December 18, 2024 • 39 mins
Gregg and Christopher open the show w/ headlines across the sports world, and none bigger than the news of Michael Penix Jr. getting the starting QB spot, as the Falcons have benched veteran QB Kirk Cousins. The fellas are then joined by D Orlando Ledbetter, he covers the Atlanta Falcons for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and he gives his insight on the breaking news of Penix being named the starter. Gregg and Christopher revisit the discussion about how to attack the Minnesota Vikings in the run game and through play action.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're going to talk a little bit more about that,
and we're going to talk about that at eleven o'clock
with Hugh millin or weekly visit with kJ r's quarterback.
I talked to him about shotgun. Did you know how
much shotgun they used against the Packers?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Besides a lot, I would guess probably eighty five percent.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Higher forty seven out of fifty three snap I'm throwing
away the final three snaps that Hajlani ran the ball
and ran the clock out. The fifty three plays beside
those forty seven times they were in shotgun.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
What is that like? Eighty five percent?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Yeah, that's that plays into running the ball, that plays
in the playoffs pass.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
We're going to talk about that eleven thirty.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
We'll reback your text at four nine, four or five
one on the Telemordo text line. The first question Ember
asked right off the top, the transfer portal nil is
here to stay in college football? How would you fix
college football? Is a one easy fix. The Washington coach
Jed Fish brought up that we're going to talk about two.
I mean, it's an obvious one, and it's not that
hard for college presidents, that's who it would take to
(01:03):
fix it? How would you fix college football? Because it's broken?
The product down the field okay, but everything else, oh broken.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
As Washington State felled again this morning.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Headlines about to you by Frost Brewed Corslight choose chill
Seahawk's practice today at one thirty, I'll be watching to
see if Gino Smith is out there as it usually is.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Knee injury.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Coach Mike McDonald's has said he believes Smith's going to
take the majority of first team reps in practices this
week to play against the twelve and two Minnesota Vikings
on Sunday. Do we still have his comments from yesterday
about Geno Smith's knee injury?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
One second? Grabbing it here it is.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
You know, we're fortunate so positive, like optimistic signs come
out of the tests. Gino's a beast man. He's in
here working out in the morning, working through it. I mean,
I know he's still feeling it, but this guy's tough
as nails, and hopefully we'll see him practice, you know,
throughout the week with optimistic and be ready for the game.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
At this play, would you exicipate him getting most of
the snaps with the ones this week?
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I'd say I'm optimistic that he'll get most of the snaps.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
That's Mike McDonald's pet word, although optimistic hasn't worked with
Kenneth Walker.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
That's the other thing I'll be watching today. Is Walker
going to practice.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
He has not in the last two weeks with the
calf injury got against the Jets December first.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
McDonald said Monday he's hopeful that.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Walker would be get on the field today Wednesday, but
we'll see if he can stack days together. Right after
he got hurt in the Jets game, he was limited
in practice before the Cardinals game and then miss Thursday
and Friday. So even if Walker plays today, it's not
to me as indicative if he'll play Sunday against the
Vikings as it would be if Smith practices. They don't
give up first team reps the quarterback of he's not playing,
(02:46):
I mean, it's if he wasn't If there's a real
chance he wasn't playing, Sam Howe is going to get
the first team reps. If Smith takes those reps, there's
so few of them between games with full practice that yeah,
that means he's going to play on Saturday. On Sunday.
Talking about Geno Smith Viking Sunday one oh five with
the Seahawks at Leominfield. Remember the Rams Seahawks eight and
six atop the NFC West. The Rams are playing at
(03:09):
the Jets at ten am Sunday, so the Seahawks will
know before they take the four as they take the
field on Sunday afternoon for one o five game. What
the Rams have done. I watched the NFL Hard Knocks
in the AFC North last night.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Chris. If you saw that, oh, I'm really good. I
love it. I watched it with my son. Do you
like it better than the preseason one?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
It's a I think it offers the same thing. It's
just giving you a look at all the other teams,
like a team and for example, that has a chance
to win a the division versus a team that's playing
for nothing. So you like the four to I like
that idea. It really it touches on everybody in the vision.
You know, you usually just look at a good or
a bad playoff team in your previous years, but now
you get to see what Mike Thomas talking about, Oh,
(03:50):
how we got to shut down Jamar Chase and what
Burrow does. Like you get an inside look at it
and you can kind of envision, Okay, this is what
the Seahawks would probably do on the board. They got
number eighteen and Jordan Addison and the running back, and
they're like, Yo, we're gonna do everything in our power
to make sure these dudes not eat. So I really
enjoy just the little details in that documentary that they do.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
What did you think?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
I liked it and I have only watched the third
episode watching my son, we both laughed out loud sitting
on our living room when the narrator said, it's never
been about the paychecks with Russell Wilson, it's the competition.
