November 22, 2024 • 37 mins
A football Friday brings us Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith to discuss his monster game against the Raiders, what goes into a week of preparation ahead of a big game, the crazy location of his first TD ball when he threw it into the stands, Tua Tagovailoa’s leadership and much much more. Plus, Kyle Crabbs and the Week 12 picks.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, John, it is year number eight for you,
Week number twelve. I just want to know, off the top,
how you feeling.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Man. I'm feeling great, Man, I'm feeling great.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
You know, just excited to get back to work tomorrow
and continue to try to you know, stack some more wins.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Did you know that your game on Sunday was the
first game since the merger in nineteen seventy, which is
fifty four years ago, that a Dolphins tight end had
one hundred yards receiving and two touchdowns in a single game.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Man, it's you know, a cool, cool stat to have,
you know what I mean? You know, we uh, you know,
as players and competitors. You know, we're just out there
trying to just you know, let all the work that
we put in show and you know, all ofviously our
God give them the abilities, and you know, the statu
she just speaks for herself. But you know, trying not
to get too caught up in stats. I found out
(00:45):
that stat after the game was a cool stat to have,
and you know, it's you know, like I said, man,
it's it's pretty dope to.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Be What was that the year you say that was
nineteen seventy nineteen seventy. Yeah good a minute.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Wow, wasn't so?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Yeah to I remove Dahlan deep speedways. Peace do hell
peas do. From the Baptist Health Studio.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
This inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
This is Drivetime with Travis Wingfield.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
He's got my hands in the playoffs. What is up,
Dolphans And welcome to the Draft Time Podcast. I am
your host, Travis Wingfield and on today's show, as you
heard at the top there, and if you skipped this
(01:39):
introduction part of the show, go back and check it out.
The beginning part of the John new Smith interview is
at the beginning of the episode. I broke up into
two parts. That's podcast editing. It's not anything wrong with
the show. Just go back and check it out if
you miss it already. John new Smith joins the show.
What a weird intro this is. We'll do the week
twelve picks and we'll have Kyle Krabs here from the
(01:59):
Baptist Else Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. This
is the Draft Time Podcast. Let's pick it back up
with Johnny Smith. I want to kind of go into
the anatomy of a big game like that because I'm
curious what it looks like heading into the week, Like,
do you know you're a big part of the game
plan going into that game. Was it something where they
were showing you something early on that provide an opportunity
(02:21):
for you to make all those plays?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Like how does that come to fruition?
Speaker 3 (02:24):
And that's that's just the thing about the NFL, man,
like being in the year, being in the league eight years,
you know what I mean? You know, every week, man,
it could be a week, you know what I mean.
It could look like it's your week, and it cannot
be a week, you know what I mean. And regardless
of uh, you know what the game plan may look like,
you prepare us if it's going to be a week,
you know what I mean, and and do what everything
(02:45):
You do everything you can in your power to help
your team get a win. So that's just you know
it could you know, you listen again, you can come
in on Wednesday and see that game plan and you're like, oh, yeah,
somebody needs to draft me my fantasy team, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
But sometimes it doesn't go that way.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Whether it may be you know the defense, you know
game playing really well against you you know, coverag just
took it, took the quarterback a different direction, you know
what I mean, just a lot of different things could
not be just could not go your way, and you
just gotta stay even killed not get frustrated, because it's
some weeks where you're like, Okay, like I know, you know,
this may not be a big stat week for me,
but I'm gonna do everything I can in my power
(03:22):
to help us get a win.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
And that's just kind of the mindset that I have.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
And you know, those I've had a lot of those
weeks where you know, maybe I'm like, yeah, it's probably
not the biggest game plan for me, but I'm gonna
do whatever I can do to help my team get
a win. And I've you know, had a pretty good
week on the stat line. So sometimes you just gotta
just stay even kill man, and and you know, just
be patient and just let the game come to you.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
If you can't tell my no.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
That's Dolphins tight end John new Smith here listen to
Baptist Hell Studios on Dolphins HQ and the Draft Time podcast.
The full interview on the podcast on Friday, of course,
talking to you now for Dolphins HQ, and you know,
the last touchdown you scored in the game, or actually, right,
let's go back real quick, because I wanted to talk
about these celebration I think it was I care if
it was your first year, second touchdown in the game,
like everybody came over to you and Reek was like
(04:06):
he was fired up about it. And I love to
watch the film after big plays and how guys celebrate
their teammates. Because to your point, like in the past
here it's been two guys that got most of the
footballs where you can waddle, but this year, you guys
have done a really good job spreading the ball around,
and those guys seem to be as invested as ever.
I'm just curious what the mindset is across the eligibles,
all the skill players, as you guys have so many
(04:26):
mouths to feed. Obviously, like you talk about, it's not
going to always be your week, But what's the mindset
of those guys when they just come to work every
single week no matter what their catches and yards looks like.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
It's it's definitely an element of selflessness, you know what
I mean. You know, that's why those guys are who
they are, you know what I mean, And the players
that they are just because they played the game the
right way.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Again.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Man, it's like I said, it may not be your
week every week.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
And there's so many.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Guys on the offensive side of the ball that can
make plays with the ball in their hands, you know.
And you know, the stat line can be filled up
by like six different guys you know, every week, you
know what I mean. In the NFL, that's rare, you know,
I mean, you don't have that a lot. So we
got so many guys man that we can get the
ball too. And like I said, it's just an element
of selflessness from those guys and them just uh, you know,
being team players and and and you know, you know,
(05:11):
they are who they are, you know what I mean,
trust me, they uh you know, no, no, they They're
going to get their you know, uh you know, weekend
and week out. So I'm just excited to be a
part of this, this this offense man, with so many
great talented players.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, it's been fun to watch the evolution of getting
more guys involved that way. And I want to talk
about your second touchdown because first of all, you pulled
away from a safe you, by the way, don't to
do that. It's some pretty good speed in the open
field there, but you were so open. At what point
in that play did you know I'm gonna score if
I get this football? And then like was it kind
of like this feels like high school again where there's
a like there's like no one within.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
The twenty yards. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yeah, just taking advantage of the defenses, the defense mistakes
and obviously blown coverage. Uh seen the Red Sea's part,
they try to go zero. Uh man us out nobody
in the middle of the field. But you know sometimes uh,
you know, guys just get lost and uh, you know,
our freed up and just playing backyard football and just
put my hand up, just making sure me and too
connected odds and we did and hit me, gave me
(06:06):
a good ball. Felt like that ball was in the
air for about one hundred years, man, but you know,
just made to play and finished it. So it was
definitely a big moment in the game for us as
a team. And you know, to go up two possessions,
so you know, we got it done.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
I know coach is big on GPS tracking. Did they
get you your miles proud on it?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
I didn't. I didn't.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
I'm not sure.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
It's got to be twenty.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
I'm I'm I'm confident it was man. Last year I
hit twenty one. Then, yeah, I hit twenty one something,
you know what I mean. So, but I actually I
had more last year. Mons was sixty yards from the line.
It was like sixty one yards from the line of scrimmage,
so you know, I was able to build up you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
That one I kind of caught it. I don't know
where y'all line.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I caught that going on, but probably had like thirty
more yards to scamper. So we'll see what I'm pretty
sure it's in the twenties.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
No, it was the screen path last year, right, Yeah,
watching up we got this guy was pretty spy our building.
Let's go back to your first touchdown now, because what
a like divine moment that was when you throw the
ball into the air blindly, right, you just kind of
chucked it and it lands with your son.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
My oldest son.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Just how you know, my my phone has been going
off like crazy for the past you know, like you know,
twenty twenty four hours, you know what I mean. It's
something that you know, the human brain can't explain. Obviously,
that was divine. That was one hundred percent God's timing.
If you've seen, like it's some of the angles that
I've seen me throw the ball up. I just throw
(07:30):
the ball up blindly. I didn't even try to throw
it in the stands. I know you can get fine,
you know what I mean. So that's for the NFL.
I didn't try to throw it in the stands. But
I just threw the ball up. Obviously super excited about
you know, us going down there punching it in fourth
and one, you know what I mean, big play in
the game, a lot of emotion. Just chucked the ball up,
and I at the at the time, I didn't know
(07:51):
that my family was sitting in that section, you know,
I didn't know. I think it was till later on
in a game where I've seen him and they waved
and obviously didn't even know that the ball landed near them.
But at the time when I threw the ball up, man,
I you know, just had an out of body experience.
And you know, a couple of moments. I think it
was in the fourth quarter when one of the guys
(08:13):
came up to me and was like, listen, man, I
just gotta text with my girlfriend. Not one of the players.
But one of the guy shot Alex mart Man. His
girl was in the stance. She was like, hey, whoever
number nine is? His family just caught the ball, like
caught the ball when he scored that first touchdown. So
I was like, man, that's crazy, that's great, you know
what I mean, Like that was insane. But when I
found out like my oldest son caughter, that was just
(08:34):
like that was just a crazy, like crazy element. Man.
Then I saw the videos of the cameras, you know
what I mean. I'm like, definitely God's time.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Is the ball on the shelf somewhere?
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Oh yeah, that thing get put in the glass case somewhere.
