August 11, 2025 • 20 mins
Get a front-row seat to Carolina Panthers football with Sideline Pass! This week Kristen and Sharon share what stood out to them during the Panthers preseason opener against the Browns, react to the starters getting more playing time on Saturday vs the Texans, take you behind the scenes of what it is like to travel with the team during an away game, and so much more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Cheers Kristin Balboni and Sharon Thorp's love it with your
Sideline Pass.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Welcome to Sideline Pass, Sharon, Kristen here with you and Sharon,
we have football to talk about. We just finished up
the first preseason game on Friday. It feels good to
be back, doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Absolutely. It was a lot of fun to see the
guys out there on the field. Even though the starters
were out there in a limited capacity, it was still
a lot of fun to just finally play a real game.
Even if it's an exhibition game. It was a real
football game with the pads of pop and so that
was a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
And it did feel like you said, it felt like
a real game, especially when they took the field because
your starters go out there first, and there was a
good crowd at Bank of America Stadium, the lights were
on it.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
It was really excited.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
You see the guys going through their normal pregame warm ups.
You know your starters, you're looking at them. You're seeing
Bryce Young do his normal routine. Chuba Hubbard is out
on the jugs machine seventeen hours before the game starts
as always.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
So it just felt like football was really back.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
And you know, as we talked about last week, the
starters did not play Week one of the preseason last year,
so it didn't feel being on a sideline last Friday night.
It did not feel like an August game or an
early August game. It felt like September or October. And
it was at least for those few series, and it
was really really nice to see Sharon.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Yeah, And I think that's one thing that Dave canals.
He really made a point of emphasizing that this year
this season that he wanted guys to get out there
in Game one and not just to you know, to play,
but to get prepared to go through their whole pregame
ritual starting the night before with you know, getting to
bed at a decent hour and then you know, nutrition
and hydration everything and getting that whole pregame routine down
(01:42):
that you're going to be doing in the regular season.
He wanted them to go ahead and get into that
mode early on in the season, so they did all
of that and then to be able, like you said,
to get out there and do their pregame warmups as
well like they'd be doing during the year. I think
that's going to really pay dividends because, like you said,
last year, they did not play starters, didn't come out
until the third game with the preseason, so they may
me weren't as into that you know, repetition, that mode
(02:04):
that they get into and in the regular season until
late they're in the preseason. So doing it now, I
think Dave Canos really wanted to see them do that,
and they'll do it again here for Houston again this week.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
And I remember Steve Smith telling me one time that
he had a very specific especially the older he got
in the longer he played, that he had a very
specific routine tailored to Okay, when am I first going
to take the field of just you know, this is
exactly how it goes in the off season. This is
these are the things that I want to ramp up to.
These are the ways in which I want to keep
my nutrition on track. And I think there's something to
(02:35):
what Dave Canalis is saying in terms of okay, as
you said, you know, two weeks earlier than last season,
these guys need to be ready to go out and
take the field, even if for a limited number of snaps.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
We are going to go ahead and get into that mode.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Several weeks earlier than we did last week, and it
was fun to see and I think they had a
great time out there. Sharon, I want to I want
to give you some observations of what I saw on
the sideline and tell me what you think. So first,
I want to talk about Jalen Coker. Oh yeah, what
an impact he made on those very limited series he
was in. Now we did see him play further into
(03:10):
the game. We saw some of the receivers like Tterro McMillan,
Jalen Cocher, David Moore play.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Further as the game went along. But they had that.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So the Panthers had this long drive. It was the
second offensive series, this long drive which eventually culminated in
this Jalen cocher touchdown, and we got to see Tedroll
McMillan really pop there and this catch. Sharon, if you
are listening and you have not seen this touchdown catch,
go and watch it right now on the Panthers' Instagram.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
But Sharon, it was a thing of beauty.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Talk about feeling like you were back in the regular season.
It was just amazing to see what Bryce could do
when the play broke down and then where Jalen Coker
was his body awareness and to be able to plant
those feet and catch that ball in a situation that
was not at all planned.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Absolutely. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Dave Canalis was actually just talking about that today at
our media availability, and just the way that Jalen was
able to just not just that catch, but the ones
where he was just able to just grab it over
his shoulder and be in the right place at the
right time, and just that communication that he and Bryce have.
You know, when Bryce the play broke down, Bryce had
to roll out and start looking for him, and he said,
you know, Jalen just had that edge and was able
(04:15):
to just keep it and was able to connect with Bryce.
So they've got a great connection going. And this is,
you know, from a guy we all know undrafted last year.
The Panthers really feel like they got a steal and
being able to snag him undrafted last year and he
earned his stripes and he got a lot of great
experience last year playing with this team, and then in
the off season this year, he spent a lot of
time with Bryce as well, and a lot a lot
(04:35):
of the receivers. They all went and got together and
did these throwing sessions and I think that's really pain dividends.
But Jalen Coker continuing to just get better and better.
He apparently stayed here all summer this year instead of
like going home or going on vacasion or anything like that.
