October 6, 2025 • 42 mins
This week on Panther Talk, Anish, Jim and Eugene speak with Dave Canales, Brad Nortman, and Ted Emerich about the Panthers week 5 comeback victory over Miami and this Sunday's matchup against the Cowboys.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The following is an exclusive presentation of the Carolina Panthers
and the National Football League Still Tough, pantherto and Thirtll
and Thirto. This is Panther Talk on the Carolina Panthers
radio network.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Rice throws caught by Abbotts Ta puts into the episode.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
For a touchdown.
Speaker 4 (00:22):
It's another lookie.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
It's special Evins and it gives Carolina the lead.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Just doing right, just executing, taking care of the ball
and communicating with each other. It was a full group effort.
It was guys just settling in and executing and staying together.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
And now, along with Jim Zokie and Eugene Robinson, here's
a Niche Shroff with Panther Talk live from the Panthers
broadcast facility at Bank of America Stadio.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
We welcome you to a victory Monday here on Panther
Talk and he shopped give Zochige Robinson and the head
coach up the Carolina Panthers, Dave Canalis. This is always
more fun after a win for you and us.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
You know, a lot to take away from that game,
the resilience of the group, the effort, the toughness, the character.
Nothing that I questioned from this group. But the execution,
you know, after early adversity, to settle in and just
play some really good football was awesome. And to do
it in a way that we believe in. We went
(01:28):
into the game believing we could run the ball, and
by the end of it, we did. And there were
some series in there in the middle, you know, where
we went three and out a couple of times at
the end, and our defense got us the ball back
so we could continue to stay with that style and rhythm.
But a collective effort, a great job by the staff
regrouping on Monday, looking at some personnel things, looking at
(01:50):
some scheme things, to try to get our best eleven
out there doing what they what they can do the
best and making some improvements. So just a collective, great
effort and a commitment to just continuing to prove our
art team.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Dave, I go back to what I hear A lot
of coaches say, you never want one game to beat
you twice, and at seventeen to nothing, you could say
it felt that way. What was the tipping point? What
what changed? What turned that game?
Speaker 5 (02:15):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Fundamentals, fundamental execution, and it was early on for the defense,
giving up some explosive plays, figuring that part out, finding
solutions together and then moving forward offensively. It was sustaining
drives and obviously it was taking care of the ball.
You know, when you give the ball up twice early
on like that, it's hard to overcome that. But when
(02:35):
you have a day like Rico Daddle had and you
have ten explosives on offense, the explosives can offset turnovers
if you're able to get them. It doesn't always work
out that way. And playing the field position battle, you know,
they beat us a couple times. We let the ball
roll around a little bit. That's something that we got
to improve. But it was go into the next series.
(02:57):
It was refocused. It was stang together, finding solutions together,
challenge the guys on Saturday night. A sign of a
mature team is how you handle adversity, not how you
handle success. Anybody can handle success, but how do you
handle adversity. We took a step in the right direction
as a team in terms of our maturity and our
character to just get back to playing good football.
Speaker 6 (03:17):
Coach, we heard this refrain about explosive plays, and I
want you to really dive into it. What were the
explosive plays that you saw from your team that really
offset what you saw from the other team, because you
mentioned it before and on Panther talk about we need
more explosive plays.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Yeah, So first and foremost, you know, having Xavier get
back out there playing the way we know he can
play and getting a touchdown for us, getting a big
explosive play late in the game on a circus route
on a corner route versus cover two where he was
disciplined about his route, He got his depth, he was
where he was supposed to be when he was supposed
to be there. And then of course Rico Dowdell finishing
(03:57):
on the second level, and that was an all eleven effort.
Was the wide receivers blocking downfield, engaging guys early, staying
connected and running their feet, and then Rico running through
arm tackles, which was amazing to just see him run
with violence to create a couple of those explosives.
Speaker 7 (04:12):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
And it was Bryce in a timely manner, finding the
open guy in critical situations, a scramble, played a t
Mac an early third down to tea Mac Xavier down
the field. Jimmy Horn in the fourth quarter, finding those
types of plays and being an opportunist with those as
we continue to build our team and believing in the
run game. Down seventeen, We're still going to run the
(04:34):
ball because we felt like that was going to be
a good strategy against this team, and we stuck with it.
Speaker 7 (04:39):
When you have a running attack like that, as you
mentioned the blockers, it doesn't happen without those guys in
there as well. But Rico ripping through some of those
tackles averages nine yards per carry. How does a team
feed off that kind of energy, because that is a
deferent kind of an energy than short passing or whatever
that you're kind of physically dominating somewhat breaking the will
of the defense in those situations.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Yeah, this is a violent game, and I truly believe
in how do we close the circle of toughness? Special
teams is easy, run and hit. You know, it's mono
and mono football and special teams why I love it
so much. On defense, it starts with the run game,
playing tough upfront, playing your gap, setting edges, and then
running to the ball all collectively to make sure you
get the ball carri you're down, and offensively, it's how
(05:20):
you close the circle. We run the ball so that
we're a tough, physical football team collectively. And it's also
about opportunities. When we continue to get first downs and
we make those plays and we're efficient, we get more
opportunities to run the ball. And then it's the war
of attrition and you just keep running and you keep running,
and pretty soon those fours and fives become six and
(05:41):
sevens become fifty fives at times when you have the
right runner. But it takes all eleven exploding off the
ball and playing together.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
The defensive front. Let's start with the way you guys
stop the run. Nineteen rushing yards. You very rarely see
that in the NFL. What did you feel was the
reason for that kind of success against their run.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Yeah, if you take it inside out, you know it
was it was a Sean, Bobby and Derek, you know,
playing with their with their pads and numbers square to
the line of scrimmage, knocking things back and running along
the line. And then it was Pat Jones, dj Wanham,
Nick s Gorton, even Princely. Princely got in there, had
a really beautiful edge set, pushed the guy upfield, made
a nice play on a perimeter run but it was
(06:23):
all those guys tied together and then just watching Trevin
Wallace and watching Christian Roseboom just run over the top
and show up like you'd love to see inside linebackers
play football, you know. And of course our secondary got
involved too, but it all starts up front, and then
it's about just carrying over the execution throughout the weeknd practice,
in the walkthroughs, in the meetings, over and over, talking
through it, finding solutions if a run gets out, what
(06:45):
was the breakdown? Fixing it, you know, and those guys
being committed to each other and then allowing it to
show up like that on game day.
Speaker 6 (06:51):
When does that leadership come from on that defensive side
of the ball with the communication it ripples from the
defensive line linebackers to the secondary.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
It's ative effort, but it all starts with Derek Brown
dominating your one on ones. When you get your one
on ones, get your hands on a guy, lock them
out and push them back and win the line of scrimmage.
And it's playing with violence on the edges, you know,
which our guys are committed to. And Ac Carter, our
outside linebackers coach, does a great job of just drilling
those types of situations, the cut situation, the stretch situation,
(07:20):
the down block pool. How do we play all these
things and regards above all, we play it with violence,
you know, and if you're not perfectly right, just splattering,
you know, block disruption. They say it over and over,
block disruption. And that's the way our guys executed that plan.
Speaker 7 (07:36):
Yeah, the only two sacks heading into the game had
three in the game yesterday, nine tackles for a loss
as well. Was Gerro able to just styal up more
often maybe some of the things that he wanted to
do previous, because now you've reached a certain point of
the season where you can have that confidence in the defense.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
There.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Yeah, there were a couple of pressure blitz opportunities, but
I think most of our sacks came off of just
great timing and stunts. It was effort, It was technique,
and the guys just can and you to get opportunities.
You get more rush opportunities when you stop the run,
and the more rush opportunities you get, the more you
have a chance to set up your secondary rush. You know,
if you're a speed player, then maybe you have a
(08:10):
spin you know, if you're a speed to power. Then
maybe it's a speed to power and then you can
slip them, you know, so you can set things up.
The more opportunities you get when you stop the run
on first and second down.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
You mentioned that your press conference Trevin Wallace was the
green dot, and go back to the first time he
was in that role against Chicago last year and we
saw the Bears go no huddle and he even said
after head was spinning, you're trying to keep everything together.
How far has he come from then until what you
saw on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Yeah, Trevin's done an excellent job. He just continues to
improve weekly and there's things that he's got to clean up.
He'll be the first one to say that. But that
progression and that confidence, you know, he's emerging as a
vocal leader in what we're doing at this point. You know,
he knows the guys. He's played with most of the guys,
so he just hadn't kind of had a natural He's
(09:01):
poised to be the green dot, to be in there
more ore dime packages. Where he stays on the field
as the green dot, it gets makes us a little
bit faster when he's in there. He's a big and
explosive player, and it really just freed up Christian Roseboom
to just run and make tackles. He was a tackling
machine last year in LA and that's why we brought
him here, you know. And so both guys being able
to handle that transition was excellent for us yesterday.
Speaker 7 (09:23):
The confidence of some young receivers, you know, Jimmy Horn
his catch was a fourth down one and he made
a great play on a contested pass. Xavierl Get certainly
a contested pass. They made a great play on a
good throw by Price young there. What does that do
for the confidence boost for those young guys as they
get in that rotation even more moving forward?
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Now?
Speaker 4 (09:39):
It was great to have them out there. They brought
a lot of speed to our offense, and whether Jimmy
was touching the ball or he was on a fake
Jets sweep, it affected the defense in a positive way
for us. And a lot of our biggest runs, our
most successful runs came when Jimmy was a part of
that formation in one way, shape or form. So it's
something that a really cool weapon for us to be
able to continue to build off of. And then just
(10:00):
see Exavier just playing fast, playing physical in the run
game too. That's the part that I was most proud
of is you know, this is a you know, this
is really a game of physical dominance at times. And
I you know, I truly believe as a former wide
receivers coach that when you're a big, strong and fast
guy and you get your hands on a little pencil
neck corner. Our corners are massive by the way, but
(10:21):
you know, no, but but oftentimes if you can get
your hands on someone in the secondary and they feel
like you're six two and a half two hundred and
thirty pounds and you run four to three, there's something
psychologically that goes into it. And also just because you're
a part of our run game, it just helps build
that type of attitude, that type of mentality it takes
to be a to be the aggressor, and it showed
(10:42):
up in the past game as well as he attacked
the ball and the opportunities that he.
