#92Noon! Nordo in for PA! 9am Hour 12/15 Vikes Reaction, Joe O’Donnell!

92Noon! PA Postgame - O’Donnell - Vikings

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh my god, I love a baby who got byes

(00:24):
for everybody?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Oh good, oh my god?

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Shall we begin? What up? Nine to do?

Speaker 4 (01:16):
Six five one carpets plus studios, Nordo in for Pa.
For now, he's gonna join us mid stream.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
How about last night in Dallas.

Speaker 5 (01:25):
He's scrimmaged from the right hatch, McCarthy goes out of
the shotgun, four man rush. McCarthy floats left.

Speaker 3 (01:31):
He's gonna throw one deep.

Speaker 5 (01:32):
Amiston on the cover, caught it the twenty to the
ten part taken down at before or somebody got scorched.
And that's somebody is Calon Carson. It's a fifty eight
yard hit. McCarthy to Addison Hurston Cole Minnesota.

Speaker 4 (01:51):
Kid was using his arm and he was using his legs.

Speaker 5 (01:54):
Two in the backfield, Mason and ham corth and Cole
from the one, McCarthy under center, snap, Mason handoff. Oh no,
McCarthy keeps it beautifully and saunters into the end zone
for Vikings touchdown. J. J. McCarthy with his third rushing touchdown,

(02:14):
and that baked out everybody at AT and T Stadium,
including the announcer.

Speaker 4 (02:20):
It's tough to sack Dak but we got him twice stack.

Speaker 5 (02:24):
Back to pass, He's gonna have to float out to
the right. He's able to get away from Jonathan Bernard.
Now Dak runs up the middle and bernardshed him back
at about the thirty three yard line. The tenacity of
Jonathan Bernard has forced the Dallas Cowboys into a field
goal up.

Speaker 4 (02:44):
How about the conversion rate of CJ Ham second and
goal from the tube, trying to get a touchdown in
an extra point take the lead off stead, I write
McCarthy puts Addison in motion of the right handoff STJ.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
Ham up the middle.

Speaker 5 (02:57):
Touchdown, but he saw it coming Jayham with this Perst
touchdown this year, and we're all tied to twenty three.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
About minute twelve to go in the third.

Speaker 4 (03:09):
Quarter, the Minnesota Vikings win in prime time two in
a row for Ko, kind of starting a trend beating
Dak in the Dallas Cowboys at Jerry World last evening
again nor to win for Pa, and he'll join about
midway through the show, looking forward to hearing from him

(03:30):
very late arrival back from Dallas this morning. As you
heard Ben Lieber, if you did on the Power Trap
Morning Show four fifteen ish is when he was finally
able to find himself in his own bed, and so
the host will be joining us, but starting a trend.

Speaker 5 (03:48):
Now.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
The Cowboys last night.

Speaker 4 (03:51):
Playing for their postseason lives, and in terms of this loss,
I mean, this is nothing short of completely catastrophic. If
you're a Cowboys fan on a Monday morning, as you're
watching JJ McCarthy gritty into the end zone on the
fake of all fakes, Manning style, as beautiful as it was,

(04:13):
probably didn't need the gritty.

Speaker 3 (04:14):
I actually have to admit I was slightly worried as
he did that.

Speaker 4 (04:17):
I'm just thinking, man, the next time as a Raku
or overshown or any of these guys get a free
run at our QB, they'll let them know what they
thought of that gritty.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
Thankfully that didn't come to pass.

Speaker 4 (04:29):
But as Vikings fans here, you know, again, it's six
and eight radio, right. If you were shading the quality
of the victory last week against the woeful Commanders, right
and they got the shut out, that's cool, But I
mean it's the freaking Commanders, veteran full roster as they are,
and as they have as soon as you put a

(04:50):
nineteen play drive on them. Half of them were already
thinking about booking their off season crews a few weeks
from now. So you're thinking, okay, that's fine, didn't turn
the ball over. We like that, and they get the W.
That's cool. A shutout meets a new shutout from Seattle
to the Commanders. This time we're on the right side
of it. But it's the Commanders. What about last night?

(05:13):
A team that playing on the road in primetime, they
needed that win like they needed air in their lungs.
And now the Cowboys are well, they're in a similar
spot to where the Vikings were just this last weekend.
One win by the Eagles and their season's over and

(05:33):
another playoff lists situation down in Big D thirty four
to twenty six the final a team, by the way,
your favorite team with a bunch of players probably aware
that their postseason chances, as slim as they were, were
officially squashed earlier that day by the Chicago Bears just
battering the Browns. So now we're kind of entering the

(05:57):
belief building phase. Doesn't that kind of feel where we're at?
And I'm not saying this is a comfortable position to
be in again. Six and eight that's hideous. No playoffs,
playing out the string, get all that. But the defense
last night Flummox did dak enough. Their kicker went wonky.
When have you seen this from Aubrey? By the way,
I mean how terrible in those two moments, you feel

(06:20):
like he's automatic inside a.

Speaker 3 (06:21):
Sixty helped us out.

Speaker 4 (06:27):
But then JJ McCarthy plays an even better game last
night than he did a week before. Didn't get the
production on the ground that he got a week before,
so we had to find it through the air. It
wasn't just tight end, tight end, tight end, although TJ.
Hawkins a nice couple of games stringing together for him,
but you started to see them stretching the field little

(06:48):
bit more, finding those spots again the Cowboys defense talking
into the week, if you're looking yet again to shade
the quality of a victory. We do know about Iberflus's
defense down in how brutally porous it has been at times,
But you got to take advantage of that and the
two hundred and fifty yards. Another weird pick at the beginning,

(07:10):
I mean just ridiculous. It's bouncing around and it finds
its way I think into Quentnin Williams hands but then
to move forward from that and to see what we
saw taking advantage of first down opportunities in particular against
this defense, adding to the aggression. And we can live
in the comments section on mechanics and all of this
and how things looked at various times. It was not

(07:31):
a perfect performance, but JJ McCarthy played his best game
as a pro last night, part of that belief building,
and it wasn't perfect, but he's absolutely creating a new
standard and a new floor to grow from just eight starts.
That's part of a Now, we just need the guy
on the freaking field right whether it's concussion, it's ankle.

Speaker 3 (07:51):
It's the knee injury a year ago.

Speaker 4 (07:53):
We just need the kid to continue playing game after
game after game after game as the team ultimately finds
their way into sadly in early offseason. So that's gonna
be the of course, the dominating talker, uh here at
nine to noon this morning, and you know timber Tech setlist.
There's there's another talker that is massive in this town.

(08:14):
Is the Minnesota Wild finding their way to a W
yesterday and hey, this guy made his debut and got
a goal.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
Hughes for the Slough for this shut in piece.

Speaker 6 (08:23):
Gone, Quinn Ewes, it's more now in Minnesota, Quinn Hughes,
Z William Marco Rossi, Liam Ogrin and a first for
Quinn Hughes.

Speaker 4 (08:40):
That news breaking this weekend, and we're gonna get the
chance to catch up with Joe Donald, voice of the
Minnesota Wild, and just talk about the debut, talk about
the deal, talk about the team. Team, I believe, winners
of four in a row, one more at home against
the Capitals tomorrow, a chance to sweep the home stand
for a team. Frankly, just a couple of years ago,
if you remember having trouble finding those w's at home

(09:02):
between this goaltending. What's playing in front of those netminders
right now? This team is on one right now, and
they got better with Quinn Hughes. And now now we
get to have that conversation with Joe Donnell and then
later on in the affair. Lots of talkbacks in text today,
looking forward to those. Whether it's the free iHeartRadio app,

(09:23):
hit that microphone, give us up to your best thirty seconds,
whether it's on the vikings you want to chat about
Quinn Hughes, that conversation certainly in play this morning and
then text messages six four six eight six brat Shawn
Brant KFA and text line we do got to get
to the border battle. We do got to get to
the border battle at some point. Brett Blake Moore producing

(09:44):
now the Packers losing at Mile High yesterday and beyond
that an injury to one of the most important players
on the team. We will chat about that at eleven
o'clock with Dave sinnekin Wolves won last night, first time
I think since two thousand and three, three for three
in a single day. That's a beautiful thing. Beautiful thing.

