September 25, 2025 • 35 mins
On this week's episode of Between The Horns, J.B. Long, Maurice Jones-Drew, and D'Marco Farr sit down to discuss their takeaways from the Los Angeles Rams' matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, detail the Rams' strengths going into Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, and more.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
All right, let's take one step closer to Sunday with
a new addition of between the Horns presented by your
Southern California Toyo to dealers.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm JB.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Long with the Marco Farr and a newly minted Hall
of Famer Maurice Jones Drew Dayla sal finally put you
in the Hall follow No, I was.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
In the Hall of Fame as a player. This is
to be like Alumni of the Year.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
In the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Yeah, this is to go in for donating time and
energy and money.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Question how many tuitions do you have to pay and
how many games you have to coach before?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yeah? I don't know. It's a It's awesome though, just
because uh, I was able to, Like, we did a
big project this year starting a youth program there that
kind of was a lot. It took a lot of work.
Didn't need to be as hard, but we figured it out.
And so I appreciate the school for all that.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
That explains it, but it also steals some of our
thunder because how do you get into the California Hall
of Fame and the UCLA Hall of Fame and.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Not in that us out I'm not gonna lie. They
they're they're up there with top guys.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, let's not.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Let's not. They got fame. How many years ago I
missed a game for I forget man, you gotta was
it was a game like it was probably like four
or five years sixs I missed the games?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Ye big by us.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
I promise we're not stalling to like avoid talking about
the loss of Philadelphia and we can dive right in
wherever you guys want. Uh, four days removes? Has the
sting gone away?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
No?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah? Yeah? Nine hurts his bat maybe worse?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's it's the things that haunted
us last year. I felt like came back and not
talking about this is without the block field goals, not
scoring in the red zone, right, the the no non
touchdowns in the red zone. That's that's why you have
to score, right And we we talked about that in
the broadcast, that putting the ball in the paint is
going to be more important than anything against them because
(01:53):
they have the ability to score quickly and you want
to get them out of their game plan. And you
did that coming out of half, but before half, kicking
those field goals even though they were awesome. It was
good for them. Yeah, those were small wins for the Eagles,
and and it really kept the game a lot closer
than what it should have been.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
It kept them a lot you know. Okay, so you
go in with a lot of questions and I thought
you answered a lot of them, but it really was
it was a devastating way to lose a football game.
I was telling JB earlier that double thudd boom, Yeah,
that is the worst sound in sports, right, It's just
it's it's just deflating. So but when you go in
with questions, you come out with answers. I think you
(02:34):
answered a lot of questions. You took it to Saquon,
you got to Jalen Hurts, Jared Verse, squared him up
a few times. The Blitzes were getting home, you had
a lead on them, you were beating the Eagles, and
you let them come back. I think the only thing
that was left unanswered is how do you cover aj Brown?
Everything else, I think you were right in line with
being one of the best teams in the NFC. So
(02:57):
the worst part about it was you came away with
an l. That's the sucky part. But as far as
moving on from it. Yeah, it's it's over.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
It happened.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
You move on. You have to play Indy this week.
You can't let the Eagles beat you twice, no question.
It's a tough way to lose, but it is what
it is. This is the pros. Lick your wounds, get
ready for this week, and try to beat the Colts.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
That's the best part of not being a player anymore
because I can think it like, yeah, I can kind
of just lean and I will say this that Keller
Witherspoon was missed a ton, and then I'll say there's
certain situations where I don't think the Rams were at
their best. That fourth and one right where they had
Jalen Carter at d N Jordan Davis over limmer and
they stunted out right that just guy whiffs. You got
(03:38):
a big guy in the whole. Those are those situations.
You just have to make sure that you're at your
best in those. But other than that, I think you're right, DeMarco.
You you you learn from this, right, You take the good,
you you learn from the bad, and you move.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Forward a lot of good.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Yeah, one play before that, you loved the shot they took.
I think you called for it. I remember correctly, right territory.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Give it to me. You want to know why, because
when you're in that situation, you take the shot because
you're in Philly and it's your chance to put the
dagger in their heart and twisted.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
And you got the matchup that you scored the touchdown
previously Davante Adams against blank and shit, like I was
asking DeMarco earlier today, like with this coach and this quarterback,
but really anytime on Sunday, those are the moments that
you dream of, Like you spend all week trying to
get that look, that chance right, and if you don't
hit it, sometimes you come out on the losing end.
(04:30):
But I was thinking from Philly standpoint, they could easily
be zero to three if three big time players make
catches week one, ced Lamb week two, Kelsey week three,
Davante like right now, those three disconnects with all time
great players or the difference between them being three and
oh and on three.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
And that's kind of what it is. I I when
you scheme up everything and I know we're going to
move forward it, but when you have the play, we're lingering.
So listen, when I put in the week going the meetings.
We were like, this is what we're going to get
in this situation. We go out and practice it. We
have the numbers on the guys, and then you go
out and you look at it. You're like, oh my god,
(05:08):
this is it.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
But DeMarco's case is game time and score says.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Clock is my thing. Yea off twice we're running.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
The chances are you're going to move the chains, and
in the meantime, the clock is doing this.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
I understand the ball. We're doing great. We're knocking them
off that same big D line. I mean, this is
me playing on the other side. I know what stresses
me out as a defensive lineman. If it's third and short,
I don't know what you what you're doing, So I
have to load up on something. If you slam the
ball at me with Maurice, with anybody, even if I'm
in the right gap, if he spins off and stretches out,
that's the first down. You've got the lead. The clock
(05:42):
is my friend. I'm trying to bleed you.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
You know what's funny. I agree with you, But I
was told to quit being soft by the head coach
in week one. I heard the and when he called
me soft. I knew then what the mindset was going
to be, right, I mean, JB, you were right then
you saw my face. I was like, hey, you're right.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
There's the callback to running out the clock against Houston,
trying to steal their last time out versus going for
the kill shot.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
And so if that's gonna be your mindset when we're
in the same as similar situation against Philly.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
At Philly, you go for the dagger and it was there.
Don't get me wrong, It's not that he had the
wrong play call. We're just talking about philosophy. If Stafford
is a little more on target, oh that's a win.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Or if they drop the flag on the tug on
the release. Yes, you know, there's a lot of good
things that could have happened there. Unfortunately none of them didn't.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
That's the thing.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
But that's okay. I'm not upset with if we're gonna
lose being aggressive, we're gonna lose being who we are.
If that's what you're tell me. If we're gonna be aggressive, right,
then let's be aggressive. And if we lose, hey, we'll
learn from it. We'll figure it out, we'll get going.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I think.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I think also there's a little bit of timing that's
off right now with Stafford and Devonte.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Lowest catch rate of his career, just to color that in, Yeah,
all his years, he's never caught this lower percentage of
his targets.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
But think about it. The out that normally is a handoff, right,
that we've seen Stafford throw that wasn't there. The shot
play that he misses by half a yard, right, those
are plays.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
That we've said on slam the airmail, those are.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Those are plays that we've seen Matthew Stafford make. We've
also seen him make it with less lesser receivers, right.
But it's about the timing and that's only gonna get
better as we get going. So I'm not concerned necessarily.
I just know that that was a mid loss opportunity.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
That's why when you said, like, does it linger, No,
because all that stuff is fixable, and I think it
does get fixed, you know what I mean. It's not
something that you can't overcome. You're not you're not overmatched.
It's just you're missing. Eventually you won't on field. No,
I don't think it lingers. I agree with what you're saying.
Big picture, it lingers a lot Like what stings most
about that loss is I don't know the consequences of
(07:41):
that loss until December and January. It's gonna cost the
ram something. Best case scenario, just cost them a little
margin for air that they had earned from themselves, or
maybe the chance to compete for a one seed. Worse,
it could cost them a division or playoff seeding or
heaven forbid, even a playoff spot. So that's the part
that's tough to reconcile. Man, you had that, And yes,
I know there are thirty teams in the league that
(08:02):
would love to say our roster is good enough to
go into the link and be up three scores despite
throwing a pick that led to a touchdown and a
seven zero deficit. Like that is the good and there's
a lot of it. But man, I emphysize with fans
who had to sit through that second half and saw
that whole second game coming.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Yeah, I think again you said it best like that
game determines who where you have to go pretty much
in the playoffs. Right, we've already went there, but we could.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
If you earn that could You know the other thing,
and I told DeMarco this this morning is my biggest
concern might be that they got the best out of Philadelphia,
that whatever was bogging the Eagles down, the Rams forced
them to reconcile, and now they are a team that's
gonna throw to their weapons on the outside, now that
now they're not a team that's gonna wait for the
(08:48):
second half and the three score deficit to maybe try
and take some shots with AJ Brown and Devonte's Smith.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Yeah, I just think the Rams. I think if a
Kell Witherspoon's there, it's a different it's for a different outlook.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
I'm not saying specific to that matchup. I'm saying I
can't wait to see what Philly does in Tampa Bay
this week, because Tampa Bay has had their numbers play
them as well as anybody. But if they come out
and they look like the world champs again, a lot
of people are gonna be blaming the Rams for like,
why did you go.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
And do that welcome? Well, no question, Yeah, the whole
crowd was booing.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
That's That's literally what the texts I got after the
game was thank you for waking us up, And it's like,
hold on, first of all, they're professionals, right, no one's
gonna wake you up. Like, whatever the whatever I think Tampa.
