#92Noon! LIVE From TCO! 9am Hour 10/14 Chris Kuper, Merrill Reese

92Noon! Kuper - VBs - Reese

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Jem Is Queens si.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Cre agency ever fails on Acquissy trained.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
He ain't heavy.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
He's a pont amen brother.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
You lucky suckers, you are a nut job. Shall we
begin carpital foul clipping? Hey, it is a t C

(01:42):
O PC Tuesday. Welcome to the nine to new radio
show at kf a N. It's Paul Allen with Mad
producer Eric Nordquist at Twin City's Orthopedic Performance Center our
Wednesday home. Kevin O'Connell, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings,
joins us two hours from now for x'es and o's,
and we begin with Chris Cooper, fourth year offensive line

(02:02):
coach for the Minnesota Vikings. He is the president and
CEO of the Minnesota Moving Company. And Chris joins us. Now,
what's going on, Bud?

Speaker 3 (02:10):
How you guys doing good?

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Did you get some rest?

Speaker 4 (02:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (02:12):
A few days.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
It was a great week. Yeah, some normal stuff.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
It's Minnesota Moving Company. It's been the Minnesota Moving Parts
Company so far with fourteen different offensive line combinations through five,
Does or does it add hours to the week for you?
And like assistant Keith Carter, when getting so many reserves
ready for.

Speaker 5 (02:36):
Action, Yeah, you know, we try to spend on the
development portion of our of our group. We are fortunate
enough to have ten on the roster, but obviously when
you have fourteen different lineups, you're gonna have to call
some guys up and practice squad. And Keith and Ben
Elison done a good job getting those guys ready. And
you know, our folks, my focus primarily is on those

(02:57):
guys are good in Jerseys on Sunday, and but the
development part of the back end of our group is
always in important. And we saw it come to Fruition
and you know, pulled out some wins with them.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Mm hmm. And And during Chris's career, you you started
eighty games at guard for the Denver Broncos, including the postseason.
Did you ever have to play a full game at center?
Having like never played center at North Dakota, Anchorage, Denver, whatever.

Speaker 5 (03:26):
I was the emergency. The only time I had to
play any center was in college. I had to do
it for a series, but I was always the third,
you know, the emergency center when I was playing in Denver.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
I just never had to do it in the game.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
Chris Cooper, offensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings, joins
nine to noon to start Kevin O'Connell at eleven o'clock
and with what Blake Brendel did, Like after that Cleveland game,
I'm bouncing around the locker room doing these dry by
interviews that I do, and I must have spent eleven
minutes with the with the moving company. I'm like, this
is this is the a topic. Okay, quarterback with the

(03:59):
bad shoulder nine of nine hits Addison for the final three.
He goes from the outhouse to the penthouse and ends
up being the man of the match. Okay, I understand
all that, but it ended up being four fifths of
the offensive line tot Tottenham Hotspur having to be replaced.
And then you got underrafted Joe Hubert at left guard,
Brandell playing center for the first time in his life

(04:20):
in opposite Malie Collins. You know who may not get
Jeffrey Simmons like shy, he's tough, like eleventh year, just
a big man. And and then of course Miles Garrett.
But then when when when School had to flip from
right to left tackle with darisaw on the snap count,
I mean, have you a ever had to do that?
Switch spots like that in a game and be how

(04:42):
difficult is it?

Speaker 5 (04:43):
Yeah, I mean you kind of go into games with
that in the back of your mind based on what
you have up on the roster, and you know, the
way it worked out, he'd had so many reps in
camp at left tackle, and he approaches the game like
he's the starter every week, knowing that he's going to
have to be called on at some point, and you
know it's a testament to him, and and you know

(05:04):
the guys around him helping him get ready and the Blake,
you know, Blake's kind of been dabbling with center a
little bit. He's played every position on the front for
us so far in practice, and yeah, in practice and
he's played he's played tackle and guard and games like
both left d right guard and then also a left tackle.
He has had to play a little bit in games

(05:25):
as well. So you know, we've kind of worked this
a little bit starting last year, playing some center and
getting him snapping, but never to this extent, and he
just he just rolls with it.

Speaker 4 (05:36):
Man.

Speaker 5 (05:37):
I'm blessed of a bunch of professionals in the room
that love the game and are willing to do anything
we need to get to win.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
All right with up. So second year offensive lineman Walter Rowse,
how does one get and keep a second year guy
like that ready to play what ended up being a
quarter due to Darisaw's recovery program in the snap count.

Speaker 5 (05:59):
Yeah, I mean early in the week, knowing that the
health of the group, you just kind of are always
putting on in the forefront. Hey, you have to be
ready to kind of test them throughout the week. What's
your plan if you get in the game, you got
to block this guy? What's your rule on this play?
So those are the things that we got to do
outside of him getting reps because he's not going to
get any reps in practice.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
Those are the things we got to do to keep the.

Speaker 5 (06:21):
Guys on schedule, ready to go out there and.

Speaker 3 (06:23):
Execute the way the starters are.

Speaker 5 (06:25):
That being that being said, those reps are valuable, you know,
and and young players need those reps. Vault did a
good job going out there without any reps and just
and just picking up where we left off.

Speaker 1 (06:35):
So so like on the sideline during the game, knowing
that's coming, but not knowing when. Yeah, how do you
do that?

Speaker 3 (06:44):
I just I just react.

Speaker 5 (06:45):
You got to be good at adjusting especially in this business,
and and you know, with the violence of this game
and really what we've had to this point. You know,
each week we've had someone go down potentially and had
to move somebody around. So you know, that's kind of
how we plan going in games anyways.

