October 13, 2025 • 16 mins
Jim Szoke joins the show to talk about the win over the Cowboys, he talks about another big day from Rico Dowdle, what to make of Bryce's latest game-winning drive, why Ejiro Evero is reluctant to let Jaycee Horn travel with the opponent's best WR, & more
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:12):
Oh man, what a day it is to be alive
and be a Carolina Panther fan. Two game winning streak,
three and zero at home and at five hundred six
weeks into the season for the first time since twenty
twenty one, and an opportunity. I'm not gonna mac curse it,
I'm not gonna jinx it, but an opportunity against the
(00:33):
oh and six Jets to maybe be over five hundred.
Jim Zoki does not want me to go there in time.
I would rather.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
I'd rather Rico dub will do it the way he
jumped on the Dallas game like minutes after the game
against Miami. Like, if Rico says it, then I think
he could speak it into existence.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Buckle up, Jets, Do you think he could say something
since the opponents of the Jets this week? He could
say something like they should have their seat belt buckled
and their seats upright and straight position, and to make
can we go.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
With because they are Jets? Yeah, because they are Jets.
In fact, no, I think we should. Yeah, I agree,
now I'm agreeing. I think it's a great idea. Oh
manzke what I mean? What did you think of the
run game performance? Yesterday.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
To do it one time was great to see them
do it back to back like that and impose their will. Man,
that's that's that's something cool about that.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
And I get I get that Dallas is the last
ranked defense, but you know they were last in past
I think twenty third in rushing, so it wasn't even
the worst part of their defense was the rushing part.
So yeah, to do it again, and to do it
with the different right side of your offensive line again,
having Yosh Niman and Brady Christiensen doing a great job
over there. Only one sackle out in this game by
the offensive line, So it's always the cumulative of you know,
(01:42):
even they talk about the receivers like Xavier and the
guys blocking down field to get the bigger runs. I mean,
it's just been really a great thing to see it
all kind of come together because we're sitting here, what
two weeks ago after New England, thinking are we ever
going to win a game again? And now it's like,
you know, who could stop this team. Nobody could stop
this team. We're just running through teams right now, and
so it's fun to see they're playing kind of the
(02:04):
brand of ball that they talked about wanting to play
and I know we're jumping ahead again, but when Chuba
comes back. I mean we talked about, you know what,
an embarrassment of riches at running back and things you
could do with like a pony formation with tw different
running backs back there and things like that. I mean,
this could be really something. You're maybe a week away
from that, maybe a week away from Jalen Cocher, JT
Sanders and I get with running back how you want
to have a guy, you know, get into a rhythm
(02:26):
and play out there quite a bit. But we've had
had before Ked DiAngelo and Jonathan Stewart and Stephen Davis
and Sean Foster, So we'll figure out a way. I
think it's a good problem to have.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
How much credit should also go to the offensive line
coaches that's not normally a spot we would say a
lot of credit, but they did a good job last
year with the center spot and all the changing. It
feels like the offensive line coaches need a lot of
credit too, for all these moving parts and getting better
and better as season goes all.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
No doubt, And you know that battle for the center
position went down to the final week and Cad Mays
was it was kind of like either or I mean,
somebody had to be the starter. So it's like having
Kid Mays in there, I think very comparable to have
and have Austin Korbittt playing and of course Kate played
last year when they were playing good ball down the stretch.
So offensive lineman is doing a great job and that
makes everything, makes everything better. And again we've not played
(03:11):
the best defenses the past couple of weeks, so we'll
see how this travels in the weeks to come moving
forward here. But you know what, we're one of the
teams that usually is at the bottom of the standing,
so teams look forward to playing us. And you know,
they were geared up to try to stop ric O'Donnell
and their game plan and they were unable to do that.
Knowing what he had said. They had a whole week
to get ready and still couldn't stop it.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
The amount of he called his shot and then delivered, Yeah,
the amount of times that I looked at it and
it was like, Okay, that's an eight man box, that's
a nine man box, and he still got six seven
eight yards. I just had six seven I didn't try that, kids,
but you know, you know like he was successful run
if success were run, even if they had the box
loaded up. And that's to your point.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
But you know there's one thing about you know, you know,
finding an opening, which there were out there obviously at times,
but breaking through tackles. I mean I see a lot
of things like it, and Chuba does the same thing,
you know, going through tackles and not being arm tackled
and getting more out of the play than just first contact.