(10:04):
Victory drive Bys. Drive by chats PA down in Dallas
last night in the locker room after the game, he
does his patented drive by conversations with players. Got some
good ones in the mix for you this morning, Let's
listen to Pa in the locker room after last night's
thirty four to twenty six victory over the Cowboys.

Speaker 5 (10:22):
All right, drive bys. The Vikings have won two in
a row for the first time the season, and they
beat the Dallas Cowboys. Let's begin the drive bys over
here with Jalen Nayler. What's up, my man? First, first
time you've had a two touchdown game. The first one
when you went down, what did you have the wind
knocked out of you?

Speaker 7 (10:43):
No?

Speaker 5 (10:45):
Are you okay?

Speaker 7 (10:46):
I landed on my back right very hard and then
the back of my head hit the turf. So it
was a little combination of both of those.

Speaker 5 (10:53):
But so justin real quick because you ran over there
so quickly and got down to your knee. Man, I mean,
that's like that's your dog's Hey, he did, mate, he
was concerned about you, weren't you.

Speaker 8 (11:03):
I definitely was concerned about him, you know. I was
more happy that he scored the touchdown, so I just
you know, trying to celebrate with my teammate, but he
was down for the count.

Speaker 3 (11:11):
Jay had to revive him a little bit.

Speaker 5 (11:13):
But you know, and then Jordan Jordan with a fifty
eight yard reception during the game. But congratulations on the victory, man.
These drive bys just a couple of questions. Always happy
when things go your way and and uh, that final
touchdown you got, man, I mean it's you put a
great move. I'm a guy first and foremost, but what
a night for you And just another positive step taking

(11:34):
by j. J. McCarthy.

Speaker 7 (11:35):
So absolutely, you know he's improved every week and every practice.
So just to see that grow from him, it's it's
it's amazing. We just got to keep building on that.

Speaker 5 (11:42):
God bless you, my man. Congratulations on the win. Thank you,
Pierre for sure, that's a that's Jail and Naylor. Hey, Miles,
what's going on? Congratulations? First and foremost for coming back
to Dallas. You and I chatted on Thursday about those
two hundred and fifty tickets that you're looking for, Like
where am I going to get the money for all
these tickets and everything? And you know you wanted to
come back here badly and beat the Dallas Cowboys first

(12:04):
and foremost. You guys did that. How you feeling great? Excited?
I get the revetue of my family face. Okay. Now, secondly,
Cord Daryl Patterson might be the best kick returner in
the history of the NFL, and he certainly is the
best in the history of Minnesota Vikings football. Now, I
know you want to get to the end zone and
we still got three games to do that, but you
passed him for the most return yards kick return yards

(12:28):
by a rookie in the history of Minnesota Vikings football.
That's pretty good, man. Yeah, I'm excited about that. I
forgot who's ovie on the field, but it's a good feeling.

Speaker 9 (12:36):
It's definitely a good feeling knowing like all the hallwork
that I've put in is paying off.

Speaker 5 (12:40):
I mean, seriously, you got Christmas around the corner, you
got Iu waiting for the winner of Oklahoma Alabama. You
just passed Flash Cordarol Patterson. I mean, things are going
good for Miles Price, aren't they Definitely definitely that can't
complain at all. Congratulations man, thank you so much. It's
a Dallas native, Miles Price victorious over the Dallas Cowboys

(13:01):
with the rest of the gang, and they won by
eight points. Andrew, real quick, I just met your mom
as I was coming down to the locker room. Your
mom's here, man, and she got to see a victory
and helped. You think the game worked out.

Speaker 9 (13:13):
It was awesome. Obviously, anytime your mom can come, it's
you know, it's pretty awesome to play in front of her,
and especially down here in Dallas. Pretty cool. But you know,
the game was awesome, you know, resilient. We got down
early and we just continued to battle and came back
and you know, got a couple of stops and offense
played lights out.

Speaker 5 (13:32):
So it's good to see. Yeah, you you big o,
M Big D was required to win, no doubt, but
what you guys did to them on third down, man,
obviously without sharing company secrets, they finished two with twelve man.
I mean that was a major major point in the gang.

Speaker 9 (13:47):
Yeah, when you know, third downs of money down, so
when you can get off the field, force them into
fourth downs and you know, continue to battle and get
the get off the field and get the ball back
to the offense, and especially when they're playing so well,
it's come come from Henry Football. And then you know,
it was a great It was a total team effort
and it's good to see.

Speaker 5 (14:04):
I appreciate you, Andrew, thank you, Thank you. Vikings beat
the Dallas Cowboys. We continue with these drive bys from
a very joyous Minnesota Vikings locker room following the eight
point win. Sir Poe, Andrew Andrew de paula All prolong
snapper in his one hundred and fifty of the game,
so per usual, you did a great job. How about

(14:26):
Ryan's punts early and I mean just his it's the
best season of his career, and those punts that he
had tonight were phenomenal.

Speaker 3 (14:34):
Phenomenal is a great word.

Speaker 10 (14:35):
Yeah, that's exactly what I thought of, just seeing the
work Ryans put in since March till now. I don't
want to say I expected this from him, but I
saw it coming and I'm just super proud of him,
and I'm just I'm happy to share his success.

Speaker 5 (14:49):
And this is no slight to Brandon Aubrey. Okay, I mean,
he's made six in his career from sixty and beyond
an NFL record, But I mean, like I said at
the end of the call, when when Will took her
from eight to eleven? Where there's a will, there's a win,
and your guy hasn't missed an extra point in his
career and he has just been lights out this year. Man,
What do you think makes Will so good?

Speaker 10 (15:12):
I think Will is the same person out of the
situation he keeps, he keeps as cool about himself. He
doesn't get too high, he doesn't get too low. And
in my opinion, the directory that Brandon Aubrey has been on,
he's going to be considered one of the best, and
for Will to be in that same category currently is
speaks volumes of what Will has been able to do.

Speaker 11 (15:28):
You know.

Speaker 5 (15:28):
And lastly, here for Andrew Depaula is one hundred and
fiftieth game man, seriously, one hundred and fifty games. Congratulations,
that's hard to do. Thank you.

Speaker 10 (15:35):
Yeah, I didn't know it was one hundred and fifty
till earlier this week. It's been quite a journey. It's
been a lot of fun, and I'm taking it one
snap at a time.

Speaker 5 (15:43):
Now. You weren't on the field early when they fake
that field goal, all right, and I mean it caught
me off guard. I'm like, nobody fakes field goals anymore.
I mean, the last time the Vikings faked a field
goal was two thousand and seven. It was a holder
Chris Kluey hitting Jeff Dugan who went plowing inside the
five and almost got in. But shoot, man, in less
eighteen years, nobody fakes field goals. They did, so that

(16:04):
worked well for Aubrey, you know. But he had his
first two miss games since the end of his rookie year,
so maybe he got tired of that fake field goal.
May have that played into it, right.

Speaker 10 (16:13):
He just stick to what works, man, and kicking's been
good for him, you know, just keep kicking field goals.

