September 10, 2025 • 37 mins
Coach Dave McGinnis and Rhett Bryan team up for Mac Talk, breaking down the latest news and stories.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Week two of the National Football League regular season is
about to be underway on Thursday night for the Tennessee Titans.
They host the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday regular season
home opener at Nissan Stadium farm euro Health Plans. Titans
countdown starts at eleven, then kickoff officially set at twelve
oh two with Taylor Zarzer and the man that everyone
(00:22):
wants to talk to this hour, coach Mac Dave McGinnis,
who will take your phone calls in question six one, five, seven, three, seven,
one oh four to five Mac.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Week two.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Here it is, Well, it's on top of us, Rhett.
Week one. We wanted a different outcome than we got,
but uh we got that one. You got that outcome.
We didn't like it. So you got to you got
to move on to the next one. But you got
to you gotta get some stuff fixed. Yeah, you're right, Rhett.
And then that's the that's the that's the life of
(00:53):
the National Football League. Whether whether you have an outcome
that you like or you have an outcome that you
don't like, you've got to get ready. You got to
get ready for the next week. But you can't go
in into the next week completely ignoring what happened in
the previous week.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yep, got to go through the car wash.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
And before we go start breaking down opponents and things
that happened, let's go to the phones.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Eric in Nashville, you're up first. Hello, good evening.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Hey guys. First of all, fark just started. You know,
last week was not too good of a week for me.
Not only did the Titans lose, but I find out
next morning my rents six to one book. So it
is what it is. It's unfortunately the coast live and
then everything in the world. Today's why that's happening. But
we won't get into that. Coach Mac, I got to say,
(01:41):
I love the machanisms.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
My favorite word used on the Rada podcast.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Last week's pig iron. I remember that word that always
got to be used, that word describing the London style
when you mentioned that. As far as the game this week, guys,
I'll tell you what. I think we're gonna play a
lot better. I got feeling against the Rams. I'm not
saying we're gonna win. I don't know about that. I've
heard like six and a half seven point favorite. I'm excited.
I'm going to be there Sunday with my Titans guard
(02:07):
and my poncho first game of Got to Ward since
I got Life's Christmas. I know a lot of people
are gonna be in just being asked the questions about it,
but I just can't wait to wait on Sunday. Course
that's why I get off my question is because I
know I'm gonna let other people talk about other things,
because there's a couple other issues that they'll probably talk
about that game Sunday. But my main thing I wanted
to talk about was the penalty. It's just so frustrating
(02:29):
because we've heard talk that we need to stop quick
doing that, and it seems like we shoot us us
foot over and over again. It's like we may take
one step forward and it takes two steps back where
we have positive plays called back because the penalty is
either like the cam would run or right it was
second or short back to five yards and then Tony
Pollard fumbles. My question concerning that coach is is it
(02:50):
more on the players? Is it more on the coaches
the penalties or do you think it's kind of both.
It's more kind of like fifty to fifty. Just want
to get your thoughts on that guys looking forward to
tighten up Gold Titans and we'll talk to do So.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Hey, Eric, before he answers your question, before you jump off,
you talked about this, this poncho you've got.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Uh have you seen the forecast for Sunday? Just curious.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
I know it's supposed to be restly hot ninety six degree.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah, well it may be flirting with one of the
hottest games at Nissan Stadium. So I just I want
you to make sure that you hydrate.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Okay, I'll do that.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
I may be there, but during the game I may
take it off there week, I don't want one of
the things I don't want to do. If I get
me something to eat, I don't want to spill no
food on it there. I've so far been able to
keep it clean. So when I went, I make sure
I take it off when I sit down to inc
I don't want to spell anything on it.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
All right, now we're talking, all right, Eric, he's gonna
aswer your question.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Appreciate the call.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Well, Well, penalties come in several different categories. First of all,
competition penalties. I mean, in the course of competition, you
can't look you're not going to take the aggressiveness out
of your players. But you're talking about holding those types
of things, you don't want to do it. You're talking
about illegal hands with the cornerbacks. You don't want to
(04:06):
take away their aggressiveness. But competitions penalties as a coach
never bothered me. It's the unforced errors and the personal
foul penalties. If you have any of those, those are
the ones that bother you because you have complete control
or the mental errors you've got completely a lot of times.
You know, the officials have control over the competition penalties,
(04:29):
You as a player have control over anything that happens
as far as assignment penalties. If you have assignment penalties,
if you have false starts, any of those types of things,
that's something that you have to individually be able to
take care of. Now, if you're having trouble with a noise,
if you're having if you're having trouble with a silent count,
(04:50):
then you need to take care of that as a group.
But penalties come in different in different categories. As I said,
the penalties that you commit during competition never bothered me
as a coach. I never wanted to take the aggressive
does away from my players. But the rest of it.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
You can control that good answer, and you're right, because
there are different levels of penalties, and there are ones
that are in the heat of the moment in the battle,
and then the others. He agreed, just ones when you
let the teapot boil over, so to speak. All right,
let's go back to the phones here, Roy and Pulaski.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
You're on, Hey, what's up?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Guys?
Speaker 6 (05:28):
What's up?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Coach?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Hey? Royal?
Speaker 6 (05:31):
A couple of things. I always try to find something
good with the laws, wanted special teams. All looks like
he knows what he's doing. We look like we've got
a tour, you know.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (05:45):
Jacy Latham kind of curious. That's okay to him. Seemed
like that when he went out, you know, that line
might have quoted a little bit. Uh the defense to
me minus abilities, which is gonna happen. They will play
met with Simms defense on the road. And I think
those guys are going to be really good. And there's
(06:05):
one play I want to talk about, and I think
this kid is gonna be great. Uh, Gunner Am had
one catch sixty sixteen yards, gonna never catch. But they
said with the catch, I don't know, I'm gonna soundlide
to me. It looks like you said them the balls
paying to his chests, but his fans are kind of
flopped around. See what you thought about all that, and
then have a great week and tighten up all right.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Roy, appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Thanks Roy. Yeah, Well, look, you're right. When jac Lasam
went out, that's a problem for that offensive line. It
really is. He's been nursing that hip for a while.
I have no idea what the status of that of
that is. Uh that that that that that's bothersome. We
know that we're thin in that in that spot. Uh
(06:49):
your razor thin right now as far as the backups go.
So jac Latham once he went out of there, and
then especially against that defense, we talked all week last week.
I know you listened when and I were saying the
one thing that you had to avoid and stay out
of against that defense was third and double digits. I
mean you had to be able to move the chains
(07:10):
on first and second down. We did not do a
good enough job of that. We did a really really
poor job of putting ourselves in ideal situations, giving that
type of a defense a chance just to stick their
cleats in the ground. And be able to tee off.
So that stuff has to be cleaned up. But that's
(07:30):
you know, first and second down stuff is extremely important.
I think gunner Helm is going to be a good
player for us. The thing about gunner Helm is is
he's got a real feel for being able to find
open spaces and hopefully that you could get if you
could get to the point as to where you had
pretty clean pockets all the time, you could probably get
(07:52):
him the ball a little bit more in those open spaces.
And I agree with you he could do some things
with it. As far as J. C.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Latham Roy, we won't really know a whole lot about that.
The first first injury report will come out about three
o'clock tomorrow, and those aren't indicative to what it looks
like towards the end of the week, so that'll just
be a fladible, long kind of thing. And I understand
your concern because we're going to get into it in
(08:19):
the next segment with what the RAMS defense is.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Pass rush doesn't ease up.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
I mean, they've got weapons everywhere in the world and
they've drafted a lot of them. You know, Jared Verse
and Braden Fisk, both from Florida State last year University
of Tennessee star Byron Young, who had a great game
against the Houston Texans. They have options there and so
they'll have to keep the Wolves away from the door.
