November 12, 2022 • 20 mins
On this episode of "The Snap," Sydney Jones is joined by Tennessee Titans reporter Amie Wells to give an update on Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s status, what to expect from running back Derrick Henry and key injuries on Tennessee’s defense. Wells also details her role with the Titans and the path she took to get there. Want more of "The Snap"? Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher or wherever you find your podcasts. Make sure to leave a rating and review.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, this is Bradley Chub. Are you listening to this now?
Hey scoured the Sudden? Hey listen, Tim Patrick. Are you
listening to The Snap with Sydney Don's on Broncos Podcast
Network Year What's the Broncos Country? Welcome back to Broncos
Podcast Network and YouTube for the latest episode of The Snap.
As always, I'm your host is Sidney Jones and weeek
ton of the regular season here and the Denver Broncos
(00:21):
are back from there bye week and are such a
face the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday, So joining
me for this week's episode of The Snap to take
a look at this matchup is Tennessee Titans team reporter
Amy Wells. Amy, So nice to see you again. Thanks
so much for joining me today. Of course, it's great
to be here. Yeah, great to have you week time already.
(00:41):
How's this season been going over there in Nashville for you?
You know, it's been great. It's been um an exciting
season for the Titans. Being five and three is kind
of where everybody when you look at the schedule you
kind of say like yes, no, yes, no, you know,
like everybody does in May before it starts five and
three kind of feel is like where a lot of
(01:02):
us who played that game expected it to be. UM,
So it feels good for the Titans to be sitting
in a place where three and oh in the division.
That was a big thing for the Titans to be
able to accomplish before Halloween even UM. And now it's
just trying to get on top of some injuries. It's
no secret this team has been hit by the injury
bug yet again, and just trying to get as many
(01:26):
people healthy as we can and continue to put some
wins together. Yeah, I mean, I know you guys are
coming off that tough loss and over time first Chiefs
on Sunday as Broncos fans know how tough it is
to play there in Arrowhead. But I mean you mentioned it,
y'all have been so dominant this season. You guys went
on that five game wind streak prior to that. Kind
of what's been the energy over there in the building
(01:46):
the past few weeks in the season, you know, it's
been exciting. Um. There's a lot of ben but don't
break in this team. So, I mean, there's a lot
of different aspects of this team, whether it be on
the defensive side of the ball, whether it be on
the offensive side of the ball, whether it be with
the quarterback, where adjustments have needed to be made, even
if that's not exactly what everyone was originally expecting. So
(02:08):
there's been a lot of that, a lot of that
mentality where it's just here's what we've got, here's what
we're going to do to get the job done, and
then they do. Um, I think that that really goes
a long way with this team. Working with Mike Vrabel,
it reinforces everything that he coaches, and I mean Rabel
was the coach of the year in so now here
(02:28):
in two we're just seeing more of the same. He
is an incredible coach, an incredible teacher, and he and
his staff do a great job of finding ways to
get the win no matter what circumstances they're presented with.
So that has kind of been the mentality around here. Um,
we're just going to continue forward is kind of everybody's thoughts. So, yes,
(02:50):
winning five in a row was really great. It was
really exciting time for this team. But they didn't spend
a lot of time dwelling in that, right. They really
turned the page very quickly, no matter the circumtan dances
and moved on to the next game. UM. So the
Kansas City game is another one where it was an
exhausting game, both mentally and physically. I mean, it was
a late game, it was a road game, it was
(03:12):
an overtime game, and it was a disappointing game because
of the way the Titans played for three and a
half quarters. Um, it was. It was a hard loss.
So this team being so experienced in turning the page
so quickly moving on to the next one, um, hopefully
is going to serve them very well this week. Yeah,
(03:32):
we're looking at this matchup this weekend. First things first, Amy,
what's the latest on Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill. I know
he was back at practice on Thursday, but not sure
about Friday. You know, we uh, the injury report hasn't
come out just yet. But he's doing more, you know,
and that's been kind of the the plan all along,
is just to get him out on the field and
(03:53):
do more. So what that means for the long term,
we don't know. Mike Rabel hasn't said, um, but what
it does mean is that he's continuing to progress, just
like we hope to see. So is he on the
field on Sunday, we don't know. Is he doing more
every single day? Yes? Absolutely? What will it mean amy
(04:14):
for this offense? You know, not knowing if it's going
to be Ryan Tannehill or Malik willis What will it
mean if it is either one of those guys? You know,
this offense does a really good job of making those adjustments,
and there are so many other pieces that are going
to be consistent that are going to be out there.