Speaker 5 (16:19):
Lastly, Miles Price. He with his kick return yardist to night,
he passed Cordero Patterson for the most in the history
of the team by a rookie. I mean, Cordero might
be the best kick returner in the history of the NFL.
So whether it's Miles Price or Ty Felton, who everybody
knows wants to play receiver. But he's a team guy
and he's doing a good job gunning, isn't it.

Speaker 10 (16:39):
He's doing an amazing job. Tis just showing up. He's
done what they've coached him to do. He's done what
they've told him to do. He's done it at a
high level. Skys Sky's limit for that young man. He's
been a pleasure to watch and I can't wait to
continue to work with him.

Speaker 5 (16:51):
My man. Congratulations on the victory. Congratulations on the one
fifty and that's fantastic. Thank you, Thank you very much.
Andrew depaulam all prolong snapper for the Minnesota Vikings, a
part of a victory by eight points over the Dallas Cowboys.
Hit man just real quick. And I heard Nacho liber
at the end of that cool interview talking about what

(17:11):
happened on the interception. Yeah, I mean, you'll see it
on the film, but you're in a leaf football mine.
You know exactly what happened. Illinoy had to end up
playing dB on that thing. It was a good play
by him, right, I know. But we were so close
to a sack tonight too.

Speaker 12 (17:24):
Man.

Speaker 5 (17:25):
We're sitting on this, you know, like you and Ronde
Barber when you get this sack before the end of
the year, one of two players in the history of
the NFL with thirty eight picks and twenty one and
a half sacks, And I thought you had it tonight.

Speaker 8 (17:36):
Yeah, I mean, just you know, you always want to
make a better play. We did enough to win, but
you know, there's there's definitely individual things I'm always after.
Really the pick, I wish I would have I wish
I would have went towards the ball just a smidge more.
But it was a good play by.

Speaker 5 (17:52):
Him, Okay. And I'm not trying to go Nacho liber
on this thing. You guys won by eight. You want
you in a row for the first time this year,
so I'm trying to be next Like things that didn't
go the right way, you know what did go the
right way? The Cowboys two of twelve on third down,
and man, I mean Flores has just done wonderful work
this year with keeping some of the high enders off

(18:12):
balance all game. I mean that third down work tonight, Man,
that was phenomenal.

Speaker 8 (18:16):
Yeah, it's the way Float designs and calls a game.
I have a high level of admiration for it. Our
entire coaching staff and you know Deante Jones on the
back end. Yeah, we do a lot of interesting stuff
and they put a lot of faith in the players
to execute It's it's very thoughtfully designed and executed.

Speaker 5 (18:40):
All right. Lastly, three games to go this season, final
road games next week. How are you feeling, man, I
mean like physically, you know, physically, I'd say you're feeling great,
you know, with the way things are performing, But like
in your heart and mentally and everything. Man, I've been
with you every step of the waiter in your career.
You're one of the best players that I've ever seen
in my quarter century call in games. How are you feeling?

Speaker 8 (19:02):
Still playing good ball? That's how I'm feeling. I am,
I am, I'm you know, I'm sad that you know,
going into this game, we knew we were out of
the playoffs for sure, but I don't take for granted
the opportunity to play the game at its highest level
with phenomenal players, phenomenal coaches, the best fans, I think

(19:25):
in the league. So I don't take that for granted,
and I try to play.

Speaker 5 (19:31):
Accordingly, and you do the consummate professional. God bless you,
my brother. Congratulations on the victory and we'll see you
when we get back. Thanks Peerre. That's Harry the hit Man,
Harrison Smith, who had just another phenomenal game tonight. Man,
he is really really finishing his career quite well. Well
you and me real quick, will I'll say, wait, I

(19:53):
could get the microphone, Brennan, and you say that, okay, what.

Speaker 13 (19:56):
My favorite guy in the world.

Speaker 5 (19:58):
It's not Max Fuller who did his three recently. No,
it's all you. Thank you, Hey, you started every game
and the work with you, Donovan and especially Ryan Kelly.
This sevening, especially when Kenny Clark like should have been
called for offside early, very very early, might have been
first play, and and it's just great you and Ryan
have known each other and played with each other for
quite some time. Man. You guys on the inside, all

(20:20):
of them really with and it ends up school over
to Brandle book Ending and the Minnesota Moving Company as
I call it, was moving people tonight. Man, that was fun,
wasn't it. Oh my god? That was a blest.

Speaker 13 (20:31):
So the night football, like against a really talented d Lion,
a really talented team. To go out there and play
a clean game and do all things that were able
to do, you know, running the ball and protecting it
was a ton of fune. That's where you put all
that work and for during the week and we just
had such a blest out there together tonight.

Speaker 5 (20:46):
Lastly, so you can get out to the bus. Donovan
Jackson and you know, whether it's an ankle, I don't
know what it is, but he's tough. I mean he's
like like with that wristman, you know, like they almost
had to make him step away for a little while.
He's a rookie and you've seen a lot in your career, Man,
what do you think about Donovan?

Speaker 13 (21:02):
I think that's something really special that not a lot
of people have. And you can't really teach that, that
toughness that's within you to go out there and battle
with your your guys and uh, even though you're not
feeling good and there's a lot of reasons why he
could have just rested and and uh gone back to
full health. But for him to come out there and
put his body on the line when he wasn't feeling
great and to still plays suit really well. I'm just

(21:24):
great character, a great tough kid, and uh, you know,
we know we can rely on him. You know, it's
just just a reliable guy, and you know we can.

Speaker 5 (21:31):
Always count on him as are you. Thank you, will
thank you, mister Allan, No problem, mister friesh Will fries
right guard. Hey, I'm doing some drive buys real quick.
You guys, mind if I chat with you for a second.
Ryan Kelly, First, Hey, I haven't watched the game back man,
but after Kenny Clark should have been called for an
off side I like the first play of the game. No,
he did. He jumped the whole thing and it was

(21:52):
like a half second too fast and it changed the play.
But just listening to my analyst, uh, Pete Bursage and
Ben Leeber talk about you and the interior of the
offensive line during the game. You know, it's been a
rough year for you man, with the with the concussions
and everything. So how do you think it went? Because
from afar. It looked like you played a dynamite game.

Speaker 2 (22:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (22:10):
I mean, you know, anytime as you get old in
this league, you know the adversity. It seems like it
weighs about thousand pounds heavier, right, And uh, I think
that any chance you get to come, you come to
Dallas play Sunday football with the team, the guys that
you love since you walked in the locker room, and
you know, that's that's a good that's a good fun
defensive line.

Speaker 5 (22:31):
I mean, and we just kept grinding.

Speaker 14 (22:32):
Things weren't always perfect, but I thought the receivers played well,
running backs played well, tighten everybody played great. And uh,
you know you're always gonna get that play where you
wish you had it back. But I thought we just
we just was always perfect. We've just something physical. We
ran our feet, we tried hard and dood things happen
when you do that.

Speaker 5 (22:47):
Ryan Kelly, how about the guy to your left. I
just shated with your longtime friend and teammate Will Fries
about Donovan Jackson. I mean, he had to basically beg
him to miss games with the wrist. Oh, you're okay,
And overall he is just so tough and so talented.
What do you think of Donovan season?

Speaker 14 (23:04):
Well, I mean, naturally, I can't talk too much about
the rookie. He's doing a pretty good job. The rest
of the old line. You know, we're we're picking some slack.
I'm just kidding. He's impressed. You're a fellow first round pick,
you know, Yeah, I get it. You know, he's been impressive, man.
I mean, and he's had some injuries, he's battled through.
You know, we give him a hard time, but he's
a little brother, you know what I mean. And that's
whether the room is so special and he's you know,

(23:26):
seeing the fruits of that is how specialist room is
and it's not like this everywhere you go. I think
it's helping him in his confidence. And obviously you know
we're the first person to bust his balls and the
first person to lift him up when you know, when
he's down or when he's having a great block. So
really impressed with him, and just love this offensive line man.

