September 3, 2025 • 38 mins
In the debut of Mac Talk on our channels, Coach Dave McGinnis and Rhett Bryan break down the Titans’ Week 1 matchup with the Denver Broncos. They field fan questions, share insights on the start of a new era for Titans football, and preview what listeners can expect from weekly episodes all season.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's finally here. Week one of the twenty twenty five
regular season. The NFL begins on Thursday night. More importantly,
the Tennessee Titans season begins Sunday.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It's good to be back, and.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
We bring you coverage on Titans Radio of Tennessee and
Denver from in Power at in Power Field at Mile
High that is noon, I believe here on the zone
and then Farm Bureau Health Plans. Titans Countdown starts at
two Central, kickoff at three oh five with Taylor Zarzar
and the man of the hour here Coach Mac.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Dave McGinnis Mack. We're back.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
I'm really happy to be back being able to talk
with everybody. I mean, once the training camp starts, we're
kind of in our own bubble for a little while now.
At least on Tuesday nights, we get to interact with
the fans.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
This is a big part of this job that I.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Really really enjoy, rent so looking forward to it already absolutely.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
And we will take your phone calls and questions at
six one five, seven, three, seven, one oh four to five.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
We know you want to.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Talk to coach Mac. In fact, that's what Eric wants
to do right now. In Nash. Eric, you're the first
one up for the first regular season show MAC Talk.
Speaker 5 (01:04):
What's up, hey, football guys, say, I'm really really excited
about the season. I'm going to miss my chief. I'm
looking forward to the new guy Tailersarzar and you coach
Mac and your machisms as you talked about on me,
I always did a kick out of those.
Speaker 6 (01:16):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Real excited for the season, and I'm also really excited
too about the first home game as well. Well.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Eric, again, I mean you've always been a very loyal
listener to MAC Talk. You've been a very loyal listener
to the Zone. Uh, that's why we do this show.
That's the only reason Rett and I agree to do
this show, so we could interact with the fans and
and just talk and talk real ball here for about
for about an hour, and we appreciate you being the
first caller. Doesn't shock us though, that you're the first caller.
(01:44):
So congratulations.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
Yeah, football guys, I want to do a shout out
to my search and three twelve and also know a
lot of fiends you'll be jealous when I come to
that first home game because last year for Christmas, I
got I don't know if you called it like a
shawl or types throw if you remember, like Clint Eastwood
and Loves by hundreds wears that will thing. I kind
of got like that with Tennessee Times on it, knowing
I'm going to get a lot of looks because a
lot of people ask him where if I get that
(02:06):
for up? So just real excited to wear that to
the first home game and also wanted to say a
shout out to the gang at Gabby's Hamburgers. The gang,
the lovest big Titans fans and the Jack Huncheson and
his son of Kenned the Millman and bottom of last
year guys. Had he went over the Gabbage yet because
he said he does those things for you so he
could get some free burgers over there.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, we haven't been to Gabby's.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
It's been a very busy offseason, as you know, there's
been much change with the Titans and with Titans Radio.
So we're just now catching our breath a little bit.
We'll be ready to go soon. Eric three, Section three twelve.
You've gotta be wearing a fancy what did you call it?
Like a shawl?
Speaker 7 (02:43):
Like a thing?
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Yeah, yeah, kind of thing. If you if you've ever
seen like cleinias Wood Western where he's the man no
Name and he wears like bull fang. It's kind of
like that, and I'll have Tennessee Titans on it. I
got it was a Christmas present last year for my brother.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So something he likes would wear is spaghetti westerns.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
I got you yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. And that's
the last thing. And I don't want to mean to
be a downer, guys, but i just want you to
keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I found a
few weeks ago I'm gonna have to have surgery, but
I'm doing that off season. I find out I got
a tumor in my leg and at a tear of
my knee, and if I can, I'm gonna have to
try and have both procedures doing in the same day.
No reason of course I'm not doing it now is
because if I did it now, the physical prapy, I'd
(03:20):
have to Missari with Titans game and I'm gonna see
take it over and I don't want to do that.
So I'm planning hopefully hold off and have it after
the season is over. Not looking forward to it, but
I'd rather do both procedures at the same time rather
to do GOE, go through rehab, physical therapy and been
about six months a year later, have to go through
the whole process again. So just keep me in your
thoughts and prayers. Guys, y'all take care of the talks
(03:41):
again as soon Titans, and we'll talk again next week.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
All right, Eric, tighten up and we will certainly keep
you in the thoughts and prayers.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Sounds like you got a lot going on there, Thank you, Eric.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
What mac are you most excited about as the regular
season begins on Thursday night?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And going forward from your perspective.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Well, you know, as a lifelong coach in this league,
the important thing is is you finally find out a little.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Bit of well what you have.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
And that's extremely important, especially especially with a young team
like the Titans have, with as big a roster turnover
as you have. I mean, the preseason you get a
little bit of a look, but the preseason is not
predictive of exactly how things are going to go. And say,
you know, you've got to you've got to You've got
a new quarterback that was the number one pick. That
always gives life to a franchise, and so I mean
(04:31):
that those are the types of things that you work for,
but you also understand that you have to have patience
with it. But you just look forward to because the
excitement of the opening day of national the National Football.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
League is very palpable.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I mean, I can still remember my first game, you know,
when I was coaching a very young coach with the Bears.
At first game, we played the Cleveland Browns in Soldier Field.
I mean, it's just like a dream come true if
you've been in this business. And it's just and the
fans feel like that too, and it it's just the
National Football League really embraces the whole country, you know,
for this for this period of time, and there's nothing
(05:07):
like opening Day to get it going.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I was going to ask you, was there a particular
memory that you had in your experience as either head
coach or an assistant for that first game. You mentioned
your time briefly with the Bears right there, briefly. What
about when you became a head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, well, you know I was.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I was an interim coach, you know, because they let
Vince Tobin go, so I basically took over a job
on an interim basis, which is really one of the
harder things that you can do, you know, in the
coaching profession. I think everybody that's ever lived through that
will will agree with that. So you know, I remember,
you remember that. I mean it's against the New Orleans Saints.
We were there at home, so I remember that. But
(05:52):
every opening day, I mean, you still got you've got
you've got fresh ideas, you've got fresh hope for the year.
You're basically hopefully starting with a pretty healthy roster at
that time of year. So I mean all opening days
are special. And then the you know, rich you've been
doing this for a long long time, the season from
that point on starts going so fast. It goes so
(06:14):
fast that you have and you have a hard time
catching your breath. And we've had all off season and
all training camp to get ready for this opener.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
So that's what makes it so exciting.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Yeah, you're it is right, because I mean, once we
start this gamut where every week, you know, it's the
Brian Callahan Show on Monday nights on one oh four
to five, The Zone, Mac Talk on Tuesday nights, Keith
Bullock with Titans tonight, and I'll be on that show
with Amy Wells and then Thursday Night Football, I mean
rinse and repeating, and the next thing, you know, it's
the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
It's amazing how fast it goes well.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
It really is, and especially you know with with the Titans,
there's so much there's so much content now that that
the Titans have one O four to five has I mean,
it's just but there's it. I mean, it's very much
on schedule. And then I mean you and I spend
all day to day, you know, getting getting ready for
our first ball game. It's and then pretty much you
kind of slide in, just like a bicycle chain getting
(07:09):
in the spokes. Once you slide in, during the season,
things start to roll, you know, pretty much in a rhythm.
But the first ball game is always very very exciting.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Our first few calls on mac talka are always very
very exciting, like section three thirty four, welcome to mac
talk for the season.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yeah, man, what I knew there was that was coming.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
I knew that was going.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
There's section three thirty four, twenty twenty five right here.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Great hearing from.
Speaker 8 (07:35):
You, that's right.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Good to hear from y'all.
Speaker 6 (07:38):
Welcome back.
Speaker 8 (07:39):
I'm to start another season here. Ah, I got a
lot of things to talk about. I'm just going to
focus on one thing I haven't just heard too much,
you know, people talking about. I know they're probably not
trying to overload the new quarterback here. Of course, he's
a rookie, and I think they're just going to try to,
you know.
Speaker 6 (07:57):
Stick with him to farm the playbook and used to
the speed of the game. One thing that's bothered me though,
is the throwing motion and how low the ball seems
to come out sometimes. It seems as though he's looking
for open lane in between the offensive linemen and getting
the ball through them instead of going over the top.
For being able to go over the top, and I
(08:18):
know they're in the playbook, speed of the game, and
then changing mckennit, it's a lot to put on on
a rookie quarterback. I think that'll be the next step
that they do going into next season, to get that
over the top throwing motion, but having that low point
of release. I think that's what I was drawing the
picks in practice, especially with Cody Barton the middle linebacker
(08:41):
getting a lot.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Of those sticks.