Speaker 1 (07:01):
Christian Christian Derris Christian just changes almost everything when he plays, right.

Speaker 5 (07:09):
Yep, he's uh, he's done a tremendous job getting himself
ready as quickly as he has. You know, we all
know what what kind of devastating injury he had, and
all he did was put his head down all off season,
all summer, and we're lucky to have him out there
this at this point in the season. You know, he's
probably hitting his stride by week eight, I would think,
whereas you know, initially we weren't thinking he's gonna be

(07:31):
out there for a little bit longer.

Speaker 1 (07:33):
Now. The Eagles the next opponent Sunday noon. KFAM coordinated
by Vic Fangio. You guys know each other quite well,
don't you.

Speaker 5 (07:41):
Yeah, yep, I was on staff for three years. Have
a lot of respect for Vick. He does a really
good job defensive football, and those guys he's got some
really good personnel on that side.

Speaker 1 (07:49):
When when when you watch the Eagles or or you know,
working with Fangio, but specifically when you're getting ready for
the Eagles, When when when you see Fangio's defense, whether
he down players or not, can you tell that he
and Brian Flores like watch each other's work in the
off season. And the reason I say it is because
Brian had a comment in the off season where you know,

(08:11):
He's like, well, you know we we we watch, you know,
we look at a lot of stuff. So today I
might be looking at some Fangio, Tomorrow I might be
looking at some Spagnolo. So so I mean it's it's
in a copycat league. I mean people will use other
concepts and make it their own. But can you see
some Flores defense in a Fangio defense.

Speaker 5 (08:32):
I see there are some likeness in terms of how
we the Vikings defense can get in and out of
some three and four down groupings and really we call
some non mass stuff, but in general, you know, the
five on the line three four structure and then the
ways that they can reduce the front and change the
math on the offense is where I see the similarities.

(08:54):
I think they're different in terms of how they call
games and and and maybe there's you know, some crossover
study with coverages and things of that nature to to
hold some too high shell and because that's that's what our.

Speaker 3 (09:04):
Defense does, that's what Vic's defense does as well.

Speaker 5 (09:07):
So I think that there's there's probably more similarities than
I'm looking at. I'm looking at the front seven, front eight,
you know, and also having an understanding what the back
ends needs to do for us to get this player
on or us to get out of a play, so.

Speaker 3 (09:19):
On and so forth.

Speaker 1 (09:20):
So as Chris is, your career is gone with with
offensive line coaching with Denver Fangio was the head coach. Yeah,
did did? Did he present an opportunity to you when
he started there, kind of like Petton with O'Connell back
in Cleveland or or were you at Miami before that?

Speaker 5 (09:38):
No, I was. I started at Miami. So the two
years after I retired, Adam Gase got the got the
head job in Miami and he was one of my
coaches for five years, coordinator and quarterback coach.

Speaker 3 (09:49):
And he's the one who taught me into coaching.

Speaker 5 (09:51):
And that's my first stint was quality control in Miami
with the Dolphins. So I was there for three years
and just through some people that I know, I actually
got an interview to go back to Denver. That was
through Mike Munchek, who was the head of line coach,
who you know, VIC has a lot of admiration for
and hired him on the staff.

Speaker 3 (10:10):
But also, you know, I had.

Speaker 5 (10:12):
To had to go through the interview process with Vic
and get to know him as well. But through those
three years, I you know, I learned to really respect
the way that he operates, especially defensive football. And you know,
he gave me an opportunity, which is all you can
ask for in this business.

Speaker 1 (10:27):
With with Donovan Jackson, the head coach announced yesterday Donova
Jackson and Brian O'Neil should be returning to practice with
Jackson through the early stages of his career. What are youking?

Speaker 5 (10:40):
I like his attention to detail. I like the way
that he approaches the game. He wants to be He
wants to be one of the best. He understands that
there is steps to that and there's work that needs
to be done. But if you get guys like that
that love the game that you know, they eat, breathe
sleep it, you can work with.

Speaker 3 (10:59):
That all day.

Speaker 5 (11:00):
You know, all he wants to do is get better
and improve every single minute of the day.

Speaker 3 (11:04):
And you know that's what we're here for.

Speaker 1 (11:06):
A couple more for Chris Cooper, offensive line coach for
the Minnesota Vikings, from Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center. Good morning,
and and you know, with all of the the iterations
of the moving company you've had to use this year,
with the full timers and the part timers and fourteen
different offensive line combinations through it all, old Will Fries
has started them all. And and what's good about him?

(11:29):
And I can't remember with whom I was chatting in
training camp, but I mean he was coming back from
a pretty significant injury. So he's out there, you know,
you guys are working him along on a plan conditioning.
I would would imagine something that had to come for him.
Fortunately he did. He's had to start every every single game.

Speaker 5 (11:45):
So he's and he's improved every single game. And you
know that was kind of the play moving forwards. We
knew that his starting point was going to be different
if he was to come in the season healthy, so
to get you know, the best Wolf Fries, it was
going to be those reps, in camp, in games, and
the early part of the season. So I think we
still have yet to see Will Fries at his best,
and I think we're starting to We're starting to get there.

Speaker 1 (12:06):
Lastly, Chris, and thanks for the time. How much the
mental work the surrogate dad, big brother, uncle, slash boss
and and you know, I'd like to frame it up
for this day and age, but just just take what
you have now or what you've done since you became
offensive line coach here in twenty twenty two, and the

(12:28):
mental work that has to go into some players in
essence to convince that, convince them you're ready to compete. Yeah,
believe in yourself, get out there and do your thing.