Speaker 5 (23:42):
Lastly, with Ryan Kelly Vikings beat the Cowboys by eight.
I mean, the third down defense was unbelievable. But the
guy to your right Will Fries. Okay, in a season
where I call it. The Minnesota Moving Company has had
like twenty two to twenty three different offensive line combinations.
There's all Well starting every single game coming off in
injury where let's just say in training camp in the preseason.

(24:02):
He's still working through things getting himself in shape. He's
such a wonderful guy. And you know, I'm not trying
to make him sound like a cross between Random McDaniel,
Steve Hutchinson or Marshall Gyanda. But he's had an awesome year,
hasn't he He's the best.

Speaker 14 (24:17):
I don't think people understand the severity of the injury
that he had. And you know, I saw him an
Indian in twenty twenty one meets the seventh round pick,
and what he's been able to do. You know, he
was that whipping horse for the first year, right and
it was you know, you gotta do this better, do
this better. And he wears his motions on his sleeve
because he cares deeply about the guys next to him.
He cares about doing the best for them, not letting

(24:38):
his team down, and to do what he's done. You
know that that break was in October and he rehad
that thing, didn't have time to he didn't have an
off season to relax like. He's been go, go go
since October for over a year now. I couldn't be
more proud of him. Hasn't missed a snap. Ultimate iron Man,
one of the best guys I know, and I love
the death So okay, last.

Speaker 5 (24:58):
One I promised because you're JJ McCarthy's battery mate. I mean,
you've been around the scene so much. On a day,
Philip Rivers starts for the Indianapolis Culture, former team almost
wins the game. He got twenty two year old JJ
McCarthy making his eighth start, and he took another positive step, didn't.

Speaker 14 (25:15):
He He did, And I played with the guy who's
now forty four and playing, and I played with the
guy at twenty two, So I mean, it's crazy, right,
And I can't say about him either. I mean, the
the amount that's asked of him at twenty two franchise
quarterback and you know, interception play two not his fault.
I mean, they bring a safety blitz and just tipball, right,

(25:36):
But to put that aside, work through adversity, play an
amazing game. After that, I thought it just you know,
I don't think people understand unless you've been in the
locker room and have been around football for long enough,
just how much have courage that takes and the adversity
mounts and mounts and you just keep pushing through when
you leaning your guys next to you, and that huddle
was so special today.

Speaker 5 (25:55):
Man, it is hard to replicate. You're a tough guy. Man,
great having you know the team. Congratulations on the victor.
Thanks guys, we'll talk to you. That's Ryan Kelly, Center
for the Minnesota Vikings. TJ. Quick little drive by if
you got a second, did did did? Did somebody per
chance over the course of the last couple of weeks
say to you like, hey, TJ, you need to start
running through guys, or TEJ, you need to start getting

(26:16):
these tough guy touchdowns or something. I mean, you've had
a fantastic career, but uh man, you're taking that physicality
to a new level, aren't you.

Speaker 11 (26:23):
No, it's been it's been a lot of fun, you know,
I mean, just uh, you know, not taking any opportunity
for granted, and and and when I get my op
and uh, you know, when my numbers called him, I'm
just trying to make a play. And you know, it
doesn't matter what what our record is doesn't matter what
what's going on. You know, this is this is bigger
than just this year. This is bigger than us, and
that's what we're trying to prove.

Speaker 5 (26:44):
Amen. And for the first time this season, the entire
room was active. We got TJ, we got Josh Oliver,
we got Ben Jurasek, we got San Antonio native Ben Simms.
I was waiting for the for the fourteen personnel like
two tight ends over here too over there, But uh
that I mean McCary that he has such trust in
you guys. Josh has two against Washington UB one and

(27:05):
then you know when he needed when he needed to
close this thing out, goes to Josh for eighteen, goes
to you for eighteen. He took a positive step and
that that's really the a topic with the team, isn't it.

Speaker 11 (27:16):
Yeah, one hundred percent. And that's what you know we've
been We've been harping on j J all year.

Speaker 5 (27:21):
Just just trust us. You know, you can throw it up.
Nothing BA is gonna happen.

Speaker 11 (27:23):
We're gonna make sure that we're saying that, we're gonna
try to make sure is incomplete. You know, But the
best case scenario, you know, we we're gonna make the
play and we believe in that. So you know, his
poise throughout the entire year and how he's been able
to grow is truly special. And we're just like I said,
this is bigger than us and bigger than the season.
We're gonna continue to move forward and uh, you know,

(27:45):
build this culture the right way.

Speaker 5 (27:47):
Likewise, for you two man, you're finishing I mean, you're
fantastic player, but you're really finishing well. Congradually. I appreciate it.
DJ Hockinson tied in for the Minnesota Vikings. Let's try
to finish the drive bys with a Texas native. All right.
I don't want to slow you up too much. I mean,
it's Elpaso. I mean seriously, I don't know how much
tickets cost you this game or anything, but every time

(28:07):
you touch the ball, it was loud Aaron Jones. But
you're five and zero against the Dallas Cowboys. Finally got
to win for the Vikings four with the Packers. That
was fine, wasn't it.

Speaker 15 (28:16):
It was a lot of fun coming out, stacking it,
putting it, putting it together back to back weeks. It
was really fun and good for us to see in
this locker room as.

Speaker 5 (28:25):
Well, no doubt. And lastly, here you and Jordan Mason.
You know you guys have done some damage this year.
I think Jordan has like six touchdowns. Meanwhile, we're inside
the five year CJ. Ham. I mean they got sneaky
with that fake field goal. You got sneakier with CJ. Ham. Yeah,
how you doing. Good to see you. H It opened
right up, uh, CJ.

Speaker 15 (28:45):
And I think it was speedy. Uh kind of took
the motion that way, and those guys flew right there
with them and opened it right up for CJ.

Speaker 5 (28:52):
And Uh.

Speaker 15 (28:54):
I mean I think he's five five for five when
running that play in the red zone too. So Uh,
it's good to see our guy get in and he's
deserving of every touchdown he gets.

Speaker 5 (29:03):
Amen, You're fantastic. Congratulations. Yes, sorry, it's good to see you.
You too. Aaron. That's Aaron Jones, el Paso, Texas native
went to UTEP and never's lost to the Dallas Cowboys,
which for somebody from Texas has to feel really good.
The Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys and they've won two
in a row.

Speaker 4 (29:21):
Patton to drive bys Pa in Dallas last night in
the locker room after the game, catching up with Wow
myriad players. Cool conversations for a team feeling success on
the field after a weird and disappointing season two in
a row for the Vikings, though thanks to Pa for
the drive bys. The host is going to be in Yeah,
i'd call it. Let me see an hour ish, maybe

(29:43):
an hour twenty from now. At some point PA is
going to jump in studio. We're gonna chat about this thing,
Manoamano in more detail.

Speaker 3 (29:51):
You got the Border Battle at eleven with Cinny.

Speaker 4 (29:53):
Tough loss yesterday, and then a health related issue regarding
Michaeh Parsons in this knee that's devastating to the Green
and Gold, and we will talk about that during the
Border Battle. But next Voice of the Wild on your
home for Wild Hockey the Fan, Joe Donald's going to
join me.

Speaker 3 (30:10):
Massive news for the Wild over the weekend.

