December 4, 2025 • 44 mins
J.B. Long, D'Marco Farr, and Maurice Jones-Drew sit down for an episode of Between The Horns to discuss Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford being named November’s Offensive Player of the Month and the balance in the run game between running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. The trio also break down the keys to defeating the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
All right, here we go with a new edition up
between the Horns, always presented by your Southern California. Tell
you to dealers with Maurice Jones Drew and to Marco
far I'm JB.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Long.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Good to be back. Good to see you guys again.
Want to thank Kirsten Watson and Stuve Jackson. Yeah, Karen
Irwin and everyone who filled in around this show around
the holidays. Great to have them in. But I missed you.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Good and see fellas. Yes, good to be back. Man.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Sorry, it's after an l week, but it is what
it is. It's football. It happens.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Yeah, teams got to get right. We got to get right.
So we're back together.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I love it. There you go. Yes, this is like
the best time of the year. Actually it is. It is.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
You know, did we say this last week? I know
it's a it's a coaching thing like football doesn't begin
until after Thanksgiving. Oh my god, boy, ain't that the truth?
Here we go because it is what I mean. This
is where you separate. This is where you know, good
teams go to great teams or the other way. Good
teams go the opposite way. This is where you have
to be tough. It gets cold, the weather changes. College
is just about over. School is just about over. This
(01:01):
is the pros, this is the pay league. This is
why it's so tough, and this is why you make
so much money in this league. It's tough from here.
So this is where football begins.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
I think this is where you start to separate yourselves too. Like,
you know, the teams that are kind of bad, they
kind of tend to fall off a little bit. The
teams that are great, that want to be great and
are on a mission, they continue to get better each week,
and you start to see the separation. There's a lot
of teams though. There's a lot of parody in the
league though right now, which is it's like confusing, right,
there's so many like seven and six, six and six.
(01:31):
There's just so much going on, right, It's just like
and then this next month of the season, you're gonna
see teams that are six and six go to six
and ten or vice versa, and the teams that are
up there, I like the rams. It's time for you
to start to separate and really put some of your
best football there on tape.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Missed a chance to separate on Sunday, though, My goodness,
that was after Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
It was I think it was necessary though, and it.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Made that point right away, and I agreed with you
in real time, but each day that goes by, disagree.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
No, it was necessary.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I think I would rather you would rather stumble in
late November than stumble in late December. And the reason
I say that is, yes, that was a winnable game. Yes,
that team, the Rams should have went. We saw all
the Rams fans there, which was awesome, and it was
it was it was just but.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
It was just something. It just was weird.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
I mean, we had told you about that stadium. It's
just a weird situation I had. I had flashbacks of
when I played in the Tsunami Bowl. It was just
it was just a weird time. And they had a
great game plan. They be in the Caroline, had a
great offensive game plan, They controlled the ball, they took
majority of the third quarter up.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
And they executed. The Rams had an opportunity, fumbled it
away and and that that those happens.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
But what that does is it forces you to lock
in and refocus on all the little things you did
during that six game winning.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
It reminds you of how fast things can go away.
If you don't play your best game week in week out.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Do you think this team needed that reminder that?
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Okay, I'll say this now, this is just my own
personal experience. This is going back to the embryo stage
of the Greatest Show on Turf. We lost a game
in Detroit that we should not have lost. We lost
to Charlie Batch, right, and we lost on like kind
of like that. We didn't play that well. It was
fluky at the end they beat us. We did in
that locker room decide to a man, this will never
happen again, because it did remind you how fast things
(03:21):
can go away. You could become a bad football team.
Everything that we've been praising ourselves over could go away
if we don't play well, if we let these little
mistakes kill us. So yeah, I mean, I don't think
it was necessary, so to speak, but it could be
a blessing in disguise that had happened.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Now you know what I mean, that little moment.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
That I don't want to say loss of focus, but
just when you let one get away, it happened. Now
there's your reminder. Let's button it up for the rest
of the year.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
I always tell people success can be a bad thing too, right,
A mask a lot of your issues, I thought, And
this is not a negative thing.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I thought.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
Matthew Stafford took some chances. There was a pass play
that wasn't picked off that probably should have been in
the red zone. He threw the ball to Pook and
the cool he had a guy underneath it and a
guy one of the time zone, the one the end zone.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
When he threw that, I was like, Oh, that's that's
a risky throw, right.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
But you've made You've made so many plays like that
over the last six weeks. You're like, oh, I can
make this throw, right, and and those are things that
kind of bring you back down to taking care of
the football.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Focusing on those type of things.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
I thought, the pick, the tip pick, or the batted
up pick, Yeah, that's those things happen. But I also
started to see him become more aggressive as a quarterback
towards that game. Right that throw to to pookin Nakua,
he thought he could fit it in. That was a
great play by the dB. We've seen him make that throw,
but the DB's not as close as he was in
that situation. And so those are things that I think
(04:44):
when you come back, It's like, Okay, I got to recalibrate.
I got to get back to what we were doing beforehand.
I don't need to take as many chances. We don't
need to take as many chances in these situations. Defensively,
I think you have to be more consistent with stopping
the run and tighter coverage on third down. We always
talk about the loose covers that the Rams like to play.
(05:05):
That team attacked that loose coverage third and four, you
want to play seven yards off. Here goes a quick
slant for six yards first down, right, And so those
are things that force you to go back and look
at what you were doing through in the last six
weeks to say, Okay, how can we critique this, and
what are the holes that we saw leading up to
this that they took advantage of self scout And then
you just get ready to roll. And I think that,
(05:27):
like I said, when you have a lot of success,
it's hard to be like this doesn't work right because
you're winning with it and the until it doesn't. And
I rather it happened in November the last part of
November than that happened in the first week the second
week of January you know when you've had so much success.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I got a lot of follow ups on those perceived issues,
whether or not they are issues moving in this final
closing stretch. But first, how good do you have to
be to turn it over three times in a loss
on the last day of the month and still be
named NFC Offensive Player of the Month like Matthew Stafford.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
That tells you.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
That tells you how good he was playing. Like, that's
what I'm saying. When you're playing, when you're playing the
way he was playing. Uh, And I still thought he
made some great throws, sure, and I mean he was
playing lights out. He just had a couple of mistakes.
But that just tells you how good he was playing.
And that's what happens. Like I always tell people, I
remember when I was I remember when I was playing
and I was like player of them.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I felt awesome.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
I felt like I could walk on the water at times,
and I started doing things that were uncharacteristic, like you know,
running an a gap play, bouncing it outside because I've
had success with it. Even though that wasn't the right read,
I had success and did it, and then I do
it against let's say the Houston Texans and I get crushed, right,
Demko Ryans is right there right. So it's just like
those things remind you like, Okay, let me get back
in this yeah exactly, let me get let me get
(06:46):
let me get back into this a gap and do
exactly what I what I used to do.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And so that that's all I'm saying, is like it
just reminds you.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Of getting back into who you were when you're you're
you know, being super successful.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I think the m v P will be decided from
this day forward though, for all the consternation over who's
the favorite and how the odds have shifted. You went
four of these five or all five of these games,
Matthew's gonna be MVP, I think easy.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
I agree one, yes, absolutely. That's another thing.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Well, I'm kind of glad that happened in Carolina because
if it's spurs on another great stretch, then so be it.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
It would be worth it.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
So I always go searching for a perspective, right to
help me get through a losing week, just to get
Sunday here sooner. I think we all would have signed
up for nine to three this August, right, mm hmm?
Any would anyone signed that contract. Yes, and for Matthew
to be among the top two and MVP, we all
would have said, Okay, good things are gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Since DeMarco retired as a Ram, nine and three starts
are better for the for the Rams. Four of them.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Wow, wow?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Really three under Sean mcvag including this.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I've been retired a while now. Wow.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
I was trying to you know.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
A little bit put out there, little sideway shot. I
got you there.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
But I mean, uh, look, this team and this quarterback
in this group, they have a chance to do something,
to be something special. This is what I mean about
losing and why I guess I'm encouraged by it. All
depends on how they take the field on Sunday, because
they're saying the right things. Even coach McVeigh said it.
It might have been his longest post game speech i've
heard him say in the locker room afterwards, talking about this,
(08:11):
how this is going to be a blessing in this guise.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I can't wait to get back to work.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
If they take the field and go out and prove
it good, then it was all for the positive. But
for right now, coming off a loss, it does hurt
you as far as Standings go. It's a punishing loss,
but it doesn't have to end everything. I hope you
get motivated. It could be the carrot they needed, Like
you said, to take it to a whole new level.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
And I agree with you, Mo.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
I mean, there are some things that you think you're
doing everything you can, and this is coaching everybody plan wise.
You think you're doing everything that you need to do
to win until you're proved. Oh no, you have to
do a little bit more look at just what happens.
So sometimes these things can help you. They can help
point out where you didn't know where you have some deficiencies.
So and if you got away with the wins, so
(08:53):
be it. If you won with it, you still have
to correct those deficiencies. But taking that l your focus
this week is going to be fine, tune on beating
the Cardinals, which is where it should be. That's why
I think this could be a blessing in disguise. It
takes away all distractions. It puts you right in line
with your opponent where you should be in November.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Anyway, you said the magic word standings. It was the
one topic he did not want to address this week.
Come on and I think that's great. Yeah, you know
what I want to do on this show.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
But real quick, it reminds me of like the the
Bill Belichick on the Cincinnati he did it, he used it.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, I mean that to me.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Yeah, that's the Like I said before, this is the NFL,
no matter what a team looks like, no matter what.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
And I think you said it best.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
You could be six inches away from where you're supposed
to be and Rico Daddle breaks through that run, right,
that's just literally that's the It's a game of inches.
And so all these cliche things happened on Sunday. Now
it's time to tighten those things up.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
And ge were I look at it from like a
manual force perspective. I mean, for the better part of
a month, we've been talking about how great has been
playing in the improvement and this week he's on the
side of that. And sometimes the difference is did the
opposing quarterback put the ball here or here? Because this
is a pass breakup and this.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Is a touchdown.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
And I mean, like like I said, it's it's it's
so funny because and this is all over social media,
a lot of the Rams fans are like, oh, we've
been praying it has nothing. He was in the same
position he's always been in on that touchdown of t Mac.
He was in the same position last week against uh
I forget who was we battered the pass away that
Baker threw or one of them through to one of
(10:32):
the receivers crossing.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
It was the exact same position.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
The ball playing was just different. And so it's again,
you can't. You can't ride that roller coaster. And I
think that's what kind of what I felt when I
came in here today, is this isn't a roller coach like. Look,
we've just got to get better. We learned from our mistakes,
let's move forward.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
I think that's exactly it. And I think it's what
in this era of the Rams have done as well
or better than any other franchise in the league. Through
twelve games. How many of them have been worthy of
a win?