It won't be touched, you know what I mean, It
be up high.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
That was a special moment.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
It probably had a picture of my son holding the ball,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So it was an unreal moment and I still can't
believe it.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
It's like you said, Deyern invention ways and it's like
it's gone viral across social people are talking about it
and speaking of that. There was another, like I guess
Dolphins twitter vile moment worked two in the postgame press
conference's kind of questions about your flag football coaching, right,
it's the same son that you're coaching flag football.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Yeah, so I actually had so I got I got
four kids, three sons, one daughter. My two oldest sons
they both played flag football, so they eight and seventy.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Both they back to back.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
So yeah, I had one nine u which is an
eight year old, and one seven years which is a
seven year old.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
And you know I've coached them both.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
So uh, we just won two championships and you know,
excited and actually had the team in here for Saturday's
walked through and they was decided to be run the guys.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
So it school was a dope moment.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Are they like really receptive to your coaching? Like, yeah,
my dad plays a decade in the NFL. Was like, nah,
it's just dad.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
So uh, I say this many initially, So it was
a point in time was a couple of years ago
when it was like, you know, when I I wasn't
I won't say I I kind of like around with
the idea of coaching, Like they were on the team
and I wasn't coaching, but like it was I had
to step in one day and I was on the
field and it was kind of like Daddy daddy, Dad,
(10:09):
you know what I mean, And it was like, you
know what it was. It was kind of like I
pop into him. So I was like, maybe it's not
for me. So I stepped back. And then earlier this
year I kind of got into it, and I was
a little concerned about, you know, them, because they're so young.
I was kind of concerned about them being able to differentiate,
you know, dad from coach new you know what I mean. So,
but but they did a great job at it, man,
(10:29):
And so you know, all of the all of the
puffs on my team, you know, they did a fantastic job.
Shout out of Cooper City Optimus Dolphins. Man, we you know,
got it done. Back to back champions So going for
three next year, Yeah, definitely for sure.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
I can imagine when you're out there watching, like even
though it's kids flag football, you're probably like that it's
not a good pass set, man, we can we can
run a better.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Oh man, trust me.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Like, so I'm the offensive coordinator, so I run the offense,
you know what I mean. I'm very detailed, you know, specific,
like about you know, just everything, you know what I mean,
And I like I have a lot of it's a
lot of carryover from Miami Dolphins playbook.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It's a lot of carryovers.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Lucky kids.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Man, they're getting the explosive plays going and this year
that they're controlling the football apparently with the multiple long drives.
Let's talk about that for a second here with your
guys at Bloit. To sustain these drives. I mean, you know,
as a person that's watched this team for decades now,
I can't remember, you know this many drives that go
in the team's thirteen fourteen, sixteen play drives? Has that
been a point of emphasis for you guys to try
to be on the field longer? And is that kind
(11:29):
of like helping the def Like, what's the idea behind
this long sustained drives?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Absolutely, keeping the defense off the field. Man, we know,
we know what kind of defense we got and you know,
you know, we know that if we keep the ball
in our hands and you know, we continue to sustain
those drives, it's not nobody can beat this, you know
what I mean? And that's not in the arrogant wages,
is what it is. You know, with the with the
(11:54):
with the guys that we got, with the mind that
we have behind the play all in and to be
able to put guys in positions to make plays. And
you know, we got we got every element that we
need on that side of the ball. So it's you know,
imperative that we continue to you know, sustain those long drives.
I mean, we played it, We played a great game,
but it's a lot of things we got to clean up,
(12:14):
Like even myself, Uh, you know, a lot of a
lot of things that you know, I go back and
you know, watch the film and a lot of things
that wasn't pleased about in my in my play, and
a lot of things that I'm going to continue to
clean up. So we all have that mindset and we
just going to continue to keep climbing man, one game
at a time.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
It's been really fun to watch the last few weeks,
especially with return of too a tongue of boy lower quarterback.
And I've seen you go do a couple of interviews
and talk about him and how much he means to
this team. But I guess I want to find something
that maybe we haven't heard about too. If you if
you don't, if you have something like that, like what's
it like with him in the huddle? And I guess
his command of the huddle here in his fifth year. Like,
we know it's his team, he's the leader of the
football team. But your first year working with two and
(12:50):
what's he been like just in his leadership in the
lockerom of the huddle?
Speaker 3 (12:53):
What's that like being around to just amaze with it's poised, man,
just you know, no matter what point of time in
the game that it is, you know, he's he's a
guy that, like, you're not going to feel stressed out
in that huddle. You know, it could be the biggest
moment third and you know whatever game, you know, we
need this, you know, guy to have it, you know,
whatever situation forth and whatever.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
You know what I mean, he's smiling, he's he's.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Making sure guys are ready to go where they need
to be, you know, and uh, you know that's just
that's his Uh, that's his style of elder you know
what I mean. And and uh, you know, guys gravitate
towards it and and and uh, you know we're rallying
behind him. So I'm just excited to see you know,
where he's going. Like he still considered a young player
in this league. Man, That's what blows my mind. So
(13:34):
you know, he's got so much, so much of a
bright future ahead of him. Excited to be here with him,
you know what I mean, and to watch him develop.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
As he goes.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Yeah, twenty six years old night watching him on tape,
it's like, you know the answer to all the things
Defense doing right now. It's it's really fun to watch
as a fan and as an analyst. Last question here
for you because you know, we always hear coach McDaniel
talk about making losses purposeful. You know, adversity is an
opportunity and you guys gave yourself funny of about adversity
early season with a two and six start. I'm wondering,
is there a positive that can come out of that
(14:05):
slow start? Could you take something from that and make
you guys better on the back end after two and six?
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Right? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:10):
I mean, man, we take uh, you know, lessons not else,
you know what I mean? So we we if you
look at it that way, you know what I mean,
Like you said earlier, you know, you never you never,
you know, look at it and say, okay, this like
it's only a loss if you let it be, you
know what I mean, Like, how can we get better
from it? And I think that's the positive mindset that
we all have. And uh, you know, even like you
(14:31):
can go into some games, man, and you're like, man,
we played pretty good, but we still lost, you know
what I mean, And and uh, you know, it's it's
always lessons within that, you know what I mean. You
go into some games and say, listen, we won, but
we played like we played terrible, you know what I mean.
So it's always it's always that fine line, man, And
that's what separates you know, champions, you know what I mean,
Like you know, the great ones from the mediocre ones,
(14:53):
you know what I mean, Like just trying to find
that niche, like what cannot do to get better, you
know what I mean. And whatever situation, whether if it
was a win, whether it was a low lost, the
lesson within that, you know what I mean, Every outcome
doesn't necessarily show, you know, the work that was put
in to it, you know what I mean. Kind of
going back to what we talked about earlier, as far
as like you know, the stat sheet, you know what
I mean, Like you can put in so much into
(15:14):
the week, have a good game plan, and just may
not be a week, you know what I mean. So
you just gotta just just just stick with the lessons man,
and just stay with it. Don't live in the peak,
don't live in the and the and the valley, you
know what I mean. So we just, you know, just
just chugging that in one day at a time.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
It's been a lot of fun to watch you play
so farst Man, Johny Smith, we appreciate you, HQ. Look
look out for him on Sunday, another big game coming.
I think that was one of the more like chill
times I've had with a player, just sitting down, chopping
it up. What a great dude Johnnai is and what
a great player he's been for your Miami Dolphins so far.
First break on the show, we'll come back and pick
the games, and then do another break and come back
(15:49):
with Kyle Krabs. Plenty to come your way on the
Draft Time Podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you
by Automation.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Week number twelve is.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Underway as the Steelers and Browns played on Thursday night.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
Who won the game? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
It's eleven thirty five am on Thursday right now recording
this segment, and I picked the Steelers because everybody probably will.
I don't think there's Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
I guess that.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Could be an upset spot, but I don't forecast it
happening in this one. Although the Steelers coming off of
a huge, massive divisional win, short week on the road,
it could be a spot they get picked off in.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
But I'm not gonna I can't change it. The hay
is in the barn. We took Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Let's go ahead and fire up the music and get
to the rest of the picks here in week twelve, one,
twenty one, and forty five. Oh, he's doing it. He's
doing live math on the show. One twenty one divided
by one sixty six that is a seventy two point
eighty nine, So we'll call it seventy two point nine
percent winning percentage. That is where we have to stay
the rest of the year, and we have to get
(16:55):
back on track because last week a bit of a dip.
Nine and five are literally are first week since geez,
since week five when I went nine to five. Also
had a Week two ten six and a week one
ten and six in there. But we have been cruising
until that slight hiccup in week eleven.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Let's go ahead and get back to it.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
I think this week has some easier games to pick,
as we'll go ahead and take the Bucks over the
Giants and Tommy Cutlets. There's a lot of teams left
in the league that entered the category that I often
put teams into, and it never happens this way. Like
the Jeff Saturday Colts, for instance, won like I think
they won two games under him, and one was the
(17:33):
first game that he was coaching, which is that typical
the interim head coach bump you can get sometimes and
I think they.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
Won one later in the year. But you get what
I'm talking about here.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
It's teams that have made switches or have injured quarterbacks
and it has produced a third string level quarterback, a
practice squad level quarterback, and AAF level quarterback taking snaps.
