Huddle Up For Week 14 vs. the Cardinals

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the huddleiddle.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Every Thursday from Mune to Chu.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
The Huddle.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
You are listening to the huddle with Dave Whyman, Michael Bumpus,
and Stacy Ross. We are going to be joined in
just a moment by Abe Lucas. Then rookie linebacker ty
Reese Knight is hopping on at twelve fifteen. We're going
to start though, by looking back at that win over
the Jets. Whyman, I'll start with you. This was not
one that I was confident Seattle was going to get.
There was a point when they were down bad and
we were all scratching our heads, going, really the Jets,

(00:31):
I mean, they've struggled all year, but special teams just
fell apart. And then you had Leonard Williams turning the
tide with a ninety two yard pick six. Have you ever
seen anything like that?

Speaker 1 (00:40):
That was incredible? I don't.

Speaker 4 (00:41):
I think afterwards I turned my mic off because I
was so excited. Were Able had just an awesome call
on that one. He didn't like that his voice cracked,
and I was like, I love it, made the whole call.
Yeah yeah, So yeah, afterwards, I was like, I don't
believe what I just saw I mean, he looked like
a guy who has dropped into hooks on his whole life.

(01:02):
And then he just kind of stabs his hand and
I mean for him to be lined up in a
three point stance and then I think he was in
a three point stance. Yeah, and so he drops back
and to be able to look back and locate the ball.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
I mean, that's one of the things why.

Speaker 4 (01:17):
I always like rave about the receivers and how like
being able to just locate the ball while you got
a guy palling at you and everything, and so for
him to be able to do that, and he just
made it look so natural. And then somebody tried to
tackle him. I can't I don't know if it was
Garrett Wilson, but he just kind of bounced off his
knee and then yeah, and he edited as his entourage

(01:38):
there he saw Spoon out there leading the way. I mean,
it was just it was incredible. I couldn't believe what
I just saw. So yeah, it was. It was one
of the better plays I think of the entire season.
Really you look at I mean not just for the Seahawks,
but like for the entire NFL.

Speaker 3 (01:53):
I'm bumped. It was also such a smart decision by
Mike McDonald. You think Rogers was surprised to see Williams
trailing his own receiver.

Speaker 5 (02:02):
Yeah, because of the way they did it. He was on,
if I'm Aaron Rodgers, I'm looking at the line of scrimmage.
Leonard was at in the a gap to the left,
so then he dropped all the way across the fit.
As soon as Aaron Rodgers gets up to the line
of scrimmage, he sees Jay Reed and Leonard and the
aim to be to his left side.

Speaker 6 (02:18):
He goes, Okay, I'm not worried about these guys.

Speaker 5 (02:21):
I'm looking at these backers to see if they're bluffing
they're gonna drop, And then the backers go. So if
I'm if I'm Aaron Rodgers, I'm thinking, cool, there's nothing
to the flat over there.

Speaker 6 (02:30):
I should be good to go.

Speaker 5 (02:31):
Then as soon as he lets it go, I'm sure
it's the slow motion like no, he sees Leonard just
gets his paw on there. It was one of the
most athletic plays I've seen a man that big make
off of the stuff that you just said.

Speaker 6 (02:45):
Whyman, it's like he's flipping his hips.

Speaker 5 (02:47):
He's getting into a drop like he's done this before,
Like he's been coached up to flip his hips, find
the eyes. It was just it was great. And then
I went back and I looked to see when he
was drafted. Go, yeah, it's number six pick. He's one
of the most athletic guys walking this.

Speaker 6 (03:00):
Earth right now.

Speaker 4 (03:01):
Yeah, And I always hated that when I was a player,
when they would drop defensive lineman. I'm like, they don't
know what they're doing, you know, And he entirely looked
like he so. Yeah, and that was something that we
heard from Mike MacDonald that he was going to do
that kind of thing, and it definitely worked there. And
to be able to fool a guy like Aaron Rodgers,
pretty heady guy. And you know, I got to say

(03:22):
that guy made some unbelievably pinpoint throws. The one play
where he throws a slant, he scoops the snap up
off his shoe and wings it.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
I'm like, this guy is really good.

Speaker 4 (03:34):
So I mean for him to be able to do
that against that opponent, I mean, that makes it even
more special.

Speaker 3 (03:39):
Now, it's tough to complain after a win, but Bump
Special Teams had one of the worst grades from Pro
Football Focus that any special teams unit has gotten in
any game in the last several years. Should I be concerned.

Speaker 6 (03:50):
They probably should have gotten that worst grade.

Speaker 5 (03:52):
But a lot of it it's based off of things
that harball can't control. When a returner just drops the
foot ball, there's no coaching point. Really, these guys are pros.
When you get to the NFL, either you can fill
the ball or you can't win. It's up in the air,
and they just weren't able to do that. You did
have a pat blocked, and you did have one at
the house. Those are things that you can fix. But

(04:15):
I wouldn't be too concerned with that. I think I
always don't almost don't want to say it. But Brian
Walters was in on Monday and he says, we'll never
see anything like that again. I said, Brian, I also
said that we're not gonna see any snaps over the
quarterbacks head again, and then that happened. So I think
the chances are that those things are going to be
cleaned up. I don't expect a return to the house again.
Is only five human beings in the world and the

(04:38):
NFL who have done it this year.

Speaker 6 (04:39):
It just doesn't happen like that anymore.

Speaker 5 (04:41):
So the things that could be cleaned up off of
personnel have been cleaned up because lavis gang here no
more still to see. He's still got to see what
de Wims is gonna do back there. He's been kind
of shaking, but I'm not too concerned. If it happens
two weeks in a row, yeah, then I'm.

Speaker 6 (04:54):
Shook a little bit.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
Take out a ninety plus yard kick return on special
teams for the Jets and the def has yet another week, Wyman,
when they holding opponent to under twenty. What's impressed you
most about the turn that they've made and the performance
of the defense over the last four weeks.

Speaker 4 (05:09):
Now, Yeah, if I had to pick one person that's
really changed things, it's Ernest Jones and you know, and
I just I don't remember. The one you know, ringing
endorsement I heard about him was when Aaron Donald left
the Rams and he said, that's the man now, And
I don't know. I guess the Rams just didn't didn't
want to pay him, and maybe he was, you know,

(05:30):
making noise whatever, but you know, getting him here that
that's the point where everything changed. So and then you
start Tyrese Knight, So yeah, I think I think that,
and look, it's he's one of eleven. But there's just
like a culture change, you know, as far as how
they're attacking blocks and getting off of blocks and getting

(05:51):
the right combination of players in there. I really enjoy
Mike McDonald's decisiveness. Like Laviska Chanal. You know, it's like
they cut him and you know it's like they can't
really they're not really going to use him in the
offense probably, but still just like how quickly it was.
It doesn't come off as personal and it's like, yeah,
I'm sorry, you're the leading tackler here, but we're going

(06:13):
to cut you, you know.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
In Dawson, So yeah, I like that he is. He's
making moves quickly, him and Schneider.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
We saw a clip posted by Bob Condotta of the
Seattle Times Bump of Zach Charbonet returning some kicks. Is
there a name you'd like to see pop up more
on special teams?

Speaker 5 (06:29):
I've been talking about Kenny Macintosh for over a decade.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
Now, even though he's been huff was a child.

Speaker 1 (06:39):
He's got four carries in two years.

Speaker 6 (06:41):
It's wild.

Speaker 5 (06:42):
I don't know what it is about Kenny Mack that's
not getting him the faux ball. Would love to see
him back there, but I would also like to see
Rek Young. They're keeping him around. Derek Young, They're keeping
him around for a reason. You don't just hang around
and not get it on offense and only do specials.
They like something about him. I like him to get
an opportunity, but I gotta start Weekendy Mack.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
Abe Lucas is probably gonna interrupt us in the next
minute or so, but otherwise I'm gonna toss this when
you're away, Bump, and then you guys can just feel free.
We are gonna transition and look ahead obviously, and look
AB's joining us right now. We're going to look ahead
to the Cardinals here. This is a rematch of these
two the second divisional matchup between these two teams in
three weeks, Week fourteen. Seahawks Cardinals, and Abe Lucas going

(07:24):
to be out there for this one. Abe, you obviously
started this season on pup. Finally able to get back
out there. Both of my co hosts have been NFL
players who've dealt with injuries, and they've talked about how
it takes a second to kind of trust it. Have
you gotten to trust yourself and trust your body yet
you're still working through it?

Speaker 7 (07:42):
Sorry, I think it's a I mean it's a process
like anything that, like you said, kind of readjusting and
coming back. Imman, know it's out for almost a year
or so. I mean, it's a slow climb, but it
is a climb, you know, so it does get better
just week to week.

Speaker 4 (07:57):
We talked to you right after the game against San
Francisco and like, Hi, I'm abe, I'm really sore. But
you know, you said that there were some things that
you could do to try to minimize that soreness, because
like playing football, it's hard to duplicate and get ready
for that. But what are some of the things that
you've done to get yourself in playing shit?

Speaker 7 (08:18):
I mean, I just try to stay consistent with off
season like rehabbing in season, rehabing, lifting, running, that sort
of thing. I mean, it's a lot of work, don't
get me wrong, but and there's a lot of pieces
that go into it. As long as I stay on
top of it, like I feel decent. I don't know
if you can never really feel one hundred percent playing
right regardless of how long you've been out, but it
does make it more manageable.

Speaker 1 (08:39):
Once you start playing football, you're never one hundred percent. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 6 (08:42):
All right, man, it's been a journey.

Speaker 5 (08:44):
I remember training camp watching you do your thing and
grind and stuff, and every week we're like, okay, when
is Abe coming back? When is Abe coming back? So
then you finally get out there, I mean, what was
it like mentally for you? Because you know, I've had
injuries where I've had to work six seven, eight weeks
to get back in and then my body, but mentally,
what was that like for you to finally get out
there and just play some ball?

Speaker 1 (09:04):
Uh? I mean it was. It was great.

Speaker 7 (09:07):
I the whole jury process was actually it was pretty
tame for me. I wasn't like busting at this. I
mean I was obviously wanting to play, but like I
wasn't getting too in my head about anything because I knew,
I mean, I knew how long it was going to
take it. It was gonna be a longer thing. So I
was just trying to, you know, mentally prep and then
you know, when we got got back out there, it
was just like let it loose as much as you

(09:27):
can with you know, the limited reps that I had
had up until that point, you know, I mean, not
having a fall camp or OTAs or anything certainly sucks,
but I was able to do I think pretty well.

Speaker 3 (09:37):
There are some things that when you never play, you
just truly never understand. And so what I've always wondered
is if when you get into a short yarded situation
or a goal to go situation, does it really feel
different and play different deep in the red zone?

Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yes?

Speaker 7 (09:49):
Uh changes, well, I mean it's like the last sort
of line of defense. Everything's kind of closer and more
tight knit, and you know, typically you're trying to run
it in and so so everybody's you know, up on
the line of scrimmage in the box, and it really is.
I mean there's a technique battle, of course, but guys
are just kind of coming off trying to knock you
back and all that. So it's a little bit different

(10:10):
than the open field.

Speaker 4 (10:11):
We talked to Derek Hally yesterday and just the phenomenon
of playing a game against a team two out of
the three weeks. It's so close together and everything. One
of the things he said is, and I thought rang true,
is that you know, they're gonna go back to who
they are, right. I mean, there's gonna be some things different, right,
but you know, for the most part, like by the

(10:32):
late first quarter, second quarter, they're going to be what
they've been doing all year, Right?

