November 11, 2025 • 40 mins
#92Noon! KOC - The Analyst
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Fols Fans is a Timberwolves talk Back Tuesday where you
got your shot at take us to the Saturday's print
inspired City edition games at the microphone on the kfan
page with the iHeartRadio app give us your best dunk call.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Winners will be selected and emailed all day long.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Fullest of rules, kfan dot Com keywer Contest.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Welcome Back final hours upon us nine to noon and
patiently awaiting the arrival of head coach Kevin O'Connell. XES
and o's with head coach Kevin O'Connell on a weekly basis.
You hear it on Wednesday evenings of course, but it'll
be live nine to noon and these six and three Bears.
I thought we did a good job kind of kind
of laying out just some of the oddities of this
(00:48):
six and three Bears team. Next up on the docket
at noon or at US Banks Stadium. Impromptu performance the
analyst and Chicago land native Pete Bursich hanging out in
studio for a couple of minute. It's when we open
the show today, just kind of looking into the oddities
of the Bears. Whether this is a defense Pete that
has twenty takeaways a plus fourteen in the take.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Give, No, they don't give it away. They don't give
it away at all. They take it, but they don't
give it.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
That's a the other side to that other edge, to
that blade exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
And it's so they're they're very selfish, but apparently in
a good way from that part of things. But this
run game, man, it's like one hundred and eighty on
the ground over this four and one stretch since the
buye very different team, I think even than what we
saw week one at Soldier Field. What are some things
that pop for you with the Bears in town this weekend?
(01:41):
All right?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
What do you want to begin to talk about offensively?
That offensive line? THEO benedet I believe is how you
pronounce it. Canadian kid played left tackle. He's okay, okay,
he'd be a guy to go after. Toony's good, Dolmond's good.
Jonah Jackson, we know of them. Darnell Wright is kind
of a jekylin Hyde where some you'll you'll see he's
(02:01):
he's the guy that you're gonna see the the Twitter
highlights on about him just killing people. Sure, but what
they don't show you are the five times he takes
a swing and a miss. Right, So yeah, a good front.
Not the best offensive line that we've seen, but but
certainly not bad. I think what stands out to me
watching them is just how Ben Johnson is.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Uh aggressive. That's what's That's what.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
He's trying to implement and change with this with this
Bears team. Fourth down and whatever, we're going for it.
We're you know, we we gotta we get a turnover.
They get a turnover against I'm sorry, I had a
fourth down stop right at midfield against the against the Giants.
What's the next play I'm sorry was after a turnover?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Go deep?
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Yeah, throwing it deep. DJ DJ Moore is the guy, right,
So he's trying to instill that attitude in this Bears
offense to take what we saw, which we haven't seen
out of Chicago maybe ever so maybe since they invented
the forward pass, we haven't seen this type of you know,
aggressive down the field passing game from a Bears team,
and he's trying to get them to do that. We've
(03:04):
seen the Lions progress from you know, the loser Lions
to what they are now, and you're kind of seeing
an unfold in front of you, you know, in front
of your eyes right now. So just a different attitude.
All right, Well I got I've been up, I've been
you surped.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Yes you have.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Hey, thank you. Pete Bursage at Pete Bursich I in
the Sky podcast on YouTube, not the Allen Parsons project,
but the Pete Bursage project. You can search via YouTube
at Pete Bursage five six and of course you can
hear him Mondays hopefully after a Vikings victory this upcoming Monday,
(03:39):
thanks to Sue Cup Manufacturing.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Always appreciate Pete Burstich's.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Inclusion nine to noon as as I get my head
out of the camera's way and uh we just we
we yield the floor to the box.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
And the coach, Kevin O'Connell, coach of the Minnesota Vikings,
joins us each and every Tuesday at about this time
in the business we call it x's and oh, if
you're hearing it live on Tuesday, welcome. If you're watching
it at Vikings dot com, welcome. If you're hearing it
Wednesday evening with the playback at x'es and o's, welcome
to you too. And the head coach joins us, Now,
(04:13):
how are the wife and kids and how are Bill
and Suzanne doing well?
Speaker 6 (04:18):
No pool jumps this past weekend as you as you saw,
my dad after the Lions game jumped in his non
heated San.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Diego pool, as did your mom, just.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
About everybody did.
Speaker 6 (04:30):
But unfortunately, no no pool pool jumps this past Sunday.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
But there was there was some pool jumping. Yeah, there
was the pool though, but no diving board. No, that's right, yeah,
no it was.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
You know, they're doing well, kids are doing well, excellent,
fighting through a little got some got a sick kid
at home, but you know, we're fighting through it a
little bit. For any listeners out there, are going through
the same.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Four children, right, Yes, so you have sick kid, which
means you're going to have six sick kid zah exactly eventually.
But like a lot of things, it too shall pass,
like a lot of things. And and we welcome Kevin
to the show. Now let me ask you this question.
Bill and Suzanne plaid. Things are well, Leah and the
kids right on Chicago's Plus fourteen and the take give
(05:17):
with the League best twenty takes. How's that happening?
Speaker 6 (05:20):
Well, I think they you know, they've given up some yards,
they've owned up some plays, but they have really, you know,
very similar to us a year ago. If you think
about it. Defensively, we were leading the league in turnovers,
and it felt like all those extra possessions gave us
a lot of opportunities to win games, you know, tight games,
games where we needed to you know, find a rhythm offensively,
(05:42):
and we were able to do that.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
And I think it's been very similar.
Speaker 6 (05:45):
You know, they've been able to force some big turnovers
and some big moments and it's ultimately led to it's
ultimately led to you know, those guys having chances to
win a lot of games. They've you know, Ben's done
a great job, you know, with that entire team, and
I think DA has kind of really centered on, hey,
we're going to force turnovers.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
We might give up a play here or there, but
we're going to.
Speaker 6 (06:06):
Be explosive in forcing turnovers getting to the quarterback at times.
They've got a nice third down pressure package that's been
very successful for him, allowing them to get to the
quarterback and definitely a challenge. As we learned in the opener,
it took us a good bit there to find a
rhythm and then when we did, we were able to
move it and score.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Dallas Turner. I heard the press conference yesterday and I'm
you know, how can the league look at that sack
and find any problem with it? And as a teacher
like you are, you're a coach, but you're a teacher. Well,
how does one teach and subsequently how does one learn
to avoid whatever one allegedly did wrong?
Speaker 6 (06:45):
Yeah, well, you're here a lot during training camp, Papte.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
I think you're here every day.
Speaker 6 (06:51):
But you guys will see those guys doing drills on
the heavy bag or on the tall bags of getting
to the you know, simulating getting to the quarterback, you know,
striking and legally you know, understanding where the strike zone is.
And then the last phase of that that has become
a big part of the league of protecting quarterbacks is
that you know, you know, fully putting your body weight
(07:12):
on top of the quarterback is as he goes down.
It's probably the part of roughing the passer that you know,
if if a lot of the old school NFL fans
and guys that used to sack the quarterback a lot
in the league. I've talked to a lot of our
our former you know, Vikings legends that look at that
and say, how in the world can that be a penalty?
But the way the line by line rule of roughing
(07:34):
the passer is now, it is indeed a penalty. And
you just got to try to find a way to slide,
you know, off to the side in any way, shape
or forming. And it's very, very difficult to do.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I've always sounds like it's gonna lead to a face mask.
Speaker 6 (07:45):
And well, either that or you know, you're gonna have
a guy missing some opportunities on sacks because they're you know,
trying to maybe start that process to slide to the
side early. Or quarterbacks, you know, unfortunately they do they
do move. You know, Jonathan Grenard. If thequarterback didn't move,
Jonathan Gernard would have about ten sacks right now with
how much he's gotten to the quarterback. And that's just
(08:06):
part of it. But it makes it very difficult for
these guys to play violently and physically and defeat blocks.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
And then when they arrive.
Speaker 6 (08:13):
At the quarterback, there's a whole new set of rules
that are in play, and they've been you know, it's
been a few years now, that rule and we understand.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
It, okay, well, and this is you know, This is
not like Paul Allen Homer announcer guy, because in the
game at Ford Field, honestly, I thought there were two
calls against the Lions that I thought were garbage, And
when Pete and I are calling the game, I'm like, well,
I don't get that man Hutchinson, whoever else it was,
So that this is just trying to get a hold
(08:42):
of it on a week to week basis, because we've
seen somebody sack hit and then huh they lunge their
body super heavy on top of the guy. That wasn't it,
And so okay, so now if you wrap up around
the waist on the sack, well, your full body weight
is still coming down on somebody. I I just don't understand. Well,
(09:05):
I think the press conference.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
Yesterday, Pa, we've had some you know, we had a
week to week instance of an interpretation of the rule
and you know, not I know, it was discussed a
little bit and it ended up being, you know, ruled
a clean play when there was fast motioned down by
a receiver and uh, kind of a pseudo crack black
crack block on Gak on a screenplay. He ended up
(09:28):
making the play on the play. But we just wanted clarity,
so we got a little clarity, and then we're told
that was legal because of this, this and this, so
you know, and then we have a circumstance with Adam
Thielen there on a pretty critical down where you know,
based upon some of those interpretations, we're trying to you know,
we're trying to execute kind of a pick play there
(09:49):
and you know at at or behind the line of scrimmage,
and you have to try to make that legal. They
determined it wasn't. There was a there was some levels
to it that kind of seemed like they were working
through it. But what I've learned in my four years
time is, you know, crew to crew there's going to
be just different interpretations of how they see, depending on formations,
(10:11):
depending on things it's happening fast out there. Those officials
have a very very difficult job. But I've just learned
that week to week, you know, the line could be
read from the rule.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
Book the same way, but might be played out a
little differently. And that's part of football.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
McArthur, your quarterback, who in your estimation, would be the
best quarterback in the history of Minnesota Vikings football all
the way back to sixty one, it would be fran
Tarktan Tarkenton hof right, so that that would be the
statistical and realistic right answer. In fran Tarkinson's first four starts,
(10:45):
he threw one touchdown in six interceptions. He completed fifty
percent of his passes in his yards per attempt was
a whopping five and a half five and a half,
fair to say, and he ended up in the Hall
of Fame. Fair to say, with young inexperience into quarterbacks,
there have been and will be performance related swings. Yeah,
(11:06):
is it just fair to say that?