And again, this is why I thought the Rams had
a great opportunity to go in there and play the
way they did. Tampa's defensive line is just like the Rams.
They get pressure from all over the place and that that,
(09:32):
and they blitz and they do all these things, and
they have guys that can cover on the back end,
and so you have to I was my number one problem,
or I won't say problem concern was where was the
safety blitz in the second half. You hit Jalen Hurts
in the mouth like seventeen times. They didn't see the
safety blitz ever coming. That was I don't care if
they changed right tackles or not.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
I say, was it Philly solving their right tackle problem?
Speaker 3 (09:55):
No, they just I just thought, we just stopped running
it on third down, right, you didn't bring this, You're
started bringing.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Us pretty good.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
They did.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
You have to give them credit when they said, but
we didn't. We didn't run it though.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
We ran it one time in the second half, No,
and it got picked up, but it was an incomplete
pass and so it was like, Okay, we're gonna run
it again. Then we're just gonna keep running that until like,
that's the whole the old adage of if I find waldoughna,
I'm gonna keep going at him until he takes his
cleats off. That's only where you like or you make
a play one of the two. But we're gonna figure
out which one what happens first. And so to me,
(10:26):
I would have every third down, I would have hit
him with the safety blitz or a zone pressure or
something that we're giving them so that he doesn't have
time to sit back in that pocket. Because when they
did start picking up the regular rushes and you're playing
one on one on the outside, Yeah, A J. Brown's
gonna win ninety percent of those.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Let me go back to the DeVante thing. I have
seen a lot of calls this week for the Rams
to be more balanced, to share the wealth, to be
more evenly distributed in their target share. Right now, they're
skewed towards two people, and they're they're too the top
receivers in the National Football League. What's your position on
where they are?
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Oh, I don't to me. I I love that, like
you know who the going And again we're gonna try
to mix into too out Well and Jordan Whittington and
we'll get the tight ends going and we'll probably get
some backs some stuff. But why wouldn't I get.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
The ball to the two players who stop him so far?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Yeah, nobody stopped.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Him well incomplete passes.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
I was to say, like, if you drop the Nicolas
wide open, Stafford sales one right, like Davante is open
on the slant. So those are things that you can
fix it. Those are fixable things, But no one stopped him.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I don't know if you have. I don't know how
many teams have a Davante stopper or a corner that
good that can go one on one with him and
just say he's gonna lock him up that day. At
some point you're gonna have to divorce devote some resources
to covering him up. Because Davante literally is open every
time he takes a sea.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
He's the most open receiver in the National Football League
by some meta right now.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
If you hit some of those passes, if you hit
more of those passes, or a higher percentage of those passes,
you're staying on the field possibly scoring more. So I
think those things are fixable. And that's what we said
earlier when you listened to Matthew Stafford. He already knows.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
You don't have to convince him that he needs to
get better. He already knows, right. So eventually those things
will get ironed out. The one thing I do is
I hope that it happens like he trains the gun
sites a little bit better, uh, before those guys start
getting frustrated, because that is possible too, because I know
on the other side, I know I hate wasting good rushes,
no question. I can't stand wasting great rushes. Like I've
(12:21):
been setting this thing up and I'm getting home free
and the ball gets out and it's caught. It's the
same thing. You're wasting good routes if you're if you're
if you're off with your passes.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
I will tell you I don't think I don't think
they'll get frustrated because it's not he's running great routes.
But also there's a scheme into it as well, And
and Sean does a great job of running plays to
help you get open but then also allow you to
be you right. And so if you are struggling or
if you aren't getting the ball, Sean will schemes coming
up to get you kind of get you going which
(12:49):
we saw. I thought. Another thing I'll say is this
the the toughest nickel to play for the Rams is
Van Kooper Dejane. Pooka owned him. It wasn't even close.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
And I don't know if you say that, like, I'll
take your You did your slot corner and our guy
let's go.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
That's right. So now you're playing the Colts and we'll
kind of fast forward. But the Colts have a small nickel. Now,
they don't have this big linebacker like guy right that
you had to go again. So I think there's some
great wins in this game that you can learn from
and some losses as well. But the wins to me
are like, Okay, Cooper dejen we know what you can
and can't do. Now, Pooka Nakua ran that overroute you
(13:27):
were you were thought you were on to put a
ball right where it needed to be, catch where like
he can get off the press, he's more physical. There's
a lot of things that they can do. And so
again I see it as not a loss to Linger.
It's more of a lesson that I'm going to keep
going back to. Right, Okay, do we learn from this
because teams are going to start to do some of
the things that we saw against Philly.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
It hurts me to say, but you got out played
at the quarterback position. I don't like that being the
resting place at the end of Game three. But you know,
Hurts came back in that second half and Matthew miss
and throws. He owned that, like you said, But I'm
not going to give Stafford a pass necessarily. He doesn't
need it from me. But I don't know how he's
doing what he's doing behind this offensive line. By any
objective measure. The Rams are at the bottom of pass
(14:08):
protection so far in the National Football League. Thankfully they've
got some traction on the ground. They're better going forward
than back. But man, I would love to see what
McVeigh and Stafford and Lafleur are able to do if
they can just shore some of that up.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
But I would say this, like for out playing Stafford,
it's just they were able to do some things that
the Rams could not do. Like when the play is dead,
Jalen Hurts was still viable. I mean, that's and that's
just what you have with Matthew Stafford. But what you
can be when you're a guy that's not mobile is
very very accurate and know where you want to go
with the football based on what you see. You know
what I mean, be a step ahead here, and I
(14:42):
think that might have been lacking. So that was the
same thing with Jalen Hurts and this defense. Daniel Jones
coming up is also a guy that can move. He's
also a guy that can jump out the window on
third down and break your heart. You get him into
a third and manageable or a third and long situation
and you're a little too white going after him. He
scrambles and picks up the first down and then you're
(15:03):
right back out there again. And one more thing, I
just want to point out these edge guys. Byron Young
is playing as good a football as anybody in football. Yes,
as an edge rusher, and when you drafted him as
a project, he was a big dude that could run
that had to learn the position. Well. He has earned
his black belt as far as being an edge. He's
(15:24):
playing blocks correctly. He knows when he's one on one,
he understands protections and what they're trying to do against him,
and he's making them pay for it. So and I
love his demeanor. He's going about it with a quiet confidence.
Seems like he's got a lot to prove, which is
great for us. I think those two edge guys are
going to, like I said, the tip of the spear,
the fang of the defense, as long as they keep
(15:45):
growing and progressing, and you can keep those quarterbacks in
the pocket, which might means you have to sacrifice some
as an interior pass rusher. You know, I hate that. Yeah,
I can't stand that. But if I can keep these
dudes in the pocket and cast a wide net, these
two you guys are going to win.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
How's that last year's sack leader feeling right now? I
know Braden Fists has been gutting it through at less
than one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I don't know if it's ever happened to you, because
you're the focal point. You carry the rock. But there
is nothing worse in the NFL than sitting through a
defensive line meeting watching everybody get sacks.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
But you, oh listen, brother, I've been there.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
It burns.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
That was my second year. I scored seventeen touchhounds as
a rookie. My second year, my first one. They come
until week six. I was going I didn't go talk
to a therapist. I was going crazy. I was like,
what is going on around here?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Like, yes, why?
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Why me? What did I do? I got on my knees.
I was about to sacrifice something to the football gods.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Right, what did I do?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
It's just nothing against Puna Ford. But when Ford gets
won before Branden fists.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Tackle, it's one before fist. Yes, but you have to
understand this too.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
When you're the sack leader, what does everyone say, we're
gonna we're gonna make sure that this guy doesn't get
going right, and so you're getting and it looked like
to me personally, again, this is just me seeing it
in live time that he's getting there, getting a little
extra help on fifty five. It's not like he's getting
singled up like everybody else. Right, the deed again verse
wasn't getting double teamed that that Saquon was going into
(17:06):
the middle trying to help there more than he was outside.
So that just tells you when you're the sack leader,
people they respect you a little bit different.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Yeah, it'll come, and when it does, and a bunch
of what happens, it's like, you know, blood in the water.
I mean, there's they're gonna come in bunches for you.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
You know, this game from Indianapolis reminds me a little
bit about what LA had on its plate last week.
Off to an undefeated start. I think people are believing
in your roster. There's a lot of good there, but
until you go improve it on the road against the
fellow contender, maybe there's like a weight and see component.
But I think on paper there's every reason to believe
in the Colts as the new favorite in that division.