Speaker 1 (10:36):
Is that kind of the cat and mouse game?

Speaker 4 (10:38):
I mean, is that kind of what you're looking at
when you look at film and study the Cardinals for
the second time?

Speaker 8 (10:43):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (10:44):
I mean, yes, I guess.

Speaker 7 (10:46):
I mean I just kind of look at like the
games that the game had just played versus Minnesota. I mean,
look at the things that they were successful against us,
and I imagine they would go back to doing a
lot of that sort of thing. I mean, of course,
like you said, there's gonna be wrinkles and such, but
you know there's gonna wrinkles and touch for us too.
You know, we're not you know, changing the entire game plan.
We're gonna be who we are as well. It's just

(11:06):
you know, it's it's a matter of adjustments. You know,
when the time comes.

Speaker 5 (11:10):
You played a lot of football in your just football
career from now and all the way down to youth,
and in football it changes, but it doesn't at the
same time. But I can go to a different offense
as a receiver, and orange might be something different, but
I can relate it to a concept that I used
to do. So you coming in, you know, playing under
Ryan Grubb's offense for the first time, how quick did

(11:30):
you kind of just pick up on everything?

Speaker 6 (11:32):
And what kind of learner are you?

Speaker 5 (11:33):
Because I was a type where I needed to see
it on paper first and then I need to go
out and walk through it just to make all the connections.

Speaker 6 (11:39):
How was that process for you?

Speaker 7 (11:40):
Yeah, So I'm definitely a rep skuy like that, So
I like to get like the walk through stuff and everything.
But when I when I was in here for meetings
like way back when and wherever we met, like may
or whatever, I made I made a stack of note
cards of the entire offense. So I would just look
through that like three or four times every single day,
and it was like a memorization thing, so just so

(12:00):
that when I came back I wasn't just learning it
from for the first time. That really helped because I
kind of just memorized everything and then was putting myself,
I guess, in the shoes and like watching them run
the places and be like, okay, that's what I do there,
you know, footwork, camp, placement, all that.

Speaker 3 (12:15):
Much much trash talk between you and grub at all.

Speaker 1 (12:18):
Uh, not particular, no.

Speaker 3 (12:19):
No, really both on the same team now, so I've
never quite played each other, so so it worked out.
But happy to hear that. And uh and obviously congratulations
you guys in first place. A lot of momentum heading
into Glendale where you get to play in some warm weather.
It's a dome. Still nice. Thank you so much for
joining us. Hey, we appreciate your time. All right, you guys.
Rookie Tyree snight joining us. Next, you're listening to the huddle.

Speaker 2 (12:42):
This this is the huddle every Thursday from noon to
two sports.

Speaker 8 (12:48):
Marie again from the shotgun, this time with three wide outs.
Two was left the tight end now wings on the
left side. Here comes the blitz. Murray steps off in
the pocket, gets it.

Speaker 1 (12:57):
He goes down.

Speaker 8 (12:59):
Tyree get inside the forty five yard line, a loss
of six. They brought the house that time, and there
was nowhere.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
For Kyler Murray to go.

Speaker 8 (13:09):
We tried to step up and he took the second
sack in a row. And on comes the punt team
for Arizona.

Speaker 3 (13:15):
Tyrese Knight, rookie linebacker for the Seahawks, in with us
right now, you're listening to the huddle with Dave Whyman,
Michael Bumpus, and Stacy Ross Tyrese. I think if I
had highlights of myself at work, I'd watch them all
the time. I mean, have you listened to your own
play by play? Ye? Haven't watched highlights?

Speaker 9 (13:29):
Back name is on the TV copy yet.

Speaker 3 (13:33):
Obviously you guys have to watch film. But it looks
really cool about it.

Speaker 9 (13:37):
This is the opportunity, no doubt.

Speaker 4 (13:40):
Did you think at what point did you go coming in?
It's hard to start as a rookie, it is no
matter what round you're drafted in.

Speaker 1 (13:49):
At what point did you were you like, I think
I can I think I can be a starter on
this team.

Speaker 10 (13:55):
You know, I played early in the year. I have
pretty good confidence. But you know, I'll make a little
mistakes here and there. But I really say after that
for a earn this game I started a couple weeks ago,
I was like, well, yeah, I can really do this forreshure.
Ever since now, man trying to static days and games, it.

Speaker 5 (14:10):
Seems like that second level man, you and Ernest are
are really playing some good football.

Speaker 6 (14:15):
What's it like playing with a veteran like him.

Speaker 10 (14:17):
You know, man who got a real connection off the field,
so they just made their own field stuff way more easier.
So you know, he'd be helping me out, telling what's
coming for his coming. You know, we've got a good vibe.
They just carry on from here and there.

Speaker 3 (14:27):
Yeah, what's been the I guess, biggest part about transitioning,
The biggest difference between being in college and being in
the pros, The most noticeable.

Speaker 9 (14:36):
M I'll probably say the game speed.

Speaker 10 (14:39):
But with that, I'll say that just comes back going
rep and just getting back more comfort the book.

Speaker 9 (14:43):
You know how college was.

Speaker 10 (14:44):
But I know I'm way past that point, based after
all the rest I got early in my season with
OTAs and training counts, So I pretty much got past
the transition part early when the season started.

Speaker 9 (14:53):
Never pretty much good for me.

Speaker 4 (14:55):
Have you Can you tell a difference like how you
watch film in the NFL versus how you're watched it
in college. I mean, I just remember thinking there was
more detail and I had to and especially listening to
my teammates talk the veterans and things like that. Has
that been the case for you? Have you noticed that
it's different.

Speaker 10 (15:11):
It's way more you know, got way more breakdowns for
every down, every distance, you know, thing about situation right,
So it's way more films studying, way more breakdowns and
collter is not used to but it's good things.

Speaker 9 (15:22):
They just get us prepared for what's coming.

Speaker 6 (15:24):
As an offensive guy.

Speaker 5 (15:25):
When I line up and I hear the chatter from
a defense, all the communication, My damn, they own point
because the good defense like communicates, you know, they adjust
or whatnot. Has there been a difference in communication starting
in like the classroom, like when you guys are watching
film together, because it seems like you guys are just
playing tighter like everyone's where there's supposed to be. What's
been the change in the communication?

Speaker 10 (15:47):
I want to say they just start froming, you know,
watching film, also just doing our walk throughs before Pride.
You know, communication is key, so we try to emphasize
that throughout the week, you know, playing a lot music
and stuff out saw so you just got to talk loud.
They just made the game easier, just like everybody's ways
closer now. So just communication just be like second nature.

Speaker 3 (16:04):
I absolutely love watching cold games like once against to
December and you see games where it's snowing and stuff,
it's really fun. I'm glad I don't have to play
in one, though I don't know that you will this year.
It stays mostly just rainy here. But have you ever
played in a really freezing, freezing game.

Speaker 10 (16:21):
I'm not practicing the snumb before, you know, But I
want to say last week probably is the coldest game.

Speaker 3 (16:26):
Play what's the toughest? So maybe the answer is the hottest,
But what's the toughest game you've ever played in? Where
you were like, I'm so uncomfortable.

Speaker 10 (16:35):
I want to say last year we played at Jacksonville State.
You know, I ain't playing in Florida like during the
summer probably since high school.

Speaker 9 (16:41):
So it was like full your little escape.

Speaker 10 (16:43):
But down there it was so high, tripping sweat, everybody
catching crowns.

Speaker 4 (16:49):
Yeah, Terry says, your has your family been able to
either come out here and watch you here or on
the road?

Speaker 1 (16:55):
Have you been have you been buying some tickets?

Speaker 10 (16:58):
H I know I had a lot of family members
down to the Atlanta game. Yeah, I know, a lot
of came to Tennessee preseason, and I had a lot
of homeboys and like frying take your visits here the
last couple of weeks, so everybody's man coming out.

Speaker 5 (17:11):
Have you figured out your uh, your game day routine?
I mean because I used to. I used to be weird.

Speaker 6 (17:16):
Man.

Speaker 5 (17:16):
I used to eat at the exact same time. I
used to tie my right shoe at the same time.
I was crazy about it. Have you figured out what works.

Speaker 9 (17:25):
For you yet?

Speaker 10 (17:27):
I'm pretty superstitious myself, so I've been having the same
routines probably since college, and I pretty much carried it
over to here. So I feel like if I don't
do something right throughout the weed and I'm gonna have
a bad game. So I try to keep everything the same.
So I'm pretty much my routine the saying.

Speaker 6 (17:41):
Is there anything like out of the norm that you do?

Speaker 11 (17:44):
Is it?

Speaker 5 (17:44):
It's pretty standard, you know football prep stuff, the football prep.

Speaker 10 (17:47):
I just got to do it at the exact same time.
We just don't even try to like mess up, try
to do one for the other. Just feel like I'm
be thinking about it all day, like I ain't doing
it right, so it's.

Speaker 9 (17:56):
Something going to happen.

Speaker 3 (17:57):
See I'm sitting here like, guys, I think that's just OCD.

Speaker 4 (18:00):
Yeah, I was gonna say, bump, that's the weirdest thing
I ever heard.

Speaker 1 (18:03):
Yeah, the right, the right.

Speaker 3 (18:06):
So so so you said you listened to the same song,
you'd go like, right shoe then left shoe. I'm assuming
they're the same meal. So what is yours?

Speaker 9 (18:16):
First person walking in the game? Locker room?

Speaker 10 (18:20):
Okay, hot you know, treatment, I get all my medical
stuff out of way. Not good at my band I
scratched after that, ready to go, but I just got
to do all that in the same order.

Speaker 9 (18:32):
You're having the right playlist plan as well.

Speaker 3 (18:34):
I'm imagining a coach being like, okay, so we're gonna
have you do the bands and then hot tub and
you're like.

Speaker 10 (18:38):
No, no, I actually wait if while trying to do
not ready yet.

Speaker 3 (18:43):
Yeah, only weird if it doesn't make sense, it works.

Speaker 4 (18:46):
Yeah, this seems seems like a gritty team man. I mean,
you guys have gone through some some adversity, you know
during the bye week, you know, the the changes especially
at your spot. What was that like when when the
coach came up to you and said, hey, this is
what the moves were making, and you're going to be
the starter and you know what kind of take us
through that you know.

Speaker 9 (19:07):
Just like me with everybody else.

Speaker 10 (19:09):
Everybody was surprised when we had a team me in
that morning find out the news. So no, I was
just like everybody, like it happened. Here we go, let's go. So,
I mean, blessing in the sky. You know, it's grateful
for the opportunity.

Speaker 6 (19:23):
Are you you play Call of Duty?

Speaker 12 (19:25):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (19:26):
All right, this this is from the text line.

Speaker 5 (19:27):
So they wanted to ask you, what's your favorite Call
of Duty map?

Speaker 11 (19:34):
Uh?

Speaker 9 (19:35):
What is on? Just most He threw some.

Speaker 5 (19:37):
Suggestions down there or I know, just just I don't
know that the most recent one, I'll probably say new.

Speaker 6 (19:44):
Town, Newtown.

Speaker 3 (19:47):
That was gonna be my question.

Speaker 6 (19:50):
That's that's a throwback in it, the Newtown map.

Speaker 9 (19:52):
Yeah, I remember that one that's not on Black Haws
and black Hawks.