Speaker 6 (11:08):
Yeah, I think it's just, uh, you know, there's gonna
be natural growing pains that sometimes unearthed themselves where you know,
it could be the same rep from a practice rep
that was I mean, Jaja had an unbelievable week of
practice last week, maybe one of the best Friday practices
we've had around here in a long time. And and
that went for our whole team. But then when you
(11:29):
get into the games and just you know, snaps accumulating
on top of each other from a standpoint of you know,
protections and you know, getting hit as you're throwing on
certain plays. Even when I thought I thought our old
line did a pretty decent job protecting them and giving
them some clean pockets. What was the pocket movement like,
did you move into some issues where maybe there's three
(11:49):
or four more completions if we're not getting a block
shot from one of those d linemen as we're navigating
the you know, the the home base of the pocket,
and that can our tackles were doing a good job
set in the whith for the most part, and sometimes
it's a subtle climb instead of two or three climbs,
just things that as you watch the tape, I mean,
it's incredibly powerful learning moments, and we're you know, we're
(12:12):
talking about the player's fourth start as you mentioned. But
all of that being said, I think he's really shown
some real flashes of the true competitor. And this guy
is out there given absolutely everything he possibly can. And
as we've talked about, sometimes it's not the scramble, you
know and put yourself at harm's way, it's just check
(12:33):
it down to Howkinson on the back side of.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
The formation for a game eight.
Speaker 6 (12:36):
He did it a couple times in the game to
Jordan Mason on one Aaron Jones on another.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Play action.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
They were combined games of twenty between the two completions,
and I hit the headset and told him that might
be my favorite play of the day right there. Wow,
just because it's just the understanding of a shot called
not necessarily meaning the shot taken completion mindsets, no matter
what the variation of the play. And it became difficult
(13:02):
for our whole group, you know, being behind the chains,
you know, due to the self inflicted things that we
had pre snapped the other day. And you would have
loved to see some of those plays, you know, earn
first downs off of runs, maybe stack some more runs.
I would have loved to see it, because that's, you know,
what our plan was going into the game. But plans
are always something that need to be adjusted to try
(13:24):
to win the football game.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Kevin with and you just mentioned it with the tip
passes at the line, is it or as you would say,
block shots, Is it mostly an offensive lineman's job to present,
as you would say, those block shots to prevent that is?
Or does most of it fall on the quarterback?
Speaker 5 (13:43):
It's hard to put it all on the old lineman.
Speaker 6 (13:45):
We teach techniques to try to get hands down if
guys want to leave their feet.
Speaker 5 (13:49):
The next thing they should find is the earth from a.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Standpoint and d lineman leaving his feet, we should be
you know, legally putting that player on the ground.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Don't have somebody fall on it with the body wage.
Speaker 6 (14:02):
But it's also it's also you know, some of those
whether it's technique and fundamentals of eliminating some internal penetration,
some push, you know, away from the slide side. There
was actually the throw where we jj maybe one of
the most impressive throws you know, we've had this year
when he threw about it was second and fifteen. He
(14:23):
threw about a twenty five yard strike to the front
line and justin many many times has come down with
that ball. He didn't in that case. But that was
even following through through some of that push. But then
other times there was issues in the game where just
the great initial pocket movement, finding that home base and
that safe space in the pocket, but then continuing to
(14:45):
allow that momentum to take him right up into the
back of either a Blake or a Donovan or a
Fries And then those guys Baltimore was huge in the interior.
They weren't really dynamic rushers, but they affected the quarterback
by getting either push or when they were blocked.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
They were getting their hands up and getting their hands on.
Speaker 6 (15:06):
Some footballs, which were critical because all all four of
the block shots. You know, you know, it's easy for
me to sit back and say they're all completions. But
when you turn on the tape and see you know,
Jordan Edison on a backside in cut wide open or yea,
you know the third and third and three in the
red zone before we went forward on fourth and three,
I mean, that is a walk in touchdown up, you know,
as he wraps around that linebacker, which would have been
(15:29):
a phenomenal progression played by JJ. He did everything right,
just a little bit too much movement. And you know what,
the first thing he said yesterday when I was watching
the game with him was, you know, if I could
just settle down on that second or third hitch, and
I you know, got a big smile on my face
and I said, what do you think we're going to
be working on this week? And then that's that's where
we're at right now and having a blast doing it
(15:51):
with him, but we've got to find a way to
win football games at the same time.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
I mean, the way you just explain that and as
smart as you are, you can use that to your advantage.
You know what's happening in front of you. I mean,
now we're getting cute and tricky. Here hold the ball
a little longer, but like fakes and they go up
because we know everybody blocks your shots. Oh wow, you know,
and then something with it. I just said, that's generally
how people like you think. Taking something that it may
(16:15):
be bugging you're not working great, use it to your advantage.
Speaker 6 (16:19):
Hey, well, that's the thing with the block shots is
working great, and the result of the play end up
being such a stark contrast of what the actual reality
was and doesn't bode well for kind of you know,
digesting what happened right, you know, either from the chalk
you know, where we stand on the sidelines, or from
the stands or up where you call the game. It
(16:39):
doesn't make it any easier for any of us.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Mhm.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
That's Kevin O'Connell, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. This
is nine to now. We have a talkback coming a
little later on a talk back Tuesday for the head coach,
and he did mention fall starts. So end of the equation,
what what mostly played into the fall starts and do
we need former FBI agent Bill to investigate if the
(17:02):
Ravens were illicitly mocking cadence leading to the US.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
Yeah, they weren't at all.
Speaker 6 (17:07):
Now, I mean, there may have been some move calls
and things because a couple of them, actually two of
them took place on the same the same play was
called where we were simply set in the front with
emotion and and trying to get another run off and
and uh, at the same time, JJ went through his
initial cadence to make sure we were good with the
(17:28):
run play that was called.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
We had a flinch, you know, both times, and they're just.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
A series of errors.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
But there was other examples.
Speaker 6 (17:36):
I mean, there was one where you know, JJ had
you know, he was thinking about snapping this ball on
a timely cadence where we wouldn't let the motion get reset.
In his mind, he said one thing and and and
when he got to the line of scrimmage, he you know,
that was one that was called on him. And then
there were some other times where you know, we were
trying to communicate up front a little bit during said cadence,
(17:57):
and there was just some confusion there. I think we've
got to have crisper huddle operation.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
You know, I'm a big fan.
Speaker 6 (18:03):
I've said this before of if the huddle is clean,
everybody breaks the huddle with total absolute certainty of play formation,
play motion, whatever it is, and ultimately have that you know,
clean huddle break. It normally leads to clean execution for
sure in the pre snap and we absolutely were totally
(18:24):
crushed by it the other day because they were all
on you know, like I said yesterday, five out of
the eight were on earned first down or first down.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Where we were stacking momentum within a drive.
Speaker 6 (18:36):
And it's been a theme all season long is stacking
positive plays and when we do that, we're able to
move the ball and score with some pretty consistent performance.
And then when we have those and I certainly have
my hand in it, it is absolutely something that I've
got to try to find a way to limit those
negatives that happen post snap with the play call selections.
(18:57):
And I absolutely can continue to fit what this team
this year does well with how we call these games,
but at the same time, we need that total focus
and absolute certainty of what my job is pre post
snap as an all eleven group, and good things happen
for the Vikings offense when we do that, and that's
what we're going to continue to Chase.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Well said, the team's response off the Chargers loss was terrific,
and that of professionalism, efficiency and ferocity likewise off Atlanta,
Cincinnati paid for it. So I would imagine you're absolutely
expecting the same noon this Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 5 (19:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
I just know we've got we've got the group that
they'll respond, they'll band together there as they're as focused
as they've been all season long. And what I've challenged
these guys for even going into last week was we
need to start showing at this point in time in
the season that we've got that competitive stamina to do
(19:58):
it week in and week out consistently, games without the
lapses of times, and games where we allow our opponents
to recapture momentum if we have it, or it becomes
further and further away from our grasp. And that's where
we're at in the season. And it's great to have
the response, and I know our guys will put together
a heck of a week of practice and be ready
(20:18):
to go Sunday, But we've got to start seeing it
consistently to give us a chance to get to where
we want to get.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
To before we close and get into some bears minutia
into the we're heading into the tenth game. Now, why
do you think there are just three interceptions? Like, why
do you think you guys have just three interceptions through nine?
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Yeah, it's obviously been a pretty big difference from last year,
all those extra possessions and those game changing plays. I
think we talk a lot about tips and overthrows and
we've had I think we had three or four the
other day where the ball was up in the air
and it finds the turf at us Bank Stadium.
