A View From the Booth With Jim Szoke

Jim Szoke, longtime member of the Panthers Radio Network, joins the show, as Szoke talks about the offensive struggles yesterday at The Bank, he does praise Seattle, and their defense, and he sets the scene for the winner-take-all game on Saturday afternoon in Tampa Bay 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Sports Radio ninety two seven w f n Z. It
is time for a view from the booth from Jim
Zochi and Zoke.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
The bone Man.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Tells me that they actually had a view of you
in the booth yesterday on the TV broadcast.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Apparently it was ECU game? Was it? Or was it
this game? Which game? Was it? Game? I thought all
the lawyer talk about the Panthers.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Oh no, they showed the coaches box in the ECU
game and Zochie was bundled up in the box next
to the next to the coach.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Oh, it's possible. I did not fully listen to Has
that ever happened before?

Speaker 1 (00:53):
My listening is about game for se today, I'm Joey for.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
I was thinking as the Panthers offense was yesterday.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
I was even wondering because I'm like, I saw Zoake
in the press box. But anyway, all right, let's get
to it. Enough about my mistakes, let's talk about the Panthers' mistakes.
Let's focus on those. So A, there's a common thread here,
and the four losses in the last eight games, there's
a common thread. The offense has not shown up. They
averaged ten point eight points a game in those games,
and there's also another common thread. Three of those losses,

(01:26):
we were leaving the game saying, man, we couldn't get
the ball downfield at all?

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Were we trying? What was going on there?

Speaker 1 (01:33):
What the heck do you think is happening to the
passing game when the bad version shows up?

Speaker 4 (01:37):
Now, you're right, and the defense I thought played well
enough to win the game yest year vet and the
points they gave up were on short field with turnovers
or the fourth down that they didn't pick up with
the offensive side there. And there was a lot of
chatter out obviously afterwards about the way the secondary for
Seattle played more than they expected, more man defense and
that kind of thing. But you think adjustments would come
and you would do something to be able to get

(02:00):
passes downfield. Our longest completion of the day was eight
yards for the entire game, and of course we only
had fifty four yards passing, so that makes sense. But
they just seem to not be able to solve what
Seattle was doing defensively. And Seattle does what they always do,
which they're really good about getting interior pressure, and they're
able to get pressure without really blitzing. I mean they're
just a team that they'll probably send five at the

(02:21):
most or whatever, but just all year. And I really
do begin with, you know, saying Seattle's a good team.
They're thirteen and three, And I think that was the
biggest problem is you were playing a really good team
also playing a really good game that day, Like we
beat the Rams and we figured out how to make
them not play so well. But in this case, Seattle
played well. But the defense, I thought, you know, held
Darnold and check, got three sacks, got a couple turnovers

(02:43):
on them, held them to one hundred and forty seven
yards passing. So I thought the defense did really what
it would take to win the game yesterday. But to
your point about the offense couldn't solve anything downfield outside
a Rico wasn't much of anything in the running game yesterday.
So it was the old win one, lose one. And
when we do lose, it's just like the offense. I mean,
in the season, we've seen Bryce Young throw for four

(03:04):
hundred and fifty yards and then throw for fifty yards
in the same season, So I mean just the highs
and lows. I mean, it's just like it's all ends
of the spectrum as far as how we can play
and just was not able to unlock that yesterday.

Speaker 3 (03:18):
Where do you put most of the blame? Is it
on Brugh for yesterday? Is it on Bryce? Is it
on the play calling? Or is it a lot of
it on Seattle? Just that good also, I mean I.

Speaker 4 (03:28):
Start with Seattle, but I think too like you do
have to solve things as you go along if you
have an expectation. That's part of coaching and playing football
is not always being who you are as far as
the type of style that you play every week, because
that's where you can win matchups. Because you can't play
the exact same way every week. Teams will figure out
what you're doing. And some of that we say it's Bryce,

(03:48):
and some of it is on the receivers helping out Bryce.
I mean, you got to figure out ways to get
open and in Tenoro McMillan mentioned that in the postgame
show as well, So he obviously was dealing with an
illness to what degree. The coaching staff and everyone said
it wasn't a big factor, but you would expect them
to say that no matter what. So I don't know
what his health was overall coming up on the injury
list earlier in the day with the illness. But he

(04:10):
says one catch for five yards and come to the
fourth quarter. So that was, for whatever reason, was just
not working. And if you've got you know, in our case,
we have a very clear number one receiver like double
the stats of anybody else on the team. You have
to find ways of getting him open or he has
to find ways of getting open and for some reason
they just lock him down. Somebody else has to step up,

(04:30):
and there was just no other option in the passing
game receiving part of the pass.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
No, it feels like the personnel still has to be
upgraded in terms of pass catchers, maybe wide receiver, end
tight end. We got good tight ends, but do we
need a dude a pass catching dude.