You know. The offensive line has started to find some
cohesion and some stability, which is something they've been looking
(04:37):
for for a long time. The tight ends are starting
to get more involved in the overall offensive plan and
starting to see them be used more as pass catchers
and doing those types of things as opposed to just
blocking um. So obviously, Derrick Henry is still going to
be there. He's a pretty big part of this Titans
offense and he is still going to be there and involved.
(04:58):
So while yes, you want to have Ryan Tannehill out
there is a starter, Molik has shown that he is
able to be very competent when it comes to running
this offense, managing a game, making sure his guys are
motivated and keeping the trains running on the track. So
I think that no matter who is there, this offense
has a plan. Todd Downing has done a great job
of calling plays that play to either guy's skill sets
(05:21):
and really making sure that the offense as a whole
is able to be incredibly successful. So no matter who's
back there, this offense will be ready to play. And
you mentioned Derrick Henry. We've seeing how dominant he is
weekend and week out. You know, he's coming off his
fifth consecutive a hundred yard rushing game. Does it surprise
you guys? You know that he just continues. I mean,
(05:42):
the opposing defense knows what's coming and he's still able
to find success weekend and week out. It's, uh, it's
kind of a an amazing thing to get to see
every week. And we have this conversation just amongst ourselves
all the time that we are actually witnessing history happening.
There will never be another player Derrick Henry. Um watching
(06:02):
him break some of the records that he's broken has
been very fun. Watching him continue to be in these
elite conversations with guys like Eddie George and I mean,
he's he has talked about in the upper echelon of players,
and he is still playing like he's still an active
player right exactly. So he's such a fun guy to
(06:24):
be around and be a part of. But it's not
lost on us how incredible it is what he's able
to do Um, And so it's fun to be able
to see what's he gonna do next, how is how
is he going to be used this week? Because our
coaches are incredibly aware of making sure that they're continuing
to use him in the best way possible, and they're
continuing to find new wrinkles and new things that defenses
(06:46):
won't expect because they do know exactly what they're getting
in Derrick Henry Um. Watching him take care of his
body has been something that I've learned a lot about,
just in the way that he works, in the way
that he pairs, and the way that he is constantly
in motion during practice. He's always doing something, even if
it's not necessarily running with the ones all the time,
(07:08):
or you know, he's not necessarily in on a certain
play call or something like that, He's always in motion.
He's always doing something. And the way that he is
intentional about the things that he does and the skills
that he's working on or the parts of his body
that he's either working on or trying to protect. Very
interesting and it's something that I think he is a
(07:29):
little ahead of his time in that UM, just for
how young he is still within the game. It's Uh,
it's really cool to have the opportunity to be so
close to a player like that, UM and have him
be part of this team in such a big way.
I'm excited to see what he's going to keep doing
because the sky's the limit for him. Really. Yeah, I'm
(07:50):
excited to see what he continues to do in this career,
in his career, not excited for Sunday in that regard,
but yeah, he's a really fun player to watch. Well, Amy,
looking at this Titans defense, you know, they've been playing
at a really high level. Two. I feel like they're
flying a little bit under the radar. You know, they're
really physical unit. I know, like you mentioned, you guys
are dealing with some injuries here and there, you know,
Jeffrey Simmons, but dupri Money Hooker. You know they miss
(08:12):
practice on Thursday. I believe does this worry you at
all for Sunday or where they you know, I mean,
you hate to see guys beat up, and especially a
guy like Jeffrey Simmons, who has been such a big
part of this Titans defense. He's he's really the heart
and soul of this defense in a lot of different ways. Um,
But as a unit, especially on that line, they are
(08:32):
coming off of a game where they played including penalties,
they played around a hundred snaps and that's a that's
a massive load, especially when you're going up against a
team like the Kansas City Chiefs that is so um
masterful in what they do offensively. So, I mean it's
to be expected that they would be a little a
(08:53):
little dinged up, and there's probably a couple more of
them on the injury report. Um. But in the event
that some guys aren't able to go, no matter who
they are, um, one of the things about a Tennessee
Titans roster that you can always count on is that
there are other guys who are able to step up
and contribute in a really big way. So we've seen
guys like DeMarcus Walker really come on the scene this
(09:14):
year and no one's really talking about him, Yeah, exactly,
And he's a guy that, um, he's really shown up
for this team and has been incredibly consistent and is
able to fill in some of those gaps when a
guy needs to take a couple of beats off, you know,
because he might be dinged up or something like that.