Speaker 6 (08:42):
I think that has to go hand in hand. Hopefully
that's something they could work on.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Over the season, because I could see a lot of
pit balls. So I'll see what you have to say
about that.
Speaker 8 (08:50):
I'll talk to y'all.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Next week, all right, Section three thirty four. Appreciate that
very much.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Yeah, they're not going to mess with that throwing motion
early on, I promise you. You know, all the years
I've been in the league, I've head quarter back with
all kinds of different arm angles they throw from you
can you can you can you just you just footwork,
you just tying the lower body to the upper body.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
But you don't.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
You don't mess a whole It's like a it's like
a picture. You don't mess a whole lot with that,
with that upper body, that upper upper body motion. Uh,
the guy's got a very quick release, I know that,
and he gets it out, he gets it out, He
gets it out really really quick. That's going to be
the key, regardless of where that arm angle is. And
so the thing that has to happen, first of all,
that has to go on with those two with those
(09:32):
tip passes that that you have during practice. Look, they're
used to practice it against one another. The other thing
is is you really don't put a defense in any
kind of of preseason practice in a fifty to fifty
strut situation where they have to play run in pass equally,
you just that just doesn't happen. It's mostly pretty much
programmed either either run or pass. That that part of
(09:54):
it doesn't bother me. The thing that that that that
I that I have always been with with developing a
you younger quarterback, he is is he seeing the field correctly?
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Is he seeing the field on time?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
And what's his timing like, That's the first thing you
got to look at and mac.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
This week and going forward right now, for cam Ward,
it's all about operating things and allowing him to have
things that he's the most comfortable in and working from
there this base stuff that he is comfortable with, and
that's what they've been working on for the last couple
of weeks certainly, and bits and pieces coaching staff wise
(10:29):
for months.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Well, this is this is a rookie quarterback. Regardless of
where you're picked. A rookie quarterback is a rookie quarterback,
and so there's going to be there're going to be
growing pains. The thing that also, you have to be
able to navigate the speed of the game navigate the
speed of the game, navigate the environment. All of those
types of things are different now, and you can go
through as much preseason as you want, but none of
(10:51):
that is predictive as far as to what the really
is like in a ball game. I mean, I've lived
it and I can just tell you that that speed
in a National Football League game, that's for real. It's
so much different than anything else that these rookies have
ever experienced. So every experience will be new, but every
experience will be a learning experience too, and this guy's
proven that he learns pretty quick. So that's what I'm
(11:14):
looking forward to.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
And the speed of the show is going by very
fast as well. As we go back to the phone,
six point five seven three seven one four to five,
James and Ashlyn City, you are on with coach Mack.
Speaker 7 (11:24):
What's up, hey, Coach Matt. First of all, before I
get into my question, I want to congratulate you on
your horn Fogs did victory last night over mister coach Trupp.
That's a good day for your horn Fogs.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Yeah, how about that, James, I'll tell you what. My
phone battery just about ran out last night. All the
people that were blowing me up during that ball game.
I still got pretty close ties to down there in
Fort Worth.
Speaker 7 (11:47):
Well, well, I can imagine. But my question is a
little complicated. I'm going to start off by saying, obviously,
when a team picks number one overall, they were a
bad team the year before. My question is when you're
at bad time the year before and you picked number
one overall and you pick a quarterback as a rookie
as opposed to picking a quarterback and at the very
(12:08):
end of the first round, that tends to say the
team is a little bit better and that scenario during
your coaching career, would you say that it's better for
the coach to sit the player that doesn't have the
pieces around him if he's taken first all overall, and
let somebody with more experience play, or would you be
more into the idea of just throwing him out there
(12:30):
to the woods, to the wolves and let him play
and just you know, with less talent around him. I
guess this is what I'm trying to say, is is
that there are some teams that do that, some that don't.
I would just like you to talk about your personal
experience in the NFL on your approach as a coach
on when to start a rookie quarterback and when not to.
And I'll hang up and listen.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Appreciate it, James, Thank you nice James. Look, it depends
on the circumstances. I mean, the Titans needed needed a quarterback.
And in this day and age as fast as as
fast as the things flip in this day and age, Basically,
if you don't have a viable quarterback, a viable quarterback,
you know, a guy that that that you can win
ball games with, that can keep you in ball games,
(13:13):
that doesn't make the huge mistakes. If you don't have
a viable quarterback in this day and age, the National
Football League really what you've got to highly paid rugby team.
So you've got to have that guy that's playing that position.
It's important to have a dealer. You got to have
a dealer. And now how do you how do you
how do you how do you teach a dealer? Your
your leash is not as long as it used to
(13:33):
be when I first got into the league. I mean
coaches had had a longer leash. Clearly, players coming in
the league. There was no free agency, there was no
salary cap. You had time to develop quarterbacks. Now, your
development has to be has to be sped up. The
things that you can do, Uh, you've got to be
able to surround as much as possible with some help,
(13:55):
especially with the offensive line. Give your young quarterback that
kind of help, and then know everything is not going
to be perfect, and you have to have the cooperation
of the front office, knowing it's going to take some
patience with a young quarterback, that development's going to take time.
So those types of things have changed, and you're right.
Sometimes if you put a quarterback in just a completely
(14:18):
unlivable situation early on, it depends on how you handle them,
and it depends on how much you put on them
and how much you don't put around them. I think
most teams now in this day and age, realize that
if you take a quarterback there, you're going to have
to surround him with some help, knowing that your leaseh
is shorter, his lease is shorter, and so you try
(14:40):
to you try to up that development, but still there
is no teacher there.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Like time on task.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Time on task is extremely important and so the only
way you can really learn how to.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
Do it is you've got to do it.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
The Titans are back on the football field this Sunday
against the Denver Broncos. Coverage begins at noon with countdown
to get off Far Bureau Health Plans Titans countdown at two,
and then kickoff of Titans and Broncos from Denver that
is at three oh five with Taylor Zarzer and coach Mack.
Got a question, Mac is ready to go? Six point
(15:13):
five seven, three seven, one, four to five. Let's talk
about the opponent, the Denver Broncos.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Mac.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
The Broncos finished last year ten and seven, third place
in the AFC West Division. In twenty twenty five, Mack,
they return every offensive and defensive line starter from last season.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Yeah, well, they're the only team in the league that
did that.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
You know.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Before we start on them, I'd just like to.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Say, we've already had three great callers, and you've two
out of the three callers are calling about the quarterbacks.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
So that's what the focus is going to be.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Yes, this year, it's going to be it's going to
be on a young quarterback that was the number one pick,
and everybody's going to have to observe some patients. It's
not going to be perfect, but it's going to be progress.
And so everybody needs to keep that in mind. And
we had three great callers to start off MAC Talk
twenty twenty five, and that's what this program is for. Look,
(16:05):
this is a really, really tough opening test for the Titans.
Just as you mentioned, they're the only team in the league.
Denver is to bring back everybody, especially across where they
were so strong. They're very strong across both offensive and
defensive fronts. That's why Sean Payton has said this team
that he has right now put together in Denver has
(16:26):
a chance to be Super Bowl contenders. And I agree
with him after watching the tape, especially after watching the
tape and studying it from week ten on to this point,
he's got a very solid, very very solid argument for that.
And the strength of the offensive and defensive line has
a big part in that red.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Well and that offensive line for the Broncos, every one
of those guys ranked in the top five in pressures allowed,
and conversely, that defensive front that advanced Joseph operates. They
had the second highest overall pressure rate in the National
Football League last season and the second highest pressure rate
went only rushing four So they have invested heavily in
(17:09):
those things.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
And they have worked out quite well.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Let's just do a thumbnail of kind of the off
season comings and goings.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
They drafted running back RJ.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Harvey from Central Florida, wide receiver Pat Bryant from Illinois.
Defensive Back Jade barn of Texas was the first pick
and expected to be the nickel corner in that so
he'll go in that secondary with Patrick Sartain, who was
the defensive player of the year. They bolster a good
Vance Joseph defense with LSU Saveon Jones and Alabama's Q
(17:38):
Robinson in the later rounds, and then a free agency
added Tallanoga Hufonga from the forty nine ers trade Greenlaw
also and tight end Evan Ingram, running back JK. Dobbins.
All of those pickups in free agency. They've built this
thing from the inside out and that's why things are
currently where they are arrow pointing up.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Well.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
They had a very good ending to the year last year,
and as you said, those additions, those additions have strengthened
this football team and they've built depth.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
This team has got.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
This team has got not only starters across the front,
now they have good depth. As I say, this is
one of the this is one of the true teams
that that that over time has been built the right way.