Speaker 5 (20:58):
It's just not.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
At least in the short term things that you know,
over the last few games you're thinking about as a
coach of and I know Flow thinks about them.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
How do we.
Speaker 6 (21:08):
Continue to find ways to cause disruption and see if
we can get opportunities at the football.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
Those things have a way of working out.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
And if you know, if we if they awarded the
you know, the turnover margin winner at this point, you know,
I think a lot of teams would sign up for that.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
We would not be one of them.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
We want to go ahead and get this thing back
where it belongs. It's a very very important thing. I
look at every game with this year's team as a
line of scrimmage game from a standpoint of, you know,
our fronts on both sides of the ball having an
impact on the other team's front, and then Pa, we
got to be all about the ball. We got we
got to start winning the turnover battle. We're thirty three
and four when we break even or better since I've
(21:50):
been coaching this team, and you show up to the
stadium even, and that's on us to keep it that
way or improve our standards there.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Chicago is zero and two this year year versus the
NFC North. The last five, the Bears out of the
by four and one lost to the Ravens with Tyler
Huntley not Lamar Jackson. Last five, they've run one at
one eighty five eclipse under and eighty five yards eclip.
What what's that doing to help them win?
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Well, they're they're they're running the ball, They're running all
the complimentary plays off of their run game. I think
their O line has really gelled when you watch them,
you know, I think the acquisitions they made in the offseason,
I think their right tackles. You know, Darnell's turning into
one of the better right tackles in football.
Speaker 5 (22:35):
And they and they, they were able to kind.
Speaker 6 (22:36):
Of solidify that left tackle spot that seemed to be
kind of up for grabs there for a little bit.
But they're playing, they're gelling, and then I think what
that's allowing them is not to be so drop back
oriented in the early downs. You're just you're seeing a
lot more of the deeper play actions.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
You're seeing a lot.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
More of the keepers, the movement game, the screen game
off of their run game. And you know what we've
got to try to do is stop that run game
and force them to be a little bit more of
a one dimensional team, you know, by putting them behind
the chains first and fifteen second and longs things like that.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Yes, sir, UH wide reserve wide receiver DJ Morris three touchdowns,
one receiving, one rushing, one passing the UH The Jefferson
pass Sunday was a beauty. How do you know when
to run tricks like that?
Speaker 6 (23:26):
Well, you're you're attempting to call them in uh, you know,
in moments where we've had we've had several called this
year where we just didn't get the look, and we
end up, you know, canning the play, changing the play
to something else and coming back to it again and
trying to get the look and trying to get the look.
That was a little bit more of a longer yardage
situation where kind of a breather play for JJ where
(23:49):
he doesn't have to drop back and read the defense
and make protection calls, and we elicit the response that
Justin gets when we throw them the ball. Now, ideally,
you know, in a world where you get the exaus
Zach's look you want for the play and there's one
player to block and you have three linemen to block them,
ideally you'd like to find a way to get those
yards to sub hurt and then we would have started
(24:09):
the game four four on third down and what does
that look like? There was some frustration there just overall,
just you know, one or two guys just understanding a
little bit more about you know, what we were looking
for there.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
And that's on me.
Speaker 6 (24:23):
That's got to give the clarity to these guys, because
I know when I do it, they respond and perform.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Saving the best for last, it involves the Jalens first,
the guy on offense here's the talkback.
Speaker 7 (24:34):
Good morning, coach O'Connell. This is Corey from the luof Minnesota.
That Jalen Naylor performances passed Sunday against the Ravens was
absolutely electric. My question for you is going forward, will
opposing defenses have to pay more attention to Speedy and
will that open up more targets for Jets, Addison and Hockinson.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
Thanks for your time and I hope you have great day.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Thanks Bob.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
Yeah, it's a great question.
Speaker 6 (24:59):
And really we been you know, you and I have
talked about Speedy a lot on this show. Just any
chance I get publicly to talk about him, because it's
not always.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Since two preseasons ago when you featured him in the preseason.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
Yeah, it's just not always.
Speaker 6 (25:11):
The ball doesn't always find him, but it did this
past Sunday, and and and he was, you know, absolutely fantastic.
Some third down some big third down plays, some explosives
and and and Speedy is just playing fast, he's playing
through contact. He's getting a lot of one on ones
because of Jordan and Justin and TJ. And there's a
lot of featured coverage to take away some of those
(25:33):
guys sometimes and Speedy goes to work in those moments,
and we got to continue to give him opportunities to
do that. But yes, I think the second part of
that question is accurate. You've got to really decide, you know,
when we're able to throw the ball outside of our
consistent commitment to running the ball, you got to really
decide how you want to handle the weapons that we
(25:53):
do have, because.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Justin Jordan Speedy tj Aaron Jones out of.
Speaker 6 (25:58):
The backfield have proven to be playmakers that can change
the game at any time and really elicit a response
from the defense that helps kind of make everything go.
And we've just got to find a way to make
those plays eliminate the negatives. Run the football consistently, and
when we get to those weighty downs and those third downs,
(26:18):
those red zone opportunities like we did in the game
the other day, Jalen Naylor had two big conversions on
third down and he had a fourth down touchdown when
we absolutely had to have it to keep that game
within reach.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
And lastly, the Jalen's saving the best for last. I mean,
you know, the early part of the game, I think
he had six tackles in a quarter and a half
something like that. Jalen Redmond was all over the place.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
He's been fantastic.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
At The story is unbelievable if you get into the
depth of the blood clots and his best friend died
at age twenty three, and you know everybody gave up
on him. Carolina made it exposed him not a negative way,
but other teams can come get him. You know, he
had a calf strain, couldn't figure out what was going on.
It was blood clot related. Yep, quiet going kind of guy,
(27:03):
but he is just a rolling ball of butcher knives
on that defensive line getting around, specifically these bigger offensive linemen.
I thought in the first half, I thought, that's as
good a work against the run as I've ever seen
him do.
Speaker 6 (27:16):
And he's lined up absolutely everywhere. I mean, you've seen
him at defensive end, you've seen him at nose, you've
seen him at three technique. I mean, he is capable
of just about anything. And we really have needed that
just with the versatility of Jalen Redman allows Hargrave and
Jonathan Allen to be not only in their multiple spots
(27:36):
they're comfortable at, but playing the play style that we
brought them here. To do, and that's been big over
these last couple of weeks seeing that come to life.
But I'm so glad you asked about him, and he
has been a phenomenal, phenomenal story. And if you see
him walking the halls around here, he's never ever had
a bad day, you know, since.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
I've had him. Same with Elijah Williams's.
Speaker 6 (27:57):
It really is remarkable because those guys, I mean, yeah,
you know, I've seen some d lineman now have some
bad days just because they got to be down there
in the trenches all day long. But Jalen Redmond has
had some swagger about him and his performances have been fantastic.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Why why I laughed when I mentioned Elijah up undrafted
from Morgan State, worked his tail optic, the active roster.
I don't know if he had been on too many airplanes,
you know, It's like he was so wide eyed with
these cities teams get to fly to, in the hotels
and the per Wow. I mean, he's just so authentic
and fantastic, just like Jalen Redmond, just like you tear
(28:34):
it up this weekend, all right, appreciate you, and we
will preview lambeau Field next week. That's Kevin O'Connell, head
coach of the Minnesota Vikings, and I'm Paul Allen. That's
ex's and o's. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
And you had to go crazy Wolves fans. The debut
of the Frints inspired City Edition uniforms. It's happening this
Saturday against the Denver Nuggets and you could be there.
Check out our contest page here you can win a
parentag as a Saturday's game to be the.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
First experience of uniforms.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Was inspired Cord and a whole lot more KFA dot
com Keyber contest enter today.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Now we can't have the analyst for the Vikings radio
network stop by as buffer while the announcer waits for
the head coach to come down for x's and no's,
and and then all of a sudden, well, well, the
reason I bring this up is because then we just
respectfully move Pete Bursts from a chair, kind of like.
(29:54):
It reminded me of a story you told this morning
at a speaking engagement you bet and I had together
at the museum about about well, why don't you share it?
It was about when you were at Notre Dame you
got benched or something like that. What happened. Well, here's
a fascinating story. My sophomore year, I'm playing. I'm playing
middle linebacker with with Gary Darnell as our defensive coordinator
(30:17):
was four to three stack.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
Blah blah blah. I had a great I ended up
starting nine games my sophomore year. Jim Flanagan and I
who ended up playing for the Bears and the forty
nine ers were fighting over to play linebacker. You know,
you win that battle, right, and you win that battle,
you play and you have a great year. And then
Darnell leaves and we bring in we bring in a
different defensive coordinator, Demetris Dubo's gets suspended, so I move
over to his spot. Then he go through three games,
(30:40):
Demetrius comes back and they leave the other guy where
he was, Tony Peterson. And then I'm like, okay, well
where am I going?
Speaker 2 (30:46):
What happened? They're like, what exactly?
Speaker 4 (30:48):
What now?
Speaker 5 (30:49):
If I had gone and.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
Something team was really good.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
By the way, yeah, well yeah, I mean if we
if we had a top three in the country, if
we had if something would have if I had done something,
I'd have been like, Okay, I get it.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
But nothing happened.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
So every time, and I got we all got benched
a million times because lou would come down.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
You would.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
You would literally get benched every every couple of weeks. Seriously,
he'd come over to the defense. He'd be like, yes,
get him out, get him out, coach, and then he'd
pull you out. Another guy comes in and then.