Speaker 3 (04:45):
And we lost one on the first play. Yeah, there
a number one tight end, Like there are guys that
are roster guys, but are they are they like what
you need in this league? But look at the third
down numbers yesterday. Some of that can be alleviated mag
with the safety valve of a pass catching tight end.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
I do believe that I think that can help.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
I don't think Cocher and t Mac I love the
two young duo, but there's got to be someone else
to go with them. I mean, how are we supposed
to feel about Excel at this point? Like do you
fear zoke that he is just a great, big physical
athlete that is not a football player.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
He's still kind of raw.

Speaker 4 (05:20):
I mean it just feels that way, like right, so
I just feel like he's still like not as where
he should be at the end of a second season.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
Capella said, the ref told him, you're off sides, and
he said, okas the heads.

Speaker 4 (05:33):
Up on that, there's always like a one to two
to three plays, whether it be that like a penalty
situation or just his aware mentioned it last week even
in the win, his awareness of the sideline when catching passes,
like you've got to whether it's a toe tap or
even just catching a ball on the sideline and you're
clearly out of bounds when you're catching it.

Speaker 2 (05:53):
That that just has to come together.

Speaker 4 (05:55):
And this is not like the answer as far as
you said about the number two guy, but I'd love
to see considering what's going on with that, you have
more Jimmy Horn just as far as that, Okay, it's
just that speed aspect it's that it's that ted Ginn
style of plague and not comparing player to player, but
that ted Ginn style with that speed, and we do
you know, the jet sweep motion and we'll flip the

(06:15):
ball to him and this and that. But I'm thinking
more like on a crosser route where he can catch
it and run out in the field cross or get
a speed go or send him on a go route
and just you know, make a safety you have to
go follow him. That should at least open more things
up underneath. And again, you can't live and die with
long end completions that don't go anywhere. But just that
threat of speed, well at least put something else in
the mind of a defense awareness wise. But uh yeah,

(06:38):
that's that. I mean, it's a really easy game to diagnose.
Our defense played well. The offense, especially in the passing game,
just wasn't able to get after it against Seattle yesterday.

Speaker 3 (06:47):
What did you think of the crowd yesterday? Because if
I was there in the building, although some people may
not like to hear that because my record is not
good when I'm in said building, but the crowd yesterday
felt like old school Panther football. The offense I thought
kind of took away the energy of the crowd, but
it felt like for all the complaining about fans and
takeovers and all that, it felt like an old school

(07:07):
Panther crowd.

Speaker 4 (07:08):
Yet yeah, with the like when the Seahawk players came
out of the tunnel on the multiple times they come
out pregame and end game and all that kind of stuff,
you heard a loud boo, and a lot of times
you'll be like talking, say in the booth in the
press box, and you hear this cheer and you look
down and you realize they're cheering for all the forty
nine ers.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
Running on the field or whatever.

Speaker 4 (07:24):
So it's like it had that Panther flavor, especially against
the twelfth Man of Seattle, which is a notorious crowd
that travels pretty well.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
I thought it was very much a Panther crowd.

Speaker 4 (07:33):
And when there were those big defensive plays interrupted but
that was few, obviously, and what sustained it is having
some big offensive moments and that's the only reason it
wasn't louder more consistently.

Speaker 2 (07:44):
It just didn't have much to cheer for when the
Panthers a.

Speaker 3 (07:46):
Different than the crowd back yesterday where it was raining.
We saw some panther fans putting their ponchos on Seattle,
so used to it, they embraced the rain. They were all,
this is wonderful. They're so used to being in that
those conditions completely their weather. They had the rain. Yes,
they literally packed their weather with them. We didn't want
your damn gloomy, cold, wet West.

Speaker 4 (08:05):
Steve Rabels are played by play guy. He's been doing
it for like he's on a broadcast for forty years,
like twenty two years of the play by play guy.
He goes, we literally left this and here we are
in it once again, Like they just don't completely comfortable.