Speaker 5 (12:39):
I think I think at the starting point is us
as coaches are truly teachers. If you can't reach each
student or player you have in that room, you have
to find other ways to get them involved so they understand.

Speaker 3 (12:52):
That's the starting point.

Speaker 5 (12:53):
Once they understand their job, how to execute their job,
and then you work with them on the details of
the technique.

Speaker 3 (12:59):
That's where the confidence comes from.

Speaker 5 (13:00):
And you're one hundred percent right, Besides being a teacher,
you're also a psychologist. You know, it's it's hard to say, hey,
justin school mid game, you're gonna go kick over and
block Miles Garrett for the rest of the fourth quarter. Right,
you got to instill some confidence in the plan and
the techniques in the way that we've entered that game
and how we were going to block this guy. So

(13:21):
if there's not confidence there and you're just kind of
leaving them out on a whim and he doesn't really
have any tools in the toolbox, right, I'm not doing
my job right.

Speaker 1 (13:28):
Yeah. And also returning from injury, you know, like with
Daris on the recovery plan and everything, I mean, that
has to have some to you know, touch and go
to it, yes, simply because you're less than a year
from that acl And and you know, lastly, here the
I went down a rabbit hole sometime last week late
last week talking about college football and kind of segueing

(13:52):
it to the NFL, And I haven't talked to anybody
about this. So just hit my heart with n IL
and the players in essence calling the shots at big
time college football for all the biggest goals, with their
agents involved. It just I wonder when there's going to
be a full blown segue to the next level, the
pro level, where a lot of these guys are used

(14:12):
to like what you mean, Well, no, this is how
I do it. Well, it's different when you hit the
pro level.

Speaker 5 (14:18):
You know, yeah, And I think you're right to a
certain extent, there's going to be something that depending on
you know where the player's taken in the draft, and
right you.

Speaker 3 (14:27):
Know how much you have invested in him.

Speaker 5 (14:28):
There's also the other caveat to that, which is every
year we're bringing in more guys to take your job,
whether they're fourth, fifth round, sixth round, undrafted player, there's
someone behind you that is training to take your job.
So call the shots all you want until you can't
do the job anymore, and then someone else is going
to take it over.

Speaker 1 (14:46):
Yeah, last one, Part three, I promise Joe Huber. I
just got to know him in training camp, was really
hoping he would make the team. He made the team,
got an opportunity, had a penalty late you probably didn't prefer.
But outside of that, how do you do No, it's
a great start. It's a good player that you know.
The guy you referencedly, Collins has been in this lead
for a long time. He's played against a lot of
rookies and he's seen a lot of stuff, whereas you know,

(15:08):
Joe first time out on the field with the with
the ones, I'm proud of the way that he went
out there and just it didn't blink.

Speaker 2 (15:14):
You know.

Speaker 5 (15:14):
That's kind of the thing that Joe has is you know,
he's always riding that plane. He's never too high or low.
You know, there's sometimes you got to do things that
jolt him just to make sure he's he's still there.
But he's he's the perfect demeanor you want for a
guy going in there. Just you couldn't tell whether he
was nervous or not. I'm sure he was, but you
know it's it's those those reps will be invaluable for

(15:37):
him moving forward.

Speaker 1 (15:37):
Yeah, it was. I mean, you know, I'll watch some practice,
but I watched so much of it and the last
week and change because there wasn't much to do. So,
you know, I find myself morphine towards you guys. I'm
like always like.

Speaker 3 (15:50):
By your what new interesting thing is going on?

Speaker 1 (15:52):
I'd never seen anything like it. Last week. I mean,
you're you're doing this with rals and then you know Keith, Keith,
your assistants doing this with school and then both of
you you were with Huber and then now you're with
Brandell off on the side and here come the quarterbacks.
I mean, it was voluminous last week.

Speaker 5 (16:07):
We were just trying to steal time in the dead
periods just to get the last like, all right, we
got to get this new to this cadence and get
the right at the silent cadence and then if we
want to go to cadence or here's what Blake's head
Bob looks like compared to the you know the guy
behind him, Wow, the nuance.

Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah, you're awesome man, Thank you, Thank you, Sarah. This
Chris Cooper offensive line code for the Minnesota Vikings to
kick off nine to Now. That's part of the Timber
Tech What's on Deck set list And we have much
coming up soon, including bikes bikes around the corner. But
first let's go back to double b give away some money. Yeah,
the cash thing.

Speaker 6 (16:38):
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(17:00):
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Speaker 1 (17:02):
Truck TCPC Tuesday. We thank timber Tech and TimberTech dot
com for the setlist, Steve's Appliances for the marathons, Hoffman

(17:24):
Cooling and Heating when we weekend wrap, Canterbury Park for
news to Nord and we thank all of you for
choosing us and winning with the nine to noon duo.
And just speaking of banking sponsors, Vikes bites would be provided.

Speaker 2 (17:38):
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can shop online. A box of meat shows up your doorstep,
your local Coburns and Kowalski locations or hotspots, your local
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and everybody.

Speaker 1 (17:53):
It's a Clearwater, Minnesota company. We love them. Thank you
Thousand Hills.

