December 4, 2025 • 34 mins
In the second hour, Mike Holmgren sits down with Dick Fain to talk about the Seahawks shutout win over Minnesota last week, Sam Darnold’s performances recently, the rough Vikings quarterback situation, the Patriots’ big year, Mike Tomlin, the Bears, and Dallas.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
That's part of our non stop coverage of the NFL.
Your home for the twelfth Man proudly presents former Seahawks
head coach and Super Bowl champion Mike Combgrin. Brought to
you by Toyota of Kirkland. The championship team at Toyota
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and that's what makes Toyota of Kirkland so special. And
(00:21):
by R and R Foundation specialist serving Western Washington for
over twenty years now. From the five twenty Bar and
Grail in Bellevue, Mike hom Grid with Softy and Dick.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Ah, here we are. Doesn't it feel cozy in here? Coach?
It's just so nasty outside. You come in here.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
It's so nicely, it's so nice. It's really this is
the best thing. This is good.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Good. Where's our where's our partner?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Partner is doing a little pre holiday vacation. Nice. Yeah,
you know we're kind of tag team into December.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
You know, he takes some time off and I'll take
some time off, and he's gonna take some lot.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
I'm gonna they let you do it too.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Not just no, no, not just him No, that's that's
that's definitely in a conference, Okay, no question about it. Well, coach,
I mean, what do you make of a game like
you saw on Sunday twenty six to nothing.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
And I mean we've seen.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Games before where quarterbacks that just have no business being
in the NFL thrust into a situation where they're starting.
But this was about as bad as it as it gets.
And honestly, the Vikings have only themselves to blame for
the situation that they're in because they could add a
lot better quarterback like they had last year.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Well, I just think how they're thinking, how they're feeling.
You know, they're seeing their other quarterback playing against them,
and then another one is playing doing a really good
job for another team. But now they're playing with this
young man. And you know, there are other teams that
have had to play backup quarterbacks. We've all seen it,
(01:53):
sure for a long time. I'd never seen anything quite
like that. I really haven't. Wow, you know, it's uh
And I felt bad for the young guy, you know, Yeah,
but he's going against a really good defense and then
in Minnesota's defense kept him in the game early. You know,
they look good too against the Seahawks, but they were
(02:14):
never going to score any points. And you could just
see I was looking at the watching on television and
seeing the coach, his facial his feeling. You could you
could feel the feeling. Yes, Jefferson, when they looked at
him on the sideline, you just saw they're going, They're
just going, this is get me out of here. You know,
(02:36):
this is awful.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
I feel like Max Brosmer, you know, forty years from
now is going to be He's going to have his
five year old grand kid on his lap and.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
He's going to say, you know, I played in the NFL.
You did what did did? Did you ever start?
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I started a game. Did you throw a touchdown?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yeah, I actually threw a touchdown, but he probably won't
tell him it was till the other team.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
It was the only touchdown pass throw. How about that?
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Like, what would you say to a quarterback that threw
like a It was almost an underhanded side arms like
he's playing Beambag toss with with Ernest Jones.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Yeah. It uh. Even with having not having a lot
of experience playing he did certainly in college. He played
a lot in college, and he practiced and there are
rules and there's fundamental things that you don't do. And
that was just and that's that's actually that set the
(03:35):
tone for the game. It was three to nothing at
that point, and they could have kicked the field goal.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
I thought they should have kicked the field even beforehand,
before the interception, I thought like, why aren't they just
taking points?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
And goes three to three? That's right because the defense,
their defense was playing well. But then to do what
he did. What I I my feeling if that had happened,
because you know, we've talked about Brett on the show
before and he would do some crazy things and I
they've they've showed on TV sometimes and I kind of
(04:05):
talked to him about it the but you just go
you feel bad, You feel bad for him, but you
feel you can't do that. And that's probably what I
would have said. You have to understand the situation. You
cannot do that. What just happened. Don't do it again,
you know, don't you learn from this? And but it
set the tone for the rest of the game.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Really, I don't think he's gonna get the opportunity to
do it again.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
To be hers, I don't know who's gonna play.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
JJ's playing this week. He was, Yeah, he's he's good
to go this week. Not that he's that much better,
but he's he is better than Max brozem Er, that's
for sure. But when you have a situation like that,
let's talk about you as an offensive play call, because
I thought, I thought Clint Kubiak did a really nice
job in the second half realizing what his defense was
doing to the other offense, and he was just like,
(04:52):
I'm just shutting this puppy down.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Like, at what point do you just tell your offense?
You know what?
Speaker 4 (04:58):
I know, my job is the score points, but I
also want to be safe too, because the other team's
not getting to ten today.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Yeah, I I find it hard to believe that that
would enter into his thought process, honestly. Okay, because his
job during the game is to move the football. Now
you might transfer a little bit for a little bit
less passing and more running and right, which I think
they did to a certain extent, but yeah, you you
you got the feeling, and then the head coach might
(05:28):
say something to him, you know that, you know, he
Glint has his job, and then the head coach has
to say, okay, tone it down, now, let's keep it on.
Let's keep it basically on the ground, you know whatever,
whatever the coach would say, knowing that what you just
said that there's no way they can score on us
and touch us.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
The one complain and of course here we are, you know,
talk show holtes. We got to complain about something, right,
and at twenty six nothing lost. You know how we
worked right? When you were coaching, you could win, you
could win thirty to nothing. A coach, what'd you do?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Know?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
But I think I think.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
It's a complaint that a lot of Seahawks fans have
had the last few weeks, particularly since the Rams game,
because we saw clock management rear its ugly head at
the end of the Rams game and again at.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
The end of this first half.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
I'll just kind of reset the scene for you and
for the listeners. Brosmer's sacked with a minute fifty five left.
Seattle does not take a timeout, so Minnesota punts and
Seattle doesn't receive the punt until there's one oh five left.
They don't run an offensive play until there's fifty eight
(06:31):
seconds left. Then they run a first down Zach Charboney
run off the guard for nine yards, and they again
don't use a timeout, So they snapped the ball with
thirty nine seconds left for an incomplete pass, a thirty
six second run for one yard.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Then they take a time out with twenty three seconds left.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
They don't take their first time out n till there's
twenty three seconds left. I'm screaming in my in the
stands Coach. I'm sure you could hear me. I don't
know if Kubiak and Donald could hear me, but I
was going, what are we doing here?
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Like?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
How take us through the thought process of what's going
on there?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
The only thing I can think of is that they
wanted to be very careful that Minnesota wouldn't get the
ball back. Having said that, it sounds crazy because they
couldn't move, you know, but I'm just saying that there's
no other reason. There's no other reason to do it
that way. You know, take your time out, settle down,
call your plays, don't waste that much time. Did they
(07:31):
wind up kicking a long field goal? Yes, yes so,
but no that's you have to be more aware of
the clock and in clock management in that situation. I
think they did it poorly.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
We've talked about Sam Darnold all year long. He had
a great start. The last four games have been much bumpier.
There's no question about that. I mean, last four games
is about sixty percent completion, three touchdowns, five interceptions, and
a couple of field or a couple of dinner humbles
rather but three of those games were blowout wins, so
(08:06):
we really didn't have to do anything special. So how
do you evaluate Darnald under those circumstances. We're in three
of those games. I mean, you're up three touchdowns. It's
like there's not a lot of weight on his shoulders.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yeah, I would think. You know, I've been an advocate
for him since day one, and I think he is
doing a good job. But I think he'll be judged.