I think it's fantastic. Even Trevor each the end, coming
in late and having the presence of mind. I'm sure
he was told but to the ground before the play. Yeah,
(04:12):
first big and you're a rookie and you forget for
a minute. We've seen that happen with players before. And
for him to have that presence of mind to set
up that last field goal the way they did, so
it was just you know, smart, well played football. I
mean the only turnover was your your favorite receiver who
catches two touchdowns has one ball through his hands. But
other than that, everything was was pretty much like on
(04:32):
point as far as playing clean football throughout the game.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
I thought, we.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
We give a lot of love to Derek Brown, rightfully so,
but how much love should also go to A'shawn Robinson
because last year Derek Brown got taken from us, and
so did that duo that we expected a lot from.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
How much.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Of a difference makers A Shawn Robinson for this defense
as much as Derek Brown.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
And people you know, not many realized.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Last year Asho led the league in interior defensive line
tackles with eighty and so he was good. Granted Derek
Brown wasn't there, somebody had, but he still led the
league in that department there. So, yeah, he's a terrific
player who's played great football throughout his career and has
played with the very best of that position next to
him in the past before. So going there and Donald So,
I think with him, it's just like he's just such
(05:19):
a good pro. And I was thinking, you know, you
look at the stats like it was like you look
at the box score defensively, go oh, Pat Jones had
a great game or dj Wanam. But their presence the
last two weeks, having them back out there in that rotation,
it just gives you solid defensive players that have impact
on plays, whereas before we had guys obviously we released
one of them that just weren't ready for that position,
(05:41):
especially starting at that point. So when you've got a
competent eleven out there, that makes a huge difference. So
it really does just take one breach out there to
make a whole day bad in some cases, like we
saw at in New England. So it's very important that
those guys are healthy. Avin Shaw, Smith Wade back again,
so who knows, Turk Wharton's got to be fairly close, I
would think to return into the defense too, So just
getting health on both sides of the ball, and having
(06:02):
some players because I always said, you know that our
team is not loaded with stars. We have some really
good players, and we do have some Pro Bowl players obviously,
but we're not as deep as some of the best
teams in the league as far as having Pro Bowl
caliber guys. So that's where we get into troubles, like
when we lose multiple guys at the same position, things
like that.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
So having that health.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
And personnel back out there to give jerro Barrow stuff
to work.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
With, I think makes a big differences.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
What's crazy too about the offense showing life and getting
better is no Coker, no Sanders, no chewbat started to
throw some of those all of a sudden.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
There's there's room to grow and get even Tony Tremble
at a great day.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
So I mean, you know, just.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Did block it and pass catch? Yeah he did. It's
always a good day.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I feel like when he tries to leap over somebody,
I feel like the best of time.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
No, no, And then he does it and it didn't
go well. But you know, credit when they're rolling, he
tries to leap over somebody.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Oh he was feeling it.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
I guy who had back surgery a couple of months ago.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I guess he.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Forgot.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I mean that is basically, though, that that hurdle of
tes basically a license to hit someone with a bruce
leaflying kick. Like he just he kicked him right around
the damn neck. Yeah, I mean so that's uh, that
must be nice to be able to do. Jim Zoki
View from the booth here on Monday, as we do
every Monday. This is a victorious view for the boot.
Wake up in your neck. That can't feel good, that
(07:18):
can't feel good?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
What happened yesterday? Oh I remember?
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Now Zo Panther run defense to your point tenth in
the league right now in run defense after that hideous
performance last season. They are third in the league in rushing.
Right now, let's go back in. This is something people
really want to talk about. So let's get let's get
you on this. When Chuba comes back, people are very
consumed with, Hey, don't you dare let Cuba. You know,
(07:42):
some people seem to think Cuba should carry the water
for Rico over there. Other people want Cuba to be traded.
How do you think this should be handled moving forward?
Like Rico when Chuba comes back, Rico's got to be
the guy that's getting the bulk to start, right I think.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
So, I think you never mess with like whatever, whatever, sport, baseball, whatever,
You don't mess with a winning streak.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
And when things are going well, and.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
I think Tuba is such a team player, they're both
going to get their carries. It doesn't matter who goes
out for first down on the first series. So to me,
I would do that because of just Rico's earned that.