I want to talk real quick about an opportunity I
(08:46):
got today in being able to tour new Nissan Stadium again,
so the second time I've done it. Did back in March,
right as I got back from the combine, and Titans
President and CEO Burke night Hill joined us on the
group and we went I think up to three hundred
four hundred level and down on the lower club level
(09:06):
and then to field level, which was way more expansive
than what we did the first time around because the
stadium hadn't been built that far along yet.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
And when I.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Tell y'all out there that this place is going to
be a world class facility, and you've heard everybody talking
about that, You've heard Burke Nye Hill say that it's
an understatement. This building is going to be something in
our backyard that everyone will want to come see, Come
see an event at whether it's a Titans game, best
concerts in the world, whatever it is, it'll happen here
(09:39):
and it is unbelievable, the progress that's being made.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
It's over half.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Completed the stadia pre formed concrete sections that are actually
the framework in the bowl that all of the seats
bolt down to. They're about sixty three percent complet We
found out today that seventy percent of the PSLs and
(10:06):
seats are already sold. There's all but six luxury suites
that are sold, way above what their projected estimates were.
In this and it is you can see it start
to take shape. Mac this the steel is going to
top out at its highest point about Thanksgiving it this year,
(10:27):
but this time next year the roof will be on,
it will be encapsulated, and then it will be hammered down.
Sixteen eighteen hundred workers around the clock getting all that
stuff finished up.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
But it is amazing.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
How can you show me some pictures that you took
and I mean it's this is a third stadium bill
that I've been involved in in my career, and it
just and every one of them. I mean, the technology
gets better, the I mean, the site lines get better,
the construction, I mean, it's amazing what you showed me.
It's going to look like I think it's going to
(11:00):
be something that is going to be pretty eye opening
once it gets done.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
The one stat that they said when they rolled out
this plan and started talking about it was gonna break ground,
is that everyone in the stadium. First of all, I
can see already from today there's not a bad seat
in the house. But it was thirty eight percent closer
to the play of field of play. I could see
that more clearly than ever today. It hugs that field
(11:29):
and just anything that happens there, Titans game or whatever,
you're gonna be right on top of it. And then
the seventy thousand i think square feet of led, the
ring of fire as they call it, in these giant
jumbo trons in the corners of the You're gonna be
immersed in the experience.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
It is something else.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Yeah, those pictures, those pictures you showed me today were
very impressive.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
It's awesome. All right, here's what we're gonna do. We're
gonna take our first break. Chris in California. I know
you're listening. I know you have a question. We will
come to you as soon as we get back on
the other side of this break. And the Los Angeles
Rams come to town and coverage begins right here on
one oh four to five the zone at nine with
the League company countdown to kickoff, then Farm Bureau Health
Plans Titans count down at eleven and kickoff officially set
(12:13):
for twelve O two From Booth seven Titans Radio Booth,
Taylor Zorzer Coach Mac Dave.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
McGinnis got a question. Coach Mack is here.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
And ready to go six one five seven three seven
one four five. Chris in California has been patiently waiting. Hello,
you're on with coach Mack.
Speaker 7 (12:28):
What's up, gentlemen, Good afternoon, good evening. How are we good?
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Good Chris, thanks for calling in.
Speaker 7 (12:36):
Yeah, and Coach, I'll absolutely wait for you. You're you're
more than worth it. I uh I gotta say my
you actually met my son who's five, and he he
thinks to you as like the godfather of all Titans things.
So it's it's absolutely But uh, I really love your
your you know, leave the coach sneak in your pocket.
And i'd love your opinion on confidence in Coach Callahan
(12:56):
because I'm I'm an old school guy and I like
to back my guys. But it's it's getting a little
hairy here. I mean, if you right, guys, you gonna
for it. I'd love to hear your opinion. Love the
show and thanks.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Chris, appreciate the call.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Well, the thing that you have to have is is
the thing that that engender's confidence in a coach. UH.
I learned this pretty quickly, you know when I first
started from some really really good head coaches that I
work for, UH, and then I tried to I tried
to take that with me throughout my coaching career. The
thing that that that because players don't think you're going
(13:32):
to be right all the time, what they want you
to be is honest with them, I mean, and that's
that's and that's the key because as a coach, you're
gonna you're gonna make some good decisions, and you're gonna
make some decisions that you wish you had back. But
the thing that you have to do, just like you
do when you go over film evaluation with the whole team,
you got to evaluate yourself and if if you do
(13:53):
make a mistake, you need to own it. You need
to own it and step up and say, look that
was on me, that was on me, It wasn't on you, guys.
And so I think as long as he's honest with
his players, they will they will have confidence in him.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
All right, good question, good answer, Banks, Chris.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Yes, thank you, Chris, appreciate you calling. And let's go
back to section three thirty four. You're on MAC talk. Hello, sir, gentlemen,
what what's the inspection to thirty four?
Speaker 8 (14:28):
All right, y'all do it in the night man. That
was That was a frustrating game right there. I mean,
usually when you get that many turnovers in the NFL,
usually win, usually win. This team just still doesn't know
how to win. But I can think of a few
reasons why. But I think one thing I'd like to
see Kim wore to grow on is it seems like
(14:50):
whenever the past burst was coming and it was moving
the pocket back, he kept going backwards with it. Hence
the amount of of loft yard sacks. There was a
few times where whenever that happens, they're like a little
lane opens up for someone to run through, kind of
like Moses spreading the sea, if you will. I saw
(15:11):
that a few times. I didn't see him take advantage
of it. I know he's not known for his rushing skills.
He's more of a statue quarterback.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
If you will.
Speaker 8 (15:18):
If you look at his college stats and such, they
can only have exact two yards rush, if you will.
I think the sext game, I think he's going to
see some intense cash rush from like you know, Byron
Young in first and I think those opportunities are gonna
come up. I think he needs to take advantage of
his opportunities and take up in those lanes. Anything else
(15:39):
that you all see that you can work on, I'd
like to hear about it.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Thank ya next week, Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Yeah, the issue, the issue with that rush. First of all,
it that really doesn't matter what kind of rush you're
getting in the National Football League, you cannot as a
quarterback escape out the back of the pocket and then
try to circle the defense. There's just you don't have.
No there's only two quarterbacks really section three thirty four
(16:03):
that I've ever coached defense against that could escape out
of the back and then circle the defense. Okay, Michael
Vick was one of them, and then Randall Cunningham was
the other one, and there it is nobody. You can't
do it because you just don't have the speed. Especially
you don't have the speed to make up liuterly the
angles you're going to have to cut to get around
(16:25):
a defense in the National Football League. The other issue is,
and Rett and I talked about this last week. I'm
sure you heard us, is that you had to stay
out of that defense had sixty three sacks last year
and one of the biggest ways they did it was
they would get people in thirty double digits and then
put five or six on the line of scrimmage. As
(16:46):
to where there are no A and B gaps. Every
gap is covered with a rusher because they're rushing man
one on one man a man. There are no A
and B gap escapes against that kind of rush. But
the only way they can get that kind of rush
on you is if they have third and double digits
and you can play the type of coverage that you
can play, You can play off on the sticks, and
(17:07):
then they can just NASCAR rush you up front with
five or six people that take away those types of gaps.
So the biggest issue is you got to know that
if they're coming like that, the ball's got to come
out very quickly. But there is no escape in the
National Football League latterly from a good rushing team because
(17:29):
they've just got too much speed. He's got to learn that,
and I'm sure that was a pretty good lesson that
he learned there in Denver.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
The other part of it too, in fairness to Cam
and you're right, he cannot escape out of the back
of the pocket. But a couple of those situations he
was missing his starting right tackle in JC Latham, and
it just kind of added to all of what you
just said. That kind of added I don't know, I
don't know what the words I'm looking for, but you
(17:58):
know what I'm saying. That was another layer to it
in this well.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
The biggest problem was is there they were not They
were getting to a point where they didn't have success
on first and second down right and the third and
double and third and double digits. Is it's going to
be dangerous this week too, against this against this football
team we're playing. You just you just got to be
able to play the chain game. You have to do it.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Too many times in the game we heard Tator call
third and thirteen. It's third and seventeen. Once was what
third and twenty four or twenty six? I mean, there's
you don't have any play in the playbook for that.