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I think they're twelve for twelve most of us, yeah,
if not all.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
There have been bad moments, they've been bad halves, but
they've been in every game. If they put five more
of those out there, maybe they'll be the one. Maybe
they'll win the West, maybe they won't. But they're gonna
be in the field, they're gonna be out.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
But no more three play quarters on offense, though. You
gotta sew that up and that I mean, that's that's
an entire team thing. You got to stop somebody on
defense too. Sometimes on defense, like you said, and it
gets down and dirty. And you said you had PTSD
from playing in Carolina.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Me too.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
That reminded me of every single loss ever had as
a player in Carolina. Same environment, same people in the crowd,
same way they did it, just running the football, and it.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Was just those little nagging things.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
It's not like they're better, it's just they're playing better
than us right now and we just can't get a
grip on it. So defensively, get to stop. Offensively, stay
on the field. So these are things that help you
progress towards becoming a playoff football team. So nothing will
reinforce coaching better than losing. So I, like you said,
if you had I guarantee you this week, you got
(12:02):
everybody's attention.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
I get the run defense thing, I really do. But
it's been one of the most improved dimensions of any
team in the league. So I don't want to lose
perspective on that. I also think the Rams had the
Panthers right where they wanted them fifteen times. The problem
is they converted seven of those third downs and all
three of the fourth downs. But I liked where they
were sitting on that first third and eight, and so
(12:26):
they gave up a screen for a touchdown.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Right.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
I mean, there weren't a ton of explosive runs. This
wasn't Saque and the Eagles out there. I think that's
the type of football you want opponents to have to
play against you to beat you.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
But it was still it was still an option for them,
and it was something that you had to respect. When
you're stuffing the run, you can almost they can't run it.
We know it, and you call the game differently when
you're worried about the run constantly because you had to.
They were chipping away at you completely everything else up.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
And if Puna can play more than twenty snaps, maybe
that looks different.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Shocked me. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
And if instead of that tipped interset to Nick Scott
in the end zone, if you're up two touchdowns there,
then guess what goes away all game? Right?
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Of course, there's a lot I think there's a lot
of things there, and I thought certain things in that game,
the weather came into it, the pick six and the
tip pick allowed them to stay in that game longer
than they should have been. And when you allow a
team to stay in those games, they're gonna get there.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
They can have a game.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
They had a game plan that they wanted to run,
but it was certain plays offensively that allowed them to
stay in it. Like you said, if they're up two touchdowns,
you can't get a guy.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yet you can't do that. You know.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
What is becoming something that I don't think we can ignore, though,
is as vaunted as this pass rush was in the
front half of this schedule and is by reputation, it
is not played that way consistently on Sundays for a
while now.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Oh, they haven't had the production. I'd say this.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
So when you watch and these guys come off the rock,
it's not like they're getting stalemated, thrown on their butts
held there. They're winning. The ball's just coming out fast.
To a man winning, they're winning. Yeah, the balls just
come out fast, because, like you said, you hit the
nail on the head when you're giving off coverage. Okay,
you're gonna give me that. I'll take it now. It's great.
Let me see if your quarterback can complete that pass
(14:08):
ten out of ten times without making a mistake. Bryce
Young Dish Young did right, Okay, Okay, So if the
ball doesn't come out, you have to as a pass
rusher get into pursuit early and then take them out
of it by stopping the run, making them one dimensional,
getting into that quarterback's head a little bit and into
his cadence, and then you start to tee off on
these offensive linemen and then the sacks start to fall.
But when the ball comes out so quick and they're
(14:29):
completing passes, staying on the field on third down, like
you said, that negates a pass rush right there. That's
that's It's not like they're not winning. It's just you
didn't earn the right to rush the passer like you
need to to get after.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I think they had plenty of opportunity to rush the
passer last week. And I don't know if it was
that first screen and what it did to them in
terms of their posture, but.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Oh salute that touchdown.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Rice was, Yes, was way more comfortable than I would
have expected, as often as he had to play from
third and six or more.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Yeah, but third and six he was throwing a seven
yard slant. It was one, two, three, The ball was
out and I and I will say this, when he
had to hold on to it longer we talked about
on the broadcast. When he had to hold on it
longer than two and a half seconds, he was getting
hit and their people were there. And so again it's
third and eight. I'm like, okay, here we go. Here
goes a screen right, third and six, slants, quick outs.
(15:19):
Everything was quick game on third down. It wasn't until
they got to fourth down they went playoff boots boot right.
So they were doing they were doing they understood that
they weren't going to and you watch the the way
they're aligning. The Panthers a line built, they're built to
run the football, not to go backwards. And so you
were getting those ops. But they were calling quick game
on third down third like anytime someone runs a seventh
(15:42):
like a slant on third and six, they're telling you, true,
this ball has to come out today.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Now, I will say this discipline has to be better.
On the edges.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Uh, there were sometimes you get blind dog meahouse. You know,
there's the there's the play action and you're way down
here and there's a quarterback over here. So that's something
you're gonna have to work on again. But like I said,
you're getting there. You have to resist the frustration that
comes along with offenses dumping the ball fast. It is
frustrated as a pass rusher. I'm wasting my rush moves.
(16:11):
By the time I get into my moves, I'm into
pursuit over and over and over again.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
That just starts to wear you down and wear you out.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
I am loving the way that a healthy bread in
Fisk is playing, and I think that's a reason for
optimism going into this week. But you're gonna have to
get Jacoby Brissette off his spot because when he's comfortable,
he is a problem. Right now, forty seven completions like
putting up video game numbers.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Okay, slap me if I'm crazy. Not really, he reminds
me of a Warren Moon. Towards the end, I'd have.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
To go look at that.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
He really does.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I can agree with him. That makes sense. He's not
going to run away from you. But he's a pretty
good athlete. He knows where to step, he knows how
to play when pockets are dirty, he can step to
that nice spot, that little dead spot and get the
ball out. And he's got some great pass catchers.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
He is activating his eligibles better than his predecessors.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, I mean he can throw guys open. He can
play the quarterback from the pocket better than we've seen
anybody play in Arizona in a lot of years. And
you know what I mean by that. So but the
thing is, I don't think they can protect him for
that long. So he can be effective to beat you
for four quarters. He gives up a lot of sacks
he has, He's thrown for a lot of yards and
(17:28):
he's done great. But the one thing that has happened
is there's been a lot of pressure on him and
this is a young front that could get after him.
So if you stop the run again I know this
sounds like a broken record, and force them to throw.
I think you can get to preset and I don't
think he can run away from you like Bryce Young did.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
I don't think.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
I don't think he's a broken record. That's what's going
to be for the next how manyver wigs. The Rams
play is stop the run, force him to throw the football. Defensively,
I would say I agree with you. I think that
Jacoby Prissett has played so much football and has been
in so many systems that he knows coverages and what
things look, so he knows where he wants to go
with the football. The problem is a lot of these
(18:04):
passes he's throwing they are fifteen twenty yards down the field,
so he has to hold on to it, which plays
in the rams favor on certain situations. If you can
stop the run and force these guys to get downfield,
play a little tighter coverage, make sure that they have
to go down the field, you'll get those sacks that
you're looking for in those pressures that you want. Again,
I just think a lot of teams you're game planning
(18:25):
four set pressure, right, and I go back to Carolina
when you're taking a one step drop out of shotgun
on third and six, that's all because of the guys
in front of you. That has nothing to do with this, like, oh,
they're playing off coverage here, we're gonna run what I
don't know what the teams call it now, but dragon,
which is like drag slant.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Here we go ball out quick, right.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
And so those are the things I don't when I
watch Arizona, they don't run that type of game. That's
not Their game is like quick game stuff like that.
They want to get twelve fifteen yard chunks down the field.
They like to throw curls, so you're more of a
three step dropout of gun, which gives your pass rush
and opportunity to get to the quarterback, especially if the
coverage is there.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
And so.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I could see this game matching up, but it only
matches up if you if you shut down that run early.
Because the Cardinals passing game doesn't seem like the quick
game that we saw. Now, let me say this before
I go anywhere else. I don't want people jump on me.
The Cardinals are the Panthers pass game to look like
this either for a couple of weeks before they played.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
So don't try and figure out what the Carolina Panthers
are like. That's a fool's Errand oh my god, they're
very confusing. They make God on the wrong day.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
Well, no, I think it's it's very similarly what they
did to the Packers and when they went to Green
Bays to New Orleans is what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Oh, no, no question, and probably will Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Quick question about Arizona before I forget who takes the
first snap of twenty twenty six for the Arizona Cardinals,
Kyler Murray or anyone else walking the planet?
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Who's the coach? Both anyone else walking the planet?
Speaker 1 (19:52):
You think it's over?
Speaker 2 (19:53):
I do. There's too much money for it to be over. Man,
Who's who's gonna take that contract on? I don't. I
don't know. But the one thing I.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Can say know if they change coaches, then it doesn't
matter if that coach isn't signing up exactly.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
But if it's Gannon, then locked at the hit, let's go,
you might be back to him. But I do see
a lot more Marvin Harrison. You can't help but see
Trey McBride. But with a standard pocket passer, uh, they
seem to get a whole lot better at receiver and
going down the field with Brissett in there. So I mean,
(20:24):
whoever makes decisions there that's got to stand out. But
I'll tell you this, here's the other side of it.
Kyler Murray wouldn't take that many sacks, So there's the
other side, and he probably gets out of that that
sack that Brissett just ran himself into.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
So, and they're still losing a ton of games.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
But the way they're losing is I mean, owen seven
in games decided by four points or fire. I don't
know that I've ever seen anything like that.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
I think the Chiefs are right there in that situation
right now.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
They're playing the wrong season in the wrong division. That's
what Arizona's doing.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
I think every one of their losses they could have
won the game. And that's that's said. That's maddening.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Yeah there, But to wake up call for a team
that's coming off one of those losses and going to
Arizona and has to play the Cardinals twice in these
final five weeks, no doubt. Yes, sir, what about that
guy Kalays Campbell's he's still playing?
Speaker 4 (21:10):
You know, Kalais he does such a good job of
picking when he's in choosing when he wants to rush right,
I'll dare you. And but I'm not. But it's not
a negative thing. It's a smart thing, like I'm not
gonna waste these rushes.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 4 (21:28):
Now we get into a where I think you're gonna
hold the ball. I'm gonna give you all I got.
But he's smart he's a vet. He's gonna lean on you,
he's gonna do all this stuff. He's gonna play, he's
gonna run the games. And then when he gets a
chance to rush, when the opportunity fits, that's when he's
gonna rush. And you look at you look at the tape,
like when he wants to rush, he'll get back there.
But most of the time he's running games or he's
(21:49):
like kind of doing what Derek Brown did early on,
waiting to see to bat the ball down and then
eventually he'll rush. And that and that that's the that's
the only hard part about the game within the game,
which we saw last week is when Derek Brown rushed,
he had a sack fumble. I guess just like like
so it's like which one do you want?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Well, coming off a game where you threw a or
you had to pick that bounced off somebody, and then
you go to a guy that's even bigger.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Yeah, and this is what he does.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
I do worry about his football, IQ because just like
Matthew Stafford, who's seen more football than Kalayis Campbell, you
know what I mean, everybody's schemes. He gets into your line,
calls so he may not be able to dominate physically,
but his knowledge can watch out for this. He's going
to this. This is what this check means. And plus,
like you said, when he does turn it on. He's
one of the few bigs what I mean by bigs,
(22:34):
the tall guys that actually uses his size.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Oh my god, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Like when he gets that four body lean and gets
you away from him, he can walk you right back
to the quarterback. May not get a sack, but it's
hard to throw when your guard is sitting in your lap,
you know what I mean. Or your tackle is so
so much of a leader, and Buddha Baker's out there.