(17:40):
The only thing you can poke holes in so far
in their three not start is maybe level of competition.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Yeah danks for anthro punter.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Sure well, well yeah, I think once.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
I mean they're holder that guy.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Yeah, well, I'll tell you this. I think they made
a decision to go with the safest bet in Daniel Jones.
It's not the the highest selling, but it's the safest bet.
He's not gonna turn the ball over. He has the
ability to run a little bit. He's faster than what
you people give him credit for. But he doesn't make mistakes.
And the biggest thing about him is they're running the football.
(18:16):
It has nothing. They are running the football so well
right now that it's like he can play action passing
guys can be wide open. They have a tight end
that runs over routes. Right, it's not like it's not
like he's just out here, just out of shotgun, three steps,
five steps, just picking people apart. No, they're running the football,
their play action pass will take shots here and there.
Like you said on third down, if you run past me,
(18:38):
I'll take off and run right. I'll just do the
right things. And that is complimentary football at his best. Right.
And then defensively, they're gonna sit in their coverage. They're
gonna give some pressure. It's not nothing crazy, it's not
like anything that's out of the like, oh my god,
you know, even though Theforest Buckner's there and he's doing
an awesome job, get rid.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Of that good.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Yeah, but yeah, they got God, they got guys, but
it's not like it's not like last week. Though they
don't got two dudes in the middle that can, right,
but it's different. But it's just not last week, and
they have guys, and so off defensively, all start, don't
rush past the quarterback forcing to throw in the tight windows.
You're not a J. Brown's not on this roster, right,
(19:17):
so you have some you have some leeway there. They
have some I think Pierce has heard he's in the
concussion port product. That's their deep threat. Right, So you Pittman,
you got to kind of keep eyes on him, right,
bigger guy, and then stop the run like you did
last week.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
What do you think of Taylor? I think Jonathan Taylor.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Is so people people. When I when he came out,
I had him as my sixth best running back. And
it's because he went to Wisconsin. No disrespect, no disrespect,
Totally understand what you mean.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
He's a product of that factory more than like a differentiator.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Yes, for sure. They I mean Melvin Gordon, Monty Ball,
all these dudes. Yeah, this is what uh Ron day like.
These guys come out and then they don't necessarily perform
it at the highest level in the NFL. But he
went to a system that had offensive linemen that fit him,
and they revamped and rebuilt this offensive line to fit
(20:08):
what he does. Well, that's why you're seeing them be embarrassed.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Maybe the most underrated part of their start so far.
Their offensive line is played great, not just paving the
way for JT, but also like to actually one of
the least sacks, and part of that is Daniel Jones mobility.
Part of it is his scheme that you talked about.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
He gets the ball out quick It's not like like
when you're playing who's the Well's. He came from Philly, right,
he's one of Phillies guys. So it's the same offense.
The quarterback they had that they draft. That just slipped
my mind again, Richard Richardson. Yeah, he holds onto the
ball right, So that's why he was getting hit the
back of the head all the time. I remember we
went there a couple of years ago to play me.
He was Aaron Donalds hanging on his back and he's strong,
(20:42):
but he holds onto the ball. Daniel Jones gets the
ball out quickly. So there's that offensively, I I I
believe that you have advantage in the passing game and
as a slot. I think if you could run the
ball and be bounced like you were, you'll be a
run in Philly. Yeah, I think you'll, you'll you'll have
you have those those are your advantages, and so to me,
(21:04):
Stafford has to be on right, but you're gonna have
chances in this game to take shots.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
I love Stafford coming off that week. I mean that's
his bounce backs are are pretty strong. I do think
lou An Rumo was a big pickup, big thing for
a roster that was almost complete. You talk about getting
the quarterback right as a cast off that other people
didn't want, you know, and Remo I don't think did
anything wrong in Cincinnati other than not having the personnel,
not having the investments and the resources on that side
(21:30):
of the football. But he's had some good success against
the Rams and specifically against Stafford.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Hey, he's tricky, he's a smart guy, and he's gonna
be dialed in on what they want to do. But
you know, you have every confidence in the world and
Sean McVay to come up with a great plan. It's
so funny how he picks and chooses who he wants
to play football against that day. It could be your
your tackle, it could be your defensive end, it could
be that safety down there. You never know who he's
picking on. So I just remember that one time where
he was screaming out of safety in New York. If
(21:55):
you're gonna play cover three, you better be honest or
I'm gonna come after you every time, you know what
I mean. That's that sort of stuff. So do you
have the ability to disguise and fuol Matthew Stafford. We're
gonna find out. I think it all comes down to
definitely their their accuracy and his accuracy there. If he's on,
like you said, coming off a bad week, you're gonna
complete balls. You're gonna give Indye all they can handle
(22:18):
as far as offensively. Now, if you bring that same
sort of nasty that the defense brought to Philadelphia, if
you bring that home to Sofi where you've got benefit
of crowd noise, and this is a surface you like,
even though we love I like their offensive line, you
should dominate and decimate them. You just did when you
had zero advantages. It's on grass, that's their surface, with
(22:40):
their crowd, and you absolutely took after him. You got
after him. If you can do the same thing here,
bring the same mentality back to Sofi with your people
on your surface, you should dominate them. If you take
care of Jonathan Taylor like you took care of Saquon Barkley,
you should dominate Daniel Jones. He may throw it to
you right, absolutely may. He may revert back to that
(23:01):
old New York just is still in there. That's what
I'm saying. Get pressure make him feel like he's unsafe.
And I'm sure, look, you saw the hits Jalen Hurts took,
Oh my god, the one right to the face from
Jared Verse. You don't think he's thinking about that, oh.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Dude or McCullough. Absolutely like those are Like I said,
those are big time hits. That again, Hurts didn't even
see those guys coming boom that anyone trust?
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Yeah, to me, I agree with you defensively. I feel
I'm I feel comfortable in every game that we go in.
If I look down the roster, down their schedule, I look,
I feel comfortable.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
About that pass rush. Now you know that you can
break a game with four guys on any Sunday.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Any four too, you decide, Josiah Stewart can come in
and give it gets you some some work too, right.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Of eight guys, But I agree with you though you
you better make sure you're able to get there and
ideally with four this weekend because I think their weapons
are underrated. Yeah, and who contends with Warren? It's gonna
have to be Quinn Lake good because he's out of control.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Rights that to me, who you're gonna like? I know,
downs is a slot guy and all, like Quentin Lake,
you're covering Warren this week if I'm the if, if
it's I'm thinking defensively.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
It's gonna be a busy day because he's everywhere.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
And guess what, Guess where you'll be if he goes
to the bathroom, hand him play the paper, right, like,
you gotta be with him. That's just how it is,
like that you have to cover that cat. We can't
let that get I'm just saying that's how. That's where
you have to be. If he goes outside, you're outside.
If he's inside, you have to be there to make
sure because that is his that's his teddy bear, right,
That's that's Daniel Jones safe's place that if he gets
in trouble, he's gonna find Warren and get him the
(24:30):
ball as quickly as possible. And Warren's playing lights out
right Now.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Should we talk about our tight end situation real quick?
Because I know people are a little shocked, maybe that
Tifford was a healthy scratch. I know I was surprised.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
I could not believe he was in street clothes. That shocked.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
But when you saw the way the Rams played that
game and the role that the tight ends had in
that game and really have for the first month of
the season. Does that check out?
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Now?
Speaker 2 (24:52):
It does, but it still begs the question as to
why this is why you drafted him, this is what
you're gonna do, and he's not playing today. So you
have to ask why is it because he can't be
at out the three guys in front of him? Is
it because you're facing Philly you have a different game plan,
or is he not up to speed with the offense.
Why isn't he out there, especially when you look at
Indy and they have a rookie tight end that's killing it,
(25:13):
you know what I mean? Right, So you start to
just wonder why. It's not the end of the world,
but you still want to know this.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
Is true. Right, that's a completely different I would say this,
I trust Sean, I trust his judgment, but that still
doesn't mean why he's not out there playing, right, He's
He's probably the best athlete you have at that position,
and he could help on special teams like I don't know,
maybe he could have ran down Jordan Davis and tackled him.
I have no idea, Like he was on punt he
(25:42):
ran down the guy from Tennessee right, like, let him
get in and and and get some type of game
reps in these situation though those are learning. I know
it may seem minute like oh he's he's on field
goal block, but that speed of that is going to
help him in the long run at tight end blocking
right or just doing something.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
But if they went into Philly is saying how many
targets do you think our tight end room is going
to get today?
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Five or fewer?
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (26:07):
What's what role are your tight ends going to play today?
When you get into twelve? What are you gonna do?
We're gonna jet sweeps it if they are extensions of
our offensive line. Okay, of your four tight ends, who's
least equipped to play that game with him?