You have kind of a checked out, veteran presence among
the team you have coach. It's probably either you know,
waiting to be fired or gonna get fired in a
(18:04):
week or two.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
There's just teams where you.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Can kind of check you later as you will at
this stretch of the year, and the Giants are one of,
if not the most team for that category.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
I think the Raiders are.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Right there, but the way they compete it against us,
makes me think they might get a winner two the
rest of the way. But the Bucks will take care
of the Giants as they fall on that list, the
Chiefs and nine Panthers. The Panthers are kind of in
that territory, although I think the Panthers are good enough
to beat the other teams in that category. So Panthers
(18:37):
are in that world, but maybe the best of that world.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Dolphins over Patriots. You knew that. Commanders over Cowboys.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
The Cowboys shoot, they might be above the Giants and
the Raiders in that department because whoa Cooper Rush and
Matt and Tyed debacle Commander is huge. I'll take the
Titans the rather the Texans over the Titans. The AFC
South is like the rest of their games are pointless.
The Texans are gonna be the four seed, right, They're
not going to surpass the Bills, They're not going to
surpass the Chiefs. They're not going to surpass the Ravens
(19:05):
or Steelers in the North, and no one's going to
surpass them in the division. So it's like, Texans, you
have basically seven games of pointless football the rest of
the way. Hopefully they feel that way about the game
against US in a few weeks because that's probably the
biggest game on the schedule in the next four weeks
for the Dolphins. All right, So I'll take the Lions
over the Colts, obviously, and that's the biggest, one of
the biggest games the weekend. If the Colts get that upset,
(19:27):
that could change our playoff odds drastically. I'll take the
Bears over the Vikings. Yeah, I am going to go
Bears over Vikings.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
I think that.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
I think Caleb's athletic ability is good enough to kind
of beat Flores in some ways with the way he
blitz his quarterbacks and all that stuff. I think Flores
is still as much success as they've had. I think
there's a lot of food gazy there with regards to
how they defend top quarterbacks, because every time I watch
the Vikings play a top quarterback, they usually get pushed
around pretty good. I'll take I'm taking the Raiders over
the Broncos. I just refuse to buy into the Broncos.
(19:59):
Maybe this is the s that I go down on
this year, is the Sean Payton and bow Nick's ship.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
But I just I don't see it.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
I don't believe it, and I'm gonna have the Raiders
at home kind of salvage one here and get a
victory over their division rival. I'll take the Niners over
the Packers. Do I feel good about that? Not particularly.
I think Mega Mega Man is out for that game.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
Nick Bosa is out for that game.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I believe Kittle is back, and then I think they
have the rest of their confident of players ready to
go in that game. So I'll take the Niners over
the Packers. Packers have some big injuries, by the way,
coming up of the game against US in just a
week from tomorrow or a week from yesterday. I'll take
the Cardinals over the Seahawks. I'm gonna take the Rams
over the Eagles. I think the Rams are gonna get hot.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
Man.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I did the ESPN Playoff Machine and the NFC, Like
the wild card race in NFC is no joke. Like
there's a bunch of teams that I think are not
Lions quality good, but a bunch of teams that are
good enough to like win ten eleven games. Like if
we were in the NFC at four and six, I
think are we would be totally cooked because I think
the seven, zeaut probably be a ten or eleven win
(21:01):
team in the NFC, so Rams over Eagles and then
Ravens over Chargers on Monday Night Football and in that one,
like the Ravens have been in this position a couple
times in the past five years where they were like
kind of teetering and then Lamar got hurt and they
fell off a cliff like that could be a team
that you could look at as an exit from the
(21:22):
AFC Wildcard race, as the Steelers would then obviously take
hold of the AFC North. But if the Ravens, like
if something happened to Lamar or you know, they stack
a loss here, like, it's not inconceivable that they could
kind of fall apart down the stretch and maybe that's
the team that you take over a place in the
AFC playoffs. But I tend to think it has to
be an injury to Lamar Jackson because I think the
(21:42):
Ravens will win every game they play against a team
that doesn't have a top level offense to match Theirs
or the Pittsburgh Steelers, because for some reason, those Steelers
and Ravens games, it doesn't matter who plays. Like I
remember back in the Roethlisberger days, they would have, like
you know, he would miss games all the time, and
they would have Charlie Batch play and it was still
like seventeen sixteen game. It just doesn't matter. For some reason,
(22:04):
it doesn't matter. So that's the week twelve picks. Let's
go ahead and take our last break right there. Come
back on the other side, and welcome in Kyle Crabs.
We have a bunch of fun to have to talk
about with this Dolphins offense, the weekend in college football,
and much more. That's Next Draft Time podcast, your host
Travis Wingfield, brought to you by AutoNation. It's a Friday,
the final segment of the week that we do here
(22:26):
on Drive Time, and that means it's time for my
good buddy, Kyle Crabs.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
Kyle, what's up man?
Speaker 5 (22:32):
It's uh we twelve already, which is hard to believe.
We get a couple of Dolphins games in the next
seven days. I guess when the time everybody's listening to this, So.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
Life is good, lots of Dolphins football ahead of us.
Still you a little bit under the weather today?
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (22:48):
I am.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
What gave it away? Is it just the fact that
it's November and like, if you have kids, it's a prerequisite.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
We just got better as a family. And then Caroline
came home two days after that and she like had
the sles.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
I'm like, here we go again. But it never ends.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Speaking of things that never end, the football season, like
you mentioned week twelve already, it goes by so fast,
like it's hard to believe it's week twelve, although that's
just how time and space works. But I'm curious to
ask you this, Kyle, because we've seen over the last
four weeks my personal favorite four week stretch in terms
of offensive identity and production. I mean, the big plays
(23:25):
were fun, the seventy point game was fun. But I
just think this mode of offense is really tough to
beat and really tough to corract. My question for you
is because at some point, somebody's gonna adapt to it
in a way that maybe forces the Dolphins to change
what they're doing. And my question for you is do
you think that'll happen sooner or later? And then after that,
(23:48):
what's next for the Dolphins in terms of this constantly
evolving offensive attack and what could be after this approach
they're currently executing very highly.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
I think somebody will probably it's so point inevitably find
a combination of front and coverage in personnel because this
is the way the NFL works. That gives the Dolphins
problems with what they're doing. And when that happens, I
think that's when you come back with your Haymaker and
those explosive plays that everybody's looking for the numbers. If
(24:19):
you're going to change the spacing and congest the intermediate
and short areas of the field, now you're putting a
lot of stress on the vertical elements of the speed
with adult which when you have the speed that the
Dolphins have, if that's where you're going to leave yourself vulnerable,
all of those explosive plays that everyone is sitting around
wondering why they're non existent in this year's offense will
(24:43):
magically come back. And that's It's really on the execution
and the calls to make sure that you are staying
well grounded in what an opposing team is giving you.
But they are showing now I think with this ball
control style that they have been playing that if you
(25:03):
are content to let the Dolphins methodically work their way
down the field, they are content to do so and
proceed to score a lot of points in relative to
the amount of possessions that they have in Again.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
I love the efficiency.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
It makes you very hard to be And I think
my follow up would be to that because we've heard
for so long in this modern style of NFL defense
that has really reduced you know, quarterback production, scoring and
all the fantasy heads are hating it, but I kind
of love what it's forced teams to become and how
to adapt. And I love when a game is like,
you know, twenty to seventeen going into the fourth quarter.
(25:37):
It's a perfect game script to me. But my question
is because that whole approach was centered around this idea
that offenses will struggle to mount twelve and fourteen play
drives without committing the fatal air that puts them behind
the sticks, that reduces their ability to then be effective
on those long drives when you have an offense that
has so much experience together. We heard two talk about
(25:57):
the offensive line on Wednesday and saying like, I feel
like I've been playing with those guys for a long
long time now, and the skill guys are mostly the same.
I mean, everyone besides Malik and Obj was already here. John,
who's the one new tight end. The play callers the same,
the OC's the same, the coaching staff is the same.
Does the Dolphins offense because of all that, because of
their makeup and ability to you know, really execute these drives.
(26:17):
Can they then say, well, if you play us that
way the entire game, you're eventually going to have a
bust like we saw on the Johnny Smith play.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Does it work that way too?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Yeah? I think so. I think.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
I think that entire game against the Raiders was a
little bit of an embodiment of that, with how they
chose to play against Las Vegas and they said, we're
gonna maintain coverage integrity, We're gonna play a lot of
zone uh, the brock Bauers gouging you with a lot
of catches. A lot of that came in, and the
Raiders did some nice things moving around. They caught man
(26:50):
coverage to create some rubs in some space, but a
lot of them were just finding some voids in zone coverage.
And that happens, and then you get down in the
red zone and the space naturally gets constrict and you
kick a couple of field goals and seat of scoring touchdowns,
and that is a cumulative difference in the ball game
where then you get to the final five minutes and
you have a coverage bust and on the other side
(27:12):
of the ball there's a route miscommunication that finally happens
for the other team and it's an interception. Right So,
I think that's been the biggest thing for the past
month for me, is there's been the procedural penalties have
been so clean since two has come back, and I
think that's the big thing that if you want to
(27:33):
play this style, you need to not beat yourself. And
because of all of the continuity that has existed, and
I don't know what other changes they may or may
not have made in that stretch of time without two
so that when two it comes back it can be
a cleaner operation. But maybe it's just time on task
and if that's the case, then they should feel really
good about what that result is.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
I believe it's two or maybe three offensive penalties in
the last two games combine.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
That's a good way to make a living right there.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
The one penalty in the Rams game was on special team,
so no offensive or defensive penalties in that entire game.