This is the same Russell Wilson who kept the Broncos
on the hook for the thirty eight million guaranteed. He
could have opted out of that or waved it or
(04:33):
given some back nip the fact Broncos are paying all
but one point one million of his thirty eight million
guaranteed this year. Remember the Steelers, they're only paying the
veteran minimum. To play a guy and put him in
your uniform, you have to sign him to a contract
for the at least the minimum NFL salary for a
veteran And so he's getting one point one two million,
which is the veteran for his tenure veteran minimum, and
(04:54):
the Broncos are paying the other thirty seven million to
round out the Broncos are winning. Yeah, exactly, there's a
chance the Broncos are going to play Russell Wilson and
the Steelers in the playoffs. I hope Rest drops like
four hundred yards on him, so to say, he's not
about the paycheck. Mike saun and I both looked at
it other and just started laughing out loud. I said,
I'm going to mention that in my show tomorrow, this
(05:16):
whole paying a guaranteed contract for a quarterback and another
team panted that's going to come in to play more later,
We're gonna talk about that. Relating to the next headline,
and that's the Falcons announcing Michael Pennix Junior as their
new starting quarterback, replacing the epically struggling Kirk Cousins. Atlanta's
using this week of playing the two and twelve Giants
(05:37):
for Pennix to debut, which is a smart move, but
like Chris pointed out, he could have done it last week.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
They had lost sour straight games. That is the dumbest
thing ever. You could have bench Kirk Guns a long
time ago. He wins the game, not that he was
playing great, and then you're like, you know what, it's
time to bench you. That was The Atlanta Falcons are
a funny organization, from drafting Pennis to paying to bringing
in Kirk Cousins just hilarious.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So I can only imagine how this is going to
turn out the next three for you.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I hope Pennix plays well for all being purposes, but
it's just their organization.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
It's hilarious to watch. Right now, they are a game
behind Tampa Bay. The Falcons are seven and seven, so
it's not like they're folding up the tents here. No,
they got three games left and they got to win them,
and they play. The Falcons are a game ahead of
them in the AFC NFC South. Of course, that they
win the division will get a home playoff game, and
Pennix is walking right into that. We'd like to play
some kracking headlines for you from their game last night,
(06:30):
but there aren't any.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
They lost three nothing in.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
The Ottawa well played and the air four game homestand
me score Greg zip Zilch as many as you and
I did last night. So the home standing climbing plays
lean ends with a thud. It's just one step foward,
one step back with these guys. They beat the Bruins,
you know, dominant and doing it, and then they lose
to Ottawa. I will point, do we question why they fired?
(06:52):
You know, I'm just saying, at what point if if
they end the season like in this up and down
roller coaster, it's like, well, how bad was he?
Speaker 3 (07:01):
That bad man?
Speaker 5 (07:02):
True?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I'm not the biggest hockey nerd, Like I would have
to ask Ian this, like, Ian, what what's the difference
between what we had last season in Bosma?
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Like is there a huge gap or what's you know?
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Yeah, it's true, Bowsma does have the background with the
Coachella Valley Firebirds, om Shane Wright and many veneers would
come up. But yeah, to your point, the bottom line,
I know what that the Paxstall was the extra driver.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
The expectations were high and he's only he only did
what twenty four so three seasons. But I'm thinking, I mean, dude,
it's only been three years. You want these guys to
be champions, It's gonna take time. I just thought, well,
Dan Burtter come in and just you know, light the
world on fire. But again, as I mentioned, I'm not
the biggest hockey nerd. There's more that I can learn
about the game and understand it. But looking at it
(07:51):
right now, I'm like, I mean, Dave could have done
the same thing.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Fifteen sixteen and one. I hear you. And now they're
going on the road.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
They play Chicago tomorrow to begin the four game road trip.
The Cubs traded former Major League MVP Cody Bellinger.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
To you said, the Marin's made a move. I didn't.