Speaker 3 (26:18):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
I mean it ties back to what we said earlier
in the show, which is the passing game right now
is built on your two superstars, and until someone takes
that away and makes you play left handed, why not
lean into that identity fully.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
So it's funny because there was a somebody on Twitter
put out like the next pick after Ferguson was Will Johnson,
who's up in Carolina.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
That's what you can call it.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Guy, But but but but Again, that's why the fans
are upset because that game is played. But it's very true, right,
Like you lost a corner, your corners got beat up
in the second half by A J. Brown. But this
kid's over in Carolina and Arizona playing well. Right, so
when you draft a guy and again I listen, I I,
like I said before, I understand it. But I also
(26:59):
understand from the fans standpoint, like we put we resources
into this tight end, he needs to be on the field. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
I think that's a different conversation allocation of resources where
the Rams quite honestly bet on themselves at offensive line,
in corner and in the first month of the season
you have key injuries at those positions, and right now,
that's a that's a questionable wager. There's still time to
pay that off and there's still time to use your
resources to get better at those positions, which I think,
if anything coming out of Philadelphia, maybe that's a data
point that you can work off of.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
But you had a nineteen point lead without him, you
just couldn't hold it, right.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Yeah, I'm good with T firsts long term future in
this offense. I just don't think the three games they
played so far, and especially the one they played last
week is a rookie tight end, big you know, move
tight end and your passing game type of structure, I
guess is what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
I mean, listen, I think that mean said.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
If you said, Sean you can't play any tight end.
But Terrence Ferguson, can you go make it work?
Speaker 3 (27:53):
He can.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
He can dial up a game plan that's gonna be
that's days coming.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Yeah, it's gonna come quickly because it's I think maybe
this week him in the slot versus a linebacker or
nickel corner, that smaller is going to be a great
advantage for you.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
But you just talked about the slot matchup that you
loved last week.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
I like this, but you have two slots. I know.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
I'm just said, you decide which one you want to cover.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
I'm sorry, I'm moving.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
I'm I think it's obviously all undertwined, and if you're
feeling better about your pass protection with your five starting
offensive linemen, maybe there's a little bit more latitude in
how you use your tight ends.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
For sure.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Right now, I think their passing game has a lot
to do with making sure that Matthew has the time
to get it to twelve and seventeen and until someone
makes them do anything different or until the rams can
protect better, that's the way it's going to be.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
We're avoiding field gold, block field goal, field goal, tix
it for us. Okay, well, what are we gonna see
different this week? You know it could be a personnel thing.
But you go back and watch Tennessee, you watch Philadelphia,
it seems like it's coming off one and you know what,
maybe you could tell me this, it's an offensive thing.
Whenever we practice field gold or pat you'd have the
offensive lines flop sides, so the right guys become the left,
(29:01):
the left become the right. Have you ever seen that?
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Yeah, like Havenstein is playing on the left.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Ye.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
I never knew why they did that. Why you have
guys flop sides for whatever reason. But it seems to
be tradition. But that has to be something you have
to get fixed. I hope it's something you can fix
because it seems like there's two teams in a row
that have a beat on you. So that's one of
those things where you have to go and re examine
everything that you're doing. Personnel operation routine, the whole nine
(29:28):
somebody's got a beat on you. We would steal this
is a d line thing. We would steal the TV
copy of every game we played the Cadence. Yeah, there's
a beat somewhere. There's a tell you know.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Oh, so you're saying it's not just the blockers up front.
It might be the timing and the rhythm of the
snap operation, you know, like you steal third base off
a pitcher because he gets predicted.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Somebody's got a beat on you. Yeah, when you go
back and watch, and I fully believe, I swear I
can't prove this, but I believe this. If you had
changed up your routine just slightly, like had he called
for the ball and just waited a beat, they would
to jumped off sides.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
Can I when is this going to be aired to
media night? Okay? I can't. I can't. I was gonna
tell you there because it's just because there's tails all
over the place. Right when you coach high school football,
everyone has tails. There's a team that Daylys was gonna
play and there's a tail in that game.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Right, keep yourself.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Yeah, but I'll tell you the tale before and we
were playing Folsome and this was this was a couple
of years ago. Uh, their quarterback. Every time his right
leg was back it was a pass. Every time it's
left leg back was a run. So there's tails in
everything that you can find. I would just say, pat
block is big men are hard to find. Their big
men don't grow on trees. And when you have two
(30:37):
of the biggest men over one guy, that's always tough, right,
and so you have to find a way to either.
I remember last year you had Bobby Brown, the third
was on there, right. You got to get your biggest,
strongest guys to be to sit in there and hold up.
And right now it's just they're just not holding out.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
It's big and strong. It's hard to do. Yes, just period. Now,
imagine if they know when the ball's coming. It's impossible.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
You're right because the ball I saw it again. He
was off that ball pretty quickly on the last one.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Yes, two in one game tells you a lot.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Yes, I know how I want to finish before I
do wrap this up. Any final thoughts so that I
don't get out of here before you No.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
You know, Uh, well, the first question when we talked
about BTh this week was, you know, how do we
feel that the Rams stacked up versus Egle, that's very well,
that's a game you could have won. So there's a
lot to be encouraged by. There's some things you need
to work on. It is what it is. But after
three weeks when the schedule first came out, when the
schedule come out, you're a schedule guy.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
You won the April draft, so maybe mid May.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
And you saw how it stacked up and where and
if you said after the first three weeks, if you're
three and oh two and one, you you take that right?
Speaker 1 (31:42):
So yeah, I mean you, yes, But it's because it
puts you on course to be four and one, are
at worst three and two after five when San Francisco
comes in, and that's where your margin has but not
in this county.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
But things have changed though a little bit. You know
why things change because they've played to a certain standard
and the expectation is different. And I think, after seeing
what happened with Philly is in my mind the standard
is we need to see that type of play, that
first half play right only getting back, But consider the last.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Two years how this team has started.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Totally agree, that's you know what I'm saying, And that's
where I know fans don't like to hear it, but
my sight level has been elevated despite the loss of Philadelphia.
Like I think, this team's floor it is higher and
its ceiling is definitely way up there now that I've
seen what they're capable of. But it's it's incumbent upon
them to go prove that as soon as the Sunday,
because if it doesn't go that way, then all of
a sudden, you're in a much different place.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
And I'll say, the running back the two headed monsters
starting to get bigger and bigger and bigger, and I'm
excited about that.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Did you guys hear the fight song to Michigan when
Blake Korm was running the football, because I sure did.
I don't know. It just popped into that it comes again.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Hear it?
Speaker 1 (32:48):
No, it brought out the best in the starter. Though
I thought I thought Kiren had his best day.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
I did too, And I think the more they compete,
the better they are. The way you could run the
ball like that, it's gonna be a it's gonna be
a If you could keep that going, it's gonna be special.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
It will keep it going.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Yes, all right.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Last thing, NFL officiating meet me over here at camera
whatever this is, and you guys support me on this.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Oh, I'm sorry, that's a penalty. Yeah, my bad.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Can we vouch for Popkua on this show if someone
needs to the least likely guy to taunt anybody on
the roster.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
He did punch a guy in the face, though, come on,
he did it happened, he was he was thrown out
of a game once. Oh yeah, I forgot it might
be on the list. Listen that I understand from the
viewpoint of that ref what he thought he saw. But
you have to understand the part of it. Part of like,
there's certain guys that taunt people, and there's certain actions
(33:44):
that taunt people. If I stand up and I'm flexing,
that that's not taunting. I'm not looking at you now.
If I'm looking down on you and I'm flexing, that's taunting, correct, right,
So you have to that's the first part. The second
part is, let's be honest. This league is built on superstars.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
You give guys. I used to the benefit of doubt
all the time. I mean, I usually do some wild
stuff A three to two, get on out of here,
all right, you're right, I went too far. Don't do
it again. I got you.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Where was that?
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Like?
Speaker 2 (34:10):
You have to give him the benefit a It should
have been a warning.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Yeah, that's a warning to do that again.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Do you hear what Stafford said when he was asked
about high profile players veterans getting the benefit of the doubt.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
What did you say?
Speaker 1 (34:22):
I got popped in the chin. I didn't get the
benefit of the doubt. I've already had a rough in
the passer picked up so far this season. Oh, he
got hit in the mouth, right. His grit, his toughness
works against him. He's not protected because they know how
tough he is. After seventeen.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
It's funny because you'll see Josh Allen get like pushed
and he was like, oh oh yeah, yeah, so he's
got to sell a little bit.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
That's for the officials who don't play fantasy football, who
have not had the chance to work with Pokinakua over
the course of three star studded seasons. He's not just
a superstar. He is the nicest guy on the roster.
Please stop throwing against him and maybe drop one on
those trying.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
To He got ejected one time. That was a horrible call.
