shall's making the one hand to grab, Like
I mean, there are moments throughout a game that you're saying, Okay,
the offense is is fighting a rhythm. The thing is
that even if they don't get into the end zone,
they get into the they get into scoring opportunities. For
Kymi fairban So the reason it's a ten point swingings
(51:34):
to have a three point swing is if the offense
can't be slowed down, you're already tacking on more points,
which then that ten point swing because a thirteen point swing,
and that thirteen point swing becomes a sixteen point swing,
and it may only be like a nine and all
you need is to touchdown in a two point conversion
and you're right back in the game. But still your
defense has got to slow down to Houston's offense enough
to keep out a fair baron's field goal range.
Speaker 3 (51:56):
And that's what I think you saw in the Chargers
game too, where they got out to that seventeen nothing
and then it was all right, don't throw it away,
don't give it away with turnovers, which unfortunately CJ started
to and that's what allowed for the Chargers to come
back into the game at least a couple of times
he did.
Speaker 2 (52:13):
Sure again, I thought that. I thought that in the
game against Indianapolis, you saw more aggressive play callings from
Nikaylee that did lead to some frustrating moments, but still
this wasn't a conservative let's just go ahead and co
star way to a win because we're only up by
seven it was a let's make sure that we leave
(52:33):
no doubt that we're up by fourteen, we're up by ten,
that we're making this game feel like it's out of
reach before we even get to the third quarter.
Speaker 3 (52:41):
All right, So the Texans, as I mentioned, Super Bowl
champions at least according to CBS Sports, with again the
five title trends, and the Texans on the right side
of all of them, at least most of them.
Speaker 2 (52:54):
The red zone and the running game, and we get
all of that, but.
Speaker 3 (52:57):
Still nice to see that at least there is belief
that this team actually is viable heading into the playoffs.
We'll continue to discuss, and we're also tuned about fifteen
minutes going to discuss the Steelers side of Monday Night.
Andrew Philipponi from ninety three seven. The fan in Pittsburgh
is going to hop on with us. But you want
to get in a little bit of astros, Yeah, because
(53:18):
you know the question of is the windows still open?
I think Jim Crane found a way to keep it open.
We'll discuss right here as we continue here on the
Morning Drive, it is Dan Matthews, Cole Thompson, Triple, Emmanuel
Elmore hanging out with you right here.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (53:35):
Back to the morning Drive. Here's Dan Matthews and Cole Thompson.
Speaker 2 (53:42):
Roger wants to weigh in.
Speaker 11 (53:43):
Roger, good morning, Hey, good morning guys. Yeah, just about
the Rockets. You know, their shooting has been filled in
the last three or four games, like nine for thirty
six one game and seven for thirty eight, ten for
forty one, stuff like that. Uh, yeah, they're they're gonna
(54:03):
have to, uh, they're gonna have to remedy that some
kind of way, you know, reach Shepherd, you know, and
he's picked for he was picked for a reason. A
lot of that because of the shooting. You just can't
come out the gate man and taking all the paint
off the rim man. You got to put up more
than eight points. Man, we're counting on you.
Speaker 8 (54:19):
Uh.
Speaker 11 (54:19):
The same thing with Javari Smith. They're kind of like
call him Casper. Sometimes you see him and sometimes you don't.
We're just got you know, especially with alf the outcause
guy's got to step up. They were okay, they're just
missing open shots. They're They're fine, they were they had
their chances. I just don't see how why why the
shooting has fallen away so bad. Maybe it's because the
(54:41):
road games. Maybe I don't know. I just I just
feel like we were We're in every like we're in
every game. But just I just so we had more
talent on the other side. I know the other guy
went off right, Yeah, that player. I just man, that's
a great that was a great find by porter.
Speaker 5 (54:57):
By the way.
Speaker 11 (54:59):
Uh So, I just I just think that they'll be fine,
just as long as their shooting comes back some kind
of way. And on the Texans people need to stop panicking. Man,
this is just step one. Tough tripping on step one.
It look that Textans just cush crushed that old man
and sending him on his way.
Speaker 5 (55:16):
I go with listening.
Speaker 3 (55:17):
I see you, Roger appreciate it. I mean, look as
this said, CBS Sports says it, and they're Super Bowl champs.
So I'm not worried going Monday night, take care of business.
As a matter of fact, you know what, Texans are
gonna win that game by their less than three scores. Really,
twenty four to seven, that's the final. I disagree. Now,
I'm not saying that that. Well, I still think it's
(55:38):
a low scoring game. I think that they will win.
I think that they will cover. The spread is currently
at three and a half, but I mean I'm going
more so like twenty to ten at this point. Okay,
that's fine, but I just I don't think that this offense,
this offense for Pittsburgh plays right into this defense's hands
right in there.
Speaker 2 (55:59):
Sure, But there is one thing that I do want
to bring up. I'm gonna ask andew this too. There
is a difference between last year's wildcard team and this
year's wildcard team because if you look back at last season,
Pittsburgh was in the driver's seat for the division title.
They lost four straight games to close it out the
season Philadelphia, Baltimore, Kansas City, Cincinnati, all four of them
(56:22):
were playoff teams. This season, they end the year on
what happens to be a high note because of Chadobo.
Woozy falls on down, Calvin Austin gets into the end zone,
they miss a field goal, They're in the postseason. They
go ten to seven. They also win four of their
last five games Baltimore, Miami, Detroit, Baltimore. They're playing with
(56:45):
more momentum this season compared to last season, and I'm
not saying that's gonna be something that you look at
and go, oh, this will be why Houston's gonna give
it on up, and why you know Pittsburgh's gonna be
the Cinderella team or anything like. No, I don't think
that all. I think that the Texans are gonna win
this game, that the text's gonna cover at the textas
we find. But I think that there is more of
an unknown when it comes to what you can expect
(57:06):
from Pittsburgh in this game. And there's more fight this
season around. Like last season, they got lucky to snink
their way into the playoffs because of Denver. They only
won their game against Kansas City because of Kancy restsolve
its starters. So that was how they got it in.
Cincinnati got left out. If Cincinnati would have beaten, that
would have won, and kan City would have won, Pittsburgh
would have been on the outside looking in. So this
(57:27):
team right now has a certain I think identity that
says it's a completely unique field compared to what we
had last year. If Aaron Rodgers can just do enough
in this game, we don't need a lot. Low scoring
is actually favoring towards us, maybe we can pull the
wall over the Texans eyes and gonna win.
Speaker 3 (57:46):
I think that it's more on if the Texans play
the worst game of the season's that's the only way
you're losing this game because you're superiorly talented to them.
And I understand if that's not what always wins out.
But we're talking about an offense that just apps we
cannot do anything. And Pittsburgh's defense is fine. They're not great,
they're not awful, but they're fine. Just what their pass
(58:06):
rush alone. They give up the deep ball. So you
will be able to find Nico Collins, you will be
able to find Jaden Higgins, you can get Dalton Schultz involved,
all of those things.
Speaker 2 (58:15):
It's it's going to work in their favor.
Speaker 3 (58:16):
I just again, it comes down the matchups in this
offense against that offense against this defense. I just I'm sorry, man,
I don't see it. I don't see them getting a win.
Speaker 2 (58:26):
I just I think that I think that the Texans
would have to, have you said perfectly, they would have
to have the worst game possible for them to end
up losing this.
Speaker 3 (58:33):
I'm talking penalties, I'm talking turnovers. I mean, and they do.
But you know, actually, I will say this, not the turnovers,
the penalties. I mean they do have that, but I
mean it's not as pronounced as it was last year.
And that that I will give Demiko Ryans this in
this coaching staff credit for absolutely.
Speaker 2 (58:51):
On everyone else besides the offensive line. Yes, on the
offensive line, you still see the illegal motion, You still
the innultible receiver downfield, you still see the fall starts,
you still see the lining up in the neutral zone.
Those are all things that we still see. And it's
week twenty of the season at this point, like that's
where we're at. So it's hard for me to say
that that's not gonna be a fault. You're sitting at
(59:13):
a third and one, it becomes a third and six.
Speaker 3 (59:16):
Change the narrative, all right, So we were gonna get
into Jim Crane and the Astros, but I'll tell you what,
since we're gonna get to Andrew Philipponi here, we're gonna
do that, and then we're gonna hit a look at
the shield and then eight o'clock we'll do the Astros stuff.
So got all that still to come here, as we
will talk to Steeler's side of a Monday night to
Andrew Philipponi from a ninety three to seven the fan
(59:38):
in Pittsburgh gonna be hopping on with us right here
as it is the morning dry with Dan and Coles
Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (59:45):
We don't run on algorithms. We run on Elkuve, Durant
and Stroud four Talk seven ninety guaranteed Human.
Speaker 3 (59:58):
College Football Playoff Semifinal Game one coming up tonight out
in Arizona. It's gonna be Miami and Ole miss so
as promised. Let's head to the phone lines. Now, let's
catch up with a guy that's been with the station
for a long time. He is Andrew Philippony ninety three
to seven, the fan there in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
Pony, Hey appreciate it.
Speaker 12 (01:00:17):
Man.
Speaker 3 (01:00:17):
You got myself, Dan Matthews, Cole Thompson with you this morning.
Let's just start it off. You've had the three days
of shows since we found out that the Texans and
Steelers were gonna play against each other. Steelers fans are
feeling what way about this game on Monday night?
Speaker 6 (01:00:36):
You know, I'm not really sure yet, guys. I'm sorry
if my voice is a little bit off this morning.
My dog spent the last ten hours puking its brains out,
and my daughter was trying to negotiate reasons to stay
up and not go to bed last night, and my
wife is a phoenix at the football game tonight, so
I was on solo dad, dudey, and like, my whole
(01:00:57):
life right now feels like it's been turned upside down.
Steelers play like my family over the last ten hours.
They're going to get beat again, and the playoffs what
happens to them almost every year. No, it's been a
really weird week to gauge temperatures on the game because
the game right now actually feels secondary because you know,
(01:01:20):
I think there were a lot of Steelers fans that
weren't really looking at the Ravens game last Sunday night
and thinking, wow, you know, it would really be something
amazing if the Steelers could win this game and get
a home playoff game. I think there were a lot
of Steelers fans that were intrigued by all the reporting
about the loser of that game moving on from its
(01:01:44):
head coach, and that was a real tantalizing prospect, I
think for a lot of Steelers fans, because there's a
frustration here with Mike Tomlin and how the results have
pretty much been the same for a very long period
of time in which you make the playoffs every year,
but you get blown out and you're pretty much in
the middle of the NFL. Slightly above average, nothing more,
(01:02:06):
nothing less, and that John Harbaugh inspired and it makes
Steelers fans think and wonder, well, if that kick was good,
what would have happened to Mike Tomlin. So that's been
a big talking point. The newspaper here in town just
abruptly closed yesterday and shut down after being in business.
It's the seventeen hundreds, so that obviously was a huge
(01:02:29):
story too. And I'm guessing by the time I get
on the air today, people will be more inclined to
want to talk about this football game. But it still
feels a little bit out of sight, out of mind
defense here for some reason, Tony.
Speaker 2 (01:02:42):
Let me ask you this last season, the Steelers lost
for their last five games. This year, they win for
their last five games, and they finished ten to seven
fish ten seven last year. So like, when you look
at it from the perspective of, yeah, you got lucky
because of Tyler Luke's kick went wide right and in
lone of the firing at John Harbaugh, you still won
four of your last five games. Is they're a different
(01:03:03):
field because like last season, when I watched the Pittsburgh
Steelers in the postseason, it was like you knew that
they were going to get obliterated by whoever they faced
off against. This year's like, I don't think that it's
going to end up Steelers win, but I feel more
confident that it's at least going to be a closer
game than people expect.
Speaker 6 (01:03:18):
Yeah, I agree with that. I mean, that's right. I
share that sentiment.
Speaker 5 (01:03:23):
I don't.
Speaker 6 (01:03:24):
I think there's a great percentage or chunk of Steelers
fans that have a lot more optimism going into this
game because of Aaron Rodgers, because they've seen them lately win.
You know, they wont to back the ultimate Backs against
the Wall game Sunday night, they went to Baltimore and
(01:03:45):
one they went to Detroit and won. And I think
Houston's better than both of those teams, clearly. But they've
seen this team do a few things better than they
had for most of the season. They're throwing the ball
down field more, their pass protection has been a lot better.
(01:04:06):
Their running game when they decided to run the ball,
has improved a lot over the course of the season.
Their defense has been really hit or miss, But the
thing they've done a better job of lately is stopping
the run. They were awful in the first Ravens game
that they somehow won. After that, they completely took away
(01:04:28):
Jamir gibbson Montgomery in that Lions game. A Chan was
red hot when the Dolphins came here and he had
a quiet night. And Derrick Henry started the game with
a bang with that long run Sunday and they did
virtually nothing after that. So I think that's some things
that you can hang your hat on with the Steelers
going into this game. That literally last year there was
(01:04:51):
nothing to feel good about when they were headed to
Baltimore for that playoff game other than historically they had
played Lamar Jackson. Well, that was the only thing that
Fance felt might have been a positive for them going
into that game again.
Speaker 3 (01:05:05):
Andrew Philipponi ninety three seven the fan joining us here
to talk to Steelers. He's a host up in Pittsburgh.
You can find him on Twitter at the Pony Express
an E instead of a Y for pony so at
the Pony Express on Twitter. And Andrew, I mean, you
bring up an interesting point with the fan base up
there because I mean, push back if I'm wrong here,
But I mean, is there kind of a feeling amongst
(01:05:27):
the fan base of this team as currently constructed, not
good enough to be able to win a super Bowl
and you're probably gonna lose Aaron Rodgers after this season?
So is that kind of feeding into maybe wanting to
move off from Tomlin of Hey, look, if we got
to take a step back to take a couple of
steps forward and lose the coach and the process, then
I'm fine with that.
Speaker 6 (01:05:48):
I mean, we had people that people I shouldn't pluralize it,
but we had somebody colored to our show this week
and say, if they won the super Bowl, they still
fire Tomlin. I mean there's just acidineus melt your brain
opinions on him because they're such a malaise as far
(01:06:08):
as like what the confidence is in him and really
his ability to foster an environment that brings in a
young quarterback and allows for that guy to succeed and
develop and answers that question long term, He's never done that.
He inherited Big Bend. They drafted Kenny Pickt in the
(01:06:31):
first round. That was an abject failure and justin fields
last year was a guy that they thought they could
remedy they didn't.
Speaker 10 (01:06:39):
That was not a.
Speaker 6 (01:06:40):
Horrible call because they paid him like a backup, but
there wasn't really any gold there clearly, And now they've
gone the veteran band aid route. And it's like every
year we go into the off season now wondering what
are the Steelers going to do at quarterback after eighteen
years of never asking that question because of mc ben,
(01:07:01):
And there's like minimal confidence that Mike Tomlin a knows
how to identify the right young quarterback and b knows
how to refine him and get him in a position
to be someone that can get the job done consistently.
So I think that's really where a lot of the
(01:07:22):
angst comes in and concern and worry about the Steelers
beyond what's going to happen in this game and then
maybe the week after if they win. Is okay, cool,
you won a playoff game. You ended this interminable playoff
Steelers wind drought which has been going on now for
almost a decade. But when the dust settles on the season,
(01:07:42):
where do you go from here? And I would say
right now it's probably more likely than not that if
Aaron Rodgers wants to keep playing football, the Steelers are
going to let him do that. In twenty twenty six year.
Speaker 2 (01:07:55):
Yeah, Pony, the last sudden the Steelers wont a playoff game.
I was in college, so it's been a hot wins.
We've seen them actually do anything in the postseason. But
just in your opinion, what's the thing that could lead
to a playoff win over a team like the Texans
that has the number one scoring defense in the NFL,
number two defense in total yards and probably the scariest one,
their number two in the takeaway department, and their number
two in red zone defense.
Speaker 5 (01:08:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (01:08:17):
Well, Aaron Rodgers has not thrown an interception since November ninth,
so he's he's found that ball security thing that he
was famous for in Green Bay and I think all
time in the NFL. He's got the lowest interception rate
in league history. And Tomlin loves that. And Tomlin, even
(01:08:37):
more than any of her coach fetishizes as long as
you win the turnover battle, you're going to win the game.
You know. He was waxing poetic about how great the
Texans have been and not turned the ball over and
getting the ball from the appointment. That was the first
thing he mentioned about them when he did his weekly
press conference previewing the game on Tuesday was just their
ball security strengths. So if they're going to win, I
(01:09:02):
think they're going to have to We're going to have
to see the Steelers defense dominate the Houston Texans offense.
That would be my best guess. I mean, I'm sure
there's a scenario in which the game is like twenty
seven to twenty four, but that would not be my assumption.
That this is going to be a game that's played
(01:09:23):
in the high twenties. Is probably going to be played
in the high teams or low twenties. And the Steelers
defense at times this year has shown that they can
do that, but at other times they've gotten torched and
destroyed by inferior quarterbacks and lesser offenses. So it's a
matter of what Steelers defense shows up. The Steelers thought
(01:09:46):
this year going into the season that they were going
to have what Houston has on defense. They pay more
money than any team for defensive players one hundred and
seventy million. Tomlin even said before the season that he
thought they could be a historic defense. He threw up
like that around and they ended up I think seventeenth
in scoring defense and they're near the bottom of the
league in pass defense. So it's a matter of which
(01:10:09):
Steelers defense shows up, and lately it's been better, but
you just never know what these guys in the playoffs.
During this six game losing streak in the playoffs, they're
giving up on average thirty eight points per game, which
is insane.
Speaker 3 (01:10:24):
Yeah, that's tough, but I mean, of course, this Texans
offense hasn't been any great shakes really either, Pony. I
want to get you out door on this one, and
that is you know, I was talking about Aaron Rodgers.
I see a lot of underneath throws out of him
and not a ton of downfield throws. I mean, is
there kind of a feeling that that plays right in
what this Texans defense wants to do.
Speaker 5 (01:10:47):
Well?
Speaker 6 (01:10:47):
I mean he I think that he was more confident
and more comfortable in making some of those throws and
attempting those throws against Baltimore because they have no pass rush.
And I don't think it's a quinch evidence that he
had his best games this year against the Ravens because
they're lacking significantly in that department, and as everybody in
(01:11:08):
your audience knows, the Texans are the exact opposite of that.
And he was horrible against the Chargers earlier this year,
and he was awful against the Bills earlier this year,
and both of those teams have good edge rushers. So
that's my worry in this game, that he's going to
be concerned about it, that it's going to affect his
(01:11:31):
mindset even before the snap, that he needs to get
rid of the ball quickly, and they're going to completely
rely upon maybe they're running backs making plays on checkdown throws,
which they're both really good at. I mean, Jalen Warren
and Kenneth Gainwell are probably the two best players in
Steelers offense right now.
Speaker 5 (01:11:49):
But yeah, I mean, I could.
Speaker 6 (01:11:52):
Absolutely see the Steelers offense reverting back to that shortest
average depth to target quickest for East point, you know,
no attacking of the field vertically and down the middle
if that happens again, and the Steelers are going to
score very very few points in this game unless Houston
offensively just completely goes in the tank, turns the ball over,
(01:12:16):
there's a special team's touchdown or something like that. So
my gut tells me that the Steelers will be lucky
to score seventeen points in this game.
Speaker 2 (01:12:24):
Okay, Paie, I'm gonna get you out of here on this.
You said your wife was down in Arizona for the
playoff game. So who she's pulling for and who's winning tonight?
Speaker 6 (01:12:32):
I have no idea who she's pulling for. She went
to West Virginia, so she has no dog in the fight.
She's with people who assumed that Ohio State was going
to play in this game and they're out. So it's
a very weird dynamic. Yes, yeah, they they put the
cart before the horse. I think she's a ring for
(01:12:54):
Indiana because Signetty's from here, so I think she likes
that story. But I think, well, actually, wait, the game's
Old Miss versus Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:13:04):
Yeah, the sure she can pull over for a sit
that's totally cool.
Speaker 6 (01:13:08):
They I don't think she could name one player on
either team, so I have no idea who she's rooting for.
Maybe Old Miss. I feel like she would be into
like their cocktail scene and like tailgates and stuff like that,
so she'll probably gravitate towards their fans, and.
Speaker 2 (01:13:24):
They've never lost a party. That's a.
Speaker 3 (01:13:26):
That's absolutely what they will tell you there on the
grove in Oxford. Andrew Philippony again part of ninety three
seven the Fan up in Pittsburgh, hopping on with us
for a few minutes. Pony, Hey, appreciate the time. Get
some rest, rest up for the show this afternoon, and
we'll catch up with you again another time.
Speaker 6 (01:13:43):
All right, boys, see it during the game Monday.
Speaker 8 (01:13:46):
Well we'll do.
Speaker 3 (01:13:46):
Andrew Philipponi again, hopping on with us for a few minutes.
I always love that. So you're still going, huh, yeah,
it was non refundable and we can't cancel.
Speaker 2 (01:13:55):
So when I was in Nashville for the FCS National Championship,
in my section of Monte State people, there was a
South Dakota fan, there was a Montana fan, and there
were a handful of North kot Stay.
Speaker 3 (01:14:06):
Look, you know it gets yeah, it gets to a
certain point like where you know, you spend a bunch
of money and again you know it's one of those that, yeah,
you could recoup it, and of course you know how
it all goes oh eight to ten business days where
you're just like okay, like look it's it's sunk in cost.
Speaker 2 (01:14:19):
I've already spent the money. So like the North Dakota
people that were there, they had taken a week off
of war because they thought they were a guaranteed shoeing
to go to the national championship. And so they lose
to Illinois State in that overtime game and they say, oh,
I'm drinking here, my sorrows away because I should beating
the crap at Montane's say, I mean.
Speaker 3 (01:14:35):
Look, there's worse places to be, and I mean you
get a nice little vacation out of it.
Speaker 2 (01:14:40):
So it works out. It's fine. Oh, it's fantastic. And
they were the favorite thing that I love about people
from like that, from the Midwestern reaches up north. When
they are drinking, they are very open. Oh no, no, no,
with their wallets. I'm not fay for a single drink.
When I was out in Nashville, there you go, there
you go. Good for you man, You played it right,
all right.
Speaker 3 (01:14:57):
So I appreciate Andrew Philipponi again for hot and on
with us as we did close it out with them
on the CFP of course, and mentioning his wife's out
there in Arizona. So we will talk some CFP here
in about forty five minutes. Neil McCrady from twenty Rebels
twenty four to seven is going to hop on with us,
but we'll continue the NFL conversation with everyone else, not
(01:15:18):
the Texans and Steelers, because it's time for us to
look at the shield.
Speaker 2 (01:15:23):
He ain't leaving. This guy's the gift that.
Speaker 3 (01:15:25):
Keeps on giving and he still wants to play all
three of those coming your way right here in the
Morning Drive with Danny Coles Sports Talk seven to ninety.
Speaker 2 (01:15:34):
Phe Town.
Speaker 1 (01:15:35):
The Morning Drive continues now now here's Dan and Cole.
Speaker 3 (01:15:42):
So the Rockets lose last night, one O three, one
oh two of the Blazers in Portland, and they're gonna
get them tomorrow night. Texan's gonna get back on the
practice field, getting ready for Monday night against the Steelers
in Pittsburgh and college football playoff game one of two
semifinals coming up tonight Miami Ole Miss Fiesta Bowl out
there in the desert. All that said, it's now time
(01:16:03):
for us to look at the shield.
Speaker 1 (01:16:11):
All right, Sorry it off.
Speaker 3 (01:16:13):
As I mentioned in the teams, he ain't leaving. He
is Todd Bowles. As the Buccaneers did struggle down the stretch,
one on Saturday, but then needed the Falcons to lose
to the Saints.
Speaker 2 (01:16:24):
That didn't happen.
Speaker 3 (01:16:25):
So the Carolina Panthers are your NFC South champions. Surprised
a little that Tampa Bay decided to stay with Todd Bowles,
especially how badly they scuffled down the stretch. I mean,
because you factor in take where heem Morris for example,
that team played their best football late in the season.
You could have made the argument, hey, keep him around.
Speaker 2 (01:16:43):
Would have fired him tomorrow, I would have fired him
two weeks ago. I would have fired him a month ago.
I would have fired him last season. So it was
already cooked in that. It was like, no matter what coach,
he's a solid overall defensive minded coach, but he's not
good at head coaching adjustments, and we've seen it. He
should have want to playoff game last season against Washington. Instead,
the game winning field goal happened, Washington goes onto the
(01:17:05):
NFC championship game. You had a guy in the building
that was very much getting the best version of a
MVP caliber Baker Mayfield. He took the job in Jacksonville
with Liam Cohen, so you know it's incompetence after incompetence
in the Glacier family made a statement saying, well, the
injuries and then Baker's shoulder, and then the adequitness and
(01:17:25):
some aging players, and we're gonna get younger. All you're
doing is you're kicking the can down the road, because
if you want to make it a cheaper buyout, that's
all it is.
Speaker 3 (01:17:33):
So from there we head to Dallas, where Jerry Jones
says that his goal is to retire with the most
Super Bowl wins. The Cowboys are currently at five and
the Patriots have seven, right, and the Steelers have six,
and SODA's pages.
Speaker 2 (01:17:49):
Of seven forty nine ers in the series of six.
Speaker 3 (01:17:52):
Okay, so the right now, so there are a couple more.
So he would need three more to be able to
have the most. At least two more to be able
to tie it. Jerry yank getting it.
Speaker 2 (01:18:01):
I'm sorry, No, Jerry's never gonna win a Super Bowl.
The year he kicks the can is the year I'm
going to Vegas. I am walking into a sports book,
I am taking my life savings and I'm throwing it
on the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl. Because if
he has to be looking up at everybody and saying
I knew you always could do it. I knew all
would all take is for me to go ahead and
(01:18:22):
make you're sending him the damn nation. Why is it
so hot down here? Well, I thought the hours on
the hot seat, I didn't realize it was like, like, no,
they're not winning it as long as he's still alive
and breathing. He's eighty three years old. I don't like
his He's gonna live another twenty years. Probably he's gonna
be one hundred and three, sitting in the booth and
saying this is the year it happens.
Speaker 3 (01:18:41):
Well, health is a funny thing now in the advancements
we've made, so maybe he's got a chance to do.
Speaker 2 (01:18:46):
That has nothing to do with health. It's that he
refuses to let go of anything in life, including his
own sanctity.
Speaker 3 (01:18:52):
I'm still alive. I am still as sharp as I
am today as I was about thirty years ago.
Speaker 2 (01:18:58):
Jerry, you're looking outside of the camera.
Speaker 3 (01:19:00):
That's why, Okay, the final one here Russell Wilson swaps
agents and not blinking on playing in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (01:19:05):
But maybe the NFL is blinking on him. That last
part was me, not Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson's blinking on
playing in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (01:19:11):
Okay, not blinking that he's still intends on playing, because
he just switched from his longtime agent Mark Rodgers to
super agent David mull Again.
Speaker 2 (01:19:20):
You're playing? Where's the playing next year? Did you tell me?
He ended this season as the third string backup in
New York?
Speaker 13 (01:19:28):
Right?
Speaker 2 (01:19:28):
So where's he playing next year? I don't know exactly.
The graduates his David Mulligeta, you got a very wonderful
situation here.
Speaker 3 (01:19:37):
Maybe can go back to the Steelers to be limited,
I mean to be limited.
Speaker 2 (01:19:42):
Come on, mister limited, where are you going? Yeah he's
mister unlimited. Yeah yeah, I'm sure that that's exactly what
people want to hear.
Speaker 3 (01:19:48):
Look, I mean, wanting as opposed to knowing are two
different things. He wants to still keep playing, but I
think he deep down knows he can't still yeah playing.
Speaker 2 (01:19:58):
I would love to go be in the NFL. I
know I can't be in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (01:20:02):
All right, So as we get into the eight o'clock hour,
could the coaching carousel pick up some new riders right
here in Houston? Someone says, yes, we'll have that for
you right here as we continue on the Morning Drive,
Dan and Cole Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (01:20:17):
AB Houston ATVHD two Houston, The Astross the Rockets, Rockets
ask you fall your home for your home teams. This
is Sports Talk seven ninety and iHeartRadio Station Guaranteed Human.
This is the Morning Drive with Dan and Cole.
Speaker 3 (01:20:44):
You're gonna get Ole Miss and Miami taking on each
other in the Fiesta Bowl. Someone three two, one, two, five,
seven ninety is the number to get in the coaching carousel.
It's going and the Texans have been a successful organization.
They've made the playoffs last three years, division winners the
last couple of years in as a wild card this
year twelve and five football team with an outstanding defense.
(01:21:06):
So usually when you're very successful, other teams want to pluck,
they want to come to you. They want to say, hey,
you know what you're doing over there, Let's see if
that guy can replicate it over here. And there hasn't
been a ton of buzz about anybody on this Texan staff,
like for example, last year Detroit the two highest sought
(01:21:26):
after coordinators that people wanted to give first time head
coaching opportunities to were up there, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glynn,
at least for one of them worked out incredibly well.
Not so much for Aaron Glynn, but for the Texans.
The crew over at ESPN dot com did for all
thirty two teams of the coaching carousel and how it
(01:21:47):
affects every single team. For the Texans, they right. The
early intel is that defensive coordinator Matt Burke expected to
receive at least one head coaching interview for the work
that he's been able to do with the top rated
defense New York the Giants. That is is a potential spot.
Burke and Giants general manager Joe Shane have a shared
history from Miami in twenty sixteen. Quarterbacks coach Gerard Johnson
(01:22:10):
could also get a coordinator spike due to his work
with Houston's quarterbacks Davis Mills Sharp during the three game
stint while C. J.
Speaker 2 (01:22:18):
Stroud was out.
Speaker 3 (01:22:19):
Johnson's off season at presentations at coaching summits are also
considered to be highly impressive by his peers. So those
two scenarios right there. I mean again, usually, unless you're
interviewing for many you're not really being considered.
Speaker 2 (01:22:35):
Rod Johnson as an off. It's coordinators more likely than
Thatt Burke as the head coach. That's Draskan. Yeah, that's
that's it.
Speaker 3 (01:22:39):
That is that Jerad Johnson will become nice is gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (01:22:44):
Neither will happen this year, but I do think that
the more likely it would be Ghirad Johnson.
Speaker 3 (01:22:48):
You don't see the co coordinator thing very often in
the NFL. I mean, if anything, you'll have like kind
of a little offshoot, like you're the run game coordinator,
you're the passing game coordinator. That is something I think Wijohnson,
you know, that would be interesting to see if that's
added to his game this offseason. If indeed that that
is something that kind of leads you to believe. Like
(01:23:10):
remember for the longest time with Eric b Enemy, Hey,
why isn't Eric bnemy getting head coaching jobs? So he
doesn't call plays? Then he had people will wait a minute.
He's got a headset on, he's got a play sheet
in front of him. Looks like he's speaking into that headset.
Speaker 2 (01:23:21):
The reason Eric b Enemy did not get head coaching jobs,
as it's been well documented by multiple people around the league,
is because of the interview processes when he met with teams.
It had nothing to do with the fact that he
didn't call plays, and nothing to do with the fact
that he did have a good relationship alongside Patrick Mahomes.
It didn't have anything to do with the fact that
Andy Reid was really the integral part of the offense.
(01:23:43):
It was the fact of the interviews did not go
according to plan. So the thing is going to be
really interesting is how does Girad Johnson if he gets
an opportunity of this offseason to go meet with somebody,
whether that be where they're down in Arizona or Tennessee
or Las Vegas, or a team that is going to
fire its off its coordinator that is going to keep
it head coach, what's going to be the sales pitch
that makes him stand out as a good enough option
(01:24:06):
to believe he can actually lead drives and get a
better result from the offense. Because that really was the
different stream the enemy being a head coach and now
being the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 3 (01:24:16):
Well, and in terms of you know, some of those
other additional responsibilities offensively, I did check, and indeed, Johnson
does not have any additional the offensive passing game coordinator
is Ben McDaniels and the run game coordinator is Cole Popovich.
So either of those two guys also, you know, getting
(01:24:38):
those responsibilities. I mean, that's that's something that I'm sure
if Demiko has asked about Johnson, you know, for this
very thing, he would say, no, absolutely is very deserving
of getting that opportunity. And I mean this is also
a guy too that has paid his dues in the
coaching world. His very first coaching job at Mile Water
Saint Thomas High School and from the high school range
(01:25:00):
was able to find himself into the NFL. And it's
clearly somebody that's highly counted on by CJ. Shroud and
by Davis Mills.
Speaker 2 (01:25:07):
Oh look, I I understand that there's a REASONA believe that, yes,
he could become an off its coordinators elsewhere. I just
don't see it right now because if I feel like
that last season he had an opportunity to go meet
with multiple teams and he had interviews and it was
with I believe the Saints were won and then the
Buccaneers were the big one. I remember that, why don't
you get the job? It feels like that every single
(01:25:28):
cycle unless you have somebody that you can follow. So
let's say, like Matt Burke got hired as a head
coach somewhere, that's an easy transition to say, we just
spent last three years together. We've been building a pretty
good rapport. I've seen the work of how you've gone
with CJ. Stroud. I know that you can go work
with the quarterback and be able to develop improperly. I'm
going to bring you on my staff like I could
see that. But there's a reason why you usually see
(01:25:50):
people when they're hired, especially as coordinators, go after guys
from their current staff that they want to bring on
up and just promote.
Speaker 3 (01:25:57):
And it's also too, I mean, is you know we
talked about when somebody brought it up with us not
too long ago. It's harder, it seems, for a defensive
minded coach, unless your defense is exceptionally good. I think
that for Burke, it's a little bit of yeah, you
took over the play calling this season, we got to
see you do it again. I mean, remember too, you
(01:26:18):
know from the offensive side, how worried we were a
couple of years ago at this very time. We can't
lose Bobby Slowich. Oh my god, you can't lose that guy.
Look At how awesome this offense was this season, and
then the following year it was, Hey, anybody can take
them if they want to, because we don't want them anymore.
I'm not saying that that's going to be the case
with Burke, but I mean, you have another strong season
that one interview turns into three four, You're interviewing for
(01:26:39):
every single one of them next year because then people
can see, Okay, you got something there.