Speaker 5 (31:18):
He'd leave and I'm like, hey, just screwed up too.
He just did the exact same thing I did.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
But you're over there, so you know, right, So it's so.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
And then every time I got benched, I went to
his office and I knocked on the door, I came in,
I sat down, I said, coach, what do I gotta
do to get back on the field.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
And then I'd just sit back.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
I wouldn't listen to a word he said, I just
sit back. I just want him to know that it
pissed me off.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Yeah, right now, as you shared this morning and every
seeded you made a mistake acting like that, Well, that
wasn't the right way to act. Well, the thing, and
I guess the thing was in my point was you
there's certain there's certain times in life where those things happen.
You have a choice, you have you either you either quit,
move on, do something else, or you just keep going.
Speaker 5 (32:02):
And I just I.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
Chose to keep going because I knew I couldn't live
with myself if I quit, if I put everything I
got into something. It's like, that's why I brought up
the ninety eight the NFC Championship game, right. I played
special teams all the time, and then Eddie McDaniel got hurt.
So I was in there for you know, I was done.
I was toast. And when I got kicked that field
goal and I saw I go through it, I was like, hey,
(32:23):
there's nothing more I could have possibly done. And that
really is the only way you can live without having
regrets in that regard and so just being too dumb
to quit. That's the whole Rudy thing. That was the
whole point of the root of the movie. Rudy. Yeah, right,
I know his whole family, his brothers have done more
remarkable things than he did. Wait, and Rudy was on
(32:43):
the team you were on. No, No, he was way
before me. But his one brother was his brother. One brother,
Mark was the wrestling coach of my high school. I
just say coach of the year many many times. His
brother Francis was an undercover detective and ran a gym.
He held powerl thing records for his weight class. Right,
(33:03):
and his other brother was the first four time state
champion in wrestling in Illinois history.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
In high school. Dusty Roads the American Dream and.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
They make the movie about him, about about the goofy one, right,
and I love him to death. I know him, you know,
and so but that's kind of the point of the movie. Yeah,
you know, just you gotta be you just got to
stick through it, just a day longer, one day at
a time, a minute at a time, the whole thing.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
And you know, here we go and here we.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
Are, so the Bears this weekend, and it causes me
to hearken to the Pete started his analyst for the
Vikings Radio network in two thousand and seven after Uncle
Joe Censor was the analyst O two, three, four, five
and six. So Childress comes in and uncle Joe does
a year and then he's like, I'm a back out
(33:48):
and do some other things. So then in rolls the
analyst Pete Persage, And every time the Bears are on
the schedule, one of the first things I think of
is the first game you called at Soldier Field, a
place you went to a bunch of times with your game.
Warn Mike Singletarry or Wilbur Marshall or Richard Dent. Grew
(34:11):
up a Bears fan, eighty five Bears. You lived in
the city thirteen years old. Team wins a super Bowl.
It could be better, right, And now you're with the
Vikings Radio network after coaching for the Vikings for a
half decade and playing for the team X amount of years,
And of course the first game you have at Soldier
Field is just this high scoring bonanza with Peterson running
(34:34):
all over the place, Dwight Smith biting on a Devin
Hester double move. At me, mad, you were so emotional
during that game. I'll never forget.
Speaker 4 (34:45):
And I think back about what they did with Adrian
Peterson and how he played it, and then they're like,
all right, we're just gonna let him return a kick,
and then he takes it out to what the fortiethea
you know, I mean, it was unbelievable and long well
walks off. Yeah, I'm still mad about the Devin I mean,
what else was Devin has to He's a dB, why
else would he be in there? He's going to run
a vertical route he's fast, he can't run curls and
digs and you know post comebacks this is what he does,
(35:07):
you know, So how dumb can you beat?
Speaker 7 (35:08):
You know?
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Remember how loud it was? And then Devin Hester walking
out for the punts and what's the bit, oh soldier boy?
And he didn't like run out to a spot, No,
he like fout, floated, looked at the crowd it had
such and then there would be a punt return and
of course Heath Farwell would have gotten blocked in the back,
(35:30):
but no call and there goes devn.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
We talked to Anthony Barr yesterday for alumni bit, you know, Vikings,
and we were talking about the Bears game and stuff,
and he's he The first thing he brought up was
how bad the field was, right, and that was it's
much better now. But remember I remember back in the
day you go out there and the grass would be
ankle deep and could you're coming up and and just
pieces and that that. But that was that's what clippery
(35:54):
was this year. Yeah, but that's what going to Chicago is, right,
it's a it's a.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
But it's worse now because they're moving to Arlington High.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
Well, we're gonna speaking of that, I remember the Pontiac Silverdrome.
We used to go to Silver Drome, and I remember
when they when they finally decided what they were gonna do,
and they're gonna move it to Ford Field in downtown.
So the last time we went to Pontiac, we're in
the hotel, right, you jump out, what do you do?
You get on these big tour buses and then tour
buses are surrounded by what police cars and you're just
(36:22):
zipping on the side of the ramps and you know
you're right into the stadium, the police and pont And
I'm sorry it was I'm trying to remember what town Troy,
the Silverdrome was in whatever, Oh, Pontiac, Yeah, Pontiac. They
escorted us, but they didn't turn their lights on, so
they said, and we said in traffic behind the cops
the whole way there.
Speaker 5 (36:42):
Took us like thirty five.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Forty minutes to get that.
Speaker 5 (36:44):
I mean, it's just it.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
I love that kind of stuff because the people in
Pontiac are like, screw you, guys, you're the Lions.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
You guys want to go downtown.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
Screw you.
Speaker 4 (36:51):
We're not gonna no more police escort it's no more
of this, no more of that. The stadium's falling apart,
the whole thing. And it was all that for a
right to play Barrys and Ers. It's fantastic, no kidding,
And those things are just I love playing at the
Silver Doome. We played there one day after one day
after a Bruce Springsteen concert on a Saturday night, and
it was you couldn't see the rafters because it was
so much smoke still in that thing. But they never
(37:14):
back then circulate air. Come on, what do you mean?
You go in the locker room and it was all
like a chain linked this and just wires that, and
it was so it was so spartan. I mean the
tiles missing, no, you know, a hot water thing, the
whole it was.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
It was almost like going to Candlestick with how bad
I mean Candlestick was just a dump as a visitor
for sure, locker room, the whole thing.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
And and uh about Dallas Texas Stadium, Oh yeah, that
was something. It was ridiculous. It was. It was hot.
Speaker 4 (37:45):
I remember my rookie year ninety four going on there
for a preseason game. We flew down the day of
the game, we flew down the day of the game,
went to a hotel, sat around for two hours, and
then went to the stadium. I don't even remember. It
was nine hundred degrees. I know it was the first
game I ever cramped up. I didn't see the field
for the entire first half. I got introduced to performance
(38:05):
drugs in the locker room as a professional, right, Like
we take things in college, but you do it when
you went out partying, and you didn't do it when
you were playing, right, because we got tested and everything.
So Scotty Adams, if you remember him, probably maybe there
might be two people listening there, remember him. He had
a he had a tackle box, a plano rapple, a
fishing box full of pills stuff. He's like, all right,
(38:26):
take some of these things. And I'm a rookie. I'm like, okay,
I'll take them. Before the kickoff, I'm I am just
feeling great. The holy problem was, I didn't see the
field till the second half.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
H oh. So by then it was crash.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
It was a crash, and I'm like, all right, rook
Mnney Kippen's like, okay, rookie, get out there. You got
you got all of it. You're covering punts, kickoffs and whatever.
And I remember cramping up on the on the I
never cramped before. And I remember getting on the bus
on the way back and just had you know, You're
sitting there and all of a sudden, someone in the
back stands up.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
And like, yeah, You're like, oh, there's a cramp.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
And I was one of them. It was those are
the days, mat when we get the opportunity to down
memory lane, we go with the analysts.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Like we did this morning. It was the Capitol Club,
That's what it was called this morning. Yeah, with the
bed lever and Pete Man some good stories share, Thank you, Bud,
to you soon, all right. See it by Pete Versage
at Pete Versage via Twitter. Final segment next, Hey, thanks
for the good times today. Everybody always a joy coming
over to Twin City's Orthopedics Performance Center and copyright. Dan
(39:31):
Barrero the host of Bumper to Bumper with Barrero three
to six thirty weekdays and on Sunday sermons, we have
some big knockers. Tomorrow nine to noon, Courtney Cronin with
the Bears Focus. Tomorrow, Courtney Cronin from ESPN will join
Lavelle E Neil the third will be in studio at
eleven o'clock and I believe Chris Finch, head coach of
(39:51):
the Minnesota Timberwolves, will be joining tomorrow. Likewise, from Mike
Florio for Eric Nordquist, I'm Paul Allen. Thank you very much,
Brett Blake Moore for the production. Thank you Kevin O'Connell
for joining at eleven o'clock today, chatting out JJ McCarthy.
PJ Fleck is next and skipping the steps even if
they're difficult, as PJ says, well you just can't do
(40:12):
that with JJ McCarthy. As Kevin shared today, that was great.
Thank you for listening Bye bye.
Speaker 7 (40:19):
Podcast Today's Paul Allen Show, or listening back to previous
show and interviews.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
I go into the iHeartRadio app fortfan dot com
Fols Fans is a Timberwolves talk Back Tuesday where you
got your shot at take us to the Saturday's print
inspired City edition games at the microphone on the kfan
page with the iHeartRadio app give us your best dunk call.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Winners will be selected and emailed all day long.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Fullest of rules, kfan dot Com keywer Contest.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Welcome Back final hours upon us nine to noon and
patiently awaiting the arrival of head coach Kevin O'Connell. XES
and o's with head coach Kevin O'Connell on a weekly basis.