Speaker 4 (30:13):
Quinn Hughes, now a member of your favorite hockey team,
made his debut yesterday, scored a goal in his debut,
and what a fun run that this team is on
and an energy boost for sure now that one of
the best blue liners in the NHL is a member
of the Wild. So we're gonna chat with at Wild
Joe Radio about that. This is a Steve's Marathon segment

(30:33):
brought to you by Steve's Appliances. Steve's Appliances dot Com.
Thank you for all their help I've gotten. Now let
me see one, two, three, four five appliances from Steve's
and I can tell you whether it's the delivery, it's
the service, it's the people a plus Steves Appliances dot Com.
When we return, let's switch gears for a segment and
chat hockey with Joe O'donald Brett Blake Moore produces. I'm

(30:55):
Nordo in for Pa for now and we'll be back
on the fan.

Speaker 5 (31:00):
Manches for the slop with us hot piece.

Speaker 6 (31:10):
Welcomes Honey Quinn News.

Speaker 4 (31:13):
It's nothing Minnesota, the voice of the Wild. Joe O'Donnell
on your home for Wild Hockey the fan is my
guest and at Wild Joe Radio via the X machine, Joe,
how are you doing this morning?

Speaker 16 (31:30):
Much up, Nordo, Thanks for having me, buddy.

Speaker 3 (31:31):
No, thank you for joining.

Speaker 4 (31:33):
And with the six to two win yesterday, wild winners
of four in a row and potentially on the verge,
let's just sweep this homestand you got the Capitals in
town tomorrow night at seven pm affair and I want
to get to the team at large maybe in a minute,
but of course the news that has captivated.

Speaker 3 (31:50):
All of us.

Speaker 4 (31:51):
You hear at late Friday that Quinn Hughes, longtimer for
Vancouver's headed to Minnesota in exchange for z william who
got a game winning goal I think in his debut
for the for the Canucks, but Marco Rossi, Liam Ogrin,
a first rounder, Quinn Hughes now here. Now you get
to see the debut yesterday against Boston he scores that
goal you you offered via the highlight. Just what do

(32:14):
you think about kind of the last seventy two hours,
the fervor and just the buzz around Saint Paul with
Hughes joining the squad.

Speaker 16 (32:23):
Well, it's a lot to unpack, you know, first hearing
of the trade Friday night kind of head spinning. Can't
imagine what the players and involved thought and the rest
of the team in the organization way more important than
how I felt about it. But it took me, I
think a few hours in Ordo to kind of process
it and get over the sticker shock. Just how much

(32:43):
they gave up, and then I started to settle into
Holy smokes, they got one of the three, four, five
best defensemen in the world, and it might be less
than that, right like he might be one or two.
Prefer Cail mccar great, maybe there's another, I prefer more.
But after that, like Quinn Hugheston, there pretty darn near

(33:04):
the top of the list. So to acquire a player
that caliber, with the experience he has, with the leadership
he brings, some of the intangibles, I'm starting to kind
of find out about this kid, not just like the
eye popping stats and even the analytical numbers which are
out of the world, out of this world, but just
like how much he wants to win, what a gamer
he is, how much he wants the puck because he

(33:27):
wants to contribute to helping a team win, just how
much he wanted to be here when it was all
said and done. Is we learn more about this deal.
I think all those things are just really really good
for the organization to help him try whin a Stanley
Cup sooner rather than later. And then I think the
other part of is too, like you use that word
buzz and yesterday at Grand Casino Arena was one of

(33:50):
the first times, you know, not probably the first time,
but one of the first times since Marc Andre Fleury
was acquired, to be honest, where there was like a
palpable buzz in the arena warm ups national anthem for
a regular season game. And that's what he's gonna do.
He's gonna put butts in the seats, he's gonna sell jerseys,

(34:12):
he's gonna get people to talk about he's going to
give a highlight a night or more. It's just really
it's special to get a player this caliber in his
prime and through the organization for getting it done.

Speaker 4 (34:23):
Yeah, and he's going to help the team win games,
and that it's kind of interesting to me. I mean,
you know, each league has their own now just nuances
to the free agent process or the time of year
when you might see trades like that, and it just
feels like, you know, you get yourself through Thanksgiving and
then through the holidays, and depending upon where you are,

(34:44):
you might start talking about the trade deadline and moving pieces.
Are you moving to make that push, are you moving
to create opportunities in the summertime, Depending upon where you
are in the standings, getting hit with this in just
early mid December. That's kind of what surprised because this
in a lot.

Speaker 3 (35:01):
Of ways, and it should given the nature of it
or the gravity of it.

Speaker 4 (35:05):
It really overshadows a team that has been battling through injury.
They're beating the big timers in the division. You think
about the Stars victory and what they did on Black
Friday against the Avs, Like you're seeing a team that
already is kind of ascending and finding its way into
the postseason conversation, and then this happens.

Speaker 3 (35:22):
I mean, this was just mountainous. Man.

Speaker 16 (35:25):
Yeah, they're sixteen two and three in their last twenty
one you know, I mean that's that's the act of
a run. And and to your point, yeah, like it's
not February where you're like, all right, teams are starting
to make moves or the trade deadline is a week away.
This is a move early enough where you know, Minnesota
gets them for fifty games of this season, all of

(35:45):
next season, you know, if he's healthy, and then you
have to obviously figure out the contract thing from there.
But yeah, it's the biggest trade in the NHL. The
season is not even close. I don't know there will
be another one that'll top it. I think about Miko
Ranton and getting traded ice last year. Both were kind
of shocking when they happened.

Speaker 5 (36:04):
You know, j T.

Speaker 16 (36:04):
Miller got moved from Vancouver last year, but we all
knew there was a rift up there at the time
and that would probably mean some sort of break up
with the Canucks and their leadership group a year ago.
But this is a huge deal for Minnesota, for the
NHL as a whole, And the timing of it was
unique because there wasn't a lot of smoke around this one.

(36:26):
You know, where there's smoketers fire a lot of times.
I believe if if Russo Radio is not reporting it,
you know, it was pretty well under wraps. And I
think it came together kind of quickly, which is you know,
Michael Russo said, I thought something was up, but you know,
the Wild warn't a team that was attached to Quinn
Hughes a week ago, two weeks ago when things started
to swirl a little bit and he was seeming unhappy

(36:48):
there and Vancouver looked like they'd have to move him.
So kind of crazy for a lot of factors, just
the magnitude the trade, how quick it came together and
he lands here where Again, I don't think there's a
lot of talk about it.

Speaker 4 (36:59):
And now you know, in some ways, I mean, hockey's
different than other sports, like in the NBA, we might
talk about like a big three. You think about how
you know, you get a good quarterback and elite defensive player,
you can play that game in football. But you kind
of got your big three right now. I mean, you know,
capriz Off, we know about him. I think he just
entered second and wild history now with two hundred and

(37:19):
five goals. He's tied with Miko took Koivu by the way,
over a thousand games to get there. Capriz Off three
in change, I believe, but he's just fourteen or so
behind uh Gabrick. But then this season that Matt Boldy
is having as well, just in the biggest of moments
as well. You know, some people were thinking, if you're
going to make a move, go find a center, But
why don't you go find a blue liner that impacts

(37:41):
every single phase of the freaking game. And you got
capriz Off and Boldie roll and you kind of got
a big three.

Speaker 16 (37:48):
Yeah, you really do. I don't think Matt Boldie gets
talked about enough he might be the Wild's best player. Like,
I don't think there's anything wrong with saying that, and
that's not a knock on ninety seven. He's highest paid
player in the league. He performs like at most nights,
Matt Boldi's just as good. And you look at the

(38:08):
numbers this year and they're basically even in points and goals,
and and with the way Bold he's played defensively, his
impact on the game physically, his reach, his ability to
kill penalties. He's dynamic offensively, he thinks the game, he
competes his butt off, and he is as good of
a two hundred foot player as there is in the
NHL right now. I'm not at all afraid to say that.