Speaker 2 (01:26:44):
I just think that this is gonna be one of
those psychos where it's a lot of tread on the
tires for second chance opportunities. That's what I'm looking because
Advance Joseph, he's considered right now one of the top names.
What Advance Joseph did before he was headed coach to
the never Broncos. Kevin Sefanski's meeting with teams? Where was he?
Cleveland Browns, Harbot, he just left his job with the
(01:27:06):
with the Baltimore Ravens. Here's one Robert Sala he's getting interviews.
He's get looked at Arizona. Terrible, terrible head coach with
the New York Jets. Brian Flores, he's a name that
people are looking at and saying, if he goes to Baltimore,
it's intimidating, if he goes to test see, that's scary.
Former field coach with the Miami Dolphins. So this is
one of those cycles where it feels like you may
(01:27:29):
see one newcomer at least put himself in a conversation
where yeah, I'm gonna get some interviews, but I don't
see a scenario where you're gonna watch a lot of
these coaches be hired for a first time coach.
Speaker 3 (01:27:39):
That's one thing that I think is working against him
this year. I think another thing that's working against him
is that he would not necessarily be the first defensive
coordinator that would be considered because I think that's Jeff
halfway up in Green Bay. That's the thing too, because
he has head coaching experience, at least at the college level.
Speaker 2 (01:27:56):
But still, even if it's not that, it's the fact
that they believe that police defense was playing up to
an elite level before they lost their star pass rusher
that they trade all that asset for. So I can
get it from that standpoint, But I just this feels
like right now because Okay, humor in me for a second.
Let's say Pittsburgh sucks and they play dreadful and that
(01:28:18):
kick for Tyler Loop that actually ended up saving saving
Tomlin's job the next week, it doesn't matter because if
he's just so dreadful in the playoff game, they fire him.
Mike Tomlin's gonna be the top name on the market,
whether or not people are like, oh, well, look at
what he did when he was in paper Guys. He
doesn't have a losing record in nineteen seasons with Kenny
(01:28:39):
Pickett and Mason Rudolph as a starting quarterback and an
aging Ben Roethlisberger that couldn't hit the front of the
offensive line, let alone be able to throw a ball
down field. That dude's getting looked at. That dude's getting
hired somewhere.
Speaker 3 (01:28:53):
Oh, it completely recalibrates the entire coaching at Carousel if
that happens.
Speaker 2 (01:28:58):
And then also, I would say, I'll who the first
time I would call if I was Pittsburgh Brian Flores.
So if I'm calling Brian Flores now to come down
to pittsback, we've been there. Now I'm looking at Baltimore.
Baltimore's gotta go on a different pathway. What did they
call Robert Salaw? Robert Salad goes there and then the
creates a real bull effect to where Keata Sefanski still
wants a job. Well, guess what, there is a great
opportunity for him down to Tennessee. So he goes to Tennessee. Well,
(01:29:21):
Vance Joseph has got to get hired, back back top
ten defenses, been calling plays, been really fixing the overall
identity of who his team is. He then goes down
to Arizona. Well, how about this, the Las Vegas Raiders.
They love Raheem Morris. They think that Raheem Morris is
a great guy. So now he goes up to Las Vegas.
And then how about John Harbaugh. Well, we gotta go
ahead and keep him involved because if he really likes
(01:29:41):
coaching and that he's been a good guy, and that
we think that he could change the culture, the New
York Giants need a good culture. Loba holds up at
the Giants, and so all six positions are filled by
a team. Seven positions are filled by a team that
already has had a proven head coach before.
Speaker 3 (01:29:57):
Well, and then, you know, I think that the other
thing that consider too is keep an eye on this
if Tomlin is indeed, and by the way too, there
is thought that if Green Bay loses this weekend, Matt
laflor is out. So if that's the case, I think
that you know, at least for the time being, then
he is the next in line to get one of
those jobs and that and that's the thought is that
(01:30:18):
he would go to the Falcons. But to keep in
mind with Tomlin is I could see him taking a
year off and then waiting to see what happens with
Tampa Bay. That is where he got his start in
the NFL, was with the Buccaneers, and from what I understand,
is a huge fan of the area. So I could
see that you about halfway through the season next year,
(01:30:39):
you see Todd Bowles get fired, and that at the
end of the season you see Mike Tomlin hired.
Speaker 2 (01:30:44):
There, I'll tell you right now, I was Tom Brady,
and I was and I was the Davis family. The
first phone probably making a Las Vegas is to go
get Mike Tomlin. I would, and I get it. It's
it's frustrating because if you're trusting him with the brand
new quarterback, but still you want to talk about culture,
you want to talk about defense. You want to talk
about what has been the identity for years on end
of Las Vegas, of the Raiders. It's all about physicality,
(01:31:06):
it's all about no nonsense. They haven't had that. They've
been a joke of a team for years on end.
Mike Toman is to make your joke. It at least
makes you tolerant and it makes you interesting.
Speaker 3 (01:31:15):
And getting back to Matt Burke too, I know this
is something that you're probably gonna disagree with in terms
of just how much it matters.
Speaker 2 (01:31:21):
Oh, by the way, Matt Naggy's another end. I didn't
even throw out there. He's gross. You know what. We're
head coach.
Speaker 3 (01:31:26):
Now, go ahead and hire him Tennessee. He's a great coach.
He's gonna be awesome for Oh my god, would that
not be of all the pomp and circumstance and hey, everybody,
here's Matt Naggy.
Speaker 2 (01:31:37):
We're fired up. I would love for that to happen.
Speaker 3 (01:31:39):
Matt Burke, though, has got to get better on the mic.
You gotta get better on the mic. Being a head
coach in the NFL is just like being a professional wrestler.
That is a part of your game. It shouldn't be
what is your game, but it's part of it.
Speaker 2 (01:31:52):
So you're saying that you have to be able to
have a good conversation with the media. If you want
to be a head.
Speaker 3 (01:31:58):
Coach, you've got to least seem like you've got it
in control. And I mean, at least a few times
that I've seen and heard him, it almost is kind
of like a little bit of gripping with fear up
there of you know, I don't want to say the
wrong thing, like you can't have that as a head coach.
Speaker 2 (01:32:13):
You cannot have that. I don't feel that way whatsoever
from Matt Berg now. I feel like that half the
time that he's talking, it's you know, there's conversations what
am I doing compared to what Demico's doing? How are
we differation? Differentialing our conversation. But it doesn't come off
as fearful or that it's intolebrat. It comes off as
I don't want to waste your time, and I don't
want to waste my time. I'm not gonna say the
(01:32:33):
same thing that dem go.
Speaker 3 (01:32:34):
I think that it's also too maybe a little bit
uncomfortable with talking about other people.
Speaker 2 (01:32:38):
I mean, that's one of those things.
Speaker 3 (01:32:39):
You know, remember that Bill and Brian don't talk about
your teammates, blah blah blah, all of that.
Speaker 2 (01:32:43):
But I think the fact that now.
Speaker 3 (01:32:45):
He has a more direct role with this defense, that
maybe that'll start to kind of iron itself out and
that this time next year you're like, oh, man, all right, yeah,
that's a guy that needs to be leading school.
Speaker 2 (01:32:57):
But like, at the same time, I'm not sitting here
and looking at Aaron bl Len who has the number
two overall pick this year and going well, he was
so pompous with the media. That's why they struggled on
the field, Like it has nothing to do with that whatsoever.
Speaker 3 (01:33:08):
Well, the Jets are a bad organization. They'll continue to
be a bad organizational matters who is there.
Speaker 2 (01:33:13):
And honestly, that's why I would say if the Jets
were to say, hey, Matt Burke, you want to interview
for the job, Hella, I want to interview for the job.
Why would anybody want to go to that dysfunctioning franchise
when it's clear that you have no direction offensively, you
have no direction defensively, you have draft picks that you waste.
You constantly trade away all of your best assets. You're
hitting reset on your culture every three years, and all
(01:33:35):
I am is just going to be another casually in
the process. All right, let's get to the Astros.
Speaker 3 (01:33:40):
As I mentioned about Jim Crane, a couple of things
he said the other day that leads you to believe,
if you're a Stros fan, that the window is still open.
Speaker 2 (01:33:49):
We'll have that for you. Also.
Speaker 3 (01:33:50):
David ce right there will get you involved. You want
to join him. Seven one three, two one two five,
seven ninety. It is the Morning Drive, Dan and Cole
Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (01:34:00):
Dan Matthews, Cole Thompson. This is the Morning Drive with
Dann and Cole.
Speaker 2 (01:34:08):
Get in about ten minutes from now.
Speaker 3 (01:34:09):
Neil McCrady from Rebels twenty four to seven and a
hop on Talk the Ole Miss part of tonight's college
football playoff game. David Numble wants to win. Good morning, David, David.
David going once twice, David will try another time. All right,
let's get to Jim Crane as he was up at
(01:34:30):
the podium the other day with tatsu yah I, Dana
Brown and the crew over there at dyk In Park
and the Astros signing Tatsuya am I, something they haven't
done a lot of in the past of Japanese players
straight over from Japan or just players from over in
the Asian leagues just in general.
Speaker 2 (01:34:51):
But they decide to.
Speaker 3 (01:34:53):
Go ahead and go there, and Jim Crane being asked
about that very thing the other day, talking about beefing
up their efforts there in the Pacific RIM in terms
of scouting.
Speaker 14 (01:35:04):
We'll continue to work hard on it. We've actually got
boots on the ground both in Tokyo or three places, Taiwan, Tokyo,
and Seoul, so we've got scouts over there and people
assisting to identify talent over there. Now, we just made
that adjustment in the summer, probably didn't have much to
do with this one, but it'll have a lot to
do moving forward as we work on those markets to
(01:35:26):
try to bring the great players here to Houston.
Speaker 3 (01:35:29):
All right, So that last part right there feeds into
this next part because I think obviously there is a
method to going about their business this way. So Jim
Crane after they signed em I talking about you know,
we can pretty much expect he's not going to be
the last guy that they signed from this area.
Speaker 14 (01:35:45):
We'll be moving pretty fast in Asia and continue to
focus on that and.
Speaker 8 (01:35:49):
Evaluate all the talent.
Speaker 14 (01:35:50):
Over there so we can hopefully get some more of
them over here to play and to deepen the team.
I think, you know, you can really see the Asian
market as the players coming out of there are are
really equivalent, are better than some of the guys we
have here. So it was kind of untapped, and I
and think until we had the Otani effect, and I
think a lot of people are focused on it, but
(01:36:12):
we'll be laser focused on it moving forward.
Speaker 2 (01:36:15):
An untapped market something bothers you mm hmm, Yeah, listen, Jim,
great story, man, I'll believe it when I see it,
because here's the thing. He just was in Asia, wasn't
He was just in Japan not too long ago? Yeah,
he was in the app okay PB so do you no, no, no,
not em I Jim Crane was just visiting to it
was just busying Tokyo not too long ago, I guess. Yeah, no,
(01:36:37):
there was a report that came out he was just
in Asia like a couple months ago. So I remember
growing up, I was really big into the World Cup
every single year, loved it. I would study the teams
I'd watch every single game. I'd be up at two
in the morning catching up on what's going on in
Group D going on. I remember it was in college.
We were at we were at one of the bars
(01:36:57):
downtown in July and we watched U.
Speaker 5 (01:37:00):
S A.
Speaker 2 (01:37:00):
Paul Off the upset in the round of sixteen, and
it became the entire identity of the country for a
little bit. And it's like, this is where soccer is
gonna break on out in the United States, and the
MLS is gonna be booming, that's gonna be really prominent,
and all these things are gonna be really positive. And
then and then the tournament ends and soccer once again
goes back to being in just say, humhost sport in
the industry. You just were in Asia. So because of that,
(01:37:23):
it's a it's something that you're preaching at this point.
It's something that you're excited about because of you just
were there and you just saw the MP being you
just saw the KBO and you just saw all these
other things that are going on. Let me see you
actually make multiple signings before we say we're going to
make a major time, We're gonna tap into this market.
It's it's one guy. It's one person, and you don't
(01:37:44):
even know if it's gonna pan on out yet, and
I think it might is gonna be great. I think
he's gonna be actually the second best picture that the
Astros have by one hunter round. And I think that
he's going to end up meeting expectations. He'll be closer
to Yamamoto than he will go Ki Sasaki. I'm fully
invested in that. So to make a claim like that,
you better back it up. You better be able to
say the next two offseasons, we're only going to the KBO,
(01:38:07):
We're only going to the MPB. Those are where our key.
Any single time that we have an outfielder like Jung
Huli that's coming on out, that is going to be
a priority for us. Because if it's not, then what
you're just saying is, yeah, it just was in Japan
and it was really awesome, it was really cool, and
that like, that's gonna be something I'm so focused on.
Oh look at that something I'll shin a little TOI
over here now now I want to focus in on that.
Speaker 3 (01:38:26):
Well. I mean, I think that the thought is that
you know, at least the NPB that it's a step
above the Triple A. It's it's not as good as
Major League Baseball, but still it's very highly competitive baseball.
So you'd like to be able to look into that
market even more. The KBO, I think, at least to
a lesser extent, probably the same deal there too. And
(01:38:46):
I mean, and you just continue to see more and
more major league ready players that you can possibly go
for over there. And I mean, I think just you know,
with what they just did with Tatsumi, is that they
see somebody that could be ready to go immediately and
not a ton of ramp up needed once they get here.
Speaker 2 (01:39:04):
Yeah, but it's it's like a new Year's resolution. You
say that you're gonna do something. I'm gonna go to
the gym six times a week, and then one night
you have your friends call you and say, oh, it's
happy hour with two dollars shots. Then you go there
and said and you miss a workout, And then from
six days a week, you go down to five days
a week, and then four days a week, and then
one day a week to when then you're sitting at
home and you're putting yourself right back in that conversation
of oh, I'm doing the same thing over and over again.
(01:39:24):
That's what it feels like with this right now. You
make it a big time claim and until I see
you actually continuously progress and believe that you're gonna put
your money where your mouth is and deliver with NBP
players and KBO players, it's a statement. It could end
up panning out, but you don't even know what you
got with the my right now before you say we're
gonna tap on into the Asian market, like, let's see
(01:39:45):
prove a concept before we go jump the gun.
Speaker 3 (01:39:47):
I think it's also though too, it's from the off
field returns that you get from the revenue that you
can have by having a player who is going to
get more eyes on your organization. And then I mean,
you know m crane one of the first press conferences
you Sai when he took over his owner. As revenue
goes up, that's when the spending goes up.
Speaker 2 (01:40:03):
Here's what I will say. If Imay ends up being
a really good sign, which I do think he will,
and I think that this is going to be great
for the rotation and he's going to be a reason
why the Astros once again are in the conversation of
being a playoff contender. Then there will be a proof
of concept to where you've hit. Players over in Japan
and Korea are seeing that you're hitting in the Astros market,
(01:40:24):
they want to come play for the Astros. It's a
dual threat mentality here because of Yeah, Jim can come
out and say whatever he wants about the future of
the organization and going and tapping into the Asian market,
but they don't want to come to Houston because of
they're seeing what happens with tatsu Ami. Then it doesn't
matter how much you want to tap on in, they
still have to want to come here.
Speaker 3 (01:40:42):
Well, and it's also too I mean proof as you
even mentioned, is in the pudding, and I mean a
huge reason why tatsu Amai is here is Scott Boris said,
they were very impressed with how the organization handled you, say,
Kakuchi a couple of years ago, So I mean your
reputation again, it precedes you and the Apple shows at
least pitching wise, right now, have a good one.
Speaker 2 (01:41:02):
Well you know who was his manager over in the
in the Japanese or Mastro, Yeah, Amus out at least
a decent conversation on what then minute made park now
Dyking was like, there you go some.
Speaker 3 (01:41:11):
One three, two one two five seven ninety is the
number to get in. Let's switch over to the college
football playoff, at least the Old Miss side of things.
Speaker 2 (01:41:18):
I'm a good buddy.
Speaker 3 (01:41:19):
Neil mccrandy from Rebels two four seven is gonna hop
on with us as we continue right here on a Thursday.
It is the Morning Drive with Dan and Cole Sports
sockx seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (01:41:31):
We run on dingers, dumpson Drive, not cold fourth.
Speaker 2 (01:41:37):
Talk seven ninety guaranteed human.
Speaker 3 (01:41:42):
Speaking of tonight's game, at least one side of it,
we turn now to Rebels twenty four to seven's Neil
McCready hopping on with us for a few minutes. You
can find them on Twitter at Neil McCready. Uh, Neil,
If you know this ride continues to keep going tonight
for Miss and they win this game and they get
to Miami for the National championship, is it going to
(01:42:04):
be of the career that you've had to this point,
something that even with all the experiences, you're just like,
I will never ever experience anything like this again, not
saying Ole Miss won't get there, just everything leading up
to this point.
Speaker 15 (01:42:18):
God I hope not. I mean, this twenty twenty five
season was crazy. I mean just it was kind of
a weird season. It was almost like the games didn't happen.
Everything was all about lang Giffin, and then the kiffing
thing happened, and then there was this you know, rush
(01:42:43):
of days where all these things were happening and you
heard all these rumors and stuff, and then.
Speaker 8 (01:42:47):
Lo and behold they had games to play.
Speaker 15 (01:42:49):
And now they're you know, about to play in Arizona
and against the Miami team that I think the game's
sort of a coin toss, and yeah, I mean they
could end up playing for the national title. I would,
on one hand, and I'm really surprised, and that when
people ask that question say, yeah, I mean, I'm really surprised.
Speaker 8 (01:43:06):
On the other hand, I'd be hypocritical if I if I.
Speaker 15 (01:43:10):
Pretended to be you know, uh, Clark Griswold with his
head soon to the carpet, Because if you look at
the way that college football has changed, if you're organized
and you're good at EVL and you put valuations on
players in a appropriate way, you can put together a
(01:43:34):
nationally competitive team, and that is what they've done.
Speaker 2 (01:43:38):
Neil I want to get your thoughts on this, because
it got reported after the Sugar Bowl that Lane Kiffen
was trying to poach the coaches back to Baton Rouge
before this playoff game. Several are not with the team
out in Glendale. The Kevit'smith and Charlie Weis Junior are
knowing Lane Kiffin and just his personality and his demeanor
regards if how you think of him as a coach.
(01:43:58):
Lane's about Lane. For some reason. We see Ole Miss
win tonight and they're able to go to the National Championship.
Could Lane get to a level of threatening to where
he tells Kevin Smith, the Charlie Wise Junior, if you
do not come back at this point because I'm not
the one in charge of this team winning a national championship,
you do not out of the place of my staff
next year.
Speaker 15 (01:44:20):
I mean, I suppose I rule nothing out. I will
say this, I don't think he has that type of
leverage on Charlie.
Speaker 8 (01:44:29):
Charlie could get another job tomorrow.
Speaker 15 (01:44:31):
I don't know that he would make exactly the same
amount of money. But Charlie's a young guy in his thirties.
His reputation's really strong. His pedigree is very strong. He
has NFL interest right now. I don't think that would
threat would go over very well with Charlie.
Speaker 8 (01:44:47):
As for Kevin, I don't think it matters.
Speaker 15 (01:44:50):
I don't think Kevin Smith's presence or absence has anything
to do with whether Ole Miss wins or loses again.
Speaker 3 (01:44:56):
Neil McCready rebels twenty four to seven. Hopping on with
us here for minutes on the morning drive with Dan
and Cole. Let's just talk about the game tonight too
against Miami. I mean, this is a game that's, you know,
for ole Miss, it's gonna be a little bit of
all right, how are you able to come back from
the emotional high that you just had in New Orleans.
I mean, this is a team that, at least listening
(01:45:18):
to Pete Tamil or Pete Tamil, Pete Golding yesterday talk
about their team of saying that you know, their their focus,
they're they're ready to go. But I mean, is that
going to be something that you're gonna be looking for
at least nearly going in this game of is there
a little bit of a slow start and maybe that
has something to do with it.
Speaker 15 (01:45:38):
I don't think so, because I think that could happen
to both teams, right, I mean, you know, Miami's coming
off of two emotional games, including you know, the win
over Ohio.
Speaker 8 (01:45:47):
State, which was a.
Speaker 15 (01:45:49):
High water mark for their program for the past quarter century.
I'm sure both teams are tired a little. I'm sure
both teams are emotionally tired a little. I mean, you
think about ole Miss. They got back from New Orlands
at three in the morning on Friday. The portal started
that day. They've been slammed with portal stuff, retention, acquisition,
(01:46:10):
putting in a game plan. Charlie Weiss has gone back
and forth from Oxford to Baton Rouge at least twice,
maybe more. I'm sure there's a lot of fatigue in
the building. But at the end of the day, it's
a national semifinal in the Fiesta Bowl, on a major stage,
you know, for ole Miss, an opportunity to go to
the first national championship.
Speaker 8 (01:46:29):
Game in the modern era.
Speaker 15 (01:46:31):
Maybe really, ever, I don't think I don't think you
have to look far to find motivation to work through
some fatigue. If this for a regular season, sure this
would be letdown city, but no, not here.
Speaker 2 (01:46:44):
Neil, How do you feel about guarding to elite defensive
lineman and Ruben band in a key messidor because Ohio
State and Texas A and M came into the seat,
it came into their matchups giving up eleven total sacks
on the year, almost only given up eighteen. But it
really hasn't mattered. Both of them have been such a
send for Miami to be able to allow them to
put pressure on quarterbacks and to make mental mistakes. And
(01:47:06):
I get at the Trudeaud Schambliss is kind of a
wizard in his own right, and they haven't seen a
quarterback built like him. But this offensive line still has
its question marks compared to what you have with the
Ohio Saint texts at.
Speaker 15 (01:47:14):
M Yeah, sure it's gonna be the story of the
game at least on that side of the ball is
can they protect Chambers long enough for him to make plays.
Here's the thing about ole Miss that's going to be
interesting to watch tonight. They have a lot of weapons.
They don't have just like one or two primary receivers.
They have a lot of guys they trust. They can
throw the ball to multiple tight ends. Lacey's terrific in
(01:47:37):
pass pro. This is gonna come down to can you
stay ahead of the sticks? Can you make it third
and four instead of third and nine. And you know,
if you go back and look at the Ohio State film,
we do a show on MPW Digital with a guy
named Pete Deuis where we look at film from earlier
in the season. If you look at the Ohio State film,
(01:47:57):
say and head receivers open.
Speaker 8 (01:47:59):
But he started.
Speaker 15 (01:48:01):
I don't blame him because they're really good and I'm
sure when they hit you going full speed it hurts.
But he started watching pass rush. He had some plays
to be made down the field. It's the thing that
to this point Chamberliss has done very very well, and
that is having great eye discipline, keeping his eyes downfield
even in the face of pressure, using his feet to
extend plays a little bit, and hurting defenses when you
(01:48:24):
know there's if you bring pressures, I mean someone's open somewhere.
Speaker 8 (01:48:28):
So that's the key to the game.
Speaker 15 (01:48:30):
If if Miami can take that away, Miami's gonna win.
If Chamberas can make Miami pay for aggressiveness, ole Miss
will probably.
Speaker 2 (01:48:38):
Win Neil past this season.
Speaker 3 (01:48:41):
Do you feel like that this is something that can
be a realistic expectation for ole Miss and continuing seasons.
Speaker 8 (01:48:51):
Yeah, here's why.
Speaker 15 (01:48:52):
I mean, in the last five years, ole Miss has
won fifty two games, and the SEC only two teams
have done more than that. And it's not Texas, and
it's not Texas A and M it's Alabama and Georgia.
I thought the win over Georgia, no matter what happens
the rest of the way, even if it ends tonight,
if they go to the National Championship game to lose,
(01:49:14):
if they win the National Championship, I thought the win
over Georgia was huge. It extended their season a week.
It silenced all of this Kiffin silliness. Look, Lane's a
hell of a coach. He's a great coach. But there
was a lot more too what Olemiss put together than
Lane Kiffen. And I think they proved that by beating
Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on a night where Georgia
(01:49:36):
played well.
Speaker 8 (01:49:38):
Without Lane Kiffin in the building. I thought they silenced
all out of that. And so yeah, is it sustainable. Sure.
Now here's the thing.
Speaker 15 (01:49:47):
You don't know how many times you get back to
this spot, right, how many times do you get back
to the National semifinal. I mean, look at the Thunder
right now. They just want a title. And everybody was like, hey,
they're gonna win six, seven, eight, nine titles, and suddenly
they've lost, you know, six of their last thirteen games.
They look very immortal and you don't know, you know,
can you get back year after year.
Speaker 8 (01:50:08):
It's a very hard thing to do. Very few teams
do it.
Speaker 15 (01:50:11):
So when you have these opportunities, yep, you need to
try to capitalize.
Speaker 2 (01:50:17):
Neil, I want to get your thoughts on this because
of Carson Beck's gonna be starting to night looking for
his shot to go to the national title. Pete Goldie
faced him before. You know, a lot of people have
to forget last season that when Ole Miss went I
went and won against Georgia in Oxford, Carson Beck was
the starting quarterback, and so there is a good gauge
on how to prepare for him when you've gone back
and you've watched the film and you've seen him just
(01:50:38):
be pretty much a simplistic game manager for Miami is
the key basically saying take away Mark Fletcher, take away
Shamar Brown, and make the dude who threw two god
awful interceptions in that matchup in Oxford last year, be
the reason why you win a football game.
Speaker 15 (01:50:55):
Yeah, that's what you have to do now. Now, look,
taking Fletcher away is easier said than done. But if
they can minimize Fletcher and put the game in Carson
Beck's hands, I think it's a risk they're willing to take. Now,
you can lose because Carson Beck's record as the starter's
pretty damn good. You know, he's won a lot more
games than he's lost, but Ole Miss has had success
against him. Yeah, that's the plan, you know, it's I mean, look,
(01:51:20):
at the end of the day, we do all these
storylines and all this stuff, and it does come down
to some pretty basic stuff. You want to put teams
in third and long, force quarterbacks to try to force
things to make mistakes. These are two hot teams, two
confident teams, two pretty determined teams.
Speaker 8 (01:51:40):
It's kind of interesting.
Speaker 15 (01:51:41):
I'm sure that if you told Miami before the Sugar Bowl,
hey you're gonna get Old Miss, they would have been thrilled.
And I'm sure if you had told Ole Miss before
the Cotton Bowl, hey you're gonna get Miami, they would
have been thrilled. But now they have each other and
they begin to realize these are two pretty good teams.
But yes, to answer your question, if you're if you're
(01:52:04):
if you're Miami, you want to put ole Miss in
third and a long. You want that pass rush to
create some plays. And if you're Old Miss, you want
to put the game in Carson Beck's hands because you
think you can force them into mistakes.
Speaker 3 (01:52:14):
It's going to be an exciting one, no question about that.
Ole Miss Miami. Tonight out there in Arizona and this
me and Neil McCready part of Rebels twenty four to seven,
going to be all on top of it. Hey, Neil,
appreciate you waking up early with us. I know it's
an hour behind us over there in Arizona, so hopefully
we didn't wake you up too early out there, and
appreciate your time.
Speaker 8 (01:52:34):
Man, Thank you guys. I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 3 (01:52:37):
I appreciate it again, Neil McCready hopping on with us.
So a lot of confidence in Ole Miss for this one.
But I mean again though, too, Cole. It's one of
those I mean, that was an emotional win last week,
and I mean, I guess it is the playoffs. It's like,
all right, you know there's no time to rest, but
same time.
Speaker 2 (01:52:54):
Okay, But but why was it only an emotional win
for all?
Speaker 5 (01:52:57):
Miss?
Speaker 2 (01:52:57):
I mean, you're you with the number ten team in
myammy that people said did not belong to the playoff
of her Notre Dame, and you've had back to back
emotional wins, so I mean for them, it's also an
emotional win. And the magic runs out at a point,
and I think that this is again a moment where
we can talk about Ruben Bainn and a Key Messer
and their elite dudes, like I hate the take that
Oh Room Made's gonna suck in the NFL because he's
(01:53:17):
got short arms. Dude beats the breaks off of everybody
in college football, doesn't matter. They haven't faced off against
a defense like this. Miami is a face off a quarterback.
I trade at.
Speaker 3 (01:53:26):
Chandless talk about that also the rest of the CFP here.
As we close out the eight o'clock hour on a Thursday,
he's call Thompson, Dan Matthews, tripley, Emmanuel Elmore.
Speaker 2 (01:53:36):
It's the Morning Drive right here. Sports Talk seven ninety.
Back to Dan Cole.
Speaker 1 (01:53:41):
As the Morning Drive cruises.
Speaker 2 (01:53:43):
Off, David wants to weigh in. David, good morning, Good morning.
Speaker 3 (01:53:53):
Dan.
Speaker 13 (01:53:54):
You're a class back Dan and sports tul Radio. When
you a class back, Dan.
Speaker 2 (01:53:59):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 6 (01:53:59):
Man.
Speaker 13 (01:54:01):
Good morning to school.
Speaker 2 (01:54:03):
Hi David.
Speaker 13 (01:54:06):
How was your New Year's Man?
Speaker 2 (01:54:08):
That's fantastic, Man. How is yours fantastic?
Speaker 5 (01:54:13):
I love I love New Year's e parties. I love it.
Speaker 13 (01:54:17):
It gives me in a positive frame of mind.
Speaker 2 (01:54:20):
That's great.
Speaker 13 (01:54:21):
But what I want to all right, there you go.
I want to talk to first one to talk about
the college football playoffs. I want to predict the score
of this game tonight. It's going to be a low
scoring game because you know why, Why because the defense
wins championships. I'm not saying that the Miami Hurricanes are
(01:54:46):
going to win the whole thing this year, because my
prediction is they're not going to win the whole thing
this year. But tonight's score, it's going to be a
low scoring game. It's gonna be Miami get to that
Miami twenty three and oh the miss twenty.
Speaker 2 (01:55:10):
I mean, I don't think it's a low score, David,
if I'm being real, man, because a low score would
be ten three, like we saw Miami do earlier.
Speaker 6 (01:55:15):
This year.
Speaker 2 (01:55:16):
That's a low score.
Speaker 13 (01:55:18):
But it could cook. It could be Lord. But but
you know, either way, Miami will find a way to
be the old mens.
Speaker 2 (01:55:25):
I completely describe you, but I respect your take.
Speaker 8 (01:55:27):
I do. Yeah.
Speaker 13 (01:55:29):
Yeah, but it could go the other way though, it could.
It could go the other way.
Speaker 11 (01:55:33):
It could.
Speaker 13 (01:55:33):
I wouldn't be surprised if old Miss wins tonight.
Speaker 2 (01:55:37):
You know what do you got on the text bikes
by the Texans?
Speaker 5 (01:55:41):
The Texans? The Texans?
Speaker 2 (01:55:43):
Well, uh, Dan.
Speaker 13 (01:55:44):
Cole, I have a beef with the uh, the NFL
nation because you know why, no way, guys, why.
Speaker 2 (01:55:54):
We're waiting on Pizaninos man for your tellis oh.
Speaker 13 (01:55:58):
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. I'm just sick and tired out
of people like ESPN analysts saying that, uh, the Texans
are not a playoff team and this that that the other.
Speaker 4 (01:56:09):
Uh.
Speaker 13 (01:56:11):
The bottom line is that, you know, the the Texans
are a playoff team. The Texans are a super Bowl
caliber team. All we have to do is wait on
CJ's strive to be able to to make plays and
win Bowl games. Now not only with his legs, with
his throws down the field and and you know, just
(01:56:34):
basically staying staying out of uh staying out of turnovers.
Just protecting the football. That's what we need. And again,
I'm gonna say this again, the Houston Texans are going
to be in a super Bowl and they'll win. They're
gonna win in the Super Bowl this year. I may
be wrong, but that's my take.
Speaker 2 (01:56:54):
I appreciate it. David, I was, I was, I was
riveting waiting for it to happen. He could you tell
me why?
Speaker 8 (01:57:01):
Why?
Speaker 6 (01:57:02):
Why?
Speaker 3 (01:57:02):
David, you have the chance tell me? You know what
Cole is sometimes? You know Tripoli.
Speaker 2 (01:57:07):
Well, he started off a conversation saying that Dan is amazing.
Oh by the way, Cole, you're here too, well, you're
you're also here. I guess.
Speaker 3 (01:57:15):
Look, I mean, you know, positive affirmation for me. Of course,
I'm gonna soak it all in. I mean, you you know,
whatever happens with you at that point, I'm just like here,
it's solely on you. But when it comes to, you know,
situations like that. You're like my dog Pixie, where whenever
she sees another dog trying to pull me, growling and
then if I have to pick her up to you know,
(01:57:36):
like you know, no, you can't go after the other dog.
She starts doing this weird like guttural growl. That's that's you.
Speaker 2 (01:57:44):
How am I? How am I am? My daughter? Old growl?
Just you're ready to pounce, You're ready to go. You
have an opportunity to explain your situation. I would love
to hear it. I don't need this. You don't need
to set me up when it comes to would you
like to know why? Well? Would you?
Speaker 13 (01:58:01):
No?
Speaker 8 (01:58:01):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (01:58:01):
Actually, you know here, let's just hit let's just hit
the dump button. Go ahead and call it.
Speaker 3 (01:58:04):
It's like it's like a comedian who continues to build
up their punchline and it gets right up to the
line and you're like, all right, hey, it's gonna pay off.
Speaker 2 (01:58:11):
Oh no, it's not. Okay. Yeah, you know when punchlines
are so bad when you have to look at the
audience so that way you know that it didn't you
can clap, you can you can laugh. That's what it is.
I mean that, that's what and it's listen. I appreciate
phone call David. I know that I am the cynical
Matt lar loudmouth of of the show. That's what it is.
(01:58:31):
I'm the person that's going to tell you the truth.
That you don't want to hear either person. You're the heavy.
I understand that I'm a person that is going to
call you out and not be afraid to go ahead
and reffels some feathers. That's always been my personality. I
want you guys to call on into me. But you
start a conversation. Yeah, Dan's amazing. Oh by the way
you exist, Let's let's talk to you about what you
want going on here.
Speaker 3 (01:58:49):
There's people who like you over me too, all right,
don't don't make it a Dan versus cold thing.
Speaker 2 (01:58:54):
It's always a Dan versus cold thing. It's gotta be
a ninety nine point nine percent.