I mean, he's just having historic.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Numbers right now. Why would you mess with that? And
he's doing it.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
It's not like it takes him like his fifth carry
to get going, Like he comes out of the gate
just running the first couple of rushes of the game,
so I would not mess with that.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
And then obviously, if Tuba is ready this.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Week, which I'm guessing he was really close last week
that it very well could be, then get Cuba out
there and get his carries too, and then just let
it roll. I said, We've had great tandems through the
years I mentioned, and so it's like nothing wrong with
having that. We're not that good that we can just
start benching or trading players. And I would think of
the two. You know Tuba, not many teams are up
for getting a longer term contract with a running back
(08:52):
in a second year contract. So I know Rico's in
a contract year, so somebody be renting him if you
moved him. But you can't move Rico. You can't mess
with the success you're having right now. Let's just can
we just enjoy it. I remember when Christian McCaffrey was here,
there were so many fans and media people are like,
we got to trade McCaffrey. He's always hurt, and then
he goes on to be MVP. Now he still gets
hurt at times. I'm the MVP caliber player, but I mean,
(09:13):
just to me, it's just like enjoy having great players,
always worrying about I mean, what do you get? What
draft pick are we going to get? You know what
we're gonna get for a running back. You're not going
to get a first round pick in return.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
I'm with you. Let's have the players and enjoy the
players we got. I'm excited Bone to see what happens
with the pairing. You know, Rico cramped up in the
second half of the second straight game uh yesterday and
ETN two. His credit made a couple of nice plays,
but like I'm looking forward to, Like Rico said after
the game, says, we get Cuba back, I ain't gonna
cramp up, you know, Like, let's just give him a
(09:45):
heavy dose of two stud backs. But I do firmly
believe when Cuba comes Backbone Rico should be the guy
getting sixty five percent of them, you know what I mean. Like, however,
you divvy it up, that's your lead back. Now, Cuba
could wrestle that away, but you know, to start like, yeah,
but I'm looking forward to.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
It's not why Rico did a nice job filling in.
He did in a stork job filling in.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
It's all.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
He had one good game and it's like Yeah, we
got a really nice guy that can compliment. No, he's
so hot right now, you just can't. You can't sit
him down. He has to get the bulk of the
carries and then it's a great You know what, this
is not a bad problem to have.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
We have two good football players running football.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yeah, it's almost like we don't know what to do
when we have two good players at the same position.
It's like this selection.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
What do other teams do when there to them?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Like, we don't have to forfeit one of them, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (10:29):
What you want?
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Of course, the text line now is full fledged wanting
to trade Cuba, which makes zero sense because Cuba is
the guy that is signed. The way Rico is running,
He's on a very very very small deal right now.
You don't think teams are going to offer him big
time running back money based off what they've seen. Why
would you trade Cuba in even risk and he's going
to hit free agency. Rico's not get all of a
(10:51):
sudden sign here right now. Why would you even risk
losing both those guys?
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Cuba's contract, I don't know if that's an easy one
to trade either.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
No, that's what I'm saying this league, and we're proof
of that. You got Rico Dowdell for one year? Was
that two million whatever something? Two and a half what every.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Point seventy five base and the incentives.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Up to six So you yeah, you just showed you
could get at this moment the best running back in
the league on a two point seventy five million dollar deal.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
That's the proof of.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Why you don't you know, trade for a big contract
and you know, like us getting the Miles Sanders deal
before this, and you just never know.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Again, there's a.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Position that the part of the issue is it's so important,
but the health you can't You also cannot run Rico
thirty times and thirty four touches every game.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
No, that's not gonna last over seven. You're right, you're right.
That's a great point too. And at some point Rico
could get hurt. I know, he looks like a machine
that's indestructible. But if he gets hurt and you go
to E ten, you all have tuba like, right, So
if there's like a two week thing, like we just said.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
You want to depend on the future, Jonathan Brooks that
that's like it's it's just you don't trade tuber right now,
you do not do that right now.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
And again, I don't know how many teams are lining
up to say, hey, this guy was hurt the end
of year last year, he's been hurt this year. He's
making how many million? I don't know.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
If you know what's your rock, what's your return, I
would have messed with it.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
So I'm with you on that. Another thing that fans
are talking about on the text line, and this is
something that I talked about last year, and I just
I don't know why a Vero does this this way.