Speaker 6 (19:56):
Yeah for sure.

Speaker 3 (19:57):
He is rookie linebacker Tyree Night kind enough to join
us in very very busy week. Good luck out there
in Glendale on Sunday coming up next, we are going
to take a look ahead to that game ty Reese
and co. Will be playing in Don't go Anywhere. This
is the huddle.

Speaker 2 (20:10):
This, this is the huddle. Every Thursday from noon to
two on Seattle Sports.

Speaker 3 (20:16):
You are listening to the huddle with Dave Wyman, Michael
Bumpus and Stacy Rust. Some great news for the Seahawks
U Chenna Dwels who has been activated from the injured reserve.
He's also going to be speaking with reporters later today.
We'll play you that sound at one p m. But Wyman,
let's move forward. Assuming no Chenna does play on Sunday
against the Cardinals. We don't know for sure that's happening.

(20:36):
But look, we've all been covering this team. We know
that if a guy is speaking with reporters, it typically
means that he's going to play. How does that affect
the way you can pass rush Kyler Murray? How do
you contain them? And what's it mean to get O
Chinna back out there?

Speaker 4 (20:48):
Yeah, I think what you have to do with Kyler
Murray is bul rush, you know, I think that's the
most effective because if you're trying to, you know, put
a move on the outside or inside, that's that's what
he wants and he's going to take off run.

Speaker 1 (21:02):
And so Chinna is the master of the bull rush man.

Speaker 4 (21:06):
For a guy his size, I mean, he's not like
a defensive tackle.

Speaker 1 (21:09):
Size it is amazing watching him.

Speaker 4 (21:12):
You know, he just kind of it's not like it's spectacular,
but it's like you look at it and go, that's
a three hundred and twenty pound man that he is
just like consistently pushing back into, you know, and that's
I mean, he doesn't have a lot of other fancy
you know, pass rush moves.

Speaker 1 (21:29):
Don't tell him I said.

Speaker 4 (21:29):
That, but but you know, he's so good at that,
and I think that fits right into what you need
to do with Kyler Murray. And you know, again, I
don't think that they're necessarily going to hold him to
forty nine yards nice cool rushing, but yeah, and I
just remember talking to Woefully at halftime, who's their color
analyst on the radio, and he's like, I've never seen

(21:50):
our offensive line get dominated like this. So yeah, I
think it's it's great timing. The only thing I think
about that is like, you got four really good players
that I think are starters pretty much anywhere, And how
how are we going to divvy up the time now
that he's back, because you know, Drey Jones also plays
that he's probably maybe even a better as far as

(22:13):
inside you know, bul Rusher. So yeah, I mean, you
got Derek Halls incredibly powerful, so I think the timing
of having him back gives you kind of a you know,
embarrassment of riches there as far as pass rush.

Speaker 3 (22:26):
As gonna say, it's a great problem to have. And
you know, for all that we've been lamenting about when
it comes to the offense, whether it's in short yardage
situations or god, I wish that, you know, we could
see just a bit more push from the offensive line.
Your defense has been playing exceptionally well bumped and now,
as we've been talking about, you're getting a starter back.
How much more confident does that make you against the Cardinals.

Speaker 5 (22:46):
I'm not counting on a Jenna. I'm counting on the
guys who have been there three, four or five weeks.
I think with Jenna's is extra And it's kind of
like the way I looked at Abe Lucas is I'm
glad that he's back, but I got to realize that
he hasn't played football, and along on Tom and Dave, you know,
you can't duplicate a football game. In basketball, you can
run up and down the court and go hard and

(23:06):
do all that stuff. In football, there's nothing like playing
against another man who doesn't care about you, do even
care about your well being, your feeling, Yeah, and it's
just going to go after you.

Speaker 6 (23:14):
So and I think that's a luxury.

Speaker 5 (23:16):
It's a luxury to be having this defense playing the
way that they're playing, and you're getting more death with
a guy who you expected to lead the charge. So
I'm excited, but it doesn't change the way I look
at this game because I feel like you have to
rely on the guys who have been there.

Speaker 3 (23:30):
What can you guys tell me? Bump, I'll start with
you and then we'll bounce back to Dave. What can
you tell me about the Cardinals defense? Because I'd love
to see selfishly more from Seattle than the two field
goals the offense managed to get in this one. I
know that that Kobe Bryant interception that pick six was huge,
but I would just love to see a bit more
from the offense. They haven't been scoring a ton of
points during this stretch of wins. How can they try

(23:51):
to find the end zone on Sunday?

Speaker 5 (23:53):
I think last week or a couple of weeks ago
when they played Dave and I pointed out that their
linebackers just have great instincts, they see it, they believe it,
and they attack it so well that sometimes I couldn't
tell if they were blitzing or a rum blitz or
they just diagnosed the play and reacted that quickly. And
I think that messes an O line up that has

(24:14):
some question marks.

Speaker 6 (24:15):
So now you're looking at a.

Speaker 5 (24:16):
Rookie ad Lalmea and you're trying to figure out how
is he how is he gonna be able to handle
that stuff because it happens quick. And then I look
at Lincoln, and Lincoln sometimes gets his head down and
doesn't see the twist that's coming on the back that's
going It messes up your rhythm. It's like dribbling a
basketball and someone comes around and fake like they're going
to take the ball from you. You pick up your dribble,

(24:37):
you do a little movie something. Just it's such a
rhythm in that offensive line that that's where they mess
things up for you.

Speaker 3 (24:43):
Whyman, what did they do well against Arizona's defense. I
don't want to say like exceptionally well, but what worked
for the offense last time, if anything? And what would
you love to see them do in week fourteen?

Speaker 1 (24:52):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (24:53):
Well, I mean I think always know where Buddha Baker is,
you know. I mean that guy, he's so small, he
hides like a a lot of times you can't even
see where where, and he is really aggressive, you know.
I feel like when he hits it, like he just disappears.
And so he's a very special player. So I think
controlling him, and like Bump said, the two inside backers

(25:15):
are are really good. But you know, I just whenever
I think about our offense, I feel like it's a
US problem.

Speaker 1 (25:21):
Not so much.

Speaker 4 (25:22):
I mean, they certainly have some things as far as
you know, their defense goes. They've got some really good players,
but right now, I mean trying to take care of
the short yardage situation. They have to solve that puzzle,
you know, And I like it's easy for me to
sit there and you know, but I just like it
when they spread it out. I feel like ken Walker
can get three four yards pretty much anytime, you.

Speaker 1 (25:43):
Know, as long as they spread it out.

Speaker 4 (25:44):
But when they you know, compact the line and draws
the flies.

Speaker 1 (25:48):
I know, Ray and I were talking about that a
little bit.

Speaker 4 (25:50):
You guys were talking about it on the post game
after the LA Ram game that, you know, and like
I said, I'm making it sound like it's real easy.
Well just do this, But it's not that you have to,
you know, call plays that fit your your personnel in
your offensive line. And we're just not the masher type
right now. So they got to figure out other ways.

(26:11):
I feel like to get ken Walker, especially the ball.
I mean sometimes maybe a short pass, yeah, and you know.

Speaker 1 (26:17):
It's like a long handoff.

Speaker 3 (26:18):
Maybe it's a dumb follow up. But knowing that you
were both talking about spreading it out, why don't they like,
why isn't that something? Do you think there's a reason
that they haven't been spreading it out a bit more?

Speaker 5 (26:27):
I think the closer you get to the end zone naturally,
the tighter your formations are gonna get. It's just you
feel like, as an offensive coordinator, if I can pack
this in and get a push, I should be good
to go. Sure, So I think that's just we fall
into into like unnecessary trends sometimes, right like on third

(26:47):
and on third and eight, everyone knows that you're probably
gonna throw the football to whereas you can spread it
out and have a numbers game, get a four by
one box and say all right, let's run the football. Here,
So it's it's really stepping outside of what's expected of you.
And then there are things that they pointed out that
we just don't know about their personnel. We're not at
practice every day, we're not communicating with these guys. We

(27:07):
don't know what their philosophy is. Clearly Grub has a philosophy.
When we're inside the ten and the five, this is
what we're going to be good at. So now at
one point do you say we're not good at that
inside the five or the ten? Let's wish something up.

Speaker 3 (27:19):
Do you want to see more quarterback sneaks?

Speaker 1 (27:22):
No?

Speaker 3 (27:23):
Why not? I'm asking because I keep seeing.

Speaker 4 (27:26):
Texters And it's a good question, I mean, and I
just that's not who they are. And I think, you know,
to me being the you know, a Hawk offensive coordinator,
you know they're not. And I think coaches get caught
up and hey, if we can't pick up one yard,
then we're not worth anything. And I'm like, okay, but
you're just not that team, you know, like Lake and

(27:47):
Tomlinson he is you know, run blocking is not his forte,
you know.

Speaker 1 (27:51):
So I feel like if the.

Speaker 4 (27:54):
One guy that I've seen that would be like he
could get you a yard was Anthony Bradford. You know,
he's a big, nasty, strong dude. He's hurt obviously, and
you know, I don't know if Lamea can be that guy.
But yeah, they've I mean, if you look at the
situations that they've been in, like having to go down
to your fourth string right tackle, I mean, I don't
know how Schneider could have planned for this, you know,

(28:16):
I mean you had a Division two guy who was
going to be a project actually played in the game
and actually played pretty well considering especially so yeah, but
I think that's Yeah, the quarterback sneak is just.

Speaker 1 (28:26):
Not who they are, and I think that's what it is.

Speaker 4 (28:29):
You know, at this point in the season or seven
and five, it's not like all of a sudden We're
going to transform into this big, physical running game.

Speaker 1 (28:38):
It's just not going to happen.

Speaker 3 (28:39):
You guys have already heard from two Seahawks. Abe Lucas
joined us earlier, as did rookie linebacker Tyrese Knight. You're
going to hear from two more coming up back to back.
Here Gino Smith is speaking of reporters. We're going to
take you there live next and then after that at
one pm. You're going to hear from Uchta NUWOSU. Don't
go anywhere.

Speaker 2 (28:55):
This This is the huddle every Thursday from noon to
two Seattle Sports.

Speaker 3 (29:13):
You are listening to the huddle with Dave Wyman, Michael Bumpus,
and Stacy Ross. Gino Smith speaking.

Speaker 11 (29:18):
Of the Porters.

Speaker 3 (29:19):
Will take you there.

Speaker 13 (29:19):
Now, give your coach some advice on being a dad.

Speaker 14 (29:23):
Uh yeah, well I talked to him, you know, even
before they had the baby. I talked to him about
like the experience of seeing a child's birth. It's one
of the craziest things I've ever witnessed in my life.
And so, uh, I'm pretty sure you know, it was
a it was a big moment for him and uh,
you know, really really happy that, you know, all things
went well, and you know, really really happy for coach.

Speaker 1 (29:45):
Do you know you think.

Speaker 15 (29:46):
Successful on three or four quarterbacks games that you guys
have done this year and the one that you didn't
get maybe a questionable spotty at San Francisco, if you
talked about like what are the keys to that played
working and what do you bring to.

Speaker 14 (29:58):
That Like, oh, yeah, I mean quarterback sneak. You know,
it's about who wants some more. You know, there's gonna
be pretty much eleven guys at the line of scrimmage
on both sides, depending on the formation. And you know,
obviously you look for advantageous looks if there's open gaps
and stuff, stuff like that, but most importantly it's just
about getting low and getting the first down.