Speaker 2 (17:57):
I kind of want to build off of it was
it was awesome by the way to start the show
with offensive line coach Chris Cooper, and of course one
of the big A topics out of the Cleveland game
with his mash unit of the Minnesota Moving Company, just
how well in certain spots they performed. And I'm just
curious because Ryan Kelly's on IR and then Michael Jurgens

(18:17):
say it sounds like he's gonna get back to practicing
and getting reps in. I'm just kind of curious if
Blake Brandell kind of made a case that regardless of
what's going on, he's your starting center, not just Sunday
in Philly or with Philly, but maybe moving forward now.
Huber a couple of penalties, the one late you reference
with the coach imperfections part of that conversation justin school

(18:42):
playing two different positions in the same game, as wacky
as it was. If Donovan Jackson, who I'll get to
momentarily if he is not ready to come back in
full force with the wrist, I actually kind of think
you still stick with Brandell even if Jurgens is ready
to rock, and you put Joe Hubert back and left good.
I don't know how much you've pondered that. I just

(19:02):
really like seeing a guy step into a spot he's
never done it in a game that counted before. Unbelievable,
And frankly, I can't you know, I don't care what
the PFF scores are.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
I didn't look at them.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
I don't subscribe to it because I had to choose
either PFF or stat head.

Speaker 1 (19:16):
According to my wife, you saved a little money.

Speaker 2 (19:19):
And I just I just, honestly, I really liked what
I saw watching the Browns game back and and it
was just a great moment of Brandell stepping up and
performing at his very best. The team needed it, and
and I just think he's made a case why while
Ryan Kelly is on IR, he's our starting center.

Speaker 1 (19:36):
Well with with with Jackson and O'Neill returning to practice,
and Kevin O'Connell at his press conference yesterday said, you
know that they they returned to practice with plans, so
it's not like it's, yeah, we guess it's not full throttle,
you know, every especially if they have padded practice like
they probably will out of out of a bye week.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
Yeah, it was like various capacities, absolutely, those plans.

Speaker 1 (20:00):
Yeah, the right tackle spot still has me a little iffy.
But I would I would think Dari saw Jackson Brandell
Fries right tackle Doujore. Yeah, but maybe O'Neil if he's practicing.
But I'm with you on on on the I mean,
Brandell is more veteran than than Jurgens, so therefore you

(20:24):
know clearly he's able to do something for the first
time in his life and help them find a way
to win a game. I didn't watch back. I didn't
watch back really any of the Vikings Browns game during
the bye week, so I can't exactly pinpoint with MALIEK.
Collins and some other Cats getting through in the middle. Yeah,
like where the you know where? Yeah, I know Jordan

(20:45):
Mason ran the wrong way on one sack because I
saw that on the replay during the game.

Speaker 2 (20:50):
And Huber Huber was bested one v one, there was
a Hubert just didn't stand a chance Malie Collins in
that in that on that play was just too fast.
But other than that, though I watched back in its
TV copy, I don't have the All twenty two access,
so I'm just watching the TV game back itself, and
I just can't point to any moment in the game.

(21:11):
Now through two full viewings and saying, man, Brandell just
didn't look the part in that spot, and this is
the best defensive front that they've faced all season.

Speaker 1 (21:21):
And I don't think he had a penalty in the
game either. I don't think he did well that that
would be big because he was the most penalized Vike
last year at the end of the equation. So, you know,
doing something new and overcompensating with holding or you know,
maybe a botch snap, neading to a false start. None
of that happened and you won the game, you know.

(21:41):
So it's I you know, it's getting to the point
where I quite honestly, I'd be surprised if Blake Brandell
was not the center in the Philly game.

Speaker 2 (21:48):
So a couple of things from Ko's press conference yesterday.
One of the first questions, I think it was Matthew Koller,
but I apologize if I'm wrong. Over the course of
the buy and after five games, how on earth does
Kevin O'Connell or anybody actually evaluate the squad when both
sides of the ball have been ravaged by injuries and

(22:09):
over the course not just of the show, but of
the week, and everybody's back at practice in earnest tomorrow,
so we'll get to kind of get a feel.

Speaker 1 (22:16):
In terms of reps here, reps there, availability, et cetera.

Speaker 2 (22:19):
But still, even through the by I'm still trying to
wrap my head around what we have. Does that make
sense whether it was into the season. It's a roster
built to win now. And you love the tandem and
running back. We haven't had the tandem for four weeks
when fully healthy, Let's get the kid QB behind the
preferred five of the Minnesota Moving Company. Well, that's just

(22:40):
not freaking possible. We're talking about Brandell and we're talking
about Joe Huber and Justin School potentially playing at right
tackle on Sunday who had to move over to left
a couple weeks ago and won a one v one
rep against Miles Garrett that allowed Carson to hit Justin
Jefferson for thirty eight yards. So everything's freaking weird. The
run defense, what's going on in our two losses. The

(23:02):
team has been been just absolutely just crushed on the
ground by a gain well by a Bajan who went
for a buck seventy last night in the win over
the Bills. So it's like at every spot there there's
you can have that conversation about Ooh, I'm liking more
reps from Dallas Turner.

Speaker 1 (23:18):
What about Van Kinkle?

Speaker 2 (23:19):
Oh, I like how splashy of times Eric Wilson has
been Well, he's put into that spot because Blake Cashman's
not there, and it's just it's I wonder how the
head coach has handled trying to truly evaluate what he
has through the first month in a game when everybody's
been hurting, everything's been discombobulated.