He'll be judged at the end of the year by
where they wind up. And statistically, you know, he hasn't
(08:40):
he thrown for They didn't throw for many yards last
week because maybe what we talked about before, maybe they
just toned it down, said we're gonna run it out
and get out of here. You know. But he people
be critical of his decision making at times. Ever since
the four interception game. Yep, that was the thing that
(09:02):
set people off to analyze it more. And I would
just question it. Just take a breath, slow down. He
will be judged on the next five games. He'll be
judged on the forty nine er game, the Ram game,
certainly on Thursday night. And if he can take care
of business with the teams we think they can beat.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
How do you think he'll do in those games in
the like Rams forty nine ers, when you know what
hits the fan and you got to win those two
games to win the division to get the number one seeds.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Yeah, I have faith in him. Now, maybe I'm being
an optimist, you know, but if I have faith in
him and he's he's shown enough to me as at
the quarterback position on certain throws. Okay, now he's also
shown some other things to other people on other throws.
So but I'm going to stick with him for right now.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
He's shown in a cluttered pocket to be a little
bit skittish, I guess is the right word.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
So as a play caller, how do you help your
quarterback out.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
When you know he's not the most Like when he
gets a clean pocket, he is lights out. But when
he gets a cluttered pocket, I mean his numbers against
the blitz, his passer rating goes down. It's like I
want to say, it's like one oh seven.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
No, it's like one.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Eleven to seventy seven between blitz and non blitz. When
the pocket is cluttered, he struggles. So what do you
do as a play caller to help him out there?
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I think you try, and you try and set up
the third down situation so you don't have to drop
back all the time in the pocket and do that.
And you guys teach me all the time I run
the drawing third down. Yeah, you know, but I mean
you know you can. You can take some of the
pressure off of him. By I always say throw it
on a running down and run on a passing down,
(10:46):
and that takes some of the pressure off the quarterback.
You know. So play action pass. I would like to
see more play action pass. Now that Walker and Sharbyonnay
really did it showed really I thought they showed some
good stuff. Are now use that, use that, use the
fullback more. Get the snap from center, play action pass,
(11:08):
get the ball for completions. You know Cup as an example,
I think Cup really understand. He's really smart, and you
know he'll find the open area and do the right thing.
We're out wise against most defenses and you almost have
you almost say I got a completion there, I got
a completion. We just make the play, bring him up,
throw it to him. They're doubling, they're taking, they're trying
(11:30):
to take away of injigum, you know, which is a
smart thing to do, and they really did. Other guys
are going to be open, and so that's how I
would do it. I would use the play action game
and then maybe pass on first down, pass on first down,
then run on second now, you know, just kind of
mix up it up how you're doing things.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Well, before we talk about this week's game against Atlanta,
I gotta get your take on on and we alluded
to it at the beginning, but what Minnesota did at
their quarterback position and just giving the job to a
rookie that's essentially a rookie spent his whole rookie year hurt,
(12:13):
not taking one snap. I just I feel like there's
a difference between a second year quarterback who was the
backup the whole first year taking snaps, practicing that versus
a second year quarterback that never did anything year number one.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, you're exactly right. I mean he didn't play, so
you can't say, oh, he's ready, You can't say that, right.
You hope it and you can kind of believe it,
but you can't really say it because he hasn't played. Now.
What they got, what hurt them is they had the
two veteran quarterbacks there, and to keep them.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Jones and Donald.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Jones and Donald, they were gonna have to pay him,
and then you have the other guy. You say, Okay,
maybe JJ McCarthy's not ready now, but in two years,
as you see teams do that all the time, in
two years, he's ready, and then you say goodbye to
the to the veteran guy. They weren't in that position.
They had to make the decision if they signed Darnold
to a longer contract or pay him or Jones. Then
(13:17):
they got McCarthy watching for a couple of years, you know.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
But that's been the green Bay way. Have your guy
watched for a while and now it works for him, it's.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Absolutely green Bay way. But you can't you can only
send him for two years. Yep, you know, he got
to be ready to play in three years. I always
thought that was the way to go, But you're right,
Green Bay has done. Think of that. They've had three
quarterbacks for a long, long stretch of good football. And
if you can find that guy now, the guy you
(13:45):
release who can still play, the veteran quarterback who who
you got to do something with. Farv did it, Aaron
Rodgers did it. It's tough that that's a hard decision
to make.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Well, And Green.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
Bay's got a cornerback in love that having a pretty
good year there eight three and one. And I think
probably the only reason that he's having a good year
is because he was able to sit for as long
as he did and watch right.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
And watch you know you're right. And I don't know
the vikings. It'd be interesting to talk to o'donald O'Connell
and see what see it, because I watched his faded
a happy camper during the game. But and then I
(14:30):
wont now I said this earlier, and I probably I'll
probably get emails and things about this, But their general
I want after that. I looked up I wanted to
read about their front office and who might have made
that decision or they've pushed it right. And their general
manager is a guy who had been with the forty
nine ers, and it turned out reading his bile and
(14:53):
everything and he's smart guy, very intelligent, but his his heat,
the star category of his is an analytics and oh
my favorite. I saw my favorite. So I read that.
I read that turned off my computer, slammed my book
on the dail and said, okay that you just answered
my question. Somebody handed him a bunch of numbers said
(15:17):
you should do this.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Oh god, it reared its uglyhead again this last week.
Did you see what our old friend Kaylin de Boor
did with Alabama? Kaitlin Bor and Ryan Grubb. No, the
Auburn Alabama rivalry and if Alabama loses, they're done, and
it's twenty to twenty with three minutes left to go
in the game, and they don't kick a go ahead
field goal at the five yard line.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Instead they go for it, but they end up making it.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Oh okay, I'm.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Just thinking, what is Alabama Nation doing if they don't
make that fourth down and Auburn march and Auburn marched the.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Link to the field in three minutes to almost score
a touchdown the tie again. But they certainly got.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Into field goal range if they were just had that
same drive, yeah, auver.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
So then the decision looks like they made a great decision,
you know, So it's just how it turns out.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Well, the Seahawks have been unbelievable in these ten am
kickoffs that we got coming up in Atlanta, last twenty
seven games there, twenty two and five. I mean, that
is unbelievable. I mean, why do you think it's so
much easier now? Because it was It was difficult, not
just for you, it was difficult in the NFL for
West Coast teams to go east in the eighties and nineties.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yeah, it really was. I think I think they've studied
this stuff a lot. Yeah, and they've they've looked at
ways that the players at that time in the morning,
the Seattle time, that how what kind of sleep they
get when they go to bed, what to eat, all
that kind of stuff. Now that's they study that stuff
(16:51):
and have come up with a plan to at least
give them a chance to do those things. But I
think the number one thing is you got to have
a pretty good team. You got to be able to
go back there and take care of business, because it's
it is a challenge.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
How worried should we be about this this Falcons team?