Speaker 3 (08:15):
By the way, no one wants your your Starbucks either.
As I'm drinking it right now, I'm gonna finish it.

Speaker 2 (08:19):
Did you be boycotting that?

Speaker 1 (08:21):
I just realize that. Yeah, that's too right now, go
grab some Duncan. They got Drake mag at least up there.
Jim Zoki is with us a view from the booth.
It is bad Panther Monday. It's bad Panther Monday. You
can color code your calendar good Panther Monday. Uh precedes
it and follows it.

Speaker 4 (08:40):
The week ten of a cycle this is five weeks.

Speaker 1 (08:43):
Five weeks crazy, isn't it? But uh, anyway, and that's
what brings me to my next question. The Bucks are
reeling like if you guys think we have something to
be mad about after yesterday? Uh, these last two months
for the Bucks fans, when their only win is a
three point win against Arizona, has been atrocious. Do you

(09:04):
did yesterday shake your confidence in the Panther's ability for
this Saturday? If people don't know, it's Saturday at four
thirty in Tampa on ABC ESPN, Is your confidence shook
for Saturday's game at all?

Speaker 2 (09:17):
Or do you literally believe it has no bearing on Saturday?

Speaker 4 (09:20):
I think it has no bearing and I thought for
a different reason to the Tampa Bay point. I just
figured Tampa Bay would take care of business and sort
of a must win game for them. Not really, but
you know, you feel like they're gonna beat Miami at
this age of the season, considering what Miami's not playing for,
So it kind of felt like it was going to
come down to Tampa Bay in the last game anyway,
So it doesn't change that we played obviously well enough

(09:40):
to beat Tampa Bay last time. Did a great job
again defensively on Baker, who actually played really well yesterday.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
I think he was like three hundred and forty yards. So,
I mean Baker.

Speaker 4 (09:47):
Played have a couple of picks, though he did well,
and he always does. That's the thing about Baker.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
I mean, if he gets the yards, he seems like
and he's making it back.

Speaker 4 (09:53):
That is Baker mayfield football, as we know, so you
should come in the fourth quarter at a bad time
and so he you know, but they move the ball
is the point. They've got all their skill position guys,
and I keep hearing about you know there they lost
their interior offensive lineman will cry us a river. I mean,
we lost Robert Hunt before the season began, and we
just have been all year just miss mixing and matching
our offensive line returning. Yeah, so you think it's possible,

(10:17):
I think for postseason obviously that thing for Saturday, I
don't know. I mean, I guess anything's possible. I just
I don't want to rush rush it if they're not
one hundred percent, you know, sure, so we'll see, and
we've been doing a good job on the offensive line throughout.
It clearly is just a medical thing. If he's ready
to go, I think that you play him, so it's
all up to the doctors.

Speaker 3 (10:36):
It's a not only is he a talent, I feel
like that he picks up a lot of the emotion
of an offense as even as a car right.

Speaker 4 (10:45):
But that's Tampa Bay's issue has been line played this year,
but they've got all their skill position guys and Baker
has been dealing with a shoulder injury, but it's been
a while now, so you figure like he's got to
be getting somewhat healthier every week, even though he's playing
with that non throwing shoulder injuries that he's got. But
I don't feel any different about the Panthers prospects based
on what happened yesterday. For all the reasons we've said.
They don't lose two in a row, so they've been

(11:05):
able to bounce back each time and address things uh
the next week coming out of the losses that they've had.
And is it an early line, I'm guessing it's something
like a pick them game or Tampa Bay being at
homes probably their favorite.

Speaker 3 (11:16):
Tampa Bays favored by three, but they're at home, so
essentially that means it's basically.

Speaker 2 (11:20):
It's a pick them game. Essentially there.

Speaker 4 (11:22):
But like you said, they've they've lost seven out of
eight and they keep talking big every week, like you
know they it's like we get figured.

Speaker 2 (11:28):
Out now, and you know this is the one.

Speaker 4 (11:30):
I mean, they're like Clemson football, like this is the one,
and it's just like the season ends and then the
season just comes to an end.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
It's like, so hoping that continues one week. I'm not
here for wins and losses to grow. Man.

Speaker 1 (11:44):
Yes he did. More on that later, More on that later.
What a stray that was. So Sookie's in here in
his ECU sweatshirt with a nine win season, a bowl winol.