It doesn't you know, you're behind, you're behind the sticks.
As you always say, let's go back to the phone.
It's got a lot of calls tonight. I appreciate that,
and I know Mac does too. Striker, you're on Coach
(18:42):
Mac with Mac Talk with Coach Mack. I'll get it
out in a minute.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Striker, what's up, Coach Mac?
Speaker 9 (18:48):
Question? Well, a bit nuanced. If you look at that
game plan, I'm wondering how you would have run the
end of the game given the thin oxygen in Denver
and it looking like receivers on the Titans squad were
getting gased at the end of that game, And I'm
(19:10):
just wondering whether or not they might have been calling
the right place. But the players didn't have the gas
in the tank.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Well, conditioning wasn't a problem up there. I've taken a
lot of teams up there. The altitude is a way
overblown issue up there. It never does bother you. You're not.
When I was a head coach at at Arizona, Arizona,
we trained in Flagstaff, Arizona, which is even higher, you know,
(19:40):
seventy two hundred feet. It's even higher than Denver is
And the only way that altitude has an effect on
if you're there for an extended period of time, because
you know, did all kind of Olympic studies with that
when I was up there, because I took a team
up there for training camp for three and a half
four weeks, so I wanted to know so that that
was that The issue. The biggest issue was is with
(20:03):
the receivers is there were too many drops. I mean,
the ball was dropped too many times, and early in
the game, middle of the game, late in the game.
Because there's several of those throws. I think we're very
much on target. So I think they would have looked
a lot, a lot fresher if they'd have caught those passes.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Back to the phones, we go, David and Lebanon. Welcome
to mac Talk. You're on with coach Dave McGinnis.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
The man of Knowledge.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
How David, how you doing, brother?
Speaker 5 (20:36):
I am well living it up here in the great
town of Lebanon. Coach Mack, I got a question. I
love football, but I might not be as smart on
this question with it. Even in the start of the season.
Can you bring in an offensive coordinator to help him
with the plays and stuff?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Well, now, not at this point. I mean they've got,
you know, they got a lot of offensive they've got
a lot of offensive coaches. You know, I don't I
don't think that you know that, I don't think that's
in the card. That that to me is not in
the cards. I mean, there clearly has to be there,
you know, everybody, once you lose a ball game, everybody
(21:19):
has to take ownership of their part in not being
successful in that ballgame. But I don't think that it's
in the cards that they're going to bring somebody else
in on the offensive side of the ball right now, Dave, So.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
You've been called the man of knowledge, but I think
my favorite moniker i've heard so far, as our caller,
Chris from California, called you the godfather.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Of all things Titans.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
I kind of like that for you. Our callers are
very Our callers are very very good. They're very complimentary,
and you know how much you and I both just
appreciate talking to them. So that's why we agree to
do this show, so that we could we could talk
to and take all matter of calls. That's right, you know,
somebody else that deserves some of the credit, in fact,
(22:03):
a lot of the credit on that. First of all,
you're seeing what bones Fossil can bring. Oh my, but
the blocking, the blocking was as good as I've seen
in this new setup. The way that it's set up
to the different kickoff rules now, the way it's set up,
the blocking and the scheme that he had on that.
When you watch, you watch the scheme, you know it
(22:23):
was a little bit of a misdirection scheme. The blocks
were laid perfectly on the side to give him a
chance and then he's got some real speed. But that
whole kickoff return unit deserves a huge amount of credit
for that long return.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
The whole special Team's phase really deserves credited as the
Service Award winners of the week because you mentioned John
Fossil and just what a pretty much straight up oneint
eighty in improvement that that phase has done under his
tutelage and the fundamentals and the things that are happening there.
But with all of the dudes involved, I mean, John
(23:00):
Hecker just punting the you know what out of it
directionally and doing so well, Joey slide bombing it, and
the steady hand of Morgan Cox as the snapper.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
In this and then your gunners.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
I mean, look at what Van Jefferson, and you know
Bryce Oliver just screaming down there. They helped force one
of those four turnovers in this A lot of good
stuff you see in that phase.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Well, I mean, and again this is I mean, I
knew what to expect when Bones was hired here because
you know, I was with Jeff Fisher when we hired
him at the Rams, hired him away from the Raiders.
He's as good as there is in the league, and
he gets those players to buy into it. But he's
also got really really good ideas. But the main thing
he is is he's consistent. He's consistent in his meetings,
(23:45):
He's consistent the way he presents it. And then if
he sees if he sees something that he can exploit,
he usually has a pretty good idea of how to
work on it during the week. That's exactly what I
was expecting when Bones Fossil took that thing over all.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Right, let's talk about the Los Angeles Rams for a minute.
They had a big win at sofar and not in
the typical fashion because everybody talked about the offense and
what that's been. But they've bolstered this defense with pick
after pick and free agent and It was a fourteen
to nine win over the Houston Texans, and they overloaded
(24:21):
different sides to pick on the tackle of their choice
Sprayden Fisk over on the right side Byron Young against
rookie tackle Ariante Urser and a safety blitz they had
it resulted in a sack.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
C J.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Stroud had his front to navigate in this. Texans gave
up twelve pressures. He was sacked four times in this,
and it was something to behold when you start looking
at what the Rams defense did in this. You know,
when you think about that, and we talked about the
(24:56):
pass rush and what cam Ward's going to see again,
they did all of that just on minimal rush not
near as many rushes as they saw and blitzes as
they saw.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Against the Broncos.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Now that that is on film, as you always say,
they're going to try to do the same thing to
cam Warden's offensive.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Yeah. Yeah, Well, once you put something on tape, either
good or bad, you know your opponent's going to look
at it pretty deep. And this defense that they've really
got a good they've got a good rush front, you know,
and I mean when you look at it, as you
already mentioned, Young and Fisk. I mean, we really love
those players, you know, coming out of Jared Verse as
(25:35):
good as there is, so anyway, it's a challenge. But
again I'll keep saying this. The Titans even last week
were in good shape when they could make yardage on
first and second down. You've got to be able to
move the chains on first and second down. I called
defenses for a lot of years in the National Football League,
and if I knew that somebody had to throw did
(25:56):
not have the option to run it, then there's a
lot of things I can do defensively to get to
your quarterback. So first and second down against any defense,
but especially those people that can really rush you, you've
got to be able to be successful on first and
second down.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
And that linebacking corp.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
They keep finding guys in the second level to play,
and they keep letting dudes.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Go in free agency or trades or whatever.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Landman ten tackles in that thing, Omar Spates right next
to him was right in the same neighborhood of that
Cameron curl back there. In the secondary, they've got guys
that are just and obviously it starts with what you've
just mentioned with who's upfront in this and how they're
able to make that, make those moves and affect changes.
(26:42):
And they actually made a change in their secondary. They
benched cornerback Darius Williams for Emmanuel Forbes and playing a
good amount of safety with Jalen McCullough. And that plan
worked because McCullough was able to score a third down
sack from a safe the alignment to kill a.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Red zone drive.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
And then here's the other part in that secondary, Nico
Collins only finished with three catches in twenty five yards.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Texans never found the end zone.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Yeah, so that's what they're up against Nico Collins is
because we face him twice a year. Yeah. Boy, this
is a legitimate defense in LA.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
It is offensively, you're talking about Matthew Stafford, who has
had his issues with his back this offseason. He's had
issues with his back for many years. It's just I
guess it's flared up more because he's thirty seven years old.
In this Pooka Akua the slot receivers where he lined
up more than he ever had in his career up
until the other day, and I think he ran a
(27:40):
little over forty four percent, eleven targets, ten catches one
hundred and thirty yards.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Chain Mover, Pooka Nakoua is the dude, and you're right.