And as we go into this Patriots game, Kyle want
to talk about that one a little bit with you
here before we talk about the weekend in college football,
and also beyond the Patriots game, because you know, to
your point, like teams haven't really made those critical mistakes,
Like the Raiders didn't turn the ball over until very
(28:21):
late and that's when the game got lopsided. The Rams game,
you know, they had a couple of turnovers, but that
was the one moment of this four game stretch where
our offense was not firing on all cylinders. The Cardinals
didn't have it, the Bills had the one down and
around the end zone. But I think when you get
to these teams, like, for instance, a couple of weeks,
the Packer game is such a big game, right Jordan Love.
If there's a downside to his game this year, it's
(28:41):
a turnover. So I think that the Dolphins with this
style are approaching at one point, you know, down this
stretch of games possible like lopside of victory over.
Speaker 4 (28:50):
Maybe a good team if that occurs.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
So I guess my question is do you share that
optimism in the Patriots game and beyond that this team
can kind of stay hot and keep things rolling here?
Speaker 5 (28:59):
Yeah, I think they should feel very good about their
opportunities to continue to operate at a high level because
it's not like it's been opponent reliant. There have been
opponents in this stretch of play that have measured on
all ends of the spectrum from a lot of different
measures of defensive success and teams that have had a
lot of success against you in uncommon opponents. And just
(29:23):
look at the way the Raiders played you last year,
and you know the way that that was a game
where it's a final score twenty to seventeen was the
final score of that football game before Ramsey has the
interception at the end of the game to kind of
seal it when they took the deep shot in the
final minute or minute and a half.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
So yeah, I think.
Speaker 5 (29:44):
The only way that they take an interruption, I think
is if it they dramatically regress in self inflicted wounds.
And there's ways that that can happen, for sure. But
you feel pretty good about finding easy completions working through progressions.
I know that's something to a tong about what we
talked about this week about like the way that we're
(30:06):
running the offense this year is it's not necessarily dialing
up a shot with one play, but if we got
to get deep into progressions to find free access, that's
what we're doing. Like that is that's a beautiful thing.
And the fact that you mentioned time on task and
the years in the system and the familiarity of it
and guys that are new now have that half a
season of doing it. I do feel good that this
(30:28):
is the version of the offense as long as everybody's
out there on the field that we're going to continue
to see.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
I'm so excited about it, man. I just wish we
had one game out of that hole that was different.
I would feel like, like really really good about our
chances going forward. I still feel good about it, but
we'll see what happens starting this week against the Patriots
here at hard Rock Stadium, before the Thursday night game
on Thanksgiving against the Packers. But before all of that, Kyle,
we have a weekend of college football pouring out for
(30:54):
the Washington State Cougars.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
It's over.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
The miracle run is over. They lost in New Mexico.
I'm not going to talk about it any more than that.
But what are you looking at this weekend?
Speaker 5 (31:00):
My friend, hypothetical Washington College football Playoff scenarios for me.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
My guy over here is struggling to just stay alive
with whatever he's element he has. And the way you're
face lit up when you were able to just crush
my Washington State dreams. It is a little bit a
little too close to home there, Kyle, But that's what
good friends do. So with that in mind, what you
got this weekend? Another big weekend in college football.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
Yeah, we got to start with Indiana at Ohio State
at the Shoe. This is two top five ranked teams
in the nation playing against each other. And Indiana a
team that has just absolutely caught fire with coach Signetti,
who signed an extension already. It's funny you look up
and down this roster and they they just transplanted about
(31:46):
half of the James Madison roster over with them in
the transfer portal, and he's taking like the bones of
a Big ten recruiting roster. Is like a middle of
the pack Big ten team. Brought his own talent from
from James Madison and then a couple other like key
transfers like Curtis Rourke, the quarterback, red shirt senior. He's
(32:06):
an older prospect but is playing some of the best
ball off any college quarterback in the country and the
test that that team has with players who have been productive,
but their background has been with James Madison is compared
to a bigger stage in college football. To go into
Ohio State and play against a team that's pretty banged
up on the offensive line, it's pretty big bummer. Seth McLaughlan.
(32:29):
Their center is a fifth year senior, just towards Achilles
this week in practice, so that's like a huge loss
for Ohio State. They already lost Josh Simmons, their red
shirt junior transfer left tackle who was looking like he
might be a first round pick. He's already out for
the year as well. So the Ohio States a little
picked over on the offensive line, but they got a
number of talented backs. They got a star freshman in
(32:50):
Jeremiah Smith and Mechabuka is going to be a really
good pro player. And then defensively, like Ohio State's got
a ton of talent as well. Leathan Ransom at safety
is a name to watch. Jttmualu at defensive end, a
heavy handed guy. Tyler Williams as a run stuffer on
the interior, so it's ty Hamilton, Jack Sawyer's kind of
(33:11):
like the next in line from this Ohio State not
the most bendy, not the most explosive, but good length,
good hands, and proficient rushing. The passer profile that Ohio
State's kind of carved out with some of their pass rushers.
So there's a lot of talent in this Ohio State
Indiana game. You can obviously just watch it for the
eye test of two top five teams, but you look
(33:31):
up and down the rosters, there's a lot of names
that are gonna be relevant in April.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
Really good stuff.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Man, I appreciate you getting me a caught up on that,
because Indiana the team that I haven't had a chance
to really tap into this year. Where do you think
Rourke's draft stock is at this moment? So he's challenging
because he's gonna be like a twenty five year old
rookie right and age. I had this conversation with.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
Steve Alizolo from over at the thirty thirteen recently an
age at quarterback. It's not so much the the developmental ceiling.
It's more so like where you are at now, you're
expected to be ahead of eighteen and nineteen and twenty
year olds because you're in your mid twenties, right, and
(34:14):
the return on investment of that. Then you get into
a pro career and you have to have the conversation
of how long is your physical peak? How long does
it take to get to your mental peak? Just look
at it, Tuioloa. I think the way that he's playing
right now took five years or four and a half
years for him to get to a point where I
feel pretty comfortable saying he's playing the best ball of
(34:35):
his career.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
But that's a process.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
Look at Jared goffin Detroit and what he did with
was a total flop there at first with Jeff Fisher,
and then they bring Himcveigh and he gets the label
as the system quarterback, and then he goes to Detroit
and lo and behold. Like sometimes these guys, it's just
a four, five, six year process of mentally maturing at
the NFL level. And if you're gonna do that with
(34:58):
a guy like Curtis Rard, you're talking who's going to
be in his thirties, right, So it's just an awkward
intersection of age and talent and ability. He has all
the ability in the world, but I think that's why
it's a big test for him. I would not be
surprised to see him be the first day three quarterback taken,
just because if it's not in the first round Day
(35:19):
two selections at quarterback are they're high upside, but also
like a potential low opportunity or a low return on
investment type proposition, because statistically speaking, if you like a quarterback,
you think you can start your to draft themorrow.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
So I'm looking for Curtis.
Speaker 5 (35:36):
Work to probably end up being the first day three
quarterback when it's all.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Said, well, that might be the territory that we're looking at,
given you know the current landscape of the Dolphins offense
and if you are going to draft the quarterback, maybe
it is that part of the draft because I think
we've pretty clearly defined and they showed you that with
a contract this summer as well, the franchise quarterback and
to your point, playing the best ball of his career.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Great stuff.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
You can find more takes like this on the Lockdown
Dolph podcast where Kyle lives every single day, the Locked
Down NFL scouting podcast, Touchdown Miami Substack. He's the draft
lead for the thirty third team at Grinding the tape
on social media, Kyle playing her appreciate your time today.
Speaker 5 (36:12):
Man flu game Travis. I'm glad I could delivered.
Speaker 4 (36:14):
For game six.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
There he goes, and away he goes. Always a fun
chat with my buddy, Ka. Let's go ahead and call
it a week here, and we have another game coming
up on Sunday. It's my wife and daughter's first Dolphins game.
Cameron's not going to come out because he's not yet
too and he is a nightmare still with everything that
he does, so he doesn't get to come to the game.
He's staying home to hang out with the babysitter. But
Caroline is coming to her first Dolphins game and I
(36:37):
cannot wait to show her what her daddy does every
single Sunday. So look out for us. We'll be hanging
out in our seats before the game. And saw a
lot of you guys before the Raiders game. A lot
of fans of the podcast came by and said what's up.
Please if you see me, say what's up if you
want to, because it means a lot, it really does.
So I appreciate all you guys that stop by the
radio booth that catch me walking up the helix or
(36:58):
catch me walking around the club level concord to say
what's up in the you're a fan, it does mean
a lot to me, so please keep doing that if
you see me, if you want to. In the meantime,
you all please be sure to subscribe to the podcast.
Leave us a writing, leave us a review. You can
follow me on social at Wingfold NFL. The team at
Miami Dolphins. Check out the fish Tank podcast with my
guys Sethie Juice. Check out the YouTube channel. Brand new
(37:19):
episode of Dolphins HQ with the John new Smith interview
as well as Taylor Kyle's available on the Dolphins YouTube
channel and tomorrow Saturday on CBS Local Miami here at noon,
which is the worst TV time slot imaginable. Also Miami
Dolphins dot com. Until next time. Finn's up, Carolina and
Cameron Daddy, He's coming home.