I mean, the record isn't much. But in their last
five games, they got a one point loss at New England,
they got an overtime loss to Indy, they got an
overtime loss to Carolina, they got to win over the Saints,
and a.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Three point loss of the Jets.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
So they're like they're in every single game they play
against some pretty good teams.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Yeah they are, and that I looked at that schedule too,
and so this the Seahoffs have to be ready. They've
got to be ready. This is not even though Atlanta's
record isn't very good and certainly disappointing to the people
in Atlanta because I think they had pretty high hopes
with Pennix and all that kind of stuff. Now and
Penis won't play, but Cousins, if you're going to take
(17:48):
him backup guy, and they just take him in there,
you know, he's not the Cousins of four or five
years ago, I don't think. But he can still play.
And then they have a great running back, Oh.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Great running Hard to motivate your team when you're going
on the road to play a four and eight team
in your nine to three you've been in that situation.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Sometimes it is, it is, But I am very impressed.
There's a lot of things I'm very impressed that the
Seahawks have done this year, and that's one of them.
They appear to me. You can tell when a team
kind of comes out there and just they're not motivated
the way they should be. That doesn't happen with these guys.
(18:27):
So Mike's got him going, got him thinking properly. He's
got them flying around, you know, and a lot of
it has to do with how that defense is playing.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Yep, yep, that's the voice of Mike hom Gren.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
We mentioned when at the outset, we're gonna ask him
about what Mike Tomlins should do when invariably he gets
the acts at the end of the season. We'll talk
to coach about that. We'll ask him about what the
heck is going on in New England with Mike Rabel.
He's leading them to the best record in the in
the NFL thus far. What does he think of Drake
may Lots to get to with Mike Holmgren until five
(19:00):
o'clock on ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 5 (19:04):
From the R and R Foundation Specialist Broadcast Studio. Now
back to Softie and Dick on your Home for the Huskies.
Kraken and the twelfth Man Sports Radio ninety three point
three KJR FM.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Rolling on Mike Homer and is Stravaganza here alive at
the five to twenty Bar and Grill in Bellevue were
here every Thursday with the coach and you coach a
lot of surprises when you look at the NFL standings
through thirteen weeks, and maybe the greatest, at least in
the AFC. The greatest has got to be the fact
(19:41):
that the number one seed right now would be the
New England Patriots if the season ended today, a team
that won with four games last season. What do you
make of what Mike Vrabel is doing so quickly over there?
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Well, I think mike' said really good coach. I thought
he did a nice job in Tennessee. Was a little
surprised that he didn't stay there. Excuse me, but it's
it's it's remarkable. I mean, they got a young quarterback
that I mean, he's really young. Yeah, and he's just
he's just playing lights out and the team is responding
(20:17):
properly to that. And and then Mike is a defensive guy.
I think he's a defensive head coach. And uh, they're
they're playing really good defense. It's just a real testament
to the head coach. And then how this young guy
is is playing. He doesn't seem to be rattled. He
easily easily rattled. He's got great from what I read.
(20:41):
The players like him and they play for him, and
he's already gotten a hold of the team even as
a young player. So yeah, they're having a great year.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
I know, Softie gave you a homework assignment when Drake
May came out of college, so you scouted him a
little bit. So are you surprised with what you see
in or did you see some of those tendencies? What
did you like or maybe we're concerned about when he
came out of college.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
No, I think there was a lot of pluses when
he came out, you know, and so there's a reason
he went high in the draft. But you know, you
don't expect. What you don't expect is the Dan Reno
thing and his freshman year of rookie year, he just
shoots lights out. You never expect that. I don't care
who you draft, but I liked him coming out and
(21:25):
I said he should go high. When when I get
those assignments from Dave I'm trying to be real honest
about things. But and and I had him graded very,
very high, and so that part doesn't surprise you. What
surprises me is that he's still pretty young, right, and
he's and he's really playing like like he's been in
(21:46):
the league a lot longer.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
Well, you got a situation where Mike Rabel's the head
coach of the number one seed in the all the NFL,
and at the bottom of the NFL is the team
that Mike Rabel coached prior and got fired from, even
though he had four winning seasons in six.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Years and three playoff berths.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
It's unbelievable with the decision that Tennessee made to get
rid of them, and now they're mired in one wind them.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Yeah, you know, I've told you this before. I was
very fortunate when I coached in the league to be
with great ownership. You know, Paul Allen was great in
Green Bay. We had no owner. Yeah, Ron Wilf and
can't call me in and said, Mike, you know, we're
kind of like owners. What one conversation we had. And
(22:33):
then the forty nine ers, of course, Eddie de Barlow,
you know, he loved his players, loved his team. So
I was in that type of atmosphere that the decision
makers were good and they they combined with the coaching
staff on decisions. Then you get other teams in the league,
and you could point to a few of them, maybe
maybe half a dozen, that you say, Okay, why can't
(22:57):
they get out of their own way? It's because of that.
It's because of front office and the coaching ownership getting
involved when they shouldn't get involved. And I think that's
what happened in Tennessee.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
Well, they're highly unpredictable what New England's doing. I think
what is happening in Pittsburgh is very predictable because it
seems like Pittsburgh always finishes nine and eight every season
over the last so over the last ten years, they
don't have a playoff win in nine seasons.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Is it time? Is it time either for Mike Tomlin
to move on?
Speaker 4 (23:32):
Is it time for the ownership to finally say, okay,
we need now a fourth coach in the last fifty
five years, because we've only had three thus far.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Yeah, it's really amazing. I think Mike, you know, he
had Ben Roethlisberger, and anytime he got a quarterback like that.
I remember when we played against Cower, you know, who
was a friend of mine in the Super Bowl. Ben
was just starting out and then whoever came in next
was going to have the quarterback set for long time.
(24:00):
That makes all the difference in the world, and that
he's had that now. But you're right, it's been nine
and eight, you know, and they make it say, well,
you've never had a losing record, I think, or you know,
I don't think he has. But there's a lot of
nine and eight's in there. And so Pittsburgh, I know,
the ownership there a little bit, and they they don't
(24:23):
pull it's not the quick trigger there. They're gonna stay
with if they like the coach and he thinks they're
doing right and how they do things, how their organization
does things. They're very by the book and this is
how we've done it, this is how we're gonna do it.
So I'm not surprised he's been there and stayed a
lot longer than a lot of people. But you know,
Pete probably went through the kind of they probably went
(24:45):
through the kind of the same thing with Pete. You know,
he was very successful. He was there a long time
and then all of a sudden, Now, what decision will
the coach make? Shoot, you know, if he likes where
he's coaching, and someone's gonna have to tell tell him,
Oh yeah, I don't think he's just gonna sluk in
the door and say, you know what, for the for
the good of the of the fans and everybody, I'll
(25:08):
step I'll step away. I don't see him doing that.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
I agree with you.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Where if he is fired, where's a good landing place?
I mean, people have talked about Miami Giants College. You know,
I'd be tough for Penn State because you know that
they wouldn't be able to hire him for the next
unless he pulls a Lane Kiffin, they wouldn't be able
to hire him for the next month. You know. So
what because I think he's not an old man, you know,
(25:35):
and he's got a lot of experience. I think he's
a pretty good culture building.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Yeah, he is that. I mean the players like him
and they play hard for him. And then you have
to have your staff. You have to have a good
I always said this too. I mean, you're the head coach,
but your staff is very, very important. How they teach,
how they coach, and so that that's that's one factor.