Chain Mover's exactly right. And he's in the slot, so
they can move him around a lot, get the matchups
they want, and get the ball to him quick. He's
really good run after catch. He's very very strong. He's
a strong, strong player. So Pooka naku will will have
the uh. He'll have the attention of the secondary for
(28:07):
the Titans.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Tyler Higbee another option at tied end. Of course, they
have Devonte Adams, who has the most receiving touchdowns in
condensed formations since twenty twenty with.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Nineteen of those.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Kyron Williams out of the backfield as a workhorse, he's
someone you have to contend with. In fact, he was
the only running back in twenty twenty four to play
it over eighty percent of his team's offensive snaps. He
was an eighty two percent of the snaps Sunday in
that win over the Houston Texans.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
Well, offense is where Sean McVeigh made his bones, and
it's where he it's why he got a head coaching
job at a very young age, and so their offense
and especially I mean that's why they traded for Stafford.
They got a guy that is is veteran enough and
smart enough to run all the various formations and motions
and things that Sean deploys. They're going to be a handful.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
It's a one game sample size, but they're plus wanted.
Giveaway t takeaway twenty eight thirty five, time of possession
Titans twenty eight h four, third down percentage on offense
fifty three almost fifty four percent. That's tied for fifth
in the league. Again, only one game, but they're moving
the chains seventy two yards rushing a game to twenty
(29:19):
four through the air and on defense allowed one hundred
and fourteen yards rushing as a team against the Houston Texans,
and third down percentage twenty two point two percent. So
that's second right. I mean, they didn't let them do
anything right.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Well, I mean, as I said, you know, don't don't
get at twisted that they're just because the head coach
is an offensive coach. If they're just an offensive team.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Mac Before we get into the week two games. Week
one wrapped up with a bang last night in Chicago.
What a ballgame between the old Black and Blue Division
between the Vikings and the Bears.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
That was something, well, you never can I mean, you
got to play until the last minute in the National
Football League. I mean a great example was that last night,
because it looked like Chicago is going to run away
with that thing in the first half, and in the
second half it was all Vikings.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
JJ McCarthy after he threw the ball he'd love to
have back and it was a seventy four yard pick six.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
It's just like something switched in there and next thing
you know, he's hustling, he's moving, he's throwing, they're catching.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
It's wild and.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Chicago got very fickle, as they tend to do. Man,
they were getting rawcus there at the end of that
thing because here they had the lead that they did.
But it was a great way to end a really
good week one with a lot of competitive ball.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Those Bears fans are serious about it. I was there
for ten years, and I promise you we were winning
most of those years, so everything was great. When I
was head coach there for six hours, I didn't know
it for three That was interesting too.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
We should we should take a MAC talk one night
and get you to tell that story. It would take
the whole a good chunk of Mac talk to do it.
But Mac, if he ever writes a book, you'll want
to get a copy because he has got some stories
to tell between his time in Chicago to Arizona, to
the Titans, to the Rams and everything in between. All Right,
(31:21):
Week two in the National Football Leak starts on Thursday night,
Amazon Primes seven point fifteen kick the Washington Commanders at
the green Bay Packers. Somebody's going home as a loser
because both of them are one and zero.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
I like green Bay in this game. I like what
green Bay's doing right now. I mean, and Washington, I know,
was kind of the darling last year just because they
came from the bottom to the top. But the Green
Bay's kind of got it rolling right now.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Well, and it doesn't hurt. We talked about this last week.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
They trade for Micah Parsons a week before the regular
season begins ends, and it felt like in kind of
a way that they did back in nineteen ninety three
in the first wave of free agency for the first
time in getting the covetive free agent from the Eagles
in Reggie White.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
It had that kind of.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
Feel to it, and it was a tipping point that
ended up being a world championship for them.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
And he made himself aware and known like he was Russian.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
He was making the pocket a problem and it just
seems like he might be the tipping point for them
and not taking anything away from anybody else, but Jordan
Love is dealing, man, He is dealing.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Yeah. Well, and they had the luxury of Jordan Love
of having him sit for a few years too.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Yeah, he kind of worked out good.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
You didn't have to go through those the rookie trials
and tribulations that a lot of these quarterbacks have to
go through now just because they're taking number one, they
got to play.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
And they put weaponry around him too.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
Well, they've they've got they've got a good organization up there,
and they've got a good team. They've they have done
a nice job. And you're right, Michael Parsons. I mean,
he'll never be Reggie White, but he's he can.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
Pin his ears back and get it done.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
He can go yep. Uh.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
The Sunday slate at noon starts with Cleveland at Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
You know, well Baltimore. I mean they've got to be
sick to their stole.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
You know they're plenty mad, you will they know they.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Got to be sick because they you know, they had
a ball game and then Derrick Henry was having a
really nice game like he usually does and then a
big fumble cost him the ballgame.
Speaker 9 (33:32):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Jacksonville is at Cincinnati as it pertains to the AFC South.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Go Bengals.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
Uh yeah, go Bengals all the way. Let's see who
else AFC East. I always like these games, and man,
I don't know what's going to happen because of what
happened to both these teams, especially the Miami Dolphins, because
they host Mike.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Rabel and the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Well, I would say that the Dolphins need to strap
it up because you know how the New England is
going to come after him.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Oh there's blood in the water, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
Buffalo Bills, who had sneak who snatched victory from the
jaws of defeat in that game against Baltimore. They are
at New York to take on the Jets. Those again,
those games are always interesting to me. Denver is at
Indianapolis to take on the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium
and Daniel Jones put.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
On a show.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
Yeah, Indiana Jones.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Yes, Indiana Jones dropped.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Dropped a thirty burger on him, and we'll see how
this works out.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
Yeah, because I guarantee you the talk in Denver this
week is, yes, it was a win, but bo Nix
has to play much better than what he did.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
And credit to the Titans defense for.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
What they've got to travel though they've got that defense.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Oh boy, do they ever? Do they ever?
Speaker 1 (34:56):
And the other one, it's a doubleheader on Monday night football.
Tamp is at Houston to take on the to one
Texans at and RG Stadium.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Well, it's a good ball game. You know, we worked
when we were worked out against Tampa this year. I
really thought Tampa had a good ball club. So it's
going to be.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
Again Go Bucks, Yeah, all the way, one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
The other part of that doubleheader, the Chargers are at
Las Vegas to take on the Raiders. We will see
both of those teams later on in the season. So
in AFC West battle there.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Well, that quarterback keeps playing like everybody thought he was
going to play when he came out. Chargers are going
to be hard to handle.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Oh and by the way, on Sunday Night Football the Vikings,
who put on a show in the second half and
pulled away from the Bears last night. On Monday Night Football,
they host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, and
the Falcons have their own issues. They have an open
tryout for or an open competition for the kicking position.
They've signed a kicker today to battle with young Way
(35:58):
Coup and they have their own issues.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
People are working out their their kinks.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Uh in the wrinkles and everything that was Week one,
including the Tennessee Titans. So as we close up Mac,
what are Coach Mac's keys to the Titans getting in
the win column at Nissan Stadium Sunday.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Well, you got to protect the quarterback if you're gonna
throw it. I mean, you can't have tsunami rushes on.
You just can't. Can't be third and chains. You just
that that that cannot happen. You need to stay on
the plus side of the turnovers. They really have. They
got a good mindset right now with the turnovers. They've
got to do it. They won the field position metrics
last week, which usually has a pretty good chance you
(36:39):
win in the ball games, if you win the field
position metrics, which means you're getting the ball closer to
the opponent's goal line, you need to score touchdowns. I
mean that has to happen. You can't. I mean, we
got we got a we got a great we got
a great field goal kicker, but we need to score touchdowns.
Let him kick extra points.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
And you got to clean up the penalties.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
You can't look, you just look. And as I said,
we started this show off asking about penalties. The competition.
Penalies don't bother me. The other ones bother me.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
And we need more good stuff from the special teams
part of it. But yeah, more touchdowns than field goals.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
We remind you.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
The Titans host the regular season home opener against the
La Rams.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Sunday. Coverage begins at nine. Right here on one oh
four to five is Zonne.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
We're on an eleven with Titans Countdown, and at twelve
oh two it's Taylor's Arthur and coach Mac Dave McGinnis
on Titans Radio.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
For Coach Mac, I'm Brett Bryan
Week two of the National Football League regular season is
about to be underway on Thursday night for the Tennessee Titans.