Speaker 6 (10:45):
Had, cause you did vastly back and forth when you
decided to I'm gonna stick with the run even though
we're down, how much did you go back and go, Okay,
should I abandon this or not?
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Yeah, it's always a choice. And in certain games where
like we're playing the Cardinals, they were playing us pretty
well on the run, and they're massive upfront, and they
gave us some challenges and we got behind. The strategy was,
let's put the ball in Bryce's hands and see if
we can't battle our way back into this and into
that one. In this game, we had an approach to
come in here and find a way to run the ball.
(11:17):
We felt like we had some good matchups inside, and
I wanted to give Rico a chance to show us
what he can do with this role. And I wasn't
going to back off of the opportunity to be able
to put our best foot forward. I've been on the
other side of those types of games. I've been on
the positive side of those games over the years in Seattle,
and I've seen where teams. When a team has a
(11:38):
commitment to a way to win the game and you
can stick to it, it gives confidence to the group
and the guys are asking for more and the guys believe,
and then they just continue to move on to the
next series. With aggression.
Speaker 7 (11:49):
I know he cramped up a little bit Rico at
the end. He wanted to get that to ten to
eleven maybe to break the record.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Were you guys aware on the sidelines of that he
could set the franchise record during.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
The game, I was aware of it. I was not
going to allow that to affect how I've called it
or finishing the game. Don't get cute at the end.
When you get a lead, it's four minute time do this.
When you're behind, you got to stay mixed and just
continue to attack what they're presenting, you know. So we
had that, we had the awareness of it, but at
the same time, like those are those are things that
(12:18):
we can't make be a priority over trying to win
the game.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
The rookie class, especially in big spots, etn comes in
for a cramped ric o'dowell. Ric o'dowell, big first down run,
Jimmy Horne. You mentioned the fourth down catch Mitchell Evans,
the game winning touchdown. Y know, those aren't first and
second round picks, Like those are fourth, fifth, sixth round guys.
And when you see them come through in big spots
(12:45):
late in the game, crunch time, what does that tell you?
Speaker 4 (12:49):
First and foremost, got to give a lot of credit
to the coaches. Talk about Rob Moore and Keishaan Coleman
and the amount of time that they spend with with
our young wide receivers to make sure that they're ready
in between meetings, before meetings, after practice, all the little windows,
trying to take advantage to make sure that these guys,
(13:09):
they care about them so much they want them to
be successful when they go out there, so they can
have confidence. Pat McPherson, you know, with the tight ends.
And then also just like Dan Morgan, you know, and
the scouting staff are bringing us good football players to
develop and giving us guys that, you know, just good
pieces of clay to continue to mold and shape into
the players that we believe they can be. And the
(13:31):
guys themselves give them credit for the commitment to take
into coaching, to being receptive and to giving everything they
have every day just trying to get one day better.
And that's all we care about for these guys is
can we just be one day better? Can we be
a week better when we get to the game, all right?
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Dave can Alis, head coach of the Carolina Panthers, Dave
Pleasures always, that was a fun one. Hope your heart
rates come down a little bit on Monday.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
Well, thanks a lot. I always come out of those games,
and I am spent. You know, everything you got done,
everything you got all as long as it takes. And
then go kick your feet up and enjoy it and.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Do it again. All right, Let's do it again Dallas
On Sunday, Dave Canal's head coach of the Carolina Panthers.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
You're listening to the Carolina Panthers Radio network.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
This is Panther Talk Ron. Do you buy Bank of America?
What would you like the power to do?
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Young under center? Down all the running back, here's the
snaff the gift to downe up the gut. Does he
get there?
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Touchdown?
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Rigo down A punctuates the drive with a one yard touchdown,
and the Panthers down seventeen nothing at one point take
a nineteen to seventeen lead.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
It's one of the best rushing performances that I've been
around that I've seen. From an efforts standpoint, violence with
the ball running through arm tackles, the discipline of how
to hit the runs. You know, his whole attitude and
everything was there. He was there to win, and he
really just elevated the whole group when he was making
those plays. A sideline could feel that we all all
gained confidence. We all gain toughness when we run the
(15:02):
ball like that. And so for Arriico to come in there,
step in here without Cuba being there and to play
the way he did was unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Panther Talk continues on the Carolina Panthers radio network.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Rico Dowdell was savage on Sunday. Oh, we've had some
great running back tandems in Carolina. We've had double trouble
and we've had thunder and lightning. I like a little
sunshine and moonshine.
Speaker 6 (15:27):
Eu ge sunshine, moon sunshine, moonshine.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
That sounds good.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I like that, all right, James Taylor.
Speaker 6 (15:35):
Yeah, dude, yeah, yeah, okay, So yeah, what do you
think I think that Dowdell, I don't know. And I
know that in Tuba's hurt or nursing injury coming back,
but there is something special about that, dude, I don't care.
You could just see it. This something special. And the
way he hits the hole, the way he moves, I
(15:55):
don't know. I just I think he's just he's just
he got it, he has it. And the fact that
Dallas was letting him go last year.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
We listen in their defense in their defense Jim. Prior
to last season, he hadn't really done anything.
Speaker 7 (16:12):
And they're doing just fine without him too, So they
have that great offensive line. So I get his he
wanted to stay there, so it's all good. I want
him to keep that chip on that shoulder for another
seven days. So let's let's keep you that right there.
But a man in a contract year on a one
year deal here who's not making the kind of money
he thinks he should be making in the league with
a lot to prove. That's you want a guy who's
like firing ten out of ten in terms of the
(16:33):
energy right now. And I'm saying he wasn't at other
parts of his career. But you're getting the best version
of doubt all right now.
Speaker 6 (16:39):
That reminded me of Defonte Freeman when he was here,
Deontey Freeman. That reminds me of him, but better, but
more talented, just just a little bit more talented.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Master left right, yeah, east west.
Speaker 6 (16:54):
And I'm just telling you, as a free safety, when
you're getting ready to come up to make a tackle
on someone who's that accomplice, great feet can put the
foot in the ground either or either.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Side and make a nice cut.
Speaker 6 (17:06):
You have to you have to really gauge yourself and say, Okay,
if I make this tackle, I take this angle. I
gotta make sure I'm right because if you don't, he's
gonna go by you. He has he has the chance
of going by anybody. Every single time he has a ball.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
He just does.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
And they found some stuff in the run game, the
crack toss play, you know, some of those duo plays,
but up the gut, they were able to create some
openings and get to the second level. And I think
it's important to remember Austin Corbet's out, Robert Hunts out.
This was Kid May's Brady Christiansen on the interior of
(17:46):
that line who stepped up. And we talked about in
the offseason how the depth on the offensive line was
a nice luxury top nine back and it's kind of
one of those presents where you don't want to open them,
had to open them. And we've been in the spot
not long ago where lack of depth on the offensive
line reared its ugly head. We're starting to see the
(18:08):
fruits of having depth at that position.
Speaker 7 (18:11):
And I think too, yeah, but there's not much drop off.
Robert Hunt, no doubt, pro Bowl player. But Brady Christensen
is a very good football play Cade Mays was very
good when you got the opportunities last year. I think
our tackles get criticized a lot. I think our tackles
play really well. I think Ikey had a great game
instead of Taylor Mountain yesterday. Maybe it feeds off of
what's happening in the interior of the line as far
(18:31):
as that cohesiveness that is going on there.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
But it doesn't happen without those guys.
Speaker 7 (18:35):
You don't run for two hundred and thirty nine yards
without the offensive line, So they deserve a lot of credit.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
And everybody.
Speaker 7 (18:40):
Again we talked about the receivers, the tight ends. Everybody's
involved in the blocking game there. But that sets a
tone and it allows you to control the tempo up
a game when you're able to do that.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
But and what you like of your coach Canalis is
the fact that you have that type of depth that
you can go ahead and replace the hunt.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
You have that depth.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
That's good.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
I go in to this game going like this, I'm
not changing my game plan. We're running the ball, because
if you don't have that depth, you go, hey, we
might have to run to this side because we can't
run behind this guy, you know, and so I like
what I'm seeing that only bowes well and particularly when
you win, you feel better about everything is so you know,
(19:21):
you're feeling better about the offensive line right now.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
To just as well.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Stay with depth because we knew we had depth in
the running back room going into the season. Two thousand
yard rushers. We knew we had depth on the offensive line.
Wide receiver depth took a hit, but you're starting to
get some bodies back. Le Get came back this week.
Jalen Kocher's twenty one day windows started today Monday, so
hopefully he comes back soon.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
He can help.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
But the tight end room, which was not considered a
position of depth, a lot of question marks. JT. Sanders
here too, Tommy Tremble off back surgery. Mitchell Evan's a rookie.
They've been better than expected. Jim, I know Tommy missed one.
But even with Sanders out, Mitchell Evans fifth round guy
to Notre Dame. We might have something in him.
Speaker 7 (20:05):
All he does is score fourth quarter touchdowns two weeks
in a row, win or loose. So yeah, it was
cool to see him and then like Spike the ball
to China when he wanted to emphasize that at the
two minute mark of that game. So yeah, I think
these are combo tight ends. Like you look at Waller,
he's excellent.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
But he's a receiver.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
He's not blocking.
Speaker 7 (20:25):
He's not blocking anybody. He is a receiving tight end.
But like Jimmy Gramm or whoever. But I think in
the day this, these guys can do both. They can block,
they can receive. They're young, so I.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Think, you know, Mitchell Evans will get even better as
time goes on.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
We know j T.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
Sanders, when healthy, also is very dynamic in the receiving
part of tight.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
End, you know.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
And I like the fact that, you know, I thought
in preseason that Evans was doing really well.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
I was like, oh, okay, he's pretty he's pretty good.