The other factor is is go to a place where
(25:59):
you think they hailre have the quarterback. They have a
quarterback that can play if you're going to go someplace now,
I think the Giants have a young quarterback they think
can play. If they can get him to stop running
and doing crazy things. You know, well, he's going to learn,
you know not.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
What would you tell Jackson darsh after his fourth trip
into the blue ten?
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Yeah, I'd say, hey, no, I know, I said, what
are you doing? Are you? What are you doing? You know?
I heard John Gudin was on a podcast or doing
something talking to him and then he said, he goes,
so some words to this effect, you know, why do
you You got to be careful because I need you
(26:42):
for the whole game, and Darts goes, well, I played
a certain way. I'm always trying for the extra two yards.
And then John said something like a are you crazy?
I want you for the whole game. I don't care
about those two yards, you know, I mean so, And
I think probably John learned some of that from me. Yeah, yep.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
And one of your other pupils is in playoff trouble
right now. Andy's in playoff trouble coach six and six,
they got, they got a musk.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
It's as close to a must.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
Win situation this weekend that we've had from Andy in
a long long time. And he was I'm not gonna
say he was defiant, but he was very forceful. When
he was interviewed this week, he says, he says, I
don't know what this means. Maybe you can translate, We're
gonna tickle your tonsils on every play the rest of
the year. Is that something you've heard before from Andy Reid? No, Okay,
I don't know what it means. No, but he was
(27:37):
like basically like, we're we're gonna turn things around, and
it's gonna start this weekend.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, I believe him. Well, you know what, it all
depends A lot depends on and I heard you talking
about it earlier when you're going over Okay, we are
where we are now, and who's in Who's leading that division? Denver? Well, Denver,
you know they're they got it'd be hard to catch Denver,
right the wildcard? Yeah, so you have who are the
(28:02):
who are the next five games? Who are your opponents
down the stretch here in the next four or five games.
Some of them have pretty.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
They're very winnable.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
The Chiefs have if they can get by this week.
I mean, they got Houston is, but they still have.
They got a game against Tennessee, they got a game
against Las Vegas two wins, and then you got home
against the Chargers and home against Denver.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Okay, but okay, if you can win this week.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
Against Houston, which is not easy. Houston is red hot
right now.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah, I mean I can.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
I can see the the the opening for.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Andy, I know and and so, and knowing how he
is and how his team is and how Mahomes is,
you know, I wouldn't I wouldn't check them out yet, no,
you know, but but he hasn't been in this situation
in a while.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
There's a couple other teams that basically in a must
win situation coming up tonight on Thursday Night Football.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
We'll talk about those teams.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
Your old friend Jerry and the Dallas Cowboys have resurrected themselves.
We'll talk a little bit about that game coming up
on ninety three point three KJFM.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Welcome to Crakin Game Day, brought to you by Blood Works.
Give blood with Blood Works on Fridays in November and
get a cup of ivers clamchowder available at donation locations
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(29:30):
SOFTI and Dick.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
I give blood anyway, so now I can get free
ivers chowder.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
How about that free chowder Fridays.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Support local hospitals by giving blood with Blood Works on
Fridays in November. Get a cup of ivers clam chowder.
Offer available at centers and blood Mobile blood drives between
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Speaker 2 (29:53):
Slash music.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Final segment of the Mike Holmgren Extravaganza. And we talked about,
you know, a big game with the Kansas City Chiefs.
We got a big game coming up tonight six five
and one Dallas seven and five Lions. I mean, this
was a Lions team that arguably was the best in
the NFC last year during the regular season and then
didn't do in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
And boy, it's been different without Ben Johnson there, That's for.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Sure it has been. And I think that that's a
good that's a good reason because and I went through
that too, where you lose, you lose and Andy Reid,
or you lose whom or Steve Mario Chier, these guys
who are very valuable coaches on your staff. Then you
try and replace him, but sometimes that you can't, and
then you do the best you can. So I think
(30:36):
in his case, the Lions still have great personnel, and
I really think I really like their head coach, but
his staff, I think he's he took over the play
calling duties. If I might be wrong about that, but
I thought I read that right, and so obviously he
wasn't happy with what was going on there with the offense.
But that I think that's the biggest thing that happened.
(30:58):
There's still a very talented team and when they have
it going. When they have it going, they're tough to beat.
You know, Golfers is a really very good quarterback. But
the Cowboys have kind of flipped all that criticism and
now they're starting to crank it up. In the last
couple of games I've seen them play, they look pretty
good to me.
Speaker 4 (31:19):
They certainly they won three in a row, two of
them against Philadelphia and Kansas City. I mean, so it's
not like they're beating cream puffs in this three game
winning streaking. The two big trades that Jerry made, I
remember how I felt about both of them. I was
actually in the minority about the I supported him on
the Micah Parsons trade. I was like, you're not going
anywhere with them. Let's get a haul for him, right
(31:41):
and not have.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
To pay him anymore.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
And then the Quinn Williams trade, I was like, Jerry,
are three to five and one?
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Where are you going this season?
Speaker 4 (31:51):
Why would you give up the picks that you just
got from Micah Parsons for Quinnon Williams.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
But that one's actually working, Yeah it is.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
And know Jerry he loves as Bill part Selles once
told me, he likes to dance with the prettiest girl
in the room, you know, And so I'm going, what
does that mean? But you know, he really he really
wants the best for his team. It's not just all
(32:20):
about money, knowing him, it's he really wants to get
back to the super Bowl. The criticism there is that,
you know, instead of him making all the decisions as
the owner gentleman, as the guy, you know, hire somebody
to do that and you just enjoy life now at
your age, right, And so you know, I don't think
(32:41):
he will. I don't think he will, you know. And
he's right now, right now. You see him in the box.
They always show him in the box during games and
when things are going good. I mean, he's having more
fun than anybody in the stadium, you know. But they're
and they're playing better now they're playing and like you said,
Kansas City and Philadelphia, Hey, that's pretty good stuff.
Speaker 4 (33:00):
Absolutely, And as if Jerry needed another ego boost, did
you did you see the stat where his Cowboys went
over the Chiefs was the most watched regular season football
game in NFL history?
Speaker 3 (33:15):
No, you know what that?
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Do you think Jerry's saying after reading?
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Oh no, no, ask me some questions about that in
his press conference after the NBA Exactly. You know, he is,
he is a beauty, and we were friends, and like
I said, he offered me the job a couple of times,
and I said no because I said, I don't want
to ruin our friendship. And I think that might But
you know, I'll tell you one quick, quick one. I
(33:42):
think I've told you. We set it right across from
at the owner's meetings, right across from each other, and
so when they had this strike and all this stuff
was going on. It was just a privileged session. He
wrote a little card and gave it to me, and
he goes, if any of this gets too complicated for you,
ask me, I'll help you, tendem. I took the card,
put on the back roade. If they ever talk about football,
(34:05):
ask me, I'll help you. And he just started laughing.
You know, good. But we had. He was on the
competition committee when I was there. Yeah, so we had.
We had a few little lemonades together and it was fun.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Oh that's beautiful, we heard. Butty appreciate it. We'll talk
to you next week.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Thanks, buddy, appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Sounds good.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
That's Mike Homber and he's gonna go on out of here,
take his five minute drive back home.