They host the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday regular season
home opener at Nissan Stadium farm euro Health Plans. Titans
countdown starts at eleven, then kickoff officially set at twelve
oh two with Taylor Zarzer and the man that everyone
(00:22):
wants to talk to this hour, coach Mac Dave McGinnis,
who will take your phone calls in question six one, five, seven, three, seven,
one oh four to five Mac.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Week two.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Here it is, Well, it's on top of us, Rhett.
Week one. We wanted a different outcome than we got,
but uh we got that one. You got that outcome.
We didn't like it. So you got to you got
to move on to the next one. But you got
to you gotta get some stuff fixed. Yeah, you're right, Rhett.
And then that's the that's the that's the life of
(00:53):
the National Football League. Whether whether you have an outcome
that you like or you have an outcome that you
don't like, you've got to get ready. You got to
get ready for the next week. But you can't go
in into the next week completely ignoring what happened in
the previous week.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yep, got to go through the car wash.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
And before we go start breaking down opponents and things
that happened, let's go to the phones.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Eric in Nashville, you're up first. Hello, good evening.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Hey guys. First of all, fark just started. You know,
last week was not too good of a week for me.
Not only did the Titans lose, but I find out
next morning my rents six to one book. So it
is what it is. It's unfortunately the coast live and
then everything in the world. Today's why that's happening. But
we won't get into that. Coach Mac, I got to say,
(01:41):
I love the machanisms.
Speaker 5 (01:42):
My favorite word used on the Rada podcast.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Last week's pig iron. I remember that word that always
got to be used, that word describing the London style
when you mentioned that. As far as the game this week, guys,
I'll tell you what. I think we're gonna play a
lot better. I got feeling against the Rams. I'm not
saying we're gonna win. I don't know about that. I've
heard like six and a half seven point favorite. I'm excited.
I'm going to be there Sunday with my Titans guard
(02:07):
and my poncho first game of Got to Ward since
I got Life's Christmas. I know a lot of people
are gonna be in just being asked the questions about it,
but I just can't wait to wait on Sunday. Course
that's why I get off my question is because I
know I'm gonna let other people talk about other things,
because there's a couple other issues that they'll probably talk
about that game Sunday. But my main thing I wanted
to talk about was the penalty. It's just so frustrating
(02:29):
because we've heard talk that we need to stop quick
doing that, and it seems like we shoot us us
foot over and over again. It's like we may take
one step forward and it takes two steps back where
we have positive plays called back because the penalty is
either like the cam would run or right it was
second or short back to five yards and then Tony
Pollard fumbles. My question concerning that coach is is it
(02:50):
more on the players? Is it more on the coaches
the penalties or do you think it's kind of both.
It's more kind of like fifty to fifty. Just want
to get your thoughts on that guys looking forward to
tighten up Gold Titans and we'll talk to do So.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Hey, Eric, before he answers your question, before you jump off,
you talked about this, this poncho you've got.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Uh have you seen the forecast for Sunday? Just curious.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
I know it's supposed to be restly hot ninety six degree.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah, well it may be flirting with one of the
hottest games at Nissan Stadium. So I just I want
you to make sure that you hydrate.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Okay, I'll do that.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
I may be there, but during the game I may
take it off there week, I don't want one of
the things I don't want to do. If I get
me something to eat, I don't want to spill no
food on it there. I've so far been able to
keep it clean. So when I went, I make sure
I take it off when I sit down to inc
I don't want to spell anything on it.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
All right, now we're talking, all right, Eric, he's gonna
aswer your question.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Appreciate the call.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Well, Well, penalties come in several different categories. First of all,
competition penalties. I mean, in the course of competition, you
can't look you're not going to take the aggressiveness out
of your players. But you're talking about holding those types
of things, you don't want to do it. You're talking
about illegal hands with the cornerbacks. You don't want to
(04:06):
take away their aggressiveness. But competitions penalties as a coach
never bothered me. It's the unforced errors and the personal
foul penalties. If you have any of those, those are
the ones that bother you because you have complete control
or the mental errors you've got completely a lot of times.
You know, the officials have control over the competition penalties,
(04:29):
You as a player have control over anything that happens
as far as assignment penalties. If you have assignment penalties,
if you have false starts, any of those types of things,
that's something that you have to individually be able to
take care of. Now, if you're having trouble with a noise,
if you're having if you're having trouble with a silent count,
(04:50):
then you need to take care of that as a group.
But penalties come in different in different categories. As I said,
the penalties that you commit during competition never bothered me
as a coach. I never wanted to take the aggressive
does away from my players. But the rest of it.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
You can control that good answer, and you're right, because
there are different levels of penalties, and there are ones
that are in the heat of the moment in the battle,
and then the others. He agreed, just ones when you
let the teapot boil over, so to speak. All right,
let's go back to the phones here, Roy and Pulaski.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
You're on, Hey, what's up?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Guys?
Speaker 6 (05:28):
What's up?
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Coach?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Hey? Royal?
Speaker 6 (05:31):
A couple of things. I always try to find something
good with the laws, wanted special teams. All looks like
he knows what he's doing. We look like we've got
a tour, you know.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (05:45):
Jacy Latham kind of curious. That's okay to him. Seemed
like that when he went out, you know, that line
might have quoted a little bit. Uh the defense to
me minus abilities, which is gonna happen. They will play
met with Simms defense on the road. And I think
those guys are going to be really good. And there's
(06:05):
one play I want to talk about, and I think
this kid is gonna be great. Uh, Gunner Am had
one catch sixty sixteen yards, gonna never catch. But they
said with the catch, I don't know, I'm gonna soundlide
to me. It looks like you said them the balls
paying to his chests, but his fans are kind of
flopped around. See what you thought about all that, and
then have a great week and tighten up all right.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Roy, appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Thanks Roy. Yeah, Well, look, you're right. When jac Lasam
went out, that's a problem for that offensive line. It
really is. He's been nursing that hip for a while.
I have no idea what the status of that of
that is. Uh that that that that that's bothersome. We
know that we're thin in that in that spot. Uh
(06:49):
your razor thin right now as far as the backups go.
So jac Latham once he went out of there, and
then especially against that defense, we talked all week last week.
I know you listened when and I were saying the
one thing that you had to avoid and stay out
of against that defense was third and double digits. I
mean you had to be able to move the chains
(07:10):
on first and second down. We did not do a
good enough job of that. We did a really really
poor job of putting ourselves in ideal situations, giving that
type of a defense a chance just to stick their
cleats in the ground. And be able to tee off.
So that stuff has to be cleaned up. But that's
(07:30):
you know, first and second down stuff is extremely important.
I think gunner Helm is going to be a good
player for us. The thing about gunner Helm is is
he's got a real feel for being able to find
open spaces and hopefully that you could get if you
could get to the point as to where you had
pretty clean pockets all the time, you could probably get
(07:52):
him the ball a little bit more in those open spaces.
And I agree with you he could do some things
with it. As far as J. C.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Latham Roy, we won't really know a whole lot about that.
The first first injury report will come out about three
o'clock tomorrow, and those aren't indicative to what it looks
like towards the end of the week, so that'll just
be a fladible, long kind of thing. And I understand
your concern because we're going to get into it in
(08:19):
the next segment with what the RAMS defense is.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Pass rush doesn't ease up.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
I mean, they've got weapons everywhere in the world and
they've drafted a lot of them. You know, Jared Verse
and Braden Fisk, both from Florida State last year University
of Tennessee star Byron Young, who had a great game
against the Houston Texans. They have options there and so
they'll have to keep the Wolves away from the door.