Speaker 12 (30:19):
There's really not like a bunch to it.

Speaker 14 (30:21):
You know, you just gotta try to drive those guys
off the ball, you know, try to try and get
the first down the best you can drive your legs.
That's where the weight room comes in. And you see, uh,
you know Philly they do the touch push, you know,
so there's a there's multiple ways to do it. But yeah,
I think it's something that we can use and continue
to use to be successful in our short yards game.

Speaker 12 (30:40):
All called for you or sometimes you have the option
to find that I can't tell you that. A good question, though,
A good question what a change.

Speaker 16 (30:46):
For your face on team again in such short succession
when you play them.

Speaker 12 (30:52):
I actually like it, man.

Speaker 14 (30:53):
I think it's you know, especially the visit opponents, you
get a chance to you know, kind of correct some
of your mistakes and then obviously you try to take
advantage of some things you thought went well. You know,
going up against this team, a team that we've saw
a bunch. You know, we know what they're doing, they
know what we're doing. It's about who's going to execute better.
And you know, going up against this team and knowing
what's at stake, you know, having you know a week

(31:15):
in between after that last game, I think for both teams, man,
I know they're going to be fired up, especially at home,
and I know we're going to be fired up. Everyone
knows what's at stake. You know, it's a big game
because it's the next game, but also a division game,
and so you know we're fighting to get into the playoffs.
They are as well, So it should be a great matchup.

Speaker 1 (31:31):
You said you like it.

Speaker 13 (31:32):
What are the part What do you like about playing
a team this quickly?

Speaker 16 (31:35):
Again?

Speaker 8 (31:36):
Oh?

Speaker 14 (31:36):
I mean you know you saw them, you know, two
weeks ago, and like I said, you know, you enjoy
playing football, but you know, you get to go up
against the team you watch film on these guys. You know,
I don't have to watch like hours and hours of
film and you know watch you know, multiple games. It's
really just one game in between. But like I said,
you just know the opponent.

Speaker 1 (31:55):
Again.

Speaker 14 (31:56):
It was a great game, I thought in our last game,
and you know, I think it's going to be even better.

Speaker 12 (31:59):
You know in this next one.

Speaker 11 (32:01):
The defensive styled up a lot of pressure in the
last few weeks and they've gotten to the quarterback.

Speaker 13 (32:05):
What is it about the way they're they're able to
rush that's.

Speaker 17 (32:08):
Giving him success.

Speaker 14 (32:09):
Yeah, they got great you know blitz packages there. I
believe they're decordinating their head coach work together on that,
and I think they do a great job at you know,
having having multiple ways to give you similar looks. And
you see it on film where they get a lot
of you know, free rushers and uh, you know that's
that's pretty hard to do. You know, teams are scheming
up packages and stuff. But uh, you know, they they
do a great job. They understand you know, their blitz patterns.

(32:32):
They understand, uh, you know the guys who are dropping
the zones where to get to. You know, you can
tell they wrap it a bunch. They let the uh
they let their mic linebacker he kind of quarterbacks the
entire thing. And uh, if if they see you get
into a check you know, they'll check out and Uh,
they feel like you know, you don't you don't have
an answer, they'll bring the blitz. So it's always that
game of cat and mouse. I enjoy, you know, that's
one of the things I enjoy the most about playing quarterback.

(32:54):
And uh, we'll see what they have for It's gonna
be a different package when we get to the game.
But we just got to prepare, be prepared to adjust,
and you know, go out there and execute.

Speaker 12 (33:01):
Make the place happen.

Speaker 18 (33:03):
One of those is that one of those things though,
that gets easier if you only saw him a couple
of weeks ago. Yeah, they're gonna have a different blitz package,
but maybe you've got a little bit more of their tendencies.

Speaker 14 (33:12):
Yeah, I wouldn't say it's easier, but I will say that, Yeah,
you get just a second chance to go against it.
And like I said, it's never easy, man. You don't
know exactly what they're gonna do. You just got to
look for the tails and try and figure it out.
But I think they do a great job and like
I said, having multiple looks, and they make it all
look the same. Sometimes they're blissing, sometimes they're dropping them all.
You just got to be prepared and just know, you

(33:33):
know where your hot answers are if you do have hots,
and then if you do, got to pick it up
if that bring zero, you know, just be ready to
you know, get to a protection or something like that.
But there's always a game of cat and mouse. They'll
have answers, will have answers. That's kind of how the
game goes.

Speaker 13 (33:45):
They had success rushing on third down last game.

Speaker 16 (33:48):
How much is that you guys need to be better
on third down versus maybe get into better third down
situations so they can't get.

Speaker 13 (33:54):
Pass what's gone?

Speaker 12 (33:55):
Yeah, I thought they did.

Speaker 14 (33:56):
Okay, I mean we were about fifty percent on third downs.
I think, you know, I thought for the most part,
our guys held up. Well, you know, we had an
early injury and so you know, Christian had to step
in and you know it's never easy stepping off the
sideline and go into a game like that.

Speaker 12 (34:10):
But for the.

Speaker 14 (34:11):
Most part, like I said, I thought our gouys picked
it up.

Speaker 12 (34:14):
Well.

Speaker 14 (34:14):
I thought Olu did a great job at you know,
identifying things and making the right checks. And you know,
they they're gonna have that's what they do, you know,
that's the that's their thing. They wanted to get you
the third down and uh dialop their packages, and so
we just got to be prepared for him. There'll be
some new looks that we haven't seen. Will adjust on
the sideline if need be, But for the most part,
just trust your rules. You know, me getting the ball

(34:34):
out fast is gonna always help. And then you know,
guys get into the right spots and catching the ball,
getting the first down.

Speaker 17 (34:41):
What was the stay in the scam a couple of times,
and imagine part of that is just being able to
get the separation in the division?

Speaker 19 (34:48):
How close are how much do you pay attention to
like tie breakers and all that stuff and knowing exactly
where you guys are.

Speaker 12 (34:56):
I don't know exactly what it is.

Speaker 14 (34:57):
I know we control our destiny and I think that's
what's most important. You know, we just got to go
out there and find a way to win.

Speaker 12 (35:05):
Everything else.

Speaker 14 (35:06):
You know, we don't try to think about that, you know,
tie breakers and such. We know we gotta win out
pretty much. We've been in playoff mode and so it's
one one and oh mentality this week, and that's really
all that matters.

Speaker 18 (35:17):
The offensive line is obviously there's been a lot of
people you mentioned in Hulu and for right tackles.

Speaker 17 (35:23):
Has have you seen any.

Speaker 10 (35:24):
Consistency in that group yet there, especially with nown Towel
coming in and how challenging has it been this year.

Speaker 14 (35:31):
Yeah, I think there's definitely been consistency. You know, big
hats off to to you know, Huff and Nuge and
that entire group for preparing all the guys and yeah,
you said it, man, there's been a bunch of guys
who've stepped in and stepped up. But you know, I was,
I was very pleased with the way that we ran
the ball, especially the second half of our last game.
You know, you see where those guys are getting a
lot of continuity, and I think a being back is

(35:53):
definitely helping out, helping Towe on that right side. And
you know, Olu has been doing a great job it
just you know, being a steady presence in there at center.
And so yeah, we know, you know, those guys have
got to continue to get better. We got a bunch
of young guys up front who are still developing and
still coming into their own. But I thought they played
extremely well the previous game. Gave me protection in the pocket,

(36:13):
and they're only gonna get better. Like I said, man,
the more they jail, the more they play together, the
more they hear the same calls, the more they can communicate,
the better they'll be on the game day.

Speaker 15 (36:22):
You never did best in the NFL and converting short
guarded situations through week five and you've.

Speaker 17 (36:27):
Been last since then. Any any ideas of what ficks changed.

Speaker 14 (36:31):
Yeah, we haven't gotten them. I mean, that's just the
reality of it. The reality of statistics is you know,
either you get it or you don't. So yeah, when
first couple of weeks we were getting our we were
making it happen, and then recently we've struggled. So I
believe in the law of averages. I think things usually
kind of shape themselves out, and as long as we
continue to work on it, continue to try and get
better at it. I think that's something that we definitely

(36:53):
need to get better at. And me personally, I know
I can be better in those situations for our guys,
and so, you know, we get more opportunities.

Speaker 12 (37:00):
That's the best thing about it. We get more.

Speaker 14 (37:02):
Opportunities and we'll see where we rank, you know, after
that through.

Speaker 4 (37:06):
Twelve games with with Ryan Grebb, obviously that kind of partnership.

Speaker 13 (37:09):
I was wondering what you've continued to learn about.

Speaker 11 (37:12):
Him as his relationships and unfolded and how that's evolved
the dynamic.

Speaker 1 (37:16):
Betwety too.

Speaker 14 (37:17):
Yeah, it's again, like you said, it's only been you know,
twelve thirteen weeks of regular season games, and it's still developing,
it's still building. It's still you know, early in the
stages for us. But I'm so happy with the strides
we've made throughout the course of the season. Also just
the you know, our system that we have in place.
I think it's it's really good. I think we have

(37:37):
a lot of answers, and I think he gives the
in quarterback the ability to get to those answers. He
empowers us to make, you know, plays on the field
and to be the quarterback and be the coach on
the field. And so, you know, Grub and I we
talk every day, We're in the meeting room every day.
We're seeing things the same way. And you know, the
best part about it is that you know, he understands
as a quarterback it's not always gonna be perfect. You

(37:59):
got sometimes you got to just make things happen. And
I think he gives me a lot of grace with that,
and it's allowed me to go out there and be
confident and just continue to play it.

Speaker 17 (38:06):
When you're scrambled answers.

Speaker 12 (38:09):
Excuse me, what does.

Speaker 17 (38:10):
It mean to give a quarterback answers? What do you
mean by that?

Speaker 12 (38:12):
Uh? Yeah, answers on the field to be able to
get to do you know.

Speaker 19 (38:16):
When you're in scramble mode, can you talk about the
difference of patience waiting for that receiver and yet going
back to like you said, getting a ball out quickly,
and the context would be Jackson Smith that you're doing
with him.

Speaker 1 (38:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (38:29):
I think it's just basically when when you're out there,
he just trying to make a play.

Speaker 12 (38:33):
There's like a first play. There's the play, the original play.

Speaker 14 (38:35):
And then there's a second play which is unscripted, and
so there's always like a design play. You want to,
you know, try to attack a certain coverage. You want
to you know, get the ball in the window or
you know, high low or something like that, and then
sometimes the defense does a great job of covering it.
And so I think we have some guys who are
really really good at extending plays and uh, you know,
Tyler Lockett isn't is an example of a guy who's

(38:56):
always gonna find you know, open window or you know,
become friendly to the court back when there's a scrambled situation.
DK did it in our in our first game against Arizona,
and I think Jackson's done it all season.

Speaker 12 (39:06):
Man.

Speaker 14 (39:06):
I think our guys do a great job in the
scrambled drill. And uh, yeah, you're saying like, be patient.
I mean the main thing is to get the ball
out to the guy. You don't want to hold the
ball back there forever. You got guys up, you know,
protecting in front and stuff. But you know, getting the
ball out on time is always. Getting in rhythm is always,
uh you know, our mindset and then if we have
to adjust on the fly. I think we've done a
good job at that. I think we continue to work

(39:27):
on it and get better.

Speaker 4 (39:28):
What did you see when you went back and watched
the goal line sequence from the third quarter.