That's part of our non stop coverage of the NFL.
Your home for the twelfth Man proudly presents former Seahawks
head coach and Super Bowl champion Mike Combgrin. Brought to
you by Toyota of Kirkland. The championship team at Toyota
of Kirkland does all the little things that exceed your expectations,
and that's what makes Toyota of Kirkland so special. And
(00:21):
by R and R Foundation specialist serving Western Washington for
over twenty years now. From the five twenty Bar and
Grail in Bellevue, Mike hom Grid with Softy and Dick.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Ah, here we are. Doesn't it feel cozy in here? Coach?
It's just so nasty outside. You come in here.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
It's so nicely, it's so nice. It's really this is
the best thing. This is good.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Good. Where's our where's our partner?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Partner is doing a little pre holiday vacation. Nice. Yeah,
you know we're kind of tag team into December.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
You know, he takes some time off and I'll take
some time off, and he's gonna take some lot.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
I'm gonna they let you do it too.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Not just no, no, not just him No, that's that's
that's definitely in a conference, Okay, no question about it. Well, coach,
I mean, what do you make of a game like
you saw on Sunday twenty six to nothing.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
And I mean we've seen.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Games before where quarterbacks that just have no business being
in the NFL thrust into a situation where they're starting.
But this was about as bad as it as it gets.
And honestly, the Vikings have only themselves to blame for
the situation that they're in because they could add a
lot better quarterback like they had last year.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Well, I just think how they're thinking, how they're feeling.
You know, they're seeing their other quarterback playing against them,
and then another one is playing doing a really good
job for another team. But now they're playing with this
young man. And you know, there are other teams that
have had to play backup quarterbacks. We've all seen it,
(01:53):
sure for a long time. I'd never seen anything quite
like that. I really haven't. Wow, you know, it's uh
And I felt bad for the young guy, you know, Yeah,
but he's going against a really good defense and then
in Minnesota's defense kept him in the game early. You know,
they look good too against the Seahawks, but they were
(02:14):
never going to score any points. And you could just
see I was looking at the watching on television and
seeing the coach, his facial his feeling. You could you
could feel the feeling. Yes, Jefferson, when they looked at
him on the sideline, you just saw they're going, They're
just going, this is get me out of here. You know,
(02:36):
this is awful.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
I feel like Max Brosmer, you know, forty years from
now is going to be He's going to have his
five year old grand kid on his lap and.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
He's going to say, you know, I played in the NFL.
You did what did did? Did you ever start?
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I started a game. Did you throw a touchdown?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Yeah, I actually threw a touchdown, but he probably won't
tell him it was till the other team.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
It was the only touchdown pass throw. How about that?
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Like, what would you say to a quarterback that threw
like a It was almost an underhanded side arms like
he's playing Beambag toss with with Ernest Jones.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Yeah. It uh. Even with having not having a lot
of experience playing he did certainly in college. He played
a lot in college, and he practiced and there are
rules and there's fundamental things that you don't do. And
that was just and that's that's actually that set the
(03:35):
tone for the game. It was three to nothing at
that point, and they could have kicked the field goal.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
I thought they should have kicked the field even beforehand,
before the interception, I thought like, why aren't they just
taking points?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
And goes three to three? That's right because the defense,
their defense was playing well. But then to do what
he did. What I I my feeling if that had happened,
because you know, we've talked about Brett on the show
before and he would do some crazy things and I
they've they've showed on TV sometimes and I kind of
(04:05):
talked to him about it the but you just go
you feel bad, You feel bad for him, but you
feel you can't do that. And that's probably what I
would have said. You have to understand the situation. You
cannot do that. What just happened. Don't do it again,
you know, don't you learn from this? And but it
set the tone for the rest of the game.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Really, I don't think he's gonna get the opportunity to
do it again.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
To be hers, I don't know who's gonna play.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
JJ's playing this week. He was, Yeah, he's he's good
to go this week. Not that he's that much better,
but he's he is better than Max brozem Er, that's
for sure. But when you have a situation like that,
let's talk about you as an offensive play call, because
I thought, I thought Clint Kubiak did a really nice
job in the second half realizing what his defense was
doing to the other offense, and he was just like,
(04:52):
I'm just shutting this puppy down.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Like, at what point do you just tell your offense?
You know what?
Speaker 4 (04:58):
I know, my job is the score points, but I
also want to be safe too, because the other team's
not getting to ten today.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Yeah, I I find it hard to believe that that
would enter into his thought process, honestly. Okay, because his
job during the game is to move the football. Now
you might transfer a little bit for a little bit
less passing and more running and right, which I think
they did to a certain extent, but yeah, you you
you got the feeling, and then the head coach might
(05:28):
say something to him, you know that, you know, he
Glint has his job, and then the head coach has
to say, okay, tone it down, now, let's keep it on.
Let's keep it basically on the ground, you know whatever,
whatever the coach would say, knowing that what you just
said that there's no way they can score on us
and touch us.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
The one complain and of course here we are, you know,
talk show holtes. We got to complain about something, right,
and at twenty six nothing lost. You know how we
worked right? When you were coaching, you could win, you
could win thirty to nothing. A coach, what'd you do?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Know?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
But I think I think.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
It's a complaint that a lot of Seahawks fans have
had the last few weeks, particularly since the Rams game,
because we saw clock management rear its ugly head at
the end of the Rams game and again at.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
The end of this first half.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
I'll just kind of reset the scene for you and
for the listeners. Brosmer's sacked with a minute fifty five left.
Seattle does not take a timeout, so Minnesota punts and
Seattle doesn't receive the punt until there's one oh five left.
They don't run an offensive play until there's fifty eight
(06:31):
seconds left. Then they run a first down Zach Charboney
run off the guard for nine yards, and they again
don't use a timeout, So they snapped the ball with
thirty nine seconds left for an incomplete pass, a thirty
six second run for one yard.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Then they take a time out with twenty three seconds left.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
They don't take their first time out n till there's
twenty three seconds left. I'm screaming in my in the
stands Coach. I'm sure you could hear me. I don't
know if Kubiak and Donald could hear me, but I
was going, what are we doing here?
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Like?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
How take us through the thought process of what's going
on there?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
The only thing I can think of is that they
wanted to be very careful that Minnesota wouldn't get the
ball back. Having said that, it sounds crazy because they
couldn't move, you know, but I'm just saying that there's
no other reason. There's no other reason to do it
that way. You know, take your time out, settle down,
call your plays, don't waste that much time. Did they
(07:31):
wind up kicking a long field goal? Yes, yes so,
but no that's you have to be more aware of
the clock and in clock management in that situation. I
think they did it poorly.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
We've talked about Sam Darnold all year long. He had
a great start. The last four games have been much bumpier.
There's no question about that. I mean, last four games
is about sixty percent completion, three touchdowns, five interceptions, and
a couple of field or a couple of dinner humbles
rather but three of those games were blowout wins, so
(08:06):
we really didn't have to do anything special. So how
do you evaluate Darnald under those circumstances. We're in three
of those games. I mean, you're up three touchdowns. It's
like there's not a lot of weight on his shoulders.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yeah, I would think. You know, I've been an advocate
for him since day one, and I think he is
doing a good job. But I think he'll be judged.