Speaker 6 (20:51):
And typically you've just got to have someone believe in
you that and and throw the ball to you, you know.
And the fact that Bryce has a conface thrown a
rock to a horn, Evans through that bowls well. That
bowls well because he knows that you're gonna catch the ball.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
You get the send. Sunday is gonna be a shootout
against Dallas don't you.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
And I'm telling you what.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
And Dak Prescott has playing some unbelievable ball right now,
so it's gonna be It's definitely gonna be a shootout.
Speaker 8 (21:18):
All right.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
We will talk a little more about the Dallas game.
That's gonna come up a little later. You're listening to
Panther Talk on the Carolina Panthers Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
This is Panther Talk brought to you buy atrean Health type.
Atrium Health, we do more to keep you moving, achieving,
striving at every age and strage so you can live fully.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
This week, we're reminiscing about Super Bowl fifty and other
eras of Panthers football with the great Brad Nortman, who
is the Panthers punter for that Super Bowl fifty season
and now doing of all things sports talk radio back
in Wisconsin. We'll talk a little bit about that, but
want to focus on his years with the Panthers, which
were four years twenty.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Twelve to twenty fifteen. We'll talk with Brad Nortman.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Coming up thirty seasons of Panther Football. A celebration of
the players, coaches, and other key figures who've contributed to
the organizational success.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
What was I like playing for Ron and Bruce in
that coaching crew.
Speaker 9 (22:15):
From the top coach Rivera, he was outstanding. I mean,
you talk about a guy that played the game, so
he knew when to sort of push on the gas pedal,
but also pushed a break because he knew what it
liked to be a player and go through it.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
And he was a.
Speaker 9 (22:29):
Guy that brought an unmatched level of intensity but also
wisdom and patience. I know that's sort of a strange
way to describe someone because those are very different spectrums.
But I'll go all the way back to my rookie year.
I hadn't up and down rookie year for the Panthers,
And there was a time we went to Chicago and
we're playing Devin Hester and it was windy, it was cold,
there was all the things, and I did have a
(22:50):
very good game, and he came up to me as
the teams were gathering by their families for the buses.
You know, we're all in our suits. He put his
arm around me and said, you're going to be okay. No,
don't even worry about it. You're going to be just fine.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
And like that level of belief in me, that validation.
I'll never forget that. And he didn't need to do that,
but he.
Speaker 9 (23:10):
Went out of his way to do that, not only
for me, but in front of my family, which just
provided a moment of trust and validation that you just
can't get anywhere. Not a lot of coaches would do that.
I'm not gonna lie, particularly former players that played for
you know, in the eighties, for the Bears, for instance.
Speaker 7 (23:26):
Before we talk a Super Bowl fifty, you have to
begin with the end of twenty fourteen, when you guys
go on that run to qualify for the playoffs, win
a playoff game, maybe save Ron Rivera's job, and then
twenty fifteen the run up to the Super Bowl, counting
to two playoff games before that, seventeen and one on
top of that stack of twenty fourteen to get in
the playoffs a year before me.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
When you're in the.
Speaker 7 (23:45):
Midst of a winning streak like that, one of the
all time greats in the history of the NFL, What
does it feel like to be part of a team
like that?
Speaker 9 (23:53):
Every moment you woke up excited to get to work,
you do normally because you realize the gift it is
to play in the NFL. But not every seasons like that,
because the season after that, I go to the Jaguar
as we went three and thirteen, and those can feel
long when you're on a winning streak and when you
have confidence and when you look at the opponent and you.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Said yourself, I know we can beat these guys.
Speaker 9 (24:14):
And to know that there is something out there that
maybe was unspoken in the locker room for quite a while,
but super Bowl was a very real thing because, as
you were saying, twenty thirteen felt like a big leap forward.
Won the division, got to the playoffs, but we lost
the next year, maybe we didn't have the regular season
success but still won the division, won a playoff game,
(24:34):
and then went and played very competitively at Seattle in
that divisional round. But I think we walked out the
field saying I think I think we can do this.
I think this is we are ready to take the
next step. And so when you're winning ballgames like that,
when you build that many in a row, every game
feels big, every game feels important, and of course they
are a lot of teams can get stiff doing that.
(24:55):
I don't think anyone would describe the twenty fifteen team
as stiff.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
We were loose.
Speaker 9 (25:01):
We were fun, whether it be offense, defense or special teams.
We had personalities, we had character, and I think that
just reflected how how much fun we were having. And
I think that when you're having fun, it's sort of
a chicken or the egg. Right, Is the team good
because the bomb is so close and you're having fun
or you're so good and that is fun to do?
And I just think that, you know, I think about
(25:22):
the times on the field, but a lot of teams
could get tight, and a lot of teams could get
nervous and maybe put too much pressure on their self
as each mounting victory begets more and more pressure. But
what I go to is I think of like our
coffee club as almost as we joked about it in
the morning, where there was like the same group of
eight to ten guys that would make a point to
get there early so we could have breakfast together and talk.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
About anything other than football.
Speaker 9 (25:46):
Right, you're talking about Graham, JJ, Greg Olsen, Colin Jones, Ryan.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Khalil, Richie Brockel.
Speaker 9 (25:52):
There were so many guys that were a part of
that that were just it was fun. We were talking
about We would laugh, we would talk about politics or
jokes or movies or or whatever.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
You know.
Speaker 9 (26:01):
The one of the very memorable things of the winning
streak was Coach Rivera had this thing where you would,
you know, Friday, we'd cater our lunch, right, so it
wouldn't be the team lunch. You would come catered after
the Friday practice. And so Ron rivera creature of habit.
And I wouldn't say superstitious, but if something's working, let's
keep rolling with it.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
So whenever we went on winning streaks in the.
Speaker 9 (26:22):
Past, we would keep the same one and then if
we lost, we would.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
Change it up.
Speaker 9 (26:26):
It'd be a new meal on Friday from a new
meal catered company. And so what do you know, Week
one we get Bojangles, so both so you go all
the way through.
Speaker 5 (26:35):
So I think we got to fourteen wins. We have
fourteen weeks of Bojngles on Friday.
Speaker 9 (26:39):
And there would be jokes about what we're we gonna
get this Friday, and you guys would be getting the
same thing. If you look at somebody's plate, like, hey,
hey you didn't get that last Friday, Go change your
plate and get.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Which you had last Friday.
Speaker 9 (26:51):
To all the way too yes, we lost against Atlanta,
I think second last one of the game, but I
think Coach Rivera realized that's something good going on. Kept
Bojang was going, and then even to the point where
a very memorable moment in San Francisco for twenty fifteen
Super Bowl, Super Bowl fifty. We're there, it's Friday morning,
and we're getting ready for practice. We have a team meeting,
(27:13):
and we're wondering, like you know, bo Jngles became such
a fixture, what's lunch gonna be the Friday before the
Super Bowl?
Speaker 5 (27:19):
What's lunch going to be?
Speaker 9 (27:21):
And Coach Rivera says, Okay, we're gonna practice, we're gonna
be fast, we're gonna be good.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
Last three up before Sunday, we're gonna come back. And
then for.
Speaker 9 (27:27):
Lunch we got Bojangles, and sure enough, Bojangles all the
way from Carolina came to San Francisco and it was
as wonderful tasting as it was the previous.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
However many weeks.
Speaker 9 (27:39):
So a team that is feeling that much pressure, I
felt was always light and fun and full of personalities,
full of pranks, full of laughter, and those are the
things you missed the success and you missed the stage
put you more than anything, just missed the people and
missed the bond of that.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Subscribe to these seasons of Panther football on the iHeartRadio app,
Panthers dot com, and Team Apple, Apple podcast or Spotify.
This is Panther Talk. What do you buy? Cokede deserves
the great taste of Coca Cola because fan work is
(28:20):
thirsty work.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Panther Talk continues here on Victory Monday, and he's Shrop, Jimzoki,
Eugene Robinson, and we welcome in from the Metroplex. Ted
Emrick works for Compass Media.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Call some Cowboy games.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
You can hear him on the ESPN networks as well,
college football, college basketball. He is everywhere, but he is
with us today and he is going to talk some
Dallas Cowboys. Ted, let's start with something that Jake Delone
mentioned to me yesterday off the air, and he said,
Dak Prescott just doesn't seem to get the national respect.
(28:55):
Sometimes it feels like he doesn't quite get the local respect.
This guy is playing at a high level, MVP level,
and I know the Cowboys record. You may want a
few more wins, but offensively, there's not many teams better
in football right now than Dallas.
Speaker 8 (29:13):
Yeah, a, Nisha. The thought here in DFW has always
been that there's a ceiling with DK and it's not
particularly high unless the situation is perfect around him. You
think of his rookie season when he emerged and with
a rookie Zeke Elliot right next to him in twenty
(29:34):
sixteen and going to the playoffs, and just how surprising
that was. You think of when the Cowboys made the
deal for Amari Cooper to pair with an ascending ceed Lamb,
and even this year in the offseason, you trade for
George Pickens to give him another weapon, you feel like, Okay,
you're paying the guy sixty million dollars. You have to
(29:55):
surround him with the best possible situation. And so to
your point, to Jake's point, the fact that he is
doing this with the offense at far less than one
hundred percent with Ceedee Lamb missing. Now back to that
games yesterday against the Jets without four starters on the
offensive line, Niche, I can't conceive of a Dak Prescott
(30:20):
that would still shred a defense, even a winless team
on the other side of the Jets, like he did
yesterday on the road. It speaks to Dak's development, the
fact that he is elevating talent now that Ryan Flinoy
is now a thing. Apparently because of Dak Prescott puts
(30:45):
up one hundred yard game. We're talking about a sixth
round pick from last year. Okay, George Pickens is being
covered by Sauce Gardner. Fine, I'm going to beat you
with Ryan Flinoy. With Chao by the way, a touchdown
and now he's got three touchdowns in two weeks.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (31:06):
Well, let's let's talk about ceedee Land. The fact that
he's not in the mix. I wonder what that was
going to do to the rotation. But I think you
already answered the question because it doesn't matter because Dak
Prescott is a guy.