We still haven't figured out how to put a cap
on Buddha Baker.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
No one has.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
I feel like he just does. I feel like he's
more of like a Troy Paul. He sees something, he
just takes a shot. Yeah, sometimes he hits. He's probably
eighty production, equal tolerance. You keep making plays, do what
you want.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Yeah, it feels like there's three of him out there.
Whenever we play the Cardinals, him.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Come he's playing. Why is he on the line of scrimmage?
They're in covered through and there's no deep safety. Yeah,
he's making a sack.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
None of that made him play ninety yards down that
when you started on the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
I know what I wanted to ask you, Maurice Demark.
We get on this too. But the roller coaster that
I have ridden with our fan base over the last
few weeks with respect to the running game, here's like
a small sample size. We went from Kiren can't secure it,
go to Blake to then Kiren's on a heater, or
why are they playing Blake to now they're both ripping
off chunk plays, but they're doing it in different ways.
(23:45):
So the other thing I'll set you up on is
I remember when he was drafted, I was guilty of
saying other people were too. Oh, the Rams have a type,
They've got Kyen two point zero, but the way they're
running them now, they don't look anything alike. They have
a type, yeah, but their running style completely different.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
And I think the Rams you're seeing some similar runs
where they'll both run outside zone, they'll both run duo inside.
But you'll see some runs that Blake will only run
right And I think he really jumped out on the
scene against Carolina with that, to me, it was that
big run where he ran down the middle then.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Broke out right. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
He had to run through the smoke right, broke through
an arm tackle, shook the safety, went out right, and
then you saw the burst right. And so to me,
getting those two guys going with Kiren's ability to maneuver
in short spaces, we saw getting Carolina making people missing
the whole getting skinny doing those things. Having both of
those guys go, and we saw the way they were
able to run from what the eight yard line, the
(24:49):
six yard line all the way down. I don't know
if they scored it. I don't remember if they scored
a touchdown or not on that drive, but to run
all the way down and do that.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
The fourth court, so that was a touchdown. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
And so to me, that is, uh, that's scary for defenses,
right because now I have a two headed monster that
can go again. It reminds me when I was with
Fred Taylor very sick. We ran the same places. We
had different running souves, and those run plays may be
called the same for me, but they're gonna my running
soule is gonna make it look different.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Totally different. And that's the same with Blake and Kyron.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
They're getting called the same plays, but their running stud
it makes it look completely different.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
The vision is different. Like watching Blake Korm run. This
is so funny. You guys ever caught a fastball barehanded
when it's cold outside, That's what it looks like when
he's running.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
This is the last guy you want to be in
front of. He runs for paint.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
And when you think about later in the year, what's
the one thing you were definitely not doing, Probably all
throughout the NFL, you're not tackling anybody in practice, right,
and then you got to tackle this guy on Sunday
going a thousand miles an hour when the weather is cold.
He'll make you think twice. But I think his toughness
around the goal line. And then Kyron Williams is invaluable
(25:57):
to this offense man because it's more than just carrying
the football. Pass protection is stop notch and.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
His running by the goal line too is crazy. And
what's the number one thing on this football team?
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Protect nine?
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Absolutely? Trust pick up.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
On that Xavior Smith career long pass. Yeah, even even
on the overload Blitz, didn't he get one?
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Of the two picked the Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Yeah, So I think the job for Stafford, this coaching
staff and those two guys is you got to feed
them both because they're so important. And I think you're
doing a good job striking a good balance. Yeah, because
both guys are getting the chance to do what they
do best.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Well.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
I almost jumped in there because I think a percentage
of our audience was upset that McVeigh and the Rams
didn't lean more into their running game. But I think
when you're getting more than seven yards per play and
you only run into five third downs the whole day,
I don't know what issue can take with the game
plan of the play calling.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
I think it's just it was a weird game, and
I think correct.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
I mean you were carving them up, yeah, and you
you throw two picks, one of which was bizarre, and
the strip sack comes after your only penalty of the
day on what probably should not have been a delay.
But there you have it, it wasn't a play calling
to me, And this is what I'll say this too,
is as someone who split the backfield, I love this
(27:12):
series for series because Kiroen gets the first series, Blake
gets the second one. If you love it. When you
were splitting it, I.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
Didn't, But now as as an older person, as a
more mature Maurice, I love it because what I remember,
I remember vividly if Fred were to break off a
running get tired, I would come in right and give
him a two or three play blow, and then he'd
come back in and do his thing, and so and
then vice versa on the other side. And when you
have two guys that get you can run your way
into the playoffs. And then again, if you look at
(27:40):
all the teams over the last couple of years that
went to the Super Bowl, they had great even can
see last year had a strong running game that helped
them get.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
There, obviously Philly last year.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Right, And so you want that when the Rams went
in twenty eighteen, what do they have two running backs
that get tote the rock ran them through the playoffs?
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Right, That's what you want.
Speaker 4 (27:57):
And so it sets up the play action passed to
all that thing and another party does What does it
do for the defense?
Speaker 3 (28:02):
You can run the football, you get to rest and
get ready. Absolutely you control the game.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
And everything's crazy about their Super Bowl run is they
were not two dimensional. They had one way to beat you,
and it was a really really good way, and they
got there in some special moments. But I think what
they have now that I appreciate even coming off a loss,
is margin for air, because they can beat you in
lots of different ways. The defense can win you a game.
The running games can win you a game. Clearly, your
quarterback in your passing game can win you lots of games. Now,
(28:28):
when that margin for air is dried up by by
an inability to get off the grass on defense and
three giveaways, it goes sideways. But the last time we
have to see a game.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
By three with the game in your hands, it wasn't
like it was.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Be honest, when when when Fred Taylor's out there ripping,
you're not really like mad, You're just kind of jealous.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Oh, I'm like, yo, let me get some of this.
It's sweet out here. They're sweet. I gotta get some.
I'll tell you.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
We're playing in Denver, and I know this is all.
We're playing in Denver, and I remember Fred. He got
hit and they thought he had a concussion, so he
went out, and when he went out, your boy started
going crazy.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Right. Yeah. I looked to the side and my dog
was back on the side doing high knees. I was like, oh.
He was like, is it good. I was like, oh yeah,
you come get you something, right, I come get you.
So he's like, oh it is, but get out. I
gotta give you. Like that's what it's like. Don't leave
the sidelines.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm sure they're both loving their circumstances
because the way this passing offense is going, you're getting
favorable box counts. And then look at the way the
offensive line, the tight ends, and the receivers are competing on
that blocking surface. Like there's a reason why they're grading
out so well in the running game.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Uh remember it.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
It was a couple of weeks ago with Kobe Parkinson
taking over as the in line tight end. He has
accepted that role, rooting guys out, being the point of
attack guy and smart knowing when to let go so
to speak, you know what I mean, and not draw
the holding call. He's gotten so much better and then
he's still a threat tight ends. Everybody up front getting
the right guy for the most part has been great
(29:58):
and the vision by the backs has been af So
I agree with you one hundred percent. You were absolutely
pounding the daylights you have nothing to be ashamed of.
The only thing you need to clean up the takeaways.
If you cleaned up the takeaways, you win that game
in a walk. And the whole situation is different. And
it's all based on running the football and the guys
are blocking.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Takeaways count like a fourth down stop.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Yes, takeaway. I have to give you credit.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
You talked about Kobe Parks and coming from Seattle, how
he was great it as one of the top run blockers.
I was like, Ah, he's more of a receiving threat
from Stanford. That's kind of what I saw him as.
But you're right, he's accepted that role and you've really
seen him take on that edge and he's not allowing penetration,
which the most important thing. He's keeping the line of
the line of scrimmage flat so the running back can
make movest job.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
And that's what you're looking for. Obviously that was Tyler
Higbey's thing.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
But he's really, like you said, I think he's accepted
that role and it really he's it's I want to
say he shocked me, but I'm excited that he's accepted
that role and he's doing a much better job than
he did last year for sure.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Speaking of tight ends, you know what got overlooked because
Puka had such an outrageous catch the one that Tiefer
almost had at the sideline.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Man, no, he call it was just out of bounds,
That's what I mean. He caught it. He made sure
to let you know. Still I caught it.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
I still think he sets the rams ceiling, oh this year,
or he elevates the ceiling. The ceilings already way up
in the attic, but I think he can take it
to that next level.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
What I what I love seeing from him is when
he they're in that thirteen personnel and he's at wide
receiver right right, was that like sixty five sixty six
standing out there like that's a tight end That it's
someone a corner is going to have to have to
eventually cover down the field.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
You know what else is scary? Arizona does that and
they have McBride. Yeah, yeah, that that's that's pretty scary.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
He's a problem. What was the word you standings? I
think right another way of saying it. There's one on
the topic that shall not be mentioned. Cardinals outside of
this studio, in this facility.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
He's talking cardinals.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
I want to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Let's talk about it. You know I love this.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
So here's one way to jump into this. I'm going
to give you the contenders and their remaining schedule, and
I want you to tell me how many wins they
finish with, because that'll dictate how many of these final
five the Rams have to win. But let me open
the conversation this way. Who should the Rams be rooting for?
Between the Bears and the Packers this week?
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Oh, the Packers, root for the Packers. For the Packers.
Speaker 4 (32:11):
Knock the Bears off off the number one, off the
number one. I know, I know, people, I'm living the now. Guy,
I don't care about the future. Let us get back
to number one.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
I want. I want to control. I want to control everything,
like I don't want. I don't want.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Serious saying that we only need one favor. Yeah, just
go ahead and do the sooner you can get it,
get it?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
And then the reason I say that is when we
can control things, I'm a control Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
Let me, let me let me yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
But the Bears are nine to three. Here's their remaining schedule. Okay,
so from nine wins, how many they finished with at
Green Bay home and home against green Bay, Green Bay, Cleveland,
Green Bay at San Francisco home against the Lions. How
many of those final five do they win?
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Who knows?
Speaker 1 (32:54):
Green Bay, Cleveland, Green Bay at San Francisco Detroit.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Tell three. I say they get three of those.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
You think they do three? Okay, I'll take the under
on three.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Really you think they get two.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
What's wild about where we are is the Bears could
be the one seed and I would not be surprised.
Or they could tumble all the way out of the
picture and I would not be surprised.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
That I agree with because I'm still not sure. I mean, okay,
I'll put you down for twelve. You think twelve, I
think they get twelve.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
This one.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
They're running the football at a rate no doubt, and
as much as you know this is gonna hurt me,
I'll take twelve. Jonah Jackson is doing I was afraid
you're gonna mention God, And.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Again he was Johnson.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
He wasn't healthy here, but oh my god. Yeah, like
what they're doing there is crazy.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
Uh, let me go to the Let me go to
the Packers next. Just because we're talking about them, so
Chicago twice. They also go at Denver home to Baltimore
at Minnesota. Packers are eight three and one of those five?