He's a guy that has continued to make an impression
(09:36):
on this team and within this coaching staff, and so
he's starting to get more reps and he's becoming a
bigger part of the Titans defense. So there's always guys
like that waiting in the wings foreign opportunity. So production
doesn't typically drop off, but there's no replacing a guy
like a Jeffrey Simmons or you know, a Denico Autry
or a Bud Dupree. I mean, those are guys who
(09:59):
have worked so hard and everybody knows their name and
for good reason, their dominant guys out there. Oh, I
mean just overall looking at that that defensive unit, what
threat do they really pose on Sunday for? You know,
this Bronco's offense that's still really looking to find their
groove and really find some consistency. The thing that they
do so well, and again I'm going to talk about
(10:20):
that front defensive line there is that they are. They
are so masterful at getting to the quarterback. I mean,
that is just what they do, is they are do
a great job of getting around that edge and they're
able to get back there and really get after him.
And that's something that gives opposing quarterbacks a lot of headaches.
So that's something to be aware of. But then also
(10:40):
the Titans secondary, Um, we're hopefully going to be getting
some guys back in Elijah Molden. We hope UM, and
that secondary continues to be a huge group. Roger McQuary
is a guy who has really come on the scene
in his rookie year and has shown that the NFL
stage isn't too big for him, and um, he got
his first interception last week, but he's been an incredibly
(11:03):
productive guy for weeks and weeks, and so we're excited
that we're introducing him to the NFL a little bit
more and people are starting to notice our guy. But
Kevin Byerd is still back there. He's a Pro Bowl player,
and there's just so many different pieces and parts to
that secondary that they're giving some receivers headaches and that's
what you want from a defense. So UM, I think
(11:26):
they're excited about the challenge of going up against the Broncos,
and I'm looking forward to watching the whole thing unfold
on Sunday. Yeah, me too, Amy, Well, I really appreciate
your insight on this matchup. You know, I want to
switch gears just for a little bit. As many of
my listeners know here on the stamp, one of my
main goals is to highlight women's impact in and around
the NFL. So we just want to dive into your
career for a little bit. You know, for some of
(11:48):
my listeners who might not know, Amy, what is your
role with the Titans really entail? So my role with
the Tennessee Titans has evolved pretty substantially in my time here. UM.
I started off just kind of as a game day
and throughout the week reporter doing practice reports and things
like that. But since then, UM, it's expanded to include
(12:08):
some podcasts. So I'm the co host of the official
Titans podcast, Better Knows the OTP and also the Titans
Ami and Coach Mac podcast. UM. I'm also on a
couple of our radio programs. Titans Tonight with Keith Bullock
is a weekly radio show, UM, and then I'm the
co host of our pregame show Titans Countdown right before
(12:29):
the games, and then I've been fortunate enough to do
some of our TV shows, Titans All Access. I'm a
co host of that program. I have a segment on
The Mike Vrabel Show every week, and also be the
sideline reporter for the team. So I am all over
the place all the time. Um. I get to be
involved in a lot of different things and a lot
of different stories, which is really really fun. And I
(12:52):
get to work in a lot of different mediums. And
as a reporter, you know that every different medium, whether
it's a podcast or radio show or TV program, they
all kind of flex different muscles of your brain. So
I'm very lucky to be able to use different parts
of my brain throughout the week and never really get
stale in anything fingers crossed and just kind of always
(13:17):
be working and evolving and changing and trying new things. So, um,
I'm all over the place all the time. But we
have a lot of fun here. Yeah, what do you
think We've been? Your favorite part of your role? And
then maybe the most challenging part of it as well.
Oh gosh, my, the most challenging part is keeping everything
straight in my brain. UM, I understand and saying awake, UM,
(13:40):
we are, we are. We're grinding here and we've had
a lot of stuff going on all the time, like
every NFL team does, and we took when we talk
about the season, it's really a marathon, not a sprint.
So you're sprinting throughout the week, but you have to
be able to maintain that level of intensity and that
endurance throughout and team weeks of football season plus whatever
(14:03):
postseason stuff you have. So I mean, it's managing the
chaos and making sure that you are able to keep
it all straight and kind of stay sharp and no
matter what situation is thrown at you. UM. And so
that has that's continually a challenge UM and this year
specifically has has been a lot there. There's a lot
(14:26):
of stuff rolling in my brain and that even everything
straight is really hard. But it's also the best part
of the job is that we're always doing something new,
and we're always trying new things, and no two weeks
are exactly the same, and that is so much fun.