Speaker 1 (23:36):
Yeah, there there were. There were facets of coach Kevin
O'Connell's personality that you know, in the latter stages of
the week and a half trip. I can't say that
I've ever seen, and you know, some of them were public,
like at his Friday press conference before the Browns game.
I was surprised when you know, he was exasperate. He

(23:57):
was just exasperated, would be the right way to look
at it, because they they they work so much and
put in so many hours that they kind of live exhausted.
I think he was exhausted, but when he was like,
you know, just too two more sleeps, thank god, I
was surprised he said that because he's not like that
you know, even if he's tired, even if there's weakness

(24:18):
within his mind or heart for whatever the reason, he
just it's it's the never let him see you sweat
mantrap that that helps with so many in the National
Football League. So, you know, I think everything you just
said and the wonderment that goes into certain facets of it,
where you know, medically, a group maybe looking at something

(24:40):
one way, the player may be looking at it a
different way. And then now you've got to mesh that. Okay,
well that can that can become mentally exhausting. Well, but
then the Addison bit hits, so it's kind of like,
all right, well, Gank's neck, you know, I mean, we
you know, we can't control what's happening in that neck.
We got top three left tackle guy on a pitch

(25:00):
count because it's best for him, the team and the recovery.
The kid quarterback's ankle is almost ready now, the veteran
has a bad shoulder, but he's going to go nine
to nine and win the game. So that's going to
be weird. And meanwhile, through all of it, where's Jordan.
I Mean, honestly, it's it's like the I just sensed

(25:21):
the hits just kept on coming. The way of that
man nearing the end of that trip and the bye
week I think was needed for him and for a
lot of people. But but that that plays into what
you said, there's just been so much And then you
know the self inflicted bit with Addison. You know that
that's just when you're as immersed in it as much

(25:43):
as a head coach, and you care about it that much,
and you're you're the one to whom much is given,
so much as expected, and then one of your best
players all of a sudden goes a wall like that. Yeah,
well you can control that, you know, the gank neck
and garis on knee and all that kind of stuff.
I mean that that's going to be a work in progress.
Not showing up for a walkthrough. That's a self inflicted wound.

(26:07):
I just sense nobody was ready for.

Speaker 2 (26:09):
Well, and and throughout that time after it happened and
we heard about it, the kind of the reaction to it,
and maybe it's an overreaction, maybe it's not. Is you
have the you know, he's driving a buck sixty and
apparently there was a pet emergency. We still haven't gotten
an update on the dog.

Speaker 1 (26:24):
Oh.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
Then a year later you have the fallen asleep at
the wheel near Lax and then the the kind of that,
not the melodrama, but the waiting period up to how's
the league going to handle it? He gets suspended, We
miss him for three games after being maybe the best
player of anybody in camp.

Speaker 1 (26:39):
Ye. Then he comes back in a couple of weeks
later he does this.

Speaker 2 (26:43):
Is it an overreaction where people are truly starting to
talk about like his future as a Minnesota Viking where
the track record built now through a few seasons is
such that there are elements off the field. It doesn't
sound like massive criminal elements, like you know, nefarious activities
per se, but it's just a track record maybe where you.

Speaker 1 (27:06):
Can't rely upon him.

Speaker 2 (27:08):
Do you think it's an overreaction that people have Fans
have openly questioned and others as well, where it's like,
can we I mean, is this a guy that you
want to wait around and potentially re up, you know,
extend to pay a ton of cash to given the
track record through a few.

Speaker 1 (27:22):
Seasons, he's in his third season, correct, I believe so? Yeah? Okay,
so he's a first round pick, so you have a
fifth year option. So this these are not things about
which you have to think you know at this stage
or maybe Addison's in a second year ten touchdowns last year,
I know that, but there this is his third season,

(27:42):
first got nineteen through two. Yeah, thank you. But from
a skill set standpoint, there are myriad teams around the
NFL who would want Jordan Addison on their team, knowing
everything you just laid out, because this is a game
where people a lot, you know, fair amount, not everybody

(28:03):
are kind of like, well, it doesn't matter what you
did or what you permitted to fail. Our culture doesn't
permit that, and he won't fail.

Speaker 4 (28:12):
Right.

Speaker 1 (28:13):
So the point being is is the NFL trading deadline
is quickly approaching. You know, if you're interested in moving him,
there would be suitors. But I don't. I don't. I
don't get the sense that they're to that point with
him because you know, last year when Jefferson was down,
I mean, he produced really really well. Yeah, and he's

(28:34):
a fantastic player, and you don't want to let fantastic
players leave. You just need fantastic players to grow up. Spikes,
a couple of quickies for you before we pause. Bring
in the box. How about Meryl Reese around the corners. Uh,
the gank, the gank, The gink is in peril. The
next thing we know about that. I did want to
hit on the defense a bit lack of takeaways. So lastly,

(28:56):
everybody but the gank yesterday he did.

Speaker 2 (28:59):
Which I mean that kind of lends to the well
he kind of mentioned him, but I think it was
not ready to put similar to JJ McCarthy not willing
to put a timetable or what his workload's going to
look like as he is.

Speaker 1 (29:12):
Hopefully it doesn't.

Speaker 2 (29:13):
You know, the Mike Hughes Memorial Patches Field does not
become the Andrew Van Ginkel Memorial practice field.

Speaker 1 (29:18):
So we will see.

Speaker 2 (29:19):
Team was tied to top the NFL last year in takeaways. PA,
you get one apiece in each of the first two,
you blow up with five takes on Browning in the
Bengals Slash Bungals, but then dry the last two weeks
the international trip. He came back with one win but
no takeaways. On defense. The defense that statistically, despite the

(29:40):
rush defense situation, I think they're fifth in scoring, sixth
in yards. So you kind of like that ending product.
Your team's in a position to win these games. But
the lack of takeaways is it worriesome to you? I mean,
you want w's that means more than anything, of course,
but just the lack of the ball hawking thus far
in twenty twenty five just kind of thing.