Speaker 3 (01:58:57):
Cole Thompson's awesome. Well, I mean, look, I mean, I'm i'mnanimous.
Speaker 2 (01:59:00):
You know you hate me. It's actually I thrive off
of your hatred. I really do. It's fantastic for me.
Speaker 3 (01:59:07):
So, I mean Tonight's game, you know it's one that's
three and a half. Miami is favorite. So you thought
that ole Miss should have been favored.
Speaker 2 (01:59:15):
There hasn't been a quarterback that Miami has faced all year.
Elec Trinett Chambliss. And I've heard multiple people say, and
I'll agree with them on the sentiment of if you
are able to pick one guy for one drive in
the postseason, who are you going with? It's six for
ole Miss because of his ability to make magic and
just backyard bs, his way to fighting receivers open downfield
(01:59:37):
and set up for a Lucas Canaro fifty seven yard
field goal. If I just need three points to win
a football game, I get three points. And he's doing
that on the regular It's just tomorrow night too.
Speaker 3 (01:59:46):
I mean, two really good defenses going up against each other,
two teams that really like to play physical football. I mean,
one thing that I heard about Indiana this week, and
it makes so much sense. They don't screw things up.
Speaker 2 (01:59:57):
No, they're the most they're the most polished team the playoff.
And and a buddy of mine actually texted me back
in October when they played orgon the first time, and
the response was, Indiana is not elite at anything, but
they're great at everything, including the multifacet errors. When you
can do that at an elite level, all you're waiting
(02:00:18):
for is the other team to find a way to
mess on up.
Speaker 3 (02:00:20):
Ole Miss, Miami, Indiana Oregon playing for the National championship.
Speaker 2 (02:00:25):
Well, that was exactly what we predicted the start war world.
Everyone said scure Ohio State, Alabama sucks. George is a
con man. Oh and Lane Kiff it's not gonna be
the head coach there anymore because Brian Kelly got fired,
just like we all predicted at the start.
Speaker 8 (02:00:37):
Of the season.
Speaker 3 (02:00:37):
I was gonna say, maybe that last part wouldn't have
been so so weird to predict John on Northwest Side.
See you're right there, We'll get you in. Is there
a chance that Will Anderson Junior is who we wish
that C. J. Stroud would be. We'll discuss right here
as we get into the nine o'clock hour. As it
is the Morning Drive, Dan and Coles Sports Talk seven
to ninety k.
Speaker 2 (02:00:55):
Houston a TV EHD two Houston Home is a Astro.
Speaker 1 (02:01:00):
And the Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety your home for
your home teams, an iHeartRadio station guaranteed Human. This is
the Morning Drive with Dad and Cole.
Speaker 3 (02:01:21):
On the Kevin Durant miss not in time, So they're
gonna get the Blazers again tomorrow night up there in
Portland and the college football playoff Miami and Ole Miss
tonight to get the semifinals started. So we've been talking
that been talking Texans, sweethed in a little bit of
Astros some Rockets earlier, and now we continue the Texans
(02:01:44):
conversation seven one three, two one two five seven ninety
Before we get to John, I brought this up earlier,
is Will Anderson Junior, who we wish that CJ. Stroud
would be No, really.
Speaker 2 (02:01:56):
Because if I don't think there's a good comparison there,
and I think I know where you're going with this.
But to me, CJ still is playing at a level
to where he's not costing games. He maybe is costing
you drives. There are moments to where you're frustrated and
Will doesn't do that. What Will does is he finished
his drives. He's closing in the gap, he's putting a
quarterback on his ass. He's making teams have to prepare
(02:02:18):
for him. Mentally, they're circling him on the whiteboard saying
fifty one. He gotta know where he is at all times.
But both add value to the Texans. The Texans are
twelve and five because CJ. Stroud helped you win a
couple of games. Will Anderson Junior helped you win a
couple games. You want to see more from your quarterback
because of naturally number two overall pick. Guy's supposed to
be the franchise signal caller. He's supposed to be elevated
(02:02:39):
from what you had a couple of seasons ago when
Sean was here. But I don't think that we need
to say, oh because if he does X, Y and
Z differently than what Will does, it makes him a
bad fit or what Will's doing is you know, it
has to be with CJ. Assid do.
Speaker 3 (02:02:53):
I just think that it's a little bit of a
perception too that CJ has leveled off a little bit,
maybe even not been as good as he was his
rookie year in terms of accuracy. And I mean, we're
still seeing some of the overthrows, we're still seeing some
of the you know, decisions to hold on to football,
take the sack, or as we saw on Sunday, the
intentional grounding. Whereas Anderson is having his best season by
(02:03:16):
far and that he's had since he's been into Texans.
Speaker 2 (02:03:18):
Uni, I won't and again I won't push back on
that you are seeing. Okay, So here's the thing with CJ.
Today became the overnight sensation instantaneously with the five touchdown
game against the Tampa Buccaneers with the you know, touchdown
interception ratio, which is alongside Tom Brady and Joe Montana
for the best in the NFL history. In a single season,
(02:03:38):
he broke rookie records. He has the rookie passing total
for Texans when a playoff game. Year one, was elite
in that game after the first quarter, and so you
put him on an elevation to where there was no
more room for him to grow other than MVP and
next to Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.
And honestly, that was unfair because of there are some
(02:03:58):
intangibles that are built around him, just like there were
intangibile's built around those quarterbacks, to where if you don't
have that supporting cast, you're not gonna be in that
position where will It was a steady climb. So I
went from seven and a half sacks rookie record to
eleven sacks, Pro Bowl record, twelve sacks, potentially All Pro,
second Pro Bowl, nod Defensive Player of the Year conversation
(02:04:20):
going into a contract year. So there was always that
maturation and growth to where you knew he was taking
that next step forward, where for CJ, if I like,
what's gonna happen next, He's got there for forty eight
hundred yards and thirty five touchdowns. He has to lead
the team to a conference title appearance. And because of
those things didn't happen last year, it kind of plateaued
(02:04:41):
and now we're seeing a decline where with Anderson it's
a complete and total uphill climb. Second Pro Bowl this year.
Speaker 3 (02:04:49):
I mean, you know, I know that we're talking about
Will and CJ here, but Danil Hunter not being named
the pro bowler I thought was a little interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:04:56):
But Zay Flowers with more fumbles than touchdown was a
Pro bowler. It's it's a joke, man. I mean like,
and don't get me wrong, I'm not sitting here and saying, well,
he can't make it on in because if you lose
at some point and there's an opt out, then the
Neil Hunter's the second alternate. I'm not mistaken. So he'll
get an acolyte and be able to go. But like,
there's names are just brought in because of popularity contest.
(02:05:17):
It's stupid, you like to just.
Speaker 3 (02:05:19):
Not have to take part in now playing dodgeball, and
quarterbacks trying to hit drones, and I mean, whatever else
the hell they do?
Speaker 2 (02:05:27):
What do they play? Like tugle war or something like that.
They have a couple of other different events. Yeah, it's
just basically become up only for quarterbacks and wide receivers though,
Like that's the thing, like like offensive linemen to the
tuger war and that's their Pro Bowl honor. Every once
in a while they'll say, hey, you had a hell
of a season, how would you like to do tug
a war great? Or like they'll do like the hammer
thrower or some something something like that, Like that's what
(02:05:48):
that foot is? What are you turning it into the cathlon?
It kind of feels that way. I mean, it's a
dumb event, it really is. They need to get rid
of it entirely. But hey, you guys do shot put
in high school? Why don't you do it again?
Speaker 6 (02:06:00):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (02:06:00):
I stopped caring about that? How about the discus throw?
What are you at that? I stopped caring about Pro
Bowl votes? Who went to the damn thing and what
it meant and what it meant to you? When Snoop
Huntley got to call himself a Pro Bowl quarterback, the
second that we threw him out there, he played in
four games. Pro Bowler. Nope, I'm out.
Speaker 8 (02:06:18):
I mean just where.
Speaker 3 (02:06:19):
It pretty much got to a point of, Hey, you've
been named to the Pro Bowl. That's great. I'm already
on vacation. Hey you've been named the Pro Bowl. Not interested?
Speaker 8 (02:06:26):
How about you?
Speaker 2 (02:06:26):
Are you ready?
Speaker 8 (02:06:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:06:28):
Sure, you said it's on Thursday. Yeah, I'm hacking with
that around Mac Jones.
Speaker 3 (02:06:33):
Finally ending up at the Pro Bowl. Someone three two, two,
five seven ninety is the way to get in. John
on the Northwest side, John, good morning.
Speaker 12 (02:06:41):
Hey man, good man. You know, speaking of Will Anderson, Man,
I was looking at him in that coach game. This
man has gotten bigger from his rookie year.
Speaker 5 (02:06:53):
His rookie year.
Speaker 12 (02:06:54):
You know, he had that Kyla's body and all that.
The man has a man that he's been busy working
out and everything else.
Speaker 5 (02:07:02):
He's a monster. But this is what I want to
tell y'all now that that.
Speaker 12 (02:07:06):
Stupid Baltimore Ravens organization.
Speaker 5 (02:07:10):
Got rid of John Harball, I'm.
Speaker 12 (02:07:13):
Not even worried about Baltimore for the next few years
because they ain't gonna get a better coach than that.
That is so ridiculous. They're gonna win some games, but
they ain't gone to no super Bowl. I'm not even
concerned about them now. Now that Baltimore organization have fired
an eighteen nineteen year old great coach, guess what. The
(02:07:37):
door is open now for these other organizations to say, well,
we don't have to worry about the heat by firing
the coach for the Steevens all firing the coach for
Buffalo because Baltimore gave us permission, so we can do
the same thing that they did.
Speaker 5 (02:07:55):
If Buffalo don't get to this super Bowl, not at.
Speaker 12 (02:07:59):
Mahomes is out and uh Lamar is out, that head
coach over there is gonna get fired too. I think
they need They probably get rid of that old managed
general manager Bean because what was the two seasons ago
they let Kansas City draft that speed player I can't
think of his name right now, when they could have
(02:08:22):
had you know who I'm talking about, that fast guy.
Speaker 5 (02:08:25):
He's very fast. He was the fastest in the draft.
Speaker 2 (02:08:30):
You're talking about, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:08:32):
They did they ye doing the draft. I think they
traded with Kansas City or they could have gotten.
Speaker 16 (02:08:38):
That basically game return for free.
Speaker 5 (02:08:43):
And every year they were Kansas City was beating them down.
Speaker 16 (02:08:47):
That is the stupidest thing that the general manager would
ever do. This team is beating you every year, and
you let them have this guy. No, they gonna get.
Speaker 12 (02:08:58):
Fired to if if if Buffalo don't make it good
the Super Bowl this year. And John Hallball, I loved
him Hallball brothers. I've been watching them for years. They've
been great coaches.
Speaker 15 (02:09:10):
Man.
Speaker 5 (02:09:10):
And I shall hope John.
Speaker 12 (02:09:11):
Hobball don't go to New York because that Sene guy whatever.
Speaker 5 (02:09:15):
His name is, over there, he needs to be pried too.
Speaker 17 (02:09:18):
Man.
Speaker 5 (02:09:19):
Hey, y'all have a good day.
Speaker 2 (02:09:20):
My brothers all right, See John appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (02:09:24):
Jim did say yesterday that yes, he hopes that his
brother does get back in, but that he is again.
Speaker 2 (02:09:30):
What is he supposed to say, Oh, I would love
I would love for my brother to stay fired. It's
great for family, it's great for family get together. No, No,
I mean, of course he's going to say that part.
But your brother is such a jackass. I cannot stomach him.
I hope that he is never hired again in the NFL.
Great conversation at the Thanksgiving table.
Speaker 3 (02:09:48):
Apparently, John though you know when they were kids, missed
a very important part of NHL history because the Stanley
Cup was on and his dad asked him to fetch
him a beer and he missed whatever like special goal
it was.
Speaker 2 (02:10:01):
And he was like, you know, yeah, I remind my
dad of that all the time. I would too. I
would gladly remind people of that whenever that if that
ever becomes a conversation. When jose Al Tube hit the
home run off of e Raldist Chapman, a buddy of
mine was in the bathroom and he was sitting next
to There was four of us sitting up top, and
he was in the bathroom, and I will never let
him live it down.
Speaker 3 (02:10:20):
Yeah, but I feel like nowadays it's really kind of
impossible to miss a moment because I mean, you can
also watch TV on your phone, and I know that
some people might say, oh, yeah, you hold it when
you're on the toilet.
Speaker 2 (02:10:29):
It's like, well, I mean, what else am I supposed
to do?
Speaker 16 (02:10:33):
Hold it?
Speaker 2 (02:10:34):
That's what I'm saying. What do you mean? Was that's
what you're saying?
Speaker 8 (02:10:37):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (02:10:37):
I mean, like I'm saying, like, you know, you read
things off your phone, you watch videos, you do all
that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:10:42):
Yeah, So don't miss the moment. Wait till commercial break.
I mean, you can't really negotiate with nature when you can't. Yes,
you yet, you very much?
Speaker 3 (02:10:52):
Can?
Speaker 2 (02:10:53):
I promise you plan ahead? Is what you're saying. I
promise you you can negotiate. As long as you're able
to go ahead and hold it down, You're fine. All right, Hey,
it's a bathroom. Stop anybody making one. I don't have
to go thirty minutes later. Hey man, can you pull
What did I just say? Thirty minutes ago? Did we
miss that one? Did you miss that prompt? Where were
you in the bathroom?
Speaker 8 (02:11:13):
Well?
Speaker 2 (02:11:13):
No, in that case, they weren't. It's always my favorite.
What do you mean? And people like try to like
put that on little kids.
Speaker 7 (02:11:19):
No.
Speaker 2 (02:11:20):
I've been with plenty of.
Speaker 3 (02:11:21):
Adults on road trips where they're like, hey man, I
hate to do this, but you know, can you pull over?
Speaker 2 (02:11:27):
Dude? Water John, You're fine. Problem solved. I kid you not.
We would do eight hour road trips and we got
a water druck and we were told to tomb cigarette
told the great story. I'm waiting to hear it.
Speaker 6 (02:11:41):
His dad.
Speaker 3 (02:11:42):
His dad went with them to the Amazon and they
had like some like plane that I think was like
confiscated from it, like some government confiscated it from the cartel.
And he went up to the front to the cockpit
because his dad was like, hey, I got a pee,
and he's just like we're up like in the air,
like you can't go. And then he's just like it
doesn't I gotta go. So we went up to the
front and they found some abandoned airfield. Did his business,
(02:12:05):
and then they found some like oil can that was empty,
and they're like here, if you gotta go use this
next time.
Speaker 2 (02:12:12):
Water John, I'm telling you we did. Every single time
we went on a road trip. We would dump it
out on the road and then get right back into
at least a car.
Speaker 3 (02:12:19):
You can just pull off the you know, I mean,
you know, especially two for dudes. I mean I think
I can, you know, spare some of the other details.
But it's pretty easy. Find like some bushes and it's
away from the road, nobody can see. You know, Okay,
you're fine, but you know, at least like you're up
in the air, and you know, if they come on
and say the lab is not working, well, then you
know you got to make other adjustments.
Speaker 2 (02:12:40):
Seven one three two one, two, five, seven nine. They
make an adjustments again on the subject. I don't want
to talk about piss anymore.
Speaker 3 (02:12:46):
Let's get to the Texans dreams coming true, because somebody
out there believes that can absolutely happen for this team.
Speaker 2 (02:12:54):
We'll discuss that here as we continue along.
Speaker 3 (02:12:56):
And here on a Thursday, he's called Thompson, Dan Matthews,
Triple Emmanuel Elmore.
Speaker 2 (02:13:01):
It's the Morning Drive with Dan and Cole Sports SOOX
seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (02:13:05):
Good Morning Drive with Dn and Cole on Sports Talk
seven ninety, home of the Strolls, Rockets and Houston's best
sports talk.
Speaker 3 (02:13:16):
So, the Texans and their Super Bowl chances, I mean,
you're David earlier. He's big on believing they have a
chance to win, and I mean, at least with them,
you know where it's looks like it could be heading.
Of course, you know, chalk holds this weekend. Then next
weekend you go and play against Denver. If indeed you
(02:13:36):
are able to beat Pittsburgh, which I strongly believe they will,
you do too. And so we think that we'll be
getting ready for a divisional round game next weekend. But well,
Douglas Clauson of Cbssports dot Com had Super Bowl twenty
twenty six survivor which team will hoist the Lombardi Trophy
based on five title trends?
Speaker 2 (02:13:58):
Sing the Patriots. We'll see who it is at the end.
Speaker 3 (02:14:01):
So Chancy Chiefs. Number one must be elite on one
side of the ball. I think we can agree that
Texans are elite on defense.
Speaker 2 (02:14:09):
Yeah, top five in every single category except for run
defense in your number six.
Speaker 5 (02:14:14):
Yeah, y.
Speaker 2 (02:14:15):
So the criteria for this.
Speaker 3 (02:14:16):
The last twelve or and fifty six or fifty nine
Super Bowl champions were top seven in scoring offense or
scoring defense, and in some cases even both, So that
eliminates six teams. The Bears not a good defense. They
get a lot of turnovers, but overall not a good defense.
They do not keep teams out of the end zone.
The forty nine Ers a little banged up up front.
Of course, Nick Bosa done for the year. That hurts
(02:14:39):
him a lot. Steelers, Packers, Chargers, and Panthers would all
be eliminated by that logic.
Speaker 2 (02:14:46):
All right.
Speaker 3 (02:14:46):
Number two must make critical stops. None of the last
eighteen Super Bowl champions were bottom ten in the NFL
and third down conversion rate. Team that eliminates the Buffalo Bills.
See you, You're gone. The trenches. Twenty one of the
last twenty three Super Bowl champions had a positive sack deferential.
Two teams gone, the team that Buffalo is going to
(02:15:06):
play this weekend, and the New England Patriots. So your
super Bowl, your super Bowl pick? Sorry, it's gone. What
do you mean my super Bowl pick's gone? You said
when I when I was throwing out who would win
the Super Bowl? You said, the New England Patriots. Oh
not random names, seals. This is now My figure is
going to be Seattle. Okay, well, clutch kicks. Only one
(02:15:27):
of the last twenty five Super Bowl champions ranked bottom
five in the NFL for field goal percentage. That was
the twenty twenty two Kansas City Chiefs. That eliminates two teams,
Eagles and the Rams. Out the turnover battle, you said,
the Seattle Seahawks, the Foxy outle. Only two of the
past forty one Super Bowl champions ranked bottom five in
the NFL neither giveaways or takeaways, the twenty fifteen Broncos
(02:15:49):
and the twenty thirteen Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (02:15:52):
The Broncos and the Seahawks both eliminated.
Speaker 3 (02:15:56):
So the Texans of the last seam standing is basically
what you're telling me, that's it Bowl champion, Houston Texans.
That leaves us with a Super Bowl champion, at least
in terms of these championship indicators. The Houston Texans, they're
not without red flags either. They have one of the
worst red zone offenses in the league thanks to a
non existent run game in a horrible offensive line.
Speaker 2 (02:16:14):
However, CJ.
Speaker 3 (02:16:15):
Stroud starting to heat up with Jaden Higgins emerging as
the second option of long Nico Collins, the offense could
do just enough to support this incredible defense that oozes
talent and playmaking ability at every level.
Speaker 2 (02:16:27):
Look, I get what you're saying, and the trend is
one hundred percent correct to go defense metrics, special teams,
all areas of strengths. The thing for me, though, is
every team has a weak point, and if you're able
to attach it, and you're able to find the Achilles
heel and rip it apart and destroy it, that leads
(02:16:49):
to success on your side. The Texans suck in the
red zone. They're not going to be changing it anytime soon.
They It took twelve and a half quarters for them
to find their way to score inside the red zone
for the first time this season. That came in Week four.
They're a team that has its faults. If you're a defense,
(02:17:09):
say like Denver or New England, you put them inside
of the twenty and you hold them to three points,
all you need to do is score seven. It's a
four point differential. It ends up guaranteeing that you're gonna
be able to win that game, and ultimately that's all
it takes. So like, I understand that there are a
lot of things that will be in favor of the Texans.
Top ten defense, top ten scoring, top ten efficiency. Their
(02:17:32):
kicker is elite, like Kyami favorite, and just one AFC
Player of the Week for like the specials player of
the week for like what the fourth time this year,
Like he's been a stud in all those traits. But
every team has a heel. The Texans is the red
zone defense. And all it takes is one touchdown and
you give up one field goal and that ends up
getting you a win. So I'm sorry, Like I mean,
(02:17:53):
I do think that the Texans are going to be
playing in the AFC Championship Game. I have said that
multiple times. I will continue to die in that take.
I don't think they were winning the Super Bowl this year,
and I'm okay with that. Well, I'm okay, I'm very
okay with being wrong.
Speaker 3 (02:18:05):
But that's success all in its own right too, because
you've never even been to the first game that you
even mentioned, and much less the second one, because you've
got to get to that first one where you can
get to the second one. So if that happens, especially
to the fact that you would have had to go
on the road presumably all three weeks, that's something that
you come out of and it's actual, real tangible belief
(02:18:27):
that all right, this thing is being built in the
right direction.
Speaker 2 (02:18:30):
But at the same time, to me, what it comes
down to is do you have enough trust that your
defense is going to be able to bail you out
of trouble when your offense saults because of we've started
to see the damn just break a little bit, not
a lot, not to where you're like panicking and saying that, okay,
Texans are giving up forty points and that they're gonna
lose this game because of bad coverage downfield. And he
pulled starters last week and that helped Fick factor into
(02:18:53):
Alec Pierce getting into the end zone and Kamari Laster
wasn't out there, and you know the value of him
and these He's Alshi year missed game against last Vegas,
that was a big time deal. But you're at a
level of where you're basically saying, how much can more
can my defense give? And credit everyone in that locker
room was saying, we know there's more to us, we
know that there's still something left in the tank, but
you want to be able to take an exhale and
(02:19:14):
say that we're allowed of them all again. Like defensively, Hey,
Kamario last year miss an assignment. Okay, well they'll do
a fifteen yard touchdown. It's not a death sentence where
it feels like at times if you are inside the
red zone, you're gonna get points, but you're getting them
off the foot of Kayami fairbar not getting them off
a touchdow pass from CJ.
Speaker 8 (02:19:31):
Shroud.
Speaker 3 (02:19:31):
You'd like to see more Kayimi Fairbairn's foot being put
to use into one point footballs as opposed to threes.
Speaker 2 (02:19:37):
I would rather Kayami fairbair be sitting down and not
even having to worry about a kick for most of
the afternoon because of the offense is doing so well
getting into the end zone. That's why you still need
extra points. You still need kickoffs. Yeah, but do you
are you practicing a Are you practicing a pat or
a kickoff?
Speaker 3 (02:19:51):
No, you're practicing field goal. Well, maybe the Steelers should
because it almost cost them their season.
Speaker 2 (02:19:54):
Well, okay, but you also have a thirty five year
old Chris Boswell versus a thirty one year old elite
dude who's been I'm doing it at a high end
level all season like Bozo's gonna get cut no matter
at the end of the season because they missed.
Speaker 8 (02:20:05):
That PA team.
Speaker 3 (02:20:05):
Someone three two and two five seven ninety Adrian wants
to wig in Good Morning.
Speaker 10 (02:20:09):
Adrian, Morning Fellas, Morning, Morning Morning. All I hear is
Drake May Drake, May Drake, May Drake, May Drake May
New England, Jacksonville, blah blah blah.
Speaker 6 (02:20:23):
Oh.
Speaker 10 (02:20:25):
I challenge anybody to go look at their schedules, namely
one AFC team that has tried more than this one.
They open the season versus the Rams. They've seen Tampa Bay,
They've seen Seattle, they saw Kansas City in a must
(02:20:46):
win game and looked at Patrick Mahomes and told him bye.
Speaker 8 (02:20:50):
Bye.
Speaker 10 (02:20:52):
So uh you can keep with all this. Oh Drake may, Oh,
Drake may Drake. You ain't seen it defense like this one,
Bubba hang on agent unless you watch on TV, Adrient.
Speaker 2 (02:21:03):
I got to ask you that curiosity. Have I ever
said that? I Have I ever been all.
Speaker 10 (02:21:08):
Drake made, Drake made, Dric May No, no, no, But
that's all I hear. No matter what I turn on
New England, this New England, that New England, this New
England that.
Speaker 2 (02:21:21):
But when you turn on dy, when you turn on us, though, Adrian,
what you're saying is, hey, New England sucks. They're overrated,
they had a fourth place schedule. Their quarterback is a bum. Yeah,
it's great that he's gonna be in the MVP conversation.
Let's see you get tested against a legit defense every
day from six to ten am.
Speaker 8 (02:21:35):
Eight.
Speaker 10 (02:21:37):
Exactly. And I'm disappointed in last week because we could
have held that title. But I'm not. I'm not gonna
cry about the title. I'm not gonna cry about it.
But I tell you what, I don't care who is quarterbacking.
I want to look over and see Hunter because now
(02:21:59):
he knows he was duped in the Pro Bowl and
he's playing angry. That ain't good for somebody on the
other side of the ball. As far as of offense,
we've seen bright.
Speaker 8 (02:22:12):
Spots of CJ.
Speaker 10 (02:22:13):
Here, see they there, over thrown passes here, overthrown passes there.
But let's go through the prey off quarterbacks in the AFC.
There's only two of them with that much experience. Josh
Allen's the first one. I'll give you a guest on
the second one.
Speaker 3 (02:22:31):
Period all I appreciate Adrian. I don't think Daniel Hunter
cares about that. To Stafford, sure, he told me that.
How do you think I guess in the second one? Okay,
I mean you took a guess, and I'm sure you're
probably right.
Speaker 2 (02:22:43):
I'm probably not now I know he means c J.
Speaker 8 (02:22:44):
Stroud.
Speaker 2 (02:22:45):
Okay, well there you go.
Speaker 3 (02:22:47):
But I mean just in terms of, you know, just
everything with you know, Hunter, I mean, he's putting together
a hell of a season. I think that probably most
people around the league are recognizing it. But I mean
in terms of, you know, being snubbed out of having
a chance to go play, you know, pick up basketball
(02:23:07):
or whatever the hell they're gonna do at the Pro
Bowl games. I don't think that that's something that you know,
Oh man, I gotta get after the quarterback here. These sobs,
you know, kept me out of playing in that I
don't think there's anything like that. No, but there shouldn't
be anything like that.
Speaker 2 (02:23:19):
It's my opinion. It's more so just based off of
the fact that you didn't You didn't get the accolade
like everyone like he's he would off to out. In
my opinion, I don't think that he would be spending
a February I mean February afternoon playing dodgeball Like I
don't think that that would be the case. But it's
still the accolade. It's the it's the notion of I'm
a top five pass rusher in the NFL. I'm kicking
(02:23:39):
acid in year two. I'm living up to my contract negotiations.
I'm able to go ahead and put the take pressure
off of my counterpartner Will Anderson. We're the only duo
in the NFL that ranks inside the top five in
sacks and pressures.
Speaker 3 (02:23:52):
And my one guy gets it and here I am,
and it's just like, oh, I exist, all right, So
you can't have CJ. Who would be the best Texans
dodgeball player? Quarterbacks are too easy.
Speaker 2 (02:24:05):
Kamara lost her not a bad one. I was gonna
go Jaalen Petrie. It was it was a DV. It
was always a dB. I didn't sting.
Speaker 3 (02:24:12):
No.
Speaker 2 (02:24:12):
I don't know why. I just don't trust him with it.
I think that he'd have too many pass breakups. Uh
you know what it would be. Kamari would hold the
ball and he would just swat at balls come in
his face like he would never throw it. He would
like toss it on over to Kaylin block and then
he would molly woff him. But he would just be
like boom blocker blocker because he's like, has eighteen pass
deflexes this year. You don't do the dummy ball, you
know the one you throw up in the air and
(02:24:32):
everybody's like, oh and then you I couldn't do it
that well because in my arm wasn't fast enough to
be able to deliver. And everyone knew that if I
was doing the dummy ball, was throwing it right at
your head.
Speaker 3 (02:24:43):
I remember the when we played dodgeball in high school.
There was this one swimmer who thought that he could
punk freshman and I could throw pretty.
Speaker 2 (02:24:50):
Hard as a fresh was he was he a swimmer.
Was he a water polo player? No, he was a swimmer.
We'd swim team.
Speaker 3 (02:24:55):
He was a junior, so he thought, you know, hey,
I can punk freshman and he would kind of be
a varsity d. So then one time I had him
on my cross hairs and I was like, Okay, you're
gonna get one Ada varsity darling.
Speaker 2 (02:25:06):
Good for him. I'm excited at what do you do
for his career?
Speaker 3 (02:25:09):
What do you do afterwards? It's it's another word. It's
another word that will leave up to the imagination.
Speaker 13 (02:25:13):
Got it?
Speaker 2 (02:25:14):
Yeah, there you go, There you go exactly. You nailed
it right on the head. All right.
Speaker 3 (02:25:18):
I do want to get back into the Astros here
really quick, because I do think that the Astros new
signing is going to be great for reasons not on
the field. We'll have that for you right here as
we continue on the morning drive. It's Dan, It's Cole
Sports Talk seven ninety. But real quick here, let's talk
about it being the new year. And you said it
(02:25:38):
as soon as the clock hit midnight, New Year, New
Meat twenty six is my year. If that's the case,
are your finances in order? Because I would think that
that probably goes into being your year. Because if you
have a slight idea, okay, maybe you could use a
little bit more knowledge. If you have no idea, then
you definitely could use the people over at Trajan Wealth
(02:25:59):
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you gotta be teachers for people because not everybody has
(02:26:21):
the financial knowledge that you have. And that's exactly like
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(02:26:45):
through Trajan Wealth LLC SEC Registered Investment Advisor, Client paid
advertisement Additional disclosures can be found at trajanwealth dot com.
And don't forget when you do speak with them, tell them.
Dan Matthews from The Morning Drive sent you over.
Speaker 1 (02:26:59):
Real Take, Real Reaction, Real Houston Sports Talk seven ninety
guarantee human.
Speaker 3 (02:27:07):
We've got some breaking news too, the NFL. You want
to share with the class four years.
Speaker 2 (02:27:12):
In the class?
Speaker 11 (02:27:14):
No?
Speaker 2 (02:27:14):
No, no, no, no no, we're gonna start there. Yeah,
the class. Yeah No, it's the audience. They're not a
Are we sitting down insteade of a room giving a lecture?
Speaker 15 (02:27:24):
People?
Speaker 3 (02:27:25):
Look, you're looking at it the wrong way. We're not
giving a lecture. We're not doing anything. We're not doing
the serious parts of school. What I would say we
are every every six to ten, every weekday morning is
we're showing tell.
Speaker 2 (02:27:35):
That's what it is. So I have to go ahead
and bring in my Malibu Dart Barbie Doll and then
to show off all the accessories with it. Now, I
always brought in neither my g I Joe or my
teenage mutant Ninja Turtle. But I digress. Go ahead, Why
is this really that?
Speaker 12 (02:27:47):
Man?
Speaker 2 (02:27:47):
Because I mean, I had cool toys and I wanted
to show them off. I never even show and tell
is I never even did show untell when I was
in high school, but great school. Whatever the hell it
was mikeaw Dale's AVAE job. I told you everything you
need to know. Mike Danigel fired after three and a
half four years with the Miami Dolphins. They are going
in a different direction. I will say this. If they're
firing Mike McDaniel, they know who their next head coach is.
(02:28:08):
And according to reports, John Harbaugh has not been contacted
or been associated with the job, which basically tells me
John Harbaugh is giving the next head coach of the
Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (02:28:18):
It seems like they would be a pretty logical conclusion.
I mean, I forget who had the report yesterday that
they had kicked the tires on them, and then people
are like, well, wait a minute, didn't you you know,
are aren't you keeping Mike McDaniel around?
Speaker 2 (02:28:30):
But guess that's not the case. Mike McDaniel gone so great. Listen,
it's a massive upgrade if you were able to go
ahead and lanjar.
Speaker 3 (02:28:37):
Real quick here before we get to the Astros thing.
I mean, remember that temptation I talked about yesterday. You've
had connections with Tamiko and Mike McDaniel back from San Francisco.
Would that be somebody that you look at and say, hmm,
come lead our offense.
Speaker 2 (02:28:55):
You are a twelve and five teen that is supposed
to be the Pittsburgh Steelers and go past the division
around in the AFC Championship game. I don't think that
you're firing your head. You're off its coordinator. If you
go to the AFC Championship game. Just wonder if the
temptation is going to be there. That's all. That's all
I ask. I'm all as Here's what I will say.
This is the first time to where I can actually
see a scenario where Nick Kayley's av a job when
(02:29:17):
Mike mcdale comes in. I don't think that like the
Chip Kelly experiment or like you know, there's some other
names out there, Brian da will be in one. That
was one that I would never be Okay, we're gonna
go ahead and make that happen.
Speaker 6 (02:29:26):
No, just no.
Speaker 2 (02:29:28):
But at least with McDaniel and the ties and the
fact that there were people who were clamoring that CJ
would be a good fit in the offense and that
you wanted to derive some of the personnel concepts from
McDaniel's play style. I can at least entertain the idea that, yes,
it's a possibility, no one else I could have done it.
For this one, I will at least give you credit
and say there's smoke enough to believe that the fire
(02:29:50):
is not that far behind.
Speaker 3 (02:29:51):
Well, I'll tell you, Well, let's keep the conversation on
this going and let's save the astros for the next segment,
because Ray wants to get in on it, so let's
give him that chance.
Speaker 2 (02:29:58):
Ray, Good morning, Good morning.
Speaker 18 (02:30:02):
I knew this guy was gonna get fired, But one
thing about it, I think he ended up getting fired
because of other coaches losing their jobs. And you know,
I think the Dolphins already looking at somebody else that
possibly got fired already. And that'sn're gonna make it a
tough game for the Texans because Tomlin may get fired
if they lose this game, because you know, owners are
(02:30:24):
looking around at people getting fired.
Speaker 5 (02:30:26):
He may lose his jobs. So the team is.
Speaker 18 (02:30:28):
Gonna be fighting to win this game to keep their
jobs going. And you know, I'm not happy mcdanie's got fired.
You know, we had him and his brother and our staff.