It may have slipped my.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Bad like you said, so the mayor have made a
big trade. I know it's only December, but my goodness,
still crickets from the Mariners.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Cubs, though, traded Cody Bellinger to the Yankees, their first
moved the post Juan Soto to their lineup, and then.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Remember we talked about yesterday the rumors he might go
to Sacramento State, and Sacramento State's moving to FBS. He's
going to FCS Norfolk State in the MEAC and that's
his from his home area. So Michael Vick a little
bit following the path, not a lot of it actually
falling the path. With Deon Sanders, former NFL started taking
an FCS historically black college and university job. His is
at Norfolk Stake for Michael Vick. The Bucks won that
(08:47):
NBA Cup in season turnam, I didn't even know what's
still going on.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yep, that last game was played.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Great game, okay, sees defense did what they could for
the first half and then the Greek feak decided to
say enough and uh, we'll just leave it at that.
Congratulations to the Milwaukee Bucks. I thought the Lakers gonna
repeat that didn't work out too well, so it was.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
It was a good game. We'll see what happens as
the season progresses.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Milwaukee started off really rough, but now they're starting to
figure things out. The offense is getting picked up, defense
is playing better, So we'll see how this turns out
for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And everybody on the team got extra cash for that man's.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Vacation in Vegas and NASAs gets five hundred thousand dollars
for not doing anything.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Signed me up, Wael, That's that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Like if my little brother got a chance to go
to the NBA I'm like, bro, yes, win that five
hundred thousand and let me get some cast I have
to do anything, so that is that's pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You just, of.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Course, nowadays, get that in nil money as a benchwarmer.
On there, man, freshman, walk on. If you're good enough
Division one, let me sign some autographs.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
You don't even have to do anything anymore for an
il money. But just Breathe used to be name, image
and likeness. Now it's just living. That's what you have
to do to get an im money. The purpose is
a long uh. College football, the IVY League voted to
senate's regular season champion to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The FC had well one double A. That's the first
time they've done voted to do that. So now an
IVY League team could be the national champion in FCS.
(10:15):
He told you yesterday John Mattiers leaving Washington State entering
college Football Transfer Portal, and now Jake Dickard's leaving Wazoo too.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
He took the wake Forest job this morning. That's just crazy.
It really is. Hearing Ferness.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
I know he's pissed, and I get it because Ian
built a relationship with the guy. A lot of people there,
a bunch of times, a lot of people saying all
the great things he'd want. You know, I remember his
comment that I retweeted on kjr's account, talking about we
want guys that want to be here from the janitor.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
All the way up to that, and it's like.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
What that was only how many months ago? And now
you're like, hey, let me ink this deal elsewhere. So
it's it sucks and don't know where the coups go
from here. I really don't.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
He was the heart of that team and the team
falling apart, but you're like, oh, you know what, we
still got Dicker.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Yeah, not we, but the cooks still got it.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Two days ago he talked about Materied leaving and he
was saying, well, how the collective had done all it could,
and how proud.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
He was of the Cougars.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Forty eight hours later, eight hours later, So Wake Forrest's
coach just retired at fifty seven years old after two
consecutive four win seasons, unexpectedly, and Wake wasn't ready for it.
So then Wake throws out the net and the cash
to Jake Dickard and now he's gone. So now the
Coups don't have their head coach, their offensive coordinator, they
have their quarterbacks coach. They don't have their quarterback, they
(11:31):
don't have their thousand yard running back, twenty two players,
they don't have the starting defensive tackles, they don't have
starters in the secondary.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
And oh, by the way, in seven days they play
the Holiday Bowl. Cancel it. I know the lawsuit city.
If you do that, do it. I don't care. It
makes it. They are playing. It's red shirts and freshmen
and eighteen year olds. It's going to be like a
high school.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Hey, hey, Illinois, can you like make sure you play
your red shirts too? Like, don't have any of your
starters out there? They get a JC for us. It's Syracuse.
They excuse me, Syracuse, my bad noise. But can you
can you guys make an exception and like play your
third string second string guys.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Who knows Syracuse probably has half a dozen doesn't. It's
just really unfortunate.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Man.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
It sucks, But that's the landscape that college football is in.
College sports is in, and the.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
College presidents are afraid to get sued. They won't step
in and change this because if you try to stop
a player from going anywhere, or a coach from going anywhere,
you'll get sued. And college presidents are scared to death
of that in the wake of the nil and the
at Obannon case and the House settlement, so they have
just decided to we are going hands off and let
the money flow. And it's flown everywhere in all directions,
(12:41):
including into the television contracts that pay these athletic departments
that are paying for all these coach moves. It's nuts,
it's not tenable. Congress is not going to step in.