I want to talk real quick about an opportunity I
(08:46):
got today in being able to tour new Nissan Stadium again,
so the second time I've done it. Did back in March,
right as I got back from the combine, and Titans
President and CEO Burke night Hill joined us on the
group and we went I think up to three hundred
four hundred level and down on the lower club level
(09:06):
and then to field level, which was way more expansive
than what we did the first time around because the
stadium hadn't been built that far along yet.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
And when I.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Tell y'all out there that this place is going to
be a world class facility, and you've heard everybody talking
about that, You've heard Burke Nye Hill say that it's
an understatement. This building is going to be something in
our backyard that everyone will want to come see, Come
see an event at whether it's a Titans game, best
concerts in the world, whatever it is, it'll happen here
(09:39):
and it is unbelievable, the progress that's being made.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
It's over half.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Completed the stadia pre formed concrete sections that are actually
the framework in the bowl that all of the seats
bolt down to. They're about sixty three percent complet We
found out today that seventy percent of the PSLs and
(10:06):
seats are already sold. There's all but six luxury suites
that are sold, way above what their projected estimates were.
In this and it is you can see it start
to take shape. Mac this the steel is going to
top out at its highest point about Thanksgiving it this year,
(10:27):
but this time next year the roof will be on,
it will be encapsulated, and then it will be hammered down.
Sixteen eighteen hundred workers around the clock getting all that
stuff finished up.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
But it is amazing.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
How can you show me some pictures that you took
and I mean it's this is a third stadium bill
that I've been involved in in my career, and it
just and every one of them. I mean, the technology
gets better, the I mean, the site lines get better,
the construction, I mean, it's amazing what you showed me.
It's going to look like I think it's going to
(11:00):
be something that is going to be pretty eye opening
once it gets done.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
The one stat that they said when they rolled out
this plan and started talking about it was gonna break ground,
is that everyone in the stadium. First of all, I
can see already from today there's not a bad seat
in the house. But it was thirty eight percent closer
to the play of field of play. I could see
that more clearly than ever today. It hugs that field
(11:29):
and just anything that happens there, Titans game or whatever,
you're gonna be right on top of it. And then
the seventy thousand i think square feet of led, the
ring of fire as they call it, in these giant
jumbo trons in the corners of the You're gonna be
immersed in the experience.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
It is something else.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Yeah, those pictures, those pictures you showed me today were
very impressive.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
It's awesome. All right, here's what we're gonna do. We're
gonna take our first break. Chris in California. I know
you're listening. I know you have a question. We will
come to you as soon as we get back on
the other side of this break. And the Los Angeles
Rams come to town and coverage begins right here on
one oh four to five the zone at nine with
the League company countdown to kickoff, then Farm Bureau Health
Plans Titans count down at eleven and kickoff officially set
(12:13):
for twelve O two From Booth seven Titans Radio Booth,
Taylor Zorzer Coach Mac Dave.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
McGinnis got a question. Coach Mack is here.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
And ready to go six one five seven three seven
one four five. Chris in California has been patiently waiting. Hello,
you're on with coach Mack.
Speaker 7 (12:28):
What's up, gentlemen, Good afternoon, good evening. How are we good?
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Good Chris, thanks for calling in.
Speaker 7 (12:36):
Yeah, and Coach, I'll absolutely wait for you. You're you're
more than worth it. I uh I gotta say my
you actually met my son who's five, and he he
thinks to you as like the godfather of all Titans things.
So it's it's absolutely But uh, I really love your
your you know, leave the coach sneak in your pocket.
And i'd love your opinion on confidence in Coach Callahan
(12:56):
because I'm I'm an old school guy and I like
to back my guys. But it's it's getting a little
hairy here. I mean, if you right, guys, you gonna
for it. I'd love to hear your opinion. Love the
show and thanks.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Chris, appreciate the call.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Well, the thing that you have to have is is
the thing that that engender's confidence in a coach. UH.
I learned this pretty quickly, you know when I first
started from some really really good head coaches that I
work for, UH, and then I tried to I tried
to take that with me throughout my coaching career. The
thing that that that because players don't think you're going
(13:32):
to be right all the time, what they want you
to be is honest with them, I mean, and that's
that's and that's the key because as a coach, you're
gonna you're gonna make some good decisions, and you're gonna
make some decisions that you wish you had back. But
the thing that you have to do, just like you
do when you go over film evaluation with the whole team,
you got to evaluate yourself and if if you do
(13:53):
make a mistake, you need to own it. You need
to own it and step up and say, look that
was on me, that was on me, It wasn't on you, guys.
And so I think as long as he's honest with
his players, they will they will have confidence in him.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
All right, good question, good answer, Banks, Chris.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Yes, thank you, Chris, appreciate you calling. And let's go
back to section three thirty four. You're on MAC talk. Hello, sir, gentlemen,
what what's the inspection to thirty four?
Speaker 8 (14:28):
All right, y'all do it in the night man. That
was That was a frustrating game right there. I mean,
usually when you get that many turnovers in the NFL,
usually win, usually win. This team just still doesn't know
how to win. But I can think of a few
reasons why. But I think one thing I'd like to
see Kim wore to grow on is it seems like
(14:50):
whenever the past burst was coming and it was moving
the pocket back, he kept going backwards with it. Hence
the amount of of loft yard sacks. There was a
few times where whenever that happens, they're like a little
lane opens up for someone to run through, kind of
like Moses spreading the sea, if you will. I saw
(15:11):
that a few times. I didn't see him take advantage
of it. I know he's not known for his rushing skills.
He's more of a statue quarterback.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
If you will.
Speaker 8 (15:18):
If you look at his college stats and such, they
can only have exact two yards rush, if you will.
I think the sext game, I think he's going to
see some intense cash rush from like you know, Byron
Young in first and I think those opportunities are gonna
come up. I think he needs to take advantage of
his opportunities and take up in those lanes. Anything else
(15:39):
that you all see that you can work on, I'd
like to hear about it.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Thank ya next week, Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Yeah, the issue, the issue with that rush. First of all,
it that really doesn't matter what kind of rush you're
getting in the National Football League, you cannot as a
quarterback escape out the back of the pocket and then
try to circle the defense. There's just you don't have.
No there's only two quarterbacks really section three thirty four
(16:03):
that I've ever coached defense against that could escape out
of the back and then circle the defense. Okay, Michael
Vick was one of them, and then Randall Cunningham was
the other one, and there it is nobody. You can't
do it because you just don't have the speed. Especially
you don't have the speed to make up liuterly the
angles you're going to have to cut to get around
(16:25):
a defense in the National Football League. The other issue is,
and Rett and I talked about this last week. I'm
sure you heard us, is that you had to stay
out of that defense had sixty three sacks last year
and one of the biggest ways they did it was
they would get people in thirty double digits and then
put five or six on the line of scrimmage. As
(16:46):
to where there are no A and B gaps. Every
gap is covered with a rusher because they're rushing man
one on one man a man. There are no A
and B gap escapes against that kind of rush. But
the only way they can get that kind of rush
on you is if they have third and double digits
and you can play the type of coverage that you
can play, You can play off on the sticks, and
(17:07):
then they can just NASCAR rush you up front with
five or six people that take away those types of gaps.
So the biggest issue is you got to know that
if they're coming like that, the ball's got to come
out very quickly. But there is no escape in the
National Football League latterly from a good rushing team because
(17:29):
they've just got too much speed. He's got to learn that,
and I'm sure that was a pretty good lesson that
he learned there in Denver.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
The other part of it too, in fairness to Cam
and you're right, he cannot escape out of the back
of the pocket. But a couple of those situations he
was missing his starting right tackle in JC Latham, and
it just kind of added to all of what you
just said. That kind of added I don't know, I
don't know what the words I'm looking for, but you
(17:58):
know what I'm saying. That was another layer to it
in this well.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
The biggest problem was is there they were not They
were getting to a point where they didn't have success
on first and second down right and the third and
double and third and double digits. Is it's going to
be dangerous this week too, against this against this football
team we're playing. You just you just got to be
able to play the chain game. You have to do it.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Too many times in the game we heard Tator call
third and thirteen. It's third and seventeen. Once was what
third and twenty four or twenty six? I mean, there's
you don't have any play in the playbook for that.
It doesn't you know, you're behind, you're behind the sticks.
As you always say, let's go back to the phone.