He's stuck around here and really put in the work
and it is getting even better. And he what a
great weapon for Bryce to have, and he's got so
many of them. Jalen Coker certainly certainly shined in that game.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Yeah, Morgan told us. He said, I'm so impressed with
the work that Jalen Cooker has put in with his body,
like you were saying all off season long, and as
you said, it is really starting to show here very early.
And Sharon, I got to tell you, I was right
there on the sideline as that play was happening. I
was about level with Bryce as he was scrambling, and
(05:19):
I gotta be honest, I did not think.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
That play was going to result in a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
I did not at all, And it was just a
thing of beauty. It was great to see. It definitely
felt like, as I said, we were back in the
regular season, with especially late regular season last year, with
Bryce doing all sorts of wizardry. So another guy that
we got to take a look at was Tetoa McMillan. Boy,
he looked really good, especially on that first drive. There
was that first play. Again, if you haven't seen this,
(05:47):
go watch it. That first play from Bryce to Tetoa
where they connected. It was like a thirty yard pass.
Oh and he was just like right inside the sideline,
kind of like tiptoeing right in to make sure he
stayed in bounds.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
And I mean he looks like a vet sharing.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
That's the thing. That's exactly what I was just gonna say.
It looks like he's been here a while. I mean,
he's been doing that since day one too. I have
a rookie mini camp. He has just been putting on
a show. Every day of camp. He does something that
you look at him and go, oh my gosh, how
do you catch that? He goes up for these unbelievable
just full body extension, one handed grabs and just makes
it look like, yeah, no problem. I mean, he's just
(06:23):
amazing with the plays that he's been able to make.
And when he's able to do that this early on,
I mean, it's just gonna be just tremendous for Bryce
and this Panthers team to have him out there on
the field. But yeah, he did not look like a
rookie very often. You know, it's still a little rookie
things that he's gonna be going through here as the
season goes on. But the way he's able to just
make these unbelievable catches that you just don't think are
(06:45):
going to happen, He's just able to reelhim in every
single time. And I think he certainly cemented himself as
one of Bryce's favorite targets out there already.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
M And then one other guy that I think people
should get to know. His name is on the defensive side,
Corey Thornton. So he was someone that when we got
to sit down, Sharon and I and some of the
other broadcasters got to sit down with the coaching staff
and with Dan Morgan, you said, you know, we said,
who are you looking at? And he said, well, there
is there is some competition going on at cornerback.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Who know that we know that j. C. Horn and
Mike Jack.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Are going to be the starting corners, but then who
kind of comes in behind them? Shaw Smith Wade is
very good, and then there's this kind of this other
battle whether it's Sam Bartholomew, whether it's Corey Thorton. There
are other guys in the mix. But Dan Morgan was
very excited about Corey Thornton. He said, you know, he's
not someone that I necessarily had my eye on coming
into the off season, but he's just really shown up.
(07:38):
And he told us before that first preseason game, he said,
I love the way he practices. He's big, he's physical,
he's very smart. Another guy that already looks like a vet.
But he told us, he said, I want to see
what it's like when it's game speed and the lights
are on, and Sharon, he delivered. I mean, he had
a couple of big plays. He had this one tackle
where I felt really bad from the guys going up
against but he did. Dan Morgan wanted to see from him,
(08:03):
and I think that he's making a name for himself
here in the preseason so far.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Obviously there's a lot of time to go, but.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Absolutely, and that's what I was going to say that
that's that's the difference maker, I think, and most coaches
will tell you that's that's what matters. You can be
you can show up all day long in practice, but
if you don't show up when the lights come on.
You know that's going to be could be a major
difference maker and who makes this roster and who doesn't.
And it's funny you mentioned Thornton because Zaviert was just
actually speaking about him. He was also at our media
(08:31):
availability today and somebody asked him what of the young
DB's are showing up? And that's the first name off
of his lips. He was like Corey Thornton. He said,
that guy is just a dog out there every single play.
And he said that Corey tried to grab his you know,
helmet and shoulder paths. You know, the rookies always have
to carry you guys stuff up and he said, no, no, no, no, no,
you're not doing that. He said, you're already on here
playing like a Vett. You're making plays. You don't have
(08:53):
to do that. So he's he's definitely impressing his teammates
as well with his play out there. So it was
fun to see him really stand out in that game.
And we'll see what you can do here against Houston
this week as well. But that'd be great to get
some more depth like that, like you said, behind JC
and Mike Jack because when a young guy like that
can can show up and play really well on the
(09:13):
field during practice and.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Then do it in the games. That does the bode
well for him for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
If Xavier Legatt tells you that you don't have to
carry his.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Pats and helmet, that is that is a ringing endorsement.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
But as we've been talking about, of course we've got
preseason game two coming up, and all of the things
we've talked about are great, but we've got to see them.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
You know, these players, this chemistry, we've got to see it.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Sustained throughout the preseason and this will be our second
look at the starters. Like you said, don't think we're
going to see them in game three. So as you
get ready to go to Houston, what are you zeroing
in on that you are going to be on the
lookout for and that you want to see in the
second preseason game.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Well, you want to see them continue, particularly starting with
the offense. You want to see them sort of pick
up where they left off. I mean Bryce was able
to make that you know, crazy adjustment and get the
touchdown to jayl.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
You want to see them do that. I think i'd
like to see them run the ball a little bit more.