I know the Congress. I know firsthand from talking to
regents and everybody else that they are waiting on college
presidents to go to Congress and say, Congress, please tell
us what to do, give us a law. Congress is like, hell, no,
(13:03):
this is your problem. And by the way, I'm not
going to tick off half of my constituents. If I'm
a congressman, say from Alabama, and I'm gonna tell Alabama
they've got to do this or do.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
That with their football money and their football program.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
No wayat guy wants to stay in office, you're gonna
do that. So no, Congress isn't stepping in, and college
presidents keep waiting for this white horse that doesn't exist.
Four nine four one on the Telemorteu techt line, how
do you fix this?
Speaker 3 (13:28):
How do you fix college football? Exactly? Silence exactly. Jish
Jetfish said something yesterday. Did you happen to find that?
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Here's what Jedfish, the Washington coach, said yesterday after practice
on how he'd fix at least some of this mess.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
I think in the world that college football we're living in,
there are no decisions that catch you off guard. Everybody
has to make decisions that they choose are best for them. Fortunately,
that's that's what we've created. We've created a very bad calendar.
There's a lot of great things about college football. One
of the things that's a problem is the calendar. We
have to find a way to allow guys to finish
(14:03):
what they start and then move on at the right time.
I still think the portal should be in April, but
definitely wishing him the best. There'll be others, and we
understand that in order for us to build our team
the way we want to with the championship culture that
we have, there's gonna be a lot of influx over
these next this year and as certainly these two portal windows.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yeah, he's right. Why is the portal in December?
Speaker 1 (14:27):
No, Why it's because coaches want to have an idea
of who they have to recruit and not recruit, who
they picked up and who they haven't because the early
signing period it's in December. Get rid of both. In
no way, there should be a transfer portal before it.
Teams seasons are over. SMU, who's in the playoffs? SMU
has players that are going to transfer portal and our
plans a playoff game, a playoff team, you'd think, okay, well,
(14:49):
the twelve teams in the playoffs, they're not messing.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Yeah they are.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Penn State has players they're going to host a playoff game,
and they have players that are leaving their program in
the middle of the season in the the playoffs. Get
rid of the transfer portal. What's that going to take?
College presidents and coaches coming together on a consensus about that,
And so far they haven't done it because the halves
keep getting heavier and the have nots keep getting have naughtier.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
And that's where Washington State's lying right now. They're on
the wrong side of that.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
The halves keep benefiting from this if you're a half,
if you're in Oklahoma, who went six and six this
year and had a terrible season by their standards, you
go get Ben Rbuckle to play caller from Washington State.
Then you go get his quarterback. That's how the halves
get heavier. Or Oklahoma intends to go back to nine
ten eleven wins next year with material quarterback and our
(15:39):
Buckle Colonis plays. Do what you did at Washington State,
but here, let's do it in Norman. That's halves getting
more and the havelves not's losing more. And because that
is still working for the halves, it ain't changing. And
that's why they have the transfer portal in December and
the early signing period in December.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Get rid of it all and blown up.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
Hell.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
College football is all blown up as it is. That's
just keep doing it. Fish is right. They have a
calendar problem. And then you.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Ask schools to pay for the band and for pay
the stabs and the entire athletic department to come to
these bowl games. Washington State's gonna get three million dollars
to play in the Holida Bowl. You know where that
money's going to send the band down and the cheerleaders
on a holiday on two weeks notice, with airline tickets
and charters charter planes on two weeks notice on holiday season.
(16:28):
That's gonna eat up that three million dollars. Washington State's
not going to profit from this game.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
They're gonna send.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
They're gonna pay as much as they got paid to
send red shirts and walk ons down to play in
a bowl game. That means nothing. That's what college football
is right now. And like I said, even the playoff
teams that are playing in bowl games that matter and
postseason games that matter, are losing players of the transfer port.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Get rid of the portal until after the seasons are over.