Speaker 8 (31:18):
Yeah exactly. I mean, you know, Ferguson is always going
to be Prescott's security blanket. He has been that, you know,
for the last number of years, and it's a reason
that they extended Ferguson during training camp. He's dependable. Is
he a playmaker? I don't know. Hey, he gets open
and he catches the passes that are thrown to him.
(31:38):
So he's a valuable target for Dak Prescott Underneath yes,
Pickens is a deep threat, but they're varying what Pickens
is doing. He's lining up a little more in the slot.
It's not just go balls, it's curls, it's slants, it's
crossing routes. They're mixing up what they can do with Pickens.
And on top of that, Okay, Ryan FLINOI, the random
(31:59):
break out game, Jalen Tolbert can still hurt. You had
that huge catch late against the Packers and the tie
the week before. But dak Prescott becoming a talent elevator
now you know something you hear about with all the greats,
and Dak Prescott certainly isn't that yet. He hasn't proven that.
He hasn't proven that when it counts December, January, so on.
(32:23):
But the fact that he is doing that now, yes,
he absolutely belongs in the MVP conversation here early in October,
for whatever that's worth.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
And Ted, let me just tagle onto this one question.
So do you think that CD Lamb's role will change
a little bit differently now because because Dakota he's spreading
that ball across the field.
Speaker 8 (32:44):
I think when Lamb plugs back in, assuming it is
a close to one hundred percent CD Lamb and listen CD,
he plays it less than one hundred percent. He is
fighting to get back on the field as soon as
he can. He is Bill the one A I mean,
however you want to put it, and he has balked it. Well, yeah,
(33:07):
you're the one. Pickens is the two. It's like we're
both ones. Okay, Yeah, that's great. Ceedee. Lamb is unquestionably
the number one target. And because he has the ultimate
position flex and moving him around that power slot, the
breaking tackles after the catch, he is still the number
(33:28):
one guy. I don't think his role changes at all
once he's back in. He is the number one target.
Speaker 7 (33:34):
Hey, Ted, it's jim so with your running game now.
Javonte Williams had another big day yesterday. He's averaging five
point seven per carrey. He's got five touchdowns. We had
Miles Sanders last couple of years. We didn't get a
lot of productivity, but he's averaging almost six yards per carry.
Is that a product of the fear of the pass
game or is it the standalone?
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Is it a really good running team on its own,
or how do you assess the running game?
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (33:56):
I think you credit an offensive line that's been retooled again.
Take yesterday out of the picture with missing four starters,
but you got three first round picks up front.
Speaker 7 (34:07):
Win.
Speaker 8 (34:08):
Everyone is healthy. But on top of that, maybe you
just got to believe that, Okay, Javonte Williams isn't washed
after all, and maybe it did take more time for
him coming back from that gruesome knee injury three years
ago with the Broncos. I mean, last year in Denver,
he looked done, absolutely done, and the Cowboys hand him
(34:31):
a deal that is less than half of what the
Panthers gave Rico Dowdell, who was course, was a one
thousand yard rusher for the Cowboys last year in a
tough situation. That's obviously what makes this week even that
much more intriguing with Rico going up against the Cowboys.
But you know, Javonte Williams, maybe it just took a
(34:52):
little extra time to regain that burst. And I'm with you,
I am when Miles Sanders has been healthy, obviously wasn't yesterday.
I've been surprised by him. I thought he was done
as well. But the fact that the Cowboys were able
to dive into the bargain bin at running back and
get this kind of productivity. Okay, there's some balance that
(35:17):
they have been searching for and at a low price point.
Say the least.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
The underbelly exists though, and that it's the defense, and
I think the low hanging fruit is well, they traded
Micah Parsons, and you knew that was going to impact
the pass rush and the passing defense. Did we think
it would impact the pass defense to this extent? There?
You know, last in terms of pass yards allowed per game,
(35:44):
the run defense is in the bottom ten. Is this
just all no Micah Parsons or is there more here defensively?
Speaker 5 (35:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (35:53):
Well, yesterday against the Jets, all it took was facing
justin fields to look competent for about three and a
half quarters. Right, they have gotten zero pass rush they okay,
they stopped the run a little bit better, you know, congratulations.
They extended the Russell Wilson experience by a week before
(36:14):
Jackson Dart had to take over with the New York Giants.
But yes, Aisha, I'm with you. I mean, Michah Parsons
is one of those few absolute game changers game wrecords
that the league has. He can single handedly take over
a game defensively, the Cowboys made their decision. It will
(36:36):
see in a few years how they spend those first
round picks. Listen, Kenny Clark is still a really, really
good player, and he has absolutely upgraded the run defense.
He applies pressure from the interior. Clark and also did Izua.
They consistently pushed the pocket, and so yes, that does
that help, of course it does. But there's no Micah
(36:58):
Parsons on this roster. Okay, what do well? Can you
scheme up pressure? That was the first quote that we
heard post trade when Micah was sent to Green Bay.
Can Matt Eberflus, the new defensive coordinator, scheme up pressure. Well,
it didn't look like it for four weeks. And now
against Justin Field, who takes sacks more than just about anybody,
(37:19):
you get five of them. So four sacks the first
four weeks, five in one game yesterday against the Jets.
And it has to be by committee, and so they
rotate constantly. Sam Williams yesterday, former second round pick out
of Old miss It's his first sack in two years.
Missed all of last year with a knee injury. The
(37:42):
surprise has been James Houston and that's the guy to
keep an eye on now for the Cowboys. Great story.
He tries out early in camp in Oxnard, California, he
just earns a spot on the fifty three. I mean,
he was on the bubble right now, made enough plays
in games, and he comes up with a sack and
a half yesterday. He's got three and a half on
(38:03):
the season to lead the team. But again, is that
going to be enough? Is that enough to push teams
with capable offenses. I think the jury is absolutely still out,
but yesterday was certainly a confidence.
Speaker 5 (38:16):
Builder for them.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
And you know, one of the telling statistics that jumps
out is just Dallas's inability to get to the passer,
inability to make passers look ordinary the way they did
with Michael Parsons. And maybe I think in Pantherland we're
thinking this could be the breakout game for Bryce Young
that we've been looking for in twenty twenty five. Ted Emrick,
(38:41):
great stuff, man, look forward to seeing you down the road,
pal Man.
Speaker 8 (38:46):
He's always a pleasure. Thank you guys.
Speaker 3 (38:48):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Ted Emeric from Compass Meeting Networks and ESPN. You're listening
to the Carolina Panthers Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Panther Talk continue on the Carolina Panther's radio network.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
An is Eugene Jim One last go around here on
Panther Talk for Monday. And I don't want to throw
cold water on a big win, seventeen point comeback and all.
I don't want to do that, But we were in
this spot a couple of weeks ago, beat Atlanta thirty
to nothing. There's all this goodwill, there's this groundswell of
optimism and hope, and then what happens New England happen,
(39:26):
and then what happened posts New England. I try to
stay away from the comments section, but we've all seen it, right,
and you see what people are saying. It's the apocalypse
and it's everyone's doomsday scenario, and then it's seventeen nothing
against Miami and then all of a sudden they win.
Consistency is what I'm getting at, Yes, how do you
find consistency? Because that ultimately is going to shape the
(39:49):
fortune of this.
Speaker 6 (39:50):
Team is only done by winning, and winning is done
on that practice field, grinding and day and data out
and sticking to as coach Canal's talking about, sticking to
the game plan, like yes, he augmented some game plans
a little bit because got behind the ball, and it's
that they were the team was out outclassing them a
little bit. But against this scene, he was like, no,
I'm sticking to my guns. We're gonna run the ball
(40:11):
and that's gonna get us back in this game.
Speaker 7 (40:13):
So it's that consistency and you look at the other team,
you look at what you do well, but you also
look at that Miami team coming in was really bad
at stopping the run. They look terrible against the Jets
and they looked even worse against us. So they felt
confident they were going into that this is a bad
Dallas defense, so it won't be a shootout because they
have to score enough points to offset their bad defense,
so they have to play aggressively on offense. You have
to be prepared for that mindset going into this game
(40:35):
that this is gonna be a little bit more of
a high flying circus hack this week, because you're gonna
have to kind of match points and exceed points set
during the course of the game.
Speaker 6 (40:42):
No, Michael Parsons, that's huge. No, Michael Parsons just saying.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
I look at this almost from a very simple standpoint
stop beating yourself. You look at the Arizona game. That
game was lost on those two early turnovers. The Jacksonville game,
three turnovers totally change that game, a totally changed how
Dave Canalis called the offense in the second half. I'm
not saying they win those games if they're even in
the turnover battle, but they're in those games if it's different.
(41:10):
They got away with that against Miami. They were able
to overcome those two early turnovers. If this Panther team
doesn't beat itself, Eugene, they're going to be in most
games exactly.
Speaker 6 (41:20):
And that's why I need special teams to be special
and to play well. Make sure that you can't give
a team like that Dallas, any in any room at all,
that one bit.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
All right, Panthers Cowboys. This Sunday at Bank of America Stadium,
where the Panthers have defended their layer two and oh
at home, looking to go to three and oh at
home and with a win, Carolina gets to five hundred.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
This has been on the Carolina Panthers Radio Network, brought
to you by Atrium Health. At Atrium Health, we do
more to keep you moving, achieving, striving at every age
and stage so you can live fully. Bank of America,
would you like the power to do Coke Gaindy deserves
(42:03):
the great taste of Coca Cola because fan work is
thirsty work. Antherton, panther doll, panther Doll. This is the
Carolina Panthers Radio network.