All right, John, it is year number eight for you,
Week number twelve. I just want to know, off the top,
how you feeling.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Man. I'm feeling great, Man, I'm feeling great.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
You know, just excited to get back to work tomorrow
and continue to try to you know, stack some more wins.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Did you know that your game on Sunday was the
first game since the merger in nineteen seventy, which is
fifty four years ago, that a Dolphins tight end had
one hundred yards receiving and two touchdowns in a single game.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Man, it's you know, a cool, cool stat to have,
you know what I mean? You know, we uh, you know,
as players and competitors. You know, we're just out there
trying to just you know, let all the work that
we put in show and you know, all ofviously our
God give them the abilities, and you know, the statu
she just speaks for herself. But you know, trying not
to get too caught up in stats. I found out
(00:45):
that stat after the game was a cool stat to have,
and you know, it's you know, like I said, man,
it's it's pretty dope to.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Be What was that the year you say that was
nineteen seventy nineteen seventy. Yeah good a minute.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Wow, wasn't so?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Yeah to I remove Dahlan deep speedways. Peace do hell
peas do. From the Baptist Health Studio.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
This inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
This is Drivetime with Travis Wingfield.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
He's got my hands in the playoffs. What is up,
Dolphans And welcome to the Draft Time Podcast. I am
your host, Travis Wingfield and on today's show, as you
heard at the top there, and if you skipped this
(01:39):
introduction part of the show, go back and check it out.
The beginning part of the John new Smith interview is
at the beginning of the episode. I broke up into
two parts. That's podcast editing. It's not anything wrong with
the show. Just go back and check it out if
you miss it already. John new Smith joins the show.
What a weird intro this is. We'll do the week
twelve picks and we'll have Kyle Krabs here from the
(01:59):
Baptist Else Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. This
is the Draft Time Podcast. Let's pick it back up
with Johnny Smith. I want to kind of go into
the anatomy of a big game like that because I'm
curious what it looks like heading into the week, Like,
do you know you're a big part of the game
plan going into that game. Was it something where they
were showing you something early on that provide an opportunity
(02:21):
for you to make all those plays?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Like how does that come to fruition?
Speaker 3 (02:24):
And that's that's just the thing about the NFL, man,
like being in the year, being in the league eight years,
you know what I mean? You know, every week, man,
it could be a week, you know what I mean.
It could look like it's your week, and it cannot
be a week, you know what I mean. And regardless
of uh, you know what the game plan may look like,
you prepare us if it's going to be a week,
you know what I mean, and and do what everything
(02:45):
You do everything you can in your power to help
your team get a win. So that's just you know
it could you know, you listen again, you can come
in on Wednesday and see that game plan and you're like, oh, yeah,
somebody needs to draft me my fantasy team, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
But sometimes it doesn't go that way.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Whether it may be you know the defense, you know
game playing really well against you you know, coverag just
took it, took the quarterback a different direction, you know
what I mean, just a lot of different things could
not be just could not go your way, and you
just gotta stay even killed not get frustrated, because it's
some weeks where you're like, Okay, like I know, you know,
this may not be a big stat week for me,
but I'm gonna do everything I can in my power
(03:22):
to help us get a win.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
And that's just kind of the mindset that I have.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
And you know, those I've had a lot of those
weeks where you know, maybe I'm like, yeah, it's probably
not the biggest game plan for me, but I'm gonna
do whatever I can do to help my team get
a win. And I've you know, had a pretty good
week on the stat line. So sometimes you just gotta
just stay even kill man, and and you know, just
be patient and just let the game come to you.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
If you can't tell my no.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
That's Dolphins tight end John new Smith here listen to
Baptist Hell Studios on Dolphins HQ and the Draft Time podcast.
The full interview on the podcast on Friday, of course,
talking to you now for Dolphins HQ, and you know,
the last touchdown you scored in the game, or actually, right,
let's go back real quick, because I wanted to talk
about these celebration I think it was I care if
it was your first year, second touchdown in the game,
like everybody came over to you and Reek was like
(04:06):
he was fired up about it. And I love to
watch the film after big plays and how guys celebrate
their teammates. Because to your point, like in the past
here it's been two guys that got most of the
footballs where you can waddle, but this year, you guys
have done a really good job spreading the ball around,
and those guys seem to be as invested as ever.
I'm just curious what the mindset is across the eligibles,
all the skill players, as you guys have so many
(04:26):
mouths to feed. Obviously, like you talk about, it's not
going to always be your week, But what's the mindset
of those guys when they just come to work every
single week no matter what their catches and yards looks like.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
It's it's definitely an element of selflessness, you know what
I mean. You know, that's why those guys are who
they are, you know what I mean, And the players
that they are just because they played the game the
right way.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Again.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Man, it's like I said, it may not be your
week every week.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
And there's so many.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Guys on the offensive side of the ball that can
make plays with the ball in their hands, you know.
And you know, the stat line can be filled up
by like six different guys you know, every week, you
know what I mean. In the NFL, that's rare, you know,
I mean, you don't have that a lot. So we
got so many guys man that we can get the
ball too. And like I said, it's just an element
of selflessness from those guys and them just uh, you know,
being team players and and and you know, you know,
(05:11):
they are who they are, you know what I mean,
trust me, they uh you know, no, no, they They're
going to get their you know, uh you know, weekend
and week out. So I'm just excited to be a
part of this, this this offense man, with so many
great talented players.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, it's been fun to watch the evolution of getting
more guys involved that way. And I want to talk
about your second touchdown because first of all, you pulled
away from a safe you, by the way, don't to
do that. It's some pretty good speed in the open
field there, but you were so open. At what point
in that play did you know I'm gonna score if
I get this football? And then like was it kind
of like this feels like high school again where there's
a like there's like no one within.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
The twenty yards. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yeah, just taking advantage of the defenses, the defense mistakes
and obviously blown coverage. Uh seen the Red Sea's part,
they try to go zero. Uh man us out nobody
in the middle of the field. But you know sometimes uh,
you know, guys just get lost and uh, you know,
our freed up and just playing backyard football and just
put my hand up, just making sure me and too
connected odds and we did and hit me, gave me
(06:06):
a good ball. Felt like that ball was in the
air for about one hundred years, man, but you know,
just made to play and finished it. So it was
definitely a big moment in the game for us as
a team. And you know, to go up two possessions,
so you know, we got it done.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
I know coach is big on GPS tracking. Did they
get you your miles proud on it?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
I didn't. I didn't.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
I'm not sure.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
It's got to be twenty.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
I'm I'm I'm confident it was man. Last year I
hit twenty one. Then, yeah, I hit twenty one something,
you know what I mean. So, but I actually I
had more last year. Mons was sixty yards from the line.
It was like sixty one yards from the line of scrimmage,
so you know, I was able to build up you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
That one I kind of caught it. I don't know
where y'all line.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I caught that going on, but probably had like thirty
more yards to scamper. So we'll see what I'm pretty
sure it's in the twenties.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
No, it was the screen path last year, right, Yeah,
watching up we got this guy was pretty spy our building.
Let's go back to your first touchdown now, because what
a like divine moment that was when you throw the
ball into the air blindly, right, you just kind of
chucked it and it lands with your son.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
My oldest son.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Just how you know, my my phone has been going
off like crazy for the past you know, like you know,
twenty twenty four hours, you know what I mean. It's
something that you know, the human brain can't explain. Obviously,
that was divine. That was one hundred percent God's timing.
If you've seen, like it's some of the angles that
I've seen me throw the ball up. I just throw
(07:30):
the ball up blindly. I didn't even try to throw
it in the stands. I know you can get fine,
you know what I mean. So that's for the NFL.
I didn't try to throw it in the stands. But
I just threw the ball up. Obviously super excited about
you know, us going down there punching it in fourth
and one, you know what I mean, big play in
the game, a lot of emotion. Just chucked the ball up,
and I at the at the time, I didn't know
(07:51):
that my family was sitting in that section, you know,
I didn't know. I think it was till later on
in a game where I've seen him and they waved
and obviously didn't even know that the ball landed near them.
But at the time when I threw the ball up, man,
I you know, just had an out of body experience.
And you know, a couple of moments. I think it
was in the fourth quarter when one of the guys
(08:13):
came up to me and was like, listen, man, I
just gotta text with my girlfriend. Not one of the players.
But one of the guy shot Alex mart Man. His
girl was in the stance. She was like, hey, whoever
number nine is? His family just caught the ball, like
caught the ball when he scored that first touchdown. So
I was like, man, that's crazy, that's great, you know
what I mean, Like that was insane. But when I
found out like my oldest son caughter, that was just
(08:34):
like that was just a crazy, like crazy element. Man.
Then I saw the videos of the cameras, you know
what I mean. I'm like, definitely God's time.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Is the ball on the shelf somewhere?
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Oh yeah, that thing get put in the glass case somewhere.