And and Sean Payton. I've coached against Sean a lot
of a lot of years in this league, and I
know the way that he builds teams. I know the
way that he operates his his offense. Vancy Joseph, I'm
(18:28):
very familiar with his defense. You know, We've shared a
lot of defensive talks over the years.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
They're built correctly.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
And so as I said, And plus, that environment up
there at Denver is a real environment that you have
to overcome as a visiting team. I've coached a lot
of games up there as on the opposing sideline, and
so all of those factors are going to be really big.
And plus just the excitement of the opening week that
we've talked about, it's really magnified up there.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Yeah, point is valid.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
They didn't pick it, but if they could have picked,
they couldn't have picked a tougher scenario of the Titans
with this west trip, mile high, raucous crowd elevation. And
we're getting about to outline the reasons why this is
a big, big deal and a tall task for the
Titans heading out West. So you mentioned briefly Vance Joseph.
He runs a five to two look and you you
(19:23):
mentioned it to me earlier today, a match zone defense,
plenty of weapons at his disposal. What does the Vance
Joseph defense do that could pose problems for cam Ward?
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Well, a lot.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
First of all, he's gonna Cam's gonna see things he's
never seen. They're going to present him with either a
two shell or all up. Normally, with a five man
front you can bring everybody up and then bail him out.
He's going to see things that he hasn't seen. The
uh you know, I've taught match zone in my coaching career,
and you have to have. First of all, you have
to have very savvy players with a match zone because
(19:55):
it's important to be able to read splits.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
It's important to.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Be able to read pre snap that what may be
coming out because you're basically taking a zone drop, but
you're matching man to man with people come into your zone,
but you have to be able to pass them off.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
So what they're going to do When you somebody is.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Really proficient at playing matching zone, then the windows become
very very small to throw in.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
That's going to be extremely extremely important.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
And then he's going to present things both both pre
and post snap that are going to be completely different,
you know, for for a rookie quarterback. I mean, that's
that's what defensive coordinators do. I spent a lot of
my career trying to discombobulate rookie quarterbacks, and so that's
what he's going to see. I mean, And as I
said that with one of our collars, you know, I said,
(20:41):
the only way that you can teach it and learn
it is you have to go through it. And there's
gonna be there's gonna be some some growing pains with that.
This is a group defensively that's just about as good
as they were advertised when you really stick the tape on.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
So it's going to be a huge, huge.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
First and second down success against a defense like this
is very big red because you can't afford to be
third and double digit with the chains against this defense,
with the minithing and play. They had sixty three sacks
last year. Now I can't count real high, but that's
really good.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
And so Rutherford County, I know I can't.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Yeah, So anyway, I mean, this is a defense that
if they can put you in that must pass situation.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
They can give you some problems.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Yeah, and you're right.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Sixty three sacks led the NFL in that category, and
thirteen and a half of them came from Nick Benito,
the linebacker who they bring up in that thing. And
I think he had eleven eleven games where he had
at least one sack in last season.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
But I want to.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Ask you about one of cam Ward's friends in all
of this, and that's wide receiver Calvin Ridley and the
reason I brought it up. The coordinators were made available
today and Nick Holts, the offensive coordinator of the Titans,
was asked about Calvin Ridley and his his distribution, if
you will, and how this works. He said, he's gonna
move Ridley around. Is Patrick Sir ten the match guy
(22:10):
that follows him?
Speaker 4 (22:11):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
I mean, Patrick certain is Defensive Player of the year, right, correct?
Speaker 1 (22:16):
And Riley Moss is the other guy, And I'm just
I'm wondering, does he follow him around?
Speaker 2 (22:20):
How does that work? Well, I guess we're gonna have
to find out.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
You will have to find out. I mean, but if
we do, if they if they if they choose to
do that, and it's one on one.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Well, then Covin Redley has to win, all right, if
they if they don't choose to do that, if they
choose to double Cavin Ridley, then whoever gets the one
on one has to win because each team only gets
eleven players. And so I mean the numbers. That's the
way the numbers work out, and so they will find out.
That's what we'll find out early on in this ballgame,
as far as to how they're going to match up.
(22:51):
And so then that's when you start. That's when you
go to work. Is when you find out, because you
really you think you might know, but you don't know
until you find out. And that's what those first fifteen
plays or four, both offensively and defensively is to find
out how your opponent is matching your personnel, how they
are adjusting to your motion, how you adjust to their motion.
All those things you find out in the first fifteen
(23:14):
and then you settle into the game plan.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
All right, let's flip to what the Titans defense and
Denard Wilson's squad will look at in this and the
genesis of it obviously is second year men and quarterback
Bo Nicks. He looks to build off of a very
solid rookie season thirty seven hundred and seventy five yards passing.
But Mack he's more dangerous because he is a threat
(23:38):
to run and has done it well.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Oh yeah, I mean he's he's got I mean, you've
got the numbers there for how much he's run.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Ninety two carries, four hundred and thirty yards, four point
seven of carry, six runs of twenty plus yards last year,
and four rushing touchdown.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
So what that means you have to do is somewhere
within your defensive game plan, you're gonna have to plus
one it, and plus one means you're gonna have to
have somebody available for him if they choose to start
making him a runner. And if they choose to start
making him a runner, the other thing that has to
happen is depending on how many you rush, He's made
a lot of those runs escaping up through the A
and the B gap, and so you're gonna have to
(24:13):
be very disciplined in your rush on him. And so
you've got a dual threat quarterback that really started coming
on at the end of the season.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
And again you've got a guy.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
That struggled a little early as a rookie, but then
came on really strong at the end. I know Sean
Payton of called defenses against Sean's offense, the first fifteen
gives you a lot of challenges because what Sean is
going to do, he's going to give you different personnel groups,
and he's going to give him without any rhyme or reason.
Early on, he's checking to see how your matchup is
(24:45):
going to be against the personnel, He's going to run
various motions. The one thing I do know is you
can't chase two things against his offense. You can't chase
calls in other words, trying to try to make up
for a call that's just happened. And you can't chase motion.
You got to surround his motion because the double motions
that he's going to give you are just are going
(25:06):
to be to try to get you out of position.
So you've got to have a plan where you can
surround the motion and you can be waiting for on
either side as to where it comes out. So, especially
the first fifteen plays are going to be very important
for the Titans offense to be able to gather information.
You're gathering information from those first fifteen to find out
(25:26):
how he's going to settle in to your.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Point, Bo Nickson.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Week eighteen last year, Chiefs rested most of the starters
because they were a big seed in the playoffs. But
he started eighteen straight completions in Week eighteen. It's an
NFL record for a rookie quarterback.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Yeah, and again, as you said, the Chiefs are resting people,
you know, for that ball game. So basically what you had,
you know, it wasn't quite a preseason look, but it
wasn't you know, it wasn't the dudes correct, Okay, but
his running ability and his and look Sean has made
makes completions very available to his quarterbacks because he doesn't
(26:03):
throw it very long for quite a while. Now, once
they sayle in, then if you start having to move
up to take care of all those motions I talk about,
you have to move up because he wants to run
the football.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
That's why they added those two backs.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
He wants to run the football behind a really good
offensive line. So when he does that, if you can
run the football, then you can dictate coverage to the defense.
Once you dictate coverage, then you can start attacking it deeper.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
All right, So let's talk about his aerial weaponry in
this so I mentioned they added Evan Ingram in free
agency and Evan Ingram since twenty twenty three nine hundred
and fifty seven receiving yards when aligned in the slot position,
So that tells you that, but that already goes with
(26:49):
all right, So Courtland Sutton is the main guy Marvin
MEM's returns as receiver number two. He's also kicking punt returner.
Devon Velle was the other guy in that rotation. He
was recently traded. So Troy Franklin, second year guy, also
teammate of his at Oregon, And so Marvin MEM's, Franklin,
(27:10):
Sutton and Ingram are those main when they light up
eleven personnel that he has options to get to.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Right and he's going to have special routes for each
one of those guys.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
But Sutton is the dude.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
He's the dude. He's a due that they paid, He's
a dude. It's a bigger unit. As a receiver out there,
it's a challenge, and it's a challenge because he schemes
them open quite a bit. If he can run the football,
that's the key is I mean, anytime I've ever played
Sean Pateon. You've got to be able to stop his
running game so he can't dictate coverage.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Yeah, Cortland Sutton eighty one catches for nearly eleven hundred
yards and a handful of touchdowns. And by the way,
those top three receivers last year in Sutton Vale and
Marvin Men's all averaged over eleven yards per catch, and
the two dudes at two and three there had about
forty catches apiece an average.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
But at Courtland's and a lot of.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
A lot of that yard has read it's catch and
run correct, it's catching run because of the way that
that they come off. I've just played this, I've just
coached against this offense too many years.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
You know that old saying cam Ward hasn't seen the
elephant yet. That was an old you know, for for
young soldiers going into war and they hadn't seen a
battle yet. They'd say he hadn't seen the elephant. Cam
Ward hadn't seen the elephant yet. But he will on Sunday,
Yeah he will.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
I mean, it's this is a major major in doctrination
into the National Football League.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
All right, So good conversation and breakdown there of the opponent,
the Denver Broncos.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
We remind you that game is We're Titan.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Radio coverage on the network is two o'clock with Farm
Bureau Health Plans, Titans countdown, then Taylor's Arsari Mac have
the call at three oh five. At three oh five kick,
I believe noon is when coverage begins here on the zone.