How many do they win? Chicago twice, at Denver, Baltimore
and at Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Tough, Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
I say they're gonna split. They're gonna split with Chicago. Okay,
they're gonna lose to Denver.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
It's at Denver, right at Denvern, Baltimore and Minnesota that
you're at Minnesota. Okay, that's ten.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
And then Baltimore's depends on what lamar you get.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
I'm gonna put him down for eleven eleven Okay. Eagles
Monday Night football at so Far against the Chargers.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
Oh, that's a dub, which is crazy because this guy
is not gonna play.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
He's not gonna.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Play Las Vegas. Okay, two games against Washington Division games
and at Buffalo.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
So they're gonna win four of those. Yes, that puts
them at twelve and five.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Twelve and five, okay, Okay, so there's another twelve win team.
I'm sure this is great YouTube television, but.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
They're doing the same thing.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
If you've made it this far, we're almost done. Seattle.
Here's another fun one.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Change the look on my face.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Seattle at Atlanta. It's kind of the no bad outcomes
here from the Rams. But can we agree it's time
to table April of twenty twenty six and focus on
the here and now.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Yes, you can. You need Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
This is the one time I'm rooting for Seattle because
then the only reason is because I want to get
like a top five.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I'm rooting for Atlanta. Braheen. Come on, I want a
top five pick.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
You're on your You're on an island.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Take it. Come on, Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
You already got a good pick.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
It's already going to be good. What happened?
Speaker 1 (35:29):
What happened to mister control over?
Speaker 2 (35:31):
I said, that's why I can you control of the season? Yeah?
I do, because we get to play them. I get
a chance to control it.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
I see I thought he would.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Okay, anyways, Atlanta home to Indy.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Who knows Indy, Indy, Indy could be the one.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Okay, Thursday Night football against the Rams at Carolina at
San Francisco to finish line win team Falcons, Colts, Rams, Panthers, Niners.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
I can see them winning two of the two two games.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
So you think they're an eleven win team.
Speaker 4 (36:03):
I think they're eleven win team.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
So you really aren't worried about the Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
It's hard to win in Seattle. Okay, I was gonna
say twelve.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
Eleven point five. Yeah, okay, let's say whatever.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Let's go give them twelve, given twelve.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
And then the last one before we talk about the Rams.
The team that's sitting on their couch with their feet up,
getting healthy.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
This is nothing to do.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
The Niners have nine wins, they're on a bye. Here's
how they finish. Titans at home, win ten at Indy.
It depends, Okay, home to Chicago, home to Seattle.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
See, I'll say zero to two in that. I think
I'll believe in Chicago and who was the other team?
And at Indy, So they're gonna I think they're gonna
lose to Indy and they'll lose the Seattle Seattle.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
Yes, so you've got them as an eleven win, Yeah,
eleven and eleven and six, because.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
You said who else they have? They they they're at home.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
One of the Titans that's ten at Indie you had
as a loss. Yep, home to Chicago.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
Yep, they'll win that one.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
That's eleven home to Seattle, and.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
They'll lose to Seattle. Corner and Bosa are still out
and they're not coming back. Okay, defensively, I think they've
done a great job staying alive. They've masked some yes,
stand alive.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
The way that we just loosely map that out, you
got a couple of eleven win teams and at least
three twelve win teams, So the Rams got to get
to thirteen.
Speaker 4 (37:25):
But what I what I believe is you you have
control of some of these things, right, you have to win.
You obviously have to win your games, but going to Seattle,
winning sweeping Seattle is going to be huge on a
Thursday night. I think Detroit's kind of a that's a
wonky game because you just don't know how Detroit's going
to show up. Are they going to be the giants Detroit?
Speaker 1 (37:46):
Well, that's what's weird about the Rams schedule is on paper,
they have the best path, the easiest schedule. That's why
they're still the favorite to be the one seed is
because you just step back and you don't take any
of these factors into the equations. Like two games again,
it's the Cardinals who are already eliminated. A road game
against Atlanta probably will be eliminated by that point, and
then you got two big ones ones at home against Detroit,
(38:08):
who knows what shape they'll be in, and then the
rematch with Seattle, and they're comparing schedules like we just did,
and they're saying the Rams will get it done in
the end.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
I believe it.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
But I like the control of we have to play Seattle,
that's what I like. That's where we can control that,
right Like now, Chicago have no control over what Chicago does.
So I need you to get out of the way quickly.
Shout out to my dog Eric, the enemy.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
I hate to do that.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
Here's how I pose that to DeMarco. This is the
last thing I'll say. I'll let it go after this.
And by the way, we're going to burn this tape
Arizona after it airs. If you had to go on
the road in the NFC playoffs, would you rather go
to Soldier Field and face Caleb or go to Lambeau
and face Love and Micah Parsons and the Packers.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
Yeah, go ahead and give me a Soldier Field.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
So that's what I'm saying. My original question is who
are you rooting for this week? And in two weeks
or three weeks when they rematch one.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
I'd rather have everybody kind of I don't want to
go anywhere. Yeah, actually start by beating the Cardinals.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
This wasn't a choose your own adventure test.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
Yeah, if it would rather be.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
We know what Green Bay's like, we know what were
Green Bay's like, and the cold that's not something that
I would want to do.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Here's a toast to Maurice and the Rams maintaining control.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Yes, sure, and the.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
Way that everybody the beautiful city of Ala guys, Yes,
blessing in disguis.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
We'll see if that holds.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
Did I cut you off any final thoughts before I
send this away?
Speaker 2 (39:30):
No? Just you know, some guys on offense we talked.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
We didn't talk about X Smith, who was shown up big,
big time coming back off getting knocked out and then
coming back big and not just being a returner, being
a guy that contributes.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
That felt like a preamble to the two two issue.
Do you want to go there?
Speaker 2 (39:45):
You know? I was surprised.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
I thought tub was going to be back for Carolina
and that you you'd have to think those plays that
went to X would probably go to Tou Tuo if
that was to.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
To one of those hits the box.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
That's just how I feel about his ability, So I
was surprised that's not being deployed.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
And one more thing about Emmanuel Forbes.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Let me make this point, and I'm not sure because
I don't know and we're still learning about him. I
hope he's not playing looking over his shoulder because that
was the same week that Akello Witherspoon came back, and
also Darien Kendrick was in the building. So I hope
you're not thinking like, oh my goodness, and people tend
to stiff up when there's new people around.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
I hope that's not the case. It is what it is.
Speaker 3 (40:23):
Give all credit to Carolina, but I hope that's not
an issue. I hope chemistry was not. I hope chemistry
didn't affect his confidence because he was playing like Gangbusters
and I still think that guy's.
Speaker 4 (40:34):
There two things I'll say about Emmanuel Forbes. One, I
like him better with off coverage than I do press.
That's how I give up both of those touchdowns playing
press man. I think he's better with his eyes looking
in and being able to see and then he can
make plays on it once you get to him. I
think if he's at the line of scrimmage. He's such
a longer guy. He doesn't have the quick twitch of
(40:56):
some of the other guys. I think that's how Coker
got on top of him on the fade ball. And
then the other play was literally it was just like
a foot race from one side of the field to
the other and you're trying to be in trail position
and it was a great throw.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
So that those those don't bother.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Do you want to finish that? Earlier in the show,
you said that the Rams pass rush isn't getting home
because of the quick passing game, right, and so you
got to alter your coverage tighten up a little to
take that away. So there's a tension there between Hey,
we've got a corner that we prefer an off coverage.
We don't want him in press man versus we don't
want to give up those and that's be frustrated.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
You have to work through it.
Speaker 4 (41:33):
That's that's the game, right, That's that's that's the game
within the game. How do you do we move them
to four yards and playoff? Do we move them to
five like or do you keep them at seven? And
or do you put them at press right? And so
that's the game. And then I will say I I
the unsung heroes have to show.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
Up down this stretch.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
Who's on that list for you?
Speaker 2 (41:56):
Tight end?
Speaker 4 (41:57):
Davis Davis Allen that these I need to see him
get back in the box right in the red zone.
I think Blake Korum has to continue to go. That's
the unsung hero to me. And then I think Jordan
Winnington needs to start playing more. And I think and
the reason I say that is it's either him or
two to atwill is that that's a different type of
(42:17):
burst than the other guys.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
Can I can I just hit the two two thing
real quick. This is a different team and offense than
the one that he was signed to and the one
that he started the year with. Like, who would have
thought that we'd be sitting here post Thanksgiving talking about
the Rams rostering four tight ends, including one that they
just picked up off the street last week, and leaning
into twelve and thirteen personal identity, Like, that's not the
(42:39):
schematic for which the Rams signed to. Yeah, so the
game has changed in that regard. And on top of that,
he doesn't have a role on teams x smith than
others do. And you are carrying a bunch of defensive
backs right now for a good reason. I think as
you try and solve for that puzzle in the back
half of the schedule, so.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
I would still have him money. And that's why I
say that speed plays. But that's why I say Jordan Winnington.
Speaker 4 (43:02):
He has not the same burst, but he has a
burst different than the other guys you have out there.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
But are they going to give him Winnington's helmet?
Speaker 2 (43:10):
No, no, no, I know it's a shame that you
can't use that a builty.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
Unfortunately, these problems resolve themselves on a week by week basis,
and so there will come in time when there will
be a helmet available for two two. I believe that.
Speaker 4 (43:20):
I just and when he gets it, he'll be five
yards eight yards of separation on a comeback.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Yes it'll be.
Speaker 4 (43:26):
But I just think those guys have to show up.
And it brings me back to last year in the
Division round against Philly, where he comes on the field
runs a twenty yard comeback is by hisself catch the
ball gets out of bound and goes out and then
someone else comes in like that. Those type of players
are going to have to start to show up here
very quickly, as good as the offense is going, that's
going to be those those guys that I named Davis
(43:47):
Allen in the in the red tighte red area. Think
he's gonna have to show up again like he's done.
I think some of the catches that he's made have
been awesome. But I also believe like Blake korm is
going to need to show up down the stretch and
either you pick whichever third receiver you want out of
Xavier Smith, Jordan Winnington or.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
To toat Wellmfield.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Mumfield as well.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
Someone is going to have to emerge as a guy
that we can consistently count.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
We just went the whole show and didn't say DeVante
or Puka.
Speaker 4 (44:17):
Because you know, when you know those two are going
to do that thing like that's you know that they're
going to do the whole thing show. But someone else
is going to have to show up eventually down this stretch.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
All right, let's break there and let's hope the next
time we do this it's on a winning note. The
Rams and the Cardinals twice in five weeks down the
stretch for Maurice Jones, Drew and to Marco far I'm
j B.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Long.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
Thank you for joining us for another edition Between the Horns,
presented by your Southern California Toyota dealers.