You hear it on Wednesday evenings of course, but it'll
be live nine to noon and these six and three Bears.
I thought we did a good job kind of kind
of laying out just some of the oddities of this
(00:48):
six and three Bears team. Next up on the docket
at noon or at US Banks Stadium. Impromptu performance the
analyst and Chicago land native Pete Bursich hanging out in
studio for a couple of minute. It's when we open
the show today, just kind of looking into the oddities
of the Bears. Whether this is a defense Pete that
has twenty takeaways a plus fourteen in the take.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Give, No, they don't give it away. They don't give
it away at all. They take it, but they don't
give it.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
That's a the other side to that other edge, to
that blade exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
And it's so they're they're very selfish, but apparently in
a good way from that part of things. But this
run game, man, it's like one hundred and eighty on
the ground over this four and one stretch since the
buye very different team, I think even than what we
saw week one at Soldier Field. What are some things
that pop for you with the Bears in town this weekend?
(01:41):
All right?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
What do you want to begin to talk about offensively?
That offensive line? THEO benedet I believe is how you
pronounce it. Canadian kid played left tackle. He's okay, okay,
he'd be a guy to go after. Toony's good, Dolmond's good.
Jonah Jackson, we know of them. Darnell Wright is kind
of a jekylin Hyde where some you'll you'll see he's
(02:01):
he's the guy that you're gonna see the the Twitter
highlights on about him just killing people. Sure, but what
they don't show you are the five times he takes
a swing and a miss. Right, So yeah, a good front.
Not the best offensive line that we've seen, but but
certainly not bad. I think what stands out to me
watching them is just how Ben Johnson is.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Uh aggressive. That's what's That's what.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
He's trying to implement and change with this with this
Bears team. Fourth down and whatever, we're going for it.
We're you know, we we gotta we get a turnover.
They get a turnover against I'm sorry, I had a
fourth down stop right at midfield against the against the Giants.
What's the next play I'm sorry was after a turnover?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Go deep?
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Yeah, throwing it deep. DJ DJ Moore is the guy, right,
So he's trying to instill that attitude in this Bears
offense to take what we saw, which we haven't seen
out of Chicago maybe ever so maybe since they invented
the forward pass, we haven't seen this type of you know,
aggressive down the field passing game from a Bears team,
and he's trying to get them to do that. We've
(03:04):
seen the Lions progress from you know, the loser Lions
to what they are now, and you're kind of seeing
an unfold in front of you, you know, in front
of your eyes right now. So just a different attitude.
All right, Well I got I've been up, I've been
you surped.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Yes you have.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Hey, thank you. Pete Bursage at Pete Bursich I in
the Sky podcast on YouTube, not the Allen Parsons project,
but the Pete Bursage project. You can search via YouTube
at Pete Bursage five six and of course you can
hear him Mondays hopefully after a Vikings victory this upcoming Monday,
(03:39):
thanks to Sue Cup Manufacturing.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Always appreciate Pete Burstich's.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Inclusion nine to noon as as I get my head
out of the camera's way and uh we just we
we yield the floor to the box.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
And the coach, Kevin O'Connell, coach of the Minnesota Vikings,
joins us each and every Tuesday at about this time
in the business we call it x's and oh, if
you're hearing it live on Tuesday, welcome. If you're watching
it at Vikings dot com, welcome. If you're hearing it
Wednesday evening with the playback at x'es and o's, welcome
to you too. And the head coach joins us, Now,
(04:13):
how are the wife and kids and how are Bill
and Suzanne doing well?
Speaker 6 (04:18):
No pool jumps this past weekend as you as you saw,
my dad after the Lions game jumped in his non
heated San.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Diego pool, as did your mom, just.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
About everybody did.
Speaker 6 (04:30):
But unfortunately, no no pool pool jumps this past Sunday.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
But there was there was some pool jumping. Yeah, there
was the pool though, but no diving board. No, that's right, yeah,
no it was.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
You know, they're doing well, kids are doing well, excellent,
fighting through a little got some got a sick kid
at home, but you know, we're fighting through it a
little bit. For any listeners out there, are going through
the same.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Four children, right, Yes, so you have sick kid, which
means you're going to have six sick kid zah exactly eventually.
But like a lot of things, it too shall pass,
like a lot of things. And and we welcome Kevin
to the show. Now let me ask you this question.
Bill and Suzanne plaid. Things are well, Leah and the
kids right on Chicago's Plus fourteen and the take give
(05:17):
with the League best twenty takes. How's that happening?
Speaker 6 (05:20):
Well, I think they you know, they've given up some yards,
they've owned up some plays, but they have really, you know,
very similar to us a year ago. If you think
about it. Defensively, we were leading the league in turnovers,
and it felt like all those extra possessions gave us
a lot of opportunities to win games, you know, tight games,
games where we needed to you know, find a rhythm offensively,
(05:42):
and we were able to do that.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
And I think it's been very similar.
Speaker 6 (05:45):
You know, they've been able to force some big turnovers
and some big moments and it's ultimately led to it's
ultimately led to you know, those guys having chances to
win a lot of games. They've you know, Ben's done
a great job, you know, with that entire team, and
I think DA has kind of really centered on, hey,
we're going to force turnovers.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
We might give up a play here or there, but
we're going to.
Speaker 6 (06:06):
Be explosive in forcing turnovers getting to the quarterback at times.
They've got a nice third down pressure package that's been
very successful for him, allowing them to get to the
quarterback and definitely a challenge. As we learned in the opener,
it took us a good bit there to find a
rhythm and then when we did, we were able to
move it and score.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Dallas Turner. I heard the press conference yesterday and I'm
you know, how can the league look at that sack
and find any problem with it? And as a teacher
like you are, you're a coach, but you're a teacher. Well,
how does one teach and subsequently how does one learn
to avoid whatever one allegedly did wrong?
Speaker 6 (06:45):
Yeah, well, you're here a lot during training camp, Papte.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
I think you're here every day.
Speaker 6 (06:51):
But you guys will see those guys doing drills on
the heavy bag or on the tall bags of getting
to the you know, simulating getting to the quarterback, you know,
striking and legally you know, understanding where the strike zone is.
And then the last phase of that that has become
a big part of the league of protecting quarterbacks is
that you know, you know, fully putting your body weight
(07:12):
on top of the quarterback is as he goes down.
It's probably the part of roughing the passer that you know,
if if a lot of the old school NFL fans
and guys that used to sack the quarterback a lot
in the league. I've talked to a lot of our
our former you know, Vikings legends that look at that
and say, how in the world can that be a penalty?
But the way the line by line rule of roughing
(07:34):
the passer is now, it is indeed a penalty. And
you just got to try to find a way to slide,
you know, off to the side in any way, shape
or forming. And it's very, very difficult to do.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I've always sounds like it's gonna lead to a face mask.
Speaker 6 (07:45):
And well, either that or you know, you're gonna have
a guy missing some opportunities on sacks because they're you know,
trying to maybe start that process to slide to the
side early. Or quarterbacks, you know, unfortunately they do they
do move. You know, Jonathan Grenard. If thequarterback didn't move,
Jonathan Gernard would have about ten sacks right now with
how much he's gotten to the quarterback. And that's just
(08:06):
part of it. But it makes it very difficult for
these guys to play violently and physically and defeat blocks.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
And then when they arrive.
Speaker 6 (08:13):
At the quarterback, there's a whole new set of rules
that are in play, and they've been you know, it's
been a few years now, that rule and we understand.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
It, okay, well, and this is you know, This is
not like Paul Allen Homer announcer guy, because in the
game at Ford Field, honestly, I thought there were two
calls against the Lions that I thought were garbage, And
when Pete and I are calling the game, I'm like, well,
I don't get that man Hutchinson, whoever else it was,
So that this is just trying to get a hold
(08:42):
of it on a week to week basis, because we've
seen somebody sack hit and then huh they lunge their
body super heavy on top of the guy. That wasn't it,
And so okay, so now if you wrap up around
the waist on the sack, well, your full body weight
is still coming down on somebody. I I just don't understand. Well,
(09:05):
I think the press conference.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
Yesterday, Pa, we've had some you know, we had a
week to week instance of an interpretation of the rule
and you know, not I know, it was discussed a
little bit and it ended up being, you know, ruled
a clean play when there was fast motioned down by
a receiver and uh, kind of a pseudo crack black
crack block on Gak on a screenplay. He ended up
(09:28):
making the play on the play. But we just wanted clarity,
so we got a little clarity, and then we're told
that was legal because of this, this and this, so
you know, and then we have a circumstance with Adam
Thielen there on a pretty critical down where you know,
based upon some of those interpretations, we're trying to you know,
we're trying to execute kind of a pick play there
(09:49):
and you know at at or behind the line of scrimmage,
and you have to try to make that legal. They
determined it wasn't. There was a there was some levels
to it that kind of seemed like they were working
through it. But what I've learned in my four years
time is, you know, crew to crew there's going to
be just different interpretations of how they see, depending on formations,
(10:11):
depending on things it's happening fast out there. Those officials
have a very very difficult job. But I've just learned
that week to week, you know, the line could be
read from the rule.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
Book the same way, but might be played out a
little differently. And that's part of football.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
McArthur, your quarterback, who in your estimation, would be the
best quarterback in the history of Minnesota Vikings football all
the way back to sixty one, it would be fran
Tarktan Tarkenton hof right, so that that would be the
statistical and realistic right answer. In fran Tarkinson's first four starts,
(10:45):
he threw one touchdown in six interceptions. He completed fifty
percent of his passes in his yards per attempt was
a whopping five and a half five and a half,
fair to say, and he ended up in the Hall
of Fame. Fair to say, with young inexperience into quarterbacks,
there have been and will be performance related swings. Yeah,
(11:06):
is it just fair to say that?