Speaker 14 (39:31):
Of the Jaskins Yeah, I thought, uh, we had some opportunities.

Speaker 9 (39:35):
Man.

Speaker 14 (39:35):
Obviously the one pass to Noah, you know, touch too far,
could have you know, could have been a touchdown. We
could have pretty much ended it right there. But I
think overall, just things that we need to improve on.
It's one guy here, one guy there, and you know,
as as an offense, you know, you got to play
all eleven. Every guy's got to execute for a play
to work. And so if we can just clean up,
you know, some of our stuff down there, I think

(39:55):
we'll be better.

Speaker 10 (39:57):
Along Simmer alliance when a short artist thing you mentioned,
you can personally you better at helping the team out
their household.

Speaker 14 (40:02):
Just in always man, just always, you know, hit no
on the past. I mean that's pretty much simple right there.
And uh, you know we're not talking about this right now,
but overall, just you know, if I can improve on something,
I'm gonna, you know, try and do that. And I
think there's a lot of improvement to be had in
that area, in that situation. So you know, for us,
I just think we got to be included. We all
got to be better. And so that's really it for us, man,

(40:24):
we just got to execute better.

Speaker 3 (40:26):
She who activated from the injured reserve, we'll hear from
him next the.

Speaker 11 (40:36):
Thursday, from mun to you.

Speaker 1 (40:39):
The huddle.

Speaker 3 (40:41):
She who's speaking with reporters right now, will take you
their life.

Speaker 13 (40:46):
It's a pretty pretty big award.

Speaker 16 (40:47):
What does that mean to you?

Speaker 20 (40:49):
I mean, it means a lot to be able to
be recognized for everything that I'm doing. You know, it's
it's great, but you knows, still a lot of work
to be done and just want to keep it going.

Speaker 9 (40:58):
But definitely thankful, uh grateful and just keep it going.

Speaker 17 (41:04):
What inspired your work in the community.

Speaker 20 (41:08):
I feel like it's something that's always just been a
part of me. So my parents taught me growing up,
and I feel like there's this kind of guy I am.
I've always been a guy to help others, uh since
I was young, you know, even if it's like my
I have three sisters, so just helping them, helping my
parents around the house growing up, that's just what they
taught me. So it's always been a part of me.
And that's just the kind of guy who I am.

Speaker 12 (41:29):
Which initiative are you proud of, Stu?

Speaker 1 (41:30):
Or what was that?

Speaker 12 (41:31):
Which initiative do you are you proud of?

Speaker 3 (41:33):
Stuf?

Speaker 20 (41:33):
Or like the most I'll probably say the stuff I've
done with my uh high school over the years has
just kind of gotten a little worse since I went
there over ten years ago, maybe yeah, ten years ago,
so you know, just probably be able to get back
to those student athletes over there, you know, give them
something I didn't have when I went there, giving them
the resources for them to be the best they can be.

Speaker 9 (41:57):
And yeah, what did they use that for?

Speaker 20 (41:59):
So, so what I was able to do was build
an athletic center there, so they can have like a
full time trainer on staff. They have like, uh, a
room they can go in to get treatment, cold tubs,
ice machines, you know, stuff that we do here like
you know professional teams do or you know more other
schools have that.

Speaker 9 (42:20):
You know my high school didn't.

Speaker 20 (42:21):
So just stuff to help those athletes be great and
give them the che best chance to be successful.

Speaker 16 (42:26):
Are you able to ever go back to the games
or whatever and kind of see them play games?

Speaker 9 (42:30):
Is tough?

Speaker 20 (42:31):
But you know I I follow you know, online, and
you know, just try to keep do my best to
keep up with them.

Speaker 9 (42:37):
They're doing good. They're just won their Open division titles.

Speaker 20 (42:40):
So I'm proud of them, and but I try to
go back as much as I can. I went back
for a graduation. I was a keynote speaker actually, which
is pretty dope.

Speaker 1 (42:47):
So the does an off.

Speaker 13 (42:49):
Field more like this maybe mean even more? And you're
the it's been a tough year for you obviously, Yeah,
the injuries and everything you've had to give it. Yeah,
can you maybe even appreciate something that's a little.

Speaker 17 (42:57):
More because of that?

Speaker 20 (42:58):
Yeah, absolutely is giving me more time to think about
things that I want to do more even though you know,
of course my mind is still on football, always will be.
But you know, when you have that extra time, you
can think about things you want to do for the community.
And that's just what I've been trying to use to
distract myself a little bit and not think so much
of the injuries and you know, be down on myself.
Just use this time to give back to the community

(43:20):
and you know, make myself feel better.

Speaker 1 (43:22):
You know.

Speaker 17 (43:23):
So what was the theme of your graduation speech for that?

Speaker 20 (43:26):
Going over with the theme, uh, just basically just encouraging
the kids just to follow their dreams, never give up,
you know the talk, the regular talk.

Speaker 9 (43:35):
Always try to just.

Speaker 20 (43:39):
Yeah, build them up and just you know, keep them
positive and know that there's you know, there's ways to
always do what you want to accomplish. Even i it's
not you know, road A, there's still road B you
can take to get there.

Speaker 19 (43:48):
So then you also doing stuff here in the US,
but you also are connected with your African roots. Can
we talk about the duality of your helping.

Speaker 20 (43:58):
Yeah, I feel like it's really important to give back,
you know, from where you're from. Knowing where my parents
came from, going back there and seeing how they grew up,
it's difficult, you know, it's tough. There was one specific
thing where the village was without lights for like pretty
much the whole year. So I was able to, you know,
help out, give back and you know, cut the street

(44:18):
lights back on stack and see at night, so which
is huge cause once it gets like five o'clock is
dark and no one can see. So you know, just
helping just bring back light into the village and you know,
just helping out that way anyway I can.

Speaker 9 (44:30):
Is That's what I'm here for.

Speaker 17 (44:32):
How many times have you been back there?

Speaker 20 (44:33):
I've been back to Africa twice. I went to Ghana
for the n and for Africa thing. I think that
was about three years ago. I can't really remember it.
But then I went with my dad to Nigeria to
see his village in my mom's village, uh last year.

Speaker 9 (44:45):
So that was a good time.

Speaker 17 (44:47):
How long is trip was that?

Speaker 9 (44:48):
What was that.

Speaker 17 (44:49):
How how long were you over there?

Speaker 20 (44:50):
I was only over there for a week because I
had to you know, come back and start training and
do a bunch of other stuffs too here.

Speaker 9 (44:56):
So but it it was a good trip.

Speaker 12 (44:58):
Was it one of your parents' village that you put
the lights?

Speaker 9 (45:00):
Yeah, it was my dad's village.

Speaker 1 (45:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 17 (45:02):
I would be the guy to ask you about football.

Speaker 7 (45:03):
If that's okay.

Speaker 9 (45:04):
That's one. You know, last year.

Speaker 15 (45:07):
You you you uh got it had injury and the
defense really struggled against I run. This year, it had
an injury, a couple of injuries, and you've been able
to watch the defense really find itself. Talk about what
you've seen from the defense on the sidelines.

Speaker 9 (45:20):
Yeah, I see a lot of guys just playing hungry.

Speaker 20 (45:23):
You know, a lot of guys just going out there
and just just trying to prove that they are they're
The narrative that they have on the Seahawks is not true.

Speaker 9 (45:32):
And shout out to coach Mike Man.

Speaker 20 (45:33):
He does a great job with inspiring everybody, you know,
really uplifting guys, get guys fired up. You know, he
just does a great job and just leading us and
guys are taking the initiative We have a lot of
good leaders on the team as well, and guys are
being taking the initiative to do it themselves. And it's
kind of like a competition out there. I see a
guy is like, oh, okay, he's making plays. I'm trying

(45:54):
to make plays too, So it's kind of building everybody up,
you know, and everybody's kind of trusting each other and
believe in the scheme and everybody's playing playing together.

Speaker 17 (46:02):
What are you hoping to add when you get back
on the field.

Speaker 20 (46:05):
Just add my play making skills. That's one thing I've
been doing my whole career is making plays. So that's
one thing I'm looking forward to do when I get
back here that they're just making plays.

Speaker 17 (46:13):
What's this your been like for your two pretty significant injuries.

Speaker 9 (46:16):
Yeah, man, it's been tough. You know, I pretty much
my whole career.

Speaker 20 (46:19):
I I've dealt with little injuries there, but nothing that's
kept me out for this long, starting from last year
with the with the UH with the peck injury. So
you know, I'm just tryna just you know, just refigure
out myself, you know, what I need to do better.
I feel like it's really things that's kind of been
out of my control, especially with the knee injury that
I had, and then one one thing leads to another,
you know, so who knows. So just kind of just

(46:40):
revent refiguring myself out and just you know, just trusting
my process and knowing that, you know, I know my
career is gonna be great. I'm'a still be the same
player I am, and just continue to trust myself.

Speaker 12 (46:50):
What did you think of that play in the preseason year?

Speaker 20 (46:53):
I thought it was dirty. Uh, straight up, I ain't
like it. Uh it's preseason. We're gonna be there like
two drives, you know, but it's football. You know, I
get it as football at the end of the day.
But it was definitely a dirty play.

Speaker 13 (47:04):
What what happened your most recent injury?

Speaker 17 (47:05):
What what happened on that one?

Speaker 20 (47:07):
Yeah, I was dealing with a thigh injury, so that
what happened was I actually I tore my quad in
uh my left my left quads. So that's what I
was dealing with, you know, talking to doctors. You know,
no surgery was needed. I rehab then I feel ready
to go.

Speaker 1 (47:24):
Ye asked do you know.

Speaker 17 (47:24):
About that hit on Trevor Lawrence? Did you see that
like a chance. Yeah, and d you kind of you
kind of sympathized with both sides. You know, you obviously
you wanna protect the quarterback. Do you understand it's how
that you guys are making a split second decision.

Speaker 9 (47:36):
Yeah, you know.

Speaker 17 (47:37):
Sometimes quarterbacks and fake slights and all that stuff.

Speaker 1 (47:39):
MM.

Speaker 13 (47:40):
I'm just curious how what your approach to that is
what you think getting kind of conversations you.

Speaker 20 (47:43):
Kind of thought about, Yeah, it's difficult, you know, being
a defensive player in this league. Now, you know, we
got all these different rules and how to land and
how to hit and when to not hit.

Speaker 9 (47:52):
And how to tackle. Like, it's really difficult, you know.

Speaker 20 (47:55):
And I'm sure that player had no intentions of you know,
hurting Trevor, but I think, you know, from a defensive player,
I think quarterbacks got a slide a little earlier. You know,
you can't wait til the last second to test the guy,
cause he's gonna give his heart go as hardest. You know,
he's gonna keep playing. If you wait to get to
that last second, you never know what might happen. Not
saying it was right, but he's the guy's just playing hardest.

(48:15):
And unfortunately Trevor got injured, you know, seriously.

Speaker 9 (48:18):
And we don't wish that any on anybody.

Speaker 17 (48:20):
So did the play that you got hurt on in
the preseason? Is your perspective changed on that at all
in terms of whether it was dirty or not.

Speaker 20 (48:27):
No, my perspective doesn't change it all on that that
was a dirty play. I feel like the I feel
like the way he was going, you're not allowed to
block back to going towards your own end zone, and
I feel like I was past him and the way
he dove was coming back towards his own end zone,
and I feel like it was dirty and it wasn't.