And I am certainly far from an Avero basher, like
a lot of y'all are. I think he's a really
good defensive football coach, and I think you're seeing it
this year. They don't have a lot of natural pass rush,
but they're still playing pretty dang good defense. With that said, though,
(12:25):
Mike Jackson has been getting obliterated the last three weeks,
I mean just obliterated, whether it was Dig's waddle or
now Pickens. Going into the last drive yesterday, JC Horn
said give me Pickens and they were forced to just
throw three passes out into the flat and we ate
them up and got off the field. Do you know
why have you this ever come up with? Like Luke
(12:46):
Keikley in the booth, like why is a vero? Some
coaches do it, some coaches don't. Why is a vero
kind of anti horn traveling? Is it something to do
with the amount of zone we play because we're not
a big man team, Like what do you think we
do do.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
A lot of that.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
You're right about the zone, but I think, you know, situationally,
like what for JC to ask for has kind of
reminded me of Rico asking for the specific zone run
that he wanted last week with the big to carry
that for fifty yards is like you love when your
prominent players step up and ask for that responsibility and
you like you said they had to go away from
Pickens in that last drive and he had one hundred
and sixty eight yards in the game. So every team
(13:20):
is not going to have, you know there you know
the eleven great players at all positions, and you know
Mike Jack has been solid here, but there's a reason
Seattle part of ways with him obviously, so he's not perfect.
So you do the best you can situationally, you know
that's going to be throwing situation at that point, So
you do your best to put your best players in
the best position there. But during the course of the game,
I mean, Mike Jack just has to step up and
(13:41):
play better ball. He's had times obviously, like last year
he had a lot of PBUs for this team, so
certainly he's capable. He's been facing some good receivers here.
But you know, maybe it's something where you just have
to think situationally, like do we shade a safety over
a little bit more depending on the situation during the
course of a game to help out Mike Jack in
certain situations. So, I mean he's solid, but obviously not
(14:02):
the caliber of JC. And I just think you've got
you practice a certain way with an expectation that your
players are going to come through for you.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
So it's a little bit.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Yes, you have to make changes on the fly and
be flexible during the course of the game, but you've
also it's like you can't reinvent your defense on the
fly in the third quarter of a game completely, you
have to work within your systems. And the other thing
it works with that too is you know, more pass
rush it creates more difficulty for the quarterbacks too, So
it all works hand in glove. Anyway, you can make
the throws more errant and difficult for a guy like
Dak Prescott by getting pressure on him and affecting the pocket.
(14:32):
So coverage also implies getting some pass rush and disruption
up front.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Night the lack of pass rush doesn't help, There's no
doubt about it. Although I thought, I remember two key
third downs bone in the red zone where we forced
field goal attempts because before we had the three and
out series on defense get the ball back for the
game winning drive, we had knew a field goal and
I thought that was huge too, you know, didn't let
him score and it was Scorrting and Pat Jones. Pat
Jones are really underrated player the way he's playing for
(14:57):
this team. But it was Pat Jones's score and that
forced the incompletion. And I go back to the first
half of the game, it was the same two guys
that pressured Dak. You remember when I think it was
Scorting that got in there. Dak flushed out to the left,
Pat Jones chased him and that's where Nick Scott, right
after getting hurtled, came back and made the pass breakup
(15:17):
in the end zone.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
So again this so they're making some time.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Like Scott your best defender, but that pass rush and
that pressure affected the play where Scott was able to
make a better play too. So it kind of again,
no sacks in this game, so it has certainly something
to look at as far as we had three last
week and we don't have a bunch on the season here.
If that comes, if that part of the defense comes together,
then you're really honest.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
And they're doing a great job against the run.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
They're not perfect in all areas, but I think part
of it is trying to keep everything in front of
you and not allow the Jalen Waddle kind of play
by playing where you're not being as risky upfront trying
to get pressure on the quarterback.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
I just complimented Nick Scott on the pass breakup in
the end zone. Bone Chris and Huntersville says Nick Scott
was a pile of hot poot. All right, there you go,
we go, all right, he made one big play that
saved us four points a season. Everybody can't be happy
and you can't get them all, you can't win them all.
All right, Ransom didn't have the best game either. I
want to point that out. The guy we're all trying
to put in for Scott. Did not have the best
(16:09):
game yesterday's. So you to man, thank you, thank you boys.