The following is an exclusive presentation of the Carolina Panthers
and the National Football League Still Tough, pantherto and Thirtll
and Thirto. This is Panther Talk on the Carolina Panthers
radio network.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Rice throws caught by Abbotts Ta puts into the episode.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
For a touchdown.
Speaker 4 (00:22):
It's another lookie.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
It's special Evins and it gives Carolina the lead.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Just doing right, just executing, taking care of the ball
and communicating with each other. It was a full group effort.
It was guys just settling in and executing and staying together.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
And now, along with Jim Zokie and Eugene Robinson, here's
a Niche Shroff with Panther Talk live from the Panthers
broadcast facility at Bank of America Stadio.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
We welcome you to a victory Monday here on Panther
Talk and he shopped give Zochige Robinson and the head
coach up the Carolina Panthers, Dave Canalis. This is always
more fun after a win for you and us.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
You know, a lot to take away from that game,
the resilience of the group, the effort, the toughness, the character.
Nothing that I questioned from this group. But the execution,
you know, after early adversity, to settle in and just
play some really good football was awesome. And to do
it in a way that we believe in. We went
(01:28):
into the game believing we could run the ball, and
by the end of it, we did. And there were
some series in there in the middle, you know, where
we went three and out a couple of times at
the end, and our defense got us the ball back
so we could continue to stay with that style and rhythm.
But a collective effort, a great job by the staff
regrouping on Monday, looking at some personnel things, looking at
(01:50):
some scheme things, to try to get our best eleven
out there doing what they what they can do the
best and making some improvements. So just a collective, great
effort and a commitment to just continuing to prove our
art team.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Dave, I go back to what I hear A lot
of coaches say, you never want one game to beat
you twice, and at seventeen to nothing, you could say
it felt that way. What was the tipping point? What
what changed? What turned that game?
Speaker 5 (02:15):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Fundamentals, fundamental execution, and it was early on for the defense,
giving up some explosive plays, figuring that part out, finding
solutions together and then moving forward offensively. It was sustaining
drives and obviously it was taking care of the ball.
You know, when you give the ball up twice early
on like that, it's hard to overcome that. But when
(02:35):
you have a day like Rico Daddle had and you
have ten explosives on offense, the explosives can offset turnovers
if you're able to get them. It doesn't always work
out that way. And playing the field position battle, you know,
they beat us a couple times. We let the ball
roll around a little bit. That's something that we got
to improve. But it was go into the next series.
(02:57):
It was refocused. It was stang together, finding solutions together,
challenge the guys on Saturday night. A sign of a
mature team is how you handle adversity, not how you
handle success. Anybody can handle success, but how do you
handle adversity. We took a step in the right direction
as a team in terms of our maturity and our
character to just get back to playing good football.
Speaker 6 (03:17):
Coach, we heard this refrain about explosive plays, and I
want you to really dive into it. What were the
explosive plays that you saw from your team that really
offset what you saw from the other team, because you
mentioned it before and on Panther talk about we need
more explosive plays.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
Yeah, So first and foremost, you know, having Xavier get
back out there playing the way we know he can
play and getting a touchdown for us, getting a big
explosive play late in the game on a circus route
on a corner route versus cover two where he was
disciplined about his route, He got his depth, he was
where he was supposed to be when he was supposed
to be there. And then of course Rico Dowdell finishing
(03:57):
on the second level, and that was an all eleven effort.
Was the wide receivers blocking downfield, engaging guys early, staying
connected and running their feet, and then Rico running through
arm tackles, which was amazing to just see him run
with violence to create a couple of those explosives.
Speaker 7 (04:12):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
And it was Bryce in a timely manner, finding the
open guy in critical situations, a scramble, played a t
Mac an early third down to tea Mac Xavier down
the field. Jimmy Horn in the fourth quarter, finding those
types of plays and being an opportunist with those as
we continue to build our team and believing in the
run game. Down seventeen, We're still going to run the
(04:34):
ball because we felt like that was going to be
a good strategy against this team, and we stuck with it.
Speaker 7 (04:39):
When you have a running attack like that, as you
mentioned the blockers, it doesn't happen without those guys in
there as well. But Rico ripping through some of those
tackles averages nine yards per carry. How does a team
feed off that kind of energy, because that is a
deferent kind of an energy than short passing or whatever
that you're kind of physically dominating somewhat breaking the will
of the defense in those situations.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
Yeah, this is a violent game, and I truly believe
in how do we close the circle of toughness? Special
teams is easy, run and hit. You know, it's mono
and mono football and special teams why I love it
so much. On defense, it starts with the run game,
playing tough upfront, playing your gap, setting edges, and then
running to the ball all collectively to make sure you
get the ball carri you're down, and offensively, it's how
(05:20):
you close the circle. We run the ball so that
we're a tough, physical football team collectively. And it's also
about opportunities. When we continue to get first downs and
we make those plays and we're efficient, we get more
opportunities to run the ball. And then it's the war
of attrition and you just keep running and you keep running,
and pretty soon those fours and fives become six and
(05:41):
sevens become fifty fives at times when you have the
right runner. But it takes all eleven exploding off the
ball and playing together.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
The defensive front. Let's start with the way you guys
stop the run. Nineteen rushing yards. You very rarely see
that in the NFL. What did you feel was the
reason for that kind of success against their run.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Yeah, if you take it inside out, you know it
was it was a Sean, Bobby and Derek, you know,
playing with their with their pads and numbers square to
the line of scrimmage, knocking things back and running along
the line. And then it was Pat Jones, dj Wanham,
Nick s Gorton, even Princely. Princely got in there, had
a really beautiful edge set, pushed the guy upfield, made
a nice play on a perimeter run but it was
(06:23):
all those guys tied together and then just watching Trevin
Wallace and watching Christian Roseboom just run over the top
and show up like you'd love to see inside linebackers
play football, you know. And of course our secondary got
involved too, but it all starts up front, and then
it's about just carrying over the execution throughout the weeknd practice,
in the walkthroughs, in the meetings, over and over, talking
through it, finding solutions if a run gets out, what
(06:45):
was the breakdown? Fixing it, you know, and those guys
being committed to each other and then allowing it to
show up like that on game day.
Speaker 6 (06:51):
When does that leadership come from on that defensive side
of the ball with the communication it ripples from the
defensive line linebackers to the secondary.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
It's ative effort, but it all starts with Derek Brown
dominating your one on ones. When you get your one
on ones, get your hands on a guy, lock them
out and push them back and win the line of scrimmage.
And it's playing with violence on the edges, you know,
which our guys are committed to. And Ac Carter, our
outside linebackers coach, does a great job of just drilling
those types of situations, the cut situation, the stretch situation,
(07:20):
the down block pool. How do we play all these
things and regards above all, we play it with violence,
you know, and if you're not perfectly right, just splattering,
you know, block disruption. They say it over and over,
block disruption. And that's the way our guys executed that plan.
Speaker 7 (07:36):
Yeah, the only two sacks heading into the game had
three in the game yesterday, nine tackles for a loss
as well. Was Gerro able to just styal up more
often maybe some of the things that he wanted to
do previous, because now you've reached a certain point of
the season where you can have that confidence in the defense.
Speaker 5 (07:49):
There.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Yeah, there were a couple of pressure blitz opportunities, but
I think most of our sacks came off of just
great timing and stunts. It was effort, It was technique,
and the guys just can and you to get opportunities.
You get more rush opportunities when you stop the run,
and the more rush opportunities you get, the more you
have a chance to set up your secondary rush. You know,
if you're a speed player, then maybe you have a
(08:10):
spin you know, if you're a speed to power. Then
maybe it's a speed to power and then you can
slip them, you know, so you can set things up.
The more opportunities you get when you stop the run
on first and second down.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
You mentioned that your press conference Trevin Wallace was the
green dot, and go back to the first time he
was in that role against Chicago last year and we
saw the Bears go no huddle and he even said
after head was spinning, you're trying to keep everything together.
How far has he come from then until what you
saw on Sunday.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Yeah, Trevin's done an excellent job. He just continues to
improve weekly and there's things that he's got to clean up.
He'll be the first one to say that. But that
progression and that confidence, you know, he's emerging as a
vocal leader in what we're doing at this point. You know,
he knows the guys. He's played with most of the guys,
so he just hadn't kind of had a natural He's
(09:01):
poised to be the green dot, to be in there
more ore dime packages. Where he stays on the field
as the green dot, it gets makes us a little
bit faster when he's in there. He's a big and
explosive player, and it really just freed up Christian Roseboom
to just run and make tackles. He was a tackling
machine last year in LA and that's why we brought
him here, you know. And so both guys being able
to handle that transition was excellent for us yesterday.
Speaker 7 (09:23):
The confidence of some young receivers, you know, Jimmy Horn
his catch was a fourth down one and he made
a great play on a contested pass. Xavierl Get certainly
a contested pass. They made a great play on a
good throw by Price young there. What does that do
for the confidence boost for those young guys as they
get in that rotation even more moving forward?
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Now?
Speaker 4 (09:39):
It was great to have them out there. They brought
a lot of speed to our offense, and whether Jimmy
was touching the ball or he was on a fake
Jets sweep, it affected the defense in a positive way
for us. And a lot of our biggest runs, our
most successful runs came when Jimmy was a part of
that formation in one way, shape or form. So it's
something that a really cool weapon for us to be
able to continue to build off of. And then just
(10:00):
see Exavier just playing fast, playing physical in the run
game too. That's the part that I was most proud
of is you know, this is a you know, this
is really a game of physical dominance at times. And
I you know, I truly believe as a former wide
receivers coach that when you're a big, strong and fast
guy and you get your hands on a little pencil
neck corner. Our corners are massive by the way, but
(10:21):
you know, no, but but oftentimes if you can get
your hands on someone in the secondary and they feel
like you're six two and a half two hundred and
thirty pounds and you run four to three, there's something
psychologically that goes into it. And also just because you're
a part of our run game, it just helps build
that type of attitude, that type of mentality it takes
to be a to be the aggressor, and it showed
(10:42):
up in the past game as well as he attacked
the ball and the opportunities that he.