It won't be touched, you know what I mean, It
be up high.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
That was a special moment.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
It probably had a picture of my son holding the ball,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So it was an unreal moment and I still can't
believe it.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
It's like you said, Deyern invention ways and it's like
it's gone viral across social people are talking about it
and speaking of that. There was another, like I guess
Dolphins twitter vile moment worked two in the postgame press
conference's kind of questions about your flag football coaching, right,
it's the same son that you're coaching flag football.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Yeah, so I actually had so I got I got
four kids, three sons, one daughter. My two oldest sons
they both played flag football, so they eight and seventy.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Both they back to back.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
So yeah, I had one nine u which is an
eight year old, and one seven years which is a
seven year old.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
And you know I've coached them both.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
So uh, we just won two championships and you know,
excited and actually had the team in here for Saturday's
walked through and they was decided to be run the guys.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
So it school was a dope moment.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Are they like really receptive to your coaching? Like, yeah,
my dad plays a decade in the NFL. Was like, nah,
it's just dad.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
So uh, I say this many initially, So it was
a point in time was a couple of years ago
when it was like, you know, when I I wasn't
I won't say I I kind of like around with
the idea of coaching, Like they were on the team
and I wasn't coaching, but like it was I had
to step in one day and I was on the
field and it was kind of like Daddy daddy, Dad,
(10:09):
you know what I mean, And it was like, you
know what it was. It was kind of like I
pop into him. So I was like, maybe it's not
for me. So I stepped back. And then earlier this
year I kind of got into it, and I was
a little concerned about, you know, them, because they're so young.
I was kind of concerned about them being able to differentiate,
you know, dad from coach new you know what I mean. So,
but but they did a great job at it, man,
(10:29):
And so you know, all of the all of the
puffs on my team, you know, they did a fantastic job.
Shout out of Cooper City Optimus Dolphins. Man, we you know,
got it done. Back to back champions So going for
three next year, Yeah, definitely for sure.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
I can imagine when you're out there watching, like even
though it's kids flag football, you're probably like that it's
not a good pass set, man, we can we can
run a better.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Oh man, trust me.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Like, so I'm the offensive coordinator, so I run the offense,
you know what I mean. I'm very detailed, you know, specific,
like about you know, just everything, you know what I mean,
And I like I have a lot of it's a
lot of carryover from Miami Dolphins playbook.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It's a lot of carryovers.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Lucky kids.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Man, they're getting the explosive plays going and this year
that they're controlling the football apparently with the multiple long drives.
Let's talk about that for a second here with your
guys at Bloit. To sustain these drives. I mean, you know,
as a person that's watched this team for decades now,
I can't remember, you know this many drives that go
in the team's thirteen fourteen, sixteen play drives? Has that
been a point of emphasis for you guys to try
to be on the field longer? And is that kind
(11:29):
of like helping the def Like, what's the idea behind
this long sustained drives?
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Absolutely, keeping the defense off the field. Man, we know,
we know what kind of defense we got and you know,
you know, we know that if we keep the ball
in our hands and you know, we continue to sustain
those drives, it's not nobody can beat this, you know
what I mean? And that's not in the arrogant wages,
is what it is. You know, with the with the
(11:54):
with the guys that we got, with the mind that
we have behind the play all in and to be
able to put guys in positions to make plays. And
you know, we got we got every element that we
need on that side of the ball. So it's you know,
imperative that we continue to you know, sustain those long drives.
I mean, we played it, We played a great game,
but it's a lot of things we got to clean up,
(12:14):
Like even myself, Uh, you know, a lot of a
lot of things that you know, I go back and
you know, watch the film and a lot of things
that wasn't pleased about in my in my play, and
a lot of things that I'm going to continue to
clean up. So we all have that mindset and we
just going to continue to keep climbing man, one game
at a time.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
It's been really fun to watch the last few weeks,
especially with return of too a tongue of boy lower quarterback.
And I've seen you go do a couple of interviews
and talk about him and how much he means to
this team. But I guess I want to find something
that maybe we haven't heard about too. If you if
you don't, if you have something like that, like what's
it like with him in the huddle? And I guess
his command of the huddle here in his fifth year. Like,
we know it's his team, he's the leader of the
football team. But your first year working with two and
(12:50):
what's he been like just in his leadership in the
lockerom of the huddle?
Speaker 3 (12:53):
What's that like being around to just amaze with it's poised, man,
just you know, no matter what point of time in
the game that it is, you know, he's he's a
guy that, like, you're not going to feel stressed out
in that huddle. You know, it could be the biggest
moment third and you know whatever game, you know, we
need this, you know, guy to have it, you know,
whatever situation forth and whatever.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
You know what I mean, he's smiling, he's he's.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Making sure guys are ready to go where they need
to be, you know, and uh, you know that's just
that's his Uh, that's his style of elder you know
what I mean. And and uh, you know, guys gravitate
towards it and and and uh, you know we're rallying
behind him. So I'm just excited to see you know,
where he's going. Like he still considered a young player
in this league. Man, That's what blows my mind. So
(13:34):
you know, he's got so much, so much of a
bright future ahead of him. Excited to be here with him,
you know what I mean, and to watch him develop.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
As he goes.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Yeah, twenty six years old night watching him on tape,
it's like, you know the answer to all the things
Defense doing right now. It's it's really fun to watch
as a fan and as an analyst. Last question here
for you because you know, we always hear coach McDaniel
talk about making losses purposeful. You know, adversity is an
opportunity and you guys gave yourself funny of about adversity
early season with a two and six start. I'm wondering,
is there a positive that can come out of that
(14:05):
slow start? Could you take something from that and make
you guys better on the back end after two and six?
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Right? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:10):
I mean, man, we take uh, you know, lessons not else,
you know what I mean? So we we if you
look at it that way, you know what I mean,
Like you said earlier, you know, you never you never,
you know, look at it and say, okay, this like
it's only a loss if you let it be, you
know what I mean, Like, how can we get better
from it? And I think that's the positive mindset that
we all have. And uh, you know, even like you
(14:31):
can go into some games, man, and you're like, man,
we played pretty good, but we still lost, you know
what I mean, And and uh, you know, it's it's
always lessons within that, you know what I mean. You
go into some games and say, listen, we won, but
we played like we played terrible, you know what I mean.
So it's always it's always that fine line, man, And
that's what separates you know, champions, you know what I mean,
Like you know, the great ones from the mediocre ones,
(14:53):
you know what I mean, Like just trying to find
that niche, like what cannot do to get better, you
know what I mean. And whatever situation, whether if it
was a win, whether it was a low lost, the
lesson within that, you know what I mean, Every outcome
doesn't necessarily show, you know, the work that was put
in to it, you know what I mean. Kind of
going back to what we talked about earlier, as far
as like you know, the stat sheet, you know what
I mean, Like you can put in so much into
(15:14):
the week, have a good game plan, and just may
not be a week, you know what I mean. So
you just gotta just just just stick with the lessons man,
and just stay with it. Don't live in the peak,
don't live in the and the and the valley, you
know what I mean. So we just, you know, just
just chugging that in one day at a time.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
It's been a lot of fun to watch you play
so farst Man, Johny Smith, we appreciate you, HQ. Look
look out for him on Sunday, another big game coming.
I think that was one of the more like chill
times I've had with a player, just sitting down, chopping
it up. What a great dude Johnnai is and what
a great player he's been for your Miami Dolphins so far.
First break on the show, we'll come back and pick
the games, and then do another break and come back
(15:49):
with Kyle Krabs. Plenty to come your way on the
Draft Time Podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you
by Automation.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Week number twelve is.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Underway as the Steelers and Browns played on Thursday night.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
Who won the game? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
It's eleven thirty five am on Thursday right now recording
this segment, and I picked the Steelers because everybody probably will.
I don't think there's Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
I guess that.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Could be an upset spot, but I don't forecast it
happening in this one. Although the Steelers coming off of
a huge, massive divisional win, short week on the road,
it could be a spot they get picked off in.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
But I'm not gonna I can't change it. The hay
is in the barn. We took Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Let's go ahead and fire up the music and get
to the rest of the picks here in week twelve, one,
twenty one, and forty five. Oh, he's doing it. He's
doing live math on the show. One twenty one divided
by one sixty six that is a seventy two point
eighty nine, So we'll call it seventy two point nine
percent winning percentage. That is where we have to stay
the rest of the year, and we have to get
(16:55):
back on track because last week a bit of a dip.
Nine and five are literally are first week since geez,
since week five when I went nine to five. Also
had a Week two ten six and a week one
ten and six in there. But we have been cruising
until that slight hiccup in week eleven.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Let's go ahead and get back to it.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
I think this week has some easier games to pick,
as we'll go ahead and take the Bucks over the
Giants and Tommy Cutlets. There's a lot of teams left
in the league that entered the category that I often
put teams into, and it never happens this way. Like
the Jeff Saturday Colts, for instance, won like I think
they won two games under him, and one was the
(17:33):
first game that he was coaching, which is that typical
the interim head coach bump you can get sometimes and
I think they.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
Won one later in the year. But you get what
I'm talking about here.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
It's teams that have made switches or have injured quarterbacks
and it has produced a third string level quarterback, a
practice squad level quarterback, and AAF level quarterback taking snaps.