Speaker 1 (30:00):
Where are all the takes? Where did all the takeaways go? Yeah?
And where are the sacks? You know? And I'm gonna go,
I'm gonna I'll get caught up on all this by
the Eagles game obviously, but the sacks, you know, the
way they put this together, all right, So we got
Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen in here. Hargrave has two sacks.
They both took place in the first game. I think

(30:22):
Allen might have had one last game or a big
tackle for loss, so he's either at a one or
a zero. The point being here is, well, Cashman is
he's a better blitzer than Wilson and or Pace, So
you've lost that threat there. But I think Blake will
come back for the Philly game. No Van Ginkle, that's

(30:43):
the bit. Not having Andrew Van Ginkel means Grenard gets
more attention, so his sacks are going to be down
because he's doubled almost every single play, or they go
away from him. From a formation standpoint, they'll execute the
play opposite Grenard because he's the best defensive player on
this team. And when Van Ginkle plays, it's a heck

(31:05):
of a one in a one a, you know. So
therefore they with the sacks being somewhat down, that's going
to play into the turnovers being down.

Speaker 3 (31:15):
That's all.

Speaker 1 (31:15):
I got.

Speaker 2 (31:16):
Minnesota Vikings, by the way, with thirteen sacks, they are
middle of the pack at the NFL right now, right,
Oh my goodness, we got teams already with You got
the Broncos with thirty sacks to six games.

Speaker 1 (31:28):
I look at that they almost lost to Justin Fields
playing the worst game a quarterback I think I've ever
seen in the history of the NFL.

Speaker 2 (31:34):
Well, we talked, we talked about that Browns Vikings game
like this, and.

Speaker 1 (31:38):
Or at least I looked into it.

Speaker 2 (31:39):
I'm like, either either this thing is going to be
kind of similar to what it was twenty one to fourteen,
twenty one to seventeen, like that kind of game where
you have to grind it out, or it could be
one of the worst games we've ever seen, where Dylan
Gabriel is getting harassed by Flores the entire game, and
we're struggling against Miles Garrett, maybe even more so in
that defensive front and total more so than we actually

(32:00):
did that Broncos Jets game. I mean, that is a
travesty if you're trying to market your product overseas.

Speaker 1 (32:07):
It was a seven thirty I was in Colorado over
the weekend seven thirty am Mountain time. So I get
up at six six thirty because I'm going to find
a Broncos you know, it's like I'm going to take
in this Broncos vibe as a fan, sit in the
back and just and and there were a lot of
places open and everything. But I mean, if you're trying
to stay awake at seven thirty seven forty seven forty

(32:27):
five eight in the morning and you're watching that snooze fast,
Holy col was that tough. We're we're out of time.
Thank you, Vikes Bits in Thousand Hills.

Speaker 2 (32:34):
One thing I do want to bring up with you
and Gessling during the ten am hour is clues that
you'll be looking for to determine who's going to play
QB this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Speaker 1 (32:45):
Perfect Ilse. Merril Race is a forty nine year play
by play voice of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Elite Box
joins us next for an adversarial update on dem Birds.
You're listening to KFAM see the last year they have it,

(33:07):
and I'm not gonna last. I love this year.

Speaker 6 (33:09):
Annie say you know what We're gonna Toush, push the
ball in so old and send a message to set
the tone as a line.

Speaker 1 (33:18):
Right back up in the same formation. Here we go again,
full scrum, Toush push promb to one pooper, it's around
stop to hearts. He pushes bulward, he drives it.

Speaker 4 (33:31):
Noon.

Speaker 1 (33:32):
It's nine forty seven. The Minnesota Vikings host the reigning
world champion Sunday at noon. And here's one of nine
to Noon's all time favorite guests and play by play voices,
the venerable Meryl Reese. Forty nine years as the Philadelphia
Eagles vox and Merril joins us. Now, Merril, it's Paul Allen.
How are you?

Speaker 4 (33:53):
I am Will? How are you?

Speaker 1 (33:54):
Paul? Quite well? Thank you very much for doing this
today too. Sop second, I'm back to US Bank Stadium
for you. Since calling Super Bowl fifty two, and the
victory over New England. What was the Philly Special right
in front of you with Super Bowl fifty two?

Speaker 4 (34:14):
Merrill, No, No, it was down the other ends. They
would have that on me, and I can't tell you. You know,
I had a great relationship with Doug Scobell, and it
was easy to work with and he really helped me
prepare for games by tipping me off during the week
of what to look for and when to see certain things.

(34:36):
Had an unbelievable relationship with him, But that week was
so busy we never got together and I never had
a chance to prepare for the so called Philly Special,
so I never saw it coming. But there it was.

Speaker 1 (34:52):
There it was, and you called it in second and
onn fashion as you have done so many Eagles plays
for nearly a half century. And Merrill was, of course
with the Eagles when Carson Wentz spent his first half
decade in the league. Carson Wentz, Meryl, what do you
remember about him?

Speaker 4 (35:13):
I remember when they drafted him, and I really wanted
them to draft him because it was going to either be.
Of course, the Rams were drafting first, and I was
hoping that the Rams would draft Jared Goff because to me,
the best quarterback in that draft was Carson Wentz. And
as a matter of fact, the Eagles offensive coordinator Frank

(35:34):
Wright told me that night, he said, we have just
drafted a generational talent. And I was thrilled, and I
was drilled with the way he played as a rookie,
and I was thrilled with the way that he played
in his second year. Don't forget when he went down
in Los Angeles. At that point he was a likely

(35:55):
MVP of the league, and when he went down, everybody said, well,
so it goes. There go the Eagles chances to even
get to the Super Bowl. And Nick Foles came in
and rallied them and did a great job. But Carson
Wentz had two great years with the Eagles, except New
Year's with the Eagles. And he was also a really

(36:16):
really good person and easy to get along with and
easy easy to root for him.