When we continue, we're going to take a look around
the skilled of week one in the National Football League,
and of course get coach Max Keys to a victory
(29:06):
in Denver.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
And as I say, I've got a Ford dealership in
my family, and I can say that with all impunity,
these people are outstanding.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
They really are.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
I mean, the things that they've done, and also real
quick were i'd like to give a shot. I mean,
people are text messaging me so much right now about
that they're listening to the show. But we've got a
real good friend of this show that I had dinner
with this week. I hadn't seen him quite a while,
a good friend of yours, Craig Nance, the great American.
Craig Nance is one of the best human beings there
(29:35):
for a lot of reasons. And he's Texas US in here.
He and Duke Turnbow and several of us got together
for dinner that we're all busy and don't get to
see each other a lot.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
So I want to give all.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
Of those people and thanks for everybody for texting in here.
Mac talks off and running again this year.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
All right, So Week one of the regular season schedule
starts Thursday night.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
It's an NFC East matchup at the.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Dallas Cowboys are at the philladel Offia Eagles on NBC
seven to twenty kick.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
And there is no Micah Parsons. He is a Green
Bay packer.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Philadelphia's loaded.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
When you really just start looking at rosters across the league,
Philadelphia is loaded. We've talked about how you know, how
Denver seems to have built theirs up.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
You know pretty well.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
I mean there's a legitimate team. Uh, but the Eagles,
when you start going not only through the starters, but
too deep and sometimes three deep at spots, especially defensively,
they're loaded.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Their general manager, Howie Roseman, is a wheeler dealer.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
Well, they've had time to build.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
It, and it's just they done a really good job.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
And so I mean, you know, I've been in this
league for thirty nine years and when someone's good, you
recognize it.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Can you imagine if they had a ninth part to
the Cowboys' documentary on Netflix that encapsulates this trade, because
I can't imagine what sports looks like in Dallas at
stations like the ticket Well, I mean, yeah, I got
an idea. I mean, this is the biggest move Listen.
(31:12):
I like in this move because of the franchise that
he went to. It reminds me of the very first
coveted free agent in the Minister of Defense and Rensgie White,
and he was such a difference maker in what they
were building there. It eventually led to a world championship.
And you know, you're talking about a guy in Micah
(31:34):
Parsons who I think is the only other defensive player
of that stature to have what twelve sacks.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
In first four seasons or whatever.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
And then I think about, you know, the biggest trade
in Cowboys history when they sent herschel Walker to the
Minnesota Vikings for all of those picks that ended up
being all these selections they made in subsequent draft and
three world championships were born out of that. But that
was crazy to see all that unfold a week before
(32:05):
the regular season.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Yeah, I mean it was.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
It was a legitimate and the thing that made it
so unusual was trade within the division.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Yeah, all right.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
And then also on YouTube, this game is the Kansas
City Chiefs playing the Los Angeles Chargers in Sal Paolo, Brazil.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Yeah. Look, I've coached in played games in Berlin, played
games in Gutenburg, Sweden, playing games in London.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
I never been to South Polo, Brazil. That's gonna be.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
Interesting, absolutely. All right.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
Let's start with the Sunday slate here as some things
I have highlighted of interest. Obviously in the AFC South Division,
the Dolphins head to Lucas Oil Stadium for a noonkick
with the Indianapolis Colts and Daniel Jones is the quarterback.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Yeah, that's very interesting.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Of course, you know, you go through the tragedy of
of losing your owner.
Speaker 4 (33:00):
I mean, that's a tragedy.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
And then of course, you know with the quarterback situation there,
it's going to be very interesting to see how everything
rebounds and flips up there at Indy and and in Miami.
Miami is not exactly running on smooth wheels right now either.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
No, and your point about jim irsay is the most
valid when you're talking about the Indianapolis Colts as a whole. Sure,
the man was the heart and the soul of there.
Wasn't a bigger cheerleader and owner. You know, you could
argue that with Jerry Jones. He thows him to a fault.
But Jim irsay, I don't know what this looks like
(33:35):
without him because he's been there in that town for
so long.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Yeah, well, we're getting ready to find out about that's
a big difference.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
I think his daughter, Carly Ersay Gordon, I think is.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
The one that is the the head of that family.
Now the Carolina Panthers head to Jacksonville to take on
the Jags.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Well again, first of all, the indian and Jacksonville opened
up home. So that's you know, that's that's always a
big help when you can when you can open at home,
and so.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Well, and you're talking about a new regime in Jacksonville
where a young wonder kind and James Gladstone as the
general manager in his early thirties, and then Liam Cohen
was going to stay and be the offensive coordinator and
then he Trent Valkey is ousted and he goes and
be's you know, he's the head coach of the Jags.
(34:27):
That was a crazy story in the off season. And
if he can unlock what they've been trying to unlock
in Trevor Lawrence with all these other things they've got
in that roster, that's a problem for the Titans and
everybody else twice a year in that division.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
Well, and as I say, that's big that they both
get to start at home.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Another NFC East Division game is at one o'clock one
eastern noonkick on Fox New York Giants.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
At the Washington Commanders.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Those games always intrigue me because that's such a crazy division.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Yeah, well, then that vision has been going on against
each other for a long long time. You've got a
lot of history when you start looking at the National
Football League of those teams playing one another. But Washington
right now, to me has the upper hand because they
they've got a pretty good group put together and you know,
they hit on a young quarterback that came on pretty
strong with that defense.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
They sure did.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
The Houston Texans are the only other road team in
the division. They are heading to so far to take
on the Los Angeles Rams for a three twenty five
kick on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Well and the traveling clear across the country, So I
mean that that that should be advantage rams you know,
when somebody's traveling that far, you know, across the country.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
And Matthew Stafford, who's got a bad back for a while,
is cleared, looks like he will be the starter and
ready to roll out of the tunnel at so far.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
So that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Uh, Sunday Night football Baltimore at Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Now there's a matchup.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Yeah, well that's that's when you when you say that
right there, Uh, that that that's physical football personified. That's
on both sides of it. So you're looking for a
rock'm soccer robot game there.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
And you talked about history and teams. You know this
one better than anybody. The Monday night game Minnesota at
the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
Yeah that that division was always a very very rugged division,
you know the ten years that I was in it,
and those those rivalries have been going on for a
long long time too, and so that's going to be
very very interesting as far as to see how that
all unfolds in Chicago right now, all right, in.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Our last minute and a half or so, what are
coach Max keys to a Titans win, which would be huge,
and a west trip to Mile High Stadium against the
Denver Brock.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
You got to protect the quarterback number one. I mean
we've already talked about, you know how good they rushed
the pastor there in Denver and how much pressure they
put on passers last year with sixty you got to
you got to protect the quarterback. That's number one. The
second thing you got to be able to do is
you got to be able to surround the on this
offense and not be chasing it.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
And you've got to be able to.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Survive the first fifteen and figure out what he's trying
to do personnel wise. That's extremely, extremely big. And then
the next thing you've got to be able to do
is you've got to be able to control the run
game because playing Sean Payton, everybody always talks about Drew
Brees and how Sewn likes to throw the ball around.
That's after he can run it. And so you've got
(37:26):
to control the run game.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
With JK. Dobbins and RJ.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Harvey the rookie, I'm excited to see the Special Teams
face of this under John Fossil too.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Well, they just got to be consistent. That's what they
have to do right now. As you're consistent, I mean,
don't be expecting a trick play every play. That's not
what you're going to get. But what you've got to
get is consistency. And that's why Bones was hired, is
to give some consistency and some form and some function
to this special teams unit.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
Indeed, and there's coach Mack who you will hear this weekend.
Remind you that Tennessee heads to Denver this Sunday to
take on the Broncos at Empower.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Field at mild high.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Coverage begins right here Sunday at noon, than Titan's Countdown
is on the air at two.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Kickoff is at three oh.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Five with Taylor Zarzer and Dave McGinnis right here on
Titans Radio at the Flag chim Home. And for Ross
Johnston for producing tonight behind the Glass, appreciate that all
those great calls, that is much appreciated. Like Eric, we're
praying for you, brother. For coach Dave McGinnis, I'm read Brian.