All right, here we go with a new edition up
between the Horns, always presented by your Southern California. Tell
you to dealers with Maurice Jones Drew and to Marco
far I'm JB.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Long.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Good to be back. Good to see you guys again.
Want to thank Kirsten Watson and Stuve Jackson. Yeah, Karen
Irwin and everyone who filled in around this show around
the holidays. Great to have them in. But I missed you.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Good and see fellas. Yes, good to be back. Man.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Sorry, it's after an l week, but it is what
it is. It's football. It happens.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Yeah, teams got to get right. We got to get right.
So we're back together.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I love it. There you go. Yes, this is like
the best time of the year. Actually it is. It is.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
You know, did we say this last week? I know
it's a it's a coaching thing like football doesn't begin
until after Thanksgiving. Oh my god, boy, ain't that the truth?
Here we go because it is what I mean. This
is where you separate. This is where you know, good
teams go to great teams or the other way. Good
teams go the opposite way. This is where you have
to be tough. It gets cold, the weather changes. College
is just about over. School is just about over. This
(01:01):
is the pros, this is the pay league. This is
why it's so tough, and this is why you make
so much money in this league. It's tough from here.
So this is where football begins.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
I think this is where you start to separate yourselves too. Like,
you know, the teams that are kind of bad, they
kind of tend to fall off a little bit. The
teams that are great, that want to be great and
are on a mission, they continue to get better each week,
and you start to see the separation. There's a lot
of teams though. There's a lot of parody in the
league though right now, which is it's like confusing, right,
there's so many like seven and six, six and six.
(01:31):
There's just so much going on, right, It's just like
and then this next month of the season, you're gonna
see teams that are six and six go to six
and ten or vice versa, and the teams that are
up there, I like the rams. It's time for you
to start to separate and really put some of your
best football there on tape.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Missed a chance to separate on Sunday, though, My goodness,
that was after Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
It was I think it was necessary though, and it.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Made that point right away, and I agreed with you
in real time, but each day that goes by, disagree.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
No, it was necessary.
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I think I would rather you would rather stumble in
late November than stumble in late December. And the reason
I say that is, yes, that was a winnable game. Yes,
that team, the Rams should have went. We saw all
the Rams fans there, which was awesome, and it was
it was it was just but.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
It was just something. It just was weird.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
I mean, we had told you about that stadium. It's
just a weird situation I had. I had flashbacks of
when I played in the Tsunami Bowl. It was just
it was just a weird time. And they had a
great game plan. They be in the Caroline, had a
great offensive game plan, They controlled the ball, they took
majority of the third quarter up.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
And they executed. The Rams had an opportunity, fumbled it
away and and that that those happens.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
But what that does is it forces you to lock
in and refocus on all the little things you did
during that six game winning.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
It reminds you of how fast things can go away.
If you don't play your best game week in week out.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Do you think this team needed that reminder that?
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Okay, I'll say this now, this is just my own
personal experience. This is going back to the embryo stage
of the Greatest Show on Turf. We lost a game
in Detroit that we should not have lost. We lost
to Charlie Batch, right, and we lost on like kind
of like that. We didn't play that well. It was
fluky at the end they beat us. We did in
that locker room decide to a man, this will never
happen again, because it did remind you how fast things
(03:21):
can go away. You could become a bad football team.
Everything that we've been praising ourselves over could go away
if we don't play well, if we let these little
mistakes kill us. So yeah, I mean, I don't think
it was necessary, so to speak, but it could be
a blessing in disguise that had happened.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Now you know what I mean, that little moment.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
That I don't want to say loss of focus, but
just when you let one get away, it happened. Now
there's your reminder. Let's button it up for the rest
of the year.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
I always tell people success can be a bad thing too, right,
A mask a lot of your issues, I thought, And
this is not a negative thing.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I thought.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
Matthew Stafford took some chances. There was a pass play
that wasn't picked off that probably should have been in
the red zone. He threw the ball to Pook and
the cool he had a guy underneath it and a
guy one of the time zone, the one the end zone.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
When he threw that, I was like, Oh, that's that's
a risky throw, right.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
But you've made You've made so many plays like that
over the last six weeks. You're like, oh, I can
make this throw, right, and and those are things that
kind of bring you back down to taking care of
the football.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Focusing on those type of things.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
I thought, the pick, the tip pick, or the batted
up pick, Yeah, that's those things happen. But I also
started to see him become more aggressive as a quarterback
towards that game. Right that throw to to pookin Nakua,
he thought he could fit it in. That was a
great play by the dB. We've seen him make that throw,
but the DB's not as close as he was in
that situation. And so those are things that I think
(04:44):
when you come back, It's like, Okay, I got to recalibrate.
I got to get back to what we were doing beforehand.
I don't need to take as many chances. We don't
need to take as many chances in these situations. Defensively,
I think you have to be more consistent with stopping
the run and tighter coverage on third down. We always
talk about the loose covers that the Rams like to play.
(05:05):
That team attacked that loose coverage third and four, you
want to play seven yards off. Here goes a quick
slant for six yards first down, right, And so those
are things that force you to go back and look
at what you were doing through in the last six
weeks to say, Okay, how can we critique this, and
what are the holes that we saw leading up to
this that they took advantage of self scout And then
you just get ready to roll. And I think that,
(05:27):
like I said, when you have a lot of success,
it's hard to be like this doesn't work right because
you're winning with it and the until it doesn't. And
I rather it happened in November the last part of
November than that happened in the first week the second
week of January you know when you've had so much success.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I got a lot of follow ups on those perceived issues,
whether or not they are issues moving in this final
closing stretch. But first, how good do you have to
be to turn it over three times in a loss
on the last day of the month and still be
named NFC Offensive Player of the Month like Matthew Stafford.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
That tells you.
Speaker 4 (06:02):
That tells you how good he was playing. Like, that's
what I'm saying. When you're playing, when you're playing the
way he was playing. Uh, And I still thought he
made some great throws, sure, and I mean he was
playing lights out. He just had a couple of mistakes.
But that just tells you how good he was playing.
And that's what happens. Like I always tell people, I
remember when I was I remember when I was playing
and I was like player of them.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I felt awesome.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
I felt like I could walk on the water at times,
and I started doing things that were uncharacteristic, like you know,
running an a gap play, bouncing it outside because I've
had success with it. Even though that wasn't the right read,
I had success and did it, and then I do
it against let's say the Houston Texans and I get crushed, right,
Demko Ryans is right there right. So it's just like
those things remind you like, Okay, let me get back
in this yeah exactly, let me get let me get
(06:46):
let me get back into this a gap and do
exactly what I what I used to do.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And so that that's all I'm saying, is like it
just reminds you.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Of getting back into who you were when you're you're
you know, being super successful.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I think the m v P will be decided from
this day forward though, for all the consternation over who's
the favorite and how the odds have shifted. You went
four of these five or all five of these games,
Matthew's gonna be MVP, I think easy.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
I agree one, yes, absolutely. That's another thing.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Well, I'm kind of glad that happened in Carolina because
if it's spurs on another great stretch, then so be it.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
It would be worth it.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
So I always go searching for a perspective, right to
help me get through a losing week, just to get
Sunday here sooner. I think we all would have signed
up for nine to three this August, right, mm hmm?
Any would anyone signed that contract. Yes, and for Matthew
to be among the top two and MVP, we all
would have said, Okay, good things are gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Since DeMarco retired as a Ram, nine and three starts
are better for the for the Rams. Four of them.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Wow, wow?
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Really three under Sean mcvag including this.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I've been retired a while now. Wow.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
I was trying to you know.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
A little bit put out there, little sideway shot. I
got you there.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
But I mean, uh, look, this team and this quarterback
in this group, they have a chance to do something,
to be something special. This is what I mean about
losing and why I guess I'm encouraged by it. All
depends on how they take the field on Sunday, because
they're saying the right things. Even coach McVeigh said it.
It might have been his longest post game speech i've
heard him say in the locker room afterwards, talking about this,
(08:11):
how this is going to be a blessing in this guise.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I can't wait to get back to work.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
If they take the field and go out and prove
it good, then it was all for the positive. But
for right now, coming off a loss, it does hurt
you as far as Standings go. It's a punishing loss,
but it doesn't have to end everything. I hope you
get motivated. It could be the carrot they needed, Like
you said, to take it to a whole new level.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
And I agree with you, Mo.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
I mean, there are some things that you think you're
doing everything you can, and this is coaching everybody plan wise.
You think you're doing everything that you need to do
to win until you're proved. Oh no, you have to
do a little bit more look at just what happens.
So sometimes these things can help you. They can help
point out where you didn't know where you have some deficiencies.
So and if you got away with the wins, so
(08:53):
be it. If you won with it, you still have
to correct those deficiencies. But taking that l your focus
this week is going to be fine, tune on beating
the Cardinals, which is where it should be. That's why
I think this could be a blessing in disguise. It
takes away all distractions. It puts you right in line
with your opponent where you should be in November.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Anyway, you said the magic word standings. It was the
one topic he did not want to address this week.
Come on and I think that's great. Yeah, you know
what I want to do on this show.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
But real quick, it reminds me of like the the
Bill Belichick on the Cincinnati he did it, he used it.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, I mean that to me.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Yeah, that's the Like I said before, this is the NFL,
no matter what a team looks like, no matter what.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
And I think you said it best.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
You could be six inches away from where you're supposed
to be and Rico Daddle breaks through that run, right,
that's just literally that's the It's a game of inches.
And so all these cliche things happened on Sunday. Now
it's time to tighten those things up.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
And ge were I look at it from like a
manual force perspective. I mean, for the better part of
a month, we've been talking about how great has been
playing in the improvement and this week he's on the
side of that. And sometimes the difference is did the
opposing quarterback put the ball here or here? Because this
is a pass breakup and this.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Is a touchdown.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
And I mean, like like I said, it's it's it's
so funny because and this is all over social media,
a lot of the Rams fans are like, oh, we've
been praying it has nothing. He was in the same
position he's always been in on that touchdown of t Mac.
He was in the same position last week against uh
I forget who was we battered the pass away that
Baker threw or one of them through to one of
(10:32):
the receivers crossing.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
It was the exact same position.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
The ball playing was just different. And so it's again,
you can't. You can't ride that roller coaster. And I
think that's what kind of what I felt when I
came in here today, is this isn't a roller coach like. Look,
we've just got to get better. We learned from our mistakes,
let's move forward.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
I think that's exactly it. And I think it's what
in this era of the Rams have done as well
or better than any other franchise in the league. Through
twelve games. How many of them have been worthy of
a win?