You have kind of a checked out, veteran presence among
the team you have coach. It's probably either you know,
waiting to be fired or gonna get fired in a
(18:04):
week or two.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
There's just teams where you.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Can kind of check you later as you will at
this stretch of the year, and the Giants are one of,
if not the most team for that category.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
I think the Raiders are.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Right there, but the way they compete it against us,
makes me think they might get a winner two the
rest of the way. But the Bucks will take care
of the Giants as they fall on that list, the
Chiefs and nine Panthers. The Panthers are kind of in
that territory, although I think the Panthers are good enough
to beat the other teams in that category. So Panthers
(18:37):
are in that world, but maybe the best of that world.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
Dolphins over Patriots. You knew that. Commanders over Cowboys.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
The Cowboys shoot, they might be above the Giants and
the Raiders in that department because whoa Cooper Rush and
Matt and Tyed debacle Commander is huge. I'll take the
Titans the rather the Texans over the Titans. The AFC
South is like the rest of their games are pointless.
The Texans are gonna be the four seed, right, They're
not going to surpass the Bills, They're not going to
surpass the Chiefs. They're not going to surpass the Ravens
(19:05):
or Steelers in the North, and no one's going to
surpass them in the division. So it's like, Texans, you
have basically seven games of pointless football the rest of
the way. Hopefully they feel that way about the game
against US in a few weeks because that's probably the
biggest game on the schedule in the next four weeks
for the Dolphins. All right, So I'll take the Lions
over the Colts, obviously, and that's the biggest, one of
the biggest games the weekend. If the Colts get that upset,
(19:27):
that could change our playoff odds drastically. I'll take the
Bears over the Vikings. Yeah, I am going to go
Bears over Vikings.
Speaker 4 (19:34):
I think that.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
I think Caleb's athletic ability is good enough to kind
of beat Flores in some ways with the way he
blitz his quarterbacks and all that stuff. I think Flores
is still as much success as they've had. I think
there's a lot of food gazy there with regards to
how they defend top quarterbacks, because every time I watch
the Vikings play a top quarterback, they usually get pushed
around pretty good. I'll take I'm taking the Raiders over
the Broncos. I just refuse to buy into the Broncos.
(19:59):
Maybe this is the s that I go down on
this year, is the Sean Payton and bow Nick's ship.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
But I just I don't see it.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
I don't believe it, and I'm gonna have the Raiders
at home kind of salvage one here and get a
victory over their division rival. I'll take the Niners over
the Packers. Do I feel good about that? Not particularly.
I think Mega Mega Man is out for that game.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
Nick Bosa is out for that game.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I believe Kittle is back, and then I think they
have the rest of their confident of players ready to
go in that game. So I'll take the Niners over
the Packers. Packers have some big injuries, by the way,
coming up of the game against US in just a
week from tomorrow or a week from yesterday. I'll take
the Cardinals over the Seahawks. I'm gonna take the Rams
over the Eagles. I think the Rams are gonna get hot.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
Man.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I did the ESPN Playoff Machine and the NFC, Like
the wild card race in NFC is no joke. Like
there's a bunch of teams that I think are not
Lions quality good, but a bunch of teams that are
good enough to like win ten eleven games. Like if
we were in the NFC at four and six, I
think are we would be totally cooked because I think
the seven, zeaut probably be a ten or eleven win
(21:01):
team in the NFC, so Rams over Eagles and then
Ravens over Chargers on Monday Night Football and in that one,
like the Ravens have been in this position a couple
times in the past five years where they were like
kind of teetering and then Lamar got hurt and they
fell off a cliff like that could be a team
that you could look at as an exit from the
(21:22):
AFC Wildcard race, as the Steelers would then obviously take
hold of the AFC North. But if the Ravens, like
if something happened to Lamar or you know, they stack
a loss here, like, it's not inconceivable that they could
kind of fall apart down the stretch and maybe that's
the team that you take over a place in the
AFC playoffs. But I tend to think it has to
be an injury to Lamar Jackson because I think the
(21:42):
Ravens will win every game they play against a team
that doesn't have a top level offense to match Theirs
or the Pittsburgh Steelers, because for some reason, those Steelers
and Ravens games, it doesn't matter who plays. Like I
remember back in the Roethlisberger days, they would have, like
you know, he would miss games all the time, and
they would have Charlie Batch play and it was still
like seventeen sixteen game. It just doesn't matter. For some reason,
(22:04):
it doesn't matter. So that's the week twelve picks. Let's
go ahead and take our last break right there. Come
back on the other side, and welcome in Kyle Crabs.
We have a bunch of fun to have to talk
about with this Dolphins offense, the weekend in college football,
and much more. That's Next Draft Time podcast, your host
Travis Wingfield, brought to you by AutoNation. It's a Friday,
the final segment of the week that we do here
(22:26):
on Drive Time, and that means it's time for my
good buddy, Kyle Crabs.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
Kyle, what's up man?
Speaker 5 (22:32):
It's uh we twelve already, which is hard to believe.
We get a couple of Dolphins games in the next
seven days. I guess when the time everybody's listening to this, So.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
Life is good, lots of Dolphins football ahead of us.
Still you a little bit under the weather today?
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (22:48):
I am.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
What gave it away? Is it just the fact that
it's November and like, if you have kids, it's a prerequisite.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
We just got better as a family. And then Caroline
came home two days after that and she like had
the sles.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
I'm like, here we go again. But it never ends.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Speaking of things that never end, the football season, like
you mentioned week twelve already, it goes by so fast,
like it's hard to believe it's week twelve, although that's
just how time and space works. But I'm curious to
ask you this, Kyle, because we've seen over the last
four weeks my personal favorite four week stretch in terms
of offensive identity and production. I mean, the big plays
(23:25):
were fun, the seventy point game was fun. But I
just think this mode of offense is really tough to
beat and really tough to corract. My question for you
is because at some point, somebody's gonna adapt to it
in a way that maybe forces the Dolphins to change
what they're doing. And my question for you is do
you think that'll happen sooner or later? And then after that,
(23:48):
what's next for the Dolphins in terms of this constantly
evolving offensive attack and what could be after this approach
they're currently executing very highly.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
I think somebody will probably it's so point inevitably find
a combination of front and coverage in personnel because this
is the way the NFL works. That gives the Dolphins
problems with what they're doing. And when that happens, I
think that's when you come back with your Haymaker and
those explosive plays that everybody's looking for the numbers. If
(24:19):
you're going to change the spacing and congest the intermediate
and short areas of the field, now you're putting a
lot of stress on the vertical elements of the speed
with adult which when you have the speed that the
Dolphins have, if that's where you're going to leave yourself vulnerable,
all of those explosive plays that everyone is sitting around
wondering why they're non existent in this year's offense will
(24:43):
magically come back. And that's It's really on the execution
and the calls to make sure that you are staying
well grounded in what an opposing team is giving you.
But they are showing now I think with this ball
control style that they have been playing that if you
(25:03):
are content to let the Dolphins methodically work their way
down the field, they are content to do so and
proceed to score a lot of points in relative to
the amount of possessions that they have in Again.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
I love the efficiency.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
It makes you very hard to be And I think
my follow up would be to that because we've heard
for so long in this modern style of NFL defense
that has really reduced you know, quarterback production, scoring and
all the fantasy heads are hating it, but I kind
of love what it's forced teams to become and how
to adapt. And I love when a game is like,
you know, twenty to seventeen going into the fourth quarter.
(25:37):
It's a perfect game script to me. But my question
is because that whole approach was centered around this idea
that offenses will struggle to mount twelve and fourteen play
drives without committing the fatal air that puts them behind
the sticks, that reduces their ability to then be effective
on those long drives when you have an offense that
has so much experience together. We heard two talk about
(25:57):
the offensive line on Wednesday and saying like, I feel
like I've been playing with those guys for a long
long time now, and the skill guys are mostly the same.
I mean, everyone besides Malik and Obj was already here. John,
who's the one new tight end. The play callers the same,
the OC's the same, the coaching staff is the same.
Does the Dolphins offense because of all that, because of
their makeup and ability to you know, really execute these drives.
(26:17):
Can they then say, well, if you play us that
way the entire game, you're eventually going to have a
bust like we saw on the Johnny Smith play.
Speaker 4 (26:24):
Does it work that way too?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Yeah? I think so. I think.
Speaker 5 (26:29):
I think that entire game against the Raiders was a
little bit of an embodiment of that, with how they
chose to play against Las Vegas and they said, we're
gonna maintain coverage integrity, We're gonna play a lot of
zone uh, the brock Bauers gouging you with a lot
of catches. A lot of that came in, and the
Raiders did some nice things moving around. They caught man
(26:50):
coverage to create some rubs in some space, but a
lot of them were just finding some voids in zone coverage.
And that happens, and then you get down in the
red zone and the space naturally gets constrict and you
kick a couple of field goals and seat of scoring touchdowns,
and that is a cumulative difference in the ball game
where then you get to the final five minutes and
you have a coverage bust and on the other side
(27:12):
of the ball there's a route miscommunication that finally happens
for the other team and it's an interception. Right So,
I think that's been the biggest thing for the past
month for me, is there's been the procedural penalties have
been so clean since two has come back, and I
think that's the big thing that if you want to
(27:33):
play this style, you need to not beat yourself. And
because of all of the continuity that has existed, and
I don't know what other changes they may or may
not have made in that stretch of time without two
so that when two it comes back it can be
a cleaner operation. But maybe it's just time on task
and if that's the case, then they should feel really
good about what that result is.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
I believe it's two or maybe three offensive penalties in
the last two games combine.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
That's a good way to make a living right there.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
The one penalty in the Rams game was on special team,
so no offensive or defensive penalties in that entire game.