That you constantly have new challenges and you constantly have
new storylines and new things to talk about, and being
(14:51):
with a team that's having so much success recently when
when I first started here, we were not having a
lot of success. Um, it has been very fun to
cover this team and tell these stories and have the
fans and the people who are consuming the products that
we're trying to give to them and consuming the stories
that we're telling. UM, be just as excited about this
(15:12):
team as we are. UM. That makes everything a lot
more fun. And so the chaos that makes it the
hardest part of my job is also what makes it
the best part of my job. Yeah, I love it
managing the chaos. That's a good way to put it.
I can kind of walk me through this path that
you took to kind of get to where you are today.
(15:32):
Oh gosh. Um. So I started in college, I knew
I want to do something with sports. Um. I decided
what school I wanted to go to based on sports.
Like sports have always been a part of my life
and so UM. When I was in school, I worked
with the football team. I went to the University of
Missouri and I worked with their football team there, UM,
(15:53):
logging film for our coaching staff. There are some people
who have very like glamorous, fun jobs with football teams.
I don't know how I got like piping envelopes and
logging tape in a room by myself in the back.
But like that's why I did UM. And then I
went into broadcast journalism and kind of learned about what
(16:14):
that could mean for me and how all of that
could come together. UM. And then I decided I didn't
want to do that and I didn't want to be
a sports reporter, and I switched to communications and started
looking more into the s I D. Sports Information director
PR kind of route. And so when I got out
of school, I was fortunate enough to land a PR
(16:37):
job with the Baltimore Ravens and so I was there
for a year. UM, made a lot of friends, had
so much fun, and learned so much that I don't
think it's possible to learn more in a like nine
month period as a human being than I did. It
was incredible. UM. And so I went from there to
(16:59):
the Indianapolis Colts, having the same experience in the working
with the PR staff, and then ended up getting this
job in Tennessee and was excited to keep doing PR
stuff and they were like, oh, well there's some broadcast
stuff too, so like, well, yeah, I can do that.
I did some of it in college, sure, and Uh,
it's stuck. And I've been here for ten seasons now,
(17:23):
so I think, Uh, I think Nashville is my place.
And I've learned a tremendous amount about being a broadcaster
and what that really means outside of the confines of
like a college class, what that actually means. And I
just I love that I'm constantly able to tell stories.
That's ultimately what we all like when we want to
(17:44):
work with sports as we want to tell the story
of the people that we get to see and we
get to know, and um of the team as a whole.
So being able to do that, whether it's writing a
press release or shooting a podcast, I'm down. I just
to tell the stories. I agree, storytelling is definitely the
best part of the job. Amy last one before you
(18:05):
go here, you know, I like to end these episodes
just inspiring the younger generations. So, what's one piece of
advice you'd give someone looking to get into the industry,
no matter really what area of that they want to
work in. I think the biggest piece of advice I
could give is um really to take advantage of opportunities.
You'll find opportunities, even if they aren't exactly what you
(18:26):
think you want to do. If it gets you even
within the right zip code of what you think you
want to do, take the opportunity. Because there's always a
person you can meet, or a thing you can do,
or I mean, there's always something there that you can
latch onto and you never know what that will take you. UM.
I tell the story that when I was in Baltimore,
(18:49):
I did a lot of things wrong. I made a
lot of mistakes, and um, one of the jobs that
was assigned to me, because you basically can't screw it up,
is sharpening pencils um for team meetings, so that they
always had sharp pencils. And I knew that this was
because everything I touched turned to dust, and so I
(19:09):
had to be given something that was foolproof. But I
did a really good job of sharpening pencil I can
sharpen a pencil now. And you know, people noticed, as
weird as it is, it was noticed that my pencils
were always there. They were the pointiest ones. And I
mean it was something that I took seriously and really
could have blown it off. And that effort was noticed
(19:32):
and it led to good recommendations later down the line.
And it's crazy how one silly thing like that can
turn into what has now been a twelve almost thirteen
year career in the National Football League. So it's just
getting in the places where you can show what you
can do and really take advantage of opportunities. Um, but
(19:54):
you just got to get yourself close in some sort
of close proximity and then make sure you take advantage
at the moment you gotta get your foot in the door.
I love great advising me well. Amy. I can't thank
you enough for joining me today. It's a pleasure getting
to chat with you about the matchup in your career
and look forward to seeing you on Sunday. Awesome. Thank
you so much for having me Sidney. Well, that's all
(20:14):
the time we have for this week's episode Broncos Country.