All right there you go. Jim Zoki, Panther Radio Network,
the Man himself, also three and zero at home this
season by
Oh man, what a day it is to be alive
and be a Carolina Panther fan. Two game winning streak,
three and zero at home and at five hundred six
weeks into the season for the first time since twenty
twenty one, and an opportunity. I'm not gonna mac curse it,
I'm not gonna jinx it, but an opportunity against the
(00:33):
oh and six Jets to maybe be over five hundred.
Jim Zoki does not want me to go there in time.
I would rather.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
I'd rather Rico dub will do it the way he
jumped on the Dallas game like minutes after the game
against Miami. Like, if Rico says it, then I think
he could speak it into existence.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Buckle up, Jets, Do you think he could say something
since the opponents of the Jets this week? He could
say something like they should have their seat belt buckled
and their seats upright and straight position, and to make
can we go.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
With because they are Jets? Yeah, because they are Jets.
In fact, no, I think we should. Yeah, I agree,
now I'm agreeing. I think it's a great idea. Oh
manzke what I mean? What did you think of the
run game performance? Yesterday.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
To do it one time was great to see them
do it back to back like that and impose their will. Man,
that's that's that's something cool about that.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
And I get I get that Dallas is the last
ranked defense, but you know they were last in past
I think twenty third in rushing, so it wasn't even
the worst part of their defense was the rushing part.
So yeah, to do it again, and to do it
with the different right side of your offensive line again,
having Yosh Niman and Brady Christiensen doing a great job
over there. Only one sackle out in this game by
the offensive line, So it's always the cumulative of you know,
(01:42):
even they talk about the receivers like Xavier and the
guys blocking down field to get the bigger runs. I mean,
it's just been really a great thing to see it
all kind of come together because we're sitting here, what
two weeks ago after New England, thinking are we ever
going to win a game again? And now it's like,
you know, who could stop this team. Nobody could stop
this team. We're just running through teams right now, and
so it's fun to see they're playing kind of the
(02:04):
brand of ball that they talked about wanting to play
and I know we're jumping ahead again, but when Chuba
comes back. I mean we talked about, you know what,
an embarrassment of riches at running back and things you
could do with like a pony formation with tw different
running backs back there and things like that. I mean,
this could be really something. You're maybe a week away
from that, maybe a week away from Jalen Cocher, JT
Sanders and I get with running back how you want
to have a guy, you know, get into a rhythm
(02:26):
and play out there quite a bit. But we've had
had before Ked DiAngelo and Jonathan Stewart and Stephen Davis
and Sean Foster, So we'll figure out a way. I
think it's a good problem to have.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
How much credit should also go to the offensive line
coaches that's not normally a spot we would say a
lot of credit, but they did a good job last
year with the center spot and all the changing. It
feels like the offensive line coaches need a lot of
credit too, for all these moving parts and getting better
and better as season goes all.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
No doubt, And you know that battle for the center
position went down to the final week and Cad Mays
was it was kind of like either or I mean,
somebody had to be the starter. So it's like having
Kid Mays in there, I think very comparable to have
and have Austin Korbittt playing and of course Kate played
last year when they were playing good ball down the stretch.
So offensive lineman is doing a great job and that
makes everything, makes everything better. And again we've not played
(03:11):
the best defenses the past couple of weeks, so we'll
see how this travels in the weeks to come moving
forward here. But you know what, we're one of the
teams that usually is at the bottom of the standing,
so teams look forward to playing us. And you know,
they were geared up to try to stop ric O'Donnell
and their game plan and they were unable to do that.
Knowing what he had said. They had a whole week
to get ready and still couldn't stop it.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
The amount of he called his shot and then delivered, Yeah,
the amount of times that I looked at it and
it was like, Okay, that's an eight man box, that's
a nine man box, and he still got six seven
eight yards. I just had six seven I didn't try that, kids,
but you know, you know like he was successful run
if success were run, even if they had the box
loaded up. And that's to your point.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
But you know there's one thing about you know, you know,
finding an opening, which there were out there obviously at times,
but breaking through tackles. I mean I see a lot
of things like it, and Chuba does the same thing,
you know, going through tackles and not being arm tackled
and getting more out of the play than just first contact.