That's just not that's asinine that somebody just there.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Again, no one in college sports, college presidencies are wanting
to step in and change anything for fear getting sued.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Get rid of the transfer portal in December, make it
March or February.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Fish once in in April after his spring practice, so
he knows what Holesey has to fill.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
That makes sense. I'm mad at him. It does make sense.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
It doesn't.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
It doesn't help programs you're poaching from after spring practice.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
I can't think of the NFL being like, you know what,
let's just open it up before the season. I don't
even I can't even describe how it just bad is exactly.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
You can't even equate it does it make no equivalents
in the NFL. Just it's stupid. Hey, you know you
can leave before your playoff game? What there's no deadline
or the.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Story of the Washington State backup lineman Ian told us
on our show yesterday that he would threatened the coaching
staff that if he didn't get more playing time and
do more in the regular season and get more nil
money for it, he's leaving or he no, he was
going to he was not going to play the rest
of the Game's going to sit him out.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
I guess, and then say the only equivalent would be
Patrick Mahoons like, you know what, I don't feel like
playing for the Chiefs anymore right before first playoff games, Like,
you know what, I'm out, I'm going to play for
I want to be traded to I don't know.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
And the Chiefs would find and the Chiefs would find
the hell out of them. They find it the max
you can find them at.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
But that's just how crazy, That's how crazy is Mahomes
just like I don't.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Because Mahomes has a contract to fulfilled. None of these
players have a contract signed. They're just these od hoc
agreements that they have is NIO, and those aren't even
written contracts.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
There's no formality to them.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Make it these studies ad hoc agreements, and these agents
DM and guys from out of nowhere, make them written
contracts with terms like that, if you refuse to play,
to Chris's point, if you refuse to play X games,
you get taken X dollars away from your nil money.
And if you don't agree to stay beyond one year,
you give back a portion of your money. That's they
need to put that down then writing, but they're afraid
(18:47):
to do that so far because they're freid of getting sued.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
So they need to get into the league.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
They need to hire some pretty good attorneys to write
contracts to these NIO deals that protect the teams and
the coaching staffs and the other teammates.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
I mean, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah, it's broken beyond it's not broken beyond repair. They
can fix it. They aren't doing anything because they're free
getting sued and they're waiting on Congress to step in.
Four nine four or five one, and tell them what
the text on how would you fix this mess? Because
it is absolutely a mess. That's the people in Poland
about that man just sickening this stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
God.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Next, coach Mike McDonald says the Seahawks need to run more,
and he says he's looking at how to do that
better with maybe play action passes. But they've been in
shotguns so much that is it even feasible to get out.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
A shotgun against the blitzing Minnesota Vikings.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
That's next, Hugh Mellen's at eleven o'clock. Your text will
read them back at eleven thirty. All on ninety three
point three KJRFM quarterback to the Great Best Show with
Christopher Kidt on a Wednesday. Happy Wednesday to you. We're
happy to have on the air out of nowhere because
he's a friend of ours. De Orlando Ledbetter Thelanta Journal Constitution,
(19:55):
who's here to talk to us about the Falcons pulling
the trigger finally right in the middle of a playoff
race and are starting Michael Pennock Junior, the rookie over
benching one hundred and eighty million dollars. Quarterback Kirk Cousin sir,
thanks for joining us on no notice. I gotta know
you got to run.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
What do you make of this? Are you surprised?
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Did you think it should have happened a couple of
weeks ago? Do you think they're never going to do it?
Speaker 5 (20:16):
Yeah? I was surprised, you know, because of the money
and the fact that.
Speaker 7 (20:21):
Uh, you know, they're trying to develop Mike, and I
knew he hadn't taken any.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
First team reps.
Speaker 7 (20:28):
Uh So that's gonna be interesting to see how they
do it because you started playing so bad. He never
looks like he's a assured they wouldn't have him on
injury report. Uh no, zip on his passes.
Speaker 5 (20:41):
I mean they basically went to the the wishbone to
beat the Redlars and random balls. Uh So, so at
that point he's like, Okay, do we have a better
chance of winning these games with Michael? We'll give him
a scrimmage against the Giants.
Speaker 7 (20:56):
And hopefully taking him up to Washington and try see
if he can throw us into the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
Is uh where I'm at?
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (21:03):
You know, so that's it wasn't a stunner. You know,
we had coach on the line two hours before we
were grilling him, and he kept dancing around it, and
they would get an email from PR with no heads
up that they were making a move. So bad job
all around by South Coast here handling this situation.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Why not do this two weeks ago when they had
lost and then now you look at it four straight
and then they win. Not that Kirk Cousins played great,
because as you mentioned, they just run the football. He
couldn't throw. Why didn't they make this move early? Did
they really have hope that Kirk Cousins would turn it around?
Speaker 5 (21:40):
Well, they gave Kirk his reunion homecoming Minnesota Vikings trip.
And you didn't want to start to rook against Brian Flores.
I could have been damaged for life. I wouldn't They
didn't want to make They were in a bad spot.
They couldn't start him there, and then after that, you
(22:00):
know they could have started maybe last week. But you
know the the Raiders, same thing. You know, you got
Max Crosby and you're thinking you got mac Crozy eventually
didn't play well. They could barely block.