(38:30):
So it's really special what the Wild have all of
a sudden built now they're not even close to healthy.
So when all the pieces are hopefully healthy at some point,
like maybe at some point they'll get their full lineup
together this year, and for whatever reason, it feels like
one of those years where they've now played thirty three
games and haven't had their opening night lineup together, not once.

(38:53):
So they're you know, you hope they get healthy. You
hope they've figured out chemistry wise, who plays with who
still have a lot of time to do that. You
obviously hope for good health and hope they keep it
going and get in the Stanley Cup playoffs because it's
it's still a lot of runway to go in the
regular season. But they're playing great, and I think right
now the sky's the limit for what this team can
eventually become once they get all the pieces in there

(39:14):
and start to figure things out.

Speaker 4 (39:16):
See, this is kind of fun because it's you know,
goaltending as important as it is, I mean, it's you know,
getting the opportunity to get five or six minutes almost
actually eight or nine minutes into the conversation with you,
I haven't even mentioned Valstat and Gus Buss and the
season that those guys are having certainly a massive part
of that. That's sixteen and two and two mentioned that

(39:38):
you had earlier about their last twenty games and just
really how stable and and formidable they've been.

Speaker 16 (39:44):
Yeah, it's it's kind of gone hand in hand with
the solid defensive play. And you know, I've talked to
some of the coaches about this the last few days.
Is like not so much chicken or the egg, but
like it's amazing how much better the goaltending. It seems
to be numbers wise and just to the eye test.
But at the same time, the team's just playing better defensively,

(40:06):
and obviously those two things help each other out. They're
getting the save when they need it, they're getting the
big save, they're getting the routine saved, but they're getting
sticks and lanes. There's been less oddman rushes, there's been
less egregious turnovers. I mean, just think about Caprice Off alone,
how many pucks he was turning over in October that
were like almost eye popping in the wrong way where
you're going, gosh, what's going on with him? Like this

(40:27):
just isn't his style. Everybody's kind of settled in Nordo,
like they're all doing their job. They all believe in
what they can do. They know they're a good team.
They've been there before in the regular season and had success,
and it just seems like they've relaxed. They're confident their game,
their structures there, their rush defense has been outstanding. Again,

(40:48):
not a lot of odd man against and boy, yes
revolts that what a revelation he's been. I mean, you know,
to have Marc Andre Fleury walk away, and there was
a big opportunity for the kid coming off a rough
year lash you're in the American League and his time
in Minnesota, he was injured a lot. He's now leashing
the NHL and goals against in say percentage, and that
has put some a little bit of like pressure on

(41:09):
Gustafson to be as good. And we've seen when Gustison
feels the need or the pressure or the urgency to
make sure his game's in order, he's way better. I
think he can get a little lax at times if
you just give him the net every night and there's
not a guy pushing him. I think the numbers would
even bear that out. But right now he knows that

(41:31):
if he doesn't play well, Balstad's gonna get a runner
three or four games in a row. And the two
guys have a healthy competition going a good relationship. And
you got to give Freddy Shabbat the wild goaltend and
coach a lot of credit. If they have an off start,
if they have a rough stretch, they get a little
practice time. The other guy might get the net for
a game or two, and then all of a sudden
it's like both guys are locked back in. It's great.

(41:52):
It's a great problem to have two number ones.

Speaker 3 (41:54):
Yeah, time for a couple of more.

Speaker 4 (41:56):
Absolutely, Joe Joe o'donald, Voice of the Minnesota while joining
US nine to noon Wild hosting the Capitals tomorrow night
seven pm ish puck drop right here on the fan,
and as part of that, of course that's the fourth
of a four game homestand so let's just go ahead
and sweep these things against the Caps tomorrow. But with
that said, like the lift that this is given the team, Jove,

(42:19):
if you think about it, I mean, with the run
that they've been on, just the positivity going in the
right way, sustaining injuries. I need Joe Hanson back, by
the way, I think with eleven goals, that's like the
most he's scored in any season as a member of
the Wild and we're still in early December, and the
way he's been running with that line, so I need
him healthy in a beat here. But sustaining those injuries

(42:39):
and winning games. You're still looking up at the Stars
and the Avalanche, and with the playoff process and how
the seating is set, you know that one of three
high end Central teams is going to be out of
the mix, and it just it almost feels like a
crime with the way the playoff seating is set up,
with the way the av Stars and Wild are going.

Speaker 3 (43:00):
But this lift kind of gives.

Speaker 4 (43:01):
You a little different perspective as to potentially what's to
come for our team in that mix come postseason time.

Speaker 16 (43:09):
It's a great point, Randell. The Wild or fourth in
the Western Conference, their third.

Speaker 5 (43:13):
In their division.

Speaker 16 (43:14):
I mean, it's it's that simple. They are in a
division and unfortunately this year is again proving to be
a beast. You know. I know, Utah and Saint Louis
and Nashville are kind of down. Chicago has been better
than expected, but still they've got a long way to go.
But Colorado and Dallas they're absolute wagons, and you know,

(43:36):
the while I've seen that firsthand. Now they've been able
to beat both of those teams this year, which has
been tough for them recently, and I think they'd be
up for the challenge should they get them in April
or early May and and have a crack at them again.
You got to get there. You got to be healthy
enough and playing a good brand of hockey when you
do get there. But they've closed the gap, that's for sure.

(43:57):
Whether it's just their belief in closing the gap in
turn as a as a as a veteran core group,
where now the addition of a Quinn hughes you know,
Volstead being a potential goaltender you could use in the
playoffs with the way he's played and how he seemed
to lock in at times. And you know another guy
that's really stepped up Nordo has been Daniel a year

(44:17):
off from healthy scratch and fourth liner to healthy scratch
and fourth liner to now the number one center right now.
And I know they weren't completely healthy with Rossi out
now being traded, but he's getting better. It feels like
every game. And you know when I when I talked
to some folks when he first came over North America,

(44:39):
they were like, he's defensively responsible. This was coming from Russia,
Like there was no doubt from wild brass that I
talked to that he would be good away from the
park and defending, and so you could trust them. But
now his offensive game is coming up. Like just go
look at the first period that give and go with
Quinn using the neutral zone. It was it turned out
to be a nothing play, but like he's going to

(45:00):
the net, he's getting scoring chances, he's starting to find
the score sheet a little more. He's making plays like
he is. If he continues on this trajectory, he's going
to be a really really nice, kind of like sneaky
fine for the while down the stretch. And I would
say almost like an in season acquisition or addition, because
his confidence seems to be growing. So I really like

(45:21):
the way that things are starting to come together for
this team. But you're right about Marcus Johanson, Like he's
got ten goals in eleven each of the last two years.
He's on pace for sixty points, which should be a
career high. And that was sort of like a weird
almost non contact something in the corner there, like he
didn't get hit hard and it took him a few
seconds and then it was like his right leg just

(45:42):
kind of was not there, you know, like he wasn't
put a lot of pressure on it. Don't have any
update on him, but hopefully it's nothing too long, because
again they're already banged up and he's been outstanding.

Speaker 3 (45:54):
You've been outstanding.

Speaker 4 (45:55):
I appreciate you joining me one last bit though, before
I go on, behalf of all Viking fans and really
the team. I mean, they didn't they didn't think about this.
You're welcome that there will be no drama down the stretch.
Vikings handled the Cowboys last night, all last gasping breaths
of their potential defense against you guys winning back to

(46:16):
back division titles.

Speaker 3 (46:17):
It's over, so you've won the East.

Speaker 16 (46:21):
Boy. I appreciate that. I did watch a lot of
the game when I got home from Wild Bruins with
a you know, sort of a ghost skull mentality because
I knew what was at stake, and that doesn't happen
often for me, as you're aware. So thank you to
the Vikings. Hey, they look good, and anytime Dallas has
an embarrassing loss of national television makes me smile.