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I think they're twelve for twelve most of us, yeah,
if not all.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
There have been bad moments, they've been bad halves, but
they've been in every game. If they put five more
of those out there, maybe they'll be the one. Maybe
they'll win the West, maybe they won't. But they're gonna
be in the field, they're gonna be out.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
But no more three play quarters on offense, though. You
gotta sew that up and that I mean, that's that's
an entire team thing. You got to stop somebody on
defense too. Sometimes on defense, like you said, and it
gets down and dirty. And you said you had PTSD
from playing in Carolina.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Me too.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
That reminded me of every single loss ever had as
a player in Carolina. Same environment, same people in the crowd,
same way they did it, just running the football, and it.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Was just those little nagging things.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
It's not like they're better, it's just they're playing better
than us right now and we just can't get a
grip on it. So defensively, get to stop. Offensively, stay
on the field. So these are things that help you
progress towards becoming a playoff football team. So nothing will
reinforce coaching better than losing. So I, like you said,
if you had I guarantee you this week, you got
(12:02):
everybody's attention.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
I get the run defense thing, I really do. But
it's been one of the most improved dimensions of any
team in the league. So I don't want to lose
perspective on that. I also think the Rams had the
Panthers right where they wanted them fifteen times. The problem
is they converted seven of those third downs and all
three of the fourth downs. But I liked where they
were sitting on that first third and eight, and so
(12:26):
they gave up a screen for a touchdown.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Right.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
I mean, there weren't a ton of explosive runs. This
wasn't Saque and the Eagles out there. I think that's
the type of football you want opponents to have to
play against you to beat you.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
But it was still it was still an option for them,
and it was something that you had to respect. When
you're stuffing the run, you can almost they can't run it.
We know it, and you call the game differently when
you're worried about the run constantly because you had to.
They were chipping away at you completely everything else up.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
And if Puna can play more than twenty snaps, maybe
that looks different.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Shocked me. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
And if instead of that tipped interset to Nick Scott
in the end zone, if you're up two touchdowns there,
then guess what goes away all game? Right?
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Of course, there's a lot I think there's a lot
of things there, and I thought certain things in that game,
the weather came into it, the pick six and the
tip pick allowed them to stay in that game longer
than they should have been. And when you allow a
team to stay in those games, they're gonna get there.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
They can have a game.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
They had a game plan that they wanted to run,
but it was certain plays offensively that allowed them to
stay in it. Like you said, if they're up two touchdowns,
you can't get a guy.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yet you can't do that. You know.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
What is becoming something that I don't think we can ignore, though,
is as vaunted as this pass rush was in the
front half of this schedule and is by reputation, it
is not played that way consistently on Sundays for a
while now.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Oh, they haven't had the production. I'd say this.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
So when you watch and these guys come off the rock,
it's not like they're getting stalemated, thrown on their butts
held there. They're winning. The ball's just coming out fast.
To a man winning, they're winning. Yeah, the balls just
come out fast, because, like you said, you hit the
nail on the head when you're giving off coverage. Okay,
you're gonna give me that. I'll take it now. It's great.
Let me see if your quarterback can complete that pass
(14:08):
ten out of ten times without making a mistake. Bryce
Young Dish Young did right, Okay, Okay, So if the
ball doesn't come out, you have to as a pass
rusher get into pursuit early and then take them out
of it by stopping the run, making them one dimensional,
getting into that quarterback's head a little bit and into
his cadence, and then you start to tee off on
these offensive linemen and then the sacks start to fall.
But when the ball comes out so quick and they're
(14:29):
completing passes, staying on the field on third down, like
you said, that negates a pass rush right there. That's
that's It's not like they're not winning. It's just you
didn't earn the right to rush the passer like you
need to to get after.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I think they had plenty of opportunity to rush the
passer last week. And I don't know if it was
that first screen and what it did to them in
terms of their posture, but.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Oh salute that touchdown.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Rice was, Yes, was way more comfortable than I would
have expected, as often as he had to play from
third and six or more.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Yeah, but third and six he was throwing a seven
yard slant. It was one, two, three, The ball was
out and I and I will say this, when he
had to hold on to it longer we talked about
on the broadcast. When he had to hold on it
longer than two and a half seconds, he was getting
hit and their people were there. And so again it's
third and eight. I'm like, okay, here we go. Here
goes a screen right, third and six, slants, quick outs.
(15:19):
Everything was quick game on third down. It wasn't until
they got to fourth down they went playoff boots boot right.
So they were doing they were doing they understood that
they weren't going to and you watch the the way
they're aligning. The Panthers a line built, they're built to
run the football, not to go backwards. And so you
were getting those ops. But they were calling quick game
on third down third like anytime someone runs a seventh
(15:42):
like a slant on third and six, they're telling you, true,
this ball has to come out today.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Now, I will say this discipline has to be better.
On the edges.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Uh, there were sometimes you get blind dog meahouse. You know,
there's the there's the play action and you're way down
here and there's a quarterback over here. So that's something
you're gonna have to work on again. But like I said,
you're getting there. You have to resist the frustration that
comes along with offenses dumping the ball fast. It is
frustrated as a pass rusher. I'm wasting my rush moves.
(16:11):
By the time I get into my moves, I'm into
pursuit over and over and over again.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
That just starts to wear you down and wear you out.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
I am loving the way that a healthy bread in
Fisk is playing, and I think that's a reason for
optimism going into this week. But you're gonna have to
get Jacoby Brissette off his spot because when he's comfortable,
he is a problem. Right now, forty seven completions like
putting up video game numbers.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Okay, slap me if I'm crazy. Not really, he reminds
me of a Warren Moon. Towards the end, I'd have.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
To go look at that.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
He really does.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I can agree with him. That makes sense. He's not
going to run away from you. But he's a pretty
good athlete. He knows where to step, he knows how
to play when pockets are dirty, he can step to
that nice spot, that little dead spot and get the
ball out. And he's got some great pass catchers.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
He is activating his eligibles better than his predecessors.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yeah, I mean he can throw guys open. He can
play the quarterback from the pocket better than we've seen
anybody play in Arizona in a lot of years. And
you know what I mean by that. So but the
thing is, I don't think they can protect him for
that long. So he can be effective to beat you
for four quarters. He gives up a lot of sacks
he has, He's thrown for a lot of yards and
(17:28):
he's done great. But the one thing that has happened
is there's been a lot of pressure on him and
this is a young front that could get after him.
So if you stop the run again I know this
sounds like a broken record, and force them to throw.
I think you can get to preset and I don't
think he can run away from you like Bryce Young did.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
I don't think.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
I don't think he's a broken record. That's what's going
to be for the next how manyver wigs. The Rams
play is stop the run, force him to throw the football. Defensively,
I would say I agree with you. I think that
Jacoby Prissett has played so much football and has been
in so many systems that he knows coverages and what
things look, so he knows where he wants to go
with the football. The problem is a lot of these
(18:04):
passes he's throwing they are fifteen twenty yards down the field,
so he has to hold on to it, which plays
in the rams favor on certain situations. If you can
stop the run and force these guys to get downfield,
play a little tighter coverage, make sure that they have
to go down the field, you'll get those sacks that
you're looking for in those pressures that you want. Again,
I just think a lot of teams you're game planning
(18:25):
four set pressure, right, and I go back to Carolina
when you're taking a one step drop out of shotgun
on third and six, that's all because of the guys
in front of you. That has nothing to do with this, like, oh,
they're playing off coverage here, we're gonna run what I
don't know what the teams call it now, but dragon,
which is like drag slant.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Here we go ball out quick, right.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
And so those are the things I don't when I
watch Arizona, they don't run that type of game. That's
not Their game is like quick game stuff like that.
They want to get twelve fifteen yard chunks down the field.
They like to throw curls, so you're more of a
three step dropout of gun, which gives your pass rush
and opportunity to get to the quarterback, especially if the
coverage is there.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
And so.
Speaker 4 (19:05):
I could see this game matching up, but it only
matches up if you if you shut down that run early.
Because the Cardinals passing game doesn't seem like the quick
game that we saw. Now, let me say this before
I go anywhere else. I don't want people jump on me.
The Cardinals are the Panthers pass game to look like
this either for a couple of weeks before they played.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
So don't try and figure out what the Carolina Panthers
are like. That's a fool's Errand oh my god, they're
very confusing. They make God on the wrong day.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
Well, no, I think it's it's very similarly what they
did to the Packers and when they went to Green
Bays to New Orleans is what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Oh, no, no question, and probably will Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Quick question about Arizona before I forget who takes the
first snap of twenty twenty six for the Arizona Cardinals,
Kyler Murray or anyone else walking the planet?
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Who's the coach? Both anyone else walking the planet?
Speaker 1 (19:52):
You think it's over?
Speaker 2 (19:53):
I do. There's too much money for it to be over. Man,
Who's who's gonna take that contract on? I don't. I
don't know. But the one thing I.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Can say know if they change coaches, then it doesn't
matter if that coach isn't signing up exactly.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
But if it's Gannon, then locked at the hit, let's go,
you might be back to him. But I do see
a lot more Marvin Harrison. You can't help but see
Trey McBride. But with a standard pocket passer, uh, they
seem to get a whole lot better at receiver and
going down the field with Brissett in there. So I mean,
(20:24):
whoever makes decisions there that's got to stand out. But
I'll tell you this, here's the other side of it.
Kyler Murray wouldn't take that many sacks, So there's the
other side, and he probably gets out of that that
sack that Brissett just ran himself into.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
So, and they're still losing a ton of games.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
But the way they're losing is I mean, owen seven
in games decided by four points or fire. I don't
know that I've ever seen anything like that.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
I think the Chiefs are right there in that situation
right now.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
They're playing the wrong season in the wrong division. That's
what Arizona's doing.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
I think every one of their losses they could have
won the game. And that's that's said. That's maddening.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Yeah there, But to wake up call for a team
that's coming off one of those losses and going to
Arizona and has to play the Cardinals twice in these
final five weeks, no doubt. Yes, sir, what about that
guy Kalays Campbell's he's still playing?
Speaker 4 (21:10):
You know, Kalais he does such a good job of
picking when he's in choosing when he wants to rush right,
I'll dare you. And but I'm not. But it's not
a negative thing. It's a smart thing, like I'm not
gonna waste these rushes.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Are you kidding me?
Speaker 4 (21:28):
Now we get into a where I think you're gonna
hold the ball. I'm gonna give you all I got.
But he's smart he's a vet. He's gonna lean on you,
he's gonna do all this stuff. He's gonna play, he's
gonna run the games. And then when he gets a
chance to rush, when the opportunity fits, that's when he's
gonna rush. And you look at you look at the tape,
like when he wants to rush, he'll get back there.
But most of the time he's running games or he's
(21:49):
like kind of doing what Derek Brown did early on,
waiting to see to bat the ball down and then
eventually he'll rush. And that and that that's the that's
the only hard part about the game within the game,
which we saw last week is when Derek Brown rushed,
he had a sack fumble. I guess just like like
so it's like which one do you want?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Well, coming off a game where you threw a or
you had to pick that bounced off somebody, and then
you go to a guy that's even bigger.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Yeah, and this is what he does.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
I do worry about his football, IQ because just like
Matthew Stafford, who's seen more football than Kalayis Campbell, you
know what I mean, everybody's schemes. He gets into your line,
calls so he may not be able to dominate physically,
but his knowledge can watch out for this. He's going
to this. This is what this check means. And plus,
like you said, when he does turn it on. He's
one of the few bigs what I mean by bigs,
(22:34):
the tall guys that actually uses his size.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Oh my god, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Like when he gets that four body lean and gets
you away from him, he can walk you right back
to the quarterback. May not get a sack, but it's
hard to throw when your guard is sitting in your lap,
you know what I mean. Or your tackle is so
so much of a leader, and Buddha Baker's out there.