Maybe they didn't.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Get a lot of run plays in this last game.
You'd like to see the run game get established a
little bit more, especially if if Houston does play their
starters at all.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Man that defense is is lights out down there in Houston.
They're more of the best in the league and expected
to be tops again.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
So I'd like to see the run game get going
and just see what they're able to do against a
very good defense. And then with the second team guys,
particularly on the defensive side, you'd like to see some
more guys step up and make some plays. You could
tell there's there was a bit of a drop off
somewhat with the relievers. Relievers, yeah, talking baseball here coming
in with with the with the second third string guys
(10:38):
coming in. So you'd like to see some more, you know,
just some more progressive play. Dave Canal is one thing
he was speaking about today that he really wants to
see changes the penalties, so that we got to get
rid of these penalties, and we get was one of
them with the facilly you know, getting in the little
fisticuffs there and getting ejected. Obviously don't want to see
that again, but just some of the pre snab penalties
and just getting backed up. He said that that unforre
(11:00):
originally had continued over into practice today. He was not
happy about that. So I think they're going to really
be focusing on playing clean football against the Texans. But'd
love to see the offense continue to make strides and
see the defense come out there and put the clamps
on CJ's Dryden company.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
It's so interesting we're talking about these penalties. Dave Canallis
told us that Jim Caldwell, who you know, a great
NFL coach and he's on the Panther's staff right now
as a special advisor to Dave Canalis, is someone that
really goes in and studies these and is working to
get everyone just on the same page in terms of
being very clean, avoiding these penalties, urgency when it comes
(11:37):
to these things of boarding these priestnout penalties and cleaning
up the ones that happen in games. So I'm sure
that Jim has got a lot to say to the player,
you know, I'm sure that he's got his list ready
to go. But what a what a great resource to
be able to have someone that has done it that
long at such a high level combined with all of
the coaches oh able to yes, to be able to
(11:58):
really coach up these players on the things and work
out some of these kinks in the preseason that hopefully
don't translate over to the regular season. And Sharon, we think,
we don't know for sure, but fingers crossed, we think
that we might get a chance to see, you know,
a big name difference maker in this second preseason game.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Yeah, Derek Brown as of right now set to make
his preseason debut against the Texans on Saturday, which would
be so awesome because of course, he is coming off
that the knee surgery that sidl on him pretty much
the entire season last year, and they've been, you know,
they've been careful with him here in this preseason. He's
got lots of rest time and things like that. He
actually had a little oblique injury going on, which was
(12:39):
not the knee, as Dave can also not the news,
so that's the good news.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
So he's all fine and ready to go with that.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
So that as of right now, he is slated to
be out there on the field for a couple of
plays on Saturday, and I tell you what a difference
he makes Pat Jones told us today when Derek Brown
is on the field, it just changes this defense. He
is just so good as just a leader, but just
such a phenomenal player out there up the middle. I mean,
he is just so good on that D line. So
it'd be really awesome to be able to see him
(13:05):
out on the field Saturday.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Absolutely, So I thought we could give everyone a little
bit of a sense of what it's like to travel
with the team. As everyone knows you do the road games,
I do the home games, but I have traveled in
the past for several years.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
And it is a fun, kind of unique experience.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I'm guessing that people who've listened to this podcast have
gone on business trips, right Potentially you've had to go,
you know, flight somewhere with your coworkers, or you all
rented a car to get to a meeting or whatever
it is. But it's really its own In some ways,
it's very much a business trip hereon and then in
some ways it's completely unique to the NFL.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
So I thought, as you get ready to go.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
To Houston, we could kind of walk people through exactly
what it's like to, you know, get on the team plane,
what you got to wear all those kinds of things.
But it's like, you know, going from bus to plane
to bus, how you enter, how you leave. It's just
kind of a fun thing that I didn't know very
much about before where I started working for a team.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Yeah, it is fun, and I tell you, once you
do it, you hate flying commercial.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
I know, you get very spoiled. You get very spoiled
beyond the team plane.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Actually, for this game for us, we are actually flying
commercial on Friday because the team's going down of course
early for the joint practice with the Texan, So not
everybody is going down with them early on Wednesday because
there's you know, no need for the radio crew to
be down there that early. So we're going down on Friday,
So we do have to fly commercial boohoo on Friday, but.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
We'll be on the team plane on the way back.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
But yeah, normally what you do is you go to
the privator strip there at Charlotte Douglas Airport and you
just you know, park your car and walk inside the
little terminal building, show your ID and go through security there.
Everybody still has to go through security just like you
do in the regular airport, and then they have food
for you. You know to grab some lunch to go
(14:49):
get on one airplane.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Favorite parts You get to walk out of security and
they have really really good Charlotte food. Someone comes in
and caters it and you get to kind of pick
your meal, whether it's a burrito or whatever it is,
and then you take your container and you get to
walk on the plane. I just want to That is
one of my absolute favorite parts. You're like, oh, I
wonder what it's going to be today. You know, you're
not having to go with the peanuts or anything exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Yeah, there's no shortage of food on the team plane.