Speaker 1 (36:23):
Merril Race nine to Noon, play by play voice for
the Philadelphia Eagles, a Sunday noon for the Boom Vikings
and Eagles kfam. Most recently in that game against the Giants, Merrill,
were you surprised the Birds lost to the New York Giants?

Speaker 4 (36:40):
Yes, I mean absolutely yes. I mean it came after
a loss that shouldn't have been a loss. For at
one point they led the Broncos seventeen to three and
they blew that. But sooner they come back and they
take out their frustration of the Giants, and that did
not happen. They were terrible from the were for some reason.

(37:01):
They were flat and give the Giants credit sue because
their young quarterback Jackson Dart, really brought that team the life.
And things just got worse. Actually, the Beagles in the
second half were rolling a little bit and they had
a chance to get back in and possibly overtake the Giants,
and then there was a band interception. But basically I

(37:24):
was surprised. Everybody here was disappointed, but those things happened. Look,
I was also a surprise last night to see Atlanta
beat Buffalo. And it was also a surprise last night
to see the Bears win in Washington. So it's a
year of surprises. Who's I mean If I said to
usually after six or seven games, if you said to

(37:46):
me the likely too likeliest teams to end up as
the Super Bowl matchup are, I'd give you an answer.
This year, I say, I don't know. I don't know
who's gonna be good next week now.

Speaker 1 (38:00):
Now, I mean, it was just a game, you know,
with against the Giants. But like these rookies Jackson Dart
and Cam Scataboo, you know, what did you think of
those guys? Did you think it was kind of a
like a one hit wonder type night or do you
think maybe the Giants might be onto a couple of
good ones?

Speaker 4 (38:20):
Well, can I tell you, Paul, that I thought the
Giants were onto a really good quarterback about four or
five years ago, whether they drafted Daniel Jones out of Duke.
And they did too, because they gave him a pretty
good long term contract. And now he's he's been revitalized
in Indianapolis and he's playing well. But I like Jackson's
dark Dart when I saw him a little miss, I

(38:43):
watched a lot of college football, as you probably do,
and I thought he was a very good quarterback. And
I thought that when he got his chance for the Giants,
he has really given them a shot in the arm.
Now how long will a last, I don't know, But
to me, he looks like a he looks like a keeper,
and look at what happens to quarterbacks. The Browns invested

(39:06):
the number one pick in the entire draft on Baker
Mayfield and ended up getting rid of him and doing
all kinds of ridiculous things. And here's Baker Mayfield, after
he's been through three or four teams, looking like a
top five quarterback at least, if not a possible MVP

(39:26):
with the Bucks.

Speaker 1 (39:27):
Right. You know, last year when we chatted there, I
think the Eagles might have been on an eight game
winning streak, yet you had some locker room chatter that
that was popping up about lack of touches and things
like that. It's kind of happening now with the Eagles,
as you're very familiar with now. Now. Last year, Branding Graham,

(39:48):
all right, Branding Graham got a hold of the locker
room stuff that was going public and Philly won the
Super Bowl. How can they get this stuff to stop?
Or does it not matter? With this group?

Speaker 4 (40:03):
It doesn't matter, Paul, And I'll tell you why. I've
seen locker rooms torn apart, going back in history. I
saw t O Terrell Owens come here and completely destroyed
the locker room in his second year, and that was
a mess. He took shots at Donovan McNabb, and there
was his faction and their faction with AJ Brown to

(40:23):
whom you're referring with AJ Brown, he gets frustrated in
the knee tweets something. But if you get to know
AJ Brown, he's one of the nicest guys you'd ever
want to meet. He's one of the guys who was
beloved in that locker room. He works hard, he plays hard.
He had a little sign last year for a year
over his locker that said I'm always open, but he

(40:46):
does not rip apart the team. Everybody likes him, and
yet they just say that's AJ Brown. Besides, how many
wide receivers have you ever met that don't have Deva
in them? I mean, the only I always hidn't say
the only wide receivers I met who weren't devis where
Harold Carmichael and Mike Quick. I mean have to say
that because Mike's my partner in the booth. But basically

(41:09):
that happens with what that happens with. Mike's the greatest
guy you ever want to meet, By the way, But
I'll tell you what, I don't know what Justin Jefferson
is like. I know he's a great great player. What's
he like as a person.

Speaker 1 (41:24):
Well, uh, And it's interesting you say that because an
hour from now, every Tuesday, we do the radio show
from the Vikings facility and Kevin O'Connell joins for about
thirty minutes, so we're gonna have a half hour chat
with him on the radio about half about an hour
from now, one of the questions or comments is going
to be Jefferson, who's a natural leader, but he's kind

(41:47):
of elevated it this year, having to go through fourteen
different offensive line combinations, two quarterbacks, no Jordan Addison. Then
he comes back, then he gets up disciplined for a quarter.
So Justin's seen a lot this year, and there's been
no complaining behind the scenes or publicly about lack of
touches or which quarterback he prefers Justin. Justin has elevated

(42:12):
and he's always been a mature going kind of guy.
But I'm glad you asked that because he's elevated his
team leadership maturity this year. It's been quite impressive.

Speaker 4 (42:22):
That's great, that's great. Well, the Eagles. The Eagles have
their leaders too, and Jalen Hurts is one of those guys.
He gives you everything that he has, and he's a
bright guy and he well, he was the Super Bowl
MVP and he did something. Paul I went to the
ring ceremony and of course got the ring for the

(42:43):
super Bowl Championship. And it may have been a lot
to me, but something happened the week later at training
camp the men even more. I was sitting in the
president after practice and somebody from the equipment room came
out and gave me a box and I said, this
is what's this? He said, this is for you? And
I opened up the box and lo and behold there

(43:05):
was a brand new pair of custom Air Jordan Eagles
cleats and on the white part of the cleat was
written to Emery's you saw when nobody else could love
Always Jalen hurts. Wow, I've never had anything like that happen.