We still haven't figured out how to put a cap
on Buddha Baker.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
No one has.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
I feel like he just does. I feel like he's
more of like a Troy Paul. He sees something, he
just takes a shot. Yeah, sometimes he hits. He's probably
eighty production, equal tolerance. You keep making plays, do what
you want.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Yeah, it feels like there's three of him out there.
Whenever we play the Cardinals, him.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Come he's playing. Why is he on the line of scrimmage?
They're in covered through and there's no deep safety. Yeah,
he's making a sack.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
None of that made him play ninety yards down that
when you started on the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
I know what I wanted to ask you, Maurice Demark.
We get on this too. But the roller coaster that
I have ridden with our fan base over the last
few weeks with respect to the running game, here's like
a small sample size. We went from Kiren can't secure it,
go to Blake to then Kiren's on a heater, or
why are they playing Blake to now they're both ripping
off chunk plays, but they're doing it in different ways.
(23:45):
So the other thing I'll set you up on is
I remember when he was drafted, I was guilty of
saying other people were too. Oh, the Rams have a type,
They've got Kyen two point zero, but the way they're
running them now, they don't look anything alike. They have
a type, yeah, but their running style completely different.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
And I think the Rams you're seeing some similar runs
where they'll both run outside zone, they'll both run duo inside.
But you'll see some runs that Blake will only run
right And I think he really jumped out on the
scene against Carolina with that, to me, it was that
big run where he ran down the middle then.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Broke out right. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
He had to run through the smoke right, broke through
an arm tackle, shook the safety, went out right, and
then you saw the burst right. And so to me,
getting those two guys going with Kiren's ability to maneuver
in short spaces, we saw getting Carolina making people missing
the whole getting skinny doing those things. Having both of
those guys go, and we saw the way they were
able to run from what the eight yard line, the
(24:49):
six yard line all the way down. I don't know
if they scored it. I don't remember if they scored
a touchdown or not on that drive, but to run
all the way down and do that.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
The fourth court, so that was a touchdown. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
And so to me, that is, uh, that's scary for defenses,
right because now I have a two headed monster that
can go again. It reminds me when I was with
Fred Taylor very sick. We ran the same places. We
had different running souves, and those run plays may be
called the same for me, but they're gonna my running
soule is gonna make it look different.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
Totally different. And that's the same with Blake and Kyron.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
They're getting called the same plays, but their running stud
it makes it look completely different.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
The vision is different. Like watching Blake Korm run. This
is so funny. You guys ever caught a fastball barehanded
when it's cold outside, That's what it looks like when
he's running.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
This is the last guy you want to be in
front of. He runs for paint.
Speaker 3 (25:36):
And when you think about later in the year, what's
the one thing you were definitely not doing, Probably all
throughout the NFL, you're not tackling anybody in practice, right,
and then you got to tackle this guy on Sunday
going a thousand miles an hour when the weather is cold.
He'll make you think twice. But I think his toughness
around the goal line. And then Kyron Williams is invaluable
(25:57):
to this offense man because it's more than just carrying
the football. Pass protection is stop notch and.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
His running by the goal line too is crazy. And
what's the number one thing on this football team?
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Protect nine?
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Absolutely? Trust pick up.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
On that Xavior Smith career long pass. Yeah, even even
on the overload Blitz, didn't he get one?
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Of the two picked the Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Yeah, So I think the job for Stafford, this coaching
staff and those two guys is you got to feed
them both because they're so important. And I think you're
doing a good job striking a good balance. Yeah, because
both guys are getting the chance to do what they
do best.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Well.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
I almost jumped in there because I think a percentage
of our audience was upset that McVeigh and the Rams
didn't lean more into their running game. But I think
when you're getting more than seven yards per play and
you only run into five third downs the whole day,
I don't know what issue can take with the game
plan of the play calling.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
I think it's just it was a weird game, and
I think correct.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
I mean you were carving them up, yeah, and you
you throw two picks, one of which was bizarre, and
the strip sack comes after your only penalty of the
day on what probably should not have been a delay.
But there you have it, it wasn't a play calling
to me, And this is what I'll say this too,
is as someone who split the backfield, I love this
(27:12):
series for series because Kiroen gets the first series, Blake
gets the second one. If you love it. When you
were splitting it, I.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
Didn't, But now as as an older person, as a
more mature Maurice, I love it because what I remember,
I remember vividly if Fred were to break off a
running get tired, I would come in right and give
him a two or three play blow, and then he'd
come back in and do his thing, and so and
then vice versa on the other side. And when you
have two guys that get you can run your way
into the playoffs. And then again, if you look at
(27:40):
all the teams over the last couple of years that
went to the Super Bowl, they had great even can
see last year had a strong running game that helped
them get.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
There, obviously Philly last year.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Right, And so you want that when the Rams went
in twenty eighteen, what do they have two running backs
that get tote the rock ran them through the playoffs?
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Right, That's what you want.
Speaker 4 (27:57):
And so it sets up the play action passed to
all that thing and another party does What does it
do for the defense?
Speaker 3 (28:02):
You can run the football, you get to rest and
get ready. Absolutely you control the game.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
And everything's crazy about their Super Bowl run is they
were not two dimensional. They had one way to beat you,
and it was a really really good way, and they
got there in some special moments. But I think what
they have now that I appreciate even coming off a loss,
is margin for air, because they can beat you in
lots of different ways. The defense can win you a game.
The running games can win you a game. Clearly, your
quarterback in your passing game can win you lots of games. Now,
(28:28):
when that margin for air is dried up by by
an inability to get off the grass on defense and
three giveaways, it goes sideways. But the last time we
have to see a game.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
By three with the game in your hands, it wasn't
like it was.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Be honest, when when when Fred Taylor's out there ripping,
you're not really like mad, You're just kind of jealous.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Oh, I'm like, yo, let me get some of this.
It's sweet out here. They're sweet. I gotta get some.
I'll tell you.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
We're playing in Denver, and I know this is all.
We're playing in Denver, and I remember Fred. He got
hit and they thought he had a concussion, so he
went out, and when he went out, your boy started
going crazy.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Right. Yeah. I looked to the side and my dog
was back on the side doing high knees. I was like, oh.
He was like, is it good. I was like, oh yeah,
you come get you something, right, I come get you.
So he's like, oh it is, but get out. I
gotta give you. Like that's what it's like. Don't leave
the sidelines.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm sure they're both loving their circumstances
because the way this passing offense is going, you're getting
favorable box counts. And then look at the way the
offensive line, the tight ends, and the receivers are competing on
that blocking surface. Like there's a reason why they're grading
out so well in the running game.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Uh remember it.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
It was a couple of weeks ago with Kobe Parkinson
taking over as the in line tight end. He has
accepted that role, rooting guys out, being the point of
attack guy and smart knowing when to let go so
to speak, you know what I mean, and not draw
the holding call. He's gotten so much better and then
he's still a threat tight ends. Everybody up front getting
the right guy for the most part has been great
(29:58):
and the vision by the backs has been af So
I agree with you one hundred percent. You were absolutely
pounding the daylights you have nothing to be ashamed of.
The only thing you need to clean up the takeaways.
If you cleaned up the takeaways, you win that game
in a walk. And the whole situation is different. And
it's all based on running the football and the guys
are blocking.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Takeaways count like a fourth down stop.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Yes, takeaway. I have to give you credit.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
You talked about Kobe Parks and coming from Seattle, how
he was great it as one of the top run blockers.
I was like, Ah, he's more of a receiving threat
from Stanford. That's kind of what I saw him as.
But you're right, he's accepted that role and you've really
seen him take on that edge and he's not allowing penetration,
which the most important thing. He's keeping the line of
the line of scrimmage flat so the running back can
make movest job.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
And that's what you're looking for. Obviously that was Tyler
Higbey's thing.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
But he's really, like you said, I think he's accepted
that role and it really he's it's I want to
say he shocked me, but I'm excited that he's accepted
that role and he's doing a much better job than
he did last year for sure.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Speaking of tight ends, you know what got overlooked because
Puka had such an outrageous catch the one that Tiefer
almost had at the sideline.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Man, no, he call it was just out of bounds,
That's what I mean. He caught it. He made sure
to let you know. Still I caught it.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
I still think he sets the rams ceiling, oh this year,
or he elevates the ceiling. The ceilings already way up
in the attic, but I think he can take it
to that next level.
Speaker 4 (31:16):
What I what I love seeing from him is when
he they're in that thirteen personnel and he's at wide
receiver right right, was that like sixty five sixty six
standing out there like that's a tight end That it's
someone a corner is going to have to have to
eventually cover down the field.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
You know what else is scary? Arizona does that and
they have McBride. Yeah, yeah, that that's that's pretty scary.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
He's a problem. What was the word you standings? I
think right another way of saying it. There's one on
the topic that shall not be mentioned. Cardinals outside of
this studio, in this facility.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
He's talking cardinals.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
I want to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Let's talk about it. You know I love this.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
So here's one way to jump into this. I'm going
to give you the contenders and their remaining schedule, and
I want you to tell me how many wins they
finish with, because that'll dictate how many of these final
five the Rams have to win. But let me open
the conversation this way. Who should the Rams be rooting for?
Between the Bears and the Packers this week?
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Oh, the Packers, root for the Packers. For the Packers.
Speaker 4 (32:11):
Knock the Bears off off the number one, off the
number one. I know, I know, people, I'm living the now. Guy,
I don't care about the future. Let us get back
to number one.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
I want. I want to control. I want to control everything,
like I don't want. I don't want.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
Serious saying that we only need one favor. Yeah, just
go ahead and do the sooner you can get it,
get it?
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
And then the reason I say that is when we
can control things, I'm a control Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
Let me, let me let me yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
But the Bears are nine to three. Here's their remaining schedule. Okay,
so from nine wins, how many they finished with at
Green Bay home and home against green Bay, Green Bay, Cleveland,
Green Bay at San Francisco home against the Lions. How
many of those final five do they win?
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Who knows?
Speaker 1 (32:54):
Green Bay, Cleveland, Green Bay at San Francisco Detroit.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Tell three. I say they get three of those.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
You think they do three? Okay, I'll take the under
on three.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Really you think they get two.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
What's wild about where we are is the Bears could
be the one seed and I would not be surprised.
Or they could tumble all the way out of the
picture and I would not be surprised.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
That I agree with because I'm still not sure. I mean, okay,
I'll put you down for twelve. You think twelve, I
think they get twelve.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
This one.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
They're running the football at a rate no doubt, and
as much as you know this is gonna hurt me,
I'll take twelve. Jonah Jackson is doing I was afraid
you're gonna mention God, And.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Again he was Johnson.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
He wasn't healthy here, but oh my god. Yeah, like
what they're doing there is crazy.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
Uh, let me go to the Let me go to
the Packers next. Just because we're talking about them, so
Chicago twice. They also go at Denver home to Baltimore
at Minnesota. Packers are eight three and one of those five?