And then when you do get on the team plane,
you pretty much have the same seat every single time.
So the way they the way they seed people, and
you know we're we're towards the back of the plane.
Of course the players and coaches and everybody else up
at the front, and then the staff and everybody gets
towards the back. But yeah, you get to sit down,
You've got your big giant bottle of water. They're waiting
for you, and then they come through and offer even
more food. They have full meals on the plane as well.
(15:33):
If you didn't get enough from you your lunch that's there,
so and they have absolutely everything as you would think
for NFL football players. Of course, you know, they've got
all sorts of healthy options there too, you know, with
the gatorades and the grapes and fruits and stuff like that.
It's not just peanuts and coke. So but then they
have food like pasta meals at steak and burgers and.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
All sorts of stuff.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
So they get to chow down with whatever they want
to eat, and we have access to that too if
you if you still are starving and want to do that.
But then you you know, you take off just like
everybody else. I think a lot of times they try
to get you going sooner you don't have to like
taxi for thirty minutes and wait and line that long.
Like everybody else, you get bumped to the front of
the line a little bit. They're the way by the
time you get out on the on the runway and
(16:12):
fly into your city wherever that may be. And then
when you land, there are buses sitting right there on
the tarmac waiting for you. So you get off the plane.
We've got an assigned bus that we go get on
and you throw your luggage underneath, and the entire entourage
of buses and all of the trucks with the equipment
and things like that get escorted to the hotel where
you're staying with the police escort, so you don't get
(16:34):
many red lights. You get to just cruise right on
through things, and you get the escort on the highways
and it's sort of.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Like you're the President traveling on the road. It's really fun,
it really is.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You know, you have an escort, and you know a
couple of things that I really love. The flight attendants
are great. They are, you know, almost always the same
crew that you have for the entire season. And I
remember flying very pregnant with my first son. I mean,
I was you stop traveling at thirty five weeks pregnant,
So for anyone that doesn't know the pregnancy maths, that's
about a month before you give birth. And I was
(17:07):
on this plane at thirty five weeks pregnant coming back
from Arizona, and the flight attendants they took care of
me the entire time, the entire pregnancy. But I was
like standing up, I was moving around. The one was
giving me advice on going to the hospital. I mean,
they're just lovely, lovely flight attendants who really care about you,
you know, and everyone, not just the players. So that's
(17:28):
one of my absolute favorite things. And then like you said,
you know, you get the buses and you've got the
police escorts on motorcycles. It's very cool. And another thing
that I really like, Sharon, is that at the hotels.
You know, typically you stay at these these big hotels
and they run out like the ballrooms and things like that,
and that is where the team eats and has their meals,
(17:49):
and they also run out rooms for massages and training
staff and rehab and all those kinds of things, and
you kind of all eat together, especially like game day morning.
You think about it, Okay, I'm going to go down
at this time, and you see the players come in
and they're getting their food, and there's all sorts of
you know, some people like spaghetti in the morning and
steak yes, whatever it is, and it's just there's just
(18:12):
the sense of camaraderie. I think when you travel it is,
like we said, it's very much a business trip, but
it is really neat to see everything that goes on
behind the scenes. And also, Sharon, as you said, we
are treated with the same level of respect and consideration
that the players are you know, I mean everyone gets
on the same elevators, everyone goes to eat at the
same place, and of course, you know, hey if they've
(18:34):
got to be on the bus at a certain time
and make sure that they get to go get their
smoothie before mine. But it's just a really neat experience
and it's something that I think the NFL does very
well and the Panthers do very well.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yeah. No, and it's it's it's awesome.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
I think David Langton, our producer, of course, we will
be sitting here laughing at me because my favorite thing
is Sunday morning to go to the Alma station get
my maid, Like that's my favorite highlight of the trip
is to go get my my my online with bacon
and tomato yum. And that's like, I love it because
somebody actually cooks me breakfast on Sunday morning, which is
really nice. So yeah, exactly as a as a mom,
(19:10):
you'll you've realized that too, that that you don't cook
breakfast very often, so that is that is really awesome. Yeah,
it is cool. It's fun to see you know, what's
what are they eating over there? Who's doing what. And
then oftentimes, you know a lot of the guys will
come over and chat with you, and you know JJ
Jamson will come and sit down and talk a little
baseball or whatever it may be. And so it's it
is fun to be able to sort of get that
inside look at what the players are doing on game
(19:31):
day and their prep and what they eat and what
they stash in their backpack, and you know who's doing what.
And you know, some guys are super serious, and you
know Cuba always dresses to the nines even to come
down to eat breakfast and stuff. So it's fun to
be able to get that inside look at what's going
on with the team.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
It really is.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
And and Sharon, we wish you all the best, a smooth, fast,
easy journey down to Houston, filled with an excellent omelet
when we get there.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
No turbulence. I'll ask for no turbulence.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
No turbulence, so I can I can't wait to catch
up after the next preseason game. Then we'll be heading
in to preseason number three. By the next time we talk.
I can't believe how fast it already feels like it's going.