You know, he's the weird guy. But I don't think
he's going to be a head coach. I think he's
going to drop back down and be.
Speaker 5 (02:30:43):
Offensive coordinator somewhere.
Speaker 2 (02:30:45):
And it's really not his fault that.
Speaker 5 (02:30:47):
Two of us start messing up real bad.
Speaker 18 (02:30:50):
Tarik Hill got hurt is really not his fault. You know,
they lost good defensive players. You know, I wish we
can get a chain to come home and come to you.
That'd be great, but it's not gonna happen. I'm just
I hate the guy lost his job, and I'm not
going to listen to you guys speak about it.
Speaker 10 (02:31:07):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (02:31:08):
I appreciate the call, Ray.
Speaker 3 (02:31:10):
I mean, if they didn't have the finish that they had,
we wouldn't even be having this conversation because just like
the general manager being out, Mike McDaniel would have been out.
But I mean that's exactly what it is, is that
John Harbaugh is out there and possibly Mike Tomlin could
be out there. So I mean, those coaches right there,
(02:31:30):
You've got a owner and Steven Ross who badly wants
to win. So he says, well, these guys are much
better than the goofball that I've got leading my team
right now.
Speaker 2 (02:31:39):
So yeah, absolutely, you need a change in the building.
You need a new direction when it comes to the
identity of your roster, and especially when it comes to
who you believe should be in the leadership position. I
thought he was on borrow time. From the second that
Chris Career got fired. Multiple people said he was gonna
be the first head coach fired this offseason. It didn't
happen that way. The thing is is that, again, if
(02:32:02):
you're making this move this late into the process, you
know who you're landing, and so is it just a
dunge show.
Speaker 3 (02:32:08):
It's such a reactionary move, like it's just well, fireing McDaniel.
It's then why not do it on Monday if you
wanted to be on if you want to.
Speaker 2 (02:32:18):
Now know that there is somebody who is interested in
the job that you're gonna go land, But don't be
a Tuesday or Wednesday team that fires a coach. That
either shows that you're reactionary or you don't know what
you're doing, and both of them are a bad line.
It doesn't show that at all. It shows to me
that you know what you're doing, that why you're making
that move. Okay, perfect example. Remember when Tom Herman got
fired by the Texas Longhorns, it took less than an
hour for them to name Steve Sarkisian their head coach.
(02:32:40):
So there was already a conversation going on behind closed
doors with Chrystal Conti and company saying, if we make
this move, you are coming into Austin. He signed on
the dotted line. They went next door, Hey, Tom, you
got a minute clean out the office. We're gonna announce
our next guy before you even have a chance to
leave Austin. Like it was such a quiet coaching search.
They knew that they had their next guy in the waiting.
(02:33:02):
So if you're making a move like this on a Thursday,
what you're saying is you have gone out, you have
made conversations, you have made it know that there is
a candidate that wants to be in Miami and you
want him in Miami, because if you're right, just do
it on Monday if you're gonna fire the guy. But
they had to have a good understanding that there is
somebody who is signing on up and they're saying, Hey,
I'm gonna be the Dolphins head coach, and I think
(02:33:23):
it will be John Harbaugh, and if it's not John Harbaugh,
it's gonna be Mike Tomlin because I do think that
I still believe that Mike Tomlin loses on Monday. If
it is a close game, we can have a discussion.
If it's a blowout ten points or more. I think
they go in a different direction after eighteen.
Speaker 3 (02:33:37):
Years someone three two, one two five, seven ninety where
we're going to get to the tatsu tatsu Ta Tatsuya
in my conversation. But we'll do that next because he's
already becoming a fan favorite, and I think he's going
to be even more of one for reasons off the field.
We'll have that for you or your money back coming
up right here on the Morning Drive with Danny Coles
(02:33:59):
Sports Talk seven to ninety.
Speaker 2 (02:34:01):
But let's talk your fashion sense.
Speaker 3 (02:34:04):
I mean, how are you feeling about the way that
you look like, say, heading out to the golf course,
even heading to work this morning. You know it's one
of those off still got the same run of the millpolos,
you know all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:34:15):
Let's fix that for you.
Speaker 3 (02:34:16):
Okay, Let's send you over to Kobe Stevens dot com,
Kobe Stevens Apparel and also too excited to announce the
opening of the new brick and mortar store sixty four
oh two Louetta Road up there in spring. So if
you shout it out, new Year, New Me on January first,
(02:34:36):
right when it hit midnight, well then show it with
your fashion at the office at the golf course even too,
if you're wanting to get out there on the water
this year and reel in some good fish. The great
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and also in store right there at sixty four oh
two Luetta Road against Kobe Stephens dot Com, Koby Stephens
(02:34:58):
dot com, Coby Stevens with a VS at the end.
It's Kobe Stevens dot Com, Kobe Stevens Apparel.
Speaker 4 (02:35:07):
They are on Morning Drive. Here's Dan, Matthews and Cole Thompson.
I dip my cheese steak in Audrey from a friendship.
That to me is about combination. So I can't sit
here and argue to do that much because of I also.
Speaker 2 (02:35:22):
Like to do the depth. It's there so when I
use it.
Speaker 3 (02:35:25):
So anyway, all right, So yeah, you got Matt and
Ross coming up next, Adam and Adam after them. Here
and then tomorrow night you're gonna get the Rockets as
they lose last night one O three, one O two
to the Blazers Texans on the practice field. And you're
also gonna get the college football playoffs tonight Miami ole
miss for the right to face either Oregon or Indiana
(02:35:45):
in the next round. All right, So, Astros fans, I
think it's pretty easy to say soured on fromber Valdez
pretty easily just because of some of his antics. Where
Fromber would become not good Fromber, something happened, it was
a number up the three baseline. Then you know, he
spends out of control. He crosses up his catcher, maybe
(02:36:05):
unintentionally according to some, but he does that a lot
of the antics.
Speaker 2 (02:36:10):
People drew tired of it.
Speaker 3 (02:36:11):
Well, listen to Scott Boris talk about Tatsuya am I
and why it is pretty easy to find out that
he is going to be the anti Fromber.
Speaker 17 (02:36:21):
My first meeting and watching Tetsuitch was he had an
air by the shortstop and then another air by the
second baseman, and he then struck out the next three
batters and probably saw the most emotion I had seen
from him as a player, and I asked him after
(02:36:42):
the game.
Speaker 8 (02:36:42):
I said, what what motivates you? What compels you?
Speaker 17 (02:36:46):
And he says, there's nothing better than picking up your
teammates and making sure that you can help them through
the process and the rewards.
Speaker 8 (02:36:55):
You get from that.
Speaker 17 (02:36:56):
And I knew immediately he was built for Major League
Baseball after that.
Speaker 3 (02:37:00):
That right there has me the most excited about him.
Is again, he's the anti Fromber. Somebody makes an error,
the defensive alignment behind you costs you a run, any
of those things. He says, all right, that's what makes
you the most excited. Yes, that right there, to me, the.
Speaker 2 (02:37:17):
Fact that he told everybody in Japan, I don't want
to join the Dark Empire that is known for having
Japanese pictures. I want to beat the Dark Empire for
having Japanese pictures too. That to me is the one
that makes me excited and.
Speaker 3 (02:37:29):
Is the anti Ted Cruz because both games he's been
two here in Houston, he's won. This guy, this guy
is making a hell of a first impression.
Speaker 2 (02:37:36):
I give him a lot of credit for going to
a game that had Riley Leondard as a starting quarterback
and sitting through it for four quarters. And that guy
wearing wearing a Boris Corp jumpsuit. That guy is durable.
Because if he was willing to sit in silence and
then be welcomed by a cascade of eruption roar for
sitting and watching Riley Lennon versus Davis, and then the
following night he got to see Kevin Durant sink the
(02:37:58):
game winner. Yeah, but that was at least a good
game against a former team that's at least somewhat better.
Speaker 8 (02:38:04):
This was.
Speaker 2 (02:38:05):
You were going up against Riley Leonard. I'm sorry, I'm
not gonna go. You got to try lamb chops and
then you know, he ate some ramen the other night.
Tatsu is loving Houston man, and Houston's loving him back.
I mean, he probably had Robin before, though, I would say,
oh probably, so I think that I think that that's
one that we can all agree on.
Speaker 3 (02:38:21):
He's probably happening, But you know, I mean, it's it's
just the fact that right there, I mean, you hear
about it where has a tough inning and you feel like,
you know, it could kind of boil up like you
know it did with a guy that you decided not
to bring back. But again, the Astros and the fan
base had tired of Fromber's antics with that, and now
this sounds like a guy that's going to be the
complete opposite of that, and that fires me off. Four
(02:38:43):
pitch Arsenal ninety five mile fastball. He has a great
vulcan curve change and if you watch his release point,
it's sick like I have found myself the last couple
of nights going through YouTube videos and just seeing how
his release is because of it's going to trip up
batters all the time.
Speaker 2 (02:38:58):
It's it's such a good signing. It it excites me
that baseball season is right around the corner, knowing he
is going to be your number two.
Speaker 3 (02:39:06):
I saw that meme yesterday. This is the final month
without baseball. Let's go all right. He's Coled Thompson, Triple,
Emmanuel Elmore, Dan Matthews. The Matt Thomas Show with Ross
is coming up next. We're gonna have a full load
of great guests coming your way tomorrow as we get
you ready for the football weekend as a whole, react
(02:39:27):
to tonight's game and then also to continue to get
you ready for Monday Night between the Texans and the Steelers.
With that, we will talk to you in twenty hours,
right here on your home of the Astros and the Rockets.
Speaker 2 (02:39:40):
Sports Talks seven to ninety
This is the Morning Drive with dadd and Cole.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Right elbow for the winds. It is a front rim
tampa is there. That's to reason they put it in.
They're gonna check the sieve. It's good to reason's right
hand got there.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
That ball is.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
One side says it's good, one doesn't says it's no good, unsuccessful.
Speaker 5 (00:39):
And did not meet to.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Table. Take the points off the board. The Blazers won
it one o three, one o two.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
A well, if you stayed up late, that's what she got.
And with that we say away we go in good morning.
It is the Morning Drive Dannon Cole's talk seven ninety.
As the Rockets fall last night one oh three, one
oh two there in Portland, they're gonna get another chance
against them tomorrow nights. So hopefully, uh Denny avid Jah
(01:13):
is not as as tough on you. I made it
to halftime.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
I mean that scoring forty one points put twenty eight
in the second half. He was tough. He was absolutely.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I feel like, you know, you're almost watching mirror images
of organizations, because I mean the Blazer's kind of gone
through a little bit of what the Rockets did about
you know, four or five years ago. I think that
this version of the Blazers is about like what the
Rockets were two years ago, where you can see the
(01:44):
light through the trees, you can see the light at
the end of the tunnel that hey, we're about to
be a competitive basketball team again, but you're not quite there.
But with Avid Jah, I mean, that gets them even closer.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Thirteen twenty four, thirteen to fifteen for the free throw line,
six rebounds to assist, five total turnovers, one steal plus
differential of a negative zero, and twenty seven points in
the second half. And that's how the Rockets were all
to twenty two and twelve on the year, eleven and
ten away from Toyota Center.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
So losing last night, that's a rough one. And as
I mentioned, they're gonna get another chance. I mean, you know,
before you know, just we get to the football weekend
as a whole, I mean, just with this Rockets team
right now, me and you were talking about a little
bit before you know we hopped on the air. There's
just there's something off. And I know that the point
(02:36):
guard is a big thing that people are going to
point to and I and I get it. And if
that's what you think is the missing equation right now?
That's been fine, Yeah, I mean, because offensively, you do
get into a situation where they get stagnant, there's not
a ton of ball movement. I think early on in
the game there was, and when you know, in the
third quarter they went on that eleven to two run,
you were starting to see that you were starting to
(02:56):
see a little bit more activity there. Not having auprin
Shingoon that's a massive one, but it's just I think
that you know, the off season, you made it a
point to try to be able to add as much
shooting as possible and as much linked as possible, and
you accomplished at least the second part.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
The first part as of recently has been terrible. When
you have two guards finishing with eighteen minutes of action
and zero points scored, you have a point guard problem.
I mean, I can go into four more details about
the defense allowing somebody to score forty one points, allowing
a team that has a eighteen and twenty record to
outscore you in the second quarter thirty two to twenty five.
(03:35):
I can mention all those things. Bad turnovers at the
worst time, inefficiency when it comes to defensive reboundings. Dan,
it's very simple, like we don't need to complicate everything
in the world because of we're trying to come up
with certain narratives or ways that we can make the
storyline fun. They don't have a point guard. They don't
have a reliable point guard that can facilitate and set
up offensive drives. That's what the problem is. That's what's
(03:58):
been the problem. That's going to be the problem. And
until you figure that part out, you're still going to
be a team that right now feels like you can
go to the playoffs when a playoff series, but you're
not near Denver, you're not near San Antonio, you're definitely
not near Oklahoma, Citting. You're not near any of those teams.
And those teams have a point guard, and you need
(04:19):
a point guard. And it's very clear that you can't
trust Reed Shepherd to be a full time starter. And
you don't like seeing Amen Thompson, who had a cool
twenty four points last night, shot fifty percent from the field,
a seven eleven for the three throw line, had a
plus six differential, really overall solid night. You don't like
seeing him at the one. You like see him as
the two. You like see him at the three, but
we have him at the one. It's gonna lead to
(04:40):
some problems. They need a point guard, like I need
a some of water well.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
And I mean, you know, I think another part of
this too is Tari Easson in the starting lineup. I
think that's something that is not working out well for
you right now. He's too inconsistent offensively. I just I
think that energy wise, in what he gives you defensively,
he's better as a six man, Like I just I
think that's that's what he is. But I think, you know,
(05:06):
another part of this too is a lot of this
is predicated on you need guys like Jabari Smith Junior
to step up. Two of thirteen from the field last
night one of seven from three. I mean this team
as a whole is awful from three right now, as
I mentioned twenty two percent last night.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Okay, hold up, So you're saying that Tari Shanmnby be
in the starting lineup, I'm gonna vehemently push back against that.
The reason why they're struggling in that standpoint is because
you don't have alprin Shangoon, which means you gotta give
more mins. Steven Adams, which means that you got to
keep Tarrii on the court longer, which means that you
got to then rotate in a guy like Clincapello, which
is not a good deal. So until shng Goon comes back,
I think it's hard to argue with the Eastern conversation
(05:41):
because if you have him and Shanguna on the court
at the same time, it probably ends up benefiting you
because you can pull Tari and take fewer minutes away
from him by rotating into Steven Adams. But you don't
have a shn Gun right now. And since you don't
have a shan Gun, that means you need to have
more minutes. And again, he nearly won the game last night,
but because of a technic when it came to the
buzzer situation, they end up losing one oh three one
(06:04):
oh two.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Well, I mean, the ball was still on his hands
when he tried to put it back, and I mean,
obviously if it's still on your hands, and then you've
got that tick tacking and then you got that lamp
right behind the basket that's already red, well then they're gonna.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Say either way that they easily could have gone either way.
They just like to go ahead and screw over Houston
because it's part of the narratives that's his year. You
and I both know this, Dan, When you play against
crampy teams as the Houston Rockets, you lose. When you
play against the contenders in the Western Conference, you win big.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
But you know it's funny you say that because I
know that fans will throw that at this team. And
I brought that up the other night with did you
see who Oklahoma City lost to a couple of nights ago?
It wasn't like the second workst team in the NBA. Yeah,
they lost it to Charlotte Hornets. So I mean to
say that this is a Rockets problem is not a
Rockets problem. I mean, it's eighty two games, and we
give the benefit of the doubt in baseball, and we
(06:55):
somewhat give it in basketball. But I don't think it's
as much because it's eighty two as opposed to one
sixty two. But it's still the same deal where you're
going to lose a game that as a team, as
a fan base us you look back at and you're like,
how the hell do you lose that game?
Speaker 6 (07:11):
Dan?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
They've lost their last four games. To let me remind you,
the Dallas Mavericks who are fourteen and twenty three, the
LA Clippers, who are thirteen and twenty three, the Sacramento
Kings who are eight and twenty nine, and the Portland
Trail Blazers that, because of an expanded playoff, are in
as the number nine seed two games under five hundred.
They're losing the bad teams, that's just did They're beating
(07:35):
teams like Oklahomas, I mean, like Denver. They're beating the Lakers,
they're beating the Timberwolves, they're beating the Suns. They're losing
to the incomparable rosters that aren't having any traction offensively
except on a night when they face off against Houston.
And that's that just because of bad officiating. It's because
of the lack of overall leadership outside of Kevin Durant.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Well, I mean, because you shoot thirty seven percent last night.
I mean, there's just they're off on the offensive end
right now. There's no other way to say it. They're
a bad offensive basketball team right now, and they're trying
to be able to find ways. I mean, of I
guess it's, hey, let's keep shooting eventually they'll go down. Well,
when you're eight of thirty six from three, they're probably
not going down. When you're thirty seven of ninety nine,
(08:18):
they're not going down. And I understand it too, as
you mentioned, I mean, and I'm fully on board with Alprin.
Shingoon not being on the offensive end is really hurting
this team right now, and you're seeing that. But the
good news is, at least it sounds like that his
progression to come back could see him be back sometime
during that five game homestand that you're gonna have so
(08:38):
get through these next couple of games and then hopefully
about middle of the next week you get him back.
Speaker 7 (08:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Rockets on the road tomorrow night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
They stay out on the road to take on the
Sacramento Kings on Sunday, return home the thirteenth. They have
a five game stretch against Chicago, Oklahoma City, Minnesota, New Orleans,
and San Antonio before they hit the road on January
twenty second to take on the Philadelphia seventy six ers
seven two five seven ninety Overall thoughts on last night's game,
(09:04):
in your opinion, what's missing for the rockets, because I'm
telling you right now, it's a point guard. Like we
can go through the whole spiel of well they don't
shoot well from three, Well they're struggling when it comes
to second chance rebound. So while they're struggling at the
field goal line, whatever it is, you don't have a
point guard to facilitate, Like like you're you're putting a
square peg in a round hole saying, amen, Thompson, go
(09:26):
play this role, even though you're better shooted as a three,
even though you're better shooted as a complimentary piece being
around the bucket, be a facilitator, and that doesn't work.
And I get it. You thought that you were gonna
have Fred. You thought you were gonna see more growth
when it came to reach Shepherd. Shepherd has to play
Mormans because you don't have Fred out there. But the
bottom line is that you don't have somebody that you
can reliably trust to set up pick and rolls and
(09:49):
screens and be able to put you in a better
position offensively.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
They played thirty four games this year, twenty one of
them have been on the road. So I think that
that's another thing that factors into all of this.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I mean, you've got to play on the road in
the NBA.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
I get all of that, but I mean, you know,
it's also too You're obviously going to be much better
at home. And as you mentioned, they're eleven and ten
away from Toyota Center this season, so hopefully you get
to twelve and ten tomorrow nights again. I mean, as
we've mentioned, they're gonna be playing the Blazers again.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
So another losing team against another losing team before they
take on the Chicago Bulls at home, which Dan, I
don't know if you know, this is another losing team,
another losing.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Team, So hopefully they can even start to you know,
that's the thing is is narratives start to build with teams,
So you know, maybe that's one for this year's team,
is that the losing teams are the ones getting the
better end of the deal in these But I mean
it was also as the Rockets started to find their
way back on to national TV.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
That's a couple of years ago.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Last year they were losing those games and you're just like, gosh,
can you guys win a national TV game?
Speaker 2 (10:48):
And they've finally done that this year Christmas Day. That's wonderful.
I mean, all we got to do now is watch
them lose four more games, three more games. My apologies
to be on a four game losing streak to then
be able to beat the brakes off of the Oklahoma
City Thunder, because that'll be a game to where they'll
play competitive, and they'll go to overtime, and they'll take
that down to the final bucket and maybe we'll get
a second overtime and Kadi will drop forty two and
(11:09):
we'll see a really solid performance from Jabari Smith in
the three point range, and I'm in Thomson will drop
a cool twenty nine, and they'll find a way to
win on a buzzer beater because of Alprin. But then
of course they have to go face off against the
Philadelphia seventy six ers, who are twenty and fifteen. That
may be a little bit more of a challenging contest.
I get it. It's the randomness of the NBA. Anything
can happen in an eighty two game stretch, But narratives
(11:30):
are meant to be formed when it's constantly seeing the
same results unfold against the common opponent. What's the common
denominator against all the teams they recently have lost to.
What's your record? Are you above five hundred? Oh, congratulations,
you're winning our game. Hey, are you under five hundred? Congratulations?
Other team just go ahead and embarrass the Rockets. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
And I mean, you know, as I mentioned too, you
do need to have the backup singers along with Kevin
Durant that are able to contribute. I mean, he thirty
seven points out of him last night, the twenty four
out of him and Thompson. I mean, that's a guy
that you need to count on, and he was able
to deliver. But again one of seven from three, two
of thirteen. Jabari Smith Junior, You've got a step up man,
(12:15):
like you have to in order for this team to
be better.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
And I think he knows that obviously.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Steven Adams is you know, I mean, whatever you get
offensively out of him, that's a bonus. But then one
more thing here before we take our first break. Three
points out of doriy and Finney Smith. I get that
he is a couple of weeks removed from just coming
back and he's slowly getting back out there more minutes.
Fourteen out of him three points last night, one of
four from the field, one of two from three. Clint Capella,
(12:42):
I think is in the same category as Steven Adams
offense is pretty much a bonus out of him. Two
points out of him reached Shepherd with eight. So you
had thirteen points off your bench last night. You get
out scored sixteen to thirteen by the bench players from Portland,
and I mean different in this game Caleb Love with
ten compared to your high bench scorer, Reed Shepherd.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
So I'll say on one of the bigger things is
that you look at the Rockets. They were one of
the more impressive offensive, defensive rebounding teams to begin the year.
They've dropped outside of the top ten. Still number one
in offensive rebounds, overall rebounds this year, currently number one
with forty nine point one. They're just not being able
to put away drives. They at one point were number
one in the NBA in three point efficiency. They've dropped
(13:26):
down from forty three percent to thirty seven percent. And
then for the field goal range, at one point they
were shooting around fifty one. Now they're shooting around forty eight.
So it feels like that all the offensive metrics are
still there, it's defensively allowing bad opponents to stick around
and you not being able to have to close your moment.
And that's where having a point guard I think is
really important for those final two minutes where you're able
(13:48):
to facilitate and get the ball out to Amen Thompson,
get the ball out to Katie, find a way to
be able to get around the back, back, get around
the basket if you are alpro chindo. Just a little
things like that can go a long way. And it's
evidently clear once again we're seeing the same results.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Yeah, so the rockets obviously can be a part of
the conversation today. You want to join in seven one
three two on two five seven ninety against semone three
two on two five seven ninety.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
As I mentioned, you know what the calls.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
I mean, it's kind of like you walk up on
a conversation at a party and you know we're talking
about it, or we have talked about it. You know
that take inventory there. Okay, fine, jump in on that.
So if you want to weigh in on it, then
we allow you to do it. So semone three two
on two five seven ninety against Seve one three two
on two five seven ninety. Let's get into the Texans
conversation though here on this Thursday morning, because I think
(14:37):
that Will Anderson Junior is who we wished that this
guy could be. We'll discuss that here as we get
into the show on a Thursday at Dan Matthews's. Cole
Thompson A triple, Emmanuel Elmore hanging out with you right
here on the morning Drive Sports Socks seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Good Morning Drive with DNN and Cole on Sports Talk
seven ninety, home of the Strolls, Rockets and Houston's best sports.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Talk into the Texans set topic here in just a second,
we were talking Rockets, so payoff on that with Jason,
who wants to wig in.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Good morning Jason.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Now the phone's doing the same thing again, triple if
you want to punch them up, Jason, good morning. How
you doing Jason on your phone? Not your radio? Bud
all right?
Speaker 8 (15:27):
Three?
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Two, yeah, Hello, yeah, Okay, Hey, what's up? Jason?
Speaker 7 (15:32):
I don't know, I could out. I'm there for a minutes. Looks,
I'm just gonna say this, all right. I see shade
of the Celtics in the Rockets, where they won bad
games under email Udoka but still manage to make the
NBA Finals. And that's a good positive outlook. That's the
only good way to look at it, in my opinion.
Speaker 9 (15:56):
Lay that out again, I see shades of the Celtics.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I got that part, but what was the payoff with it?
Speaker 7 (16:06):
Well, the only positive thing is under Ema Dooka, the
Celtics won. They lost bad games, but still made the
NBA Finals.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Jase, I'm gonna ask you right now. You got seven
game series Rockets of the Oklahoma City thunder. The way
that these two teams are playing in a seven game series,
seven game series, the.
Speaker 7 (16:25):
Oklahoma City they're also losing bad games, so it's a
flip of the coin.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Oklahoma City has lost one bad game this year. The
Rockets consistently are losing to SEB five hundred teams. Let's
just ask I'll ask you that again. Who are you
going for?
Speaker 7 (16:39):
I'll take my chances with the Rockets.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
All right, listen. I respect the hell out of you, man,
I really do, but this is not a team that
can win a championship the way they're playing right now
against Portland, against Los Angeles and against other bad teams.
Indiana was a good win. You were supposed to be Indiana.
That sits currently at six and thirty one.
Speaker 10 (16:59):
I gotta be hones.
Speaker 7 (17:00):
All my buddies are Rockets stands and I'm a Spurs
stan so I'm sitting pretty good right now.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
I said, you gottaeel pretty good right now, man, I mean,
you're twenty six and eleven. You guys are four and
a half games back of Oklahoma City. You got a
great win last night. You gotta feel pretty good about
where you are, dude, I am.
Speaker 7 (17:18):
But at the same time, I feel bad for my
buddies who are die hard Rockets stand and know what,
and I like the Rockets, so, I mean, but I
gotta be honest. The way the Thunder is playing, I mean,
they're They're not a for sure thing either. I mean,
it's just right now, the West is clearly kind of
favorable for the top five teams.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
If you ask my opinion, you're right, and the Rockets
are number six.
Speaker 7 (17:44):
You're killing me, man, killing my buddies. Stot. You gotta
stop doing that. So fellas, I love this show.
Speaker 9 (17:50):
Thank you for your time.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I appreciate Jason. Hold on, hold up, you just said
it was buzzkiller. That's what you are. You buzz killed,
So you're the buzz killer. You just said a second
ago in a fine win. Oh, it was a fine
win over the over the team last night. Who did
they play? Oh, they played the Los Angeles Lakers. We're
gonna give any credit to the Spurs.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
They do enough of that fan bets does it enough
for themselves.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
They won by sixteen and they outshot them by forty
two percent in the second half. That's fine. It was
a great game by them last night. I'll give credit
RECRDS due no lebron. I want them to suffer. I
want them to suck. I don't want them to be
a good team. But right now they are playing more
kinsistent than the Rockets, and that should be an identity
thing that Emay's looking at currently inside the clubhouse and
asking what are we doing wrong in that san Antonio
(18:32):
is doing right? I mean, without hearing from email last night.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
I mean, I know, you know the Dallas game, for example,
I was on that post game, and you know, he
was asked about the effort and he said, I didn't
see effort was a problem. We just were awful offensively,
and I think it was clearly a lot of the
same deals last night. I mean, avid Ya, as we
mentioned forty one points out of him. So I mean,
certain guys are going to be able to get theirs,
and he definitely got his. But I mean, again, it
(18:56):
doesn't underscore the fact cold that when you shoot thirty
seven of ninety nine from the field, you're not going
to win very many games. And this team has to
find offense if they're going to win more games.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
So you're looking at a team like San Antonio and
you're talking about maybe the fact that they struggle with
three point shooting, because they shot sixteen percent from downtown
last night, but they also shot fifty percent for the field,
and they also shot eighty two percent for the free
throw age, and the little fundamentals go a long way.
Rockets didn't shoot that last night, but they shot twenty
three percent from the three point range, So better point
range when it comes to shooting for threes, but lesser
(19:28):
overall success coming from the offensive.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Consistency down in the pain. All right, So let's get
into the Texans here. As you know mentioned with Will
and Anderson Junior, where we played the audio from him
the other day where he talked about talking to the
defensive lineman and saying, now's the time to make the
sacrifices like this needs to be everything that you have
is into this, because well, you win one, then you
can get two. You win that second one, then you
(19:52):
get three, and then if you get to number four
and you win that one, your world champions. So the
presence of mind to be able to say that to
you his guys when he's what third year in the league, yep.
And I mean obviously somebody too that when you brought
him here in that draft, you brought him here with
the express purpose of being somebody that is going to
be a tone setter in that locker room and be
(20:13):
a tone setter for this team. But then it got
me thinking last night, Cole, don't we wish that that
was CJ. Stroud over Will Anderson Junior? That you want
that out of your quarterback as opposed to a guy
that's a really good standout edge rusher.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
No, I want my quarterback to win me football games.
That's all I care about. I don't care about it
what just sound like at the podium. I don't care
about what just sound like when it comes to meeting
with media. It'd be great to have a better rapport.
It'd be great to feel like that you're more frustrated
after a close game that you could have played better in.
But if you win a football game and your quarterback
is the reasoning why you're winning a football game, I
(20:46):
don't really care how you sound or how you approach things.
And that's kind of what I know, that's what you're
getting at. But yeah, that's that's more so important to me.
The thing is that Will Anderson is treating it in
a leadership perspective from a spotlight standpoint, but he's delivering
on the field. I mean, that's the thing is.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
That's what it really comes down there with CJ is
that at times inconsistency with his throwing and being able
to you know, hit open receivers and sometimes overthrowing guys,
and I mean, you know, he gets the intentional grounding
the other day where it was something that looked like
it could have been very avoidable out of him, and
you're like, come on, man, it's year three, Like, how
(21:24):
how is this still happening? Like I think that's what
kind of underscoes the frustration with CJ at times, like
where it's how like have you not made improvements in
these areas to be even better this year? And it's
not like this offensive line. It's great, but they're not
as bad as they were last year.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
You couldn't blame it on the offensive line for making
you have the rush to your throws. I mean, even
against in my opinion, sub pass rush, they give him
zero sacks. That's the thing.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Like is there's even times this year where I look
at this offensive line. And we'll continue this, but I mean,
you know how many times are you watching a game
and you're like, CJ.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Just get rid of the ball. There is at least
four or five times a game where the pressure comes
on in and it's not because the offensive line. It's
because of holding the football for too long or trying
to survey the field and get a pass downfield.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
And that's I mean, it's just sometimes I mean, he
is you know, he decides to go ahead and take
off and run, which is you know, I mean, something
else that you can add to party of your game.
But again, we'll continue this because I mean with will
Anderson Junior kind of to further the thoughts on him
being a team leader, is even trying to seek the
(22:30):
advice of a legend looks I we'll discuss that here
as we continue on the Morning Drive. It's me Dan Matthews,
Cole Thompson, Triple, Emmanuel Elmore hanging out with you this
morning right here.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Real takes Real Reaction, Real Houston. Sports Talk seven ninety
guarantee human talking about.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Will Anderson Junior.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
And one of the things that you know I'd mentioned
you just thought popped into my head. I go, you know,
I think Will Anderson Junior has turned into who we
would hope that CJ. Stroud would because you want your
quarterback to be the you know, standalone leader of the team,
Like that's the guy, he is the voice of the team.
What do you say about you know, successful teams, Well,
the quarterback is an extension of the head coach.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Well, in this case, I mean, I guess it kind.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Of makes sense because the quarterback of the defense is
as he's Al Shaier. But at the same time, Will
Anderson Junior and Daniel Hunter have been a massive part
of your defense this year. But it's also too with
guys that you look at and you say, never enough
for them, never satisfied. Will Anderson Junior seems like he's
one of those guys again, has a pedigree coming from Alabama,
(23:39):
a program that demands all of those things. When Nick
Saban was there, it was every little attention to detail,
and they did everything better than everybody else.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
That's why they won national titles almost year in and
year out.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
So the Houston Chronicle Sam Warren doing a good piece.
How a string of text messages from JJ Watt to
Will Anderson Junior raised the Houston New Star so Anderson Jr.
Talking about at first he was a little hesitant to
reach out, and then the interaction spanned to nearly fifty
to fifty five to zero text messages in a couple
(24:14):
of hours. Watt said the conversation was heavy but reassuring,
as the Texans top defender saw plenty of good from
the determined twenty four year old on a path to
take him from that. Watt said of the extent of
the exchange, that was intense. It started with the question,
(24:34):
It started to question stuff. I just had to calm
him down a and also b give him some real
advice I really thought could make him even a little
bit better. So again too, I mean trying to reach
out and trying to be able to find ways to
improve yourself. And I mean I think the first couple
(24:54):
of years we saw good things out of Will Anderson Jr.
We've seen definitely a massive step forward here year three.
So I mean, I think that young guys kind of
reached that point where there is a little bit of doubt.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Was there a doubt for Will Anderson going into year three?
Speaker 3 (25:09):
I don't think there was doubt, but I think that,
you know, it's one of those that maybe to him,
he kind of felt like that he had hit a
little bit of a early in your career wall and
trying to be able to get over that. So how
do I do that? All Right, Well, let me reach
out to somebody that knows what it's like to be
able to make really strong contributions in this league.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
And I credit him for doing that. I think it's
more so just hey, what did you do from year
one to year two to year three to turn you
into a two time a three time Defensive Player of
the Year cut type of candidate, because that's really where
the trajectory is of Will Anderson. When you trade up
and give away future draft compensation to get him at
number three, you're saying that you think he is going
(25:50):
to be the air apparent of the greatest pass rusher
to ever walk through the walls of NRG Stadium, and
so you deliver a solid rookie performance, you take that
next step forward with eleven sacks, but you're going into
a contract year and you want to make sure that
you've lived up to the billing of not only what
you've set as the goals for yourself coming out of
college and leaving as one of the greatest pass rushers
(26:12):
we've seen in the twenty first century at the collegiate level,
but living up to the narrative of you were worthy
of being traded up for the pick, because there were
people I still remember, nobody was upset about the move.