Had to get out of character. He had to get
out of character and then now he's good.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Look that that was a gouger by him, and I
felt him on that, and that's a shame that the
team was robbed of that by somebody that misinterpreted that
as a tongue.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
That's terrible.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
One of the secrets to success the last two seasons
has been defending home turf in home back to backs
across the span of five days. Happened in twenty three,
happened again in twenty four. Here we go Sunday and
Thursday Colts and forty nine ers. You can't win them
both unless you beat Indy. So we'll see it there
at Sofi Stadium for Maurice Jones drew the Marco far
(35:39):
two times. Just your average Joe's here on between the horns,
presented by your Southern.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
California Antoia Dealers. There you go, flex on um to
Marco
All right, let's take one step closer to Sunday with
a new addition of between the Horns presented by your
Southern California Toyo to dealers.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm JB.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Long with the Marco Farr and a newly minted Hall
of Famer Maurice Jones Drew Dayla sal finally put you
in the Hall follow No, I was.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
In the Hall of Fame as a player. This is
to be like Alumni of the Year.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
In the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Yeah, this is to go in for donating time and
energy and money.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Question how many tuitions do you have to pay and
how many games you have to coach before?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yeah? I don't know. It's a It's awesome though, just
because uh, I was able to, Like, we did a
big project this year starting a youth program there that
kind of was a lot. It took a lot of work.
Didn't need to be as hard, but we figured it out.
And so I appreciate the school for all that.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
That explains it, but it also steals some of our
thunder because how do you get into the California Hall
of Fame and the UCLA Hall of Fame and.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Not in that us out I'm not gonna lie. They
they're they're up there with top guys.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, let's not.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Let's not. They got fame. How many years ago I
missed a game for I forget man, you gotta was
it was a game like it was probably like four
or five years sixs I missed the games?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Ye big by us.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
I promise we're not stalling to like avoid talking about
the loss of Philadelphia and we can dive right in
wherever you guys want. Uh, four days removes? Has the
sting gone away?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
No?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah? Yeah? Nine hurts his bat maybe worse?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's it's the things that haunted
us last year. I felt like came back and not
talking about this is without the block field goals, not
scoring in the red zone, right, the the no non
touchdowns in the red zone. That's that's why you have
to score, right And we we talked about that in
the broadcast, that putting the ball in the paint is
going to be more important than anything against them because
(01:53):
they have the ability to score quickly and you want
to get them out of their game plan. And you
did that coming out of half, but before half, kicking
those field goals even though they were awesome. It was
good for them. Yeah, those were small wins for the Eagles,
and and it really kept the game a lot closer
than what it should have been.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
It kept them a lot you know. Okay, so you
go in with a lot of questions and I thought
you answered a lot of them, but it really was
it was a devastating way to lose a football game.
I was telling JB earlier that double thudd boom, Yeah,
that is the worst sound in sports, right, It's just
it's it's just deflating. So but when you go in
with questions, you come out with answers. I think you
(02:34):
answered a lot of questions. You took it to Saquon,
you got to Jalen Hurts, Jared Verse, squared him up
a few times. The Blitzes were getting home, you had
a lead on them, you were beating the Eagles, and
you let them come back. I think the only thing
that was left unanswered is how do you cover aj Brown?
Everything else, I think you were right in line with
being one of the best teams in the NFC. So
(02:57):
the worst part about it was you came away with
an l. That's the sucky part. But as far as
moving on from it. Yeah, it's it's over.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
It happened.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
You move on. You have to play Indy this week.
You can't let the Eagles beat you twice, no question.
It's a tough way to lose, but it is what
it is. This is the pros. Lick your wounds, get
ready for this week, and try to beat the Colts.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
That's the best part of not being a player anymore
because I can think it like, yeah, I can kind
of just lean and I will say this that Keller
Witherspoon was missed a ton, and then I'll say there's
certain situations where I don't think the Rams were at
their best. That fourth and one right where they had
Jalen Carter at d N Jordan Davis over limmer and
they stunted out right that just guy whiffs. You got
(03:38):
a big guy in the whole. Those are those situations.
You just have to make sure that you're at your
best in those. But other than that, I think you're right, DeMarco.
You you you learn from this, right, You take the good,
you you learn from the bad, and you move.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Forward a lot of good.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Yeah, one play before that, you loved the shot they took.
I think you called for it. I remember correctly, right territory.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Give it to me. You want to know why, because
when you're in that situation, you take the shot because
you're in Philly and it's your chance to put the
dagger in their heart and twisted.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
And you got the matchup that you scored the touchdown
previously Davante Adams against blank and shit, like I was
asking DeMarco earlier today, like with this coach and this quarterback,
but really anytime on Sunday, those are the moments that
you dream of, Like you spend all week trying to
get that look, that chance right, and if you don't
hit it, sometimes you come out on the losing end.
(04:30):
But I was thinking from Philly standpoint, they could easily
be zero to three if three big time players make
catches week one, ced Lamb week two, Kelsey week three,
Davante like right now, those three disconnects with all time
great players or the difference between them being three and
oh and on three.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
And that's kind of what it is. I I when
you scheme up everything and I know we're going to
move forward it, but when you have the play, we're lingering.
So listen, when I put in the week going the meetings.
We were like, this is what we're going to get
in this situation. We go out and practice it. We
have the numbers on the guys, and then you go
out and you look at it. You're like, oh my god,
(05:08):
this is it.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
But DeMarco's case is game time and score says.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Clock is my thing. Yea off twice we're running.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
The chances are you're going to move the chains, and
in the meantime, the clock is doing this.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
I understand the ball. We're doing great. We're knocking them
off that same big D line. I mean, this is
me playing on the other side. I know what stresses
me out as a defensive lineman. If it's third and short,
I don't know what you what you're doing, So I
have to load up on something. If you slam the
ball at me with Maurice, with anybody, even if I'm
in the right gap, if he spins off and stretches out,
that's the first down. You've got the lead. The clock
(05:42):
is my friend. I'm trying to bleed you.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
You know what's funny. I agree with you, But I
was told to quit being soft by the head coach
in week one. I heard the and when he called
me soft. I knew then what the mindset was going
to be, right, I mean, JB, you were right then
you saw my face. I was like, hey, you're right.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
There's the callback to running out the clock against Houston,
trying to steal their last time out versus going for
the kill shot.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
And so if that's gonna be your mindset when we're
in the same as similar situation against Philly.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
At Philly, you go for the dagger and it was there.
Don't get me wrong, It's not that he had the
wrong play call. We're just talking about philosophy. If Stafford
is a little more on target, oh that's a win.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Or if they drop the flag on the tug on
the release. Yes, you know, there's a lot of good
things that could have happened there. Unfortunately none of them didn't.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
That's the thing.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
But that's okay. I'm not upset with if we're gonna
lose being aggressive, we're gonna lose being who we are.
If that's what you're tell me. If we're gonna be aggressive, right,
then let's be aggressive. And if we lose, hey, we'll
learn from it. We'll figure it out, we'll get going.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I think.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I think also there's a little bit of timing that's
off right now with Stafford and Devonte.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Lowest catch rate of his career, just to color that in, Yeah,
all his years, he's never caught this lower percentage of
his targets.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
But think about it. The out that normally is a handoff, right,
that we've seen Stafford throw that wasn't there. The shot
play that he misses by half a yard, right, those
are plays.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
That we've said on slam the airmail, those are.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Those are plays that we've seen Matthew Stafford make. We've
also seen him make it with less lesser receivers, right.
But it's about the timing and that's only gonna get
better as we get going. So I'm not concerned necessarily.
I just know that that was a mid loss opportunity.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
That's why when you said, like, does it linger, No,
because all that stuff is fixable, and I think it
does get fixed, you know what I mean. It's not
something that you can't overcome. You're not you're not overmatched.
It's just you're missing. Eventually you won't on field. No,
I don't think it lingers. I agree with what you're saying.
Big picture, it lingers a lot Like what stings most
about that loss is I don't know the consequences of
(07:41):
that loss until December and January. It's gonna cost the
ram something. Best case scenario, just cost them a little
margin for air that they had earned from themselves, or
maybe the chance to compete for a one seed. Worse,
it could cost them a division or playoff seeding or
heaven forbid, even a playoff spot. So that's the part
that's tough to reconcile. Man, you had that, And yes,
I know there are thirty teams in the league that
(08:02):
would love to say our roster is good enough to
go into the link and be up three scores despite
throwing a pick that led to a touchdown and a
seven zero deficit. Like that is the good and there's
a lot of it. But man, I emphysize with fans
who had to sit through that second half and saw
that whole second game coming.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Yeah, I think again you said it best like that
game determines who where you have to go pretty much
in the playoffs. Right, we've already went there, but we could.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
If you earn that could You know the other thing,
and I told DeMarco this this morning is my biggest
concern might be that they got the best out of Philadelphia,
that whatever was bogging the Eagles down, the Rams forced
them to reconcile, and now they are a team that's
gonna throw to their weapons on the outside, now that
now they're not a team that's gonna wait for the
(08:48):
second half and the three score deficit to maybe try
and take some shots with AJ Brown and Devonte's Smith.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Yeah, I just think the Rams. I think if a
Kell Witherspoon's there, it's a different it's for a different outlook.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
I'm not saying specific to that matchup. I'm saying I
can't wait to see what Philly does in Tampa Bay
this week, because Tampa Bay has had their numbers play
them as well as anybody. But if they come out
and they look like the world champs again, a lot
of people are gonna be blaming the Rams for like,
why did you go.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
And do that welcome? Well, no question, Yeah, the whole
crowd was booing.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
That's That's literally what the texts I got after the
game was thank you for waking us up, And it's like,
hold on, first of all, they're professionals, right, no one's
gonna wake you up. Like, whatever the whatever I think Tampa.