But thank you all for listening. Sharon, Thank you as
always and we'll see you all next week.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Sounds good, Thanks Kristen,
Wow.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Cheers Kristin Balboni and Sharon Thorp's love it with your
Sideline Pass.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Welcome to Sideline Pass, Sharon, Kristen here with you and Sharon,
we have football to talk about. We just finished up
the first preseason game on Friday. It feels good to
be back, doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Absolutely. It was a lot of fun to see the
guys out there on the field. Even though the starters
were out there in a limited capacity, it was still
a lot of fun to just finally play a real game.
Even if it's an exhibition game. It was a real
football game with the pads of pop and so that
was a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
And it did feel like you said, it felt like
a real game, especially when they took the field because
your starters go out there first, and there was a
good crowd at Bank of America Stadium, the lights were
on it.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
It was really excited.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
You see the guys going through their normal pregame warm ups.
You know your starters, you're looking at them. You're seeing
Bryce Young do his normal routine. Chuba Hubbard is out
on the jugs machine seventeen hours before the game starts
as always.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
So it just felt like football was really back.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
And you know, as we talked about last week, the
starters did not play Week one of the preseason last year,
so it didn't feel being on a sideline last Friday night.
It did not feel like an August game or an
early August game. It felt like September or October. And
it was at least for those few series, and it
was really really nice to see Sharon.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Yeah, And I think that's one thing that Dave canals.
He really made a point of emphasizing that this year
this season that he wanted guys to get out there
in Game one and not just to you know, to play,
but to get prepared to go through their whole pregame
ritual starting the night before with you know, getting to
bed at a decent hour and then you know, nutrition
and hydration everything and getting that whole pregame routine down
(01:42):
that you're going to be doing in the regular season.
He wanted them to go ahead and get into that
mode early on in the season, so they did all
of that and then to be able, like you said,
to get out there and do their pregame warmups as
well like they'd be doing during the year. I think
that's going to really pay dividends because, like you said,
last year, they did not play starters, didn't come out
until the third game with the preseason, so they may
me weren't as into that you know, repetition, that mode
(02:04):
that they get into and in the regular season until
late they're in the preseason. So doing it now, I
think Dave Canos really wanted to see them do that,
and they'll do it again here for Houston again this week.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
And I remember Steve Smith telling me one time that
he had a very specific especially the older he got
in the longer he played, that he had a very
specific routine tailored to Okay, when am I first going
to take the field of just you know, this is
exactly how it goes in the off season. This is
these are the things that I want to ramp up to.
These are the ways in which I want to keep
my nutrition on track. And I think there's something to
(02:35):
what Dave Canalis is saying in terms of okay, as
you said, you know, two weeks earlier than last season,
these guys need to be ready to go out and
take the field, even if for a limited number of snaps.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
We are going to go ahead and get into that mode.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Several weeks earlier than we did last week, and it
was fun to see and I think they had a
great time out there. Sharon, I want to I want
to give you some observations of what I saw on
the sideline and tell me what you think. So first,
I want to talk about Jalen Coker. Oh yeah, what
an impact he made on those very limited series he
was in. Now we did see him play further into
(03:10):
the game. We saw some of the receivers like Tterro McMillan,
Jalen Cocher, David Moore play.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Further as the game went along. But they had that.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So the Panthers had this long drive. It was the
second offensive series, this long drive which eventually culminated in
this Jalen cocher touchdown, and we got to see Tedroll
McMillan really pop there and this catch. Sharon, if you
are listening and you have not seen this touchdown catch,
go and watch it right now on the Panthers' Instagram.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
But Sharon, it was a thing of beauty.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Talk about feeling like you were back in the regular season.
It was just amazing to see what Bryce could do
when the play broke down and then where Jalen Coker
was his body awareness and to be able to plant
those feet and catch that ball in a situation that
was not at all planned.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Absolutely. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Dave Canalis was actually just talking about that today at
our media availability, and just the way that Jalen was
able to just not just that catch, but the ones
where he was just able to just grab it over
his shoulder and be in the right place at the
right time, and just that communication that he and Bryce have.
You know, when Bryce the play broke down, Bryce had
to roll out and start looking for him, and he said,
you know, Jalen just had that edge and was able
(04:15):
to just keep it and was able to connect with Bryce.
So they've got a great connection going. And this is,
you know, from a guy we all know undrafted last year.
The Panthers really feel like they got a steal and
being able to snag him undrafted last year and he
earned his stripes and he got a lot of great
experience last year playing with this team, and then in
the off season this year, he spent a lot of
time with Bryce as well, and a lot a lot
(04:35):
of the receivers. They all went and got together and
did these throwing sessions and I think that's really pain dividends.
But Jalen Coker continuing to just get better and better.
He apparently stayed here all summer this year instead of
like going home or going on vacasion or anything like that.
He's stuck around here and really put in the work
and it is getting even better. And he what a
great weapon for Bryce to have, and he's got so
many of them. Jalen Coker certainly certainly shined in that game.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Yeah, Morgan told us. He said, I'm so impressed with
the work that Jalen Cooker has put in with his body,
like you were saying all off season long, and as
you said, it is really starting to show here very early.