Speaker 3 (46:44):
I love it.

Speaker 4 (46:45):
Thanks, thanks for giving me time, and we'll listen to
you on the call tomorrow night.

Speaker 3 (46:49):
My friend.

Speaker 16 (46:50):
All right, thanks, buddy ticker, Thank you.

Speaker 4 (46:52):
That's Joe Donald, voice of the Minnesota Wild, also Avid
Birds fan as he is from.

Speaker 3 (46:58):
From Philadelphia, but.

Speaker 4 (47:00):
But he is terrific alongside Tom Reid and then the
Minnesota Wild radio broadcast. Getting to call Quinn Hughes's first
goal as a member of the Wild and we're going
to jump back into hockey, I believe either about twenty
minutes from now, because I got some questions I want
to Pepper Brett with. But certainly over the course of
the show and the week, whether it is head coach
John Hines is going to be in the mix. Russo

(47:22):
doing some Olympic related duties this morning, but he's going
to be with me on Wednesday. We're gonna cover this
thing and again capitals here tomorrow night at seven pm ish,
puck drop right here on the fan. Let's go two
for two with Hughes. Why not, let's get greedy about
it a while this team did they get better and
the GM taking big swings, no doubt about that.

Speaker 3 (47:43):
So now it's got to work out.

Speaker 4 (47:44):
But a lot of time to have that conversation when
we return some texting talkbacks from you and we'll jump
into the final hour or the middle hour. Excuse me
as we continue breaking down not just the Vikings Quinn
Hughes related convo and in the text message machine some
talk to get to as well. It's Nordo went for
pa for now before he jumps in studio right here

(48:04):
on the fan.

Speaker 17 (48:18):
The fan welcome some great shows of Myssic Lake Ampitheater.
Guns and Roses will be there August eighth, Leonard Skinner
and Foreigner will be there August sixteenth, Motley Crue August
twenty first. Complete details on upcoming shows on our contest page,
a concert Pagecafe dot com.

Speaker 5 (48:33):
You we're out, Pa Nordal.

Speaker 18 (48:36):
Probably a lot of crow for a lot of people
to eat, including myself on the head coach.

Speaker 5 (48:41):
I really wanted to.

Speaker 18 (48:42):
See how he kept this team together and if he
can keep this team together night, I think he clearly
has so hats off to Kevin O'Connell and hopefully down
the stretch we see more of this from JJ McCarthy.
I really liked that he let him go last night.
Hopefully we see that the rest of the season, and
you know, with an offseason, this could be a pretty
good football team next year.

Speaker 4 (49:04):
It was kind of letting him go last night. You
could almost say.

Speaker 2 (49:06):
Now he's free.

Speaker 3 (49:11):
Party, free ball, something to that effect.

Speaker 4 (49:17):
Yeah, it's uh, this this this long saga.

Speaker 5 (49:20):
Man.

Speaker 4 (49:20):
Thank you for the talkbacks. Talkbacks free iHeartRadio app. You
just hit the microphone, give us up to your best
thirty seconds, whether it's fan line with Ron and Ron
Johnson and certainly notine to noon here on a daily
basis with Pa. It's it's been a journey of trying
to decide. Like you know, as I was saying earlier
in the season, I just kind of felt like, I

(49:40):
wonder if the if the headset's a little too busy,
you know, I wonder how much.

Speaker 3 (49:44):
And you know that the balance is between, well.

Speaker 4 (49:47):
We gotta we we gotta mold the offense or create
a scheme. We got to create an offense that the
quarterback that's palatable to him and to accentuate the things
he does best. But then in the same sense, well,
we need the QB to play at an NFL level.
And so what's that balance and where we're spending so

(50:07):
much time on platform and arm angles and the mechanical
side of things, which are not insignificant.

Speaker 3 (50:13):
It's not that they aren't a factor. They certainly are.

Speaker 4 (50:17):
Maybe not something we need to be talking about in
November of the season, but all the same, it was
a talker just what a freaking journey and now just
the last two games, and you know, Kevin O'Connell during
his presser last night, kind of I think you could
tell where leading into the Commander's game, there was a

(50:37):
conversation around simplicity or simplifying the offense, and then I
think over the course of multiple mentions of that and
how those of us that watched the team and love
the team, the roofs that we are, combined with those
that cover the team professionally, you kind of latch on
to that word simplify or simplification in any various synonym,

(51:02):
and you think, well, what does that mean. Why didn't
you do that before? Sound I mean, that's sounds simple,
simplify it. How are we watering it down? Is his
training wheels? What are we doing so to the point
where I think he then last week was kind of
trying to stray away or just move on from that
idea set that these guys are running the same routes,

(51:26):
these are the same concepts and things we've been teaching,
and it's it's within our it's within our arsenal and
has been. But maybe there's just a little bit different
responsibilities pre snap. Maybe instead of six answers to a play,
maybe there's two, and so just kind of muddling through
all of that. But in the end, you know, all

(51:47):
jokes aside freeball and parodies aside letting it go, it
does feel like that. There does feel like a free
Yer aspect. But to the press conferences I was mentioning
with the head coach is he has kind kind of
whether intentional or otherwise, he's kind of strayed away from
what he's done as much as he said, well, it's

(52:07):
more reps, it's more time on task kids. Making his
eighth start, and so the patients required with that, combined
with the lack of rhythm due to injuries and various
things that have kept him from having that time on
task has played into these growth moments. So you know,
and by the way, just from a base standpoint, talking

(52:31):
again about this last nighte UP fan line, you have
to tip your hat in a vacuum in that game
last night to what Kevin O'Connell put together offensively to
get JJ in spots to succeed and taking advantage and
feasting on the Cowboys, and that porous defense specifically on
first downs not great, they were effectively. I think there

(52:51):
were two of nine on third down hate that still
one of the worst third down teams in the NFL.
I think they're thirty first and technically two of six,
as they converted three fourth downs, including the fake of
all fakes ever to fake, and the gritty into the
end zone with JJ to tie the game at fourteen
in the in the second quarter. Man, I'm glad they

(53:13):
won that game. I mean, he's grittying into the end
zone and then Dak and the Cowboys just proceed to
blow him out by three scores. It's a different conversation today,
thankfully it's not, but those growth moments and creating a
new standard, you know, eating crow like this is such
a reactionary week to week thing.

Speaker 3 (53:31):
That's why the NFL is what it is.

Speaker 4 (53:33):
We see a game and it's a high or it's
an immense low, and then the next week can be
so different, and the short term memory. It feels like
we all have the attention spans of fruitflies today where
I'm just thinking, Okay, this is the most recent thing
I saw, so therefore this is the only thing that
it can be, and then the next week it's quite different.

(53:54):
And you know, truth, as in any case in life,
lies somewhere in the middle between those two extremes, but
certainly a hat tip to the coach and a hat
tip to the quarterback for taking advantage of these reps
in time on task. And what that leads to now
is go do it again. So it's fun to see,
but go do it again. And that's what that's what

(54:17):
we want to find ourselves in that situation moving forward.

Speaker 3 (54:20):
Is that new standard and that new floor for the kid?

Speaker 5 (54:24):
QB.

Speaker 12 (54:25):
Hey, no, No, even though we won last night, I think
we need to point out that the special teams continues
to struggle. We were just giving up way too many
yards on those kick returns last night. I'm starting to
wonder if Matt Daniels is going to have a job
here next season. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Speaker 3 (54:42):
Thanks, yeah, thanks for the talkback.

Speaker 4 (54:45):
I don't necessarily have thoughts on whether or not he'll
be here.

Speaker 3 (54:48):
I do have thoughts on the idea that six and
eight radio.