Speaker 6 (10:45):
Had, cause you did vastly back and forth when you
decided to I'm gonna stick with the run even though
we're down, how much did you go back and go, Okay,
should I abandon this or not?
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Yeah, it's always a choice. And in certain games where
like we're playing the Cardinals, they were playing us pretty
well on the run, and they're massive upfront, and they
gave us some challenges and we got behind. The strategy was,
let's put the ball in Bryce's hands and see if
we can't battle our way back into this and into
that one. In this game, we had an approach to
come in here and find a way to run the ball.
(11:17):
We felt like we had some good matchups inside, and
I wanted to give Rico a chance to show us
what he can do with this role. And I wasn't
going to back off of the opportunity to be able
to put our best foot forward. I've been on the
other side of those types of games. I've been on
the positive side of those games over the years in Seattle,
and I've seen where teams. When a team has a
(11:38):
commitment to a way to win the game and you
can stick to it, it gives confidence to the group
and the guys are asking for more and the guys believe,
and then they just continue to move on to the
next series. With aggression.
Speaker 7 (11:49):
I know he cramped up a little bit Rico at
the end. He wanted to get that to ten to
eleven maybe to break the record.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Were you guys aware on the sidelines of that he
could set the franchise record during.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
The game, I was aware of it. I was not
going to allow that to affect how I've called it
or finishing the game. Don't get cute at the end.
When you get a lead, it's four minute time do this.
When you're behind, you got to stay mixed and just
continue to attack what they're presenting, you know. So we
had that, we had the awareness of it, but at
the same time, like those are those are things that
(12:18):
we can't make be a priority over trying to win
the game.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
The rookie class, especially in big spots, etn comes in
for a cramped ric o'dowell. Ric o'dowell, big first down run,
Jimmy Horne. You mentioned the fourth down catch Mitchell Evans,
the game winning touchdown. Y know, those aren't first and
second round picks, Like those are fourth, fifth, sixth round guys.
And when you see them come through in big spots
(12:45):
late in the game, crunch time, what does that tell you?
Speaker 4 (12:49):
First and foremost, got to give a lot of credit
to the coaches. Talk about Rob Moore and Keishaan Coleman
and the amount of time that they spend with with
our young wide receivers to make sure that they're ready
in between meetings, before meetings, after practice, all the little windows,
trying to take advantage to make sure that these guys,
(13:09):
they care about them so much they want them to
be successful when they go out there, so they can
have confidence. Pat McPherson, you know, with the tight ends.
And then also just like Dan Morgan, you know, and
the scouting staff are bringing us good football players to
develop and giving us guys that, you know, just good
pieces of clay to continue to mold and shape into
the players that we believe they can be. And the
(13:31):
guys themselves give them credit for the commitment to take
into coaching, to being receptive and to giving everything they
have every day just trying to get one day better.
And that's all we care about for these guys is
can we just be one day better? Can we be
a week better when we get to the game, all right?
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Dave can Alis, head coach of the Carolina Panthers, Dave
Pleasures always, that was a fun one. Hope your heart
rates come down a little bit on Monday.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
Well, thanks a lot. I always come out of those games,
and I am spent. You know, everything you got done,
everything you got all as long as it takes. And
then go kick your feet up and enjoy it and.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Do it again. All right, Let's do it again Dallas
On Sunday, Dave Canal's head coach of the Carolina Panthers.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
You're listening to the Carolina Panthers Radio network.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
This is Panther Talk Ron. Do you buy Bank of America?
What would you like the power to do?
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Young under center? Down all the running back, here's the
snaff the gift to downe up the gut. Does he
get there?
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Touchdown?
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Rigo down A punctuates the drive with a one yard touchdown,
and the Panthers down seventeen nothing at one point take
a nineteen to seventeen lead.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
It's one of the best rushing performances that I've been
around that I've seen. From an efforts standpoint, violence with
the ball running through arm tackles, the discipline of how
to hit the runs. You know, his whole attitude and
everything was there. He was there to win, and he
really just elevated the whole group when he was making
those plays. A sideline could feel that we all all
gained confidence. We all gain toughness when we run the
(15:02):
ball like that. And so for Arriico to come in there,
step in here without Cuba being there and to play
the way he did was unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Panther Talk continues on the Carolina Panthers radio network.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Rico Dowdell was savage on Sunday. Oh, we've had some
great running back tandems in Carolina. We've had double trouble
and we've had thunder and lightning. I like a little
sunshine and moonshine.
Speaker 6 (15:27):
Eu ge sunshine, moon sunshine, moonshine.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
That sounds good.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I like that, all right, James Taylor.
Speaker 6 (15:35):
Yeah, dude, yeah, yeah, okay, So yeah, what do you
think I think that Dowdell, I don't know. And I
know that in Tuba's hurt or nursing injury coming back,
but there is something special about that, dude, I don't care.
You could just see it. This something special. And the
way he hits the hole, the way he moves, I
(15:55):
don't know. I just I think he's just he's just
he got it, he has it. And the fact that
Dallas was letting him go last year.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
We listen in their defense in their defense Jim. Prior
to last season, he hadn't really done anything.
Speaker 7 (16:12):
And they're doing just fine without him too, So they
have that great offensive line. So I get his he
wanted to stay there, so it's all good. I want
him to keep that chip on that shoulder for another
seven days. So let's let's keep you that right there.
But a man in a contract year on a one
year deal here who's not making the kind of money
he thinks he should be making in the league with
a lot to prove. That's you want a guy who's
like firing ten out of ten in terms of the
(16:33):
energy right now. And I'm saying he wasn't at other
parts of his career. But you're getting the best version
of doubt all right now.
Speaker 6 (16:39):
That reminded me of Defonte Freeman when he was here,
Deontey Freeman. That reminds me of him, but better, but
more talented, just just a little bit more talented.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Master left right, yeah, east west.
Speaker 6 (16:54):
And I'm just telling you, as a free safety, when
you're getting ready to come up to make a tackle
on someone who's that accomplice, great feet can put the
foot in the ground either or either.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Side and make a nice cut.
Speaker 6 (17:06):
You have to you have to really gauge yourself and say, Okay,
if I make this tackle, I take this angle. I
gotta make sure I'm right because if you don't, he's
gonna go by you. He has he has the chance
of going by anybody. Every single time he has a ball.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
He just does.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
And they found some stuff in the run game, the
crack toss play, you know, some of those duo plays,
but up the gut, they were able to create some
openings and get to the second level. And I think
it's important to remember Austin Corbet's out, Robert Hunts out.
This was Kid May's Brady Christiansen on the interior of
(17:46):
that line who stepped up. And we talked about in
the offseason how the depth on the offensive line was
a nice luxury top nine back and it's kind of
one of those presents where you don't want to open them,
had to open them. And we've been in the spot
not long ago where lack of depth on the offensive
line reared its ugly head. We're starting to see the
(18:08):
fruits of having depth at that position.
Speaker 7 (18:11):
And I think too, yeah, but there's not much drop off.
Robert Hunt, no doubt, pro Bowl player. But Brady Christensen
is a very good football play Cade Mays was very
good when you got the opportunities last year. I think
our tackles get criticized a lot. I think our tackles
play really well. I think Ikey had a great game
instead of Taylor Mountain yesterday. Maybe it feeds off of
what's happening in the interior of the line as far
(18:31):
as that cohesiveness that is going on there.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
But it doesn't happen without those guys.
Speaker 7 (18:35):
You don't run for two hundred and thirty nine yards
without the offensive line, So they deserve a lot of credit.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
And everybody.
Speaker 7 (18:40):
Again we talked about the receivers, the tight ends. Everybody's
involved in the blocking game there. But that sets a
tone and it allows you to control the tempo up
a game when you're able to do that.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
But and what you like of your coach Canalis is
the fact that you have that type of depth that
you can go ahead and replace the hunt.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
You have that depth.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
That's good.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
I go in to this game going like this, I'm
not changing my game plan. We're running the ball, because
if you don't have that depth, you go, hey, we
might have to run to this side because we can't
run behind this guy, you know, and so I like
what I'm seeing that only bowes well and particularly when
you win, you feel better about everything is so you know,
(19:21):
you're feeling better about the offensive line right now.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
To just as well.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Stay with depth because we knew we had depth in
the running back room going into the season. Two thousand
yard rushers. We knew we had depth on the offensive line.
Wide receiver depth took a hit, but you're starting to
get some bodies back. Le Get came back this week.
Jalen Kocher's twenty one day windows started today Monday, so
hopefully he comes back soon.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
He can help.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
But the tight end room, which was not considered a
position of depth, a lot of question marks. JT. Sanders
here too, Tommy Tremble off back surgery. Mitchell Evan's a rookie.
They've been better than expected. Jim, I know Tommy missed one.
But even with Sanders out, Mitchell Evans fifth round guy
to Notre Dame. We might have something in him.
Speaker 7 (20:05):
All he does is score fourth quarter touchdowns two weeks
in a row, win or loose. So yeah, it was
cool to see him and then like Spike the ball
to China when he wanted to emphasize that at the
two minute mark of that game. So yeah, I think
these are combo tight ends. Like you look at Waller,
he's excellent.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
But he's a receiver.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
He's not blocking.
Speaker 7 (20:25):
He's not blocking anybody. He is a receiving tight end.
But like Jimmy Gramm or whoever. But I think in
the day this, these guys can do both. They can block,
they can receive. They're young, so I.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Think, you know, Mitchell Evans will get even better as
time goes on.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
We know j T.
Speaker 7 (20:38):
Sanders, when healthy, also is very dynamic in the receiving
part of tight.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
End, you know.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
And I like the fact that, you know, I thought
in preseason that Evans was doing really well.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
I was like, oh, okay, he's pretty he's pretty good.