And Sharon, I got to tell you, I was right
there on the sideline as that play was happening. I
was about level with Bryce as he was scrambling, and
(05:19):
I gotta be honest, I did not think.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
That play was going to result in a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
I did not at all, And it was just a
thing of beauty. It was great to see. It definitely
felt like, as I said, we were back in the
regular season, with especially late regular season last year, with
Bryce doing all sorts of wizardry. So another guy that
we got to take a look at was Tetoa McMillan. Boy,
he looked really good, especially on that first drive. There
was that first play. Again, if you haven't seen this,
(05:47):
go watch it. That first play from Bryce to Tetoa
where they connected. It was like a thirty yard pass.
Oh and he was just like right inside the sideline,
kind of like tiptoeing right in to make sure he
stayed in bounds.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
And I mean he looks like a vet sharing.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
That's the thing. That's exactly what I was just gonna say.
It looks like he's been here a while. I mean,
he's been doing that since day one too. I have
a rookie mini camp. He has just been putting on
a show. Every day of camp. He does something that
you look at him and go, oh my gosh, how
do you catch that? He goes up for these unbelievable
just full body extension, one handed grabs and just makes
it look like, yeah, no problem. I mean, he's just
(06:23):
amazing with the plays that he's been able to make.
And when he's able to do that this early on,
I mean, it's just gonna be just tremendous for Bryce
and this Panthers team to have him out there on
the field. But yeah, he did not look like a
rookie very often. You know, it's still a little rookie
things that he's gonna be going through here as the
season goes on. But the way he's able to just
make these unbelievable catches that you just don't think are
(06:45):
going to happen, He's just able to reelhim in every
single time. And I think he certainly cemented himself as
one of Bryce's favorite targets out there already.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
M And then one other guy that I think people
should get to know. His name is on the defensive side,
Corey Thornton. So he was someone that when we got
to sit down, Sharon and I and some of the
other broadcasters got to sit down with the coaching staff
and with Dan Morgan, you said, you know, we said,
who are you looking at? And he said, well, there
is there is some competition going on at cornerback.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
Who know that we know that j. C. Horn and
Mike Jack.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Are going to be the starting corners, but then who
kind of comes in behind them? Shaw Smith Wade is
very good, and then there's this kind of this other
battle whether it's Sam Bartholomew, whether it's Corey Thorton. There
are other guys in the mix. But Dan Morgan was
very excited about Corey Thornton. He said, you know, he's
not someone that I necessarily had my eye on coming
into the off season, but he's just really shown up.
(07:38):
And he told us before that first preseason game, he said,
I love the way he practices. He's big, he's physical,
he's very smart. Another guy that already looks like a vet.
But he told us, he said, I want to see
what it's like when it's game speed and the lights
are on, and Sharon, he delivered. I mean, he had
a couple of big plays. He had this one tackle
where I felt really bad from the guys going up
against but he did. Dan Morgan wanted to see from him,
(08:03):
and I think that he's making a name for himself
here in the preseason so far.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Obviously there's a lot of time to go, but.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Absolutely, and that's what I was going to say that
that's that's the difference maker, I think, and most coaches
will tell you that's that's what matters. You can be
you can show up all day long in practice, but
if you don't show up when the lights come on.
You know that's going to be could be a major
difference maker and who makes this roster and who doesn't.
And it's funny you mentioned Thornton because Zaviert was just
actually speaking about him. He was also at our media
(08:31):
availability today and somebody asked him what of the young
DB's are showing up? And that's the first name off
of his lips. He was like Corey Thornton. He said,
that guy is just a dog out there every single play.
And he said that Corey tried to grab his you know,
helmet and shoulder paths. You know, the rookies always have
to carry you guys stuff up and he said, no, no, no, no, no,
you're not doing that. He said, you're already on here
playing like a Vett. You're making plays. You don't have
(08:53):
to do that. So he's he's definitely impressing his teammates
as well with his play out there. So it was
fun to see him really stand out in that game.
And we'll see what you can do here against Houston
this week as well. But that'd be great to get
some more depth like that, like you said, behind JC
and Mike Jack because when a young guy like that
can can show up and play really well on the
(09:13):
field during practice and.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Then do it in the games. That does the bode
well for him for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
If Xavier Legatt tells you that you don't have to
carry his.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Pats and helmet, that is that is a ringing endorsement.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
But as we've been talking about, of course we've got
preseason game two coming up, and all of the things
we've talked about are great, but we've got to see them.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
You know, these players, this chemistry, we've got to see it.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Sustained throughout the preseason and this will be our second
look at the starters. Like you said, don't think we're
going to see them in game three. So as you
get ready to go to Houston, what are you zeroing
in on that you are going to be on the
lookout for and that you want to see in the
second preseason game.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Well, you want to see them continue, particularly starting with
the offense. You want to see them sort of pick
up where they left off. I mean Bryce was able
to make that you know, crazy adjustment and get the
touchdown to jayl.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
You want to see them do that. I think i'd
like to see them run the ball a little bit more.