Nobody was sitting here and saying, oh, you got Will
Anderson and CJ. Stroud, But there were a lot of
people asking themselves, was it worth giving up all that
draft compensation for a pass rusher that may slightly be
(26:35):
better than a Tyree Wilson who was available at pick
number seven. Well, and Beholdens ended up being the blessing
in the guy becaucause Tyree Wilson is terrible out in
Las Vegas, and he's been great here. But there needs
to be a reason that you're able to take that
next jump forward. And Will's mindset's always been a I
am delivering for more than just me. I'm delivering for
a team, and I'm delivering for those who have put
(26:57):
their faith in me. And I think that that's where
you reach out to a guy like JJ Watt and say,
I understand that I may not be the reason our
team goes to Super Bowl, but I want to be
a reason. I want to be a factor. I want
to be a part of that success story because of
I think that if I get to that next level,
people are gonna follow my pathway. They're gonna follow my
(27:17):
workout regimen. They're gonna be able to want to stick
out behind and stay and stay and watch film. They're
gonna want to lead by example kind of met mentality.
And Will's done that and who did that before him?
One JJ Watt, who lived out of an NRG drive
for nine years.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
There's a reason he's here, Watts said, there's a reason
he was the third pick overall in the draft.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
He's that damn good.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
So I just try to I just keep trying to
make sure he remembers at the end of the day,
let it lose play free on Sundays. Go out there
and be Will Anderson, go out there and be the terminator.
Anderson did say that he was a little hesitant at
first to reach out, but I said that one thing
I've been learning from JJ is to be me, be free.
(27:58):
He was just telling me not to overcome complicate things.
He always acknowledges how hard I play. My technique has
gotten better from the first time he's seen me to now.
So just being free, going out there playing, just being myself,
being Will Anderson Junior.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Okay, well just be yourself. I mean like like, I mean, look,
everybody in life has someone that you model something after.
Because I'm gonna be completely real, lazy and Gentlemens you always, yes, Dan,
I'm always real, but I'm even more real when it
comes to this. It's a little bit of an edge
this morning. I kind of like it. Okay, everything has
been doing, everything's been done before. Everything in the world
(28:35):
you are copying somebody in some capacity. What you do
different is you take what is the formula that has
worked for somebody else and you turn it into your
own pathway. That's it. There are people that I model
my radio style after, but I still make it my own.
Because of it's me authentic the entire time, but somebody
else has sounded like me sitting in this chair or
(28:56):
another chair across the country. So it's all done differently.
You have to be yourself. If JJ would have said,
oh yeah, just be the next me, do you want
to how acid oine of a comment that would have been?
Because that there is nobody built like JJ Watt. There's
nobody who can pastors like JJ Watt. There's nobody who
can win one on one battles and win over locker
rooms and be a media darling like JJ Watt and
be able to call games in the broadcast like him.
(29:18):
But there's things that you can take from his game
that you can model the approach after that worked in
Houston while adding a little bit of spice in your
own side.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
It's practical advice from somebody where again, you know, like
you said, you're not gonna have the physical traits that
he had, You're not gonna have the size, You're not
gonna have all of those things. But it's exactly that,
don't overthink it, just play. You've got the ability like
That's that's what it really came down to for me,
and I see that in you, so you can absolutely
do that like it's it's things like that. And to
(29:45):
the point you brought up about no original ideas, I mean, yeah,
that's that's the whole thing. It's kind of like sports radio.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
You have to find your own pathway and carve out
a way that may people want to pay attention. And
Will Anderson's done that. And Will Anderson's put himself in
a position to where offensive coordinators are circling the whiteboard
and they're saying, fifty one, know where he's at at
all times, Know what his stump moves are. Know that
if you see him have his hand on the left side,
he could be shifting inside to go on a pass rust.
And when you get to that level of people are
(30:12):
making sure that you are a priority. You've reached the
standard in the NFL of being a name that people fear,
that people are intimidated by, and it's proven that you
have become one of the biggest stars in the sport.
And it's why going into this game against Pittsburgh, I
think a lot of people are looking at Will Anderson
and saying, what does he have in the tank? Because
(30:34):
of an Aaron Rodgers non mobile forty one year old
quarterback is gonna have to stay in the pocket. It
takes one hit for you to alter this game and
put the defense in a position to where they're getting
a fumble, they're causing a turnover, and the office gets
to work with the shortfield and it starts with the
trend s up front.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
You get one player to be able to double team
in the game. Who gets it? It's Will Anderson Jr.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
Yeah, probably, though I still think that Daniel Hunter is
the one that's more dangerous team. I think that I
I think that Will is gonna win more reps one
on one. I mean, he's gonna win more double team
reps than Daniel Hunter. But I think that Daniel Hunter
is still gonna get is still gonna eat on his own.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
So it's it's kind of a negative con So you're
saying that Will is the one who gets double teamed
and then Daniel is free one on one.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
See, in my opinion, if I'd much rather see Daniel
get double team because I think that Daniel's gonna consistently
win his one on one reps. I think that Will
could lose a couple one on one reps to where
it ends up maybe benefiting a team like Pittsburgh where
if you're leaving fifty five on an island, he's witting.
He is kicking your ass every single play. I actually
would say, Dan Neil, you double team.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
And the man is chiseled from granite. It's quite a
sight to say what he's chiseled from.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Granted, No, he's just still like an action figure. No,
that's exactly it. I mean he's from granted, No, he's
he's bill like an actor. There's just there's.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Certain people who, you know, you could say, I can
eat as clean as possible, I could work out every
single day, I could do everything right, and I will
never look like that guy.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
That's actually one of the nicest people in the locker.
He's the best. Yeah, he's the best. It's it's very funny,
and many people have brought this up that near intimidated
to talk to him, and then you have one conversation
afterwards as like, oh okay, very soft spoken, very easy
to get a long dude. He's actually really good with
the media, Like every single post game he sticks behind
winner loss, very under the radar type of good guy
(32:17):
mentality for the locker.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
The few times I've talked with him. What do you
think we've talked about? Probably all shoot, yeah, yeah, there
you go. There you go, John in Downtown, See you're
right there.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
We'll get you in. You want to join him?
Speaker 3 (32:26):
Seven one three two on two five seven ninety gets
seven one three two one two five seven ninety in
addition to the Texans conversation, this is really rich coming
from this guy. We'll share that with you as we
close out six o'clock hour. Right here on a Thursday,
Sports Talk seven ninety they.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Are on Morning Drive. Here's Dan Matthews and Cole Thompson.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Sebone three two one two five seven ninety is the
number to get in. John in Downtown wants to wag in.
Good morning, John, Oh I did it again. Yeah, I'll
fix the phones on my end, triple. You appreciate John.
What's going on?
Speaker 9 (33:05):
How are you doing today?
Speaker 2 (33:06):
I'm good, buddy. How are you? Cole is too?
Speaker 9 (33:08):
I think I'm Me and my friends were watching Pittsburgh,
you know, and and of course we want the Texas
to win. But well it's going to be a ground
game against air show because Aaron likes to put it
up there, you know, and somebody's gonna have to watch
Skyler because that guy, see what he did against the Ravens.
(33:32):
And I don't know, man, we were kind of worried
about our secondary. It's going to be tested. And to
tell you what, I don't know, what do you think? Uh?
Speaker 8 (33:44):
You know?
Speaker 9 (33:45):
Uh Jenner, I'll hang up and listen to what you're
gonna do. But uh, I just I don't know, man.
I mean, Aaron's he's been kind of quiet, you know,
the last couple of years, and then he's you know,
but you know, and then of course crowd, you know,
he's going to do his thing.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Aaron Rodgers has been kind of quiet the last couple
of years. Yeah, playoffs, so it's pretty big reason why
he's been quiet.
Speaker 9 (34:10):
Well, what I'm saying is that he's just he hasn't
you know, he has he has, he has, he's had
his bad season, you know, he's he's had one, you know,
and he's I don't know. It's just all we got
to say is it's going to be the ground game
against the air show, you know, and it's and I
(34:31):
hope that that are our team is. You know, the
ground game is gonna work good because they they I
think they have one older fellow on their defense.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
Sir, whose whose ground game is gonna work? Good?
Speaker 8 (34:46):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (34:46):
Well, I hope so you know it's.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
The Steelers are the Texans, the Texans.
Speaker 9 (34:52):
I hope that we have a good ground game, but
it's going to be an air show. You know, Pittsburgh
will put it up. I mean, they're not going to
think of they just put it out there or not.
Hope that our secondary is up to it.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Yet Johnny, Oh yeah, yeah, John, Johnny, I appreciate the call,
you know, just we've we've got to keep it, keep
it moving.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
But no, no, no, okay for starters again, what ground game?
I mean, like I'm again, I'm not I'm not trying
to be in mister doom and gloom. This is a
Texans team that so far this season has shown you
for the majority, they don't have a ground game. They
can run the football. He once in a while, I thought,
I thought last week against the Colts they were good
(35:35):
enough to run the grid to trust a rushing attack.
The British Brooks was your leading rusher.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Well, and we're also talking about a Texans ground game that,
for much of the season, if they got over one
hundred and the aggregates between three or four different guys.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Then we were like, okay, that'll do. Yeah. I mean
that's thirty four yards on thirty two carries. Four point
two yards.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
That's pretty much what you're asking for out of this
group because it's not like you know you're gonna count
on what he marks to be twenty twenty five times
a game. As a matter of fact, I think you've
seen that when they have tried to run him out
there as much as possible. You've seen him at periods
of a game have to leave because he's banged up,
he's injured, so you can't use him at that point.
And then Nick Chubb has been banged up, so that
(36:15):
means that you've had to try to count on Jawar Jordan. Oh,
by the way, Jawar Jordan leaving Sunday's game with an
injury issue. So that's what made it possible for British
Brooks to get on the field. The airing it out
part of it, though, from Steelers, I do not see that.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
I see a team that.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Again, their offense is very much based off of trying
to work the underneath routes and maybe take a shot
or two. But you're not going to see a ton
of them downfall.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Well, they have to have a moment to where the
defense back is making a mistake. Because look at the
Calvin Austin touchdown on Sunday, Chaudoba a Woozya was lined
up in coverage and he slipped trying to go ahead
and get to the out route which left Calvin Austin
wide open. But I will push back and I will
agree with John one thing. For Aaron Rodgers, this is
the way he's gonna have to win, and he's done
so consistently against the Texans throughout his career. In five
(37:04):
games he's won for them. In four of those five games,
he's averaged over two hundred and seventy passing yards. In
all five games, he's averaged two hundred and sixty seven
point two yards were game for thirteen to thirty six
passing yards and a seventeen to one touchdown interception ratio.
He has a one to twenty three passer rating, which
Dan that is the highest against any opponent he has
(37:26):
ever faced off against in the NFL highest passer rating,
and he's won the last four games against the Texans.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
Yeah, but again, I mean most of those were when
he was with Green Bay and he was Aaron Rodgers.
I mean, since he's gone to the Jets, he's been
a little bit better this year, but he's a shell
of who the.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Jets game was. I thought the Jets game against the
Texans was his best game in the Jets uniform. Three touchdowns,
two hundred and sixty five total yards of offense, I
mean two undred eleven yards of offense, zero turnovers, and
he had the big touchdowns strike to Devonte Adams and.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
It was a Thursday night to forget, that's for sure.
Jimbo Fisher, what are your thoughts on Jimbo Fisher as
a person. Yeah, that's pretty much. You don't you don't
have one one way or the other. For Lane Kiffin, well,
actually it was the other way around. Actually no, no, no, no,
it was yeah that he was like He's like maybe,
uh maybe.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Yeah, if it's got yeah, Jimo's got closu.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Maybe Jimbo will give me a clown costume. So that
probably leads into this. So you know, of course he
does work with ACC Network now and he's asked about
Lane Kiffin not letting former Ole Miss assistants help the
rebels finish the job, which I don't believe that's the case.
I think it was up to them if they wanted to.
Because Charlie Wise Junior is going back to help, but
(38:33):
a lot of the other assistants aren't going. Quote it's selfish,
that's what it is. It's stupid. And because here's why
I say that he wanted to coach Ole Miss and
thought he didn't get his way. Everybody get on the
plane with me, or you don't have a job, all right.
Well then he makes them all go and then he
gets down there, takes a pr hit because it looks
bad and you really don't care about the kids. Then
(38:55):
he says, okay, you can go back. That's really rich
coming from a guy that did what he did at
Florida State.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Sure, but he also did exactly what Lane Kiffin did,
which was take more money to go to college station. However,
his team wasn't playing for a national title, and his
team was also going into a moment of a lot
of the staff is following him down for a random
bowl game. That's difference. And I'm gonna push back and
say that Lane for a certain amount I don't think
(39:21):
really care. I think that he definitely had some moments
to where it was like, yeah, there are people that
you know I would like to have on my staff,
but let's be real. And you're the first one to say,
because you already said it last week. Nobody believed that
Ole Miss was gonna be Georgia, not a single person.
And Lane doesn't like that, because what's the narrative right
now around Ole Miss? They're winning without Lane. Lane so
(39:43):
longer than the spotlight, Lane's no longer the priority number one,
And you can you can like him, however much as
you do as a coach. I think he is an
offensive minded guy, one of the best in the industry,
and I'm not gonna take that away from him. Like
people are like, oh, trade at Chambliss and Keewan Lacy,
they're gonna be sticking around at Lane found a Division
two quarterback and turn him into a Heisman caliber player.
He'll he'll figure it out in Baton Rouge. But Lane's
(40:04):
a narcissist. Lane loves Lane. Lane loves the spotlight on
Lane Kiffin. And the spotlight's no longer shining bright from
the Oxford Rebels on Lane Kiffin. It's shining on Pete Golding.
And so he doesn't like that. And so the report
that came out by Ross Stellinger, who is a very
accredited reporter, saying that there were conversations about because of
(40:25):
the schedule, you are gonna have to go back, led
to a very bad negative pr Look. So, yeah, some
of the coaches are down there, but Charlie Wise Junior
was not leaving this team beforehand. Kevin Smith was not
leaving this team until they were eliminated. They could be
eliminated tonight and then they're on a plane of Baton
Rouge tomorrow or in two weeks, they're gonna be on
a plane in Baton Rouge. Guess what's happening. They're doing
(40:47):
their job while doing the job that they stuck around
to finish. Lane's being selfish. If it comes down to
the standpoint, he is. He's not keeping anybody from doing it.
That's the point. But if the report came out, you're
saying that Ross made up a report. No, I'm not
saying that, And I don't even know what the report is.
That Lane was going to pull the coaches, and they
had a conversation in a meeting that he that that
(41:09):
they were going to stick it out with Ole Miss,
But Lane wanted them to come and work for him
starting after the Sugar Bowl because that was when he
thought that the contract was going to be up.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
Okay, so I mean that's in, Yeah, that's Lane being Lane.
But he continues, Here's where he screwed up. He thought
they were going to lose to Georgia. The portal thing
was all over with, and it was going to be
all over with, and he'll look like the hero. Now
he's got a eggline his face, and the real Lane
came back.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
Okay. Interesting, Well, Okay, both are allowed to have snarky
comments because both of them are very snarky and narcissistic
in their own way. The difference is that one guy
gets to sit in a broadcast with and the other
one's getting ready to leave his team to alpful hopeful
college football player of appearance in twenty twice seven.
Speaker 3 (41:50):
We'll pick this up later because there is more on
tonight's game, and as I mentioned, Neil McCrady going to
join us Rogers.
Speaker 2 (41:56):
See you right there, Workie into the conversation.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
But I've got great news for Textan fans, your Super
Bowl champions, and somebody out there gives you some really
good reasons why to believe that can become a reality.
We will share those with you right here as we
get the seven o'clock hour on a Thursday. It is
the Morning Drive with Dan and Cole Sportstock seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
KD Houston, KTVZHD two Houston as a Rocket Sports Talk
seven ninety your home for your home teams and iHeartRadio
stations guaranteed youan this is the Morning Drive with Dad
(42:39):
and Cole.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
In the college Football Playoff, you get one out of
the gate tonight Miami and Ole Miss in the Fiesta
Bowls seven one three two one two five seven ninety
Rogers c.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
You're right there. We're working in.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
But the Houston Texans are the twenty twenty six Super
Bowl winner, according to Douglas Clawson of cbssports dot Com
and his headline super Bowl twenty twenty six Survivor, which
team will hoist the Lombardi based on five title trends. Okay,
so title trend number one must be elites. On one
(43:17):
side of the ball, we can agree that they're elite.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
Number one scoring defense in the NFL, number one total
defense in the NFL going into Week eight. I'd say
that that's elite.
Speaker 8 (43:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Now, if you're okay, let me ask you what is
where does the elite stop for you? Because the Texans
dropped out at number two and it was only because
of Riley Leonard decided to have a field days Yeah,
and Alex Pierce went off one hundred and thirty two yards.
Is top three elite or is it only top two? Like, well,
what's the what's the finite signature for you when it come?
Speaker 3 (43:44):
I think top three is five? I mean out of
thirty two, you're you're inside top ten percent. That's elite.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
So they're number two in the NFL and scoring defense,
they're number two in the NFL, I mean the number
one of the NFL scoring defense, they're number two in
the NFL in total yards allowed, the number two in
the NFL and turnovers, and their top five and run defense.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
So he writes the last twelve and fifty six of
fifty nine Super Bowl champions were top seven in either scoring,
offense or defense, or even both, and by his logic,
that eliminates six teams. The Chicago Bears, San Francisco forty
nine Ers, the team you're gonna play Monday night, The
Pittsburgh Steelers Green Bay, Packers, Chargers, and Panthers all eliminated
(44:19):
from there.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Do you have a pushback on any of those. No.
I think San Francisco just just quietly because of something
about Kyle Shanahan in the playoffs is a little intimidating.
Speaker 3 (44:29):
Kyle Shannan in the playoffs. Well, I mean, okay, not
the super Bowl. The playoffs. Okay, I mean yeah, the playoffs,
I'll give you. But the super Bowl it's a little
bit of a blind sure, but for three.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
But we're not talking abou super Bowl'm just talking about playoffs. Hey,
you're up twenty eight to three, You're dropping back to pass.
Why are you dropping back to pass? Okay? Do you
think for one, Okay, to be fair, the twenty nineteen
to one, is that on Shanahan or is that on
Garoppolo missing a wide open receiver? Probably on Garoppolo. I
will give him. I will because I am.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
He just was too easy to go off of twenty
eight to three. You're just like, there's Kyle Shanahan.
Speaker 8 (45:01):
Again.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
I'm the most critical when it comes to Shanahan because
of I think in the overall perspective, he is one
of the more overrated coaches in the NFL, and I've
had to come off of that take because of it's
been a very, very very bad take. But I've given
him the bead of the doubt. I don't think twenty
nineteen was his fault, and Jimmy Garoppolo hits who was
it the wiser than they traded for Emmanuel Sanders. If
(45:22):
he hits Manuel Sanders and stride, they're up by twenty
and Kandy has no shot of coming back. The twenty
twenty three one that was him and twenty eight to
three was him.
Speaker 3 (45:30):
Let's continue make critical stops. Must make critical stops. None
of the last eighteen Super Bowl champions were bottom ten
in the NFL and third down conversion rate allowed, so
that eliminates one team.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
Buffalo Bills. You gone, I still think that they're going
to make a run, Like I maybe it's because of
what you're playing Jacksonville, and maybe I just don't trust
in England. I still think they're going to make a run.
Speaker 3 (45:53):
Well, then that's interesting because then the trench has come
up and you're like, well, defensively, you're fine offensively, but
trench is twenty One of the last twenty three Super
Bowl champions had a positive sack differential. That eliminates two teams.
One of the teams you just mentioned that the Bills
are gonna be playing on Sunday and the Patriots.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
So there's gone. So the Patriots are bottom ten and
sack rate and pressures allowed this year. Drake may has
looked good underneath pressure. But the thing is that you've
been going up against subpar pass rushes too. All right,
two more, one of them clutch kicks.
Speaker 3 (46:24):
Only one of the last twenty five Super Bowl champions
ranked bottom five in the NFL and field goal percentage.
That was the twenty twenty two Kansas City Chiefs. So
that eliminates two more teams, the Eagles and the Rams.
Speaker 2 (46:40):
I don't know why. I just I got a gut
feeling that Los Angeles is going to make the run.
I don't believe. I will say I don't believe in Philadelphia,
and I think that largely it has nothing to do with,
you know, their special teams. But I just I think
that the Rams are going to make a run.
Speaker 8 (46:53):
In this point.
Speaker 3 (46:54):
They're really missing Ellen Moore, who that's what the owner
called him. Allen, Yeah, she called the Ellen Moore. Oh god,
why yeah, Gail Benson, Oh you're talking about Gail. I
was like, wait, hold up, why are you talking about
the Lord Ellen kellen Moore? But she accidentally called him
ellen Moore. So now like Matt Moscona, of course we've
had on numerous times, they always played the drop of her.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
Ellen Moore. Rams are four and five and one score
games this year, and I've arguably the worst special teams
in football. So if it really does come down to kicks,
that's gonna be a problem. They have Fatty Harrison Meves
kicking field rolls, final one turnover battle.
Speaker 3 (47:28):
Only two of the past forty one Super Bowl champions
ranked bottom five in the NFL either giveaways or takeaways,
the twenty fifteen Broncos and the twenty twenty three Kansas
City Chiefs. So that eliminates two teams, one of them
being the team that I mentioned in twenty fifteen, the Broncos,
and then the Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (47:45):
You going, okay, I will give you a reason why,
because of it's clear that if you're playing King of
the Hill, the Texans are going to be viewed as
the favorite to win the Super Bowl because of their defense.
Every team has a hit, which what does red zone
offense look like in that metric.
Speaker 3 (48:04):
Well, I'm glad you say that, because then it gets
to the twenty twenty six Super Bowl champion are the
Houston Texans, And he says that leaves us with a
Super Bowl champion, at least in terms of those that
championship indicators the Houston Texans.
Speaker 2 (48:17):
They aren't without red flags either.
Speaker 3 (48:19):
They have one of the worst red zone offenses in
the league thanks to a non existent run game and
a horrible offensive line.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
However, CJ.
Speaker 3 (48:26):
Stroud's starting to heat up with Jayden Higgins emerging as
a strong second option along with Nico Collins. The offense
could just do enough to support an incredible defense that
oozes talent in playmaking at every level.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
I just look at the red zone offense, and if
you're telling me this comes down to whoever can score
inside the twenty, the Technans are out of the running.
And I get it. You know, you look at all
the other metrics that say, well, the Texans can do
this really well, and they're great on third down conversion rate,
and they're good on opponents red zone opportunities, and they
can score because of the got Kayimi Fairman, who is
Jew's draining threes every single time that he takes the field.
(49:00):
But it comes down to the red zone offense. For me,
that is going to be the hinderance. I need to
see six points instead of three. And I thought what
was really interesting is that you look at that Colts gain,
it felt like on that final drive, the Texans want
to put the nail on the coffin. They weren't calling
conservative plays to put them in a position to where
they're just gonna settle for three. They ended up settling
(49:21):
for a field goal because if they want to walk
away with positive points, but they at least were being aggressive.
But what was the reason that they had to settle
for a field goal? Once again? Red zone inefficiencies, the
inability to score from with inside of the twenty, And
that's been an area of weakness all year and that's
going to continue to be a weakness of an air
weakness until we see it, and you're not gonna figure
it out once you're in the playoffs. Now, maybe it'll
(49:42):
look really good against Pittsburgh because Pittsburgh's a subpar red
zone defense, and maybe depending on who you face off
against the next week, maybe it will be Jacksonville because
there's enough upsets, or maybe you'll go face off against
New England because of there'll be an upset to where
the seven seed has to go. I mean, the sixth
seed has to go play against the one seed, whatever
it is. I still think that until I get a
(50:03):
matchup to where I can guarantee that the red zone
offense is going to be better, there's a reason for
self doubt. Now it's the only reason I have, but
it's a pretty big one. I think that's fair and
it's also too.
Speaker 3 (50:14):
I mean, if I'm not mistaken, I think the Texans
won the toss on Sunday and decide to go with
the offense first, which normally you want to give yourself
that benefit of the doubt. Come out of the locker
room second half, you give yourself that chance kind of
like you know, all right, well, if you're kicking it away,
then choose the side of the field where you're gonna
be kicking into the wind in the first and third quarter,
and the wins that you're back and the forth in
case you gotta line up and try for a game winner.
(50:36):
I get all of that, but it also too, I
think the thought process there is our offense goes on
the field and gives us points. Then that immediately because
you feel like with this defense right now, that you
already have the other side playing at a disadvantage, that
the other side is already playing seven points down.
Speaker 2 (50:52):
The thing that I've noticed, and I brought this up
when it came to like Indiana versus Alabama, it's only seventeen.
Nothing feels like thirty one nothing. That's the way that
the Texans defense plays right now is it's only a
three point game. It's not it's a ten point game.
Because if Houston's offense, well, it will stall and it
won't always have none and attraction. They'll be There'll be
(51:13):
moments to worry a that. Yeah, you're like, oh, what
play like fifteen yard passes down? A fifteen yard play
down the field of Jaden Higgins, great catch by Jalen
Nol Dalton Shall's making the one hand to grab, Like
I mean, there are moments throughout a game that you're saying, Okay,
the offense is is fighting a rhythm. The thing is
that even if they don't get into the end zone,
they get into the they get into scoring opportunities. For
Kymi fairban So the reason it's a ten point swingings
(51:34):
to have a three point swing is if the offense
can't be slowed down, you're already tacking on more points,
which then that ten point swing because a thirteen point swing,
and that thirteen point swing becomes a sixteen point swing,
and it may only be like a nine and all
you need is to touchdown in a two point conversion
and you're right back in the game. But still your
defense has got to slow down to Houston's offense enough
to keep out a fair baron's field goal range.
Speaker 3 (51:56):
And that's what I think you saw in the Chargers
game too, where they got out to that seventeen nothing
and then it was all right, don't throw it away,
don't give it away with turnovers, which unfortunately CJ started
to and that's what allowed for the Chargers to come
back into the game at least a couple of times
he did.
Speaker 2 (52:13):
Sure again, I thought that. I thought that in the
game against Indianapolis, you saw more aggressive play callings from
Nikaylee that did lead to some frustrating moments, but still
this wasn't a conservative let's just go ahead and co
star way to a win because we're only up by
seven it was a let's make sure that we leave
(52:33):
no doubt that we're up by fourteen, we're up by ten,
that we're making this game feel like it's out of
reach before we even get to the third quarter.
Speaker 3 (52:41):
All right, So the Texans, as I mentioned, Super Bowl
champions at least according to CBS Sports, with again the
five title trends, and the Texans on the right side
of all of them, at least most of them.
Speaker 2 (52:54):
The red zone and the running game, and we get
all of that, but.
Speaker 3 (52:57):
Still nice to see that at least there is belief
that this team actually is viable heading into the playoffs.
We'll continue to discuss, and we're also tuned about fifteen
minutes going to discuss the Steelers side of Monday Night.
Andrew Philipponi from ninety three seven. The fan in Pittsburgh
is going to hop on with us. But you want
to get in a little bit of astros, Yeah, because
(53:18):
you know the question of is the windows still open?
I think Jim Crane found a way to keep it open.
We'll discuss right here as we continue here on the
Morning Drive, it is Dan Matthews, Cole Thompson, Triple, Emmanuel
Elmore hanging out with you right here.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (53:35):
Back to the morning Drive. Here's Dan Matthews and Cole Thompson.
Speaker 2 (53:42):
Roger wants to weigh in.
Speaker 11 (53:43):
Roger, good morning, Hey, good morning guys. Yeah, just about
the Rockets. You know, their shooting has been filled in
the last three or four games, like nine for thirty
six one game and seven for thirty eight, ten for
forty one, stuff like that. Uh, yeah, they're they're gonna
(54:03):
have to, uh, they're gonna have to remedy that some
kind of way, you know, reach Shepherd, you know, and
he's picked for he was picked for a reason. A
lot of that because of the shooting. You just can't
come out the gate man and taking all the paint
off the rim man. You got to put up more
than eight points. Man, we're counting on you.
Speaker 8 (54:19):
Uh.
Speaker 11 (54:19):
The same thing with Javari Smith. They're kind of like
call him Casper. Sometimes you see him and sometimes you don't.
We're just got you know, especially with alf the outcause
guy's got to step up. They were okay, they're just
missing open shots. They're They're fine, they were they had
their chances. I just don't see how why why the
shooting has fallen away so bad. Maybe it's because the
(54:41):
road games. Maybe I don't know. I just I just
feel like we were We're in every like we're in
every game. But just I just so we had more
talent on the other side. I know the other guy
went off right, Yeah, that player. I just man, that's
a great that was a great find by porter.
Speaker 5 (54:57):
By the way.
Speaker 11 (54:59):
Uh So, I just I just think that they'll be fine,
just as long as their shooting comes back some kind
of way. And on the Texans people need to stop panicking. Man,
this is just step one. Tough tripping on step one.
It look that Textans just cush crushed that old man
and sending him on his way.
Speaker 5 (55:16):
I go with listening.
Speaker 3 (55:17):
I see you, Roger appreciate it. I mean, look as
this said, CBS Sports says it, and they're Super Bowl champs.
So I'm not worried going Monday night, take care of business.
As a matter of fact, you know what, Texans are
gonna win that game by their less than three scores. Really,
twenty four to seven, that's the final. I disagree. Now,
I'm not saying that that. Well, I still think it's
(55:38):
a low scoring game. I think that they will win.
I think that they will cover. The spread is currently
at three and a half, but I mean I'm going
more so like twenty to ten at this point. Okay,
that's fine, but I just I don't think that this offense,
this offense for Pittsburgh plays right into this defense's hands
right in there.
Speaker 2 (55:59):
Sure, But there is one thing that I do want
to bring up. I'm gonna ask andew this too. There
is a difference between last year's wildcard team and this
year's wildcard team because if you look back at last season,
Pittsburgh was in the driver's seat for the division title.
They lost four straight games to close it out the
season Philadelphia, Baltimore, Kansas City, Cincinnati, all four of them
(56:22):
were playoff teams. This season, they end the year on
what happens to be a high note because of Chadobo.
Woozy falls on down, Calvin Austin gets into the end zone,
they miss a field goal, They're in the postseason. They
go ten to seven. They also win four of their
last five games Baltimore, Miami, Detroit, Baltimore. They're playing with
(56:45):
more momentum this season compared to last season, and I'm
not saying that's gonna be something that you look at
and go, oh, this will be why Houston's gonna give
it on up, and why you know Pittsburgh's gonna be
the Cinderella team or anything like. No, I don't think
that all. I think that the Texans are gonna win
this game, that the text's gonna cover at the textas
we find. But I think that there is more of
an unknown when it comes to what you can expect
(57:06):
from Pittsburgh in this game. And there's more fight this
season around. Like last season, they got lucky to snink
their way into the playoffs because of Denver. They only
won their game against Kansas City because of Kancy restsolve
its starters. So that was how they got it in.
Cincinnati got left out. If Cincinnati would have beaten, that
would have won, and kan City would have won, Pittsburgh
would have been on the outside looking in. So this
(57:27):
team right now has a certain I think identity that
says it's a completely unique field compared to what we
had last year. If Aaron Rodgers can just do enough
in this game, we don't need a lot. Low scoring
is actually favoring towards us, maybe we can pull the
wall over the Texans eyes and gonna win.
Speaker 3 (57:46):
I think that it's more on if the Texans play
the worst game of the season's that's the only way
you're losing this game because you're superiorly talented to them.
And I understand if that's not what always wins out.
But we're talking about an offense that just apps we
cannot do anything. And Pittsburgh's defense is fine. They're not great,
they're not awful, but they're fine. Just what their pass
(58:06):
rush alone. They give up the deep ball. So you
will be able to find Nico Collins, you will be
able to find Jaden Higgins, you can get Dalton Schultz involved,
all of those things.
Speaker 2 (58:15):
It's it's going to work in their favor.
Speaker 3 (58:16):
I just again, it comes down the matchups in this
offense against that offense against this defense. I just I'm sorry, man,
I don't see it. I don't see them getting a win.
Speaker 2 (58:26):
I just I think that I think that the Texans
would have to, have you said perfectly, they would have
to have the worst game possible for them to end
up losing this.
Speaker 3 (58:33):
I'm talking penalties, I'm talking turnovers. I mean, and they do.
But you know, actually, I will say this, not the turnovers,
the penalties. I mean they do have that, but I
mean it's not as pronounced as it was last year.
And that that I will give Demiko Ryans this in
this coaching staff credit for absolutely.
Speaker 2 (58:51):
On everyone else besides the offensive line. Yes, on the
offensive line, you still see the illegal motion, You still
the innultible receiver downfield, you still see the fall starts,
you still see the lining up in the neutral zone.
Those are all things that we still see. And it's
week twenty of the season at this point, like that's
where we're at. So it's hard for me to say
that that's not gonna be a fault. You're sitting at
(59:13):
a third and one, it becomes a third and six.
Speaker 3 (59:16):
Change the narrative, all right, So we were gonna get
into Jim Crane and the Astros, but I'll tell you what,
since we're gonna get to Andrew Philipponi here, we're gonna
do that, and then we're gonna hit a look at
the shield and then eight o'clock we'll do the Astros stuff.
So got all that still to come here, as we
will talk to Steeler's side of a Monday night to
Andrew Philipponi from a ninety three to seven the fan
(59:38):
in Pittsburgh gonna be hopping on with us right here
as it is the morning dry with Dan and Coles
Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (59:45):
We don't run on algorithms. We run on Elkuve, Durant
and Stroud four Talk seven ninety guaranteed Human.
Speaker 3 (59:58):
College Football Playoff Semifinal Game one coming up tonight out
in Arizona. It's gonna be Miami and Ole miss so
as promised. Let's head to the phone lines. Now, let's
catch up with a guy that's been with the station
for a long time. He is Andrew Philippony ninety three
to seven, the fan there in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
Pony, Hey appreciate it.
Speaker 12 (01:00:17):
Man.
Speaker 3 (01:00:17):
You got myself, Dan Matthews, Cole Thompson with you this morning.
Let's just start it off. You've had the three days
of shows since we found out that the Texans and
Steelers were gonna play against each other. Steelers fans are
feeling what way about this game on Monday night?
Speaker 6 (01:00:36):
You know, I'm not really sure yet, guys. I'm sorry
if my voice is a little bit off this morning.