He'll be judged at the end of the year by
where they wind up. And statistically, you know, he hasn't
(08:40):
he thrown for They didn't throw for many yards last
week because maybe what we talked about before, maybe they
just toned it down, said we're gonna run it out
and get out of here. You know. But he people
be critical of his decision making at times. Ever since
the four interception game. Yep, that was the thing that
(09:02):
set people off to analyze it more. And I would
just question it. Just take a breath, slow down. He
will be judged on the next five games. He'll be
judged on the forty nine er game, the Ram game,
certainly on Thursday night. And if he can take care
of business with the teams we think they can beat.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
How do you think he'll do in those games in
the like Rams forty nine ers, when you know what
hits the fan and you got to win those two
games to win the division to get the number one seeds.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
Yeah, I have faith in him. Now, maybe I'm being
an optimist, you know, but if I have faith in
him and he's he's shown enough to me as at
the quarterback position on certain throws. Okay, now he's also
shown some other things to other people on other throws.
So but I'm going to stick with him for right now.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
He's shown in a cluttered pocket to be a little
bit skittish, I guess is the right word.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
So as a play caller, how do you help your
quarterback out.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
When you know he's not the most Like when he
gets a clean pocket, he is lights out. But when
he gets a cluttered pocket, I mean his numbers against
the blitz, his passer rating goes down. It's like I
want to say, it's like one oh seven.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
No, it's like one.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Eleven to seventy seven between blitz and non blitz. When
the pocket is cluttered, he struggles. So what do you
do as a play caller to help him out there?
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I think you try, and you try and set up
the third down situation so you don't have to drop
back all the time in the pocket and do that.
And you guys teach me all the time I run
the drawing third down. Yeah, you know, but I mean
you know you can. You can take some of the
pressure off of him. By I always say throw it
on a running down and run on a passing down,
(10:46):
and that takes some of the pressure off the quarterback.
You know. So play action pass. I would like to
see more play action pass. Now that Walker and Sharbyonnay
really did it showed really I thought they showed some
good stuff. Are now use that, use that, use the
fullback more. Get the snap from center, play action pass,
(11:08):
get the ball for completions. You know Cup as an example,
I think Cup really understand. He's really smart, and you
know he'll find the open area and do the right thing.
We're out wise against most defenses and you almost have
you almost say I got a completion there, I got
a completion. We just make the play, bring him up,
throw it to him. They're doubling, they're taking, they're trying
(11:30):
to take away of injigum, you know, which is a
smart thing to do, and they really did. Other guys
are going to be open, and so that's how I
would do it. I would use the play action game
and then maybe pass on first down, pass on first down,
then run on second now, you know, just kind of
mix up it up how you're doing things.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Well, before we talk about this week's game against Atlanta,
I gotta get your take on on and we alluded
to it at the beginning, but what Minnesota did at
their quarterback position and just giving the job to a
rookie that's essentially a rookie spent his whole rookie year hurt,
(12:13):
not taking one snap. I just I feel like there's
a difference between a second year quarterback who was the
backup the whole first year taking snaps, practicing that versus
a second year quarterback that never did anything year number one.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, you're exactly right. I mean he didn't play, so
you can't say, oh, he's ready, You can't say that, right.
You hope it and you can kind of believe it,
but you can't really say it because he hasn't played. Now.
What they got, what hurt them is they had the
two veteran quarterbacks there, and to keep them.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Jones and Donald.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Jones and Donald, they were gonna have to pay him,
and then you have the other guy. You say, Okay,
maybe JJ McCarthy's not ready now, but in two years,
as you see teams do that all the time, in
two years, he's ready, and then you say goodbye to
the to the veteran guy. They weren't in that position.
They had to make the decision if they signed Darnold
to a longer contract or pay him or Jones. Then
(13:17):
they got McCarthy watching for a couple of years, you know.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
But that's been the green Bay way. Have your guy
watched for a while and now it works for him, it's.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Absolutely green Bay way. But you can't you can only
send him for two years. Yep, you know, he got
to be ready to play in three years. I always
thought that was the way to go, But you're right,
Green Bay has done. Think of that. They've had three
quarterbacks for a long, long stretch of good football. And
if you can find that guy now, the guy you
(13:45):
release who can still play, the veteran quarterback who who
you got to do something with. Farv did it, Aaron
Rodgers did it. It's tough that that's a hard decision
to make.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Well, And Green.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
Bay's got a cornerback in love that having a pretty
good year there eight three and one. And I think
probably the only reason that he's having a good year
is because he was able to sit for as long
as he did and watch right.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
And watch you know you're right. And I don't know
the vikings. It'd be interesting to talk to o'donald O'Connell
and see what see it, because I watched his faded
a happy camper during the game. But and then I
(14:30):
wont now I said this earlier, and I probably I'll
probably get emails and things about this, But their general
I want after that. I looked up I wanted to
read about their front office and who might have made
that decision or they've pushed it right. And their general
manager is a guy who had been with the forty
nine ers, and it turned out reading his bile and
(14:53):
everything and he's smart guy, very intelligent, but his his heat,
the star category of his is an analytics and oh
my favorite. I saw my favorite. So I read that.
I read that turned off my computer, slammed my book
on the dail and said, okay that you just answered
my question. Somebody handed him a bunch of numbers said
(15:17):
you should do this.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Oh god, it reared its uglyhead again this last week.
Did you see what our old friend Kaylin de Boor
did with Alabama? Kaitlin Bor and Ryan Grubb. No, the
Auburn Alabama rivalry and if Alabama loses, they're done, and
it's twenty to twenty with three minutes left to go
in the game, and they don't kick a go ahead
field goal at the five yard line.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Instead they go for it, but they end up making it.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Oh okay, I'm.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Just thinking, what is Alabama Nation doing if they don't
make that fourth down and Auburn march and Auburn marched the.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Link to the field in three minutes to almost score
a touchdown the tie again. But they certainly got.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Into field goal range if they were just had that
same drive, yeah, auver.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
So then the decision looks like they made a great decision,
you know, So it's just how it turns out.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Well, the Seahawks have been unbelievable in these ten am
kickoffs that we got coming up in Atlanta, last twenty
seven games there, twenty two and five. I mean, that
is unbelievable. I mean, why do you think it's so
much easier now? Because it was It was difficult, not
just for you, it was difficult in the NFL for
West Coast teams to go east in the eighties and nineties.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yeah, it really was. I think I think they've studied
this stuff a lot. Yeah, and they've they've looked at
ways that the players at that time in the morning,
the Seattle time, that how what kind of sleep they
get when they go to bed, what to eat, all
that kind of stuff. Now that's they study that stuff
(16:51):
and have come up with a plan to at least
give them a chance to do those things. But I
think the number one thing is you got to have
a pretty good team. You got to be able to
go back there and take care of business, because it's
it is a challenge.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
How worried should we be about this this Falcons team?
I mean, the record isn't much. But in their last
five games, they got a one point loss at New England,
they got an overtime loss to Indy, they got an
overtime loss to Carolina, they got to win over the Saints,
and a.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Three point loss of the Jets.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
So they're like they're in every single game they play
against some pretty good teams.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Yeah they are, and that I looked at that schedule too,
and so this the Seahoffs have to be ready. They've
got to be ready. This is not even though Atlanta's
record isn't very good and certainly disappointing to the people
in Atlanta because I think they had pretty high hopes
with Pennix and all that kind of stuff. Now and
Penis won't play, but Cousins, if you're going to take
(17:48):
him backup guy, and they just take him in there,
you know, he's not the Cousins of four or five
years ago, I don't think. But he can still play.