Speaker 4 (54:52):
Not only is that bad from a wanting to play
in the playoffs and have success in January standpoint, that's
usually leading to maybe some tough times and potential change
in the offseason. As we see from a year to year,
the special teams have had immense struggles this year. Now
Cavante Turpin and you know that he I mean, man

(55:12):
is he fast?

Speaker 3 (55:13):
Wow?

Speaker 4 (55:14):
And I just in some ways with the tackling issues
that our defense has has persisted. I mean, how about
how about some tackles once in a while, how about
not missing tackles? How about and Jamonte Williams and he
I think he hurt his shoulder and so he certainly
wasn't of effective. I think he saw more of Malik
Davis later stages of that game, which mattered I think
as part of this w But to to that end,

(55:38):
just the tackling has been an issue all season. We
have been a little leaky in certain spots special teams.
The penalties earlier in the season have been kind of negated,
but then we're seeing turnovers. It's it's a wonky and
unpredictable group. And and really the only consistency has been
is Ryan right, terrific season from the punter. And then
and then what what Riker continues to do on an

(56:00):
on a week by week basis is super impressive. So
I know where your head's at there and I again,
awful season four years into the bit. There is potential
for change this offseason. I just I'm just personally not
interested in speculating on that at this point.

Speaker 3 (56:19):
Text messages as well.

Speaker 4 (56:20):
By the way, six four six eighty six Brad Shawn
Bryant kfan text line, I see this.

Speaker 3 (56:27):
Steven de Luthy just sent this in.

Speaker 4 (56:29):
Actually, McCarthy's growth and success is linked to the offensive
line doing its job. This is one of a couple
talkers I want to get into in pas here because
six and a radio. Okay kid, QB. That's an a
topic into the off season, but if you think about it,
let's talk about the offensive line for a moment. I
am loving what I've seen from Will Fryes specifically over

(56:50):
the last month. But we're at a spot right now,
specifically at the tackle spots, where is it time over
the final three to consider mister DARRISAW love you, That's
why we paid you. And when you're on the field,
you're incredibly high end. However, this week to week Wednesday, Thursday,

(57:13):
do not participate, Friday limited Sunday morning, we're out on
the field and we're just crossing our fingers. You're going
to be able to give it a go, and then
you can't and you don't play. Maybe we just say
let's chill on this, let's get you healthy, Let's have
a super fancy free off season of just making sure

(57:34):
you are a thousand percent in your case, mister darisaw,
not just one hundred percent, but one thousand percent. And
then you heard Brian O'Neal leaving with an ankle. Blake Brandell.
I think the only spoty hasn't played yet this season,
and someone can fact check me.

Speaker 3 (57:48):
I think it's right guard. I think we've seen him
at CENTA.

Speaker 4 (57:51):
We've seen him on the left side with with Donovan
Jackson having a couple of Nixon bruises thus far in
his rookie campaign, left tackle at times. Justin School, by
the way, I thought, had a heck of a game.
Now the pass rush from the Dallas Cowboys is it's
not exactly Miles garrett on book ending that thing, but
it was enough to the point where I thought Justin

(58:13):
School played terrifically. Last night I mentioned and praised Will
Fries and just his evolution over the course of season.
The I mean just myriad free agents that we bring in, right,
I mean, whether it was just I think three games
a year ago for Javon.

Speaker 3 (58:27):
Hargrave, who was also injured last night.

Speaker 4 (58:30):
You know, just kind of protecting maybe the health of
some of these guys down the stretch. Bringing that back
to the O line, whether it's O'Neil in this ankle
or darisol, let's just figure out what's up with the knee. Weird,
weird twenty five, twenty twenty five for him, and just
make sure that everything's all good into the offseason. I
just wonder if this is the time, but I'll ask

(58:51):
PA that we'll continue to talk about that over the
course of the week in terms of just preserving health
into the offseason. One last text and then we'll pause,
and I promise we'll we'll jump back into these as well.

Speaker 3 (59:01):
Love the text and talkbacks, specifically on a.

Speaker 4 (59:03):
Monday morning after a primetime game, because truncated fan line.
Many of you are already met. You're not calling in,
that's all good, But on a Monday morning, this is
where we talk it out. Nordoh, what is your opinion
of Jefferson not getting the targets? Why does it take
them so long to get him involved in games?

Speaker 3 (59:26):
Well?

Speaker 5 (59:28):
That is.

Speaker 4 (59:30):
Well, I mean, other than just questioning the quarterback in general,
that's the biggest question on this team. And I was
listening to him last night and just he was talking,
I can't remember the exact quote, paraphrasing, I'm proud of
myself for not showing my emotion and getting frustrated, and
that just kind of just kind of amused, just kind
of like, I'm proud of myself for showing my leadership.

Speaker 3 (59:53):
No, that's good, and it's good by the way, the frustration.

Speaker 4 (59:56):
I mean last night, he finally gets a touchdown and
we have a formation pedal. I think Mason needed to
be a foot off the line. He was covering Josh Oliver.
He finally got his first touchdown in a month and
a half, and there's a freaking formation penalty.

Speaker 3 (01:00:10):
But then later in the game, JJ albeit.

Speaker 4 (01:00:13):
It's a fastball, fastball that you should catch, goes right
through Jefferson's arms back left of the end zone. I
believe for an incomplete what a ride for him in
twenty twenty five again, six and a radio. I mean,
we could do a segment on just we could do
nine segments on nine different players who have had in

(01:00:33):
some ways the most frustrating or inexplicable seasons of their
careers in twenty twenty five with the purple Jefferson's no different.
I think one hundred and sixty eight yards short of
a thousand yards. He has held it in that emotion
that he was talking about and such. But in the end,
there's this weird dynamic with this offense where and we

(01:00:56):
saw it, whether it's JJ trying to force it to Jefferson,
or you even see a few plays, like there was
a couple of quick slant opportunities last night, one that
he took advantage of, sadly just one of his two catches,
or twenty two yards I think thirty seven yards in
his last three games. Not good enough for Number eighteen,
not good enough for us as fans, right, but there's

(01:01:18):
a dynamic here where the quarterback is growing by making
the right decisions in the spot. He's processing. This guy's
open and I'm finding him. Those are things that we
are applauding. However, the issue is Number eighteen is drawing
such at tension and coverage that makes some of those

(01:01:38):
opportunities open and easy and correct and hittable. So in
some way we're seeing two things happen right now, JJ's
making plays and or excuse me, Jefferson's making plays and
the QB's finding Naylor, Jefferson's making plays, the QB's finding

(01:02:00):
Wutkinson or Oliver or Addison right. And then the other
end of it is specifically near the end zone, we're
seeing the quarterback trying to force it to Jefferson and
in some pretty uncomfortable and really just.

Speaker 3 (01:02:16):
Unproductive areas.

Speaker 4 (01:02:17):
And and and these are these are not high percentage throws,
even for a guy of Jefferson's caliber, So why is
he not getting the targets? I think there's a there's
an element of play here, where as part of the
QB's development, the Star wide receiver is is making the
easy ones available for others the QB, whether it's layering,

(01:02:39):
it's processing, it's understanding the play. Do we need to
do we need to get eighteen running some different routes.
Those are all part of the conversation. And it's and
it's a mind boggling one again, other than the development
of the QB. How can't we get how can we
get J. J. Jefferson involved? Is really topic number two.
It feels like as we as we wind the thing down,

(01:03:00):
so thank you for the talkbacks and text We're going
to continue with more, but we might go NFL wide.
Next segment, Weird Day playoffs are forming in terms of
the positioning and the matchups. Some cool games yesterday. We're
going to continue that with kind of an NFL do
nord segment. Around the corner, it's Nordo went for Pa
for now.

Speaker 5 (01:03:20):
On the fan