Speaker 6 (11:08):
Yeah, I think it's just, uh, you know, there's gonna
be natural growing pains that sometimes unearthed themselves where you know,
it could be the same rep from a practice rep
that was I mean, Jaja had an unbelievable week of
practice last week, maybe one of the best Friday practices
we've had around here in a long time. And and
that went for our whole team. But then when you
(11:29):
get into the games and just you know, snaps accumulating
on top of each other from a standpoint of you know,
protections and you know, getting hit as you're throwing on
certain plays. Even when I thought I thought our old
line did a pretty decent job protecting them and giving
them some clean pockets. What was the pocket movement like,
did you move into some issues where maybe there's three
(11:49):
or four more completions if we're not getting a block
shot from one of those d linemen as we're navigating
the you know, the the home base of the pocket,
and that can our tackles were doing a good job
set in the whith for the most part, and sometimes
it's a subtle climb instead of two or three climbs,
just things that as you watch the tape, I mean,
it's incredibly powerful learning moments, and we're you know, we're
(12:12):
talking about the player's fourth start as you mentioned. But
all of that being said, I think he's really shown
some real flashes of the true competitor. And this guy
is out there given absolutely everything he possibly can. And
as we've talked about, sometimes it's not the scramble, you
know and put yourself at harm's way, it's just check
(12:33):
it down to Howkinson on the back side of.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
The formation for a game eight.
Speaker 6 (12:36):
He did it a couple times in the game to
Jordan Mason on one Aaron Jones on another.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Play action.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
They were combined games of twenty between the two completions,
and I hit the headset and told him that might
be my favorite play of the day right there. Wow,
just because it's just the understanding of a shot called
not necessarily meaning the shot taken completion mindsets, no matter
what the variation of the play. And it became difficult
(13:02):
for our whole group, you know, being behind the chains,
you know, due to the self inflicted things that we
had pre snapped the other day. And you would have
loved to see some of those plays, you know, earn
first downs off of runs, maybe stack some more runs.
I would have loved to see it, because that's, you know,
what our plan was going into the game. But plans
are always something that need to be adjusted to try
(13:24):
to win the football game.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Kevin with and you just mentioned it with the tip
passes at the line, is it or as you would say,
block shots, Is it mostly an offensive lineman's job to present,
as you would say, those block shots to prevent that is?
Or does most of it fall on the quarterback?
Speaker 5 (13:43):
It's hard to put it all on the old lineman.
Speaker 6 (13:45):
We teach techniques to try to get hands down if
guys want to leave their feet.
Speaker 5 (13:49):
The next thing they should find is the earth from a.
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Standpoint and d lineman leaving his feet, we should be
you know, legally putting that player on the ground.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Don't have somebody fall on it with the body wage.
Speaker 6 (14:02):
But it's also it's also you know, some of those
whether it's technique and fundamentals of eliminating some internal penetration,
some push, you know, away from the slide side. There
was actually the throw where we jj maybe one of
the most impressive throws you know, we've had this year
when he threw about it was second and fifteen. He
(14:23):
threw about a twenty five yard strike to the front
line and justin many many times has come down with
that ball. He didn't in that case. But that was
even following through through some of that push. But then
other times there was issues in the game where just
the great initial pocket movement, finding that home base and
that safe space in the pocket, but then continuing to
(14:45):
allow that momentum to take him right up into the
back of either a Blake or a Donovan or a
Fries And then those guys Baltimore was huge in the interior.
They weren't really dynamic rushers, but they affected the quarterback
by getting either push or when they were blocked.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
They were getting their hands up and getting their hands on.
Speaker 6 (15:06):
Some footballs, which were critical because all all four of
the block shots. You know, you know, it's easy for
me to sit back and say they're all completions. But
when you turn on the tape and see you know,
Jordan Edison on a backside in cut wide open or yea,
you know the third and third and three in the
red zone before we went forward on fourth and three,
I mean, that is a walk in touchdown up, you know,
as he wraps around that linebacker, which would have been
(15:29):
a phenomenal progression played by JJ. He did everything right,
just a little bit too much movement. And you know what,
the first thing he said yesterday when I was watching
the game with him was, you know, if I could
just settle down on that second or third hitch, and
I you know, got a big smile on my face
and I said, what do you think we're going to
be working on this week? And then that's that's where
we're at right now and having a blast doing it
(15:51):
with him, but we've got to find a way to
win football games at the same time.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
I mean, the way you just explain that and as
smart as you are, you can use that to your advantage.
You know what's happening in front of you. I mean,
now we're getting cute and tricky. Here hold the ball
a little longer, but like fakes and they go up
because we know everybody blocks your shots. Oh wow, you know,
and then something with it. I just said, that's generally
how people like you think. Taking something that it may
(16:15):
be bugging you're not working great, use it to your advantage.
Speaker 6 (16:19):
Hey, well, that's the thing with the block shots is
working great, and the result of the play end up
being such a stark contrast of what the actual reality
was and doesn't bode well for kind of you know,
digesting what happened right, you know, either from the chalk
you know, where we stand on the sidelines, or from
the stands or up where you call the game. It
(16:39):
doesn't make it any easier for any of us.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Mhm.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
That's Kevin O'Connell, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. This
is nine to now. We have a talkback coming a
little later on a talk back Tuesday for the head coach,
and he did mention fall starts. So end of the equation,
what what mostly played into the fall starts and do
we need former FBI agent Bill to investigate if the
(17:02):
Ravens were illicitly mocking cadence leading to the US.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
Yeah, they weren't at all.
Speaker 6 (17:07):
Now, I mean, there may have been some move calls
and things because a couple of them, actually two of
them took place on the same the same play was
called where we were simply set in the front with
emotion and and trying to get another run off and
and uh, at the same time, JJ went through his
initial cadence to make sure we were good with the
(17:28):
run play that was called.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
We had a flinch, you know, both times, and they're just.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
A series of errors.
Speaker 5 (17:34):
But there was other examples.
Speaker 6 (17:36):
I mean, there was one where you know, JJ had
you know, he was thinking about snapping this ball on
a timely cadence where we wouldn't let the motion get reset.
In his mind, he said one thing and and and
when he got to the line of scrimmage, he you know,
that was one that was called on him. And then
there were some other times where you know, we were
trying to communicate up front a little bit during said cadence,
(17:57):
and there was just some confusion there. I think we've
got to have crisper huddle operation.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
You know, I'm a big fan.
Speaker 6 (18:03):
I've said this before of if the huddle is clean,
everybody breaks the huddle with total absolute certainty of play formation,
play motion, whatever it is, and ultimately have that you know,
clean huddle break. It normally leads to clean execution for
sure in the pre snap and we absolutely were totally
(18:24):
crushed by it the other day because they were all
on you know, like I said yesterday, five out of
the eight were on earned first down or first down.
Speaker 5 (18:33):
Where we were stacking momentum within a drive.
Speaker 6 (18:36):
And it's been a theme all season long is stacking
positive plays and when we do that, we're able to
move the ball and score with some pretty consistent performance.
And then when we have those and I certainly have
my hand in it, it is absolutely something that I've
got to try to find a way to limit those
negatives that happen post snap with the play call selections.
(18:57):
And I absolutely can continue to fit what this team
this year does well with how we call these games,
but at the same time, we need that total focus
and absolute certainty of what my job is pre post
snap as an all eleven group, and good things happen
for the Vikings offense when we do that, and that's
what we're going to continue to Chase.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Well said, the team's response off the Chargers loss was terrific,
and that of professionalism, efficiency and ferocity likewise off Atlanta,
Cincinnati paid for it. So I would imagine you're absolutely
expecting the same noon this Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
Speaker 5 (19:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (19:37):
I just know we've got we've got the group that
they'll respond, they'll band together there as they're as focused
as they've been all season long. And what I've challenged
these guys for even going into last week was we
need to start showing at this point in time in
the season that we've got that competitive stamina to do
(19:58):
it week in and week out consistently, games without the
lapses of times, and games where we allow our opponents
to recapture momentum if we have it, or it becomes
further and further away from our grasp. And that's where
we're at in the season. And it's great to have
the response, and I know our guys will put together
a heck of a week of practice and be ready
(20:18):
to go Sunday, But we've got to start seeing it
consistently to give us a chance to get to where
we want to get.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
To before we close and get into some bears minutia
into the we're heading into the tenth game. Now, why
do you think there are just three interceptions? Like, why
do you think you guys have just three interceptions through nine?
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Yeah, it's obviously been a pretty big difference from last year,
all those extra possessions and those game changing plays. I
think we talk a lot about tips and overthrows and
we've had I think we had three or four the
other day where the ball was up in the air
and it finds the turf at us Bank Stadium.
Speaker 5 (20:58):
It's just not.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
At least in the short term things that you know,
over the last few games you're thinking about as a
coach of and I know Flow thinks about them.