And then they have a great running back, Oh.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Great running Hard to motivate your team when you're going
on the road to play a four and eight team
in your nine to three you've been in that situation.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Sometimes it is, it is, But I am very impressed.
There's a lot of things I'm very impressed that the
Seahawks have done this year, and that's one of them.
They appear to me. You can tell when a team
kind of comes out there and just they're not motivated
the way they should be. That doesn't happen with these guys.
(18:27):
So Mike's got him going, got him thinking properly. He's
got them flying around, you know, and a lot of
it has to do with how that defense is playing.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Yep, yep, that's the voice of Mike hom Gren.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
We mentioned when at the outset, we're gonna ask him
about what Mike Tomlins should do when invariably he gets
the acts at the end of the season. We'll talk
to coach about that. We'll ask him about what the
heck is going on in New England with Mike Rabel.
He's leading them to the best record in the in
the NFL thus far. What does he think of Drake
may Lots to get to with Mike Holmgren until five
(19:00):
o'clock on ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 5 (19:04):
From the R and R Foundation Specialist Broadcast Studio. Now
back to Softie and Dick on your Home for the Huskies.
Kraken and the twelfth Man Sports Radio ninety three point
three KJR FM.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Rolling on Mike Homer and is Stravaganza here alive at
the five to twenty Bar and Grill in Bellevue were
here every Thursday with the coach and you coach a
lot of surprises when you look at the NFL standings
through thirteen weeks, and maybe the greatest, at least in
the AFC. The greatest has got to be the fact
(19:41):
that the number one seed right now would be the
New England Patriots if the season ended today, a team
that won with four games last season. What do you
make of what Mike Vrabel is doing so quickly over there?
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Well, I think mike' said really good coach. I thought
he did a nice job in Tennessee. Was a little
surprised that he didn't stay there. Excuse me, but it's
it's it's remarkable. I mean, they got a young quarterback
that I mean, he's really young. Yeah, and he's just
he's just playing lights out and the team is responding
(20:17):
properly to that. And and then Mike is a defensive guy.
I think he's a defensive head coach. And uh, they're
they're playing really good defense. It's just a real testament
to the head coach. And then how this young guy
is is playing. He doesn't seem to be rattled. He
easily easily rattled. He's got great from what I read.
(20:41):
The players like him and they play for him, and
he's already gotten a hold of the team even as
a young player. So yeah, they're having a great year.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
I know, Softie gave you a homework assignment when Drake
May came out of college, so you scouted him a
little bit. So are you surprised with what you see
in or did you see some of those tendencies? What
did you like or maybe we're concerned about when he
came out of college.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
No, I think there was a lot of pluses when
he came out, you know, and so there's a reason
he went high in the draft. But you know, you
don't expect. What you don't expect is the Dan Reno
thing and his freshman year of rookie year, he just
shoots lights out. You never expect that. I don't care
who you draft, but I liked him coming out and
(21:25):
I said he should go high. When when I get
those assignments from Dave I'm trying to be real honest
about things. But and and I had him graded very,
very high, and so that part doesn't surprise you. What
surprises me is that he's still pretty young, right, and
he's and he's really playing like like he's been in
(21:46):
the league a lot longer.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
Well, you got a situation where Mike Rabel's the head
coach of the number one seed in the all the NFL,
and at the bottom of the NFL is the team
that Mike Rabel coached prior and got fired from, even
though he had four winning seasons in six.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Years and three playoff berths.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
It's unbelievable with the decision that Tennessee made to get
rid of them, and now they're mired in one wind them.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Yeah, you know, I've told you this before. I was
very fortunate when I coached in the league to be
with great ownership. You know, Paul Allen was great in
Green Bay. We had no owner. Yeah, Ron Wilf and
can't call me in and said, Mike, you know, we're
kind of like owners. What one conversation we had. And
(22:33):
then the forty nine ers, of course, Eddie de Barlow,
you know, he loved his players, loved his team. So
I was in that type of atmosphere that the decision
makers were good and they they combined with the coaching
staff on decisions. Then you get other teams in the league,
and you could point to a few of them, maybe
maybe half a dozen, that you say, Okay, why can't
(22:57):
they get out of their own way? It's because of that.
It's because of front office and the coaching ownership getting
involved when they shouldn't get involved. And I think that's
what happened in Tennessee.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
Well, they're highly unpredictable what New England's doing. I think
what is happening in Pittsburgh is very predictable because it
seems like Pittsburgh always finishes nine and eight every season
over the last so over the last ten years, they
don't have a playoff win in nine seasons.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Is it time? Is it time either for Mike Tomlin
to move on?
Speaker 4 (23:32):
Is it time for the ownership to finally say, okay,
we need now a fourth coach in the last fifty
five years, because we've only had three thus far.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Yeah, it's really amazing. I think Mike, you know, he
had Ben Roethlisberger, and anytime he got a quarterback like that.
I remember when we played against Cower, you know, who
was a friend of mine in the Super Bowl. Ben
was just starting out and then whoever came in next
was going to have the quarterback set for long time.
(24:00):
That makes all the difference in the world, and that
he's had that now. But you're right, it's been nine
and eight, you know, and they make it say, well,
you've never had a losing record, I think, or you know,
I don't think he has. But there's a lot of
nine and eight's in there. And so Pittsburgh, I know,
the ownership there a little bit, and they they don't
(24:23):
pull it's not the quick trigger there. They're gonna stay
with if they like the coach and he thinks they're
doing right and how they do things, how their organization
does things. They're very by the book and this is
how we've done it, this is how we're gonna do it.
So I'm not surprised he's been there and stayed a
lot longer than a lot of people. But you know,
Pete probably went through the kind of they probably went
(24:45):
through the kind of the same thing with Pete. You know,
he was very successful. He was there a long time
and then all of a sudden, Now, what decision will
the coach make? Shoot, you know, if he likes where
he's coaching, and someone's gonna have to tell tell him,
Oh yeah, I don't think he's just gonna sluk in
the door and say, you know what, for the for
the good of the of the fans and everybody, I'll
(25:08):
step I'll step away. I don't see him doing that.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
I agree with you.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Where if he is fired, where's a good landing place?
I mean, people have talked about Miami Giants College. You know,
I'd be tough for Penn State because you know that
they wouldn't be able to hire him for the next
unless he pulls a Lane Kiffin, they wouldn't be able
to hire him for the next month. You know. So
what because I think he's not an old man, you know,
(25:35):
and he's got a lot of experience. I think he's
a pretty good culture building.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Yeah, he is that. I mean the players like him
and they play hard for him. And then you have
to have your staff. You have to have a good
I always said this too. I mean, you're the head coach,
but your staff is very, very important. How they teach,
how they coach, and so that that's that's one factor.
The other factor is is go to a place where
(25:59):
you think they hailre have the quarterback. They have a
quarterback that can play if you're going to go someplace now,
I think the Giants have a young quarterback they think
can play. If they can get him to stop running
and doing crazy things. You know, well, he's going to learn,
you know not.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
What would you tell Jackson darsh after his fourth trip
into the blue ten?