Speaker 17 (48:42):
It wasn't the fact that just the fact that it
was a preseason game. Like if that happened in a
regular season game, would you have felt the same way?

Speaker 9 (48:48):
I would have felt the same way.

Speaker 20 (48:49):
I know, you'll know you're allowed to cut, but you
c th the way you cut, you can't go do
it going back towards your own end zone. And that's
what he did to me. So that's what made it dirty.

Speaker 13 (48:57):
It Every injury situation is different, but a lot of times.

Speaker 16 (48:59):
If a guy on IR and the teams on the road,
you might be back home rehabbing, or spend next time.

Speaker 13 (49:03):
Tailable why it was important to you to be with
the team and wild see on the sideline interact with
the guys.

Speaker 9 (49:07):
I could.

Speaker 17 (49:08):
Why'd you wanna be there?

Speaker 2 (49:08):
Play?

Speaker 9 (49:09):
I just know that's just how who I am. You know,
I don't wanna.

Speaker 20 (49:12):
I know, last year, when I had my peck injury,
you know, that was kind of the first time I
really got injured really in my career.

Speaker 9 (49:17):
So I took some time off.

Speaker 20 (49:19):
You know, coaches told me to you know, stay home,
be with your family, and then come back and join
the team. So this year, I didn't want to abandon
the team, you know, I wanted to be around those guys,
keep leading being a leader that I am, keep you know,
being a coach pretty much out there on the sideline,
helping guys figure out how to beat certain blocks or
how to play certain things that they're getting. So I
was able to offer, you know, that part of my
you know game, even though it's not on the field.

(49:41):
It was more mental, and I felt like that was
really important to those guys, and you know, being their
kind of quote unquot cheerleaders on the sideline, I guess
to help them keep their confidence up and stuff.

Speaker 15 (49:51):
Last time you played, uh, two different linebackers, different starting
safety Raverson Harris wasn't here.

Speaker 17 (49:57):
A lot of change on the defensive side. Talk about
some of the new at.

Speaker 20 (50:01):
Lian Yeah, we got a bunch of new guys. We're
not a bunch of new guys. A couple of new
guys out there. You know, EJ's doing a great job
for us, stepping up. T Night is doing a good
job for us stepping nut uh stepping up. But you know,
sometimes that's the NFL. You know, things don't work out
the way you hope. And you know, shout out to
Jerome and t Do. You know they came in, did
a great job for us when they were here, But

(50:23):
you know, sometimes things just don't fit and instead of
just having them here, you know, sitting on the bench,
you know they're able to go and prolong their careers
and you know, continue to play and show their skills
on teams that they do fit with. So you know,
to win on both sides at the end of the day.
And you know, I'm happy to make friendships and relationships
with those guys, but you know it's a mature of
the business.

Speaker 9 (50:43):
You know, you gotta move on.

Speaker 20 (50:44):
You gotta produce, you gotta you know, you gotta gotta
keep going.

Speaker 17 (50:47):
You feel like you could play.

Speaker 10 (50:48):
Like full normal work load on Sunday and you get
to be like on a stand.

Speaker 20 (50:52):
That's what I'm preparing for. You know, that's a coach's
decision at the end of the day. That's out of
my control. But I'm preparing, like you know, to be
able to play. You never know how the game goes.
You know, it's football. You can be on a twelve
play drive, you know, you never know. So I'm just
trying to get my body is ready to go and
play as many play as.

Speaker 1 (51:06):
I need to be.

Speaker 3 (51:08):
Voice of the Seahawks Steve Rabel joins us. Next, you
are listening to the huddle.

Speaker 1 (51:11):
This This is.

Speaker 2 (51:12):
The huddle every Thursday from noon to two on Seattle Sports.

Speaker 3 (51:18):
You are listening to the Huddle with Dave Wyman, Michael Bumpis,
and Stacy Ross. The Voice of the Seahawks. Steve Rabel
joining us right now, Rabes, how's it going.

Speaker 12 (51:26):
Here's going great, Stace, how are you.

Speaker 3 (51:28):
I'm good. I'm feeling optimistic about this Week fourteen matchup
that could end up deciding the NFC West. Obviously a
huge boon to Seattle if they win, but Rabes, I
gotta see them get more than just six points on
offense in this one. So how would you like to
see them do it? What would you like to see
differently offensively this time around?

Speaker 18 (51:48):
Well, if you go back to my pregame notes and
if you ask Dave all the time when we do
keys to the game that we have talked about this year,
having to run the ball better, I think you see
that probably in well of what twelve games, you'd probably
see it in ten or eleven games where it was
a part.

Speaker 11 (52:07):
Of the.

Speaker 1 (52:10):
Fact.

Speaker 18 (52:10):
That's not because you're necessarily going to pick up two
hundred yards or one hundred and fifty yards rushing. But
the key is that by doing that, by being able
to run the football, you balance that offense out and
you make it easier to throw the ball. We know
we can throw, We know that Gino's got targets, we
know that he can hit them. We also know that
every so often he'll throw an interception. Sometimes they're not

(52:30):
his fault, but that happens as well, and running the
football helps balance all of that out. It also helps
control the clock keeps you ahead of the sticks, so
it makes your offense more effective. So we have to
do a better job of that. We didn't do a
great job last week, although a little bit better against
the Jets, not a very good job at all against
the Cardinals a couple of weeks ago. It's coming along,

(52:54):
I think, but you know, there's been a lot of
up people on the offensive line, and I think that's
the biggest that's the big part of what needs to
kind of continue to grow together.

Speaker 4 (53:04):
Yeah, and Rabes, do you think maybe it's more about
kind of fine tuning what are we best at because
we're pretty late in the season, and you know, it's
kind of like you kind of know who your players
are and you know when you look at at you know,
offensive players that work and you're a you're a receiver.
I know you like throwing the ball all over the yard.
But what what do you see out of this offense

(53:27):
that you think you know works? Like, realize who you
are and you know what you know what you're best at.

Speaker 1 (53:34):
What do you think that is?

Speaker 18 (53:36):
Well, you know, again, it's it's hard not knowing all
of what Ryan Grubb has, you know, in his toolbox
and how much of that that a that they have
put in. I mean they've probably installed virtually everything, but
be how much of it they've just already set aside
and said, you know what, let's let's kind of simplify
our game plan a little bit. I think they did

(53:57):
that on the defense and it's worked wonders. So having
two new inside linebackers has really worked wonders. But on offense,
you know, go back to that touchdown run. Just how
you draw it up with with Charmoney at the end
of the game, meaning to have it got it, Just
how you draw it up offensive line blocking nice crease,

(54:19):
Charmonaye follows blockers in there and scores. You know, it's
it ain't rocket science, as the coaches used to tell me.
It's it's it's a process and you have to learn together.
And you know, we've only had a back for a
couple of weeks and we're you know, in the process
of working uh Le May into the offense. As he
played every down he'll play again this week. I think

(54:42):
it just it just takes a little time sometimes to
kind of grow together.

Speaker 5 (54:45):
That way raids what are the the pros and the
cons when you play a team twice in three weeks.

Speaker 18 (54:55):
That's a good question, and if I were a coach,
I would probably would probably know a better answer to that.
But I think the biggest thing is there's an advantage. Yeah, Okay,
we just saw them, and you know, we know what
they want to do and how they want to do it.
The downside of that is they just saw you, and

(55:15):
they know what you want to do and how you
want to do it. So now it becomes a matter of, Okay,
how can we alter things just a little bit so
that we can you know, make progress. Are there some
things we didn't show that we can now show that
we want to try to do, or we just want
to do our basic, basic things and do them better.
You know, it was an amazing performance by these guys,

(55:39):
the Seahawks, that is against the run. Especially Dave and
I talked about it so much. They were averaging one
hundred and fifty yards the game on the ground coming
in and Kyler Murray gets like twelve yards or ten
yards and Connor gets nine yards. It's amazing the job
they did, the Seahawks did against the run. Can you
duplicate that? Can you do it all again? I don't know,

(56:01):
but you know, You've got all the same guys now
out there that are going to do it, and that
are even one more game advanced in their defensive thinking.
So I don't know that it's necessarily a bad thing.
I don't know if it's a big advantage.

Speaker 11 (56:14):
Or not either.

Speaker 3 (56:16):
Hey, Rabes, I had a lot of questions about Mike
McDonald when the season started, heck, when training camp started,
and I think now that we're entering into week fourteen,
some of those have kind of been answered. Is there
a question you had about the new Seahawks head coach
that by week fourteen you think you have an answer to?

Speaker 18 (56:35):
Wow, you know, he's proven so much and maybe most
of all what coaches have to do head coaches, especially,
excuse me, is show that that steadiness at the helm
of the ship when things aren't going well, when you
lose five or six and people are already starting to write, well,
was it really the right choice that we made? You know?

(56:58):
I don't. John Schnei has made a lot of choices
in his time as general manager, and this one is
one that I think everybody would say was the right choice,
and it's proven out. It just takes a little bit
of time. So I think what he's shown most of
all that I think has been the biggest advantage for

(57:18):
him is that steadiness. He doesn't get up too high,
too crazy. Maybe in the locker room right after the game,
but then everybody is kind of crazy at that point
and you're enjoying a win. But he doesn't get too low.
He doesn't throw guys under the bus. He knows when
they have to make corrections, how to make corrections, and
how to stick to the plan. I know I'm sounding

(57:40):
like him, but how to stick to the process, because
that's the way you get through those tough times. And
now that you're on the other side of those tough
times and things are starting to work in your favor,
how do you keep everybody focused on that playoff game
every week? You know, we used to not talk about
that very much. We always used to just say, well,
it's just another game. Has just come right out and said, no,

(58:01):
we have to play at a playoff level every single week,
and that's the way you will finally advance to that
and have a shot of winning the division. And I
know they're doing that right now, and I think it's
just going to be fun to watch. None of these
games are easy, and I always have a pit in
my stomach, just like Dave does. I didn't throw up
before games like Dave did, but you have that pit

(58:25):
as you're going in thinking what I always used to think.
What's the worst thing that can happen when you're lined
up out there wide as a wide receiver? Okay, what's
the worst thing? What can this guy do across from me?
Or if I'm lined up in you know, in the slot,
what can happen? That's the worst thing. So I can
be prepared for.

Speaker 1 (58:41):
So I'm texting you right now the worst thing that
could happen?

Speaker 18 (58:44):
Okay, Well, I don't know that I want to look
at that, but I will.

Speaker 11 (58:50):
I will do my best.

Speaker 3 (58:52):
It is a one oh five pm kickoff between Seahawks
and Cardinals for Week fourteen in Glendale. Rabes on the
call alongside Wyman. Thanks Rapes, Thanks very Hi.

Speaker 18 (59:00):
Guys, thank you see today.

Speaker 3 (59:02):
See you Well, let's head to Glendale. Learn a bit
more about the Cardinals with ESPN's Josh Weinefist.

Speaker 9 (59:08):
Next.

Speaker 2 (59:08):
This this is the Huddle every Thursday from noon to two.

Speaker 3 (59:12):
On Seattle Sports. You are listening to the huddle. Joining
us right now for an opponent preview. It's ESPN's Josh
Wine fist. Josh, how's it going?

Speaker 11 (59:22):
I am great?

Speaker 3 (59:22):
How are you fantastic? And Uh, it's going to be
a really interesting battle between these two teams. The Arizona
Cardinals a much better team than I was expecting.