Speaker 6 (20:51):
And typically you've just got to have someone believe in
you that and and throw the ball to you, you know.
And the fact that Bryce has a conface thrown a
rock to a horn, Evans through that bowls well. That
bowls well because he knows that you're gonna catch the ball.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
You get the send. Sunday is gonna be a shootout
against Dallas don't you.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
And I'm telling you what.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
And Dak Prescott has playing some unbelievable ball right now,
so it's gonna be It's definitely gonna be a shootout.
Speaker 8 (21:18):
All right.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
We will talk a little more about the Dallas game.
That's gonna come up a little later. You're listening to
Panther Talk on the Carolina Panthers Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
This is Panther Talk brought to you buy atrean Health type.
Atrium Health, we do more to keep you moving, achieving,
striving at every age and strage so you can live fully.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
This week, we're reminiscing about Super Bowl fifty and other
eras of Panthers football with the great Brad Nortman, who
is the Panthers punter for that Super Bowl fifty season
and now doing of all things sports talk radio back
in Wisconsin. We'll talk a little bit about that, but
want to focus on his years with the Panthers, which
were four years twenty.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Twelve to twenty fifteen. We'll talk with Brad Nortman.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Coming up thirty seasons of Panther Football. A celebration of
the players, coaches, and other key figures who've contributed to
the organizational success.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
What was I like playing for Ron and Bruce in
that coaching crew.
Speaker 9 (22:15):
From the top coach Rivera, he was outstanding. I mean,
you talk about a guy that played the game, so
he knew when to sort of push on the gas pedal,
but also pushed a break because he knew what it
liked to be a player and go through it.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
And he was a.
Speaker 9 (22:29):
Guy that brought an unmatched level of intensity but also
wisdom and patience. I know that's sort of a strange
way to describe someone because those are very different spectrums.
But I'll go all the way back to my rookie year.
I hadn't up and down rookie year for the Panthers,
And there was a time we went to Chicago and
we're playing Devin Hester and it was windy, it was cold,
there was all the things, and I did have a
(22:50):
very good game, and he came up to me as
the teams were gathering by their families for the buses.
You know, we're all in our suits. He put his
arm around me and said, you're going to be okay. No,
don't even worry about it. You're going to be just fine.
Speaker 5 (23:04):
And like that level of belief in me, that validation.
I'll never forget that. And he didn't need to do that,
but he.
Speaker 9 (23:10):
Went out of his way to do that, not only
for me, but in front of my family, which just
provided a moment of trust and validation that you just
can't get anywhere. Not a lot of coaches would do that.
I'm not gonna lie, particularly former players that played for
you know, in the eighties, for the Bears, for instance.
Speaker 7 (23:26):
Before we talk a Super Bowl fifty, you have to
begin with the end of twenty fourteen, when you guys
go on that run to qualify for the playoffs, win
a playoff game, maybe save Ron Rivera's job, and then
twenty fifteen the run up to the Super Bowl, counting
to two playoff games before that, seventeen and one on
top of that stack of twenty fourteen to get in
the playoffs a year before me.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
When you're in the.
Speaker 7 (23:45):
Midst of a winning streak like that, one of the
all time greats in the history of the NFL, What
does it feel like to be part of a team
like that?
Speaker 9 (23:53):
Every moment you woke up excited to get to work,
you do normally because you realize the gift it is
to play in the NFL. But not every seasons like that,
because the season after that, I go to the Jaguar
as we went three and thirteen, and those can feel
long when you're on a winning streak and when you
have confidence and when you look at the opponent and you.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Said yourself, I know we can beat these guys.
Speaker 9 (24:14):
And to know that there is something out there that
maybe was unspoken in the locker room for quite a while,
but super Bowl was a very real thing because, as
you were saying, twenty thirteen felt like a big leap forward.
Won the division, got to the playoffs, but we lost
the next year, maybe we didn't have the regular season
success but still won the division, won a playoff game,
(24:34):
and then went and played very competitively at Seattle in
that divisional round. But I think we walked out the
field saying I think I think we can do this.
I think this is we are ready to take the
next step. And so when you're winning ballgames like that,
when you build that many in a row, every game
feels big, every game feels important, and of course they
are a lot of teams can get stiff doing that.
(24:55):
I don't think anyone would describe the twenty fifteen team
as stiff.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
We were loose.
Speaker 9 (25:01):
We were fun, whether it be offense, defense or special teams.
We had personalities, we had character, and I think that
just reflected how how much fun we were having. And
I think that when you're having fun, it's sort of
a chicken or the egg. Right, Is the team good
because the bomb is so close and you're having fun
or you're so good and that is fun to do?
And I just think that, you know, I think about
(25:22):
the times on the field, but a lot of teams
could get tight, and a lot of teams could get
nervous and maybe put too much pressure on their self
as each mounting victory begets more and more pressure. But
what I go to is I think of like our
coffee club as almost as we joked about it in
the morning, where there was like the same group of
eight to ten guys that would make a point to
get there early so we could have breakfast together and talk.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
About anything other than football.
Speaker 9 (25:46):
Right, you're talking about Graham, JJ, Greg Olsen, Colin Jones, Ryan.
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Khalil, Richie Brockel.
Speaker 9 (25:52):
There were so many guys that were a part of
that that were just it was fun. We were talking
about We would laugh, we would talk about politics or
jokes or movies or or whatever.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
You know.
Speaker 9 (26:01):
The one of the very memorable things of the winning
streak was Coach Rivera had this thing where you would,
you know, Friday, we'd cater our lunch, right, so it
wouldn't be the team lunch. You would come catered after
the Friday practice. And so Ron rivera creature of habit.
And I wouldn't say superstitious, but if something's working, let's
keep rolling with it.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
So whenever we went on winning streaks in the.
Speaker 9 (26:22):
Past, we would keep the same one and then if
we lost, we would.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
Change it up.
Speaker 9 (26:26):
It'd be a new meal on Friday from a new
meal catered company. And so what do you know, Week
one we get Bojangles, so both so you go all
the way through.
Speaker 5 (26:35):
So I think we got to fourteen wins. We have
fourteen weeks of Bojngles on Friday.
Speaker 9 (26:39):
And there would be jokes about what we're we gonna
get this Friday, and you guys would be getting the
same thing. If you look at somebody's plate, like, hey,
hey you didn't get that last Friday, Go change your
plate and get.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Which you had last Friday.
Speaker 9 (26:51):
To all the way too yes, we lost against Atlanta,
I think second last one of the game, but I
think Coach Rivera realized that's something good going on. Kept
Bojang was going, and then even to the point where
a very memorable moment in San Francisco for twenty fifteen
Super Bowl, Super Bowl fifty. We're there, it's Friday morning,
and we're getting ready for practice. We have a team meeting,
(27:13):
and we're wondering, like you know, bo Jngles became such
a fixture, what's lunch gonna be the Friday before the
Super Bowl?
Speaker 5 (27:19):
What's lunch going to be?
Speaker 9 (27:21):
And Coach Rivera says, Okay, we're gonna practice, we're gonna
be fast, we're gonna be good.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
Last three up before Sunday, we're gonna come back. And
then for.
Speaker 9 (27:27):
Lunch we got Bojangles, and sure enough, Bojangles all the
way from Carolina came to San Francisco and it was
as wonderful tasting as it was the previous.
Speaker 5 (27:38):
However many weeks.
Speaker 9 (27:39):
So a team that is feeling that much pressure, I
felt was always light and fun and full of personalities,
full of pranks, full of laughter, and those are the
things you missed the success and you missed the stage
put you more than anything, just missed the people and
missed the bond of that.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Subscribe to these seasons of Panther football on the iHeartRadio app,
Panthers dot com, and Team Apple, Apple podcast or Spotify.
This is Panther Talk. What do you buy? Cokede deserves
the great taste of Coca Cola because fan work is
(28:20):
thirsty work.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Panther Talk continues here on Victory Monday, and he's Shrop, Jimzoki,
Eugene Robinson, and we welcome in from the Metroplex. Ted
Emrick works for Compass Media.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Call some Cowboy games.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
You can hear him on the ESPN networks as well,
college football, college basketball. He is everywhere, but he is
with us today and he is going to talk some
Dallas Cowboys. Ted, let's start with something that Jake Delone
mentioned to me yesterday off the air, and he said,
Dak Prescott just doesn't seem to get the national respect.
(28:55):
Sometimes it feels like he doesn't quite get the local respect.
This guy is playing at a high level, MVP level,
and I know the Cowboys record. You may want a
few more wins, but offensively, there's not many teams better
in football right now than Dallas.
Speaker 8 (29:13):
Yeah, a, Nisha. The thought here in DFW has always
been that there's a ceiling with DK and it's not
particularly high unless the situation is perfect around him. You
think of his rookie season when he emerged and with
a rookie Zeke Elliot right next to him in twenty
(29:34):
sixteen and going to the playoffs, and just how surprising
that was. You think of when the Cowboys made the
deal for Amari Cooper to pair with an ascending ceed Lamb,
and even this year in the offseason, you trade for
George Pickens to give him another weapon, you feel like, Okay,
you're paying the guy sixty million dollars. You have to
(29:55):
surround him with the best possible situation. And so to
your point, to Jake's point, the fact that he is
doing this with the offense at far less than one
hundred percent with Ceedee Lamb missing. Now back to that
games yesterday against the Jets without four starters on the
offensive line, Niche, I can't conceive of a Dak Prescott
(30:20):
that would still shred a defense, even a winless team
on the other side of the Jets, like he did
yesterday on the road. It speaks to Dak's development, the
fact that he is elevating talent now that Ryan Flinoy
is now a thing. Apparently because of Dak Prescott puts
(30:45):
up one hundred yard game. We're talking about a sixth
round pick from last year. Okay, George Pickens is being
covered by Sauce Gardner. Fine, I'm going to beat you
with Ryan Flinoy. With Chao by the way, a touchdown
and now he's got three touchdowns in two weeks.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (31:06):
Well, let's let's talk about ceedee Land. The fact that
he's not in the mix. I wonder what that was
going to do to the rotation. But I think you
already answered the question because it doesn't matter because Dak
Prescott is a guy.