Thanks so much for tuning in, and thanks again to
Amy Wells for joining me. I hope you guys meet
me right back here on the Broncos Podcast networking YouTube.
But next week for another episode. I'll see you all then.
Hey, this is Bradley Chub. Are you listening to this now?
Hey scoured the Sudden? Hey listen, Tim Patrick. Are you
listening to The Snap with Sydney Don's on Broncos Podcast
Network Year What's the Broncos Country? Welcome back to Broncos
Podcast Network and YouTube for the latest episode of The Snap.
As always, I'm your host is Sidney Jones and weeek
ton of the regular season here and the Denver Broncos
(00:21):
are back from there bye week and are such a
face the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday, So joining
me for this week's episode of The Snap to take
a look at this matchup is Tennessee Titans team reporter
Amy Wells. Amy, So nice to see you again. Thanks
so much for joining me today. Of course, it's great
to be here. Yeah, great to have you week time already.
(00:41):
How's this season been going over there in Nashville for you?
You know, it's been great. It's been um an exciting
season for the Titans. Being five and three is kind
of where everybody when you look at the schedule you
kind of say like yes, no, yes, no, you know,
like everybody does in May before it starts five and
three kind of feel is like where a lot of
(01:02):
us who played that game expected it to be. UM,
So it feels good for the Titans to be sitting
in a place where three and oh in the division.
That was a big thing for the Titans to be
able to accomplish before Halloween even UM. And now it's
just trying to get on top of some injuries. It's
no secret this team has been hit by the injury
bug yet again, and just trying to get as many
(01:26):
people healthy as we can and continue to put some
wins together. Yeah, I mean, I know you guys are
coming off that tough loss and over time first Chiefs
on Sunday as Broncos fans know how tough it is
to play there in Arrowhead. But I mean you mentioned it,
y'all have been so dominant this season. You guys went
on that five game wind streak prior to that. Kind
of what's been the energy over there in the building
(01:46):
the past few weeks in the season, you know, it's
been exciting. Um. There's a lot of ben but don't
break in this team. So, I mean, there's a lot
of different aspects of this team, whether it be on
the defensive side of the ball, whether it be on
the offensive side of the ball, whether it be with
the quarterback, where adjustments have needed to be made, even
if that's not exactly what everyone was originally expecting. So
(02:08):
there's been a lot of that, a lot of that
mentality where it's just here's what we've got, here's what
we're going to do to get the job done, and
then they do. Um, I think that that really goes
a long way with this team. Working with Mike Vrabel,
it reinforces everything that he coaches, and I mean Rabel
was the coach of the year in so now here
(02:28):
in two we're just seeing more of the same. He
is an incredible coach, an incredible teacher, and he and
his staff do a great job of finding ways to
get the win no matter what circumstances they're presented with.
So that has kind of been the mentality around here. Um,
we're just going to continue forward is kind of everybody's thoughts. So, yes,
(02:50):
winning five in a row was really great. It was
really exciting time for this team. But they didn't spend
a lot of time dwelling in that, right. They really
turned the page very quickly, no matter the circumtan dances
and moved on to the next game. UM. So the
Kansas City game is another one where it was an
exhausting game, both mentally and physically. I mean, it was
a late game, it was a road game, it was
(03:12):
an overtime game, and it was a disappointing game because
of the way the Titans played for three and a
half quarters. Um, it was. It was a hard loss.
So this team being so experienced in turning the page
so quickly moving on to the next one, um, hopefully
is going to serve them very well this week. Yeah,
(03:32):
we're looking at this matchup this weekend. First things first, Amy,
what's the latest on Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill. I know
he was back at practice on Thursday, but not sure
about Friday. You know, we uh, the injury report hasn't
come out just yet. But he's doing more, you know,
and that's been kind of the the plan all along,
is just to get him out on the field and
(03:53):
do more. So what that means for the long term,
we don't know. Mike Rabel hasn't said, um, but what
it does mean is that he's continuing to progress, just
like we hope to see. So is he on the
field on Sunday, we don't know. Is he doing more
every single day? Yes? Absolutely? What will it mean amy
(04:14):
for this offense? You know, not knowing if it's going
to be Ryan Tannehill or Malik willis What will it
mean if it is either one of those guys? You know,
this offense does a really good job of making those adjustments,
and there are so many other pieces that are going
to be consistent that are going to be out there.