Speaker 5 (21:07):
How do we.
Speaker 6 (21:08):
Continue to find ways to cause disruption and see if
we can get opportunities at the football.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
Those things have a way of working out.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
And if you know, if we if they awarded the
you know, the turnover margin winner at this point, you know,
I think a lot of teams would sign up for that.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
We would not be one of them.
Speaker 6 (21:27):
We want to go ahead and get this thing back
where it belongs. It's a very very important thing. I
look at every game with this year's team as a
line of scrimmage game from a standpoint of, you know,
our fronts on both sides of the ball having an
impact on the other team's front, and then Pa, we
got to be all about the ball. We got we
got to start winning the turnover battle. We're thirty three
and four when we break even or better since I've
(21:50):
been coaching this team, and you show up to the
stadium even, and that's on us to keep it that
way or improve our standards there.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
Chicago is zero and two this year year versus the
NFC North. The last five, the Bears out of the
by four and one lost to the Ravens with Tyler
Huntley not Lamar Jackson. Last five, they've run one at
one eighty five eclipse under and eighty five yards eclip.
What what's that doing to help them win?
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Well, they're they're they're running the ball, They're running all
the complimentary plays off of their run game. I think
their O line has really gelled when you watch them,
you know, I think the acquisitions they made in the offseason,
I think their right tackles. You know, Darnell's turning into
one of the better right tackles in football.
Speaker 5 (22:35):
And they and they, they were able to kind.
Speaker 6 (22:36):
Of solidify that left tackle spot that seemed to be
kind of up for grabs there for a little bit.
But they're playing, they're gelling, and then I think what
that's allowing them is not to be so drop back
oriented in the early downs. You're just you're seeing a
lot more of the deeper play actions.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
You're seeing a lot.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
More of the keepers, the movement game, the screen game
off of their run game. And you know what we've
got to try to do is stop that run game
and force them to be a little bit more of
a one dimensional team, you know, by putting them behind
the chains first and fifteen second and longs things like that.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Yes, sir, UH wide reserve wide receiver DJ Morris three touchdowns,
one receiving, one rushing, one passing the UH The Jefferson
pass Sunday was a beauty. How do you know when
to run tricks like that?
Speaker 6 (23:26):
Well, you're you're attempting to call them in uh, you know,
in moments where we've had we've had several called this
year where we just didn't get the look, and we
end up, you know, canning the play, changing the play
to something else and coming back to it again and
trying to get the look and trying to get the look.
That was a little bit more of a longer yardage
situation where kind of a breather play for JJ where
(23:49):
he doesn't have to drop back and read the defense
and make protection calls, and we elicit the response that
Justin gets when we throw them the ball. Now, ideally,
you know, in a world where you get the exaus
Zach's look you want for the play and there's one
player to block and you have three linemen to block them,
ideally you'd like to find a way to get those
yards to sub hurt and then we would have started
(24:09):
the game four four on third down and what does
that look like? There was some frustration there just overall,
just you know, one or two guys just understanding a
little bit more about you know, what we were looking
for there.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
And that's on me.
Speaker 6 (24:23):
That's got to give the clarity to these guys, because
I know when I do it, they respond and perform.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Saving the best for last, it involves the Jalens first,
the guy on offense here's the talkback.
Speaker 7 (24:34):
Good morning, coach O'Connell. This is Corey from the luof Minnesota.
That Jalen Naylor performances passed Sunday against the Ravens was
absolutely electric. My question for you is going forward, will
opposing defenses have to pay more attention to Speedy and
will that open up more targets for Jets, Addison and Hockinson.
Speaker 5 (24:55):
Thanks for your time and I hope you have great day.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Thanks Bob.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
Yeah, it's a great question.
Speaker 6 (24:59):
And really we been you know, you and I have
talked about Speedy a lot on this show. Just any
chance I get publicly to talk about him, because it's
not always.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Since two preseasons ago when you featured him in the preseason.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
Yeah, it's just not always.
Speaker 6 (25:11):
The ball doesn't always find him, but it did this
past Sunday, and and and he was, you know, absolutely fantastic.
Some third down some big third down plays, some explosives
and and and Speedy is just playing fast, he's playing
through contact. He's getting a lot of one on ones
because of Jordan and Justin and TJ. And there's a
lot of featured coverage to take away some of those
(25:33):
guys sometimes and Speedy goes to work in those moments,
and we got to continue to give him opportunities to
do that. But yes, I think the second part of
that question is accurate. You've got to really decide, you know,
when we're able to throw the ball outside of our
consistent commitment to running the ball, you got to really
decide how you want to handle the weapons that we
(25:53):
do have, because.
Speaker 5 (25:54):
Justin Jordan Speedy tj Aaron Jones out of.
Speaker 6 (25:58):
The backfield have proven to be playmakers that can change
the game at any time and really elicit a response
from the defense that helps kind of make everything go.
And we've just got to find a way to make
those plays eliminate the negatives. Run the football consistently, and
when we get to those weighty downs and those third downs,
(26:18):
those red zone opportunities like we did in the game
the other day, Jalen Naylor had two big conversions on
third down and he had a fourth down touchdown when
we absolutely had to have it to keep that game
within reach.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
And lastly, the Jalen's saving the best for last. I mean,
you know, the early part of the game, I think
he had six tackles in a quarter and a half
something like that. Jalen Redmond was all over the place.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
He's been fantastic.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
At The story is unbelievable if you get into the
depth of the blood clots and his best friend died
at age twenty three, and you know everybody gave up
on him. Carolina made it exposed him not a negative way,
but other teams can come get him. You know, he
had a calf strain, couldn't figure out what was going on.
It was blood clot related. Yep, quiet going kind of guy,
(27:03):
but he is just a rolling ball of butcher knives
on that defensive line getting around, specifically these bigger offensive linemen.
I thought in the first half, I thought, that's as
good a work against the run as I've ever seen
him do.
Speaker 6 (27:16):
And he's lined up absolutely everywhere. I mean, you've seen
him at defensive end, you've seen him at nose, you've
seen him at three technique. I mean, he is capable
of just about anything. And we really have needed that
just with the versatility of Jalen Redman allows Hargrave and
Jonathan Allen to be not only in their multiple spots
(27:36):
they're comfortable at, but playing the play style that we
brought them here. To do, and that's been big over
these last couple of weeks seeing that come to life.
But I'm so glad you asked about him, and he
has been a phenomenal, phenomenal story. And if you see
him walking the halls around here, he's never ever had
a bad day, you know, since.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
I've had him. Same with Elijah Williams's.
Speaker 6 (27:57):
It really is remarkable because those guys, I mean, yeah,
you know, I've seen some d lineman now have some
bad days just because they got to be down there
in the trenches all day long. But Jalen Redmond has
had some swagger about him and his performances have been fantastic.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Why why I laughed when I mentioned Elijah up undrafted
from Morgan State, worked his tail optic, the active roster.
I don't know if he had been on too many airplanes,
you know, It's like he was so wide eyed with
these cities teams get to fly to, in the hotels
and the per Wow. I mean, he's just so authentic
and fantastic, just like Jalen Redmond, just like you tear
(28:34):
it up this weekend, all right, appreciate you, and we
will preview lambeau Field next week. That's Kevin O'Connell, head
coach of the Minnesota Vikings, and I'm Paul Allen. That's
ex's and o's. We'll be right back.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
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of the Frints inspired City Edition uniforms. It's happening this
Saturday against the Denver Nuggets and you could be there.
Check out our contest page here you can win a
parentag as a Saturday's game to be the.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
First experience of uniforms.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Was inspired Cord and a whole lot more KFA dot
com Keyber contest enter today.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Now we can't have the analyst for the Vikings radio
network stop by as buffer while the announcer waits for
the head coach to come down for x's and no's,
and and then all of a sudden, well, well, the
reason I bring this up is because then we just
respectfully move Pete Bursts from a chair, kind of like.
(29:54):
It reminded me of a story you told this morning
at a speaking engagement you bet and I had together
at the museum about about well, why don't you share it?
It was about when you were at Notre Dame you
got benched or something like that. What happened. Well, here's
a fascinating story. My sophomore year, I'm playing. I'm playing
middle linebacker with with Gary Darnell as our defensive coordinator
(30:17):
was four to three stack.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
Blah blah blah. I had a great I ended up
starting nine games my sophomore year. Jim Flanagan and I
who ended up playing for the Bears and the forty
nine ers were fighting over to play linebacker. You know,
you win that battle, right, and you win that battle,
you play and you have a great year. And then
Darnell leaves and we bring in we bring in a
different defensive coordinator, Demetris Dubo's gets suspended, so I move
over to his spot. Then he go through three games,
(30:40):
Demetrius comes back and they leave the other guy where
he was, Tony Peterson. And then I'm like, okay, well
where am I going?
Speaker 2 (30:46):
What happened? They're like, what exactly?
Speaker 4 (30:48):
What now?
Speaker 5 (30:49):
If I had gone and.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
Something team was really good.
Speaker 4 (30:51):
By the way, yeah, well yeah, I mean if we
if we had a top three in the country, if
we had if something would have if I had done something,
I'd have been like, Okay, I get it.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
But nothing happened.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
So every time, and I got we all got benched
a million times because lou would come down.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
You would.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
You would literally get benched every every couple of weeks. Seriously,
he'd come over to the defense. He'd be like, yes,
get him out, get him out, coach, and then he'd
pull you out. Another guy comes in and then.