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Yeah, I'd say, hey, no, I know, I said, what
are you doing? Are you? What are you doing? You know?
I heard John Gudin was on a podcast or doing
something talking to him and then he said, he goes,
so some words to this effect, you know, why do
you You got to be careful because I need you
(26:42):
for the whole game, and Darts goes, well, I played
a certain way. I'm always trying for the extra two yards.
And then John said something like a are you crazy?
I want you for the whole game. I don't care
about those two yards, you know, I mean so, And
I think probably John learned some of that from me. Yeah, yep.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
And one of your other pupils is in playoff trouble
right now. Andy's in playoff trouble coach six and six,
they got, they got a musk.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
It's as close to a must.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
Win situation this weekend that we've had from Andy in
a long long time. And he was I'm not gonna
say he was defiant, but he was very forceful. When
he was interviewed this week, he says, he says, I
don't know what this means. Maybe you can translate, We're
gonna tickle your tonsils on every play the rest of
the year. Is that something you've heard before from Andy Reid? No, Okay,
I don't know what it means. No, but he was
(27:37):
like basically like, we're we're gonna turn things around, and
it's gonna start this weekend.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, I believe him. Well, you know what, it all
depends A lot depends on and I heard you talking
about it earlier when you're going over Okay, we are
where we are now, and who's in Who's leading that division? Denver? Well, Denver,
you know they're they got it'd be hard to catch Denver,
right the wildcard? Yeah, so you have who are the
(28:02):
who are the next five games? Who are your opponents
down the stretch here in the next four or five games.
Some of them have pretty.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
They're very winnable.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
The Chiefs have if they can get by this week.
I mean, they got Houston is, but they still have.
They got a game against Tennessee, they got a game
against Las Vegas two wins, and then you got home
against the Chargers and home against Denver.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Okay, but okay, if you can win this week.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
Against Houston, which is not easy. Houston is red hot
right now.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah, I mean I can.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
I can see the the the opening for.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Andy, I know and and so, and knowing how he
is and how his team is and how Mahomes is,
you know, I wouldn't I wouldn't check them out yet, no,
you know, but but he hasn't been in this situation
in a while.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
There's a couple other teams that basically in a must
win situation coming up tonight on Thursday Night Football.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
We'll talk about those teams.
Speaker 4 (29:00):
Your old friend Jerry and the Dallas Cowboys have resurrected themselves.
We'll talk a little bit about that game coming up
on ninety three point three KJFM.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Welcome to Crakin Game Day, brought to you by Blood Works.
Give blood with Blood Works on Fridays in November and
get a cup of ivers clamchowder available at donation locations
between Everett and Tacoma. Learn more at blood Works NW
dot org. Slash music. Now it's cracking game day with
(29:30):
SOFTI and Dick.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
I give blood anyway, so now I can get free
ivers chowder.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
How about that free chowder Fridays.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Support local hospitals by giving blood with Blood Works on
Fridays in November. Get a cup of ivers clam chowder.
Offer available at centers and blood Mobile blood drives between
Everett and Tacoma. Learn more at BLOODWORKSNW dot org.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Slash music.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Final segment of the Mike Holmgren Extravaganza. And we talked about,
you know, a big game with the Kansas City Chiefs.
We got a big game coming up tonight six five
and one Dallas seven and five Lions. I mean, this
was a Lions team that arguably was the best in
the NFC last year during the regular season and then
didn't do in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
And boy, it's been different without Ben Johnson there, That's for.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Sure it has been. And I think that that's a
good that's a good reason because and I went through
that too, where you lose, you lose and Andy Reid,
or you lose whom or Steve Mario Chier, these guys
who are very valuable coaches on your staff. Then you
try and replace him, but sometimes that you can't, and
then you do the best you can. So I think
(30:36):
in his case, the Lions still have great personnel, and
I really think I really like their head coach, but
his staff, I think he's he took over the play
calling duties. If I might be wrong about that, but
I thought I read that right, and so obviously he
wasn't happy with what was going on there with the offense.
But that I think that's the biggest thing that happened.
(30:58):
There's still a very talented team and when they have
it going. When they have it going, they're tough to beat.
You know, Golfers is a really very good quarterback. But
the Cowboys have kind of flipped all that criticism and
now they're starting to crank it up. In the last
couple of games I've seen them play, they look pretty
good to me.
Speaker 4 (31:19):
They certainly they won three in a row, two of
them against Philadelphia and Kansas City. I mean, so it's
not like they're beating cream puffs in this three game
winning streaking. The two big trades that Jerry made, I
remember how I felt about both of them. I was
actually in the minority about the I supported him on
the Micah Parsons trade. I was like, you're not going
anywhere with them. Let's get a haul for him, right
(31:41):
and not have.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
To pay him anymore.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
And then the Quinn Williams trade, I was like, Jerry,
are three to five and one?
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Where are you going this season?
Speaker 4 (31:51):
Why would you give up the picks that you just
got from Micah Parsons for Quinnon Williams.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
But that one's actually working, Yeah it is.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
And know Jerry he loves as Bill part Selles once
told me, he likes to dance with the prettiest girl
in the room, you know, And so I'm going, what
does that mean? But you know, he really he really
wants the best for his team. It's not just all
(32:20):
about money, knowing him, it's he really wants to get
back to the super Bowl. The criticism there is that,
you know, instead of him making all the decisions as
the owner gentleman, as the guy, you know, hire somebody
to do that and you just enjoy life now at
your age, right, And so you know, I don't think
(32:41):
he will. I don't think he will, you know. And
he's right now, right now. You see him in the box.
They always show him in the box during games and
when things are going good. I mean, he's having more
fun than anybody in the stadium, you know. But they're
and they're playing better now they're playing and like you said,
Kansas City and Philadelphia, Hey, that's pretty good stuff.
Speaker 4 (33:00):
Absolutely, And as if Jerry needed another ego boost, did
you did you see the stat where his Cowboys went
over the Chiefs was the most watched regular season football
game in NFL history?
Speaker 3 (33:15):
No, you know what that?
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Do you think Jerry's saying after reading?
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Oh no, no, ask me some questions about that in
his press conference after the NBA Exactly. You know, he is,
he is a beauty, and we were friends, and like
I said, he offered me the job a couple of times,
and I said no because I said, I don't want
to ruin our friendship. And I think that might But
you know, I'll tell you one quick, quick one. I
(33:42):
think I've told you. We set it right across from
at the owner's meetings, right across from each other, and
so when they had this strike and all this stuff
was going on. It was just a privileged session. He
wrote a little card and gave it to me, and
he goes, if any of this gets too complicated for you,
ask me, I'll help you, tendem. I took the card,
put on the back roade. If they ever talk about football,
(34:05):
ask me, I'll help you. And he just started laughing.
You know, good. But we had. He was on the
competition committee when I was there. Yeah, so we had.
We had a few little lemonades together and it was fun.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Oh that's beautiful, we heard. Butty appreciate it. We'll talk
to you next week.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Thanks, buddy, appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
Sounds good.
Speaker 4 (34:22):
That's Mike Homber and he's gonna go on out of here,
take his five minute drive back home.
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