Speaker 6 (59:32):
Josh.

Speaker 3 (59:32):
You obviously know this team much better. So is there
is what they've done this year in terms of being
being pretty competitive, a great year for Kyler surprising to
you in any way or did you kind of see
it coming.

Speaker 11 (59:45):
It's a good question, a little bit of both. You know,
I'm not totally surprised or as surprised as other people,
just because you saw the pieces there, right, You saw
the individual talent, you saw the skill player, and you
kind of saw what they put together at the end
of last season. So but I am surprised kind of

(01:00:07):
that four game winning streak, Like I was a little
surprised at how well they started to play together at
that point in the season. But with all that being set,
like this team it has all the components to be
a really good team, it's just can't put it all
together yet. So when they came close against Buffalo in

(01:00:27):
Week one, and then when they almost beat the Lions
in Week three, You're kind of like, Okay, like this
kind of this will be kind of that bridge season,
right like last year's kind of a rebuild, wait for
Kinder get back. This here'll be that bridge. And then
they rattle off four straight. You're like, let's not be
a playoff team, Like I might have to clear my
calendar in January. So a little bit of both kind

(01:00:48):
of expected because of what they have, also a.

Speaker 4 (01:00:49):
Little surprised as far as the player goes, Josh, was
it a surprise that Trey McBride was going to be
the leading target getter there? I mean, he's got fourteen
more than Harrison Junior.

Speaker 1 (01:01:01):
Has it scored a touchdown yet?

Speaker 4 (01:01:02):
At least a receiving touchdown anyway, But was he a
big surprise? Has he been a big surprise this year?
Did they kind of know that going in?

Speaker 11 (01:01:13):
No, it's not a surprise at all, Like they knew
he was going to be an absolute star this year.
I mean he kind of showed it last year after
especially after they got after they released Zach Ertz, try
mc bride took off, like he absolutely took off. And
you know this season, this off season he had he
built a lot of confidence. He went to tight end

(01:01:34):
you so they kind of knew coming in, like especially
with a full off season storing with Kyler, like if
they can get that relationship down, which they did. Like,
this team had very high expectations for treeming Bride and
he fulfilled though. So and I know you say, like,
you know, he has fourteen more catches than than Marvin
Harrison Junior. Marvin Harrison Junior also has obviously seven touchdowns
to trade zero, but he also has more yards. So

(01:01:55):
I think it's also a product of him being kind
of an outlet or he released for Kyler Murray. But
the other thing is, like he's one of the top
they thought five to ten tight ends in this league.
And I think he can make you know, he can
make a lot of plays. He's very hard to defend.
He can do a little bit of everything, and I
think he's just gonna keep getting better.

Speaker 5 (01:02:15):
Hey, they haven't been able to punch it in, get
it in the the end zone. Five field goals made
last week and then obviously against the Seahawks. I'm a
couple of field goals there. What do you think it is?
What's not connected? When it comes to this offense and
being able to get Indian zone.

Speaker 11 (01:02:31):
If I had that answer, I'd be in Vegas right
now making money. You know, it's weird because they were
doing it so well during their winning streak and then
they came out from the Bay and it just wasn't clicking.
I think that's kind of just like kind of the
ebbs and flows of the season, right like things work
one week and things don't work the next week. They
played two very good teams. I think they had a

(01:02:51):
lot to do with it too, you know, like the
Seahawks were able to really impact what Arizona wanted to do,
and then last week the Vikings were able to do
the same. You know, I think not having Marvin Harrison
and Kyler Murray on the same page completely, I think
it is an issue in the red zone. But also
I think it's a combination of, you know, when things

(01:03:12):
don't go their way, I think they kind of lose
a little bit of confidence, a little bit of steam
from the locomotive offense that can just power through teams
in the middle of the field. But it's it's weird
because you know, everything was going still right for them
during that stretch. They won four in a row. They
won five out of six and everything was going great,
and then they came out from the buy and you know,
the question we're heading into the buy three weeks ago

(01:03:34):
was what team will come out of this buy? Will
it affect them? And obviously it has, but you know,
all weeks we get we heard, you know, kind of
the coach weak execution, execution, execution. They just got to
go down there and make plays. Like it sounds sounds
like I'm a coach now, but like that's really what
it comes down to. Like they can get down there,
they just have to finish. And how they do that,
I mean the little things, it's it's not getting backed off.

(01:03:57):
They started one drive of the nineteen Sunday in Minnesota,
they got backed up to like the thirty. You know,
it's like little things like that. And I know Kyler Murray,
it's been kind of a thorn in his side throughout
his whole career, aspecially under clip Kings, Like there are
all these little things that affected this team. He hates it.
He absolutely hates it. So I can't imagine his frustration
level is very low right now when you're.

Speaker 3 (01:04:18):
A team that's been a little up and down the
way both of these squads have. You can look back
at certain games and go, I don't know that that
ends up being that way ten out of ten times
for the Seahawks. I look to the Giants game and
I go, I don't know that they lose to the
Giants ten out of ten times, but they did that day.
I thought that Arizona against Seattle in Week twelve had
I wouldn't say entirely uncharacteristic, but like, it's been such

(01:04:40):
a good run team and Kyler had been so solid
and it felt like, you know, a down day for them. Overall,
What would you say is the most likely aspect to
their game that's that's most likely to change heading into
Week fourteen.

Speaker 11 (01:04:56):
I think that I think getting Kyler involved early I
think one thing was that when and this scene gets
him out in space early in the first quarter, it
changes the whole complexion of the offense because teams have
to think about Kyler Moore because when they start the
game just pounding the ball with James Connor throwing some
passes to whether it's it's Marvin Harrison Junior, Michael Wilson,
Ray McBride, and they don't run Kyler early, teams don't

(01:05:19):
really have to focus on that, right there are two
dimensional teams that have a three dimensional team. But when
they get Kyler out early, like, it not only changes
the run game, but changes the pass game because he's
so good throwing on the on the move. So if
they can get him out in space, whether it's a
design run, whether it's an RPO, whether it's some sort
of you know, just just an off schedule type of play,

(01:05:40):
and let him put in the back of the Seahawks'
defense's mind that, hey, we got to count to this
guy because he's already making things happen. It could change
that game. But when they don't, I feel like they
take away a dynamic of this offense that is so valuable.
And he doesn't want his legs to be the reason
why they win, Like, he doesn't want to be the
kind of a key cog to this offense, but he

(01:06:03):
does know that he does need to make plays in
order for the offense to get going. And if they
can do that early, I think it changes the game.

Speaker 4 (01:06:10):
Hey, Josh, the guy with the third most sacks L J. Collier,
guy that was here and just didn't click for him here.
But what do you what do you sing from him?
And what do you what do you hear from him?
When he talks about his stay here in Seattle.

Speaker 11 (01:06:24):
You know, he doesn't really talk about it a ton.
I'm sure it'll come up again, you know, later, but
if I talked to him tomorrow, but it really he
doesn't really talk about it at the time. And I
think he's just someone who he has said in the past,
like he's just he knows what he can do, and
he just he wants to go out and improve it.
And I think he's showing that that what he's capable of,

(01:06:46):
because this pass rush isn't a great pass rush, right,
so what he I think, which makes what he's doing
even more impressive because he's able to get to the
quarterbacks in large part on his own. You know, obviously
they're getting pushed from everywhere, but he's making plays happen
because of l J. Cob not necessarily, maybe because the
Edgars is pushing a quarterback in the up in the
pocket or something like that. So I think, you know,

(01:07:06):
he's showing he's they wanted him for reasons. He's big,
he's strong, he's quick off the ball. Like I've been
impressed what I've seen from him this year. He played
one game last year, so really wasn't he You know,
we don't really see much from a year ago, but
I've been impressed with what I've seen frohim this year,
and I think if he's showing what he's capable of
and kind of what didn't all come through fruition up

(01:07:27):
there in cl.

Speaker 5 (01:07:28):
You know, we we sit back and we look at
the rest of the season for the Hawks, and we
come out with, Okay, they got to win these maybe
split these two games. How are you guys looking at
the rest of the season for the Cardinals, Seattle, New England,
Carolina LA.

Speaker 6 (01:07:42):
Then he finished with the Niners.

Speaker 11 (01:07:46):
Uh, well, they have to win this game otherwise I
think the division is going to be very hard for
them to win, and I don't see the West getting
a wildcard team in at this rates. So they need
to win this game. Obviously, the next two after this
are extremely winnable on paper, right, and then you go
and play the the Rams in week seventeen, they were

(01:08:10):
they beat them, They'd beat the Niners in Week eighteen.
Like in theory, they could run the table win the
last five, but they could also lose three of those five.
You know they can lose. They can they could drop
one of the two to New England or Seattle or
to Carolina. We just the problem with the team is
you don't know which team's going to show up every week.
And being in the season like that was a big

(01:08:31):
storyline was there was so much inconsistency that you had
no idea, Like they didn't know what she was going
to show up. All we heard was a great week
of practice. We didn't know who was gonna play on Sunday, right,
Like they went into the Green Bay game, they had
no idea what she was gonna show up, and they
got beat pretty badly, and but they saw a chance
to win that game. Like you a couple of small

(01:08:51):
players in that game, the outcome would have been different.
But they I just don't know who's gonna show up
for the stretch run. Like they talk about, you know,
one game at a time, like all the stuff we
hear every least for every team, But like they also
aware what every game means long term, like they have
to be. They all peak at the standings. They all
understand like if they lose this game, their chances of
making the playoffs go down dramatically, and I think that

(01:09:15):
that's going to be on their mind, Like it can'tnot
be on their mind. I don't care how mentally strong
you are as a player, like you you are thinking
about that. But like like I said, like they could
go five and o the next five, they could go three,
two and three, they can go one and four, they
go four to one, Like I just, we have no
idea who shows up on Sunday, but they're capable of
doing all of that.

Speaker 1 (01:09:34):
Well.

Speaker 3 (01:09:34):
I think they're going to be facing a tougher Cardinals team,
at least from the Seattle point of view. I just
I can't see Kyler being held back the way he
was in Week twelve. But it'll be a great battle,
fun Week fourteen matchup. He is ESPN's Josh Weinfisz.

Speaker 1 (01:09:47):
Thanks Josh, anytime.

Speaker 3 (01:09:50):
All right, John Boyle joining us next. You're listening to
the huddle.

Speaker 2 (01:09:53):
This is the huddle every Thursday from noon to two
on Seattle Sport.

Speaker 3 (01:09:59):
You you are listening to the Huddle with Dave Warman,
Michael Bumpas Stacy Rostin. Joining us right now, John Boyle
at Seahawks dot Com. We're going to share some final
thoughts and wrap up our preview here at Seahawks Cardinals
John We just spoke with Josh Weinfuss, who covers the
Cardinals for ESPN, and he said that the story of
the Cardinals this year has been which team is going

(01:10:19):
to show up? Even if you had a great week
of practice, it was Okay, are you going to get
the best version of Kyler and James Connor? Or you're
going to get a team that puts up six points
and struggles to do much of anything. Feels like that
used to be the story of the Seahawks, and now
I feel like I'm counting on them a little bit more.
A big part of that has been defense. What have
you seen that feels real about the defensive turnaround?