And as we go into this Patriots game, Kyle want
to talk about that one a little bit with you
here before we talk about the weekend in college football,
and also beyond the Patriots game, because you know, to
your point, like teams haven't really made those critical mistakes,
Like the Raiders didn't turn the ball over until very
(28:21):
late and that's when the game got lopsided. The Rams game,
you know, they had a couple of turnovers, but that
was the one moment of this four game stretch where
our offense was not firing on all cylinders. The Cardinals
didn't have it, the Bills had the one down and
around the end zone. But I think when you get
to these teams, like, for instance, a couple of weeks,
the Packer game is such a big game, right Jordan Love.
If there's a downside to his game this year, it's
(28:41):
a turnover. So I think that the Dolphins with this
style are approaching at one point, you know, down this
stretch of games possible like lopside of victory over.
Speaker 4 (28:50):
Maybe a good team if that occurs.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
So I guess my question is do you share that
optimism in the Patriots game and beyond that this team
can kind of stay hot and keep things rolling here?
Speaker 5 (28:59):
Yeah, I think they should feel very good about their
opportunities to continue to operate at a high level because
it's not like it's been opponent reliant. There have been
opponents in this stretch of play that have measured on
all ends of the spectrum from a lot of different
measures of defensive success and teams that have had a
lot of success against you in uncommon opponents. And just
(29:23):
look at the way the Raiders played you last year,
and you know the way that that was a game
where it's a final score twenty to seventeen was the
final score of that football game before Ramsey has the
interception at the end of the game to kind of
seal it when they took the deep shot in the
final minute or minute and a half.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
So yeah, I think.
Speaker 5 (29:44):
The only way that they take an interruption, I think
is if it they dramatically regress in self inflicted wounds.
And there's ways that that can happen, for sure. But
you feel pretty good about finding easy completions working through progressions.
I know that's something to a tong about what we
talked about this week about like the way that we're
(30:06):
running the offense this year is it's not necessarily dialing
up a shot with one play, but if we got
to get deep into progressions to find free access, that's
what we're doing. Like that is that's a beautiful thing.
And the fact that you mentioned time on task and
the years in the system and the familiarity of it
and guys that are new now have that half a
season of doing it. I do feel good that this
(30:28):
is the version of the offense as long as everybody's
out there on the field that we're going to continue
to see.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
I'm so excited about it, man. I just wish we
had one game out of that hole that was different.
I would feel like, like really really good about our
chances going forward. I still feel good about it, but
we'll see what happens starting this week against the Patriots
here at hard Rock Stadium, before the Thursday night game
on Thanksgiving against the Packers. But before all of that, Kyle,
we have a weekend of college football pouring out for
(30:54):
the Washington State Cougars.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
It's over.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
The miracle run is over. They lost in New Mexico.
I'm not going to talk about it any more than that.
But what are you looking at this weekend?
Speaker 5 (31:00):
My friend, hypothetical Washington College football Playoff scenarios for me.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
My guy over here is struggling to just stay alive
with whatever he's element he has. And the way you're
face lit up when you were able to just crush
my Washington State dreams. It is a little bit a
little too close to home there, Kyle, But that's what
good friends do. So with that in mind, what you
got this weekend? Another big weekend in college football.
Speaker 5 (31:23):
Yeah, we got to start with Indiana at Ohio State
at the Shoe. This is two top five ranked teams
in the nation playing against each other. And Indiana a
team that has just absolutely caught fire with coach Signetti,
who signed an extension already. It's funny you look up
and down this roster and they they just transplanted about
(31:46):
half of the James Madison roster over with them in
the transfer portal, and he's taking like the bones of
a Big ten recruiting roster. Is like a middle of
the pack Big ten team. Brought his own talent from
from James Madison and then a couple other like key
transfers like Curtis Rourke, the quarterback, red shirt senior. He's
(32:06):
an older prospect but is playing some of the best
ball off any college quarterback in the country and the
test that that team has with players who have been productive,
but their background has been with James Madison is compared
to a bigger stage in college football. To go into
Ohio State and play against a team that's pretty banged
up on the offensive line, it's pretty big bummer. Seth McLaughlan.
(32:29):
Their center is a fifth year senior, just towards Achilles
this week in practice, so that's like a huge loss
for Ohio State. They already lost Josh Simmons, their red
shirt junior transfer left tackle who was looking like he
might be a first round pick. He's already out for
the year as well. So the Ohio States a little
picked over on the offensive line, but they got a
number of talented backs. They got a star freshman in
(32:50):
Jeremiah Smith and Mechabuka is going to be a really
good pro player. And then defensively, like Ohio State's got
a ton of talent as well. Leathan Ransom at safety
is a name to watch. Jttmualu at defensive end, a
heavy handed guy. Tyler Williams as a run stuffer on
the interior, so it's ty Hamilton, Jack Sawyer's kind of
(33:11):
like the next in line from this Ohio State not
the most bendy, not the most explosive, but good length,
good hands, and proficient rushing. The passer profile that Ohio
State's kind of carved out with some of their pass rushers.
So there's a lot of talent in this Ohio State
Indiana game. You can obviously just watch it for the
eye test of two top five teams, but you look
(33:31):
up and down the rosters, there's a lot of names
that are gonna be relevant in April.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
Really good stuff.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
Man, I appreciate you getting me a caught up on that,
because Indiana the team that I haven't had a chance
to really tap into this year. Where do you think
Rourke's draft stock is at this moment? So he's challenging
because he's gonna be like a twenty five year old
rookie right and age. I had this conversation with.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
Steve Alizolo from over at the thirty thirteen recently an
age at quarterback. It's not so much the the developmental ceiling.
It's more so like where you are at now, you're
expected to be ahead of eighteen and nineteen and twenty
year olds because you're in your mid twenties, right, and
(34:14):
the return on investment of that. Then you get into
a pro career and you have to have the conversation
of how long is your physical peak? How long does
it take to get to your mental peak? Just look
at it, Tuioloa. I think the way that he's playing
right now took five years or four and a half
years for him to get to a point where I
feel pretty comfortable saying he's playing the best ball of
(34:35):
his career.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
But that's a process.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
Look at Jared goffin Detroit and what he did with
was a total flop there at first with Jeff Fisher,
and then they bring Himcveigh and he gets the label
as the system quarterback, and then he goes to Detroit
and lo and behold. Like sometimes these guys, it's just
a four, five, six year process of mentally maturing at
the NFL level. And if you're gonna do that with
(34:58):
a guy like Curtis Rard, you're talking who's going to
be in his thirties, right, So it's just an awkward
intersection of age and talent and ability. He has all
the ability in the world, but I think that's why
it's a big test for him. I would not be
surprised to see him be the first day three quarterback taken,
just because if it's not in the first round Day
(35:19):
two selections at quarterback are they're high upside, but also
like a potential low opportunity or a low return on
investment type proposition, because statistically speaking, if you like a quarterback,
you think you can start your to draft themorrow.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
So I'm looking for Curtis.
Speaker 5 (35:36):
Work to probably end up being the first day three
quarterback when it's all.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Said, well, that might be the territory that we're looking at,
given you know the current landscape of the Dolphins offense
and if you are going to draft the quarterback, maybe
it is that part of the draft because I think
we've pretty clearly defined and they showed you that with
a contract this summer as well, the franchise quarterback and
to your point, playing the best ball of his career.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Great stuff.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
You can find more takes like this on the Lockdown
Dolph podcast where Kyle lives every single day, the Locked
Down NFL scouting podcast, Touchdown Miami Substack. He's the draft
lead for the thirty third team at Grinding the tape
on social media, Kyle playing her appreciate your time today.
Speaker 5 (36:12):
Man flu game Travis. I'm glad I could delivered.
Speaker 4 (36:14):
For game six.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
There he goes, and away he goes. Always a fun
chat with my buddy, Ka. Let's go ahead and call
it a week here, and we have another game coming
up on Sunday. It's my wife and daughter's first Dolphins game.
Cameron's not going to come out because he's not yet
too and he is a nightmare still with everything that
he does, so he doesn't get to come to the game.
He's staying home to hang out with the babysitter. But
Caroline is coming to her first Dolphins game and I
(36:37):
cannot wait to show her what her daddy does every
single Sunday. So look out for us. We'll be hanging
out in our seats before the game. And saw a
lot of you guys before the Raiders game. A lot
of fans of the podcast came by and said what's up.
Please if you see me, say what's up if you
want to, because it means a lot, it really does.
So I appreciate all you guys that stop by the
radio booth that catch me walking up the helix or
(36:58):
catch me walking around the club level concord to say
what's up in the you're a fan, it does mean
a lot to me, so please keep doing that if
you see me, if you want to. In the meantime,
you all please be sure to subscribe to the podcast.
Leave us a writing, leave us a review. You can
follow me on social at Wingfold NFL. The team at
Miami Dolphins. Check out the fish Tank podcast with my
guys Sethie Juice. Check out the YouTube channel. Brand new
(37:19):
episode of Dolphins HQ with the John new Smith interview
as well as Taylor Kyle's available on the Dolphins YouTube
channel and tomorrow Saturday on CBS Local Miami here at noon,
which is the worst TV time slot imaginable. Also Miami
Dolphins dot com. Until next time. Finn's up, Carolina and
Cameron Daddy, He's coming home.
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