We thank you for listening to Mac Talk
It's finally here. Week one of the twenty twenty five
regular season. The NFL begins on Thursday night. More importantly,
the Tennessee Titans season begins Sunday.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It's good to be back, and.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
We bring you coverage on Titans Radio of Tennessee and
Denver from in Power at in Power Field at Mile
High that is noon, I believe here on the zone
and then Farm Bureau Health Plans. Titans Countdown starts at
two Central, kickoff at three oh five with Taylor Zarzar
and the man of the hour here Coach Mac.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Dave McGinnis Mack. We're back.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
I'm really happy to be back being able to talk
with everybody. I mean, once the training camp starts, we're
kind of in our own bubble for a little while now.
At least on Tuesday nights, we get to interact with
the fans.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
This is a big part of this job that I.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Really really enjoy, rent so looking forward to it already absolutely.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
And we will take your phone calls and questions at
six one five, seven, three, seven, one oh four to five.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
We know you want to.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Talk to coach Mac. In fact, that's what Eric wants
to do right now. In Nash. Eric, you're the first
one up for the first regular season show MAC Talk.
Speaker 5 (01:04):
What's up, hey, football guys, say, I'm really really excited
about the season. I'm going to miss my chief. I'm
looking forward to the new guy Tailersarzar and you coach
Mac and your machisms as you talked about on me,
I always did a kick out of those.
Speaker 6 (01:16):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (01:16):
Real excited for the season, and I'm also really excited
too about the first home game as well. Well.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Eric, again, I mean you've always been a very loyal
listener to MAC Talk. You've been a very loyal listener
to the Zone. Uh, that's why we do this show.
That's the only reason Rett and I agree to do
this show, so we could interact with the fans and
and just talk and talk real ball here for about
for about an hour, and we appreciate you being the
first caller. Doesn't shock us though, that you're the first caller.
(01:44):
So congratulations.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
Yeah, football guys, I want to do a shout out
to my search and three twelve and also know a
lot of fiends you'll be jealous when I come to
that first home game because last year for Christmas, I
got I don't know if you called it like a
shawl or types throw if you remember, like Clint Eastwood
and Loves by hundreds wears that will thing. I kind
of got like that with Tennessee Times on it, knowing
I'm going to get a lot of looks because a
lot of people ask him where if I get that
(02:06):
for up? So just real excited to wear that to
the first home game and also wanted to say a
shout out to the gang at Gabby's Hamburgers. The gang,
the lovest big Titans fans and the Jack Huncheson and
his son of Kenned the Millman and bottom of last
year guys. Had he went over the Gabbage yet because
he said he does those things for you so he
could get some free burgers over there.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, we haven't been to Gabby's.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
It's been a very busy offseason, as you know, there's
been much change with the Titans and with Titans Radio.
So we're just now catching our breath a little bit.
We'll be ready to go soon. Eric three, Section three twelve.
You've gotta be wearing a fancy what did you call it?
Like a shawl?
Speaker 7 (02:43):
Like a thing?
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Yeah, yeah, kind of thing. If you if you've ever
seen like cleinias Wood Western where he's the man no
Name and he wears like bull fang. It's kind of
like that, and I'll have Tennessee Titans on it. I
got it was a Christmas present last year for my brother.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
So something he likes would wear is spaghetti westerns.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
I got you yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. And that's
the last thing. And I don't want to mean to
be a downer, guys, but i just want you to
keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I found a
few weeks ago I'm gonna have to have surgery, but
I'm doing that off season. I find out I got
a tumor in my leg and at a tear of
my knee, and if I can, I'm gonna have to
try and have both procedures doing in the same day.
No reason of course I'm not doing it now is
because if I did it now, the physical prapy, I'd
(03:20):
have to Missari with Titans game and I'm gonna see
take it over and I don't want to do that.
So I'm planning hopefully hold off and have it after
the season is over. Not looking forward to it, but
I'd rather do both procedures at the same time rather
to do GOE, go through rehab, physical therapy and been
about six months a year later, have to go through
the whole process again. So just keep me in your
thoughts and prayers. Guys, y'all take care of the talks
(03:41):
again as soon Titans, and we'll talk again next week.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
All right, Eric, tighten up and we will certainly keep
you in the thoughts and prayers.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Sounds like you got a lot going on there, Thank you, Eric.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
What mac are you most excited about as the regular
season begins on Thursday night?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
And going forward from your perspective.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Well, you know, as a lifelong coach in this league,
the important thing is is you finally find out a little.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Bit of well what you have.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
And that's extremely important, especially especially with a young team
like the Titans have, with as big a roster turnover
as you have. I mean, the preseason you get a
little bit of a look, but the preseason is not
predictive of exactly how things are going to go. And say,
you know, you've got to you've got to You've got
a new quarterback that was the number one pick. That
always gives life to a franchise, and so I mean
(04:31):
that those are the types of things that you work for,
but you also understand that you have to have patience
with it. But you just look forward to because the
excitement of the opening day of national the National Football.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
League is very palpable.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I mean, I can still remember my first game, you know,
when I was coaching a very young coach with the Bears.
At first game, we played the Cleveland Browns in Soldier Field.
I mean, it's just like a dream come true if
you've been in this business. And it's just and the
fans feel like that too, and it it's just the
National Football League really embraces the whole country, you know,
for this for this period of time, and there's nothing
(05:07):
like opening Day to get it going.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I was going to ask you, was there a particular
memory that you had in your experience as either head
coach or an assistant for that first game. You mentioned
your time briefly with the Bears right there, briefly. What
about when you became a head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, well, you know I was.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
I was an interim coach, you know, because they let
Vince Tobin go, so I basically took over a job
on an interim basis, which is really one of the
harder things that you can do, you know, in the
coaching profession. I think everybody that's ever lived through that
will will agree with that. So you know, I remember,
you remember that. I mean it's against the New Orleans Saints.
We were there at home, so I remember that. But
(05:52):
every opening day, I mean, you still got you've got
you've got fresh ideas, you've got fresh hope for the year.
You're basically hopefully starting with a pretty healthy roster at
that time of year. So I mean all opening days
are special. And then the you know, rich you've been
doing this for a long long time, the season from
that point on starts going so fast. It goes so
(06:14):
fast that you have and you have a hard time
catching your breath. And we've had all off season and
all training camp to get ready for this opener.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
So that's what makes it so exciting.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Yeah, you're it is right, because I mean, once we
start this gamut where every week, you know, it's the
Brian Callahan Show on Monday nights on one oh four
to five, The Zone, Mac Talk on Tuesday nights, Keith
Bullock with Titans tonight, and I'll be on that show
with Amy Wells and then Thursday Night Football, I mean
rinse and repeating, and the next thing, you know, it's
the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
It's amazing how fast it goes well.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
It really is, and especially you know with with the Titans,
there's so much there's so much content now that that
the Titans have one O four to five has I mean,
it's just but there's it. I mean, it's very much
on schedule. And then I mean you and I spend
all day to day, you know, getting getting ready for
our first ball game. It's and then pretty much you
kind of slide in, just like a bicycle chain getting
(07:09):
in the spokes. Once you slide in, during the season,
things start to roll, you know, pretty much in a rhythm.
But the first ball game is always very very exciting.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Our first few calls on mac talka are always very
very exciting, like section three thirty four, welcome to mac
talk for the season.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yeah, man, what I knew there was that was coming.
Speaker 5 (07:30):
I knew that was going.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
There's section three thirty four, twenty twenty five right here.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Great hearing from.
Speaker 8 (07:35):
You, that's right.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Good to hear from y'all.
Speaker 6 (07:38):
Welcome back.
Speaker 8 (07:39):
I'm to start another season here. Ah, I got a
lot of things to talk about. I'm just going to
focus on one thing I haven't just heard too much,
you know, people talking about. I know they're probably not
trying to overload the new quarterback here. Of course, he's
a rookie, and I think they're just going to try to,
you know.
Speaker 6 (07:57):
Stick with him to farm the playbook and used to
the speed of the game. One thing that's bothered me though,
is the throwing motion and how low the ball seems
to come out sometimes. It seems as though he's looking
for open lane in between the offensive linemen and getting
the ball through them instead of going over the top.
For being able to go over the top, and I
(08:18):
know they're in the playbook, speed of the game, and
then changing mckennit, it's a lot to put on on
a rookie quarterback. I think that'll be the next step
that they do going into next season, to get that
over the top throwing motion, but having that low point
of release. I think that's what I was drawing the
picks in practice, especially with Cody Barton the middle linebacker
(08:41):
getting a lot.
Speaker 5 (08:42):
Of those sticks.
Speaker 6 (08:42):
I think that has to go hand in hand. Hopefully
that's something they could work on.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Over the season, because I could see a lot of
pit balls. So I'll see what you have to say
about that.