And again, this is why I thought the Rams had
a great opportunity to go in there and play the
way they did. Tampa's defensive line is just like the Rams.
They get pressure from all over the place and that that,
(09:32):
and they blitz and they do all these things, and
they have guys that can cover on the back end,
and so you have to I was my number one problem,
or I won't say problem concern was where was the
safety blitz in the second half. You hit Jalen Hurts
in the mouth like seventeen times. They didn't see the
safety blitz ever coming. That was I don't care if
they changed right tackles or not.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
I say, was it Philly solving their right tackle problem?
Speaker 3 (09:55):
No, they just I just thought, we just stopped running
it on third down, right, you didn't bring this, You're
started bringing.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Us pretty good.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
They did.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
You have to give them credit when they said, but
we didn't. We didn't run it though.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
We ran it one time in the second half, No,
and it got picked up, but it was an incomplete
pass and so it was like, Okay, we're gonna run
it again. Then we're just gonna keep running that until like,
that's the whole the old adage of if I find waldoughna,
I'm gonna keep going at him until he takes his
cleats off. That's only where you like or you make
a play one of the two. But we're gonna figure
out which one what happens first. And so to me,
(10:26):
I would have every third down, I would have hit
him with the safety blitz or a zone pressure or
something that we're giving them so that he doesn't have
time to sit back in that pocket. Because when they
did start picking up the regular rushes and you're playing
one on one on the outside, Yeah, A J. Brown's
gonna win ninety percent of those.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Let me go back to the DeVante thing. I have
seen a lot of calls this week for the Rams
to be more balanced, to share the wealth, to be
more evenly distributed in their target share. Right now, they're
skewed towards two people, and they're they're too the top
receivers in the National Football League. What's your position on
where they are?
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Oh, I don't to me. I I love that, like
you know who the going And again we're gonna try
to mix into too out Well and Jordan Whittington and
we'll get the tight ends going and we'll probably get
some backs some stuff. But why wouldn't I get.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
The ball to the two players who stop him so far?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Yeah, nobody stopped.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Him well incomplete passes.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
I was to say, like, if you drop the Nicolas
wide open, Stafford sales one right, like Davante is open
on the slant. So those are things that you can
fix it. Those are fixable things, But no one stopped him.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I don't know if you have. I don't know how
many teams have a Davante stopper or a corner that
good that can go one on one with him and
just say he's gonna lock him up that day. At
some point you're gonna have to divorce devote some resources
to covering him up. Because Davante literally is open every
time he takes a sea.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
He's the most open receiver in the National Football League
by some meta right now.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
If you hit some of those passes, if you hit
more of those passes, or a higher percentage of those passes,
you're staying on the field possibly scoring more. So I
think those things are fixable. And that's what we said
earlier when you listened to Matthew Stafford. He already knows.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
You don't have to convince him that he needs to
get better. He already knows, right. So eventually those things
will get ironed out. The one thing I do is
I hope that it happens like he trains the gun
sites a little bit better, uh, before those guys start
getting frustrated, because that is possible too, because I know
on the other side, I know I hate wasting good rushes,
no question. I can't stand wasting great rushes. Like I've
(12:21):
been setting this thing up and I'm getting home free
and the ball gets out and it's caught. It's the
same thing. You're wasting good routes if you're if you're
if you're off with your passes.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
I will tell you I don't think I don't think
they'll get frustrated because it's not he's running great routes.
But also there's a scheme into it as well, And
and Sean does a great job of running plays to
help you get open but then also allow you to
be you right. And so if you are struggling or
if you aren't getting the ball, Sean will schemes coming
up to get you kind of get you going which
(12:49):
we saw. I thought. Another thing I'll say is this
the the toughest nickel to play for the Rams is
Van Kooper Dejane. Pooka owned him. It wasn't even close.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
And I don't know if you say that, like, I'll
take your You did your slot corner and our guy
let's go.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
That's right. So now you're playing the Colts and we'll
kind of fast forward. But the Colts have a small nickel. Now,
they don't have this big linebacker like guy right that
you had to go again. So I think there's some
great wins in this game that you can learn from
and some losses as well. But the wins to me
are like, Okay, Cooper dejen we know what you can
and can't do. Now, Pooka Nakua ran that overroute you
(13:27):
were you were thought you were on to put a
ball right where it needed to be, catch where like
he can get off the press, he's more physical. There's
a lot of things that they can do. And so
again I see it as not a loss to Linger.
It's more of a lesson that I'm going to keep
going back to. Right, Okay, do we learn from this
because teams are going to start to do some of
the things that we saw against Philly.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
It hurts me to say, but you got out played
at the quarterback position. I don't like that being the
resting place at the end of Game three. But you know,
Hurts came back in that second half and Matthew miss
and throws. He owned that, like you said, But I'm
not going to give Stafford a pass necessarily. He doesn't
need it from me. But I don't know how he's
doing what he's doing behind this offensive line. By any
objective measure. The Rams are at the bottom of pass
(14:08):
protection so far in the National Football League. Thankfully they've
got some traction on the ground. They're better going forward
than back. But man, I would love to see what
McVeigh and Stafford and Lafleur are able to do if
they can just shore some of that up.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
But I would say this, like for out playing Stafford,
it's just they were able to do some things that
the Rams could not do. Like when the play is dead,
Jalen Hurts was still viable. I mean, that's and that's
just what you have with Matthew Stafford. But what you
can be when you're a guy that's not mobile is
very very accurate and know where you want to go
with the football based on what you see. You know
what I mean, be a step ahead here, and I
(14:42):
think that might have been lacking. So that was the
same thing with Jalen Hurts and this defense. Daniel Jones
coming up is also a guy that can move. He's
also a guy that can jump out the window on
third down and break your heart. You get him into
a third and manageable or a third and long situation
and you're a little too white going after him. He
scrambles and picks up the first down and then you're
(15:03):
right back out there again. And one more thing, I
just want to point out these edge guys. Byron Young
is playing as good a football as anybody in football. Yes,
as an edge rusher, and when you drafted him as
a project, he was a big dude that could run
that had to learn the position. Well. He has earned
his black belt as far as being an edge. He's
(15:24):
playing blocks correctly. He knows when he's one on one,
he understands protections and what they're trying to do against him,
and he's making them pay for it. So and I
love his demeanor. He's going about it with a quiet confidence.
Seems like he's got a lot to prove, which is
great for us. I think those two edge guys are
going to, like I said, the tip of the spear,
the fang of the defense, as long as they keep
(15:45):
growing and progressing, and you can keep those quarterbacks in
the pocket, which might means you have to sacrifice some
as an interior pass rusher. You know, I hate that. Yeah,
I can't stand that. But if I can keep these
dudes in the pocket and cast a wide net, these
two you guys are going to win.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
How's that last year's sack leader feeling right now? I
know Braden Fists has been gutting it through at less
than one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I don't know if it's ever happened to you, because
you're the focal point. You carry the rock. But there
is nothing worse in the NFL than sitting through a
defensive line meeting watching everybody get sacks.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
But you, oh listen, brother, I've been there.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
It burns.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
That was my second year. I scored seventeen touchhounds as
a rookie. My second year, my first one. They come
until week six. I was going I didn't go talk
to a therapist. I was going crazy. I was like,
what is going on around here?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Like, yes, why?
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Why me? What did I do? I got on my knees.
I was about to sacrifice something to the football gods.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Right, what did I do?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
It's just nothing against Puna Ford. But when Ford gets
won before Branden fists.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Tackle, it's one before fist. Yes, but you have to
understand this too.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
When you're the sack leader, what does everyone say, we're
gonna we're gonna make sure that this guy doesn't get
going right, and so you're getting and it looked like
to me personally, again, this is just me seeing it
in live time that he's getting there, getting a little
extra help on fifty five. It's not like he's getting
singled up like everybody else. Right, the deed again verse
wasn't getting double teamed that that Saquon was going into
(17:06):
the middle trying to help there more than he was outside.
So that just tells you when you're the sack leader,
people they respect you a little bit different.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Yeah, it'll come, and when it does, and a bunch
of what happens, it's like, you know, blood in the water.
I mean, there's they're gonna come in bunches for you.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
You know, this game from Indianapolis reminds me a little
bit about what LA had on its plate last week.
Off to an undefeated start. I think people are believing
in your roster. There's a lot of good there, but
until you go improve it on the road against the
fellow contender, maybe there's like a weight and see component.
But I think on paper there's every reason to believe
in the Colts as the new favorite in that division.
(17:40):
The only thing you can poke holes in so far
in their three not start is maybe level of competition.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Yeah danks for anthro punter.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Sure well, well yeah, I think once.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
I mean they're holder that guy.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Yeah, well, I'll tell you this. I think they made
a decision to go with the safest bet in Daniel Jones.