I think it's fantastic. Even Trevor each the end, coming
in late and having the presence of mind. I'm sure
he was told but to the ground before the play. Yeah,
(04:12):
first big and you're a rookie and you forget for
a minute. We've seen that happen with players before. And
for him to have that presence of mind to set
up that last field goal the way they did, so
it was just you know, smart, well played football. I
mean the only turnover was your your favorite receiver who
catches two touchdowns has one ball through his hands. But
other than that, everything was was pretty much like on
(04:32):
point as far as playing clean football throughout the game.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
I thought, we.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
We give a lot of love to Derek Brown, rightfully so,
but how much love should also go to A'shawn Robinson
because last year Derek Brown got taken from us, and
so did that duo that we expected a lot from.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
How much.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Of a difference makers A Shawn Robinson for this defense
as much as Derek Brown.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
And people you know, not many realized.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Last year Asho led the league in interior defensive line
tackles with eighty and so he was good. Granted Derek
Brown wasn't there, somebody had, but he still led the
league in that department there. So, yeah, he's a terrific
player who's played great football throughout his career and has
played with the very best of that position next to
him in the past before. So going there and Donald So,
I think with him, it's just like he's just such
(05:19):
a good pro. And I was thinking, you know, you
look at the stats like it was like you look
at the box score defensively, go oh, Pat Jones had
a great game or dj Wanam. But their presence the
last two weeks, having them back out there in that rotation,
it just gives you solid defensive players that have impact
on plays, whereas before we had guys obviously we released
one of them that just weren't ready for that position,
(05:41):
especially starting at that point. So when you've got a
competent eleven out there, that makes a huge difference. So
it really does just take one breach out there to
make a whole day bad in some cases, like we
saw at in New England. So it's very important that
those guys are healthy. Avin Shaw, Smith Wade back again,
so who knows, Turk Wharton's got to be fairly close, I
would think to return into the defense too, So just
getting health on both sides of the ball, and having
(06:02):
some players because I always said, you know that our
team is not loaded with stars. We have some really
good players, and we do have some Pro Bowl players obviously,
but we're not as deep as some of the best
teams in the league as far as having Pro Bowl
caliber guys. So that's where we get into troubles, like
when we lose multiple guys at the same position, things
like that.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
So having that health.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
And personnel back out there to give jerro Barrow stuff
to work.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
With, I think makes a big differences.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
What's crazy too about the offense showing life and getting
better is no Coker, no Sanders, no chewbat started to
throw some of those all of a sudden.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
There's there's room to grow and get even Tony Tremble
at a great day.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
So I mean, you know, just.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Did block it and pass catch? Yeah he did. It's
always a good day.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
I feel like when he tries to leap over somebody,
I feel like the best of time.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
No, no, And then he does it and it didn't
go well. But you know, credit when they're rolling, he
tries to leap over somebody.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Oh he was feeling it.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
I guy who had back surgery a couple of months ago.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I guess he.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Forgot.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
I mean that is basically, though, that that hurdle of
tes basically a license to hit someone with a bruce
leaflying kick. Like he just he kicked him right around
the damn neck. Yeah, I mean so that's uh, that
must be nice to be able to do. Jim Zoki
View from the booth here on Monday, as we do
every Monday. This is a victorious view for the boot.
Wake up in your neck. That can't feel good, that
(07:18):
can't feel good?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
What happened yesterday? Oh I remember?
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Now Zo Panther run defense to your point tenth in
the league right now in run defense after that hideous
performance last season. They are third in the league in rushing.
Right now, let's go back in. This is something people
really want to talk about. So let's get let's get
you on this. When Chuba comes back, people are very
consumed with, Hey, don't you dare let Cuba. You know,
(07:42):
some people seem to think Cuba should carry the water
for Rico over there. Other people want Cuba to be traded.
How do you think this should be handled moving forward?
Like Rico when Chuba comes back, Rico's got to be
the guy that's getting the bulk to start, right I think.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
So, I think you never mess with like whatever, whatever, sport, baseball, whatever,
You don't mess with a winning streak.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
And when things are going well, and.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
I think Tuba is such a team player, they're both
going to get their carries. It doesn't matter who goes
out for first down on the first series. So to me,
I would do that because of just Rico's earned that.