Speaker 8 (08:50):
I'll talk to y'all.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Next week, all right, Section three thirty four. Appreciate that
very much.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Yeah, they're not going to mess with that throwing motion
early on, I promise you. You know, all the years
I've been in the league, I've head quarter back with
all kinds of different arm angles they throw from you
can you can you can you just you just footwork,
you just tying the lower body to the upper body.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
But you don't.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
You don't mess a whole It's like a it's like
a picture. You don't mess a whole lot with that,
with that upper body, that upper upper body motion. Uh,
the guy's got a very quick release, I know that,
and he gets it out, he gets it out, He
gets it out really really quick. That's going to be
the key, regardless of where that arm angle is. And
so the thing that has to happen, first of all,
that has to go on with those two with those
(09:32):
tip passes that that you have during practice. Look, they're
used to practice it against one another. The other thing
is is you really don't put a defense in any
kind of of preseason practice in a fifty to fifty
strut situation where they have to play run in pass equally,
you just that just doesn't happen. It's mostly pretty much
programmed either either run or pass. That that part of
(09:54):
it doesn't bother me. The thing that that that that
I that I have always been with with developing a
you younger quarterback, he is is he seeing the field correctly?
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Is he seeing the field on time?
Speaker 3 (10:04):
And what's his timing like, That's the first thing you
got to look at and mac.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
This week and going forward right now, for cam Ward,
it's all about operating things and allowing him to have
things that he's the most comfortable in and working from
there this base stuff that he is comfortable with, and
that's what they've been working on for the last couple
of weeks certainly, and bits and pieces coaching staff wise
(10:29):
for months.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Well, this is this is a rookie quarterback. Regardless of
where you're picked. A rookie quarterback is a rookie quarterback,
and so there's going to be there're going to be
growing pains. The thing that also, you have to be
able to navigate the speed of the game navigate the
speed of the game, navigate the environment. All of those
types of things are different now, and you can go
through as much preseason as you want, but none of
(10:51):
that is predictive as far as to what the really
is like in a ball game. I mean, I've lived
it and I can just tell you that that speed
in a National Football League game, that's for real. It's
so much different than anything else that these rookies have
ever experienced. So every experience will be new, but every
experience will be a learning experience too, and this guy's
proven that he learns pretty quick. So that's what I'm
(11:14):
looking forward to.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
And the speed of the show is going by very
fast as well. As we go back to the phone,
six point five seven three seven one four to five,
James and Ashlyn City, you are on with coach Mack.
Speaker 7 (11:24):
What's up, hey, Coach Matt. First of all, before I
get into my question, I want to congratulate you on
your horn Fogs did victory last night over mister coach Trupp.
That's a good day for your horn Fogs.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Yeah, how about that, James, I'll tell you what. My
phone battery just about ran out last night. All the
people that were blowing me up during that ball game.
I still got pretty close ties to down there in
Fort Worth.
Speaker 7 (11:47):
Well, well, I can imagine. But my question is a
little complicated. I'm going to start off by saying, obviously,
when a team picks number one overall, they were a
bad team the year before. My question is when you're
at bad time the year before and you picked number
one overall and you pick a quarterback as a rookie
as opposed to picking a quarterback and at the very
(12:08):
end of the first round, that tends to say the
team is a little bit better and that scenario during
your coaching career, would you say that it's better for
the coach to sit the player that doesn't have the
pieces around him if he's taken first all overall, and
let somebody with more experience play, or would you be
more into the idea of just throwing him out there
(12:30):
to the woods, to the wolves and let him play
and just you know, with less talent around him. I
guess this is what I'm trying to say, is is
that there are some teams that do that, some that don't.
I would just like you to talk about your personal
experience in the NFL on your approach as a coach
on when to start a rookie quarterback and when not to.
And I'll hang up and listen.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Appreciate it, James, Thank you nice James. Look, it depends
on the circumstances. I mean, the Titans needed needed a quarterback.
And in this day and age as fast as as
fast as the things flip in this day and age, Basically,
if you don't have a viable quarterback, a viable quarterback,
you know, a guy that that that you can win
ball games with, that can keep you in ball games,
(13:13):
that doesn't make the huge mistakes. If you don't have
a viable quarterback in this day and age, the National
Football League really what you've got to highly paid rugby team.
So you've got to have that guy that's playing that position.
It's important to have a dealer. You got to have
a dealer. And now how do you how do you
how do you how do you teach a dealer? Your
your leash is not as long as it used to
(13:33):
be when I first got into the league. I mean
coaches had had a longer leash. Clearly, players coming in
the league. There was no free agency, there was no
salary cap. You had time to develop quarterbacks. Now, your
development has to be has to be sped up. The
things that you can do, Uh, you've got to be
able to surround as much as possible with some help,
(13:55):
especially with the offensive line. Give your young quarterback that
kind of help, and then know everything is not going
to be perfect, and you have to have the cooperation
of the front office, knowing it's going to take some
patience with a young quarterback, that development's going to take time.
So those types of things have changed, and you're right.
Sometimes if you put a quarterback in just a completely
(14:18):
unlivable situation early on, it depends on how you handle them,
and it depends on how much you put on them
and how much you don't put around them. I think
most teams now in this day and age, realize that
if you take a quarterback there, you're going to have
to surround him with some help, knowing that your leaseh
is shorter, his lease is shorter, and so you try
(14:40):
to you try to up that development, but still there
is no teacher there.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Like time on task.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Time on task is extremely important and so the only
way you can really learn how to.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
Do it is you've got to do it.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
The Titans are back on the football field this Sunday
against the Denver Broncos. Coverage begins at noon with countdown
to get off Far Bureau Health Plans Titans countdown at two,
and then kickoff of Titans and Broncos from Denver that
is at three oh five with Taylor Zarzer and coach Mack.
Got a question, Mac is ready to go? Six point
(15:13):
five seven, three seven, one, four to five. Let's talk
about the opponent, the Denver Broncos.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Mac.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
The Broncos finished last year ten and seven, third place
in the AFC West Division. In twenty twenty five, Mack,
they return every offensive and defensive line starter from last season.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Yeah, well, they're the only team in the league that
did that.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
You know.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Before we start on them, I'd just like to.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Say, we've already had three great callers, and you've two
out of the three callers are calling about the quarterbacks.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
So that's what the focus is going to be.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Yes, this year, it's going to be it's going to
be on a young quarterback that was the number one pick,
and everybody's going to have to observe some patients. It's
not going to be perfect, but it's going to be progress.
And so everybody needs to keep that in mind. And
we had three great callers to start off MAC Talk
twenty twenty five, and that's what this program is for. Look,
(16:05):
this is a really, really tough opening test for the Titans.
Just as you mentioned, they're the only team in the league.
Denver is to bring back everybody, especially across where they
were so strong. They're very strong across both offensive and
defensive fronts. That's why Sean Payton has said this team
that he has right now put together in Denver has
(16:26):
a chance to be Super Bowl contenders. And I agree
with him after watching the tape, especially after watching the
tape and studying it from week ten on to this point,
he's got a very solid, very very solid argument for that.
And the strength of the offensive and defensive line has
a big part in that red.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Well and that offensive line for the Broncos, every one
of those guys ranked in the top five in pressures allowed,
and conversely, that defensive front that advanced Joseph operates. They
had the second highest overall pressure rate in the National
Football League last season and the second highest pressure rate
went only rushing four So they have invested heavily in
(17:09):
those things.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
And they have worked out quite well.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Let's just do a thumbnail of kind of the off
season comings and goings.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
They drafted running back RJ.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Harvey from Central Florida, wide receiver Pat Bryant from Illinois.
Defensive Back Jade barn of Texas was the first pick
and expected to be the nickel corner in that so
he'll go in that secondary with Patrick Sartain, who was
the defensive player of the year. They bolster a good
Vance Joseph defense with LSU Saveon Jones and Alabama's Q
(17:38):
Robinson in the later rounds, and then a free agency
added Tallanoga Hufonga from the forty nine ers trade Greenlaw
also and tight end Evan Ingram, running back JK. Dobbins.
All of those pickups in free agency. They've built this
thing from the inside out and that's why things are
currently where they are arrow pointing up.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Well.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
They had a very good ending to the year last year,
and as you said, those additions, those additions have strengthened
this football team and they've built depth.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
This team has got.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
This team has got not only starters across the front,
now they have good depth. As I say, this is
one of the this is one of the true teams
that that that over time has been built the right way.