Speaker 7 (22:13):
The Raiders front that half four sacks without Max Crosby.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
So desperation move this the hell? Mary, No, no way,
to sugar coated. But that's where the Falcons are seven
and seven and go hand the ball over to the
rookie and say, hey, take us to the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Do you know a man of that better?
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Atlanta Journal Constitution talking to us about Michael Pennix, the
new starting quarterback for Kirk Cuttins.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
So now, what do I mean?
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Twenty seven and a half million guaranteed to Cousins for
next year, and if he's on the rosters, you know,
and March, he's gonna get ten more million as an
early bonus for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
Is this some Russell Wilson Denver situation.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Where the Falcons are gonna eat this money and let
him sign somewhere else from minimum?
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Yeah, very well, could be that. But the numbers are
in the tie, you know, I I'm you know, we
we're breaking them down at twenty seven plus tens looked like.
Speaker 7 (23:06):
Twenty twenty you know, forty total.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
But I mean, I'm not aligned by that. That doesn't
do me much harm giving a tack, what you know,
pitting pay for their quarterbacks off season. He got back.
You got Trevor Lawrence to Baker Mayfield making thirty million.
So basically you end up with Kirk Cousins for one year,
sixty million, and uh, you know, yeah, you was hoping
(23:32):
it was gonna work out signing a thirty six year
old with the coming up achilles injury, and uh, it
didn't work out. Now it might be time to move on,
and uh you have to eat that part and hopefully
the salary cap goes up and doesn't hurt as much
because you got a rookie. You got a starting quarterback
on a rookie deal.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Do you saying that Pennox hasn't had first team reps?
Do you think he's gonna go in and get a
full meal deal of the Falcons offense throwing the ball
all around the yard, or are they gonna ease him in.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
Oh yeah, they gotta. I know, they gonna throw the
whole thing out there. You're gonna see some cowpits deep.
You'll see some drakes learning and crumbing across the field
on those Romeo Dody route they ran at once. You know, uh,
they know what he can do and they're gonna call it.
So I'm not in no sense of trying to make
(24:26):
him an option quarterback and do read the option and
all that you know he can swing it. They gonna
let him do it. And uh, you know if the Giants,
you know, uh, try to confuse them with coverage and
everything and check the ball down the.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Begone real quickly.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
I know, we gotta let you go here soon. But
has Michael Pennix prepared for this moment? Have he talked
to you guys and said like he's ready to take
that step if needed?
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Or has he just been a great backup?
Speaker 2 (24:51):
And that's pretty much it, and now he has an
opportunity to go out there and compete.
Speaker 5 (24:56):
No. No. I talked with him on December second, and
I was like, hey, look he knows. I was like, look, man,
it looks pretty bleak out there. He goes if it's
an emergency, He's like, he's like, yeah, I'm I stay ready,
I'm you know, I'm good to go. I was like,
have you ran the games playing? How do you you know?
Speaker 6 (25:15):
You?
Speaker 5 (25:16):
What have you done to make you feel comfortable? You're ready?
You just been running the scout team. He's like, yeah,
that's right. But when he's out on the field, I'm
taking mental reps, I'm watching everything. I'm uh you know, uh,
that's the best thing I can do to get ready
is handle these mental reps and the same thing as
quarterback coach T. J. Yates said, I was like, hey, man,
Michael told me he was ready. I was like, how
(25:38):
can he be ready? Well, we ain't ran the offense,
and they're like, oh no, that's life of back up quarterback.
I think he's ready. He's doing all the right stuff.
So now we're gonna see if I'm gonna take him
out that word that he's ready. So we're gonna holding
to the standard. I'm trying to go out there and
we're gonna see if he can play some winning football
with a lot of tallet players around him.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
My uh.
Speaker 5 (26:01):
If it works out for the Falcons, they'll be ecstatic
around Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
The Orlando led Beetter, thank you on no noticing in
a hurry. We'll let you go back to your real
job and appreciate you always dropping in. I hope you
get a fun ride with Pennixy's last three games.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
All right, Well, thank you so much, Greg.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
You off, Yes, sir, Orlando led Better from the Atlanta
Journal Constitution talking with from Flowery Branch, Georgia, Atlanta Falcons
headquarters where last night, the way he mentioned that is
so NFL. That's exactly what a team note. Hey, how
the coach say one thing and then put it out
of the press. They put it out in a press
release last night, obviously because the word was starting to
(26:37):
get out and they probably hadn't even told Cousins yet,
and so they had to hurry up and tell Cousins.