You know. The offensive line has started to find some
cohesion and some stability, which is something they've been looking
(04:37):
for for a long time. The tight ends are starting
to get more involved in the overall offensive plan and
starting to see them be used more as pass catchers
and doing those types of things as opposed to just
blocking um. So obviously, Derrick Henry is still going to
be there. He's a pretty big part of this Titans
offense and he is still going to be there and involved.
(04:58):
So while yes, you want to have Ryan Tannehill out
there is a starter, Molik has shown that he is
able to be very competent when it comes to running
this offense, managing a game, making sure his guys are
motivated and keeping the trains running on the track. So
I think that no matter who is there, this offense
has a plan. Todd Downing has done a great job
of calling plays that play to either guy's skill sets
(05:21):
and really making sure that the offense as a whole
is able to be incredibly successful. So no matter who's
back there, this offense will be ready to play. And
you mentioned Derrick Henry. We've seeing how dominant he is
weekend and week out. You know, he's coming off his
fifth consecutive a hundred yard rushing game. Does it surprise
you guys? You know that he just continues. I mean,
(05:42):
the opposing defense knows what's coming and he's still able
to find success weekend and week out. It's, uh, it's
kind of a an amazing thing to get to see
every week. And we have this conversation just amongst ourselves
all the time that we are actually witnessing history happening.
There will never be another player Derrick Henry. Um watching
(06:02):
him break some of the records that he's broken has
been very fun. Watching him continue to be in these
elite conversations with guys like Eddie George and I mean,
he's he has talked about in the upper echelon of players,
and he is still playing like he's still an active
player right exactly. So he's such a fun guy to
(06:24):
be around and be a part of. But it's not
lost on us how incredible it is what he's able
to do Um, And so it's fun to be able
to see what's he gonna do next, how is how
is he going to be used this week? Because our
coaches are incredibly aware of making sure that they're continuing
to use him in the best way possible, and they're
continuing to find new wrinkles and new things that defenses
(06:46):
won't expect because they do know exactly what they're getting
in Derrick Henry Um. Watching him take care of his
body has been something that I've learned a lot about,
just in the way that he works, in the way
that he pairs, and the way that he is constantly
in motion during practice. He's always doing something, even if
it's not necessarily running with the ones all the time,
(07:08):
or you know, he's not necessarily in on a certain
play call or something like that, He's always in motion.
He's always doing something. And the way that he is
intentional about the things that he does and the skills
that he's working on or the parts of his body
that he's either working on or trying to protect. Very
interesting and it's something that I think he is a
(07:29):
little ahead of his time in that UM, just for
how young he is still within the game. It's Uh,
it's really cool to have the opportunity to be so
close to a player like that, UM and have him
be part of this team in such a big way.
I'm excited to see what he's going to keep doing
because the sky's the limit for him. Really. Yeah, I'm
(07:50):
excited to see what he continues to do in this career,
in his career, not excited for Sunday in that regard,
but yeah, he's a really fun player to watch. Well, Amy,
looking at this Titans defense, you know, they've been playing
at a really high level. Two. I feel like they're
flying a little bit under the radar. You know, they're
really physical unit. I know, like you mentioned, you guys
are dealing with some injuries here and there, you know,
Jeffrey Simmons, but dupri Money Hooker. You know they miss
(08:12):
practice on Thursday. I believe does this worry you at
all for Sunday or where they you know, I mean,
you hate to see guys beat up, and especially a
guy like Jeffrey Simmons, who has been such a big
part of this Titans defense. He's he's really the heart
and soul of this defense in a lot of different ways. Um,
But as a unit, especially on that line, they are
(08:32):
coming off of a game where they played including penalties,
they played around a hundred snaps and that's a that's
a massive load, especially when you're going up against a
team like the Kansas City Chiefs that is so um
masterful in what they do offensively. So, I mean it's
to be expected that they would be a little a
(08:53):
little dinged up, and there's probably a couple more of
them on the injury report. Um. But in the event
that some guys aren't able to go, no matter who
they are, um, one of the things about a Tennessee
Titans roster that you can always count on is that
there are other guys who are able to step up
and contribute in a really big way. So we've seen
guys like DeMarcus Walker really come on the scene this
(09:14):
year and no one's really talking about him, Yeah, exactly,
And he's a guy that, um, he's really shown up
for this team and has been incredibly consistent and is
able to fill in some of those gaps when a
guy needs to take a couple of beats off, you know,
because he might be dinged up or something like that.