And and Sean Payton. I've coached against Sean a lot
of a lot of years in this league, and I
know the way that he builds teams. I know the
way that he operates his his offense. Vancy Joseph, I'm
(18:28):
very familiar with his defense. You know, We've shared a
lot of defensive talks over the years.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
They're built correctly.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
And so as I said, And plus, that environment up
there at Denver is a real environment that you have
to overcome as a visiting team. I've coached a lot
of games up there as on the opposing sideline, and
so all of those factors are going to be really big.
And plus just the excitement of the opening week that
we've talked about, it's really magnified up there.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Yeah, point is valid.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
They didn't pick it, but if they could have picked,
they couldn't have picked a tougher scenario of the Titans
with this west trip, mile high, raucous crowd elevation. And
we're getting about to outline the reasons why this is
a big, big deal and a tall task for the
Titans heading out West. So you mentioned briefly Vance Joseph.
He runs a five to two look and you you
(19:23):
mentioned it to me earlier today, a match zone defense,
plenty of weapons at his disposal. What does the Vance
Joseph defense do that could pose problems for cam Ward?
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Well, a lot.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
First of all, he's gonna Cam's gonna see things he's
never seen. They're going to present him with either a
two shell or all up. Normally, with a five man
front you can bring everybody up and then bail him out.
He's going to see things that he hasn't seen. The
uh you know, I've taught match zone in my coaching career,
and you have to have. First of all, you have
to have very savvy players with a match zone because
(19:55):
it's important to be able to read splits.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
It's important to.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Be able to read pre snap that what may be
coming out because you're basically taking a zone drop, but
you're matching man to man with people come into your zone,
but you have to be able to pass them off.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
So what they're going to do When you somebody is.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
Really proficient at playing matching zone, then the windows become
very very small to throw in.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
That's going to be extremely extremely important.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
And then he's going to present things both both pre
and post snap that are going to be completely different,
you know, for for a rookie quarterback. I mean, that's
that's what defensive coordinators do. I spent a lot of
my career trying to discombobulate rookie quarterbacks, and so that's
what he's going to see. I mean, And as I
said that with one of our collars, you know, I said,
(20:41):
the only way that you can teach it and learn
it is you have to go through it. And there's
gonna be there's gonna be some some growing pains with that.
This is a group defensively that's just about as good
as they were advertised when you really stick the tape on.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
So it's going to be a huge, huge.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
First and second down success against a defense like this
is very big red because you can't afford to be
third and double digit with the chains against this defense,
with the minithing and play. They had sixty three sacks
last year. Now I can't count real high, but that's
really good.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
And so Rutherford County, I know I can't.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Yeah, So anyway, I mean, this is a defense that
if they can put you in that must pass situation.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
They can give you some problems.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Yeah, and you're right.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Sixty three sacks led the NFL in that category, and
thirteen and a half of them came from Nick Benito,
the linebacker who they bring up in that thing. And
I think he had eleven eleven games where he had
at least one sack in last season.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
But I want to.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Ask you about one of cam Ward's friends in all
of this, and that's wide receiver Calvin Ridley and the
reason I brought it up. The coordinators were made available
today and Nick Holts, the offensive coordinator of the Titans,
was asked about Calvin Ridley and his his distribution, if
you will, and how this works. He said, he's gonna
move Ridley around. Is Patrick Sir ten the match guy
(22:10):
that follows him?
Speaker 4 (22:11):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
I mean, Patrick certain is Defensive Player of the year, right, correct?
Speaker 1 (22:16):
And Riley Moss is the other guy, And I'm just
I'm wondering, does he follow him around?
Speaker 2 (22:20):
How does that work? Well, I guess we're gonna have
to find out.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
You will have to find out. I mean, but if
we do, if they if they if they choose to
do that, and it's one on one.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Well, then Covin Redley has to win, all right, if
they if they don't choose to do that, if they
choose to double Cavin Ridley, then whoever gets the one
on one has to win because each team only gets
eleven players. And so I mean the numbers. That's the
way the numbers work out, and so they will find out.
That's what we'll find out early on in this ballgame,
as far as to how they're going to match up.
(22:51):
And so then that's when you start. That's when you
go to work. Is when you find out, because you
really you think you might know, but you don't know
until you find out. And that's what those first fifteen
plays or four, both offensively and defensively is to find
out how your opponent is matching your personnel, how they
are adjusting to your motion, how you adjust to their motion.
All those things you find out in the first fifteen
(23:14):
and then you settle into the game plan.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
All right, let's flip to what the Titans defense and
Denard Wilson's squad will look at in this and the
genesis of it obviously is second year men and quarterback
Bo Nicks. He looks to build off of a very
solid rookie season thirty seven hundred and seventy five yards passing.
But Mack he's more dangerous because he is a threat
(23:38):
to run and has done it well.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Oh yeah, I mean he's he's got I mean, you've
got the numbers there for how much he's run.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Ninety two carries, four hundred and thirty yards, four point
seven of carry, six runs of twenty plus yards last year,
and four rushing touchdown.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
So what that means you have to do is somewhere
within your defensive game plan, you're gonna have to plus
one it, and plus one means you're gonna have to
have somebody available for him if they choose to start
making him a runner. And if they choose to start
making him a runner, the other thing that has to
happen is depending on how many you rush, He's made
a lot of those runs escaping up through the A
and the B gap, and so you're gonna have to
(24:13):
be very disciplined in your rush on him. And so
you've got a dual threat quarterback that really started coming
on at the end of the season.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
And again you've got a guy.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
That struggled a little early as a rookie, but then
came on really strong at the end. I know Sean
Payton of called defenses against Sean's offense, the first fifteen
gives you a lot of challenges because what Sean is
going to do, he's going to give you different personnel groups,
and he's going to give him without any rhyme or reason.
Early on, he's checking to see how your matchup is
(24:45):
going to be against the personnel, He's going to run
various motions. The one thing I do know is you
can't chase two things against his offense. You can't chase
calls in other words, trying to try to make up
for a call that's just happened. And you can't chase motion.
You got to surround his motion because the double motions
that he's going to give you are just are going
(25:06):
to be to try to get you out of position.
So you've got to have a plan where you can
surround the motion and you can be waiting for on
either side as to where it comes out. So, especially
the first fifteen plays are going to be very important
for the Titans offense to be able to gather information.
You're gathering information from those first fifteen to find out
(25:26):
how he's going to settle in to your.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Point, Bo Nickson.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Week eighteen last year, Chiefs rested most of the starters
because they were a big seed in the playoffs. But
he started eighteen straight completions in Week eighteen. It's an
NFL record for a rookie quarterback.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Yeah, and again, as you said, the Chiefs are resting people,
you know, for that ball game. So basically what you had,
you know, it wasn't quite a preseason look, but it
wasn't you know, it wasn't the dudes correct, Okay, but
his running ability and his and look Sean has made
makes completions very available to his quarterbacks because he doesn't
(26:03):
throw it very long for quite a while. Now, once
they sayle in, then if you start having to move
up to take care of all those motions I talk about,
you have to move up because he wants to run
the football.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
That's why they added those two backs.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
He wants to run the football behind a really good
offensive line. So when he does that, if you can
run the football, then you can dictate coverage to the defense.
Once you dictate coverage, then you can start attacking it deeper.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
All right, So let's talk about his aerial weaponry in
this so I mentioned they added Evan Ingram in free
agency and Evan Ingram since twenty twenty three nine hundred
and fifty seven receiving yards when aligned in the slot position,
So that tells you that, but that already goes with
(26:49):
all right, So Courtland Sutton is the main guy Marvin
MEM's returns as receiver number two. He's also kicking punt returner.
Devon Velle was the other guy in that rotation. He
was recently traded. So Troy Franklin, second year guy, also
teammate of his at Oregon, And so Marvin MEM's, Franklin,
(27:10):
Sutton and Ingram are those main when they light up
eleven personnel that he has options to get to.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Right and he's going to have special routes for each
one of those guys.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
But Sutton is the dude.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
He's the dude. He's a due that they paid, He's
a dude. It's a bigger unit. As a receiver out there,
it's a challenge, and it's a challenge because he schemes
them open quite a bit. If he can run the football,
that's the key is I mean, anytime I've ever played
Sean Pateon. You've got to be able to stop his
running game so he can't dictate coverage.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Yeah, Cortland Sutton eighty one catches for nearly eleven hundred
yards and a handful of touchdowns. And by the way,
those top three receivers last year in Sutton Vale and
Marvin Men's all averaged over eleven yards per catch, and
the two dudes at two and three there had about
forty catches apiece an average.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
But at Courtland's and a lot of.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
A lot of that yard has read it's catch and
run correct, it's catching run because of the way that
that they come off. I've just played this, I've just
coached against this offense too many years.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
You know that old saying cam Ward hasn't seen the
elephant yet. That was an old you know, for for
young soldiers going into war and they hadn't seen a
battle yet. They'd say he hadn't seen the elephant. Cam
Ward hadn't seen the elephant yet. But he will on Sunday,
Yeah he will.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
I mean, it's this is a major major in doctrination
into the National Football League.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
All right, So good conversation and breakdown there of the opponent,
the Denver Broncos.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
We remind you that game is We're Titan.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Radio coverage on the network is two o'clock with Farm
Bureau Health Plans, Titans countdown, then Taylor's Arsari Mac have
the call at three oh five. At three oh five kick,
I believe noon is when coverage begins here on the zone.