I mean, he's just having historic.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Numbers right now. Why would you mess with that? And
he's doing it.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
It's not like it takes him like his fifth carry
to get going, Like he comes out of the gate
just running the first couple of rushes of the game,
so I would not mess with that.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
And then obviously, if Tuba is ready this.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Week, which I'm guessing he was really close last week
that it very well could be, then get Cuba out
there and get his carries too, and then just let
it roll. I said, We've had great tandems through the
years I mentioned, and so it's like nothing wrong with
having that. We're not that good that we can just
start benching or trading players. And I would think of
the two. You know Tuba, not many teams are up
for getting a longer term contract with a running back
(08:52):
in a second year contract. So I know Rico's in
a contract year, so somebody be renting him if you
moved him. But you can't move Rico. You can't mess
with the success you're having right now. Let's just can
we just enjoy it. I remember when Christian McCaffrey was here,
there were so many fans and media people are like,
we got to trade McCaffrey. He's always hurt, and then
he goes on to be MVP. Now he still gets
hurt at times. I'm the MVP caliber player, but I mean,
(09:13):
just to me, it's just like enjoy having great players,
always worrying about I mean, what do you get? What
draft pick are we going to get? You know what
we're gonna get for a running back. You're not going
to get a first round pick in return.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
I'm with you. Let's have the players and enjoy the
players we got. I'm excited Bone to see what happens
with the pairing. You know, Rico cramped up in the
second half of the second straight game uh yesterday and
ETN two. His credit made a couple of nice plays,
but like I'm looking forward to, Like Rico said after
the game, says, we get Cuba back, I ain't gonna
cramp up, you know, Like, let's just give him a
(09:45):
heavy dose of two stud backs. But I do firmly
believe when Cuba comes Backbone Rico should be the guy
getting sixty five percent of them, you know what I mean. Like, however,
you divvy it up, that's your lead back. Now, Cuba
could wrestle that away, but you know, to start like, yeah,
but I'm looking forward to.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
It's not why Rico did a nice job filling in.
He did in a stork job filling in.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
It's all.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
He had one good game and it's like Yeah, we
got a really nice guy that can compliment. No, he's
so hot right now, you just can't. You can't sit
him down. He has to get the bulk of the
carries and then it's a great You know what, this
is not a bad problem to have.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
We have two good football players running football.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Yeah, it's almost like we don't know what to do
when we have two good players at the same position.
It's like this selection.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
What do other teams do when there to them?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Like, we don't have to forfeit one of them, you
know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (10:29):
What you want?
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Of course, the text line now is full fledged wanting
to trade Cuba, which makes zero sense because Cuba is
the guy that is signed. The way Rico is running,
He's on a very very very small deal right now.
You don't think teams are going to offer him big
time running back money based off what they've seen. Why
would you trade Cuba in even risk and he's going
to hit free agency. Rico's not get all of a
(10:51):
sudden sign here right now. Why would you even risk
losing both those guys?
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Cuba's contract, I don't know if that's an easy one
to trade either.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
No, that's what I'm saying this league, and we're proof
of that. You got Rico Dowdell for one year? Was
that two million whatever something? Two and a half what every.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Point seventy five base and the incentives.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Up to six So you yeah, you just showed you
could get at this moment the best running back in
the league on a two point seventy five million dollar deal.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
That's the proof of.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Why you don't you know, trade for a big contract
and you know, like us getting the Miles Sanders deal
before this, and you just never know.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
Again, there's a.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Position that the part of the issue is it's so important,
but the health you can't You also cannot run Rico
thirty times and thirty four touches every game.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
No, that's not gonna last over seven. You're right, you're right.
That's a great point too. And at some point Rico
could get hurt. I know, he looks like a machine
that's indestructible. But if he gets hurt and you go
to E ten, you all have tuba like, right, So
if there's like a two week thing, like we just said.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
You want to depend on the future, Jonathan Brooks that
that's like it's it's just you don't trade tuber right now,
you do not do that right now.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
And again, I don't know how many teams are lining
up to say, hey, this guy was hurt the end
of year last year, he's been hurt this year. He's
making how many million? I don't know.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
If you know what's your rock, what's your return, I
would have messed with it.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
So I'm with you on that. Another thing that fans
are talking about on the text line, and this is
something that I talked about last year, and I just
I don't know why a Vero does this this way.