Speaker 5 (31:18):
He'd leave and I'm like, hey, just screwed up too.
He just did the exact same thing I did.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
But you're over there, so you know, right, So it's so.
Speaker 4 (31:25):
And then every time I got benched, I went to
his office and I knocked on the door, I came in,
I sat down, I said, coach, what do I gotta
do to get back on the field.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
And then I'd just sit back.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
I wouldn't listen to a word he said, I just
sit back. I just want him to know that it
pissed me off.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Yeah, right now, as you shared this morning and every
seeded you made a mistake acting like that, Well, that
wasn't the right way to act. Well, the thing, and
I guess the thing was in my point was you
there's certain there's certain times in life where those things happen.
You have a choice, you have you either you either quit,
move on, do something else, or you just keep going.
Speaker 5 (32:02):
And I just I.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
Chose to keep going because I knew I couldn't live
with myself if I quit, if I put everything I
got into something. It's like, that's why I brought up
the ninety eight the NFC Championship game, right. I played
special teams all the time, and then Eddie McDaniel got hurt.
So I was in there for you know, I was done.
I was toast. And when I got kicked that field
goal and I saw I go through it, I was like, hey,
(32:23):
there's nothing more I could have possibly done. And that
really is the only way you can live without having
regrets in that regard and so just being too dumb
to quit. That's the whole Rudy thing. That was the
whole point of the root of the movie. Rudy. Yeah, right,
I know his whole family, his brothers have done more
remarkable things than he did. Wait, and Rudy was on
(32:43):
the team you were on. No, No, he was way
before me. But his one brother was his brother. One brother,
Mark was the wrestling coach of my high school. I
just say coach of the year many many times. His
brother Francis was an undercover detective and ran a gym.
He held powerl thing records for his weight class. Right,
(33:03):
and his other brother was the first four time state
champion in wrestling in Illinois history.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
In high school. Dusty Roads the American Dream and.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
They make the movie about him, about about the goofy one, right,
and I love him to death. I know him, you know,
and so but that's kind of the point of the movie. Yeah,
you know, just you gotta be you just got to
stick through it, just a day longer, one day at
a time, a minute at a time, the whole thing.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
And you know, here we go and here we.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
Are, so the Bears this weekend, and it causes me
to hearken to the Pete started his analyst for the
Vikings Radio network in two thousand and seven after Uncle
Joe Censor was the analyst O two, three, four, five
and six. So Childress comes in and uncle Joe does
a year and then he's like, I'm a back out
(33:48):
and do some other things. So then in rolls the
analyst Pete Persage, And every time the Bears are on
the schedule, one of the first things I think of
is the first game you called at Soldier Field, a
place you went to a bunch of times with your game.
Warn Mike Singletarry or Wilbur Marshall or Richard Dent. Grew
(34:11):
up a Bears fan, eighty five Bears. You lived in
the city thirteen years old. Team wins a super Bowl.
It could be better, right, And now you're with the
Vikings Radio network after coaching for the Vikings for a
half decade and playing for the team X amount of years,
And of course the first game you have at Soldier
Field is just this high scoring bonanza with Peterson running
(34:34):
all over the place, Dwight Smith biting on a Devin
Hester double move. At me, mad, you were so emotional
during that game. I'll never forget.
Speaker 4 (34:45):
And I think back about what they did with Adrian
Peterson and how he played it, and then they're like,
all right, we're just gonna let him return a kick,
and then he takes it out to what the fortiethea
you know, I mean, it was unbelievable and long well
walks off. Yeah, I'm still mad about the Devin I mean,
what else was Devin has to He's a dB, why
else would he be in there? He's going to run
a vertical route he's fast, he can't run curls and
digs and you know post comebacks this is what he does,
(35:07):
you know, So how dumb can you beat?
Speaker 7 (35:08):
You know?
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Remember how loud it was? And then Devin Hester walking
out for the punts and what's the bit, oh soldier boy?
And he didn't like run out to a spot, No,
he like fout, floated, looked at the crowd it had
such and then there would be a punt return and
of course Heath Farwell would have gotten blocked in the back,
(35:30):
but no call and there goes devn.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
We talked to Anthony Barr yesterday for alumni bit, you know, Vikings,
and we were talking about the Bears game and stuff,
and he's he The first thing he brought up was
how bad the field was, right, and that was it's
much better now. But remember I remember back in the
day you go out there and the grass would be
ankle deep and could you're coming up and and just
pieces and that that. But that was that's what clippery
(35:54):
was this year. Yeah, but that's what going to Chicago is, right,
it's a it's a.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
But it's worse now because they're moving to Arlington High.
Speaker 4 (36:01):
Well, we're gonna speaking of that, I remember the Pontiac Silverdrome.
We used to go to Silver Drome, and I remember
when they when they finally decided what they were gonna do,
and they're gonna move it to Ford Field in downtown.
So the last time we went to Pontiac, we're in
the hotel, right, you jump out, what do you do?
You get on these big tour buses and then tour
buses are surrounded by what police cars and you're just
(36:22):
zipping on the side of the ramps and you know
you're right into the stadium, the police and pont And
I'm sorry it was I'm trying to remember what town Troy,
the Silverdrome was in whatever, Oh, Pontiac, Yeah, Pontiac. They
escorted us, but they didn't turn their lights on, so
they said, and we said in traffic behind the cops
the whole way there.
Speaker 5 (36:42):
Took us like thirty five.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Forty minutes to get that.
Speaker 5 (36:44):
I mean, it's just it.
Speaker 4 (36:45):
I love that kind of stuff because the people in
Pontiac are like, screw you, guys, you're the Lions.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
You guys want to go downtown.
Speaker 5 (36:51):
Screw you.
Speaker 4 (36:51):
We're not gonna no more police escort it's no more
of this, no more of that. The stadium's falling apart,
the whole thing. And it was all that for a
right to play Barrys and Ers. It's fantastic, no kidding,
And those things are just I love playing at the
Silver Doome. We played there one day after one day
after a Bruce Springsteen concert on a Saturday night, and
it was you couldn't see the rafters because it was
so much smoke still in that thing. But they never
(37:14):
back then circulate air. Come on, what do you mean?
You go in the locker room and it was all
like a chain linked this and just wires that, and
it was so it was so spartan. I mean the
tiles missing, no, you know, a hot water thing, the
whole it was.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
It was almost like going to Candlestick with how bad
I mean Candlestick was just a dump as a visitor
for sure, locker room, the whole thing.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
And and uh about Dallas Texas Stadium, Oh yeah, that
was something. It was ridiculous. It was. It was hot.
Speaker 4 (37:45):
I remember my rookie year ninety four going on there
for a preseason game. We flew down the day of
the game, we flew down the day of the game,
went to a hotel, sat around for two hours, and
then went to the stadium. I don't even remember. It
was nine hundred degrees. I know it was the first
game I ever cramped up. I didn't see the field
for the entire first half. I got introduced to performance
(38:05):
drugs in the locker room as a professional, right, Like
we take things in college, but you do it when
you went out partying, and you didn't do it when
you were playing, right, because we got tested and everything.
So Scotty Adams, if you remember him, probably maybe there
might be two people listening there, remember him. He had
a he had a tackle box, a plano rapple, a
fishing box full of pills stuff. He's like, all right,
(38:26):
take some of these things. And I'm a rookie. I'm like, okay,
I'll take them. Before the kickoff, I'm I am just
feeling great. The holy problem was, I didn't see the
field till the second half.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
H oh. So by then it was crash.
Speaker 4 (38:40):
It was a crash, and I'm like, all right, rook
Mnney Kippen's like, okay, rookie, get out there. You got
you got all of it. You're covering punts, kickoffs and whatever.
And I remember cramping up on the on the I
never cramped before. And I remember getting on the bus
on the way back and just had you know, You're
sitting there and all of a sudden, someone in the
back stands up.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
And like, yeah, You're like, oh, there's a cramp.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
And I was one of them. It was those are
the days, mat when we get the opportunity to down
memory lane, we go with the analysts.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
Like we did this morning. It was the Capitol Club,
That's what it was called this morning. Yeah, with the
bed lever and Pete Man some good stories share, Thank you, Bud,
to you soon, all right. See it by Pete Versage
at Pete Versage via Twitter. Final segment next, Hey, thanks
for the good times today. Everybody always a joy coming
over to Twin City's Orthopedics Performance Center and copyright. Dan
(39:31):
Barrero the host of Bumper to Bumper with Barrero three
to six thirty weekdays and on Sunday sermons, we have
some big knockers. Tomorrow nine to noon, Courtney Cronin with
the Bears Focus. Tomorrow, Courtney Cronin from ESPN will join
Lavelle E Neil the third will be in studio at
eleven o'clock and I believe Chris Finch, head coach of
(39:51):
the Minnesota Timberwolves, will be joining tomorrow. Likewise, from Mike
Florio for Eric Nordquist, I'm Paul Allen. Thank you very much,
Brett Blake Moore for the production. Thank you Kevin O'Connell
for joining at eleven o'clock today, chatting out JJ McCarthy.
PJ Fleck is next and skipping the steps even if
they're difficult, as PJ says, well you just can't do
(40:12):
that with JJ McCarthy. As Kevin shared today, that was great.
Thank you for listening Bye bye.
Speaker 7 (40:19):
Podcast Today's Paul Allen Show, or listening back to previous
show and interviews.
Speaker 1 (40:23):
I go into the iHeartRadio app fortfan dot com
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