Maybe they didn't.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Get a lot of run plays in this last game.
You'd like to see the run game get established a
little bit more, especially if if Houston does play their
starters at all.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Man that defense is is lights out down there in Houston.
They're more of the best in the league and expected
to be tops again.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
So I'd like to see the run game get going
and just see what they're able to do against a
very good defense. And then with the second team guys,
particularly on the defensive side, you'd like to see some
more guys step up and make some plays. You could
tell there's there was a bit of a drop off
somewhat with the relievers. Relievers, yeah, talking baseball here coming
in with with the with the second third string guys
(10:38):
coming in. So you'd like to see some more, you know,
just some more progressive play. Dave Canal is one thing
he was speaking about today that he really wants to
see changes the penalties, so that we got to get
rid of these penalties, and we get was one of
them with the facilly you know, getting in the little
fisticuffs there and getting ejected. Obviously don't want to see
that again, but just some of the pre snab penalties
and just getting backed up. He said that that unforre
(11:00):
originally had continued over into practice today. He was not
happy about that. So I think they're going to really
be focusing on playing clean football against the Texans. But'd
love to see the offense continue to make strides and
see the defense come out there and put the clamps
on CJ's Dryden company.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
It's so interesting we're talking about these penalties. Dave Canallis
told us that Jim Caldwell, who you know, a great
NFL coach and he's on the Panther's staff right now
as a special advisor to Dave Canalis, is someone that
really goes in and studies these and is working to
get everyone just on the same page in terms of
being very clean, avoiding these penalties, urgency when it comes
(11:37):
to these things of boarding these priestnout penalties and cleaning
up the ones that happen in games. So I'm sure
that Jim has got a lot to say to the player,
you know, I'm sure that he's got his list ready
to go. But what a what a great resource to
be able to have someone that has done it that
long at such a high level combined with all of
the coaches oh able to yes, to be able to
(11:58):
really coach up these players on the things and work
out some of these kinks in the preseason that hopefully
don't translate over to the regular season. And Sharon, we think,
we don't know for sure, but fingers crossed, we think
that we might get a chance to see, you know,
a big name difference maker in this second preseason game.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Yeah, Derek Brown as of right now set to make
his preseason debut against the Texans on Saturday, which would
be so awesome because of course, he is coming off
that the knee surgery that sidl on him pretty much
the entire season last year, and they've been, you know,
they've been careful with him here in this preseason. He's
got lots of rest time and things like that. He
actually had a little oblique injury going on, which was
(12:39):
not the knee, as Dave can also not the news,
so that's the good news.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
So he's all fine and ready to go with that.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
So that as of right now, he is slated to
be out there on the field for a couple of
plays on Saturday, and I tell you what a difference
he makes Pat Jones told us today when Derek Brown
is on the field, it just changes this defense. He
is just so good as just a leader, but just
such a phenomenal player out there up the middle. I mean,
he is just so good on that D line. So
it'd be really awesome to be able to see him
(13:05):
out on the field Saturday.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Absolutely, So I thought we could give everyone a little
bit of a sense of what it's like to travel
with the team. As everyone knows you do the road games,
I do the home games, but I have traveled in
the past for several years.
Speaker 4 (13:20):
And it is a fun, kind of unique experience.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I'm guessing that people who've listened to this podcast have
gone on business trips, right Potentially you've had to go,
you know, flight somewhere with your coworkers, or you all
rented a car to get to a meeting or whatever
it is. But it's really its own In some ways,
it's very much a business trip hereon and then in
some ways it's completely unique to the NFL.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
So I thought, as you get ready to go.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
To Houston, we could kind of walk people through exactly
what it's like to, you know, get on the team plane,
what you got to wear all those kinds of things.
But it's like, you know, going from bus to plane
to bus, how you enter, how you leave. It's just
kind of a fun thing that I didn't know very
much about before where I started working for a team.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Yeah, it is fun, and I tell you, once you
do it, you hate flying commercial.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
I know, you get very spoiled. You get very spoiled
beyond the team plane.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Actually, for this game for us, we are actually flying
commercial on Friday because the team's going down of course
early for the joint practice with the Texan, So not
everybody is going down with them early on Wednesday because
there's you know, no need for the radio crew to
be down there that early. So we're going down on Friday,
So we do have to fly commercial boohoo on Friday, but.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
We'll be on the team plane on the way back.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
But yeah, normally what you do is you go to
the privator strip there at Charlotte Douglas Airport and you
just you know, park your car and walk inside the
little terminal building, show your ID and go through security there.
Everybody still has to go through security just like you
do in the regular airport, and then they have food
for you. You know to grab some lunch to go
(14:49):
get on one airplane.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Favorite parts You get to walk out of security and
they have really really good Charlotte food. Someone comes in
and caters it and you get to kind of pick
your meal, whether it's a burrito or whatever it is,
and then you take your container and you get to
walk on the plane. I just want to That is
one of my absolute favorite parts. You're like, oh, I
wonder what it's going to be today. You know, you're
not having to go with the peanuts or anything exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Yeah, there's no shortage of food on the team plane.
And then when you do get on the team plane,
you pretty much have the same seat every single time.