It's got a lot of calls tonight. I appreciate that,
and I know Mac does too. Striker, you're on Coach
(18:42):
Mac with Mac Talk with Coach Mack. I'll get it
out in a minute.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Striker, what's up, Coach Mac?
Speaker 9 (18:48):
Question? Well, a bit nuanced. If you look at that
game plan, I'm wondering how you would have run the
end of the game given the thin oxygen in Denver
and it looking like receivers on the Titans squad were
getting gased at the end of that game, And I'm
(19:10):
just wondering whether or not they might have been calling
the right place. But the players didn't have the gas
in the tank.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Well, conditioning wasn't a problem up there. I've taken a
lot of teams up there. The altitude is a way
overblown issue up there. It never does bother you. You're not.
When I was a head coach at at Arizona, Arizona,
we trained in Flagstaff, Arizona, which is even higher, you know,
(19:40):
seventy two hundred feet. It's even higher than Denver is
And the only way that altitude has an effect on
if you're there for an extended period of time, because
you know, did all kind of Olympic studies with that
when I was up there, because I took a team
up there for training camp for three and a half
four weeks, so I wanted to know so that that
was that The issue. The biggest issue was is with
(20:03):
the receivers is there were too many drops. I mean,
the ball was dropped too many times, and early in
the game, middle of the game, late in the game.
Because there's several of those throws. I think we're very
much on target. So I think they would have looked
a lot, a lot fresher if they'd have caught those passes.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Back to the phones, we go, David and Lebanon. Welcome
to mac Talk. You're on with coach Dave McGinnis.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
The man of Knowledge.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
How David, how you doing, brother?
Speaker 5 (20:36):
I am well living it up here in the great
town of Lebanon. Coach Mack, I got a question. I
love football, but I might not be as smart on
this question with it. Even in the start of the season.
Can you bring in an offensive coordinator to help him
with the plays and stuff?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Well, now, not at this point. I mean they've got,
you know, they got a lot of offensive they've got
a lot of offensive coaches. You know, I don't I
don't think that you know that, I don't think that's
in the card. That that to me is not in
the cards. I mean, there clearly has to be there,
you know, everybody, once you lose a ball game, everybody
(21:19):
has to take ownership of their part in not being
successful in that ballgame. But I don't think that it's
in the cards that they're going to bring somebody else
in on the offensive side of the ball right now, Dave, So.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
You've been called the man of knowledge, but I think
my favorite moniker i've heard so far, as our caller,
Chris from California, called you the godfather.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Of all things Titans.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
I kind of like that for you. Our callers are
very Our callers are very very good. They're very complimentary,
and you know how much you and I both just
appreciate talking to them. So that's why we agree to
do this show, so that we could we could talk
to and take all matter of calls. That's right, you know,
somebody else that deserves some of the credit, in fact,
(22:03):
a lot of the credit on that. First of all,
you're seeing what bones Fossil can bring. Oh my, but
the blocking, the blocking was as good as I've seen
in this new setup. The way that it's set up
to the different kickoff rules now, the way it's set up,
the blocking and the scheme that he had on that.
When you watch, you watch the scheme, you know it
(22:23):
was a little bit of a misdirection scheme. The blocks
were laid perfectly on the side to give him a
chance and then he's got some real speed. But that
whole kickoff return unit deserves a huge amount of credit
for that long return.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
The whole special Team's phase really deserves credited as the
Service Award winners of the week because you mentioned John
Fossil and just what a pretty much straight up oneint
eighty in improvement that that phase has done under his
tutelage and the fundamentals and the things that are happening there.
But with all of the dudes involved, I mean, John
(23:00):
Hecker just punting the you know what out of it
directionally and doing so well, Joey slide bombing it, and
the steady hand of Morgan Cox as the snapper.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
In this and then your gunners.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
I mean, look at what Van Jefferson, and you know
Bryce Oliver just screaming down there. They helped force one
of those four turnovers in this A lot of good
stuff you see in that phase.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Well, I mean, and again this is I mean, I
knew what to expect when Bones was hired here because
you know, I was with Jeff Fisher when we hired
him at the Rams, hired him away from the Raiders.
He's as good as there is in the league, and
he gets those players to buy into it. But he's
also got really really good ideas. But the main thing
he is is he's consistent. He's consistent in his meetings,
(23:45):
He's consistent the way he presents it. And then if
he sees if he sees something that he can exploit,
he usually has a pretty good idea of how to
work on it during the week. That's exactly what I
was expecting when Bones Fossil took that thing over all.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Right, let's talk about the Los Angeles Rams for a minute.
They had a big win at sofar and not in
the typical fashion because everybody talked about the offense and
what that's been. But they've bolstered this defense with pick
after pick and free agent and It was a fourteen
to nine win over the Houston Texans, and they overloaded
(24:21):
different sides to pick on the tackle of their choice
Sprayden Fisk over on the right side Byron Young against
rookie tackle Ariante Urser and a safety blitz they had
it resulted in a sack.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
C J.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Stroud had his front to navigate in this. Texans gave
up twelve pressures. He was sacked four times in this,
and it was something to behold when you start looking
at what the Rams defense did in this. You know,
when you think about that, and we talked about the
(24:56):
pass rush and what cam Ward's going to see again,
they did all of that just on minimal rush not
near as many rushes as they saw and blitzes as
they saw.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Against the Broncos.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Now that that is on film, as you always say,
they're going to try to do the same thing to
cam Warden's offensive.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Yeah. Yeah, Well, once you put something on tape, either
good or bad, you know your opponent's going to look
at it pretty deep. And this defense that they've really
got a good they've got a good rush front, you know,
and I mean when you look at it, as you
already mentioned, Young and Fisk. I mean, we really love
those players, you know, coming out of Jared Verse as
(25:35):
good as there is, so anyway, it's a challenge. But
again I'll keep saying this. The Titans even last week
were in good shape when they could make yardage on
first and second down. You've got to be able to
move the chains on first and second down. I called
defenses for a lot of years in the National Football League,
and if I knew that somebody had to throw did
(25:56):
not have the option to run it, then there's a
lot of things I can do defensively to get to
your quarterback. So first and second down against any defense,
but especially those people that can really rush you, you've
got to be able to be successful on first and
second down.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
And that linebacking corp.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
They keep finding guys in the second level to play,
and they keep letting dudes.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Go in free agency or trades or whatever.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Landman ten tackles in that thing, Omar Spates right next
to him was right in the same neighborhood of that
Cameron curl back there. In the secondary, they've got guys
that are just and obviously it starts with what you've
just mentioned with who's upfront in this and how they're
able to make that, make those moves and affect changes.
(26:42):
And they actually made a change in their secondary. They
benched cornerback Darius Williams for Emmanuel Forbes and playing a
good amount of safety with Jalen McCullough. And that plan
worked because McCullough was able to score a third down
sack from a safe the alignment to kill a.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Red zone drive.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
And then here's the other part in that secondary, Nico
Collins only finished with three catches in twenty five yards.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Texans never found the end zone.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Yeah, so that's what they're up against Nico Collins is
because we face him twice a year. Yeah. Boy, this
is a legitimate defense in LA.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
It is offensively, you're talking about Matthew Stafford, who has
had his issues with his back this offseason. He's had
issues with his back for many years. It's just I
guess it's flared up more because he's thirty seven years old.
In this Pooka Akua the slot receivers where he lined
up more than he ever had in his career up
until the other day, and I think he ran a
(27:40):
little over forty four percent, eleven targets, ten catches one
hundred and thirty yards.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Chain Mover, Pooka Nakoua is the dude, and you're right.