It's not the the highest selling, but it's the safest bet.
He's not gonna turn the ball over. He has the
ability to run a little bit. He's faster than what
you people give him credit for. But he doesn't make mistakes.
And the biggest thing about him is they're running the football.
(18:16):
It has nothing. They are running the football so well
right now that it's like he can play action passing
guys can be wide open. They have a tight end
that runs over routes. Right, it's not like it's not
like he's just out here, just out of shotgun, three steps,
five steps, just picking people apart. No, they're running the football,
their play action pass will take shots here and there.
Like you said on third down, if you run past me,
(18:38):
I'll take off and run right. I'll just do the
right things. And that is complimentary football at his best. Right.
And then defensively, they're gonna sit in their coverage. They're
gonna give some pressure. It's not nothing crazy, it's not
like anything that's out of the like, oh my god,
you know, even though Theforest Buckner's there and he's doing
an awesome job, get rid.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Of that good.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Yeah, but yeah, they got God, they got guys, but
it's not like it's not like last week. Though they
don't got two dudes in the middle that can, right,
but it's different. But it's just not last week, and
they have guys, and so off defensively, all start, don't
rush past the quarterback forcing to throw in the tight windows.
You're not a J. Brown's not on this roster, right,
(19:17):
so you have some you have some leeway there. They
have some I think Pierce has heard he's in the
concussion port product. That's their deep threat. Right, So you Pittman,
you got to kind of keep eyes on him, right,
bigger guy, and then stop the run like you did
last week.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
What do you think of Taylor? I think Jonathan Taylor.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Is so people people. When I when he came out,
I had him as my sixth best running back. And
it's because he went to Wisconsin. No disrespect, no disrespect,
Totally understand what you mean.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
He's a product of that factory more than like a differentiator.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Yes, for sure. They I mean Melvin Gordon, Monty Ball,
all these dudes. Yeah, this is what uh Ron day like.
These guys come out and then they don't necessarily perform
it at the highest level in the NFL. But he
went to a system that had offensive linemen that fit him,
and they revamped and rebuilt this offensive line to fit
(20:08):
what he does. Well, that's why you're seeing them be embarrassed.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Maybe the most underrated part of their start so far.
Their offensive line is played great, not just paving the
way for JT, but also like to actually one of
the least sacks, and part of that is Daniel Jones mobility.
Part of it is his scheme that you talked about.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
He gets the ball out quick It's not like like
when you're playing who's the Well's. He came from Philly, right,
he's one of Phillies guys. So it's the same offense.
The quarterback they had that they draft. That just slipped
my mind again, Richard Richardson. Yeah, he holds onto the
ball right, So that's why he was getting hit the
back of the head all the time. I remember we
went there a couple of years ago to play me.
He was Aaron Donalds hanging on his back and he's strong,
(20:42):
but he holds onto the ball. Daniel Jones gets the
ball out quickly. So there's that offensively, I I I
believe that you have advantage in the passing game and
as a slot. I think if you could run the
ball and be bounced like you were, you'll be a
run in Philly. Yeah, I think you'll, you'll you'll have
you have those those are your advantages, and so to me,
(21:04):
Stafford has to be on right, but you're gonna have
chances in this game to take shots.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
I love Stafford coming off that week. I mean that's
his bounce backs are are pretty strong. I do think
lou An Rumo was a big pickup, big thing for
a roster that was almost complete. You talk about getting
the quarterback right as a cast off that other people
didn't want, you know, and Remo I don't think did
anything wrong in Cincinnati other than not having the personnel,
not having the investments and the resources on that side
(21:30):
of the football. But he's had some good success against
the Rams and specifically against Stafford.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Hey, he's tricky, he's a smart guy, and he's gonna
be dialed in on what they want to do. But
you know, you have every confidence in the world and
Sean McVay to come up with a great plan. It's
so funny how he picks and chooses who he wants
to play football against that day. It could be your
your tackle, it could be your defensive end, it could
be that safety down there. You never know who he's
picking on. So I just remember that one time where
he was screaming out of safety in New York. If
(21:55):
you're gonna play cover three, you better be honest or
I'm gonna come after you every time, you know what
I mean. That's that sort of stuff. So do you
have the ability to disguise and fuol Matthew Stafford. We're
gonna find out. I think it all comes down to
definitely their their accuracy and his accuracy there. If he's on,
like you said, coming off a bad week, you're gonna
complete balls. You're gonna give Indye all they can handle
(22:18):
as far as offensively. Now, if you bring that same
sort of nasty that the defense brought to Philadelphia, if
you bring that home to Sofi where you've got benefit
of crowd noise, and this is a surface you like,
even though we love I like their offensive line, you
should dominate and decimate them. You just did when you
had zero advantages. It's on grass, that's their surface, with
(22:40):
their crowd, and you absolutely took after him. You got
after him. If you can do the same thing here,
bring the same mentality back to Sofi with your people
on your surface, you should dominate them. If you take
care of Jonathan Taylor like you took care of Saquon Barkley,
you should dominate Daniel Jones. He may throw it to
you right, absolutely may. He may revert back to that
(23:01):
old New York just is still in there. That's what
I'm saying. Get pressure make him feel like he's unsafe.
And I'm sure, look, you saw the hits Jalen Hurts took,
Oh my god, the one right to the face from
Jared Verse. You don't think he's thinking about that, oh.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Dude or McCullough. Absolutely like those are Like I said,
those are big time hits. That again, Hurts didn't even
see those guys coming boom that anyone trust?
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:23):
Yeah, to me, I agree with you defensively. I feel
I'm I feel comfortable in every game that we go in.
If I look down the roster, down their schedule, I look,
I feel comfortable.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
About that pass rush. Now you know that you can
break a game with four guys on any Sunday.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Any four too, you decide, Josiah Stewart can come in
and give it gets you some some work too, right.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Of eight guys, But I agree with you though you
you better make sure you're able to get there and
ideally with four this weekend because I think their weapons
are underrated. Yeah, and who contends with Warren? It's gonna
have to be Quinn Lake good because he's out of control.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Rights that to me, who you're gonna like? I know,
downs is a slot guy and all, like Quentin Lake,
you're covering Warren this week if I'm the if, if
it's I'm thinking defensively.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
It's gonna be a busy day because he's everywhere.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
And guess what, Guess where you'll be if he goes
to the bathroom, hand him play the paper, right, like,
you gotta be with him. That's just how it is,
like that you have to cover that cat. We can't
let that get I'm just saying that's how. That's where
you have to be. If he goes outside, you're outside.
If he's inside, you have to be there to make
sure because that is his that's his teddy bear, right,
That's that's Daniel Jones safe's place that if he gets
in trouble, he's gonna find Warren and get him the
(24:30):
ball as quickly as possible. And Warren's playing lights out
right Now.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Should we talk about our tight end situation real quick?
Because I know people are a little shocked, maybe that
Tifford was a healthy scratch. I know I was surprised.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
I could not believe he was in street clothes. That shocked.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
But when you saw the way the Rams played that
game and the role that the tight ends had in
that game and really have for the first month of
the season. Does that check out?
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Now?
Speaker 2 (24:52):
It does, but it still begs the question as to
why this is why you drafted him, this is what
you're gonna do, and he's not playing today. So you
have to ask why is it because he can't be
at out the three guys in front of him? Is
it because you're facing Philly you have a different game plan,
or is he not up to speed with the offense.
Why isn't he out there, especially when you look at
Indy and they have a rookie tight end that's killing it,
(25:13):
you know what I mean? Right, So you start to
just wonder why. It's not the end of the world,
but you still want to know this.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
Is true. Right, that's a completely different I would say this,
I trust Sean, I trust his judgment, but that still
doesn't mean why he's not out there playing, right, He's
He's probably the best athlete you have at that position,
and he could help on special teams like I don't know,
maybe he could have ran down Jordan Davis and tackled him.
I have no idea, Like he was on punt he
(25:42):
ran down the guy from Tennessee right, like, let him
get in and and and get some type of game
reps in these situation though those are learning. I know
it may seem minute like oh he's he's on field
goal block, but that speed of that is going to
help him in the long run at tight end blocking
right or just doing something.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
But if they went into Philly is saying how many
targets do you think our tight end room is going
to get today?
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Five or fewer?
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (26:07):
What's what role are your tight ends going to play today?
When you get into twelve? What are you gonna do?
We're gonna jet sweeps it if they are extensions of
our offensive line. Okay, of your four tight ends, who's
least equipped to play that game with him?