My dog spent the last ten hours puking its brains out,
and my daughter was trying to negotiate reasons to stay
up and not go to bed last night, and my
wife is a phoenix at the football game tonight, so
I was on solo dad, dudey, and like, my whole
(01:00:57):
life right now feels like it's been turned upside down.
Steelers play like my family over the last ten hours.
They're going to get beat again, and the playoffs what
happens to them almost every year. No, it's been a
really weird week to gauge temperatures on the game because
the game right now actually feels secondary because you know,
(01:01:20):
I think there were a lot of Steelers fans that
weren't really looking at the Ravens game last Sunday night
and thinking, wow, you know, it would really be something
amazing if the Steelers could win this game and get
a home playoff game. I think there were a lot
of Steelers fans that were intrigued by all the reporting
about the loser of that game moving on from its
(01:01:44):
head coach, and that was a real tantalizing prospect, I
think for a lot of Steelers fans, because there's a
frustration here with Mike Tomlin and how the results have
pretty much been the same for a very long period
of time in which you make the playoffs every year,
but you get blown out and you're pretty much in
the middle of the NFL. Slightly above average, nothing more,
(01:02:06):
nothing less, and that John Harbaugh inspired and it makes
Steelers fans think and wonder, well, if that kick was good,
what would have happened to Mike Tomlin. So that's been
a big talking point. The newspaper here in town just
abruptly closed yesterday and shut down after being in business.
It's the seventeen hundreds, so that obviously was a huge
(01:02:29):
story too. And I'm guessing by the time I get
on the air today, people will be more inclined to
want to talk about this football game. But it still
feels a little bit out of sight, out of mind
defense here for some reason, Tony.
Speaker 2 (01:02:42):
Let me ask you this last season, the Steelers lost
for their last five games. This year, they win for
their last five games, and they finished ten to seven
fish ten seven last year. So like, when you look
at it from the perspective of, yeah, you got lucky
because of Tyler Luke's kick went wide right and in
lone of the firing at John Harbaugh, you still won
four of your last five games. Is they're a different
(01:03:03):
field because like last season, when I watched the Pittsburgh
Steelers in the postseason, it was like you knew that
they were going to get obliterated by whoever they faced
off against. This year's like, I don't think that it's
going to end up Steelers win, but I feel more
confident that it's at least going to be a closer
game than people expect.
Speaker 6 (01:03:18):
Yeah, I agree with that. I mean, that's right. I
share that sentiment.
Speaker 5 (01:03:23):
I don't.
Speaker 6 (01:03:24):
I think there's a great percentage or chunk of Steelers
fans that have a lot more optimism going into this
game because of Aaron Rodgers, because they've seen them lately win.
You know, they wont to back the ultimate Backs against
the Wall game Sunday night, they went to Baltimore and
(01:03:45):
one they went to Detroit and won. And I think
Houston's better than both of those teams, clearly. But they've
seen this team do a few things better than they
had for most of the season. They're throwing the ball
down field more, their pass protection has been a lot better.
(01:04:06):
Their running game when they decided to run the ball,
has improved a lot over the course of the season.
Their defense has been really hit or miss, But the
thing they've done a better job of lately is stopping
the run. They were awful in the first Ravens game
that they somehow won. After that, they completely took away
(01:04:28):
Jamir gibbson Montgomery in that Lions game. A Chan was
red hot when the Dolphins came here and he had
a quiet night. And Derrick Henry started the game with
a bang with that long run Sunday and they did
virtually nothing after that. So I think that's some things
that you can hang your hat on with the Steelers
going into this game. That literally last year there was
(01:04:51):
nothing to feel good about when they were headed to
Baltimore for that playoff game other than historically they had
played Lamar Jackson. Well, that was the only thing that
Fance felt might have been a positive for them going
into that game again.
Speaker 3 (01:05:05):
Andrew Philipponi ninety three seven the fan joining us here
to talk to Steelers. He's a host up in Pittsburgh.
You can find him on Twitter at the Pony Express
an E instead of a Y for pony so at
the Pony Express on Twitter. And Andrew, I mean, you
bring up an interesting point with the fan base up
there because I mean, push back if I'm wrong here,
But I mean, is there kind of a feeling amongst
(01:05:27):
the fan base of this team as currently constructed, not
good enough to be able to win a super Bowl
and you're probably gonna lose Aaron Rodgers after this season?
So is that kind of feeding into maybe wanting to
move off from Tomlin of Hey, look, if we got
to take a step back to take a couple of
steps forward and lose the coach and the process, then
I'm fine with that.
Speaker 6 (01:05:48):
I mean, we had people that people I shouldn't pluralize it,
but we had somebody colored to our show this week
and say, if they won the super Bowl, they still
fire Tomlin. I mean there's just acidineus melt your brain
opinions on him because they're such a malaise as far
(01:06:08):
as like what the confidence is in him and really
his ability to foster an environment that brings in a
young quarterback and allows for that guy to succeed and
develop and answers that question long term, He's never done that.
He inherited Big Bend. They drafted Kenny Pickt in the
(01:06:31):
first round. That was an abject failure and justin fields
last year was a guy that they thought they could
remedy they didn't.
Speaker 10 (01:06:39):
That was not a.
Speaker 6 (01:06:40):
Horrible call because they paid him like a backup, but
there wasn't really any gold there clearly, And now they've
gone the veteran band aid route. And it's like every
year we go into the off season now wondering what
are the Steelers going to do at quarterback after eighteen
years of never asking that question because of mc ben,
(01:07:01):
And there's like minimal confidence that Mike Tomlin a knows
how to identify the right young quarterback and b knows
how to refine him and get him in a position
to be someone that can get the job done consistently.
So I think that's really where a lot of the
(01:07:22):
angst comes in and concern and worry about the Steelers
beyond what's going to happen in this game and then
maybe the week after if they win. Is okay, cool,
you won a playoff game. You ended this interminable playoff
Steelers wind drought which has been going on now for
almost a decade. But when the dust settles on the season,
(01:07:42):
where do you go from here? And I would say
right now it's probably more likely than not that if
Aaron Rodgers wants to keep playing football, the Steelers are
going to let him do that. In twenty twenty six year.
Speaker 2 (01:07:55):
Yeah, Pony, the last sudden the Steelers wont a playoff game.
I was in college, so it's been a hot wins.
We've seen them actually do anything in the postseason. But
just in your opinion, what's the thing that could lead
to a playoff win over a team like the Texans
that has the number one scoring defense in the NFL,
number two defense in total yards and probably the scariest one,
their number two in the takeaway department, and their number
two in red zone defense.
Speaker 5 (01:08:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (01:08:17):
Well, Aaron Rodgers has not thrown an interception since November ninth,
so he's he's found that ball security thing that he
was famous for in Green Bay and I think all
time in the NFL. He's got the lowest interception rate
in league history. And Tomlin loves that. And Tomlin, even
(01:08:37):
more than any of her coach fetishizes as long as
you win the turnover battle, you're going to win the game.
You know. He was waxing poetic about how great the
Texans have been and not turned the ball over and
getting the ball from the appointment. That was the first
thing he mentioned about them when he did his weekly
press conference previewing the game on Tuesday was just their
ball security strengths. So if they're going to win, I
(01:09:02):
think they're going to have to We're going to have
to see the Steelers defense dominate the Houston Texans offense.
That would be my best guess. I mean, I'm sure
there's a scenario in which the game is like twenty
seven to twenty four, but that would not be my assumption.
That this is going to be a game that's played
(01:09:23):
in the high twenties. Is probably going to be played
in the high teams or low twenties. And the Steelers
defense at times this year has shown that they can
do that, but at other times they've gotten torched and
destroyed by inferior quarterbacks and lesser offenses. So it's a
matter of what Steelers defense shows up. The Steelers thought
(01:09:46):
this year going into the season that they were going
to have what Houston has on defense. They pay more
money than any team for defensive players one hundred and
seventy million. Tomlin even said before the season that he
thought they could be a historic defense. He threw up
like that around and they ended up I think seventeenth
in scoring defense and they're near the bottom of the
league in pass defense. So it's a matter of which
(01:10:09):
Steelers defense shows up, and lately it's been better, but
you just never know what these guys in the playoffs.
During this six game losing streak in the playoffs, they're
giving up on average thirty eight points per game, which
is insane.
Speaker 3 (01:10:24):
Yeah, that's tough, but I mean, of course, this Texans
offense hasn't been any great shakes really either, Pony. I
want to get you out door on this one, and
that is you know, I was talking about Aaron Rodgers.
I see a lot of underneath throws out of him
and not a ton of downfield throws. I mean, is
there kind of a feeling that that plays right in
what this Texans defense wants to do.
Speaker 5 (01:10:47):
Well?
Speaker 6 (01:10:47):
I mean he I think that he was more confident
and more comfortable in making some of those throws and
attempting those throws against Baltimore because they have no pass rush.
And I don't think it's a quinch evidence that he
had his best games this year against the Ravens because
they're lacking significantly in that department, and as everybody in
(01:11:08):
your audience knows, the Texans are the exact opposite of that.
And he was horrible against the Chargers earlier this year,
and he was awful against the Bills earlier this year,
and both of those teams have good edge rushers. So
that's my worry in this game, that he's going to
be concerned about it, that it's going to affect his
(01:11:31):
mindset even before the snap, that he needs to get
rid of the ball quickly, and they're going to completely
rely upon maybe they're running backs making plays on checkdown throws,
which they're both really good at. I mean, Jalen Warren
and Kenneth Gainwell are probably the two best players in
Steelers offense right now.
Speaker 5 (01:11:49):
But yeah, I mean, I could.
Speaker 6 (01:11:52):
Absolutely see the Steelers offense reverting back to that shortest
average depth to target quickest for East point, you know,
no attacking of the field vertically and down the middle
if that happens again, and the Steelers are going to
score very very few points in this game unless Houston
offensively just completely goes in the tank, turns the ball over,
(01:12:16):
there's a special team's touchdown or something like that. So
my gut tells me that the Steelers will be lucky
to score seventeen points in this game.
Speaker 2 (01:12:24):
Okay, Paie, I'm gonna get you out of here on this.
You said your wife was down in Arizona for the
playoff game. So who she's pulling for and who's winning tonight?
Speaker 6 (01:12:32):
I have no idea who she's pulling for. She went
to West Virginia, so she has no dog in the fight.
She's with people who assumed that Ohio State was going
to play in this game and they're out. So it's
a very weird dynamic. Yes, yeah, they they put the
cart before the horse. I think she's a ring for
(01:12:54):
Indiana because Signetty's from here, so I think she likes
that story. But I think, well, actually, wait, the game's
Old Miss versus Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:13:04):
Yeah, the sure she can pull over for a sit
that's totally cool.
Speaker 6 (01:13:08):
They I don't think she could name one player on
either team, so I have no idea who she's rooting for.
Maybe Old Miss. I feel like she would be into
like their cocktail scene and like tailgates and stuff like that,
so she'll probably gravitate towards their fans, and.
Speaker 2 (01:13:24):
They've never lost a party. That's a.
Speaker 3 (01:13:26):
That's absolutely what they will tell you there on the
grove in Oxford. Andrew Philippony again part of ninety three
seven the Fan up in Pittsburgh, hopping on with us
for a few minutes. Pony, Hey, appreciate the time. Get
some rest, rest up for the show this afternoon, and
we'll catch up with you again another time.
Speaker 6 (01:13:43):
All right, boys, see it during the game Monday.
Speaker 8 (01:13:46):
Well we'll do.
Speaker 3 (01:13:46):
Andrew Philipponi again, hopping on with us for a few minutes.
I always love that. So you're still going, huh, yeah,
it was non refundable and we can't cancel.
Speaker 2 (01:13:55):
So when I was in Nashville for the FCS National Championship,
in my section of Monte State people, there was a
South Dakota fan, there was a Montana fan, and there
were a handful of North kot Stay.
Speaker 3 (01:14:06):
Look, you know it gets yeah, it gets to a
certain point like where you know, you spend a bunch
of money and again you know it's one of those that, yeah,
you could recoup it, and of course you know how
it all goes oh eight to ten business days where
you're just like okay, like look it's it's sunk in cost.
Speaker 2 (01:14:19):
I've already spent the money. So like the North Dakota
people that were there, they had taken a week off
of war because they thought they were a guaranteed shoeing
to go to the national championship. And so they lose
to Illinois State in that overtime game and they say, oh,
I'm drinking here, my sorrows away because I should beating
the crap at Montane's say, I mean.
Speaker 3 (01:14:35):
Look, there's worse places to be, and I mean you
get a nice little vacation out of it.
Speaker 2 (01:14:40):
So it works out. It's fine. Oh, it's fantastic. And
they were the favorite thing that I love about people
from like that, from the Midwestern reaches up north. When
they are drinking, they are very open. Oh no, no, no,
with their wallets. I'm not fay for a single drink.
When I was out in Nashville, there you go, there
you go. Good for you man, You played it right,
all right.
Speaker 3 (01:14:57):
So I appreciate Andrew Philipponi again for hot and on
with us as we did close it out with them
on the CFP of course, and mentioning his wife's out
there in Arizona. So we will talk some CFP here
in about forty five minutes. Neil McCrady from twenty Rebels
twenty four to seven is going to hop on with us,
but we'll continue the NFL conversation with everyone else, not
(01:15:18):
the Texans and Steelers, because it's time for us to
look at the shield.
Speaker 2 (01:15:23):
He ain't leaving. This guy's the gift that.
Speaker 3 (01:15:25):
Keeps on giving and he still wants to play all
three of those coming your way right here in the
Morning Drive with Danny Coles Sports Talk seven to ninety.
Speaker 2 (01:15:34):
Phe Town.
Speaker 1 (01:15:35):
The Morning Drive continues now now here's Dan and Cole.
Speaker 3 (01:15:42):
So the Rockets lose last night, one O three, one
oh two of the Blazers in Portland, and they're gonna
get them tomorrow night. Texan's gonna get back on the
practice field, getting ready for Monday night against the Steelers
in Pittsburgh and college football playoff game one of two
semifinals coming up tonight Miami Ole Miss Fiesta Bowl out
there in the desert. All that said, it's now time
(01:16:03):
for us to look at the shield.
Speaker 1 (01:16:11):
All right, Sorry it off.
Speaker 3 (01:16:13):
As I mentioned in the teams, he ain't leaving. He
is Todd Bowles. As the Buccaneers did struggle down the stretch,
one on Saturday, but then needed the Falcons to lose
to the Saints.
Speaker 2 (01:16:24):
That didn't happen.
Speaker 3 (01:16:25):
So the Carolina Panthers are your NFC South champions. Surprised
a little that Tampa Bay decided to stay with Todd Bowles,
especially how badly they scuffled down the stretch. I mean,
because you factor in take where heem Morris for example,
that team played their best football late in the season.
You could have made the argument, hey, keep him around.
Speaker 2 (01:16:43):
Would have fired him tomorrow, I would have fired him
two weeks ago. I would have fired him a month ago.
I would have fired him last season. So it was
already cooked in that. It was like, no matter what coach,
he's a solid overall defensive minded coach, but he's not
good at head coaching adjustments, and we've seen it. He
should have want to playoff game last season against Washington. Instead,
the game winning field goal happened, Washington goes onto the
(01:17:05):
NFC championship game. You had a guy in the building
that was very much getting the best version of a
MVP caliber Baker Mayfield. He took the job in Jacksonville
with Liam Cohen, so you know it's incompetence after incompetence
in the Glacier family made a statement saying, well, the
injuries and then Baker's shoulder, and then the adequitness and
(01:17:25):
some aging players, and we're gonna get younger. All you're
doing is you're kicking the can down the road, because
if you want to make it a cheaper buyout, that's
all it is.
Speaker 3 (01:17:33):
So from there we head to Dallas, where Jerry Jones
says that his goal is to retire with the most
Super Bowl wins. The Cowboys are currently at five and
the Patriots have seven, right, and the Steelers have six,
and SODA's pages.
Speaker 2 (01:17:49):
Of seven forty nine ers in the series of six.
Speaker 3 (01:17:52):
Okay, so the right now, so there are a couple more.
So he would need three more to be able to
have the most. At least two more to be able
to tie it. Jerry yank getting it.
Speaker 2 (01:18:01):
I'm sorry, No, Jerry's never gonna win a Super Bowl.
The year he kicks the can is the year I'm
going to Vegas. I am walking into a sports book,
I am taking my life savings and I'm throwing it
on the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl. Because if
he has to be looking up at everybody and saying
I knew you always could do it. I knew all
would all take is for me to go ahead and
(01:18:22):
make you're sending him the damn nation. Why is it
so hot down here? Well, I thought the hours on
the hot seat, I didn't realize it was like, like, no,
they're not winning it as long as he's still alive
and breathing. He's eighty three years old. I don't like
his He's gonna live another twenty years. Probably he's gonna
be one hundred and three, sitting in the booth and
saying this is the year it happens.
Speaker 3 (01:18:41):
Well, health is a funny thing now in the advancements
we've made, so maybe he's got a chance to do.
Speaker 2 (01:18:46):
That has nothing to do with health. It's that he
refuses to let go of anything in life, including his
own sanctity.
Speaker 3 (01:18:52):
I'm still alive. I am still as sharp as I
am today as I was about thirty years ago.
Speaker 2 (01:18:58):
Jerry, you're looking outside of the camera.
Speaker 3 (01:19:00):
That's why, Okay, the final one here Russell Wilson swaps
agents and not blinking on playing in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (01:19:05):
But maybe the NFL is blinking on him. That last
part was me, not Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson's blinking on
playing in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (01:19:11):
Okay, not blinking that he's still intends on playing, because
he just switched from his longtime agent Mark Rodgers to
super agent David mull Again.
Speaker 2 (01:19:20):
You're playing? Where's the playing next year? Did you tell me?
He ended this season as the third string backup in
New York?
Speaker 13 (01:19:28):
Right?
Speaker 2 (01:19:28):
So where's he playing next year? I don't know exactly.
The graduates his David Mulligeta, you got a very wonderful
situation here.
Speaker 3 (01:19:37):
Maybe can go back to the Steelers to be limited,
I mean to be limited.
Speaker 2 (01:19:42):
Come on, mister limited, where are you going? Yeah he's
mister unlimited. Yeah yeah, I'm sure that that's exactly what
people want to hear.
Speaker 3 (01:19:48):
Look, I mean, wanting as opposed to knowing are two
different things. He wants to still keep playing, but I
think he deep down knows he can't still yeah playing.
Speaker 2 (01:19:58):
I would love to go be in the NFL. I
know I can't be in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (01:20:02):
All right, So as we get into the eight o'clock hour,
could the coaching carousel pick up some new riders right
here in Houston? Someone says, yes, we'll have that for
you right here as we continue on the Morning Drive,
Dan and Cole Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (01:20:17):
AB Houston ATVHD two Houston, The Astross the Rockets, Rockets
ask you fall your home for your home teams. This
is Sports Talk seven ninety and iHeartRadio Station Guaranteed Human.
This is the Morning Drive with Dan and Cole.
Speaker 3 (01:20:44):
You're gonna get Ole Miss and Miami taking on each
other in the Fiesta Bowl. Someone three two, one, two, five,
seven ninety is the number to get in the coaching carousel.
It's going and the Texans have been a successful organization.
They've made the playoffs last three years, division winners the
last couple of years in as a wild card this
year twelve and five football team with an outstanding defense.
(01:21:06):
So usually when you're very successful, other teams want to pluck,
they want to come to you. They want to say, hey,
you know what you're doing over there, Let's see if
that guy can replicate it over here. And there hasn't
been a ton of buzz about anybody on this Texan staff,
like for example, last year Detroit the two highest sought
(01:21:26):
after coordinators that people wanted to give first time head
coaching opportunities to were up there, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glynn,
at least for one of them worked out incredibly well.
Not so much for Aaron Glynn, but for the Texans.
The crew over at ESPN dot com did for all
thirty two teams of the coaching carousel and how it
(01:21:47):
affects every single team. For the Texans, they right. The
early intel is that defensive coordinator Matt Burke expected to
receive at least one head coaching interview for the work
that he's been able to do with the top rated
defense New York the Giants. That is is a potential spot.
Burke and Giants general manager Joe Shane have a shared
history from Miami in twenty sixteen. Quarterbacks coach Gerard Johnson
(01:22:10):
could also get a coordinator spike due to his work
with Houston's quarterbacks Davis Mills Sharp during the three game
stint while C. J.
Speaker 2 (01:22:18):
Stroud was out.
Speaker 3 (01:22:19):
Johnson's off season at presentations at coaching summits are also
considered to be highly impressive by his peers. So those
two scenarios right there. I mean again, usually, unless you're
interviewing for many you're not really being considered.
Speaker 2 (01:22:35):
Rod Johnson as an off. It's coordinators more likely than
Thatt Burke as the head coach. That's Draskan. Yeah, that's
that's it.
Speaker 3 (01:22:39):
That is that Jerad Johnson will become nice is gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (01:22:44):
Neither will happen this year, but I do think that
the more likely it would be Ghirad Johnson.
Speaker 3 (01:22:48):
You don't see the co coordinator thing very often in
the NFL. I mean, if anything, you'll have like kind
of a little offshoot, like you're the run game coordinator,
you're the passing game coordinator. That is something I think Wijohnson,
you know, that would be interesting to see if that's
added to his game this offseason. If indeed that that
is something that kind of leads you to believe. Like
(01:23:10):
remember for the longest time with Eric b Enemy, Hey,
why isn't Eric bnemy getting head coaching jobs? So he
doesn't call plays? Then he had people will wait a minute.
He's got a headset on, he's got a play sheet
in front of him. Looks like he's speaking into that headset.
Speaker 2 (01:23:21):
The reason Eric b Enemy did not get head coaching jobs,
as it's been well documented by multiple people around the league,
is because of the interview processes when he met with teams.
It had nothing to do with the fact that he
didn't call plays, and nothing to do with the fact
that he did have a good relationship alongside Patrick Mahomes.
It didn't have anything to do with the fact that
Andy Reid was really the integral part of the offense.
(01:23:43):
It was the fact of the interviews did not go
according to plan. So the thing is going to be
really interesting is how does Girad Johnson if he gets
an opportunity of this offseason to go meet with somebody,
whether that be where they're down in Arizona or Tennessee
or Las Vegas, or a team that is going to
fire its off its coordinator that is going to keep
it head coach, what's going to be the sales pitch
that makes him stand out as a good enough option
(01:24:06):
to believe he can actually lead drives and get a
better result from the offense. Because that really was the
different stream the enemy being a head coach and now
being the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 3 (01:24:16):
Well, and in terms of you know, some of those
other additional responsibilities offensively, I did check, and indeed, Johnson
does not have any additional the offensive passing game coordinator
is Ben McDaniels and the run game coordinator is Cole Popovich.
So either of those two guys also, you know, getting
(01:24:38):
those responsibilities. I mean, that's that's something that I'm sure
if Demiko has asked about Johnson, you know, for this
very thing, he would say, no, absolutely is very deserving
of getting that opportunity. And I mean this is also
a guy too that has paid his dues in the
coaching world. His very first coaching job at Mile Water
Saint Thomas High School and from the high school range
(01:25:00):
was able to find himself into the NFL. And it's
clearly somebody that's highly counted on by CJ. Shroud and
by Davis Mills.
Speaker 2 (01:25:07):
Oh look, I I understand that there's a REASONA believe that, yes,
he could become an off its coordinators elsewhere. I just
don't see it right now because if I feel like
that last season he had an opportunity to go meet
with multiple teams and he had interviews and it was
with I believe the Saints were won and then the
Buccaneers were the big one. I remember that, why don't
you get the job? It feels like that every single
(01:25:28):
cycle unless you have somebody that you can follow. So
let's say, like Matt Burke got hired as a head
coach somewhere, that's an easy transition to say, we just
spent last three years together. We've been building a pretty
good rapport. I've seen the work of how you've gone
with CJ. Stroud. I know that you can go work
with the quarterback and be able to develop improperly. I'm
going to bring you on my staff like I could
see that. But there's a reason why you usually see
(01:25:50):
people when they're hired, especially as coordinators, go after guys
from their current staff that they want to bring on
up and just promote.
Speaker 3 (01:25:57):
And it's also too, I mean, is you know we
talked about when somebody brought it up with us not
too long ago. It's harder, it seems, for a defensive
minded coach, unless your defense is exceptionally good. I think
that for Burke, it's a little bit of yeah, you
took over the play calling this season, we got to
see you do it again. I mean, remember too, you
(01:26:18):
know from the offensive side, how worried we were a
couple of years ago at this very time. We can't
lose Bobby Slowich. Oh my god, you can't lose that guy.
Look At how awesome this offense was this season, and
then the following year it was, Hey, anybody can take
them if they want to, because we don't want them anymore.
I'm not saying that that's going to be the case
with Burke, but I mean, you have another strong season
that one interview turns into three four, You're interviewing for
(01:26:39):
every single one of them next year because then people
can see, Okay, you got something there.
Speaker 2 (01:26:44):
I just think that this is gonna be one of
those psychos where it's a lot of tread on the
tires for second chance opportunities. That's what I'm looking because
Advance Joseph, he's considered right now one of the top names.
What Advance Joseph did before he was headed coach to
the never Broncos. Kevin Sefanski's meeting with teams? Where was he?
Cleveland Browns, Harbot, he just left his job with the
(01:27:06):
with the Baltimore Ravens. Here's one Robert Sala he's getting interviews.
He's get looked at Arizona. Terrible, terrible head coach with
the New York Jets. Brian Flores, he's a name that
people are looking at and saying, if he goes to Baltimore,
it's intimidating, if he goes to test see, that's scary.
Former field coach with the Miami Dolphins. So this is
one of those cycles where it feels like you may
(01:27:29):
see one newcomer at least put himself in a conversation
where yeah, I'm gonna get some interviews, but I don't
see a scenario where you're gonna watch a lot of
these coaches be hired for a first time coach.
Speaker 3 (01:27:39):
That's one thing that I think is working against him
this year. I think another thing that's working against him
is that he would not necessarily be the first defensive
coordinator that would be considered because I think that's Jeff
halfway up in Green Bay. That's the thing too, because
he has head coaching experience, at least at the college level.
Speaker 2 (01:27:56):
But still, even if it's not that, it's the fact
that they believe that police defense was playing up to
an elite level before they lost their star pass rusher
that they trade all that asset for. So I can
get it from that standpoint, But I just this feels
like right now because Okay, humor in me for a second.
Let's say Pittsburgh sucks and they play dreadful and that
(01:28:18):
kick for Tyler Loop that actually ended up saving saving
Tomlin's job the next week, it doesn't matter because if
he's just so dreadful in the playoff game, they fire him.
Mike Tomlin's gonna be the top name on the market,
whether or not people are like, oh, well, look at
what he did when he was in paper Guys. He
doesn't have a losing record in nineteen seasons with Kenny
(01:28:39):
Pickett and Mason Rudolph as a starting quarterback and an
aging Ben Roethlisberger that couldn't hit the front of the
offensive line, let alone be able to throw a ball
down field. That dude's getting looked at. That dude's getting
hired somewhere.
Speaker 3 (01:28:53):
Oh, it completely recalibrates the entire coaching at Carousel if
that happens.
Speaker 2 (01:28:58):
And then also, I would say, I'll who the first
time I would call if I was Pittsburgh Brian Flores.
So if I'm calling Brian Flores now to come down
to pittsback, we've been there. Now I'm looking at Baltimore.
Baltimore's gotta go on a different pathway. What did they
call Robert Salaw? Robert Salad goes there and then the
creates a real bull effect to where Keata Sefanski still
wants a job. Well, guess what, there is a great
opportunity for him down to Tennessee. So he goes to Tennessee. Well,
(01:29:21):
Vance Joseph has got to get hired, back back top
ten defenses, been calling plays, been really fixing the overall
identity of who his team is. He then goes down
to Arizona. Well, how about this, the Las Vegas Raiders.
They love Raheem Morris. They think that Raheem Morris is
a great guy. So now he goes up to Las Vegas.
And then how about John Harbaugh. Well, we gotta go
ahead and keep him involved because if he really likes
(01:29:41):
coaching and that he's been a good guy, and that
we think that he could change the culture, the New
York Giants need a good culture. Loba holds up at
the Giants, and so all six positions are filled by
a team. Seven positions are filled by a team that
already has had a proven head coach before.
Speaker 3 (01:29:57):
Well, and then, you know, I think that the other
thing that consider too is keep an eye on this
if Tomlin is indeed, and by the way too, there
is thought that if Green Bay loses this weekend, Matt
laflor is out. So if that's the case, I think
that you know, at least for the time being, then
he is the next in line to get one of
those jobs and that and that's the thought is that
(01:30:18):
he would go to the Falcons. But to keep in
mind with Tomlin is I could see him taking a
year off and then waiting to see what happens with
Tampa Bay. That is where he got his start in
the NFL, was with the Buccaneers, and from what I understand,
is a huge fan of the area. So I could
see that you about halfway through the season next year,
(01:30:39):
you see Todd Bowles get fired, and that at the
end of the season you see Mike Tomlin hired.
Speaker 2 (01:30:44):
There, I'll tell you right now, I was Tom Brady,
and I was and I was the Davis family. The
first phone probably making a Las Vegas is to go
get Mike Tomlin. I would, and I get it. It's
it's frustrating because if you're trusting him with the brand
new quarterback, but still you want to talk about culture,
you want to talk about defense. You want to talk
about what has been the identity for years on end
of Las Vegas, of the Raiders. It's all about physicality,
(01:31:06):
it's all about no nonsense. They haven't had that. They've
been a joke of a team for years on end.
Mike Toman is to make your joke. It at least
makes you tolerant and it makes you interesting.
Speaker 3 (01:31:15):
And getting back to Matt Burke too, I know this
is something that you're probably gonna disagree with in terms
of just how much it matters.
Speaker 2 (01:31:21):
Oh, by the way, Matt Naggy's another end. I didn't
even throw out there. He's gross. You know what. We're
head coach.
Speaker 3 (01:31:26):
Now, go ahead and hire him Tennessee. He's a great coach.
He's gonna be awesome for Oh my god, would that
not be of all the pomp and circumstance and hey, everybody,
here's Matt Naggy.
Speaker 2 (01:31:37):
We're fired up. I would love for that to happen.
Speaker 3 (01:31:39):
Matt Burke, though, has got to get better on the mic.
You gotta get better on the mic. Being a head
coach in the NFL is just like being a professional wrestler.
That is a part of your game. It shouldn't be
what is your game, but it's part of it.
Speaker 2 (01:31:52):
So you're saying that you have to be able to
have a good conversation with the media. If you want
to be a head.
Speaker 3 (01:31:58):
Coach, you've got to least seem like you've got it
in control. And I mean, at least a few times
that I've seen and heard him, it almost is kind
of like a little bit of gripping with fear up
there of you know, I don't want to say the
wrong thing, like you can't have that as a head coach.
Speaker 2 (01:32:13):
You cannot have that. I don't feel that way whatsoever
from Matt Berg now. I feel like that half the
time that he's talking, it's you know, there's conversations what
am I doing compared to what Demico's doing? How are
we differation? Differentialing our conversation. But it doesn't come off
as fearful or that it's intolebrat. It comes off as
I don't want to waste your time, and I don't
want to waste my time. I'm not gonna say the
(01:32:33):
same thing that dem go.
Speaker 3 (01:32:34):
I think that it's also too maybe a little bit
uncomfortable with talking about other people.
Speaker 2 (01:32:38):
I mean, that's one of those things.
Speaker 3 (01:32:39):
You know, remember that Bill and Brian don't talk about
your teammates, blah blah blah, all of that.
Speaker 2 (01:32:43):
But I think the fact that now.
Speaker 3 (01:32:45):
He has a more direct role with this defense, that
maybe that'll start to kind of iron itself out and
that this time next year you're like, oh, man, all right, yeah,
that's a guy that needs to be leading school.
Speaker 2 (01:32:57):
But like, at the same time, I'm not sitting here
and looking at Aaron bl Len who has the number
two overall pick this year and going well, he was
so pompous with the media. That's why they struggled on
the field, Like it has nothing to do with that whatsoever.
Speaker 3 (01:33:08):
Well, the Jets are a bad organization. They'll continue to
be a bad organizational matters who is there.
Speaker 2 (01:33:13):
And honestly, that's why I would say if the Jets
were to say, hey, Matt Burke, you want to interview
for the job, Hella, I want to interview for the job.
Why would anybody want to go to that dysfunctioning franchise
when it's clear that you have no direction offensively, you
have no direction defensively, you have draft picks that you waste.
You constantly trade away all of your best assets. You're
hitting reset on your culture every three years, and all
(01:33:35):
I am is just going to be another casually in
the process. All right, let's get to the Astros.
Speaker 3 (01:33:40):
As I mentioned about Jim Crane, a couple of things
he said the other day that leads you to believe,
if you're a Stros fan, that the window is still open.
Speaker 2 (01:33:49):
We'll have that for you. Also.
Speaker 3 (01:33:50):
David ce right there will get you involved. You want
to join him. Seven one three, two one two five,
seven ninety. It is the Morning Drive, Dan and Cole
Sports Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (01:34:00):
Dan Matthews, Cole Thompson. This is the Morning Drive with
Dann and Cole.
Speaker 2 (01:34:08):
Get in about ten minutes from now.
Speaker 3 (01:34:09):
Neil McCrady from Rebels twenty four to seven and a
hop on Talk the Ole Miss part of tonight's college
football playoff game. David Numble wants to win. Good morning, David, David.
David going once twice, David will try another time. All right,
let's get to Jim Crane as he was up at
(01:34:30):
the podium the other day with tatsu yah I, Dana
Brown and the crew over there at dyk In Park
and the Astros signing Tatsuya am I, something they haven't
done a lot of in the past of Japanese players
straight over from Japan or just players from over in
the Asian leagues just in general.
Speaker 2 (01:34:51):
But they decide to.
Speaker 3 (01:34:53):
Go ahead and go there, and Jim Crane being asked
about that very thing the other day, talking about beefing
up their efforts there in the Pacific RIM in terms
of scouting.
Speaker 14 (01:35:04):
We'll continue to work hard on it. We've actually got
boots on the ground both in Tokyo or three places, Taiwan, Tokyo,
and Seoul, so we've got scouts over there and people
assisting to identify talent over there. Now, we just made
that adjustment in the summer, probably didn't have much to
do with this one, but it'll have a lot to
do moving forward as we work on those markets to
(01:35:26):
try to bring the great players here to Houston.