And I am certainly far from an Avero basher, like
a lot of y'all are. I think he's a really
good defensive football coach, and I think you're seeing it
this year. They don't have a lot of natural pass rush,
but they're still playing pretty dang good defense. With that said, though,
(12:25):
Mike Jackson has been getting obliterated the last three weeks,
I mean just obliterated, whether it was Dig's waddle or
now Pickens. Going into the last drive yesterday, JC Horn
said give me Pickens and they were forced to just
throw three passes out into the flat and we ate
them up and got off the field. Do you know
why have you this ever come up with? Like Luke
(12:46):
Keikley in the booth, like why is a vero? Some
coaches do it, some coaches don't. Why is a vero
kind of anti horn traveling? Is it something to do
with the amount of zone we play because we're not
a big man team, Like what do you think we
do do.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
A lot of that.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
You're right about the zone, but I think, you know, situationally,
like what for JC to ask for has kind of
reminded me of Rico asking for the specific zone run
that he wanted last week with the big to carry
that for fifty yards is like you love when your
prominent players step up and ask for that responsibility and
you like you said they had to go away from
Pickens in that last drive and he had one hundred
and sixty eight yards in the game. So every team
(13:20):
is not going to have, you know there you know
the eleven great players at all positions, and you know
Mike Jack has been solid here, but there's a reason
Seattle part of ways with him obviously, so he's not perfect.
So you do the best you can situationally, you know
that's going to be throwing situation at that point, So
you do your best to put your best players in
the best position there. But during the course of the game,
I mean, Mike Jack just has to step up and
(13:41):
play better ball. He's had times obviously, like last year
he had a lot of PBUs for this team, so
certainly he's capable. He's been facing some good receivers here.
But you know, maybe it's something where you just have
to think situationally, like do we shade a safety over
a little bit more depending on the situation during the
course of a game to help out Mike Jack in
certain situations. So, I mean he's solid, but obviously not
(14:02):
the caliber of JC. And I just think you've got
you practice a certain way with an expectation that your
players are going to come through for you.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
So it's a little bit.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Yes, you have to make changes on the fly and
be flexible during the course of the game, but you've
also it's like you can't reinvent your defense on the
fly in the third quarter of a game completely, you
have to work within your systems. And the other thing
it works with that too is you know, more pass
rush it creates more difficulty for the quarterbacks too, So
it all works hand in glove. Anyway, you can make
the throws more errant and difficult for a guy like
Dak Prescott by getting pressure on him and affecting the pocket.
(14:32):
So coverage also implies getting some pass rush and disruption
up front.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Night the lack of pass rush doesn't help, There's no
doubt about it. Although I thought, I remember two key
third downs bone in the red zone where we forced
field goal attempts because before we had the three and
out series on defense get the ball back for the
game winning drive, we had knew a field goal and
I thought that was huge too, you know, didn't let
him score and it was Scorrting and Pat Jones. Pat
Jones are really underrated player the way he's playing for
(14:57):
this team. But it was Pat Jones's score and that
forced the incompletion. And I go back to the first
half of the game, it was the same two guys
that pressured Dak. You remember when I think it was
Scorting that got in there. Dak flushed out to the left,
Pat Jones chased him and that's where Nick Scott, right
after getting hurtled, came back and made the pass breakup
(15:17):
in the end zone.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
So again this so they're making some time.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Like Scott your best defender, but that pass rush and
that pressure affected the play where Scott was able to
make a better play too. So it kind of again,
no sacks in this game, so it has certainly something
to look at as far as we had three last
week and we don't have a bunch on the season here.
If that comes, if that part of the defense comes together,
then you're really honest.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
And they're doing a great job against the run.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
They're not perfect in all areas, but I think part
of it is trying to keep everything in front of
you and not allow the Jalen Waddle kind of play
by playing where you're not being as risky upfront trying
to get pressure on the quarterback.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
I just complimented Nick Scott on the pass breakup in
the end zone. Bone Chris and Huntersville says Nick Scott
was a pile of hot poot. All right, there you go,
we go, all right, he made one big play that
saved us four points a season. Everybody can't be happy
and you can't get them all, you can't win them all.
All right, Ransom didn't have the best game either. I
want to point that out. The guy we're all trying
to put in for Scott. Did not have the best
(16:09):
game yesterday's. So you to man, thank you, thank you boys.
All right there you go. Jim Zoki, Panther Radio Network,
the Man himself, also three and zero at home this
season by
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