Speaker 16 (01:10:40):
You know, I think it's been what four games now,
really going back to the loss against the Rams, where
that defense has stopped the run pretty consistently, even you know,
the forty nine ers I think had one hundred and
thirty summer rushing arts, but it was on a lot
of carries. They held McCaffrey well under his average. And yeah,
it's been you know, I think we're just seeing what
this defense can be once you starts stopping the run,

(01:11:01):
where then we get the cool pressures on third down
and the different blitzes, different looks, and Mike McDonald wants
to throw at teams. They weren't able to get to
that stuff when they weren't stopping the run. So that yeah, defensively,
you know, Ernest Jones been awesome. I think Tyers Sninsteine
really a job since he started there, and it's just been,
you know, a week after week a really good defense
and not not a lot of those caveats of like,

(01:11:22):
oh well the quarterback was this guy or they were
missing this guy, Like you know, good quarterbacks, good, good
running backs, good opponents, and they're still doing this.

Speaker 4 (01:11:30):
You know, I just still we were talking about Big
Cat and just kind of marveling over not only how
well he's been playing, but that particular play. You know,
we were talking about how the fact that he looked
like he was a linebacker dropping into a zone.

Speaker 1 (01:11:44):
And then the other thing that was.

Speaker 4 (01:11:45):
Pretty funny was was it Garrett Wilson that tried to
tackle him?

Speaker 1 (01:11:48):
Somebody bounced off his nose?

Speaker 16 (01:11:50):
Yeah, like it wasn't even there.

Speaker 4 (01:11:51):
Yeah, it didn't even affect him, Like it didn't reroute him.

Speaker 16 (01:11:54):
Yeah, I didn't in real time, I thought he was untouched,
and then I watched the replay, I was like, no, no,
somebody hit him. But it just yeah, but like you know,
just like your little brother, like slap him off.

Speaker 4 (01:12:04):
But I mean just the way he's been playing, and
you know what, it's really remarkable for a guy that's
that big and watching.

Speaker 1 (01:12:11):
Him run down the field, he was moving, could not
believe that.

Speaker 4 (01:12:14):
So, I mean, just it's I'm trying to remember the
last time I've seen a stretch up two games for
by a defender.

Speaker 1 (01:12:21):
I mean maybe Cortez Kennedy.

Speaker 16 (01:12:23):
Yeah, for an interior guy to be that disruptive two
weeks in a that's really hard to do. And you
mentioned Cortez Kennedy. He's the first. Leonard is the first
Seahawks defensive tackle to be Player of the Week since
Cortez Kennedy. So it's been a little while. Yeah, but yeah,
I mean just you know, have what four and a
half sacks in two games, plus you know, the biggest
play this season arguably with that pick six. I guess

(01:12:43):
it's been really cool to see him. I mean, he's
been playing really well all year, but sometimes you can
you can play well at that position and not always
show up on the stat sheets. So for him to
really start popping like this is pretty fun to see who's.

Speaker 5 (01:12:56):
The leader of this defense because I would think, one,
you gotta play.

Speaker 6 (01:12:59):
Well to be a leader. Yeah, and Lennard's been balling out.

Speaker 5 (01:13:02):
He's a veteran. J lel has been balling out. He's
a veteran. Ernest has been balling out. He's a veteran.
But it seems like Ernest kind of him be having
the green dot and doing the communication puts him in that.

Speaker 6 (01:13:12):
Leadership rol automatically.

Speaker 5 (01:13:13):
But when it's time to talk to somebody, who do
you think is the guy over there?

Speaker 16 (01:13:18):
You know, I think there's a few of them. I
don't think this is a you know, there's a stretch
for this franchise where it was like very clear it
was Bobby and Russ's team, like they were the two
clear veteran leaders on each side of the ball. And
I think, you know, going back to twenty twenty two
when when Russ left and Bobby left, even though Bobby
did come back, I think that sort of created a
shift where you had more more leaders instead just one guy.

(01:13:41):
So yeah, I mean, Julian really jumps out to me
as one of those guys. But even he's not, you know,
the demonstrative yelling at guy's kind of leader, but just
in terms of the respect and taking command of things,
he's really good at that.

Speaker 1 (01:13:53):
Up front.

Speaker 16 (01:13:54):
I think it's probably Jared Reid's a huge leader in
that group, even though maybe he doesn't get the recognition,
you know, of a Leonard Williams or something like that.
But yeah, those two I think are leading the charge
of front of Chenna now that he's coming back. Yeah,
he's definitely a leader of that defense too, But it's
hard to say there's really one guy. And maybe maybe
over time, you know, Furnest Jones is back and they
get a long term deal done with him, maybe that

(01:14:14):
becomes his role because as you said it, it naturally
fits that position. But he is pretty new here, so
I think maybe there's other guys.

Speaker 1 (01:14:21):
Doing it too.

Speaker 6 (01:14:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:14:22):
I don't like looking down on any part of a
win streak or on a team that's in No, I'm not, however,
But however, the point differential they've been putting up is
a little too close for comfort for me. They just
haven't been scoring a ton and k I know, and
they've been benefiting from obviously pick sixes in two of

(01:14:42):
those games and obviously suffering with a pick six offensively
in one of them. So what's an area on offense
where if you started seeing a change there, you'd think,
I feel pretty good about this team's chances in the playoffs.

Speaker 16 (01:14:56):
Just start running the ball better, Like I still really
I know there's been more interceptions than we'd like, but
I still really trust you know, Smith in that passing game,
and we see it even when the offense hasn't been great.
We've seen in these recent wins, like when they need
to drive late in the game, they've come through. And
I just think, you know, if you can start running
the ball more consistently for four quarters, doesn't need to

(01:15:17):
just be dominant. I'm not saying you need to be
the best rushing offense in the NFL, but just get
to where you can count on it and you know,
move the chains a little bit. With the wrong game,
I think this offense could really take a big leap.
But well, the last game was weird too, because it's
like the offense was barely on the field in that
first half because special teams turn it over twice and
then you have the long kick return.

Speaker 3 (01:15:37):
They had a nice response.

Speaker 16 (01:15:38):
Yeah, so it's like you look at offensive numbers last
week and they're not great. But it's a little hard
for me to judge that performance. Kevin. Everything going on
special teams.

Speaker 4 (01:15:47):
So were you given in Mike McDonald all kinds of
advice on, you know, having new babies, and yet.

Speaker 16 (01:15:55):
I think he's been all too busy to come find
a team reporter and ask for dad.

Speaker 4 (01:15:58):
I mean, you have a lot of experience there, and
I do. That was the boy was he born on
the on Tuesday.

Speaker 16 (01:16:05):
Was Tuesday night, which if you're gonna have a baby
in season, I was going to the labor Monday and
a baby tuesdays.

Speaker 1 (01:16:10):
Yeah, he planned it perfectly.

Speaker 16 (01:16:12):
It's a hell of a way to do it.

Speaker 3 (01:16:13):
Credit to Stephanie.

Speaker 1 (01:16:14):
Yeah, oh yeah, what course we're not.

Speaker 16 (01:16:16):
We're not giving Mike a lot of credit here, that's all.

Speaker 1 (01:16:18):
That's all. Yeah. I like the way, you know, and
he we're talking about how he's kind of blunt. He
just sort of like spits things out.

Speaker 4 (01:16:25):
The way he talked about his wife and everything that
was just it was very like unrehearsed.

Speaker 1 (01:16:30):
I loved it.

Speaker 16 (01:16:30):
Yeah, it was great. I mean it's obviously a big
moment in his life and I can't even imagine. I mean,
most of us have a kid. You take a little
more time off than he's going to be able to. Yeah,
and just the job he has of like your first
year head coach in the middle of this playoff push.
That's a big life change. But you know, I think
it'll you know, a lot of talk to some of
his players who are parents, and they're kind of it's
gonna be good for a middle you know, help him

(01:16:52):
kind of gain a little perspective in life and some
things a little differently.

Speaker 4 (01:16:55):
So it's kind of funny too because he at one
point he goes, yeah, I can't wait to go home
and see HM tonight.

Speaker 1 (01:17:00):
Yeah, you got a chance to him that.

Speaker 6 (01:17:03):
He had that look in his eye. I've seen some things.

Speaker 1 (01:17:08):
He was like a war veteran. Y oh my god,
got the thousand yards to.

Speaker 6 (01:17:13):
Different type of respect to y as for sure. Who's there?

Speaker 5 (01:17:16):
Who's your your I mean, I'm gonna make you pick
a favorite.

Speaker 6 (01:17:18):
I guess I'm sorry, Boil, who's your favorite player to
talk to?

Speaker 5 (01:17:21):
Just candidly and off the record, just besing around, man.

Speaker 16 (01:17:24):
I don't know that's can put me on the spot
like that, Like.

Speaker 6 (01:17:27):
I will give me a group a group position.

Speaker 16 (01:17:30):
I know the dB is a lot like I was
gonna probably go Julian Love anyway because he's just ya
chattle with him a lot. I just like that dB
group's got some cool personalities.

Speaker 1 (01:17:39):
Yeah, it's a fun group.

Speaker 3 (01:17:40):
It's a good question. Who's what about all times since
you've been a reporter, maybe one of your favorite guys
you've covered.

Speaker 16 (01:17:48):
I mean, it's such an obvious one about Bobby because
he was like he was a guy who like was
chill in the locker room and hanging out with guys
and would just kick it with the beat guys off
the record, and then he became this like super star
and he's still did that. Like I'm not like judging
the guys who shift away from that and they only
want to do their press commerce, but like Bobby and
kJ is like they'd hold court in their locker and

(01:18:08):
talk about off field stuff, talk about family like those
two guys.

Speaker 3 (01:18:12):
I always thought it was notable when guys became superstars
and we're still like remembered a reporter's name or they
were polite or they were because you don't have to
be yeah, and it's not even expected that you do.

Speaker 1 (01:18:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:18:22):
So I was really tlling. Okay, so we have about
thirty seconds here, and so keep your answers really short.
But in order to get ready for week fourteen, we'll
go bump Wyman John. Seahawks win, if.

Speaker 5 (01:18:34):
They win, if they win the turnover battle again, Kyler
Murray's been throwing that thing in places he shouldn't throw it,
So keep your rolling.

Speaker 1 (01:18:43):
The good one.

Speaker 4 (01:18:44):
I'm not saying he's gonna get only nine yards, but
contain because we talk about the you know, the the
bulrush and you get the chinna back and you know,
maybe not flying up field and trying to you know,
take him out.

Speaker 1 (01:18:56):
Just contain Kyler Murray.

Speaker 3 (01:18:59):
Boyle.

Speaker 16 (01:19:00):
I'm gonna say winning the red zone we obviously the
very obvious struggle the Seahawks had down there. But on
the other side of it, Cardinals have been a really
good red zone team until that game of Seahawks, and
then they've struggled the last couple of games in there.
So I think whichever team can kind of find their
way offensively in the red zone is gonna have a
big edge. Also, Doug Baldwin too. I'm gonna feel bad
if I don't mention it when you talk about my
favorite guess.

Speaker 6 (01:19:19):
That's great one.

Speaker 3 (01:19:19):
Definitely definitely feel bad if I leave him out. That
whole group had some really great guys. Have so many
good memories from that Super Bowl squad and those those
era but lots of great guys on that squad too,
good personalities. Seahawks at Cards in Glendale. Kickoff is at
one oh five PM. Wyman's going to be on the
call with Raves. Of course, you could hear Bump on
the pre and postgame show. Make sure you're reading recaps
and news from John Boyle on Seahawks dot com. This

(01:19:40):
has been the huddle

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