Speaker 1 (43:22):
And that that's spectatic.

Speaker 4 (43:24):
Made my tears came out of my eyes. That's what
it meant to me.

Speaker 1 (43:28):
Yeah, I've always appreciated and respected him from afar and
and the way he plays the game. Looking forward to
seeing him this weekend. Just a couple more here, Meryll
and both on defense. Cooper the Iowa Kid, How how's it.
How's Cooper de Jeane's second season going.

Speaker 4 (43:47):
He's great. He's a great kid, and he's a great player.
He really is. He's he was shuffled into the corner
for a while last week. I mean, he's it's been
tough because they're not and Phil I'm not letting any
team secrets out. You guys watch the tape, and your
team knows the strengths and weaknesses of each opponent. Everybody

(44:09):
knows everything these days, there are no surprises. But the
Eagles have had They have a great corner in his
second year, Planion Mitchell is phenomenal. He's going to be
an All Pro for many, many years. But they no
longer have Darius Lay and you guys if Isaiah Rogers.

(44:31):
So it's been mixed and match at that other corner spot.
So Cooper's a gene last week, had to go back
and place the corner. But we'll see what happens. They
have a Dori Jackson, they have Pey Ringo, and neither
one has been the total answer so far.

Speaker 1 (44:48):
Last one, Merrill, at this stage of your career, coming
up on fifty years, is the play by play voice
of the Philadelphia Eagles. Do you still do every road trip,
or do you do? You call some road you.

Speaker 4 (45:02):
Okay, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Speaker 1 (45:04):
Okay, well you I mean Washington FedExField.

Speaker 4 (45:12):
Yeah, even Washington the other But what I didn't take,
and we did it remotely, was a pre season game
in Miami two years ago, because that booth is so
bad that you can't see half the field. And I said,
it's only a preseason game. Let's stay home and do it.
And we did. We did it off the big screen

(45:33):
at the stadium, but you know, in the booth. But
but of course, listen, I still walk eighteen holes of golf.
I still play golf four days a week. I'm not
I'm not slowing down. And next year it may be
my fiftieth, but it's it's not my loss. I just
signed a new long term contract, so God willing, I'm
not going any place, and I have no plans to retire.

(45:55):
And as long as I'm doing this, I'm going where
they go.

Speaker 1 (45:59):
Yeah, and I'm not even sure where the Commander's Play
is still called. FedExField probably has a different name. But
the reason I asked it was.

Speaker 4 (46:08):
It's Northwest Stadium. It's a dump.

Speaker 1 (46:11):
Okay, well, the reason I asked, is I was listening
to our mutual friend Jeff Joniac called the Bears and
Commanders last night, and I could I just we know
what that corner tiny booth feels like with with the
league's replay group next to us, and it's very difficult
calling games there. And and I could tell, uh with

(46:33):
with Jeff the way he was calling the game last
night that that you know there are some struggles with
that spot. So I wasn't sure if you still went there.

Speaker 4 (46:41):
Yeah, I still go there. But but you know what
Miami's worse.

Speaker 1 (46:47):
Yeah, I know it's It's very small, There's no doubt
about it.

Speaker 4 (46:50):
You know what else is terrible. I'm gonna tell you
what else is terrible. I think I think diy fi
I call it so for a stadium where you're in
the upper deck of the end zone, that's terrible. Our
stadium in the Woods, it's a mess. From a broadcast standpoint.

Speaker 1 (47:11):
Merril, You're fantastic. I always look forward to seeing you
this weekend, come up and say hello to you, you
and Mike as we want to do much respect from
us here in the court.

Speaker 4 (47:21):
Are you on a different level, Are you on a
different level from us.

Speaker 1 (47:25):
Depends on what you're talking about from a from a broadcast. Yeah,
we're we we are. They were nice enough when they
were developing US Bank Stadium. Former marketing boss Steve Lacroix
actually came to KFA in the flagship and and asked us,
you know where we would prefer to be. So we're

(47:45):
a level below you and at about the thirty yard
line behind the Vikings bench.

Speaker 4 (47:52):
Oh my goodness, and we're in the corner of the
end zone. You know what, when people asked me about
the final call of Super Bowl fifty two, I said
I was scared to death because it wasn't that I
was worried about the Eagles losing. I was worried that
I would be noticed the announcer who blew the end
of the Super Bowl because we were in the corner

(48:13):
of the end zone, one hundred and ten yards away
from that ball was going where where that ball was
going to come down. Fortunately, I got divine intervention and
I saw it like it was an NFL film in
slow motion, and I was able to able to mail us.
If I may be immodest, but the truth of the

(48:34):
matter is that that is a very difficult booth in
which to call game.

Speaker 1 (48:40):
But it's a beautiful stadium, it's well lit. Maybe it'll
be warm enough to have the pivoting doors open opposite
where you're calling it. And we think you'll have a
good time this weekend, Meryll, and I can't wait to
see you. I know I have a good time.

Speaker 4 (48:53):
I know I'll have a good time ball And it's
always a good time to check in with you. And
thank you for coming up.

Speaker 1 (49:03):
Safe travels, my friend, Thank you very much, Stay upon,
take care. Barril Reese, forty nine year play by play
voice for the Philadelphia Eagles, concludes our number one in
our number two the scribe courtesy of Standard heating and cooling.
That's next,