Speaker 3 (11:55):
Yeah, all games are different at different times for different teams.
That's two in a row for ec or the ACC.
How big was that the other day for the Pirates?
All things considered, what people that were missing.

Speaker 4 (12:04):
It was a laundry list of guys who didn't play,
starting with the starting quarterback, starting running back, one of
the receivers that's a starter tight end, and then their
best defender, safety jamar Lee Riddle, doesn't play with an injury,
and you've got Blake Carroll, the head coach, having to
become the defensive coordinator again on top of head coach
and your offensive coordinator's gone, so you had the running

(12:25):
backs coach doing the play calling, who's not done that?
And they beat Pitt And the biggest thing was they
had a touchdown called back because of an inadvertent whistle.
It took away a sixty five yard touchdown run, give
up a touchdown to the pit defense, and still win
the game.

Speaker 2 (12:41):
So it's just like.

Speaker 4 (12:42):
They overcame every what possible and beat a power for school.
And by the way, people say, well, they didn't want
to be there. Their fans didn't want to be there,
as far as the tier level that they got, as
far as what bowl game and playing a group of
five team. I don't think their fans wanted that. But
their players were pretty much intact. They lost one of
their best linebackers, but they're coach has been there, our
Doozy's been there for eleven years. I mean, I thought

(13:03):
they were They were a talented team. There was nothing,
there were no big pieces missing from them, and you
get out there and play, it's like it wasn't because
they didn't show up. I thought, you know, East Carolina.
East Carolina loves that kind of game. Big old Chip
on their shoulder, underdog beat a power for a screen.

Speaker 1 (13:17):
Straight Bowl wins, yeah, straight bull wins for most wins
in twelve years.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
I like boy Carrol too.

Speaker 3 (13:22):
Man, he's like a pretty he's been on the show before,
but he seems like a pretty cool guy.

Speaker 1 (13:25):
Hell of a job, easy to root for it, hell
of a damn job, all right, joke, you did a
hell of a job too.

Speaker 2 (13:29):
Sorry, it was just an analogy. Clem soon.

Speaker 3 (13:33):
Websone fans are upset with Zokie. One guy says, I
forgot what Bowl game we lost, But Zokie, that wasn't right.
And it was snowy, it was cold. They're not used
to that. Yes, and that game said seven hours. He
ran into a buzz soul on a winning streak too,
you know what I mean. My Nitney Lions are on
fied end the season. I mean, so that is determinedly.

Speaker 1 (13:52):
We're pretty sure if they played Ohio State right now,
pretty sure got a chance, alight. So it's like, okay,
on that note, it's getting it's getting deep in here,
and I don't have boots on all right anyway, huh, Anyway,
we'll deal with this. I was gonna deal with one
of the Texters, one of the Texters that is giving
negative vibes out because I still believe there's a lot

(14:15):
to be positive about.

Speaker 2 (14:16):
Bony I too. Can you even know yesterday was it
a bomba nation offensive?

Speaker 3 (14:20):
I give a shout out back to my new friend,
big Ernest Perkins, that is the guy in the golf
cart that picked me up yesterday and brought me to
the doghouse, because it's amazing and Joks here, it's amazing
how many of the golf car drivers back because we
walk from the station to the stadium area.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
How many of the golf car drivers wait for me?

Speaker 3 (14:38):
And why not? Because they know I'm not going to
make it all the way back. They could see the
way you're walking.

Speaker 1 (14:42):
They're like that dude ain't getting anywhere.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
There was three in a row. I had to choose
from this is not your own personal uber.

Speaker 1 (14:48):
They look, they look at people struggling to walk, like
bone and the elderly to help. That's that's the first
people They asked if they need to at least tip?

Speaker 2 (14:55):
Well do you tip? Yeah? Oh yeah, no yeah? I
said how much? How much do you need? He said?
Whatever you got?

Speaker 1 (14:59):
Man?

Speaker 2 (15:00):
Right in there, Ernest Perkins that's my man. That was
his chip. He got his hut it out on the radio.
There you go. Did y'all strike a deal or something
was going on there? Then he said he was gonna
pick me back up on the way.

Speaker 3 (15:09):
Out, and uh never if he had to have fer pigs,
never out walking distance.

Speaker 2 (15:15):
So you're the man, Bone, You are a sad man.