So the way they the way they seed people, and
you know we're we're towards the back of the plane.
Of course the players and coaches and everybody else up
at the front, and then the staff and everybody gets
towards the back. But yeah, you get to sit down,
You've got your big giant bottle of water. They're waiting
for you, and then they come through and offer even
more food. They have full meals on the plane as well.
(15:33):
If you didn't get enough from you your lunch that's there,
so and they have absolutely everything as you would think
for NFL football players. Of course, you know, they've got
all sorts of healthy options there too, you know, with
the gatorades and the grapes and fruits and stuff like that.
It's not just peanuts and coke. So but then they
have food like pasta meals at steak and burgers and.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
All sorts of stuff.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
So they get to chow down with whatever they want
to eat, and we have access to that too if
you if you still are starving and want to do that.
But then you you know, you take off just like
everybody else. I think a lot of times they try
to get you going sooner you don't have to like
taxi for thirty minutes and wait and line that long.
Like everybody else, you get bumped to the front of
the line a little bit. They're the way by the
time you get out on the on the runway and
(16:12):
fly into your city wherever that may be. And then
when you land, there are buses sitting right there on
the tarmac waiting for you. So you get off the plane.
We've got an assigned bus that we go get on
and you throw your luggage underneath, and the entire entourage
of buses and all of the trucks with the equipment
and things like that get escorted to the hotel where
you're staying with the police escort, so you don't get
(16:34):
many red lights. You get to just cruise right on
through things, and you get the escort on the highways
and it's sort of.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Like you're the President traveling on the road. It's really fun,
it really is.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You know, you have an escort, and you know a
couple of things that I really love. The flight attendants
are great. They are, you know, almost always the same
crew that you have for the entire season. And I
remember flying very pregnant with my first son. I mean,
I was you stop traveling at thirty five weeks pregnant,
So for anyone that doesn't know the pregnancy maths, that's
about a month before you give birth. And I was
(17:07):
on this plane at thirty five weeks pregnant coming back
from Arizona, and the flight attendants they took care of
me the entire time, the entire pregnancy. But I was
like standing up, I was moving around. The one was
giving me advice on going to the hospital. I mean,
they're just lovely, lovely flight attendants who really care about you,
you know, and everyone, not just the players. So that's
(17:28):
one of my absolute favorite things. And then like you said,
you know, you get the buses and you've got the
police escorts on motorcycles. It's very cool. And another thing
that I really like, Sharon, is that at the hotels.
You know, typically you stay at these these big hotels
and they run out like the ballrooms and things like that,
and that is where the team eats and has their meals,
(17:49):
and they also run out rooms for massages and training
staff and rehab and all those kinds of things, and
you kind of all eat together, especially like game day morning.
You think about it, Okay, I'm going to go down
at this time, and you see the players come in
and they're getting their food, and there's all sorts of
you know, some people like spaghetti in the morning and
steak yes, whatever it is, and it's just there's just
(18:12):
the sense of camaraderie. I think when you travel it is,
like we said, it's very much a business trip, but
it is really neat to see everything that goes on
behind the scenes. And also, Sharon, as you said, we
are treated with the same level of respect and consideration
that the players are you know, I mean everyone gets
on the same elevators, everyone goes to eat at the
same place, and of course, you know, hey if they've
(18:34):
got to be on the bus at a certain time
and make sure that they get to go get their
smoothie before mine. But it's just a really neat experience
and it's something that I think the NFL does very
well and the Panthers do very well.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yeah. No, and it's it's it's awesome.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
I think David Langton, our producer, of course, we will
be sitting here laughing at me because my favorite thing
is Sunday morning to go to the Alma station get
my maid, Like that's my favorite highlight of the trip
is to go get my my my online with bacon
and tomato yum. And that's like, I love it because
somebody actually cooks me breakfast on Sunday morning, which is
really nice. So yeah, exactly as a as a mom,
(19:10):
you'll you've realized that too, that that you don't cook
breakfast very often, so that is that is really awesome. Yeah,
it is cool. It's fun to see you know, what's
what are they eating over there? Who's doing what. And
then oftentimes, you know a lot of the guys will
come over and chat with you, and you know JJ
Jamson will come and sit down and talk a little
baseball or whatever it may be. And so it's it
is fun to be able to sort of get that
inside look at what the players are doing on game
(19:31):
day and their prep and what they eat and what
they stash in their backpack, and you know who's doing what.
And you know, some guys are super serious, and you
know Cuba always dresses to the nines even to come
down to eat breakfast and stuff. So it's fun to
be able to get that inside look at what's going
on with the team.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
It really is.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
And and Sharon, we wish you all the best, a smooth, fast,
easy journey down to Houston, filled with an excellent omelet
when we get there.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
No turbulence. I'll ask for no turbulence.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
No turbulence, so I can I can't wait to catch
up after the next preseason game. Then we'll be heading
in to preseason number three. By the next time we talk.
I can't believe how fast it already feels like it's going.
But thank you all for listening. Sharon, Thank you as
always and we'll see you all next week.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Sounds good, Thanks Kristen,
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