He's a guy that has continued to make an impression
(09:36):
on this team and within this coaching staff, and so
he's starting to get more reps and he's becoming a
bigger part of the Titans defense. So there's always guys
like that waiting in the wings foreign opportunity. So production
doesn't typically drop off, but there's no replacing a guy
like a Jeffrey Simmons or you know, a Denico Autry
or a Bud Dupree. I mean, those are guys who
(09:59):
have worked so hard and everybody knows their name and
for good reason, their dominant guys out there. Oh, I
mean just overall looking at that that defensive unit, what
threat do they really pose on Sunday for? You know,
this Bronco's offense that's still really looking to find their
groove and really find some consistency. The thing that they
do so well, and again I'm going to talk about
(10:20):
that front defensive line there is that they are. They
are so masterful at getting to the quarterback. I mean,
that is just what they do, is they are do
a great job of getting around that edge and they're
able to get back there and really get after him.
And that's something that gives opposing quarterbacks a lot of headaches.
So that's something to be aware of. But then also
(10:40):
the Titans secondary, Um, we're hopefully going to be getting
some guys back in Elijah Molden. We hope UM, and
that secondary continues to be a huge group. Roger McQuary
is a guy who has really come on the scene
in his rookie year and has shown that the NFL
stage isn't too big for him, and um, he got
his first interception last week, but he's been an incredibly
(11:03):
productive guy for weeks and weeks, and so we're excited
that we're introducing him to the NFL a little bit
more and people are starting to notice our guy. But
Kevin Byerd is still back there. He's a Pro Bowl player,
and there's just so many different pieces and parts to
that secondary that they're giving some receivers headaches and that's
what you want from a defense. So UM, I think
(11:26):
they're excited about the challenge of going up against the Broncos,
and I'm looking forward to watching the whole thing unfold
on Sunday. Yeah, me too, Amy, Well, I really appreciate
your insight on this matchup. You know, I want to
switch gears just for a little bit. As many of
my listeners know here on the stamp, one of my
main goals is to highlight women's impact in and around
the NFL. So we just want to dive into your
career for a little bit. You know, for some of
(11:48):
my listeners who might not know, Amy, what is your
role with the Titans really entail? So my role with
the Tennessee Titans has evolved pretty substantially in my time here. UM.
I started off just kind of as a game day
and throughout the week reporter doing practice reports and things
like that. But since then, UM, it's expanded to include
(12:08):
some podcasts. So I'm the co host of the official
Titans podcast, Better Knows the OTP and also the Titans
Ami and Coach Mac podcast. UM. I'm also on a
couple of our radio programs. Titans Tonight with Keith Bullock
is a weekly radio show, UM, and then I'm the
co host of our pregame show Titans Countdown right before
(12:29):
the games, and then I've been fortunate enough to do
some of our TV shows, Titans All Access. I'm a
co host of that program. I have a segment on
The Mike Vrabel Show every week, and also be the
sideline reporter for the team. So I am all over
the place all the time. Um. I get to be
involved in a lot of different things and a lot
of different stories, which is really really fun. And I
(12:52):
get to work in a lot of different mediums. And
as a reporter, you know that every different medium, whether
it's a podcast or radio show or TV program, they
all kind of flex different muscles of your brain. So
I'm very lucky to be able to use different parts
of my brain throughout the week and never really get
stale in anything fingers crossed and just kind of always
(13:17):
be working and evolving and changing and trying new things. So, um,
I'm all over the place all the time. But we
have a lot of fun here. Yeah, what do you
think We've been? Your favorite part of your role? And
then maybe the most challenging part of it as well.
Oh gosh, my, the most challenging part is keeping everything
straight in my brain. UM, I understand and saying awake, UM,
(13:40):
we are, we are. We're grinding here and we've had
a lot of stuff going on all the time, like
every NFL team does, and we took when we talk
about the season, it's really a marathon, not a sprint.
So you're sprinting throughout the week, but you have to
be able to maintain that level of intensity and that
endurance throughout and team weeks of football season plus whatever
(14:03):
postseason stuff you have. So I mean, it's managing the
chaos and making sure that you are able to keep
it all straight and kind of stay sharp and no
matter what situation is thrown at you. UM. And so
that has that's continually a challenge UM and this year
specifically has has been a lot there. There's a lot
(14:26):
of stuff rolling in my brain and that even everything
straight is really hard. But it's also the best part
of the job is that we're always doing something new,
and we're always trying new things, and no two weeks
are exactly the same, and that is so much fun.