Speaker 8 (31:18):
Yeah exactly. I mean, you know, Ferguson is always going
to be Prescott's security blanket. He has been that, you know,
for the last number of years, and it's a reason
that they extended Ferguson during training camp. He's dependable. Is
he a playmaker? I don't know. Hey, he gets open
and he catches the passes that are thrown to him.
(31:38):
So he's a valuable target for Dak Prescott Underneath yes,
Pickens is a deep threat, but they're varying what Pickens
is doing. He's lining up a little more in the slot.
It's not just go balls, it's curls, it's slants, it's
crossing routes. They're mixing up what they can do with Pickens.
And on top of that, Okay, Ryan FLINOI, the random
(31:59):
break out game, Jalen Tolbert can still hurt. You had
that huge catch late against the Packers and the tie
the week before. But dak Prescott becoming a talent elevator
now you know something you hear about with all the greats,
and Dak Prescott certainly isn't that yet. He hasn't proven that.
He hasn't proven that when it counts December, January, so on.
(32:23):
But the fact that he is doing that now, yes,
he absolutely belongs in the MVP conversation here early in October,
for whatever that's worth.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
And Ted, let me just tagle onto this one question.
So do you think that CD Lamb's role will change
a little bit differently now because because Dakota he's spreading
that ball across the field.
Speaker 8 (32:44):
I think when Lamb plugs back in, assuming it is
a close to one hundred percent CD Lamb and listen CD,
he plays it less than one hundred percent. He is
fighting to get back on the field as soon as
he can. He is Bill the one A I mean,
however you want to put it, and he has balked it. Well, yeah,
(33:07):
you're the one. Pickens is the two. It's like we're
both ones. Okay, Yeah, that's great. Ceedee. Lamb is unquestionably
the number one target. And because he has the ultimate
position flex and moving him around that power slot, the
breaking tackles after the catch, he is still the number
(33:28):
one guy. I don't think his role changes at all
once he's back in. He is the number one target.
Speaker 7 (33:34):
Hey, Ted, it's jim so with your running game now.
Javonte Williams had another big day yesterday. He's averaging five
point seven per carrey. He's got five touchdowns. We had
Miles Sanders last couple of years. We didn't get a
lot of productivity, but he's averaging almost six yards per carry.
Is that a product of the fear of the pass
game or is it the standalone?
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Is it a really good running team on its own,
or how do you assess the running game?
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (33:56):
I think you credit an offensive line that's been retooled again.
Take yesterday out of the picture with missing four starters,
but you got three first round picks up front.
Speaker 7 (34:07):
Win.
Speaker 8 (34:08):
Everyone is healthy. But on top of that, maybe you
just got to believe that, Okay, Javonte Williams isn't washed
after all, and maybe it did take more time for
him coming back from that gruesome knee injury three years
ago with the Broncos. I mean, last year in Denver,
he looked done, absolutely done, and the Cowboys hand him
(34:31):
a deal that is less than half of what the
Panthers gave Rico Dowdell, who was course, was a one
thousand yard rusher for the Cowboys last year in a
tough situation. That's obviously what makes this week even that
much more intriguing with Rico going up against the Cowboys.
But you know, Javonte Williams, maybe it just took a
(34:52):
little extra time to regain that burst. And I'm with you,
I am when Miles Sanders has been healthy, obviously wasn't yesterday.
I've been surprised by him. I thought he was done
as well. But the fact that the Cowboys were able
to dive into the bargain bin at running back and
get this kind of productivity. Okay, there's some balance that
(35:17):
they have been searching for and at a low price point.
Say the least.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
The underbelly exists though, and that it's the defense, and
I think the low hanging fruit is well, they traded
Micah Parsons, and you knew that was going to impact
the pass rush and the passing defense. Did we think
it would impact the pass defense to this extent? There?
You know, last in terms of pass yards allowed per game,
(35:44):
the run defense is in the bottom ten. Is this
just all no Micah Parsons or is there more here defensively?
Speaker 5 (35:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (35:53):
Well, yesterday against the Jets, all it took was facing
justin fields to look competent for about three and a
half quarters. Right, they have gotten zero pass rush they okay,
they stopped the run a little bit better, you know, congratulations.
They extended the Russell Wilson experience by a week before
(36:14):
Jackson Dart had to take over with the New York Giants.
But yes, Aisha, I'm with you. I mean, Michah Parsons
is one of those few absolute game changers game wrecords
that the league has. He can single handedly take over
a game defensively, the Cowboys made their decision. It will
(36:36):
see in a few years how they spend those first
round picks. Listen, Kenny Clark is still a really, really
good player, and he has absolutely upgraded the run defense.
He applies pressure from the interior. Clark and also did Izua.
They consistently pushed the pocket, and so yes, that does
that help, of course it does. But there's no Micah
(36:58):
Parsons on this roster. Okay, what do well? Can you
scheme up pressure? That was the first quote that we
heard post trade when Micah was sent to Green Bay.
Can Matt Eberflus, the new defensive coordinator, scheme up pressure. Well,
it didn't look like it for four weeks. And now
against Justin Field, who takes sacks more than just about anybody,
(37:19):
you get five of them. So four sacks the first
four weeks, five in one game yesterday against the Jets.
And it has to be by committee, and so they
rotate constantly. Sam Williams yesterday, former second round pick out
of Old miss It's his first sack in two years.
Missed all of last year with a knee injury. The
(37:42):
surprise has been James Houston and that's the guy to
keep an eye on now for the Cowboys. Great story.
He tries out early in camp in Oxnard, California, he
just earns a spot on the fifty three. I mean,
he was on the bubble right now, made enough plays
in games, and he comes up with a sack and
a half yesterday. He's got three and a half on
(38:03):
the season to lead the team. But again, is that
going to be enough? Is that enough to push teams
with capable offenses. I think the jury is absolutely still out,
but yesterday was certainly a confidence.
Speaker 5 (38:16):
Builder for them.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
And you know, one of the telling statistics that jumps
out is just Dallas's inability to get to the passer,
inability to make passers look ordinary the way they did
with Michael Parsons. And maybe I think in Pantherland we're
thinking this could be the breakout game for Bryce Young
that we've been looking for in twenty twenty five. Ted Emrick,
(38:41):
great stuff, man, look forward to seeing you down the road,
pal Man.
Speaker 8 (38:46):
He's always a pleasure. Thank you guys.
Speaker 3 (38:48):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Ted Emeric from Compass Meeting Networks and ESPN. You're listening
to the Carolina Panthers Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (38:58):
Panther Talk continue on the Carolina Panther's radio network.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
An is Eugene Jim One last go around here on
Panther Talk for Monday. And I don't want to throw
cold water on a big win, seventeen point comeback and all.
I don't want to do that, But we were in
this spot a couple of weeks ago, beat Atlanta thirty
to nothing. There's all this goodwill, there's this groundswell of
optimism and hope, and then what happens New England happen,
(39:26):
and then what happened posts New England. I try to
stay away from the comments section, but we've all seen it, right,
and you see what people are saying. It's the apocalypse
and it's everyone's doomsday scenario, and then it's seventeen nothing
against Miami and then all of a sudden they win.
Consistency is what I'm getting at, Yes, how do you
find consistency? Because that ultimately is going to shape the
(39:49):
fortune of this.
Speaker 6 (39:50):
Team is only done by winning, and winning is done
on that practice field, grinding and day and data out
and sticking to as coach Canal's talking about, sticking to
the game plan, like yes, he augmented some game plans
a little bit because got behind the ball, and it's
that they were the team was out outclassing them a
little bit. But against this scene, he was like, no,
I'm sticking to my guns. We're gonna run the ball
(40:11):
and that's gonna get us back in this game.
Speaker 7 (40:13):
So it's that consistency and you look at the other team,
you look at what you do well, but you also
look at that Miami team coming in was really bad
at stopping the run. They look terrible against the Jets
and they looked even worse against us. So they felt
confident they were going into that this is a bad
Dallas defense, so it won't be a shootout because they
have to score enough points to offset their bad defense,
so they have to play aggressively on offense. You have
to be prepared for that mindset going into this game
(40:35):
that this is gonna be a little bit more of
a high flying circus hack this week, because you're gonna
have to kind of match points and exceed points set
during the course of the game.
Speaker 6 (40:42):
No, Michael Parsons, that's huge. No, Michael Parsons just saying.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
I look at this almost from a very simple standpoint
stop beating yourself. You look at the Arizona game. That
game was lost on those two early turnovers. The Jacksonville game,
three turnovers totally change that game, a totally changed how
Dave Canalis called the offense in the second half. I'm
not saying they win those games if they're even in
the turnover battle, but they're in those games if it's different.
(41:10):
They got away with that against Miami. They were able
to overcome those two early turnovers. If this Panther team
doesn't beat itself, Eugene, they're going to be in most
games exactly.
Speaker 6 (41:20):
And that's why I need special teams to be special
and to play well. Make sure that you can't give
a team like that Dallas, any in any room at all,
that one bit.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
All right, Panthers Cowboys. This Sunday at Bank of America Stadium,
where the Panthers have defended their layer two and oh
at home, looking to go to three and oh at
home and with a win, Carolina gets to five hundred.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
This has been on the Carolina Panthers Radio Network, brought
to you by Atrium Health. At Atrium Health, we do
more to keep you moving, achieving, striving at every age
and stage so you can live fully. Bank of America,
would you like the power to do Coke Gaindy deserves
(42:03):
the great taste of Coca Cola because fan work is
thirsty work. Antherton, panther doll, panther Doll. This is the
Carolina Panthers Radio network.
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