Speaker 3 (26:18):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
I mean it ties back to what we said earlier
in the show, which is the passing game right now
is built on your two superstars, and until someone takes
that away and makes you play left handed, why not
lean into that identity fully.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
So it's funny because there was a somebody on Twitter
put out like the next pick after Ferguson was Will Johnson,
who's up in Carolina.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
That's what you can call it.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Guy, But but but but Again, that's why the fans
are upset because that game is played. But it's very true, right,
Like you lost a corner, your corners got beat up
in the second half by A J. Brown. But this
kid's over in Carolina and Arizona playing well. Right, so
when you draft a guy and again I listen, I I,
like I said before, I understand it. But I also
(26:59):
understand from the fans standpoint, like we put we resources
into this tight end, he needs to be on the field. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
I think that's a different conversation allocation of resources where
the Rams quite honestly bet on themselves at offensive line,
in corner and in the first month of the season
you have key injuries at those positions, and right now,
that's a that's a questionable wager. There's still time to
pay that off and there's still time to use your
resources to get better at those positions, which I think,
if anything coming out of Philadelphia, maybe that's a data
point that you can work off of.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
But you had a nineteen point lead without him, you
just couldn't hold it, right.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Yeah, I'm good with T firsts long term future in
this offense. I just don't think the three games they
played so far, and especially the one they played last
week is a rookie tight end, big you know, move
tight end and your passing game type of structure, I
guess is what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
I mean, listen, I think that mean said.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
If you said, Sean you can't play any tight end.
But Terrence Ferguson, can you go make it work?
Speaker 3 (27:53):
He can.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
He can dial up a game plan that's gonna be
that's days coming.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Yeah, it's gonna come quickly because it's I think maybe
this week him in the slot versus a linebacker or
nickel corner, that smaller is going to be a great
advantage for you.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
But you just talked about the slot matchup that you
loved last week.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
I like this, but you have two slots. I know.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
I'm just said, you decide which one you want to cover.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
I'm sorry, I'm moving.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
I'm I think it's obviously all undertwined, and if you're
feeling better about your pass protection with your five starting
offensive linemen, maybe there's a little bit more latitude in
how you use your tight ends.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
For sure.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Right now, I think their passing game has a lot
to do with making sure that Matthew has the time
to get it to twelve and seventeen and until someone
makes them do anything different or until the rams can
protect better, that's the way it's going to be.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
We're avoiding field gold, block field goal, field goal, tix
it for us. Okay, well, what are we gonna see
different this week? You know it could be a personnel thing.
But you go back and watch Tennessee, you watch Philadelphia,
it seems like it's coming off one and you know what,
maybe you could tell me this, it's an offensive thing.
Whenever we practice field gold or pat you'd have the
offensive lines flop sides, so the right guys become the left,
(29:01):
the left become the right. Have you ever seen that?
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Yeah, like Havenstein is playing on the left.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Ye.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
I never knew why they did that. Why you have
guys flop sides for whatever reason. But it seems to
be tradition. But that has to be something you have
to get fixed. I hope it's something you can fix
because it seems like there's two teams in a row
that have a beat on you. So that's one of
those things where you have to go and re examine
everything that you're doing. Personnel operation routine, the whole nine
(29:28):
somebody's got a beat on you. We would steal this
is a d line thing. We would steal the TV
copy of every game we played the Cadence. Yeah, there's
a beat somewhere. There's a tell you know.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Oh, so you're saying it's not just the blockers up front.
It might be the timing and the rhythm of the
snap operation, you know, like you steal third base off
a pitcher because he gets predicted.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Somebody's got a beat on you. Yeah, when you go
back and watch, and I fully believe, I swear I
can't prove this, but I believe this. If you had
changed up your routine just slightly, like had he called
for the ball and just waited a beat, they would
to jumped off sides.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
Can I when is this going to be aired to
media night? Okay? I can't. I can't. I was gonna
tell you there because it's just because there's tails all
over the place. Right when you coach high school football,
everyone has tails. There's a team that Daylys was gonna
play and there's a tail in that game.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Right, keep yourself.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Yeah, but I'll tell you the tale before and we
were playing Folsome and this was this was a couple
of years ago. Uh, their quarterback. Every time his right
leg was back it was a pass. Every time it's
left leg back was a run. So there's tails in
everything that you can find. I would just say, pat
block is big men are hard to find. Their big
men don't grow on trees. And when you have two
(30:37):
of the biggest men over one guy, that's always tough, right,
and so you have to find a way to either.
I remember last year you had Bobby Brown, the third
was on there, right. You got to get your biggest,
strongest guys to be to sit in there and hold up.
And right now it's just they're just not holding out.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
It's big and strong. It's hard to do. Yes, just period. Now,
imagine if they know when the ball's coming. It's impossible.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
You're right because the ball I saw it again. He
was off that ball pretty quickly on the last one.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Yes, two in one game tells you a lot.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
Yes, I know how I want to finish before I
do wrap this up. Any final thoughts so that I
don't get out of here before you No.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
You know, Uh, well, the first question when we talked
about BTh this week was, you know, how do we
feel that the Rams stacked up versus Egle, that's very well,
that's a game you could have won. So there's a
lot to be encouraged by. There's some things you need
to work on. It is what it is. But after
three weeks when the schedule first came out, when the
schedule come out, you're a schedule guy.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
You won the April draft, so maybe mid May.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
And you saw how it stacked up and where and
if you said after the first three weeks, if you're
three and oh two and one, you you take that right?
Speaker 1 (31:42):
So yeah, I mean you, yes, But it's because it
puts you on course to be four and one, are
at worst three and two after five when San Francisco
comes in, and that's where your margin has but not
in this county.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
But things have changed though a little bit. You know
why things change because they've played to a certain standard
and the expectation is different. And I think, after seeing
what happened with Philly is in my mind the standard
is we need to see that type of play, that
first half play right only getting back, But consider the last.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Two years how this team has started.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Totally agree, that's you know what I'm saying, And that's
where I know fans don't like to hear it, but
my sight level has been elevated despite the loss of Philadelphia.
Like I think, this team's floor it is higher and
its ceiling is definitely way up there now that I've
seen what they're capable of. But it's it's incumbent upon
them to go prove that as soon as the Sunday,
because if it doesn't go that way, then all of
a sudden, you're in a much different place.
Speaker 3 (32:34):
And I'll say, the running back the two headed monsters
starting to get bigger and bigger and bigger, and I'm
excited about that.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Did you guys hear the fight song to Michigan when
Blake Korm was running the football, because I sure did.
I don't know. It just popped into that it comes again.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
Hear it?
Speaker 1 (32:48):
No, it brought out the best in the starter. Though
I thought I thought Kiren had his best day.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
I did too, And I think the more they compete,
the better they are. The way you could run the
ball like that, it's gonna be a it's gonna be
a If you could keep that going, it's gonna be special.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
It will keep it going.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Yes, all right.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Last thing, NFL officiating meet me over here at camera
whatever this is, and you guys support me on this.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
Oh, I'm sorry, that's a penalty. Yeah, my bad.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Can we vouch for Popkua on this show if someone
needs to the least likely guy to taunt anybody on
the roster.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
He did punch a guy in the face, though, come on,
he did it happened, he was he was thrown out
of a game once. Oh yeah, I forgot it might
be on the list. Listen that I understand from the
viewpoint of that ref what he thought he saw. But
you have to understand the part of it. Part of like,
there's certain guys that taunt people, and there's certain actions
(33:44):
that taunt people. If I stand up and I'm flexing,
that that's not taunting. I'm not looking at you now.
If I'm looking down on you and I'm flexing, that's taunting, correct, right,
So you have to that's the first part. The second
part is, let's be honest. This league is built on superstars.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
You give guys. I used to the benefit of doubt
all the time. I mean, I usually do some wild
stuff A three to two, get on out of here,
all right, you're right, I went too far. Don't do
it again. I got you.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Where was that?
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Like?
Speaker 2 (34:10):
You have to give him the benefit a It should
have been a warning.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Yeah, that's a warning to do that again.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
Do you hear what Stafford said when he was asked
about high profile players veterans getting the benefit of the doubt.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
What did you say?
Speaker 1 (34:22):
I got popped in the chin. I didn't get the
benefit of the doubt. I've already had a rough in
the passer picked up so far this season. Oh, he
got hit in the mouth, right. His grit, his toughness
works against him. He's not protected because they know how
tough he is. After seventeen.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
It's funny because you'll see Josh Allen get like pushed
and he was like, oh oh yeah, yeah, so he's
got to sell a little bit.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
That's for the officials who don't play fantasy football, who
have not had the chance to work with Pokinakua over
the course of three star studded seasons. He's not just
a superstar. He is the nicest guy on the roster.
Please stop throwing against him and maybe drop one on
those trying.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
To He got ejected one time. That was a horrible call.
Had to get out of character. He had to get
out of character and then now he's good.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
Look that that was a gouger by him, and I
felt him on that, and that's a shame that the
team was robbed of that by somebody that misinterpreted that
as a tongue.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
That's terrible.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
One of the secrets to success the last two seasons
has been defending home turf in home back to backs
across the span of five days. Happened in twenty three,
happened again in twenty four. Here we go Sunday and
Thursday Colts and forty nine ers. You can't win them
both unless you beat Indy. So we'll see it there
at Sofi Stadium for Maurice Jones drew the Marco far
(35:39):
two times. Just your average Joe's here on between the horns,
presented by your Southern.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
California Antoia Dealers. There you go, flex on um to
Marco
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