Chain Mover's exactly right. And he's in the slot, so
they can move him around a lot, get the matchups
they want, and get the ball to him quick. He's
really good run after catch. He's very very strong. He's
a strong, strong player. So Pooka naku will will have
the uh. He'll have the attention of the secondary for
(28:07):
the Titans.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Tyler Higbee another option at tied end. Of course, they
have Devonte Adams, who has the most receiving touchdowns in
condensed formations since twenty twenty with.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Nineteen of those.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Kyron Williams out of the backfield as a workhorse, he's
someone you have to contend with. In fact, he was
the only running back in twenty twenty four to play
it over eighty percent of his team's offensive snaps. He
was an eighty two percent of the snaps Sunday in
that win over the Houston Texans.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
Well, offense is where Sean McVeigh made his bones, and
it's where he it's why he got a head coaching
job at a very young age, and so their offense
and especially I mean that's why they traded for Stafford.
They got a guy that is is veteran enough and
smart enough to run all the various formations and motions
and things that Sean deploys. They're going to be a handful.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
It's a one game sample size, but they're plus wanted.
Giveaway t takeaway twenty eight thirty five, time of possession
Titans twenty eight h four, third down percentage on offense
fifty three almost fifty four percent. That's tied for fifth
in the league. Again, only one game, but they're moving
the chains seventy two yards rushing a game to twenty
(29:19):
four through the air and on defense allowed one hundred
and fourteen yards rushing as a team against the Houston Texans,
and third down percentage twenty two point two percent. So
that's second right. I mean, they didn't let them do
anything right.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Well, I mean, as I said, you know, don't don't
get at twisted that they're just because the head coach
is an offensive coach. If they're just an offensive team.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Mac Before we get into the week two games. Week
one wrapped up with a bang last night in Chicago.
What a ballgame between the old Black and Blue Division
between the Vikings and the Bears.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
That was something, well, you never can I mean, you
got to play until the last minute in the National
Football League. I mean a great example was that last night,
because it looked like Chicago is going to run away
with that thing in the first half, and in the
second half it was all Vikings.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
JJ McCarthy after he threw the ball he'd love to
have back and it was a seventy four yard pick six.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
It's just like something switched in there and next thing
you know, he's hustling, he's moving, he's throwing, they're catching.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
It's wild and.
Speaker 1 (30:27):
Chicago got very fickle, as they tend to do. Man,
they were getting rawcus there at the end of that
thing because here they had the lead that they did.
But it was a great way to end a really
good week one with a lot of competitive ball.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Those Bears fans are serious about it. I was there
for ten years, and I promise you we were winning
most of those years, so everything was great. When I
was head coach there for six hours, I didn't know
it for three That was interesting too.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
We should we should take a MAC talk one night
and get you to tell that story. It would take
the whole a good chunk of Mac talk to do it.
But Mac, if he ever writes a book, you'll want
to get a copy because he has got some stories
to tell between his time in Chicago to Arizona, to
the Titans, to the Rams and everything in between. All Right,
(31:21):
Week two in the National Football Leak starts on Thursday night,
Amazon Primes seven point fifteen kick the Washington Commanders at
the green Bay Packers. Somebody's going home as a loser
because both of them are one and zero.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
I like green Bay in this game. I like what
green Bay's doing right now. I mean, and Washington, I know,
was kind of the darling last year just because they
came from the bottom to the top. But the Green
Bay's kind of got it rolling right now.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
Well, and it doesn't hurt. We talked about this last week.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
They trade for Micah Parsons a week before the regular
season begins ends, and it felt like in kind of
a way that they did back in nineteen ninety three
in the first wave of free agency for the first
time in getting the covetive free agent from the Eagles
in Reggie White.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
It had that kind of.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
Feel to it, and it was a tipping point that
ended up being a world championship for them.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
And he made himself aware and known like he was Russian.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
He was making the pocket a problem and it just
seems like he might be the tipping point for them
and not taking anything away from anybody else, but Jordan
Love is dealing, man, He is dealing.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Yeah. Well, and they had the luxury of Jordan Love
of having him sit for a few years too.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Yeah, he kind of worked out good.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
You didn't have to go through those the rookie trials
and tribulations that a lot of these quarterbacks have to
go through now just because they're taking number one, they
got to play.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
And they put weaponry around him too.
Speaker 4 (32:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
Well, they've they've got they've got a good organization up there,
and they've got a good team. They've they have done
a nice job. And you're right, Michael Parsons. I mean,
he'll never be Reggie White, but he's he can.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
Pin his ears back and get it done.
Speaker 3 (33:08):
He can go yep. Uh.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
The Sunday slate at noon starts with Cleveland at Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
You know, well Baltimore. I mean they've got to be
sick to their stole.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
You know they're plenty mad, you will they know they.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Got to be sick because they you know, they had
a ball game and then Derrick Henry was having a
really nice game like he usually does and then a
big fumble cost him the ballgame.
Speaker 9 (33:32):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Jacksonville is at Cincinnati as it pertains to the AFC South.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
Go Bengals.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
Uh yeah, go Bengals all the way. Let's see who
else AFC East. I always like these games, and man,
I don't know what's going to happen because of what
happened to both these teams, especially the Miami Dolphins, because
they host Mike.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Rabel and the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Well, I would say that the Dolphins need to strap
it up because you know how the New England is
going to come after him.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Oh there's blood in the water, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
Buffalo Bills, who had sneak who snatched victory from the
jaws of defeat in that game against Baltimore. They are
at New York to take on the Jets. Those again,
those games are always interesting to me. Denver is at
Indianapolis to take on the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium
and Daniel Jones put.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
On a show.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
Yeah, Indiana Jones.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
Yes, Indiana Jones dropped.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Dropped a thirty burger on him, and we'll see how
this works out.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
Yeah, because I guarantee you the talk in Denver this
week is, yes, it was a win, but bo Nix
has to play much better than what he did.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
And credit to the Titans defense for.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
What they've got to travel though they've got that defense.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Oh boy, do they ever? Do they ever?
Speaker 1 (34:56):
And the other one, it's a doubleheader on Monday night football.
Tamp is at Houston to take on the to one
Texans at and RG Stadium.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
Well, it's a good ball game. You know, we worked
when we were worked out against Tampa this year. I
really thought Tampa had a good ball club. So it's
going to be.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
Again Go Bucks, Yeah, all the way, one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
The other part of that doubleheader, the Chargers are at
Las Vegas to take on the Raiders. We will see
both of those teams later on in the season. So
in AFC West battle there.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Well, that quarterback keeps playing like everybody thought he was
going to play when he came out. Chargers are going
to be hard to handle.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Oh and by the way, on Sunday Night Football the Vikings,
who put on a show in the second half and
pulled away from the Bears last night. On Monday Night Football,
they host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, and
the Falcons have their own issues. They have an open
tryout for or an open competition for the kicking position.
They've signed a kicker today to battle with young Way
(35:58):
Coup and they have their own issues.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
People are working out their their kinks.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Uh in the wrinkles and everything that was Week one,
including the Tennessee Titans. So as we close up Mac,
what are Coach Mac's keys to the Titans getting in
the win column at Nissan Stadium Sunday.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Well, you got to protect the quarterback if you're gonna
throw it. I mean, you can't have tsunami rushes on.
You just can't. Can't be third and chains. You just
that that that cannot happen. You need to stay on
the plus side of the turnovers. They really have. They
got a good mindset right now with the turnovers. They've
got to do it. They won the field position metrics
last week, which usually has a pretty good chance you
(36:39):
win in the ball games, if you win the field
position metrics, which means you're getting the ball closer to
the opponent's goal line, you need to score touchdowns. I
mean that has to happen. You can't. I mean, we
got we got a we got a great we got
a great field goal kicker, but we need to score touchdowns.
Let him kick extra points.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
And you got to clean up the penalties.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
You can't look, you just look. And as I said,
we started this show off asking about penalties. The competition.
Penalies don't bother me. The other ones bother me.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
And we need more good stuff from the special teams
part of it. But yeah, more touchdowns than field goals.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
We remind you.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
The Titans host the regular season home opener against the
La Rams.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Sunday. Coverage begins at nine. Right here on one oh
four to five is Zonne.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
We're on an eleven with Titans Countdown, and at twelve
oh two it's Taylor's Arthur and coach Mac Dave McGinnis
on Titans Radio.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
For Coach Mac, I'm Brett Bryan
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My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.