And once they told Cousins, then they put it out
on a press release. That's the way that goes around.
But the Orlanda led better Courts I could I know
him for decades, and I could see him going up
to Pennix and going, how the hell you're gonna be
ready when you haven't run a first team repull season.
(27:00):
I'm totally picturing that conversation. It is weird to think
that they waited till now. To your point, Chris, that's.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
So dumb because now they give him no room to
fore air.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Oh yeah, Like, if this is a team that wants
to made the playoffs, Michael Pennix has to be the savior.
And that's a lot of pressure from the jump who
hasn't taken any snacks right, He has no familiarity with
the receivers.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Six months of running scout team.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Yeah, but hey, this is where stars are quote unquote
born true. This is where Pennis can say, you know
what I've been given crap. I haven't done anything, but
let me go out here and deliver.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
You're right.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
If Michael Pennix gets the Falcons to the playoffs, this
will be one of the most remarkable rookie quarterback performers.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
As part of me.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Really wanting to get it done because the situation they
put him in.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Yeah, and how cold jacked with people around you, dub
and it would just be great for him.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Rookie accomplished it to be better than that, I don't know,
running a scout team for four months, then coming in
with three games left in a playoff push and and
balling out and getting your team over the team that's
in front of you to win a division title and
get a home playoff game after five months on mothballs
and scout team. Oh man, that's that'd be one of
the greatest rookie accomplishments to quarterback. I can gear into
(28:16):
you this.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
If the game is available over here in Seattle, everybody's
going to be tuning in at that ten o'clock.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
I think it's ten o'clock is a ten o'clock game.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
I think it's on Fox, and unfortunately, I think it's
only a Fox single wingdoed window this week, and that's
the Seahawks and the Vikings.
Speaker 8 (28:30):
At one oh five, So you'd have to go to
your local bars. But I bet you'll be full with
Pennis Jersey. This is this is huge, So I hope
he goes out there, balls out. It just it sucks
that he's in this situation. But I know this is
what he would want, and he's accepting the challenge and
he's excited for the opportunity to go out there and
improve people that think TENNA draft of this kid.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
You know, we got Kirk Cousins, whatever the case may
have been. So this is huge.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Four nine four five one on a telemill Do text line,
Can you come up with a rookie accomplishment as a
quarterback in the NFL in recent memory? That would be
more impressive than if Penix leads the Falcons to the
playoffs out of nowhere from the jump, no break in,
no acclimation. You heard deer and and of Ledbetter saying,
oh they don't know what he's him in. He's got
to give him a full deal. He's gonna have the
(29:13):
full playbook. At his disposal of the Falcons tossing the
ball all the way down the field against the Giants.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
I saw it. Of course they started him against the Giants.
It's an easy landing.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
But then they could have done it with the Raiders.
Then you're giving him the break in game.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
They had opportunities. They just do want to pull the
trigger for whatever reason. For the money, we'll talk about
the money we're going to sign Kirk in the first place.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Oh, that's becoming obvious, but yeah, we'll talk about the
money coming up. Because the Kirk Cousins money is really
interesting in parallels to Russell Wilson in Denver. Here and
the Steelers are making out. They're a ten and three
team in first place, paying their quarterback one million dollars.
Denver's paying him thirty seven to win for them, And
(29:56):
Denver and Pittsburgh could very well meet in the playoffs
first round.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Perhaps it's looking like it's gonna be a collision. Courts crazy.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
The Broncos could be paying the quarterback they're playing against
in the playoffs thirty seven million to play against him.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
That's hilario.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Hey, Wes, we're going to add an extra ten view
to lose brother. How's that sound? Go ahead and throw
us a pick wine?
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Why don't you? But now Cousins is in the Pennock
situation is coming up to be the same.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
I think if your cousin you just retire, like I
know you love the game, but this is anybody taking
you next year, you're gonna be a backup that.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
I don't think so even for a veteran minimum with
the Falcons playing the freight, he can't move.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Not having mobility in the pocket is even Tom Brady
could move in the pocket and he wasn't that.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
He wasn't gonna do nothing. Crazy Cousins thirty seven next,
he can't move. He just cannot be pretty when he
said that they ran the Wishbone to just.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Beat the Raiders because he can't move and maybe he
is hurt, but you knew, you knew there was gonna
be issues coming into the season. He wasn't gonna be
a complete Kirk. Cousins like, oh he's back.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Fourteen games are running the scout team and now the
Falcons are asking Michael Pennix to come in on a
white horse and lead him to the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Michael Pennix, can you do it man?