When we continue, we're going to take a look around
the skilled of week one in the National Football League,
and of course get coach Max Keys to a victory
(29:06):
in Denver.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
And as I say, I've got a Ford dealership in
my family, and I can say that with all impunity,
these people are outstanding.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
They really are.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
I mean, the things that they've done, and also real
quick were i'd like to give a shot. I mean,
people are text messaging me so much right now about
that they're listening to the show. But we've got a
real good friend of this show that I had dinner
with this week. I hadn't seen him quite a while,
a good friend of yours, Craig Nance, the great American.
Craig Nance is one of the best human beings there
(29:35):
for a lot of reasons. And he's Texas US in here.
He and Duke Turnbow and several of us got together
for dinner that we're all busy and don't get to
see each other a lot.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
So I want to give all.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
Of those people and thanks for everybody for texting in here.
Mac talks off and running again this year.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
All right, So Week one of the regular season schedule
starts Thursday night.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
It's an NFC East matchup at the.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Dallas Cowboys are at the philladel Offia Eagles on NBC
seven to twenty kick.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
And there is no Micah Parsons. He is a Green
Bay packer.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
Philadelphia's loaded.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
When you really just start looking at rosters across the league,
Philadelphia is loaded. We've talked about how you know, how
Denver seems to have built theirs up.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
You know pretty well.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
I mean there's a legitimate team. Uh, but the Eagles,
when you start going not only through the starters, but
too deep and sometimes three deep at spots, especially defensively,
they're loaded.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Their general manager, Howie Roseman, is a wheeler dealer.
Speaker 3 (30:38):
Well, they've had time to build.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
It, and it's just they done a really good job.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
And so I mean, you know, I've been in this
league for thirty nine years and when someone's good, you
recognize it.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Can you imagine if they had a ninth part to
the Cowboys' documentary on Netflix that encapsulates this trade, because
I can't imagine what sports looks like in Dallas at
stations like the ticket Well, I mean, yeah, I got
an idea. I mean, this is the biggest move Listen.
(31:12):
I like in this move because of the franchise that
he went to. It reminds me of the very first
coveted free agent in the Minister of Defense and Rensgie White,
and he was such a difference maker in what they
were building there. It eventually led to a world championship.
And you know, you're talking about a guy in Micah
(31:34):
Parsons who I think is the only other defensive player
of that stature to have what twelve sacks.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
In first four seasons or whatever.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
And then I think about, you know, the biggest trade
in Cowboys history when they sent herschel Walker to the
Minnesota Vikings for all of those picks that ended up
being all these selections they made in subsequent draft and
three world championships were born out of that. But that
was crazy to see all that unfold a week before
(32:05):
the regular season.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Yeah, I mean it was.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
It was a legitimate and the thing that made it
so unusual was trade within the division.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Yeah, all right.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
And then also on YouTube, this game is the Kansas
City Chiefs playing the Los Angeles Chargers in Sal Paolo, Brazil.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Yeah. Look, I've coached in played games in Berlin, played
games in Gutenburg, Sweden, playing games in London.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
I never been to South Polo, Brazil. That's gonna be.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
Interesting, absolutely. All right.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
Let's start with the Sunday slate here as some things
I have highlighted of interest. Obviously in the AFC South Division,
the Dolphins head to Lucas Oil Stadium for a noonkick
with the Indianapolis Colts and Daniel Jones is the quarterback.
Speaker 4 (32:54):
Yeah, that's very interesting.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Of course, you know, you go through the tragedy of
of losing your owner.
Speaker 4 (33:00):
I mean, that's a tragedy.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
And then of course, you know with the quarterback situation there,
it's going to be very interesting to see how everything
rebounds and flips up there at Indy and and in Miami.
Miami is not exactly running on smooth wheels right now either.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
No, and your point about jim irsay is the most
valid when you're talking about the Indianapolis Colts as a whole. Sure,
the man was the heart and the soul of there.
Wasn't a bigger cheerleader and owner. You know, you could
argue that with Jerry Jones. He thows him to a fault.
But Jim irsay, I don't know what this looks like
(33:35):
without him because he's been there in that town for
so long.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Yeah, well, we're getting ready to find out about that's
a big difference.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
I think his daughter, Carly Ersay Gordon, I think is.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
The one that is the the head of that family.
Now the Carolina Panthers head to Jacksonville to take on
the Jags.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Well again, first of all, the indian and Jacksonville opened
up home. So that's you know, that's that's always a
big help when you can when you can open at home,
and so.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Well, and you're talking about a new regime in Jacksonville
where a young wonder kind and James Gladstone as the
general manager in his early thirties, and then Liam Cohen
was going to stay and be the offensive coordinator and
then he Trent Valkey is ousted and he goes and
be's you know, he's the head coach of the Jags.
(34:27):
That was a crazy story in the off season. And
if he can unlock what they've been trying to unlock
in Trevor Lawrence with all these other things they've got
in that roster, that's a problem for the Titans and
everybody else twice a year in that division.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
Well, and as I say, that's big that they both
get to start at home.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Another NFC East Division game is at one o'clock one
eastern noonkick on Fox New York Giants.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
At the Washington Commanders.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Those games always intrigue me because that's such a crazy division.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Yeah, well, then that vision has been going on against
each other for a long long time. You've got a
lot of history when you start looking at the National
Football League of those teams playing one another. But Washington
right now, to me has the upper hand because they
they've got a pretty good group put together and you know,
they hit on a young quarterback that came on pretty
strong with that defense.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
They sure did.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
The Houston Texans are the only other road team in
the division. They are heading to so far to take
on the Los Angeles Rams for a three twenty five
kick on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
Well and the traveling clear across the country, So I
mean that that that should be advantage rams you know,
when somebody's traveling that far, you know, across the country.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
And Matthew Stafford, who's got a bad back for a while,
is cleared, looks like he will be the starter and
ready to roll out of the tunnel at so far.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
So that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Uh, Sunday Night football Baltimore at Buffalo.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Now there's a matchup.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Yeah, well that's that's when you when you say that
right there, Uh, that that that's physical football personified. That's
on both sides of it. So you're looking for a
rock'm soccer robot game there.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
And you talked about history and teams. You know this
one better than anybody. The Monday night game Minnesota at
the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
Yeah that that division was always a very very rugged division,
you know the ten years that I was in it,
and those those rivalries have been going on for a
long long time too, and so that's going to be
very very interesting as far as to see how that
all unfolds in Chicago right now, all right, in.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
Our last minute and a half or so, what are
coach Max keys to a Titans win, which would be huge,
and a west trip to Mile High Stadium against the
Denver Brock.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
You got to protect the quarterback number one. I mean
we've already talked about, you know how good they rushed
the pastor there in Denver and how much pressure they
put on passers last year with sixty you got to
you got to protect the quarterback. That's number one. The
second thing you got to be able to do is
you got to be able to surround the on this
offense and not be chasing it.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
And you've got to be able to.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Survive the first fifteen and figure out what he's trying
to do personnel wise. That's extremely, extremely big. And then
the next thing you've got to be able to do
is you've got to be able to control the run
game because playing Sean Payton, everybody always talks about Drew
Brees and how Sewn likes to throw the ball around.
That's after he can run it. And so you've got
(37:26):
to control the run game.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
With JK. Dobbins and RJ.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Harvey the rookie, I'm excited to see the Special Teams
face of this under John Fossil too.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Well, they just got to be consistent. That's what they
have to do right now. As you're consistent, I mean,
don't be expecting a trick play every play. That's not
what you're going to get. But what you've got to
get is consistency. And that's why Bones was hired, is
to give some consistency and some form and some function
to this special teams unit.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
Indeed, and there's coach Mack who you will hear this weekend.
Remind you that Tennessee heads to Denver this Sunday to
take on the Broncos at Empower.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Field at mild high.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Coverage begins right here Sunday at noon, than Titan's Countdown
is on the air at two.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Kickoff is at three oh.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Five with Taylor Zarzer and Dave McGinnis right here on
Titans Radio at the Flag chim Home. And for Ross
Johnston for producing tonight behind the Glass, appreciate that all
those great calls, that is much appreciated. Like Eric, we're
praying for you, brother. For coach Dave McGinnis, I'm read Brian.
We thank you for listening to Mac Talk
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