Speaker 3 (01:35:29):
All right, So that last part right there feeds into
this next part because I think obviously there is a
method to going about their business this way. So Jim
Crane after they signed em I talking about you know,
we can pretty much expect he's not going to be
the last guy that they signed from this area.
Speaker 14 (01:35:45):
We'll be moving pretty fast in Asia and continue to
focus on that and.
Speaker 8 (01:35:49):
Evaluate all the talent.
Speaker 14 (01:35:50):
Over there so we can hopefully get some more of
them over here to play and to deepen the team.
I think, you know, you can really see the Asian
market as the players coming out of there are are
really equivalent, are better than some of the guys we
have here. So it was kind of untapped, and I
and think until we had the Otani effect, and I
think a lot of people are focused on it, but
(01:36:12):
we'll be laser focused on it moving forward.
Speaker 2 (01:36:15):
An untapped market something bothers you mm hmm, Yeah, listen, Jim,
great story, man, I'll believe it when I see it,
because here's the thing. He just was in Asia, wasn't
He was just in Japan not too long ago? Yeah,
he was in the app okay PB so do you no, no, no,
not em I Jim Crane was just visiting to it
was just busying Tokyo not too long ago, I guess. Yeah, no,
(01:36:37):
there was a report that came out he was just
in Asia like a couple months ago. So I remember
growing up, I was really big into the World Cup
every single year, loved it. I would study the teams
I'd watch every single game. I'd be up at two
in the morning catching up on what's going on in
Group D going on. I remember it was in college.
We were at we were at one of the bars
(01:36:57):
downtown in July and we watched U.
Speaker 5 (01:37:00):
S A.
Speaker 2 (01:37:00):
Paul Off the upset in the round of sixteen, and
it became the entire identity of the country for a
little bit. And it's like, this is where soccer is
gonna break on out in the United States, and the
MLS is gonna be booming, that's gonna be really prominent,
and all these things are gonna be really positive. And
then and then the tournament ends and soccer once again
goes back to being in just say, humhost sport in
the industry. You just were in Asia. So because of that,
(01:37:23):
it's a it's something that you're preaching at this point.
It's something that you're excited about because of you just
were there and you just saw the MP being you
just saw the KBO and you just saw all these
other things that are going on. Let me see you
actually make multiple signings before we say we're going to
make a major time, We're gonna tap into this market.
It's it's one guy. It's one person, and you don't
(01:37:44):
even know if it's gonna pan on out yet, and
I think it might is gonna be great. I think
he's gonna be actually the second best picture that the
Astros have by one hunter round. And I think that
he's going to end up meeting expectations. He'll be closer
to Yamamoto than he will go Ki Sasaki. I'm fully
invested in that. So to make a claim like that,
you better back it up. You better be able to
say the next two offseasons, we're only going to the KBO,
(01:38:07):
We're only going to the MPB. Those are where our key.
Any single time that we have an outfielder like Jung
Huli that's coming on out, that is going to be
a priority for us. Because if it's not, then what
you're just saying is, yeah, it just was in Japan
and it was really awesome, it was really cool, and
that like, that's gonna be something I'm so focused on.
Oh look at that something I'll shin a little TOI
over here now now I want to focus in on that.
Speaker 3 (01:38:26):
Well. I mean, I think that the thought is that
you know, at least the NPB that it's a step
above the Triple A. It's it's not as good as
Major League Baseball, but still it's very highly competitive baseball.
So you'd like to be able to look into that
market even more. The KBO, I think, at least to
a lesser extent, probably the same deal there too. And
(01:38:46):
I mean, and you just continue to see more and
more major league ready players that you can possibly go
for over there. And I mean, I think just you know,
with what they just did with Tatsumi, is that they
see somebody that could be ready to go immediately and
not a ton of ramp up needed once they get here.
Speaker 2 (01:39:04):
Yeah, but it's it's like a new Year's resolution. You
say that you're gonna do something. I'm gonna go to
the gym six times a week, and then one night
you have your friends call you and say, oh, it's
happy hour with two dollars shots. Then you go there
and said and you miss a workout, And then from
six days a week, you go down to five days
a week, and then four days a week, and then
one day a week to when then you're sitting at
home and you're putting yourself right back in that conversation
of oh, I'm doing the same thing over and over again.
(01:39:24):
That's what it feels like with this right now. You
make it a big time claim and until I see
you actually continuously progress and believe that you're gonna put
your money where your mouth is and deliver with NBP
players and KBO players, it's a statement. It could end
up panning out, but you don't even know what you
got with the my right now before you say we're
gonna tap on into the Asian market, like, let's see
(01:39:45):
prove a concept before we go jump the gun.
Speaker 3 (01:39:47):
I think it's also though too, it's from the off
field returns that you get from the revenue that you
can have by having a player who is going to
get more eyes on your organization. And then I mean,
you know m crane one of the first press conferences
you Sai when he took over his owner. As revenue
goes up, that's when the spending goes up.
Speaker 2 (01:40:03):
Here's what I will say. If Imay ends up being
a really good sign, which I do think he will,
and I think that this is going to be great
for the rotation and he's going to be a reason
why the Astros once again are in the conversation of
being a playoff contender. Then there will be a proof
of concept to where you've hit. Players over in Japan
and Korea are seeing that you're hitting in the Astros market,
(01:40:24):
they want to come play for the Astros. It's a
dual threat mentality here because of Yeah, Jim can come
out and say whatever he wants about the future of
the organization and going and tapping into the Asian market,
but they don't want to come to Houston because of
they're seeing what happens with tatsu Ami. Then it doesn't
matter how much you want to tap on in, they
still have to want to come here.
Speaker 3 (01:40:42):
Well, and it's also too I mean proof as you
even mentioned, is in the pudding, and I mean a
huge reason why tatsu Amai is here is Scott Boris said,
they were very impressed with how the organization handled you, say,
Kakuchi a couple of years ago, So I mean your
reputation again, it precedes you and the Apple shows at
least pitching wise, right now, have a good one.
Speaker 2 (01:41:02):
Well you know who was his manager over in the
in the Japanese or Mastro, Yeah, Amus out at least
a decent conversation on what then minute made park now
Dyking was like, there you go some.
Speaker 3 (01:41:11):
One three, two one two five seven ninety is the
number to get in. Let's switch over to the college
football playoff, at least the Old Miss side of things.
Speaker 2 (01:41:18):
I'm a good buddy.
Speaker 3 (01:41:19):
Neil mccrandy from Rebels two four seven is gonna hop
on with us as we continue right here on a Thursday.
It is the Morning Drive with Dan and Cole Sports
sockx seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (01:41:31):
We run on dingers, dumpson Drive, not cold fourth.
Speaker 2 (01:41:37):
Talk seven ninety guaranteed human.
Speaker 3 (01:41:42):
Speaking of tonight's game, at least one side of it,
we turn now to Rebels twenty four to seven's Neil
McCready hopping on with us for a few minutes. You
can find them on Twitter at Neil McCready. Uh, Neil,
If you know this ride continues to keep going tonight
for Miss and they win this game and they get
to Miami for the National championship, is it going to
(01:42:04):
be of the career that you've had to this point,
something that even with all the experiences, you're just like,
I will never ever experience anything like this again, not
saying Ole Miss won't get there, just everything leading up
to this point.
Speaker 15 (01:42:18):
God I hope not. I mean, this twenty twenty five
season was crazy. I mean just it was kind of
a weird season. It was almost like the games didn't happen.
Everything was all about lang Giffin, and then the kiffing
thing happened, and then there was this you know, rush
(01:42:43):
of days where all these things were happening and you
heard all these rumors and stuff, and then.
Speaker 8 (01:42:47):
Lo and behold they had games to play.
Speaker 15 (01:42:49):
And now they're you know, about to play in Arizona
and against the Miami team that I think the game's
sort of a coin toss, and yeah, I mean they
could end up playing for the national title. I would,
on one hand, and I'm really surprised, and that when
people ask that question say, yeah, I mean, I'm really surprised.
Speaker 8 (01:43:06):
On the other hand, I'd be hypocritical if I if I.
Speaker 15 (01:43:10):
Pretended to be you know, uh, Clark Griswold with his
head soon to the carpet, Because if you look at
the way that college football has changed, if you're organized
and you're good at EVL and you put valuations on
players in a appropriate way, you can put together a
(01:43:34):
nationally competitive team, and that is what they've done.
Speaker 2 (01:43:38):
Neil I want to get your thoughts on this, because
it got reported after the Sugar Bowl that Lane Kiffen
was trying to poach the coaches back to Baton Rouge
before this playoff game. Several are not with the team
out in Glendale. The Kevit'smith and Charlie Weis Junior are
knowing Lane Kiffin and just his personality and his demeanor
regards if how you think of him as a coach.
(01:43:58):
Lane's about Lane. For some reason. We see Ole Miss
win tonight and they're able to go to the National Championship.
Could Lane get to a level of threatening to where
he tells Kevin Smith, the Charlie Wise Junior, if you
do not come back at this point because I'm not
the one in charge of this team winning a national championship,
you do not out of the place of my staff
next year.
Speaker 15 (01:44:20):
I mean, I suppose I rule nothing out. I will
say this, I don't think he has that type of
leverage on Charlie.
Speaker 8 (01:44:29):
Charlie could get another job tomorrow.
Speaker 15 (01:44:31):
I don't know that he would make exactly the same
amount of money. But Charlie's a young guy in his thirties.
His reputation's really strong. His pedigree is very strong. He
has NFL interest right now. I don't think that would
threat would go over very well with Charlie.
Speaker 8 (01:44:47):
As for Kevin, I don't think it matters.
Speaker 15 (01:44:50):
I don't think Kevin Smith's presence or absence has anything
to do with whether Ole Miss wins or loses again.
Speaker 3 (01:44:56):
Neil McCready rebels twenty four to seven. Hopping on with
us here for minutes on the morning drive with Dan
and Cole. Let's just talk about the game tonight too
against Miami. I mean, this is a game that's, you know,
for ole Miss, it's gonna be a little bit of
all right, how are you able to come back from
the emotional high that you just had in New Orleans.
I mean, this is a team that, at least listening
(01:45:18):
to Pete Tamil or Pete Tamil, Pete Golding yesterday talk
about their team of saying that you know, their their focus,
they're they're ready to go. But I mean, is that
going to be something that you're gonna be looking for
at least nearly going in this game of is there
a little bit of a slow start and maybe that
has something to do with it.
Speaker 15 (01:45:38):
I don't think so, because I think that could happen
to both teams, right, I mean, you know, Miami's coming
off of two emotional games, including you know, the win
over Ohio.
Speaker 8 (01:45:47):
State, which was a.
Speaker 15 (01:45:49):
High water mark for their program for the past quarter century.
I'm sure both teams are tired a little. I'm sure
both teams are emotionally tired a little. I mean, you
think about ole Miss. They got back from New Orlands
at three in the morning on Friday. The portal started
that day. They've been slammed with portal stuff, retention, acquisition,
(01:46:10):
putting in a game plan. Charlie Weiss has gone back
and forth from Oxford to Baton Rouge at least twice,
maybe more. I'm sure there's a lot of fatigue in
the building. But at the end of the day, it's
a national semifinal in the Fiesta Bowl, on a major stage,
you know, for ole Miss, an opportunity to go to
the first national championship.
Speaker 8 (01:46:29):
Game in the modern era.
Speaker 15 (01:46:31):
Maybe really, ever, I don't think I don't think you
have to look far to find motivation to work through
some fatigue. If this for a regular season, sure this
would be letdown city, but no, not here.
Speaker 2 (01:46:44):
Neil, How do you feel about guarding to elite defensive
lineman and Ruben band in a key messidor because Ohio
State and Texas A and M came into the seat,
it came into their matchups giving up eleven total sacks
on the year, almost only given up eighteen. But it
really hasn't mattered. Both of them have been such a
send for Miami to be able to allow them to
put pressure on quarterbacks and to make mental mistakes. And
(01:47:06):
I get at the Trudeaud Schambliss is kind of a
wizard in his own right, and they haven't seen a
quarterback built like him. But this offensive line still has
its question marks compared to what you have with the
Ohio Saint texts at.
Speaker 15 (01:47:14):
M Yeah, sure it's gonna be the story of the
game at least on that side of the ball is
can they protect Chambers long enough for him to make plays.
Here's the thing about ole Miss that's going to be
interesting to watch tonight. They have a lot of weapons.
They don't have just like one or two primary receivers.
They have a lot of guys they trust. They can
throw the ball to multiple tight ends. Lacey's terrific in
(01:47:37):
pass pro. This is gonna come down to can you
stay ahead of the sticks? Can you make it third
and four instead of third and nine. And you know,
if you go back and look at the Ohio State film,
we do a show on MPW Digital with a guy
named Pete Deuis where we look at film from earlier
in the season. If you look at the Ohio State film,
(01:47:57):
say and head receivers open.
Speaker 8 (01:47:59):
But he started.
Speaker 15 (01:48:01):
I don't blame him because they're really good and I'm
sure when they hit you going full speed it hurts.
But he started watching pass rush. He had some plays
to be made down the field. It's the thing that
to this point Chamberliss has done very very well, and
that is having great eye discipline, keeping his eyes downfield
even in the face of pressure, using his feet to
extend plays a little bit, and hurting defenses when you
(01:48:24):
know there's if you bring pressures, I mean someone's open somewhere.
Speaker 8 (01:48:28):
So that's the key to the game.
Speaker 15 (01:48:30):
If if Miami can take that away, Miami's gonna win.
If Chamberas can make Miami pay for aggressiveness, ole Miss
will probably.
Speaker 2 (01:48:38):
Win Neil past this season.
Speaker 3 (01:48:41):
Do you feel like that this is something that can
be a realistic expectation for ole Miss and continuing seasons.
Speaker 8 (01:48:51):
Yeah, here's why.
Speaker 15 (01:48:52):
I mean, in the last five years, ole Miss has
won fifty two games, and the SEC only two teams
have done more than that. And it's not Texas, and
it's not Texas A and M it's Alabama and Georgia.
I thought the win over Georgia, no matter what happens
the rest of the way, even if it ends tonight,
if they go to the National Championship game to lose,
(01:49:14):
if they win the National Championship, I thought the win
over Georgia was huge. It extended their season a week.
It silenced all of this Kiffin silliness. Look, Lane's a
hell of a coach. He's a great coach. But there
was a lot more too what Olemiss put together than
Lane Kiffen. And I think they proved that by beating
Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on a night where Georgia
(01:49:36):
played well.
Speaker 8 (01:49:38):
Without Lane Kiffin in the building. I thought they silenced
all out of that. And so yeah, is it sustainable. Sure.
Now here's the thing.
Speaker 15 (01:49:47):
You don't know how many times you get back to
this spot, right, how many times do you get back
to the National semifinal. I mean, look at the Thunder
right now. They just want a title. And everybody was like, hey,
they're gonna win six, seven, eight, nine titles, and suddenly
they've lost, you know, six of their last thirteen games.
They look very immortal and you don't know, you know,
can you get back year after year.
Speaker 8 (01:50:08):
It's a very hard thing to do. Very few teams
do it.
Speaker 15 (01:50:11):
So when you have these opportunities, yep, you need to
try to capitalize.
Speaker 2 (01:50:17):
Neil, I want to get your thoughts on this because
of Carson Beck's gonna be starting to night looking for
his shot to go to the national title. Pete Goldie
faced him before. You know, a lot of people have
to forget last season that when Ole Miss went I
went and won against Georgia in Oxford, Carson Beck was
the starting quarterback, and so there is a good gauge
on how to prepare for him when you've gone back
and you've watched the film and you've seen him just
(01:50:38):
be pretty much a simplistic game manager for Miami is
the key basically saying take away Mark Fletcher, take away
Shamar Brown, and make the dude who threw two god
awful interceptions in that matchup in Oxford last year, be
the reason why you win a football game.
Speaker 15 (01:50:55):
Yeah, that's what you have to do now. Now, look,
taking Fletcher away is easier said than done. But if
they can minimize Fletcher and put the game in Carson
Beck's hands, I think it's a risk they're willing to take. Now,
you can lose because Carson Beck's record as the starter's
pretty damn good. You know, he's won a lot more
games than he's lost, but Ole Miss has had success
against him. Yeah, that's the plan, you know, it's I mean, look,
(01:51:20):
at the end of the day, we do all these
storylines and all this stuff, and it does come down
to some pretty basic stuff. You want to put teams
in third and long, force quarterbacks to try to force
things to make mistakes. These are two hot teams, two
confident teams, two pretty determined teams.
Speaker 8 (01:51:40):
It's kind of interesting.
Speaker 15 (01:51:41):
I'm sure that if you told Miami before the Sugar Bowl,
hey you're gonna get Old Miss, they would have been thrilled.
And I'm sure if you had told Ole Miss before
the Cotton Bowl, hey you're gonna get Miami, they would
have been thrilled. But now they have each other and
they begin to realize these are two pretty good teams.
But yes, to answer your question, if you're if you're
(01:52:04):
if you're Miami, you want to put ole Miss in
third and a long. You want that pass rush to
create some plays. And if you're Old Miss, you want
to put the game in Carson Beck's hands because you
think you can force them into mistakes.
Speaker 3 (01:52:14):
It's going to be an exciting one, no question about that.
Ole Miss Miami. Tonight out there in Arizona and this
me and Neil McCready part of Rebels twenty four to seven,
going to be all on top of it. Hey, Neil,
appreciate you waking up early with us. I know it's
an hour behind us over there in Arizona, so hopefully
we didn't wake you up too early out there, and
appreciate your time.
Speaker 8 (01:52:34):
Man, Thank you guys. I appreciate you having me.
Speaker 3 (01:52:37):
I appreciate it again, Neil McCready hopping on with us.
So a lot of confidence in Ole Miss for this one.
But I mean again though, too, Cole. It's one of
those I mean, that was an emotional win last week,
and I mean, I guess it is the playoffs. It's like,
all right, you know there's no time to rest, but
same time.
Speaker 2 (01:52:54):
Okay, But but why was it only an emotional win
for all?
Speaker 5 (01:52:57):
Miss?
Speaker 2 (01:52:57):
I mean, you're you with the number ten team in
myammy that people said did not belong to the playoff
of her Notre Dame, and you've had back to back
emotional wins, so I mean for them, it's also an
emotional win. And the magic runs out at a point,
and I think that this is again a moment where
we can talk about Ruben Bainn and a Key Messer
and their elite dudes, like I hate the take that
Oh Room Made's gonna suck in the NFL because he's
(01:53:17):
got short arms. Dude beats the breaks off of everybody
in college football, doesn't matter. They haven't faced off against
a defense like this. Miami is a face off a quarterback.
I trade at.
Speaker 3 (01:53:26):
Chandless talk about that also the rest of the CFP here.
As we close out the eight o'clock hour on a Thursday,
he's call Thompson, Dan Matthews, tripley, Emmanuel Elmore.
Speaker 2 (01:53:36):
It's the Morning Drive right here. Sports Talk seven ninety.
Back to Dan Cole.
Speaker 1 (01:53:41):
As the Morning Drive cruises.
Speaker 2 (01:53:43):
Off, David wants to weigh in. David, good morning, Good morning.
Speaker 3 (01:53:53):
Dan.
Speaker 13 (01:53:54):
You're a class back Dan and sports tul Radio. When
you a class back, Dan.
Speaker 2 (01:53:59):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 6 (01:53:59):
Man.
Speaker 13 (01:54:01):
Good morning to school.
Speaker 2 (01:54:03):
Hi David.
Speaker 13 (01:54:06):
How was your New Year's Man?
Speaker 2 (01:54:08):
That's fantastic, Man. How is yours fantastic?
Speaker 5 (01:54:13):
I love I love New Year's e parties. I love it.
Speaker 13 (01:54:17):
It gives me in a positive frame of mind.
Speaker 2 (01:54:20):
That's great.
Speaker 13 (01:54:21):
But what I want to all right, there you go.
I want to talk to first one to talk about
the college football playoffs. I want to predict the score
of this game tonight. It's going to be a low
scoring game because you know why, Why because the defense
wins championships. I'm not saying that the Miami Hurricanes are
(01:54:46):
going to win the whole thing this year, because my
prediction is they're not going to win the whole thing
this year. But tonight's score, it's going to be a
low scoring game. It's gonna be Miami get to that
Miami twenty three and oh the miss twenty.
Speaker 2 (01:55:10):
I mean, I don't think it's a low score, David,
if I'm being real, man, because a low score would
be ten three, like we saw Miami do earlier.
Speaker 6 (01:55:15):
This year.
Speaker 2 (01:55:16):
That's a low score.
Speaker 13 (01:55:18):
But it could cook. It could be Lord. But but
you know, either way, Miami will find a way to
be the old mens.
Speaker 2 (01:55:25):
I completely describe you, but I respect your take.
Speaker 8 (01:55:27):
I do. Yeah.
Speaker 13 (01:55:29):
Yeah, but it could go the other way though, it could.
It could go the other way.
Speaker 11 (01:55:33):
It could.
Speaker 13 (01:55:33):
I wouldn't be surprised if old Miss wins tonight.
Speaker 2 (01:55:37):
You know what do you got on the text bikes
by the Texans?
Speaker 5 (01:55:41):
The Texans? The Texans?
Speaker 2 (01:55:43):
Well, uh, Dan.
Speaker 13 (01:55:44):
Cole, I have a beef with the uh, the NFL
nation because you know why, no way, guys, why.
Speaker 2 (01:55:54):
We're waiting on Pizaninos man for your tellis oh.
Speaker 13 (01:55:58):
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. I'm just sick and tired out
of people like ESPN analysts saying that, uh, the Texans
are not a playoff team and this that that the other.
Speaker 4 (01:56:09):
Uh.
Speaker 13 (01:56:11):
The bottom line is that, you know, the the Texans
are a playoff team. The Texans are a super Bowl
caliber team. All we have to do is wait on
CJ's strive to be able to to make plays and
win Bowl games. Now not only with his legs, with
his throws down the field and and you know, just
(01:56:34):
basically staying staying out of uh staying out of turnovers.
Just protecting the football. That's what we need. And again,
I'm gonna say this again, the Houston Texans are going
to be in a super Bowl and they'll win. They're
gonna win in the Super Bowl this year. I may
be wrong, but that's my take.
Speaker 2 (01:56:54):
I appreciate it. David, I was, I was, I was
riveting waiting for it to happen. He could you tell
me why?
Speaker 8 (01:57:01):
Why?
Speaker 6 (01:57:02):
Why?
Speaker 3 (01:57:02):
David, you have the chance tell me? You know what
Cole is sometimes? You know Tripoli.
Speaker 2 (01:57:07):
Well, he started off a conversation saying that Dan is amazing.
Oh by the way, Cole, you're here too, well, you're
you're also here. I guess.
Speaker 3 (01:57:15):
Look, I mean, you know, positive affirmation for me. Of course,
I'm gonna soak it all in. I mean, you you know,
whatever happens with you at that point, I'm just like here,
it's solely on you. But when it comes to, you know,
situations like that. You're like my dog Pixie, where whenever
she sees another dog trying to pull me, growling and
then if I have to pick her up to you know,
(01:57:36):
like you know, no, you can't go after the other dog.
She starts doing this weird like guttural growl. That's that's you.
Speaker 2 (01:57:44):
How am I? How am I am? My daughter? Old growl?
Just you're ready to pounce, You're ready to go. You
have an opportunity to explain your situation. I would love
to hear it. I don't need this. You don't need
to set me up when it comes to would you
like to know why? Well? Would you?
Speaker 13 (01:58:01):
No?
Speaker 8 (01:58:01):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (01:58:01):
Actually, you know here, let's just hit let's just hit
the dump button. Go ahead and call it.
Speaker 3 (01:58:04):
It's like it's like a comedian who continues to build
up their punchline and it gets right up to the
line and you're like, all right, hey, it's gonna pay off.
Speaker 2 (01:58:11):
Oh no, it's not. Okay. Yeah, you know when punchlines
are so bad when you have to look at the
audience so that way you know that it didn't you
can clap, you can you can laugh. That's what it is.
I mean that, that's what and it's listen. I appreciate
phone call David. I know that I am the cynical
Matt lar loudmouth of of the show. That's what it is.
(01:58:31):
I'm the person that's going to tell you the truth.
That you don't want to hear either person. You're the heavy.
I understand that I'm a person that is going to
call you out and not be afraid to go ahead
and reffels some feathers. That's always been my personality. I
want you guys to call on into me. But you
start a conversation. Yeah, Dan's amazing. Oh by the way
you exist, Let's let's talk to you about what you
want going on here.
Speaker 3 (01:58:49):
There's people who like you over me too, all right,
don't don't make it a Dan versus cold thing.
Speaker 2 (01:58:54):
It's always a Dan versus cold thing. It's gotta be
a ninety nine point nine percent.
Speaker 3 (01:58:57):
Cole Thompson's awesome. Well, I mean, look, I mean, I'm i'mnanimous.
Speaker 2 (01:59:00):
You know you hate me. It's actually I thrive off
of your hatred. I really do. It's fantastic for me.
Speaker 3 (01:59:07):
So, I mean Tonight's game, you know it's one that's
three and a half. Miami is favorite. So you thought
that ole Miss should have been favored.
Speaker 2 (01:59:15):
There hasn't been a quarterback that Miami has faced all year.
Elec Trinett Chambliss. And I've heard multiple people say, and
I'll agree with them on the sentiment of if you
are able to pick one guy for one drive in
the postseason, who are you going with? It's six for
ole Miss because of his ability to make magic and
just backyard bs, his way to fighting receivers open downfield
(01:59:37):
and set up for a Lucas Canaro fifty seven yard
field goal. If I just need three points to win
a football game, I get three points. And he's doing
that on the regular It's just tomorrow night too.
Speaker 3 (01:59:46):
I mean, two really good defenses going up against each other,
two teams that really like to play physical football. I mean,
one thing that I heard about Indiana this week, and
it makes so much sense. They don't screw things up.
Speaker 2 (01:59:57):
No, they're the most they're the most polished team the playoff.
And and a buddy of mine actually texted me back
in October when they played orgon the first time, and
the response was, Indiana is not elite at anything, but
they're great at everything, including the multifacet errors. When you
can do that at an elite level, all you're waiting
(02:00:18):
for is the other team to find a way to
mess on up.
Speaker 3 (02:00:20):
Ole Miss, Miami, Indiana Oregon playing for the National championship.
Speaker 2 (02:00:25):
Well, that was exactly what we predicted the start war world.
Everyone said scure Ohio State, Alabama sucks. George is a
con man. Oh and Lane Kiff it's not gonna be
the head coach there anymore because Brian Kelly got fired,
just like we all predicted at the start.
Speaker 8 (02:00:37):
Of the season.
Speaker 3 (02:00:37):
I was gonna say, maybe that last part wouldn't have
been so so weird to predict John on Northwest Side.
See you're right there, We'll get you in. Is there
a chance that Will Anderson Junior is who we wish
that C. J. Stroud would be. We'll discuss right here
as we get into the nine o'clock hour. As it
is the Morning Drive, Dan and Coles Sports Talk seven
to ninety k.
Speaker 2 (02:00:55):
Houston a TV EHD two Houston Home is a Astro.
Speaker 1 (02:01:00):
And the Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety your home for
your home teams, an iHeartRadio station guaranteed Human. This is
the Morning Drive with Dad and Cole.
Speaker 3 (02:01:21):
On the Kevin Durant miss not in time, So they're
gonna get the Blazers again tomorrow night up there in
Portland and the college football playoff Miami and Ole Miss
tonight to get the semifinals started. So we've been talking
that been talking Texans, sweethed in a little bit of
Astros some Rockets earlier, and now we continue the Texans
(02:01:44):
conversation seven one three, two one two five seven ninety
Before we get to John, I brought this up earlier,
is Will Anderson Junior, who we wish that CJ. Stroud
would be No, really.
Speaker 2 (02:01:56):
Because if I don't think there's a good comparison there,
and I think I know where you're going with this.
But to me, CJ still is playing at a level
to where he's not costing games. He maybe is costing
you drives. There are moments to where you're frustrated and
Will doesn't do that. What Will does is he finished
his drives. He's closing in the gap, he's putting a
quarterback on his ass. He's making teams have to prepare
(02:02:18):
for him. Mentally, they're circling him on the whiteboard saying
fifty one. He gotta know where he is at all times.
But both add value to the Texans. The Texans are
twelve and five because CJ. Stroud helped you win a
couple of games. Will Anderson Junior helped you win a
couple games. You want to see more from your quarterback
because of naturally number two overall pick. Guy's supposed to
be the franchise signal caller. He's supposed to be elevated
(02:02:39):
from what you had a couple of seasons ago when
Sean was here. But I don't think that we need
to say, oh because if he does X, Y and
Z differently than what Will does, it makes him a
bad fit or what Will's doing is you know, it
has to be with CJ. Assid do.
Speaker 3 (02:02:53):
I just think that it's a little bit of a
perception too that CJ has leveled off a little bit,
maybe even not been as good as he was his
rookie year in terms of accuracy. And I mean, we're
still seeing some of the overthrows, we're still seeing some
of the you know, decisions to hold on to football,
take the sack, or as we saw on Sunday, the
intentional grounding. Whereas Anderson is having his best season by
(02:03:16):
far and that he's had since he's been into Texans.
Speaker 2 (02:03:18):
Uni, I won't and again I won't push back on
that you are seeing. Okay, So here's the thing with CJ.
Today became the overnight sensation instantaneously with the five touchdown
game against the Tampa Buccaneers with the you know, touchdown
interception ratio, which is alongside Tom Brady and Joe Montana
for the best in the NFL history. In a single season,
(02:03:38):
he broke rookie records. He has the rookie passing total
for Texans when a playoff game. Year one, was elite
in that game after the first quarter, and so you
put him on an elevation to where there was no
more room for him to grow other than MVP and
next to Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.
And honestly, that was unfair because of there are some
(02:03:58):
intangibles that are built around him, just like there were
intangibile's built around those quarterbacks, to where if you don't
have that supporting cast, you're not gonna be in that
position where will It was a steady climb. So I
went from seven and a half sacks rookie record to
eleven sacks, Pro Bowl record, twelve sacks, potentially All Pro,
second Pro Bowl, nod Defensive Player of the Year conversation
(02:04:20):
going into a contract year. So there was always that
maturation and growth to where you knew he was taking
that next step forward, where for CJ, if I like,
what's gonna happen next, He's got there for forty eight
hundred yards and thirty five touchdowns. He has to lead
the team to a conference title appearance. And because of
those things didn't happen last year, it kind of plateaued
(02:04:41):
and now we're seeing a decline where with Anderson it's
a complete and total uphill climb. Second Pro Bowl this year.
Speaker 3 (02:04:49):
I mean, you know, I know that we're talking about
Will and CJ here, but Danil Hunter not being named
the pro bowler I thought was a little interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:04:56):
But Zay Flowers with more fumbles than touchdown was a
Pro bowler. It's it's a joke, man. I mean like,
and don't get me wrong, I'm not sitting here and saying, well,
he can't make it on in because if you lose
at some point and there's an opt out, then the
Neil Hunter's the second alternate. I'm not mistaken. So he'll
get an acolyte and be able to go. But like,
there's names are just brought in because of popularity contest.
(02:05:17):
It's stupid, you like to just.
Speaker 3 (02:05:19):
Not have to take part in now playing dodgeball, and
quarterbacks trying to hit drones, and I mean, whatever else
the hell they do?
Speaker 2 (02:05:27):
What do they play? Like tugle war or something like that.
They have a couple of other different events. Yeah, it's
just basically become up only for quarterbacks and wide receivers though,
Like that's the thing, like like offensive linemen to the
tuger war and that's their Pro Bowl honor. Every once
in a while they'll say, hey, you had a hell
of a season, how would you like to do tug
a war great? Or like they'll do like the hammer
thrower or some something something like that, Like that's what
(02:05:48):
that foot is? What are you turning it into the cathlon?
It kind of feels that way. I mean, it's a
dumb event, it really is. They need to get rid
of it entirely. But hey, you guys do shot put
in high school? Why don't you do it again?
Speaker 6 (02:06:00):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (02:06:00):
I stopped caring about that? How about the discus throw?
What are you at that? I stopped caring about Pro
Bowl votes? Who went to the damn thing and what
it meant and what it meant to you? When Snoop
Huntley got to call himself a Pro Bowl quarterback, the
second that we threw him out there, he played in
four games. Pro Bowler. Nope, I'm out.
Speaker 8 (02:06:18):
I mean just where.
Speaker 3 (02:06:19):
It pretty much got to a point of, Hey, you've
been named to the Pro Bowl. That's great. I'm already
on vacation. Hey you've been named the Pro Bowl. Not interested?
Speaker 8 (02:06:26):
How about you?
Speaker 2 (02:06:26):
Are you ready?
Speaker 8 (02:06:28):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:06:28):
Sure, you said it's on Thursday. Yeah, I'm hacking with
that around Mac Jones.
Speaker 3 (02:06:33):
Finally ending up at the Pro Bowl. Someone three two, two,
five seven ninety is the way to get in. John
on the Northwest side, John, good morning.
Speaker 12 (02:06:41):
Hey man, good man. You know, speaking of Will Anderson, Man,
I was looking at him in that coach game. This
man has gotten bigger from his rookie year.
Speaker 5 (02:06:53):
His rookie year.
Speaker 12 (02:06:54):
You know, he had that Kyla's body and all that.
The man has a man that he's been busy working
out and everything else.
Speaker 5 (02:07:02):
He's a monster. But this is what I want to
tell y'all now that that.
Speaker 12 (02:07:06):
Stupid Baltimore Ravens organization.
Speaker 5 (02:07:10):
Got rid of John Harball, I'm.
Speaker 12 (02:07:13):
Not even worried about Baltimore for the next few years
because they ain't gonna get a better coach than that.
That is so ridiculous. They're gonna win some games, but
they ain't gone to no super Bowl. I'm not even
concerned about them now. Now that Baltimore organization have fired
an eighteen nineteen year old great coach, guess what. The
(02:07:37):
door is open now for these other organizations to say, well,
we don't have to worry about the heat by firing
the coach for the Steevens all firing the coach for
Buffalo because Baltimore gave us permission, so we can do
the same thing that they did.