That you constantly have new challenges and you constantly have
new storylines and new things to talk about, and being
(14:51):
with a team that's having so much success recently when
when I first started here, we were not having a
lot of success. Um, it has been very fun to
cover this team and tell these stories and have the
fans and the people who are consuming the products that
we're trying to give to them and consuming the stories
that we're telling. UM, be just as excited about this
(15:12):
team as we are. UM. That makes everything a lot
more fun. And so the chaos that makes it the
hardest part of my job is also what makes it
the best part of my job. Yeah, I love it
managing the chaos. That's a good way to put it.
I can kind of walk me through this path that
you took to kind of get to where you are today.
(15:32):
Oh gosh. Um. So I started in college, I knew
I want to do something with sports. Um. I decided
what school I wanted to go to based on sports.
Like sports have always been a part of my life
and so UM. When I was in school, I worked
with the football team. I went to the University of
Missouri and I worked with their football team there, UM,
(15:53):
logging film for our coaching staff. There are some people
who have very like glamorous, fun jobs with football teams.
I don't know how I got like piping envelopes and
logging tape in a room by myself in the back.
But like that's why I did UM. And then I
went into broadcast journalism and kind of learned about what
(16:14):
that could mean for me and how all of that
could come together. UM. And then I decided I didn't
want to do that and I didn't want to be
a sports reporter, and I switched to communications and started
looking more into the s I D. Sports Information director
PR kind of route. And so when I got out
of school, I was fortunate enough to land a PR
(16:37):
job with the Baltimore Ravens and so I was there
for a year. UM, made a lot of friends, had
so much fun, and learned so much that I don't
think it's possible to learn more in a like nine
month period as a human being than I did. It
was incredible. UM. And so I went from there to
(16:59):
the Indianapolis Colts, having the same experience in the working
with the PR staff, and then ended up getting this
job in Tennessee and was excited to keep doing PR
stuff and they were like, oh, well there's some broadcast
stuff too, so like, well, yeah, I can do that.
I did some of it in college, sure, and Uh,
it's stuck. And I've been here for ten seasons now,
(17:23):
so I think, Uh, I think Nashville is my place.
And I've learned a tremendous amount about being a broadcaster
and what that really means outside of the confines of
like a college class, what that actually means. And I
just I love that I'm constantly able to tell stories.
That's ultimately what we all like when we want to
(17:44):
work with sports as we want to tell the story
of the people that we get to see and we
get to know, and um of the team as a whole.
So being able to do that, whether it's writing a
press release or shooting a podcast, I'm down. I just
to tell the stories. I agree, storytelling is definitely the
best part of the job. Amy last one before you
(18:05):
go here, you know, I like to end these episodes
just inspiring the younger generations. So, what's one piece of
advice you'd give someone looking to get into the industry,
no matter really what area of that they want to
work in. I think the biggest piece of advice I
could give is um really to take advantage of opportunities.
You'll find opportunities, even if they aren't exactly what you
(18:26):
think you want to do. If it gets you even
within the right zip code of what you think you
want to do, take the opportunity. Because there's always a
person you can meet, or a thing you can do,
or I mean, there's always something there that you can
latch onto and you never know what that will take you. UM.
I tell the story that when I was in Baltimore,
(18:49):
I did a lot of things wrong. I made a
lot of mistakes, and um, one of the jobs that
was assigned to me, because you basically can't screw it up,
is sharpening pencils um for team meetings, so that they
always had sharp pencils. And I knew that this was
because everything I touched turned to dust, and so I
(19:09):
had to be given something that was foolproof. But I
did a really good job of sharpening pencil I can
sharpen a pencil now. And you know, people noticed, as
weird as it is, it was noticed that my pencils
were always there. They were the pointiest ones. And I
mean it was something that I took seriously and really
could have blown it off. And that effort was noticed
(19:32):
and it led to good recommendations later down the line.
And it's crazy how one silly thing like that can
turn into what has now been a twelve almost thirteen
year career in the National Football League. So it's just
getting in the places where you can show what you
can do and really take advantage of opportunities. Um, but
(19:54):
you just got to get yourself close in some sort
of close proximity and then make sure you take advantage
at the moment you gotta get your foot in the door.
I love great advising me well. Amy. I can't thank
you enough for joining me today. It's a pleasure getting
to chat with you about the matchup in your career
and look forward to seeing you on Sunday. Awesome. Thank
you so much for having me Sidney. Well, that's all
(20:14):
the time we have for this week's episode Broncos Country.
Thanks so much for tuning in, and thanks again to
Amy Wells for joining me. I hope you guys meet
me right back here on the Broncos Podcast networking YouTube.
But next week for another episode. I'll see you all then.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.