How many do they win? Chicago twice, at Denver, Baltimore
and at Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Tough, Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
I say they're gonna split. They're gonna split with Chicago. Okay,
they're gonna lose to Denver.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
It's at Denver, right at Denvern, Baltimore and Minnesota that
you're at Minnesota. Okay, that's ten.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
And then Baltimore's depends on what lamar you get.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
I'm gonna put him down for eleven eleven Okay. Eagles
Monday Night football at so Far against the Chargers.
Speaker 4 (34:24):
Oh, that's a dub, which is crazy because this guy
is not gonna play.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
He's not gonna.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Play Las Vegas. Okay, two games against Washington Division games
and at Buffalo.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
So they're gonna win four of those. Yes, that puts
them at twelve and five.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
Twelve and five, okay, Okay, so there's another twelve win team.
I'm sure this is great YouTube television, but.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
They're doing the same thing.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
If you've made it this far, we're almost done. Seattle.
Here's another fun one.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Change the look on my face.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Seattle at Atlanta. It's kind of the no bad outcomes
here from the Rams. But can we agree it's time
to table April of twenty twenty six and focus on
the here and now.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Yes, you can. You need Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
This is the one time I'm rooting for Seattle because
then the only reason is because I want to get
like a top five.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I'm rooting for Atlanta. Braheen. Come on, I want a
top five pick.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
You're on your You're on an island.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Take it. Come on, Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
You already got a good pick.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
It's already going to be good. What happened?
Speaker 1 (35:29):
What happened to mister control over?
Speaker 2 (35:31):
I said, that's why I can you control of the season? Yeah?
I do, because we get to play them. I get
a chance to control it.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
I see I thought he would.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Okay, anyways, Atlanta home to Indy.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Who knows Indy, Indy, Indy could be the one.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Okay, Thursday Night football against the Rams at Carolina at
San Francisco to finish line win team Falcons, Colts, Rams, Panthers, Niners.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
I can see them winning two of the two two games.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
So you think they're an eleven win team.
Speaker 4 (36:03):
I think they're eleven win team.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
So you really aren't worried about the Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
It's hard to win in Seattle. Okay, I was gonna
say twelve.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
Eleven point five. Yeah, okay, let's say whatever.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Let's go give them twelve, given twelve.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
And then the last one before we talk about the Rams.
The team that's sitting on their couch with their feet up,
getting healthy.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
This is nothing to do.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
The Niners have nine wins, they're on a bye. Here's
how they finish. Titans at home, win ten at Indy.
It depends, Okay, home to Chicago, home to Seattle.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
See, I'll say zero to two in that. I think
I'll believe in Chicago and who was the other team?
And at Indy, So they're gonna I think they're gonna
lose to Indy and they'll lose the Seattle Seattle.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
Yes, so you've got them as an eleven win, Yeah,
eleven and eleven and six, because.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
You said who else they have? They they they're at home.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
One of the Titans that's ten at Indie you had
as a loss. Yep, home to Chicago.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
Yep, they'll win that one.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
That's eleven home to Seattle, and.
Speaker 3 (37:06):
They'll lose to Seattle. Corner and Bosa are still out
and they're not coming back. Okay, defensively, I think they've
done a great job staying alive. They've masked some yes,
stand alive.
Speaker 1 (37:15):
The way that we just loosely map that out, you
got a couple of eleven win teams and at least
three twelve win teams, So the Rams got to get
to thirteen.
Speaker 4 (37:25):
But what I what I believe is you you have
control of some of these things, right, you have to win.
You obviously have to win your games, but going to Seattle,
winning sweeping Seattle is going to be huge on a
Thursday night. I think Detroit's kind of a that's a
wonky game because you just don't know how Detroit's going
to show up. Are they going to be the giants Detroit?
Speaker 1 (37:46):
Well, that's what's weird about the Rams schedule is on paper,
they have the best path, the easiest schedule. That's why
they're still the favorite to be the one seed is
because you just step back and you don't take any
of these factors into the equations. Like two games again,
it's the Cardinals who are already eliminated. A road game
against Atlanta probably will be eliminated by that point, and
then you got two big ones ones at home against Detroit,
(38:08):
who knows what shape they'll be in, and then the
rematch with Seattle, and they're comparing schedules like we just did,
and they're saying the Rams will get it done in
the end.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
I believe it.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
But I like the control of we have to play Seattle,
that's what I like. That's where we can control that,
right Like now, Chicago have no control over what Chicago does.
So I need you to get out of the way quickly.
Shout out to my dog Eric, the enemy.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
I hate to do that.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
Here's how I pose that to DeMarco. This is the
last thing I'll say. I'll let it go after this.
And by the way, we're going to burn this tape
Arizona after it airs. If you had to go on
the road in the NFC playoffs, would you rather go
to Soldier Field and face Caleb or go to Lambeau
and face Love and Micah Parsons and the Packers.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
Yeah, go ahead and give me a Soldier Field.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
So that's what I'm saying. My original question is who
are you rooting for this week? And in two weeks
or three weeks when they rematch one.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
I'd rather have everybody kind of I don't want to
go anywhere. Yeah, actually start by beating the Cardinals.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
This wasn't a choose your own adventure test.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
Yeah, if it would rather be.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
We know what Green Bay's like, we know what were
Green Bay's like, and the cold that's not something that
I would want to do.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Here's a toast to Maurice and the Rams maintaining control.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Yes, sure, and the.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
Way that everybody the beautiful city of Ala guys, Yes,
blessing in disguis.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
We'll see if that holds.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
Did I cut you off any final thoughts before I
send this away?
Speaker 2 (39:30):
No? Just you know, some guys on offense we talked.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
We didn't talk about X Smith, who was shown up big,
big time coming back off getting knocked out and then
coming back big and not just being a returner, being
a guy that contributes.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
That felt like a preamble to the two two issue.
Do you want to go there?
Speaker 2 (39:45):
You know? I was surprised.
Speaker 3 (39:47):
I thought tub was going to be back for Carolina
and that you you'd have to think those plays that
went to X would probably go to Tou Tuo if
that was to.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
To one of those hits the box.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
That's just how I feel about his ability, So I
was surprised that's not being deployed.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
And one more thing about Emmanuel Forbes.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Let me make this point, and I'm not sure because
I don't know and we're still learning about him. I
hope he's not playing looking over his shoulder because that
was the same week that Akello Witherspoon came back, and
also Darien Kendrick was in the building. So I hope
you're not thinking like, oh my goodness, and people tend
to stiff up when there's new people around.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
I hope that's not the case. It is what it is.
Speaker 3 (40:23):
Give all credit to Carolina, but I hope that's not
an issue. I hope chemistry was not. I hope chemistry
didn't affect his confidence because he was playing like Gangbusters
and I still think that guy's.
Speaker 4 (40:34):
There two things I'll say about Emmanuel Forbes. One, I
like him better with off coverage than I do press.
That's how I give up both of those touchdowns playing
press man. I think he's better with his eyes looking
in and being able to see and then he can
make plays on it once you get to him. I
think if he's at the line of scrimmage. He's such
a longer guy. He doesn't have the quick twitch of
(40:56):
some of the other guys. I think that's how Coker
got on top of him on the fade ball. And
then the other play was literally it was just like
a foot race from one side of the field to
the other and you're trying to be in trail position
and it was a great throw.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
So that those those don't bother.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
Do you want to finish that? Earlier in the show,
you said that the Rams pass rush isn't getting home
because of the quick passing game, right, and so you
got to alter your coverage tighten up a little to
take that away. So there's a tension there between Hey,
we've got a corner that we prefer an off coverage.
We don't want him in press man versus we don't
want to give up those and that's be frustrated.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
You have to work through it.
Speaker 4 (41:33):
That's that's the game, right, That's that's that's the game
within the game. How do you do we move them
to four yards and playoff? Do we move them to
five like or do you keep them at seven? And
or do you put them at press right? And so
that's the game. And then I will say I I
the unsung heroes have to show.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
Up down this stretch.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
Who's on that list for you?
Speaker 2 (41:56):
Tight end?
Speaker 4 (41:57):
Davis Davis Allen that these I need to see him
get back in the box right in the red zone.
I think Blake Korum has to continue to go. That's
the unsung hero to me. And then I think Jordan
Winnington needs to start playing more. And I think and
the reason I say that is it's either him or
two to atwill is that that's a different type of
(42:17):
burst than the other guys.
Speaker 1 (42:18):
Can I can I just hit the two two thing
real quick. This is a different team and offense than
the one that he was signed to and the one
that he started the year with. Like, who would have
thought that we'd be sitting here post Thanksgiving talking about
the Rams rostering four tight ends, including one that they
just picked up off the street last week, and leaning
into twelve and thirteen personal identity, Like, that's not the
(42:39):
schematic for which the Rams signed to. Yeah, so the
game has changed in that regard. And on top of that,
he doesn't have a role on teams x smith than
others do. And you are carrying a bunch of defensive
backs right now for a good reason. I think as
you try and solve for that puzzle in the back
half of the schedule, so.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
I would still have him money. And that's why I
say that speed plays. But that's why I say Jordan Winnington.
Speaker 4 (43:02):
He has not the same burst, but he has a
burst different than the other guys you have out there.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
But are they going to give him Winnington's helmet?
Speaker 2 (43:10):
No, no, no, I know it's a shame that you
can't use that a builty.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
Unfortunately, these problems resolve themselves on a week by week basis,
and so there will come in time when there will
be a helmet available for two two. I believe that.
Speaker 4 (43:20):
I just and when he gets it, he'll be five
yards eight yards of separation on a comeback.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Yes it'll be.
Speaker 4 (43:26):
But I just think those guys have to show up.
And it brings me back to last year in the
Division round against Philly, where he comes on the field
runs a twenty yard comeback is by hisself catch the
ball gets out of bound and goes out and then
someone else comes in like that. Those type of players
are going to have to start to show up here
very quickly, as good as the offense is going, that's
going to be those those guys that I named Davis
(43:47):
Allen in the in the red tighte red area. Think
he's gonna have to show up again like he's done.
I think some of the catches that he's made have
been awesome. But I also believe like Blake korm is
going to need to show up down the stretch and
either you pick whichever third receiver you want out of
Xavier Smith, Jordan Winnington or.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
To toat Wellmfield.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
Mumfield as well.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
Someone is going to have to emerge as a guy
that we can consistently count.
Speaker 3 (44:13):
We just went the whole show and didn't say DeVante
or Puka.
Speaker 4 (44:17):
Because you know, when you know those two are going
to do that thing like that's you know that they're
going to do the whole thing show. But someone else
is going to have to show up eventually down this stretch.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
All right, let's break there and let's hope the next
time we do this it's on a winning note. The
Rams and the Cardinals twice in five weeks down the
stretch for Maurice Jones, Drew and to Marco far I'm
j B.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Long.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
Thank you for joining us for another edition Between the Horns,
presented by your Southern California Toyota dealers.
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