Speaker 5 (02:07:55):
If Buffalo don't get to this super Bowl, not at.
Speaker 12 (02:07:59):
Mahomes is out and uh Lamar is out, that head
coach over there is gonna get fired too. I think
they need They probably get rid of that old managed
general manager Bean because what was the two seasons ago
they let Kansas City draft that speed player I can't
think of his name right now, when they could have
(02:08:22):
had you know who I'm talking about, that fast guy.
Speaker 5 (02:08:25):
He's very fast. He was the fastest in the draft.
Speaker 2 (02:08:30):
You're talking about, Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:08:32):
They did they ye doing the draft. I think they
traded with Kansas City or they could have gotten.
Speaker 16 (02:08:38):
That basically game return for free.
Speaker 5 (02:08:43):
And every year they were Kansas City was beating them down.
Speaker 16 (02:08:47):
That is the stupidest thing that the general manager would
ever do. This team is beating you every year, and
you let them have this guy. No, they gonna get.
Speaker 12 (02:08:58):
Fired to if if if Buffalo don't make it good
the Super Bowl this year. And John Hallball, I loved
him Hallball brothers. I've been watching them for years. They've
been great coaches.
Speaker 15 (02:09:10):
Man.
Speaker 5 (02:09:10):
And I shall hope John.
Speaker 12 (02:09:11):
Hobball don't go to New York because that Sene guy whatever.
Speaker 5 (02:09:15):
His name is, over there, he needs to be pried too.
Speaker 17 (02:09:18):
Man.
Speaker 5 (02:09:19):
Hey, y'all have a good day.
Speaker 2 (02:09:20):
My brothers all right, See John appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (02:09:24):
Jim did say yesterday that yes, he hopes that his
brother does get back in, but that he is again.
Speaker 2 (02:09:30):
What is he supposed to say, Oh, I would love
I would love for my brother to stay fired. It's
great for family, it's great for family get together. No, No,
I mean, of course he's going to say that part.
But your brother is such a jackass. I cannot stomach him.
I hope that he is never hired again in the NFL.
Great conversation at the Thanksgiving table.
Speaker 3 (02:09:48):
Apparently, John though you know when they were kids, missed
a very important part of NHL history because the Stanley
Cup was on and his dad asked him to fetch
him a beer and he missed whatever like special goal
it was.
Speaker 2 (02:10:01):
And he was like, you know, yeah, I remind my
dad of that all the time. I would too. I
would gladly remind people of that whenever that if that
ever becomes a conversation. When jose Al Tube hit the
home run off of e Raldist Chapman, a buddy of
mine was in the bathroom and he was sitting next
to There was four of us sitting up top, and
he was in the bathroom, and I will never let
him live it down.
Speaker 3 (02:10:20):
Yeah, but I feel like nowadays it's really kind of
impossible to miss a moment because I mean, you can
also watch TV on your phone, and I know that
some people might say, oh, yeah, you hold it when
you're on the toilet.
Speaker 2 (02:10:29):
It's like, well, I mean, what else am I supposed
to do?
Speaker 16 (02:10:33):
Hold it?
Speaker 2 (02:10:34):
That's what I'm saying. What do you mean? Was that's
what you're saying?
Speaker 8 (02:10:37):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (02:10:37):
I mean, like I'm saying, like, you know, you read
things off your phone, you watch videos, you do all
that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:10:42):
Yeah, So don't miss the moment. Wait till commercial break.
I mean, you can't really negotiate with nature when you can't. Yes,
you yet, you very much?
Speaker 3 (02:10:52):
Can?
Speaker 2 (02:10:53):
I promise you plan ahead? Is what you're saying. I
promise you you can negotiate. As long as you're able
to go ahead and hold it down, You're fine. All right, Hey,
it's a bathroom. Stop anybody making one. I don't have
to go thirty minutes later. Hey man, can you pull
What did I just say? Thirty minutes ago? Did we
miss that one? Did you miss that prompt? Where were
you in the bathroom?
Speaker 8 (02:11:13):
Well?
Speaker 2 (02:11:13):
No, in that case, they weren't. It's always my favorite.
What do you mean? And people like try to like
put that on little kids.
Speaker 7 (02:11:19):
No.
Speaker 2 (02:11:20):
I've been with plenty of.
Speaker 3 (02:11:21):
Adults on road trips where they're like, hey man, I
hate to do this, but you know, can you pull over?
Speaker 2 (02:11:27):
Dude? Water John, You're fine. Problem solved. I kid you not.
We would do eight hour road trips and we got
a water druck and we were told to tomb cigarette
told the great story. I'm waiting to hear it.
Speaker 6 (02:11:41):
His dad.
Speaker 3 (02:11:42):
His dad went with them to the Amazon and they
had like some like plane that I think was like
confiscated from it, like some government confiscated it from the cartel.
And he went up to the front to the cockpit
because his dad was like, hey, I got a pee,
and he's just like we're up like in the air,
like you can't go. And then he's just like it
doesn't I gotta go. So we went up to the
front and they found some abandoned airfield. Did his business,
(02:12:05):
and then they found some like oil can that was empty,
and they're like here, if you gotta go use this
next time.
Speaker 2 (02:12:12):
Water John, I'm telling you we did. Every single time
we went on a road trip. We would dump it
out on the road and then get right back into
at least a car.
Speaker 3 (02:12:19):
You can just pull off the you know, I mean,
you know, especially two for dudes. I mean I think
I can, you know, spare some of the other details.
But it's pretty easy. Find like some bushes and it's
away from the road, nobody can see. You know, Okay,
you're fine, but you know, at least like you're up
in the air, and you know, if they come on
and say the lab is not working, well, then you
know you got to make other adjustments.
Speaker 2 (02:12:40):
Seven one three two one, two, five, seven nine. They
make an adjustments again on the subject. I don't want
to talk about piss anymore.
Speaker 3 (02:12:46):
Let's get to the Texans dreams coming true, because somebody
out there believes that can absolutely happen for this team.
Speaker 2 (02:12:54):
We'll discuss that here as we continue along.
Speaker 3 (02:12:56):
And here on a Thursday, he's called Thompson, Dan Matthews,
Triple Emmanuel Elmore.
Speaker 2 (02:13:01):
It's the Morning Drive with Dan and Cole Sports SOOX
seven ninety.
Speaker 1 (02:13:05):
Good Morning Drive with Dn and Cole on Sports Talk
seven ninety, home of the Strolls, Rockets and Houston's best
sports talk.
Speaker 3 (02:13:16):
So, the Texans and their Super Bowl chances, I mean,
you're David earlier. He's big on believing they have a
chance to win, and I mean, at least with them,
you know where it's looks like it could be heading.
Of course, you know, chalk holds this weekend. Then next
weekend you go and play against Denver. If indeed you
(02:13:36):
are able to beat Pittsburgh, which I strongly believe they will,
you do too. And so we think that we'll be
getting ready for a divisional round game next weekend. But well,
Douglas Clauson of Cbssports dot Com had Super Bowl twenty
twenty six survivor which team will hoist the Lombardi Trophy
based on five title trends?
Speaker 2 (02:13:58):
Sing the Patriots. We'll see who it is at the end.
Speaker 3 (02:14:01):
So Chancy Chiefs. Number one must be elite on one
side of the ball. I think we can agree that
Texans are elite on defense.
Speaker 2 (02:14:09):
Yeah, top five in every single category except for run
defense in your number six.
Speaker 5 (02:14:14):
Yeah, y.
Speaker 2 (02:14:15):
So the criteria for this.
Speaker 3 (02:14:16):
The last twelve or and fifty six or fifty nine
Super Bowl champions were top seven in scoring offense or
scoring defense, and in some cases even both, So that
eliminates six teams. The Bears not a good defense. They
get a lot of turnovers, but overall not a good defense.
They do not keep teams out of the end zone.
The forty nine Ers a little banged up up front.
Of course, Nick Bosa done for the year. That hurts
(02:14:39):
him a lot. Steelers, Packers, Chargers, and Panthers would all
be eliminated by that logic.
Speaker 2 (02:14:46):
All right.
Speaker 3 (02:14:46):
Number two must make critical stops. None of the last
eighteen Super Bowl champions were bottom ten in the NFL
and third down conversion rate. Team that eliminates the Buffalo Bills.
See you, You're gone. The trenches. Twenty one of the
last twenty three Super Bowl champions had a positive sack deferential.
Two teams gone, the team that Buffalo is going to
(02:15:06):
play this weekend, and the New England Patriots. So your
super Bowl, your super Bowl pick? Sorry, it's gone. What
do you mean my super Bowl pick's gone? You said
when I when I was throwing out who would win
the Super Bowl? You said, the New England Patriots. Oh
not random names, seals. This is now My figure is
going to be Seattle. Okay, well, clutch kicks. Only one
(02:15:27):
of the last twenty five Super Bowl champions ranked bottom
five in the NFL for field goal percentage. That was
the twenty twenty two Kansas City Chiefs. That eliminates two teams,
Eagles and the Rams. Out the turnover battle, you said,
the Seattle Seahawks, the Foxy outle. Only two of the
past forty one Super Bowl champions ranked bottom five in
the NFL neither giveaways or takeaways, the twenty fifteen Broncos
(02:15:49):
and the twenty thirteen Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (02:15:52):
The Broncos and the Seahawks both eliminated.
Speaker 3 (02:15:56):
So the Texans of the last seam standing is basically
what you're telling me, that's it Bowl champion, Houston Texans.
That leaves us with a Super Bowl champion, at least
in terms of these championship indicators. The Houston Texans, they're
not without red flags either. They have one of the
worst red zone offenses in the league thanks to a
non existent run game in a horrible offensive line.
Speaker 2 (02:16:14):
However, CJ.
Speaker 3 (02:16:15):
Stroud starting to heat up with Jaden Higgins emerging as
the second option of long Nico Collins, the offense could
do just enough to support this incredible defense that oozes
talent and playmaking ability at every level.
Speaker 2 (02:16:27):
Look, I get what you're saying, and the trend is
one hundred percent correct to go defense metrics, special teams,
all areas of strengths. The thing for me, though, is
every team has a weak point, and if you're able
to attach it, and you're able to find the Achilles
heel and rip it apart and destroy it, that leads
(02:16:49):
to success on your side. The Texans suck in the
red zone. They're not going to be changing it anytime soon.
They It took twelve and a half quarters for them
to find their way to score inside the red zone
for the first time this season. That came in Week four.
They're a team that has its faults. If you're a defense,
(02:17:09):
say like Denver or New England, you put them inside
of the twenty and you hold them to three points,
all you need to do is score seven. It's a
four point differential. It ends up guaranteeing that you're gonna
be able to win that game, and ultimately that's all
it takes. So like, I understand that there are a
lot of things that will be in favor of the Texans.
Top ten defense, top ten scoring, top ten efficiency. Their
(02:17:32):
kicker is elite, like Kyami favorite, and just one AFC
Player of the Week for like the specials player of
the week for like what the fourth time this year,
Like he's been a stud in all those traits. But
every team has a heel. The Texans is the red
zone defense. And all it takes is one touchdown and
you give up one field goal and that ends up
getting you a win. So I'm sorry, Like I mean,
(02:17:53):
I do think that the Texans are going to be
playing in the AFC Championship Game. I have said that
multiple times. I will continue to die in that take.
I don't think they were winning the Super Bowl this year,
and I'm okay with that. Well, I'm okay, I'm very
okay with being wrong.
Speaker 3 (02:18:05):
But that's success all in its own right too, because
you've never even been to the first game that you
even mentioned, and much less the second one, because you've
got to get to that first one where you can
get to the second one. So if that happens, especially
to the fact that you would have had to go
on the road presumably all three weeks, that's something that
you come out of and it's actual, real tangible belief
(02:18:27):
that all right, this thing is being built in the
right direction.
Speaker 2 (02:18:30):
But at the same time, to me, what it comes
down to is do you have enough trust that your
defense is going to be able to bail you out
of trouble when your offense saults because of we've started
to see the damn just break a little bit, not
a lot, not to where you're like panicking and saying that, okay,
Texans are giving up forty points and that they're gonna
lose this game because of bad coverage downfield. And he
pulled starters last week and that helped Fick factor into
(02:18:53):
Alec Pierce getting into the end zone and Kamari Laster
wasn't out there, and you know the value of him
and these He's Alshi year missed game against last Vegas,
that was a big time deal. But you're at a
level of where you're basically saying, how much can more
can my defense give? And credit everyone in that locker
room was saying, we know there's more to us, we
know that there's still something left in the tank, but
you want to be able to take an exhale and
(02:19:14):
say that we're allowed of them all again. Like defensively, Hey,
Kamario last year miss an assignment. Okay, well they'll do
a fifteen yard touchdown. It's not a death sentence where
it feels like at times if you are inside the
red zone, you're gonna get points, but you're getting them
off the foot of Kayami fairbar not getting them off
a touchdow pass from CJ.
Speaker 8 (02:19:31):
Shroud.
Speaker 3 (02:19:31):
You'd like to see more Kayimi Fairbairn's foot being put
to use into one point footballs as opposed to threes.
Speaker 2 (02:19:37):
I would rather Kayami fairbair be sitting down and not
even having to worry about a kick for most of
the afternoon because of the offense is doing so well
getting into the end zone. That's why you still need
extra points. You still need kickoffs. Yeah, but do you
are you practicing a Are you practicing a pat or
a kickoff?
Speaker 3 (02:19:51):
No, you're practicing field goal. Well, maybe the Steelers should
because it almost cost them their season.
Speaker 2 (02:19:54):
Well, okay, but you also have a thirty five year
old Chris Boswell versus a thirty one year old elite
dude who's been I'm doing it at a high end
level all season like Bozo's gonna get cut no matter
at the end of the season because they missed.
Speaker 8 (02:20:05):
That PA team.
Speaker 3 (02:20:05):
Someone three two and two five seven ninety Adrian wants
to wig in Good Morning.
Speaker 10 (02:20:09):
Adrian, Morning Fellas, Morning, Morning Morning. All I hear is
Drake May Drake, May Drake, May Drake, May Drake May
New England, Jacksonville, blah blah blah.
Speaker 6 (02:20:23):
Oh.
Speaker 10 (02:20:25):
I challenge anybody to go look at their schedules, namely
one AFC team that has tried more than this one.
They open the season versus the Rams. They've seen Tampa Bay,
They've seen Seattle, they saw Kansas City in a must
(02:20:46):
win game and looked at Patrick Mahomes and told him bye.
Speaker 8 (02:20:50):
Bye.
Speaker 10 (02:20:52):
So uh you can keep with all this. Oh Drake may, Oh,
Drake may Drake. You ain't seen it defense like this one,
Bubba hang on agent unless you watch on TV, Adrient.
Speaker 2 (02:21:03):
I got to ask you that curiosity. Have I ever
said that? I Have I ever been all.
Speaker 10 (02:21:08):
Drake made, Drake made, Dric May No, no, no, But
that's all I hear. No matter what I turn on
New England, this New England, that New England, this New
England that.
Speaker 2 (02:21:21):
But when you turn on dy, when you turn on us, though, Adrian,
what you're saying is, hey, New England sucks. They're overrated,
they had a fourth place schedule. Their quarterback is a bum. Yeah,
it's great that he's gonna be in the MVP conversation.
Let's see you get tested against a legit defense every
day from six to ten am.
Speaker 8 (02:21:35):
Eight.
Speaker 10 (02:21:37):
Exactly. And I'm disappointed in last week because we could
have held that title. But I'm not. I'm not gonna
cry about the title. I'm not gonna cry about it.
But I tell you what, I don't care who is quarterbacking.
I want to look over and see Hunter because now
(02:21:59):
he knows he was duped in the Pro Bowl and
he's playing angry. That ain't good for somebody on the
other side of the ball. As far as of offense,
we've seen bright.
Speaker 8 (02:22:12):
Spots of CJ.
Speaker 10 (02:22:13):
Here, see they there, over thrown passes here, overthrown passes there.
But let's go through the prey off quarterbacks in the AFC.
There's only two of them with that much experience. Josh
Allen's the first one. I'll give you a guest on
the second one.
Speaker 3 (02:22:31):
Period all I appreciate Adrian. I don't think Daniel Hunter
cares about that. To Stafford, sure, he told me that.
How do you think I guess in the second one? Okay,
I mean you took a guess, and I'm sure you're
probably right.
Speaker 2 (02:22:43):
I'm probably not now I know he means c J.
Speaker 8 (02:22:44):
Stroud.
Speaker 2 (02:22:45):
Okay, well there you go.
Speaker 3 (02:22:47):
But I mean just in terms of, you know, just
everything with you know, Hunter, I mean, he's putting together
a hell of a season. I think that probably most
people around the league are recognizing it. But I mean
in terms of, you know, being snubbed out of having
a chance to go play, you know, pick up basketball
(02:23:07):
or whatever the hell they're gonna do at the Pro
Bowl games. I don't think that that's something that you know,
Oh man, I gotta get after the quarterback here. These sobs,
you know, kept me out of playing in that I
don't think there's anything like that. No, but there shouldn't
be anything like that.
Speaker 2 (02:23:19):
It's my opinion. It's more so just based off of
the fact that you didn't You didn't get the accolade
like everyone like he's he would off to out. In
my opinion, I don't think that he would be spending
a February I mean February afternoon playing dodgeball Like I
don't think that that would be the case. But it's
still the accolade. It's the it's the notion of I'm
a top five pass rusher in the NFL. I'm kicking
(02:23:39):
acid in year two. I'm living up to my contract negotiations.
I'm able to go ahead and put the take pressure
off of my counterpartner Will Anderson. We're the only duo
in the NFL that ranks inside the top five in
sacks and pressures.
Speaker 3 (02:23:52):
And my one guy gets it and here I am,
and it's just like, oh, I exist, all right, So
you can't have CJ. Who would be the best Texans
dodgeball player? Quarterbacks are too easy.
Speaker 2 (02:24:05):
Kamara lost her not a bad one. I was gonna
go Jaalen Petrie. It was it was a DV. It
was always a dB. I didn't sting.
Speaker 3 (02:24:12):
No.
Speaker 2 (02:24:12):
I don't know why. I just don't trust him with it.
I think that he'd have too many pass breakups. Uh
you know what it would be. Kamari would hold the
ball and he would just swat at balls come in
his face like he would never throw it. He would
like toss it on over to Kaylin block and then
he would molly woff him. But he would just be
like boom blocker blocker because he's like, has eighteen pass
deflexes this year. You don't do the dummy ball, you
know the one you throw up in the air and
(02:24:32):
everybody's like, oh and then you I couldn't do it
that well because in my arm wasn't fast enough to
be able to deliver. And everyone knew that if I
was doing the dummy ball, was throwing it right at
your head.
Speaker 3 (02:24:43):
I remember the when we played dodgeball in high school.
There was this one swimmer who thought that he could
punk freshman and I could throw pretty.
Speaker 2 (02:24:50):
Hard as a fresh was he was he a swimmer.
Was he a water polo player? No, he was a swimmer.
We'd swim team.
Speaker 3 (02:24:55):
He was a junior, so he thought, you know, hey,
I can punk freshman and he would kind of be
a varsity d. So then one time I had him
on my cross hairs and I was like, Okay, you're
gonna get one Ada varsity darling.
Speaker 2 (02:25:06):
Good for him. I'm excited at what do you do
for his career?
Speaker 3 (02:25:09):
What do you do afterwards? It's it's another word. It's
another word that will leave up to the imagination.
Speaker 13 (02:25:13):
Got it?
Speaker 2 (02:25:14):
Yeah, there you go, There you go exactly. You nailed
it right on the head. All right.
Speaker 3 (02:25:18):
I do want to get back into the Astros here
really quick, because I do think that the Astros new
signing is going to be great for reasons not on
the field. We'll have that for you right here as
we continue on the morning drive. It's Dan, It's Cole
Sports Talk seven ninety. But real quick here, let's talk
about it being the new year. And you said it
(02:25:38):
as soon as the clock hit midnight, New Year, New
Meat twenty six is my year. If that's the case,
are your finances in order? Because I would think that
that probably goes into being your year. Because if you
have a slight idea, okay, maybe you could use a
little bit more knowledge. If you have no idea, then
you definitely could use the people over at Trajan Wealth
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(02:26:45):
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And don't forget when you do speak with them, tell them.
Dan Matthews from The Morning Drive sent you over.
Speaker 1 (02:26:59):
Real Take, Real Reaction, Real Houston Sports Talk seven ninety
guarantee human.
Speaker 3 (02:27:07):
We've got some breaking news too, the NFL. You want
to share with the class four years.
Speaker 2 (02:27:12):
In the class?
Speaker 11 (02:27:14):
No?
Speaker 2 (02:27:14):
No, no, no, no no, we're gonna start there. Yeah,
the class. Yeah No, it's the audience. They're not a
Are we sitting down insteade of a room giving a lecture?
Speaker 15 (02:27:24):
People?
Speaker 3 (02:27:25):
Look, you're looking at it the wrong way. We're not
giving a lecture. We're not doing anything. We're not doing
the serious parts of school. What I would say we
are every every six to ten, every weekday morning is
we're showing tell.
Speaker 2 (02:27:35):
That's what it is. So I have to go ahead
and bring in my Malibu Dart Barbie Doll and then
to show off all the accessories with it. Now, I
always brought in neither my g I Joe or my
teenage mutant Ninja Turtle. But I digress. Go ahead, Why
is this really that?
Speaker 12 (02:27:47):
Man?
Speaker 2 (02:27:47):
Because I mean, I had cool toys and I wanted
to show them off. I never even show and tell
is I never even did show untell when I was
in high school, but great school. Whatever the hell it
was mikeaw Dale's AVAE job. I told you everything you
need to know. Mike Danigel fired after three and a
half four years with the Miami Dolphins. They are going
in a different direction. I will say this. If they're
firing Mike McDaniel, they know who their next head coach is.
(02:28:08):
And according to reports, John Harbaugh has not been contacted
or been associated with the job, which basically tells me
John Harbaugh is giving the next head coach of the
Miami Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (02:28:18):
It seems like they would be a pretty logical conclusion.
I mean, I forget who had the report yesterday that
they had kicked the tires on them, and then people
are like, well, wait a minute, didn't you you know,
are aren't you keeping Mike McDaniel around?
Speaker 2 (02:28:30):
But guess that's not the case. Mike McDaniel gone so great. Listen,
it's a massive upgrade if you were able to go
ahead and lanjar.
Speaker 3 (02:28:37):
Real quick here before we get to the Astros thing.
I mean, remember that temptation I talked about yesterday. You've
had connections with Tamiko and Mike McDaniel back from San Francisco.
Would that be somebody that you look at and say, hmm,
come lead our offense.
Speaker 2 (02:28:55):
You are a twelve and five teen that is supposed
to be the Pittsburgh Steelers and go past the division
around in the AFC Championship game. I don't think that
you're firing your head. You're off its coordinator. If you
go to the AFC Championship game. Just wonder if the
temptation is going to be there. That's all. That's all
I ask. I'm all as Here's what I will say.
This is the first time to where I can actually
see a scenario where Nick Kayley's av a job when
(02:29:17):
Mike mcdale comes in. I don't think that like the
Chip Kelly experiment or like you know, there's some other
names out there, Brian da will be in one. That
was one that I would never be Okay, we're gonna
go ahead and make that happen.
Speaker 6 (02:29:26):
No, just no.
Speaker 2 (02:29:28):
But at least with McDaniel and the ties and the
fact that there were people who were clamoring that CJ
would be a good fit in the offense and that
you wanted to derive some of the personnel concepts from
McDaniel's play style. I can at least entertain the idea that, yes,
it's a possibility, no one else I could have done it.
For this one, I will at least give you credit
and say there's smoke enough to believe that the fire
(02:29:50):
is not that far behind.
Speaker 3 (02:29:51):
Well, I'll tell you, Well, let's keep the conversation on
this going and let's save the astros for the next segment,
because Ray wants to get in on it, so let's
give him that chance.
Speaker 2 (02:29:58):
Ray, Good morning, Good morning.
Speaker 18 (02:30:02):
I knew this guy was gonna get fired, But one
thing about it, I think he ended up getting fired
because of other coaches losing their jobs. And you know,
I think the Dolphins already looking at somebody else that
possibly got fired already. And that'sn're gonna make it a
tough game for the Texans because Tomlin may get fired
if they lose this game, because you know, owners are
(02:30:24):
looking around at people getting fired.
Speaker 5 (02:30:26):
He may lose his jobs. So the team is.
Speaker 18 (02:30:28):
Gonna be fighting to win this game to keep their
jobs going. And you know, I'm not happy mcdanie's got fired.
You know, we had him and his brother and our staff.
You know, he's the weird guy. But I don't think
he's going to be a head coach. I think he's
going to drop back down and be.
Speaker 5 (02:30:43):
Offensive coordinator somewhere.
Speaker 2 (02:30:45):
And it's really not his fault that.
Speaker 5 (02:30:47):
Two of us start messing up real bad.
Speaker 18 (02:30:50):
Tarik Hill got hurt is really not his fault. You know,
they lost good defensive players. You know, I wish we
can get a chain to come home and come to you.
That'd be great, but it's not gonna happen. I'm just
I hate the guy lost his job, and I'm not
going to listen to you guys speak about it.
Speaker 10 (02:31:07):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (02:31:08):
I appreciate the call, Ray.
Speaker 3 (02:31:10):
I mean, if they didn't have the finish that they had,
we wouldn't even be having this conversation because just like
the general manager being out, Mike McDaniel would have been out.
But I mean that's exactly what it is, is that
John Harbaugh is out there and possibly Mike Tomlin could
be out there. So I mean, those coaches right there,
(02:31:30):
You've got a owner and Steven Ross who badly wants
to win. So he says, well, these guys are much
better than the goofball that I've got leading my team
right now.
Speaker 2 (02:31:39):
So yeah, absolutely, you need a change in the building.
You need a new direction when it comes to the
identity of your roster, and especially when it comes to
who you believe should be in the leadership position. I
thought he was on borrow time. From the second that
Chris Career got fired. Multiple people said he was gonna
be the first head coach fired this offseason. It didn't
happen that way. The thing is is that, again, if
(02:32:02):
you're making this move this late into the process, you
know who you're landing, and so is it just a
dunge show.
Speaker 3 (02:32:08):
It's such a reactionary move, like it's just well, fireing McDaniel.
It's then why not do it on Monday if you
wanted to be on if you want to.
Speaker 2 (02:32:18):
Now know that there is somebody who is interested in
the job that you're gonna go land, But don't be
a Tuesday or Wednesday team that fires a coach. That
either shows that you're reactionary or you don't know what
you're doing, and both of them are a bad line.
It doesn't show that at all. It shows to me
that you know what you're doing, that why you're making
that move. Okay, perfect example. Remember when Tom Herman got
fired by the Texas Longhorns, it took less than an
hour for them to name Steve Sarkisian their head coach.
(02:32:40):
So there was already a conversation going on behind closed
doors with Chrystal Conti and company saying, if we make
this move, you are coming into Austin. He signed on
the dotted line. They went next door, Hey, Tom, you
got a minute clean out the office. We're gonna announce
our next guy before you even have a chance to
leave Austin. Like it was such a quiet coaching search.
They knew that they had their next guy in the waiting.
(02:33:02):
So if you're making a move like this on a Thursday,
what you're saying is you have gone out, you have
made conversations, you have made it know that there is
a candidate that wants to be in Miami and you
want him in Miami, because if you're right, just do
it on Monday if you're gonna fire the guy. But
they had to have a good understanding that there is
somebody who is signing on up and they're saying, Hey,
I'm gonna be the Dolphins head coach, and I think
(02:33:23):
it will be John Harbaugh, and if it's not John Harbaugh,
it's gonna be Mike Tomlin because I do think that
I still believe that Mike Tomlin loses on Monday. If
it is a close game, we can have a discussion.
If it's a blowout ten points or more. I think
they go in a different direction after eighteen.
Speaker 3 (02:33:37):
Years someone three two, one two five, seven ninety where
we're going to get to the tatsu tatsu Ta Tatsuya
in my conversation. But we'll do that next because he's
already becoming a fan favorite, and I think he's going
to be even more of one for reasons off the field.
We'll have that for you or your money back coming
up right here on the Morning Drive with Danny Coles
(02:33:59):
Sports Talk seven to ninety.
Speaker 2 (02:34:01):
But let's talk your fashion sense.
Speaker 3 (02:34:04):
I mean, how are you feeling about the way that
you look like, say, heading out to the golf course,
even heading to work this morning. You know it's one
of those off still got the same run of the millpolos,
you know all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:34:15):
Let's fix that for you.
Speaker 3 (02:34:16):
Okay, Let's send you over to Kobe Stevens dot com,
Kobe Stevens Apparel and also too excited to announce the
opening of the new brick and mortar store sixty four
oh two Louetta Road up there in spring. So if
you shout it out, new Year, New Me on January first,
(02:34:36):
right when it hit midnight, well then show it with
your fashion at the office at the golf course even too,
if you're wanting to get out there on the water
this year and reel in some good fish. The great
fishing gear they've got there at Kobe Stephens dot com
and also in store right there at sixty four oh
two Luetta Road against Kobe Stephens dot Com, Koby Stephens
(02:34:58):
dot com, Coby Stevens with a VS at the end.
It's Kobe Stevens dot Com, Kobe Stevens Apparel.
Speaker 4 (02:35:07):
They are on Morning Drive. Here's Dan, Matthews and Cole Thompson.
I dip my cheese steak in Audrey from a friendship.
That to me is about combination. So I can't sit
here and argue to do that much because of I also.
Speaker 2 (02:35:22):
Like to do the depth. It's there so when I
use it.
Speaker 3 (02:35:25):
So anyway, all right, So yeah, you got Matt and
Ross coming up next, Adam and Adam after them. Here
and then tomorrow night you're gonna get the Rockets as
they lose last night one O three, one O two
to the Blazers Texans on the practice field. And you're
also gonna get the college football playoffs tonight Miami ole
miss for the right to face either Oregon or Indiana
(02:35:45):
in the next round. All right, So, Astros fans, I
think it's pretty easy to say soured on fromber Valdez
pretty easily just because of some of his antics. Where
Fromber would become not good Fromber, something happened, it was
a number up the three baseline. Then you know, he
spends out of control. He crosses up his catcher, maybe
(02:36:05):
unintentionally according to some, but he does that a lot
of the antics.
Speaker 2 (02:36:10):
People drew tired of it.
Speaker 3 (02:36:11):
Well, listen to Scott Boris talk about Tatsuya am I
and why it is pretty easy to find out that
he is going to be the anti Fromber.
Speaker 17 (02:36:21):
My first meeting and watching Tetsuitch was he had an
air by the shortstop and then another air by the
second baseman, and he then struck out the next three
batters and probably saw the most emotion I had seen
from him as a player, and I asked him after
(02:36:42):
the game.
Speaker 8 (02:36:42):
I said, what what motivates you? What compels you?
Speaker 17 (02:36:46):
And he says, there's nothing better than picking up your
teammates and making sure that you can help them through
the process and the rewards.
Speaker 8 (02:36:55):
You get from that.
Speaker 17 (02:36:56):
And I knew immediately he was built for Major League
Baseball after that.
Speaker 3 (02:37:00):
That right there has me the most excited about him.
Is again, he's the anti Fromber. Somebody makes an error,
the defensive alignment behind you costs you a run, any
of those things. He says, all right, that's what makes
you the most excited. Yes, that right there, to me, the.
Speaker 2 (02:37:17):
Fact that he told everybody in Japan, I don't want
to join the Dark Empire that is known for having
Japanese pictures. I want to beat the Dark Empire for
having Japanese pictures too. That to me is the one
that makes me excited and.
Speaker 3 (02:37:29):
Is the anti Ted Cruz because both games he's been
two here in Houston, he's won. This guy, this guy
is making a hell of a first impression.
Speaker 2 (02:37:36):
I give him a lot of credit for going to
a game that had Riley Leondard as a starting quarterback
and sitting through it for four quarters. And that guy
wearing wearing a Boris Corp jumpsuit. That guy is durable.
Because if he was willing to sit in silence and
then be welcomed by a cascade of eruption roar for
sitting and watching Riley Lennon versus Davis, and then the
following night he got to see Kevin Durant sink the
(02:37:58):
game winner. Yeah, but that was at least a good
game against a former team that's at least somewhat better.
Speaker 8 (02:38:04):
This was.
Speaker 2 (02:38:05):
You were going up against Riley Leonard. I'm sorry, I'm
not gonna go. You got to try lamb chops and
then you know, he ate some ramen the other night.
Tatsu is loving Houston man, and Houston's loving him back.
I mean, he probably had Robin before, though, I would say,
oh probably, so I think that I think that that's
one that we can all agree on.
Speaker 3 (02:38:21):
He's probably happening, But you know, I mean, it's it's
just the fact that right there, I mean, you hear
about it where has a tough inning and you feel like,
you know, it could kind of boil up like you
know it did with a guy that you decided not
to bring back. But again, the Astros and the fan
base had tired of Fromber's antics with that, and now
this sounds like a guy that's going to be the
complete opposite of that, and that fires me off. Four
(02:38:43):
pitch Arsenal ninety five mile fastball. He has a great
vulcan curve change and if you watch his release point,
it's sick like I have found myself the last couple
of nights going through YouTube videos and just seeing how
his release is because of it's going to trip up
batters all the time.
Speaker 2 (02:38:58):
It's it's such a good signing. It it excites me
that baseball season is right around the corner, knowing he
is going to be your number two.
Speaker 3 (02:39:06):
I saw that meme yesterday. This is the final month
without baseball. Let's go all right. He's Coled Thompson, Triple,
Emmanuel Elmore, Dan Matthews. The Matt Thomas Show with Ross
is coming up next. We're gonna have a full load
of great guests coming your way tomorrow as we get
you ready for the football weekend as a whole, react
(02:39:27):
to tonight's game and then also to continue to get
you ready for Monday Night between the Texans and the Steelers.
With that, we will talk to you in twenty hours,
right here on your home of the Astros and the Rockets.
Speaker 2 (02:39:40):
Sports Talks seven to ninety
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