Speaker 1 (31:05):
Four nine four five one on the tunnel, We'll do
text line, Dear Orlando Ledbetter. People on the text line
already said, had that guy on to talk.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
About the weather? They love this guy.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
He's great, he's so awesome, he's so Southern, he's a
gentlely here's a bow tie everywhere. I told you the
story when he and I both won the state Sports
Trader of the Year awards and went to the National
Sports Media Could Mention or Awards ceremony in Winston Salem,
North Carolina.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
He brought his whole family, his parents, his cousins.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
I mean, they're like twenty people there, and they were
so happy for him, and it was and rightly so.
He's been doing it for such a long time. The
Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta General Constitution. If you missed
his interview with his and only you can speak like
he does, put it in playing terms. You can download
it later today on the iHeartRadio app or a nine
three to three kjar dot com. Okay, we had to
(31:54):
put d on. Now we'll give you coming up the
breakdown of the Seahawks with their play action passing versus
the knee to run more versus the need probably to
stay in shotgun to avoid the vikings pass rush. Eleven
o'clock Hugh Millen, we're going to talk to him about
Michael Pennix.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
We're going to talk to him about seahawks and shotgun
so much.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
And eleven thirty we'll read back your text four two
five said yes, explanation point when you said dear landon
Ledbetter was coming on, I was so happy.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
He was fantastic to listen to. Would love to have
a drink with that guy.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Much more coming up on ninety three point three KJRFM.
Welcome back to the Greg Belt Show with Christopher Kidd
on ninety three point three KJRFM. If you missed our
interview with de Orlando Ledbetter, the award winning d from
the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Michael Pennock's the decision that
(32:45):
he said was a quote stunner.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
You can catch that on the.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
iHeartRadio app later today or at nine three three KJR
dot com SERTs the Greg Belt Show with Christopher Kidd,
and you'll find the always folks, he always plain speaking,
dear LANDA. Ledbetter, just putting it real and saying, how
are you going to be ready? After months in the practice,
were actually scout team running in practices, never getting first
team reps.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
How you can be ready to put him in the playoffs?
He said.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Pennix told him quote, I stay ready, and that his
offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach said the same thing to him.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
We'll see how it works.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
It would be quite the coup for Michael Pennix in
his NFL splash to lead the Falcons from an offensive
abyss into the playoffs in the last three games. First
win is Penix's first NFL start on Sunday in Georgia
against the two to twelve New York Giants. Again, the
Falcons a game behind Tampa Bay for the lead in
the NFC South with three games remaining. Here in Seattle
(33:40):
Viking Seahawks, with the Seahawks tied in the standings win
loss wise with the Rams, but actually behind him by
tide breaker atop the NFC West with three games re raining,
remember the final game Rams hosting the Seahawks the first
weekend of January. The Seahawks need to stay even with
or a game ahead of the Rams before that for
that game to be for sure for the NFC West title.
If the Seahawks are a game behind the Rams leading
(34:02):
into that game, it comes into play through tiebreakers, the
third of which is common opponent games, and the Seahawks
are currently trailing in the games the two teams have
played each. For instance, the Rams have swept the forty
nine Ers, the Seahawks split with just this one example,
the Rams beat the Bills, the Bills beat the Seahawks.
It's those kind of decisions and those kind of results
(34:25):
that could be the difference between the Seahawks being out
of the playoffs and then winning the NFC West if
it comes down to that final game. But to get there,
they got to probably beat the Vikings and the Bears.
Because the meanwhile, the Rams are playing at the Jets
and hosting the Cardinals the next two weeks. So how
are they going to pull this off as a home
underdog for the second straight week. Well, they talked this
(34:48):
week about running the ball more, they ran. They just
they gave their running backs. Ryan Grubb called just eleven
running plays for running backs in the first fifty three
snaps of that game before George Hawney ran three times
to end the game and run the clock out. They
were in shotgun forty seven of fifty three times until
the Jilani three runs at the end of the game.
(35:08):
They're talking about having to do more play action passes.
They are in the bottom five in the league and
play action pass attempts, yet Gino Smith is in the
top four and overall attempts, So they're just not throwing
play action pass and they're in shotgun a lot. The
best play action is in under the center with a
running back behind you, whatere. It all looks like run
(35:29):
in formation and in movement of the backfield. But if
you do that against the Vikings Chris, then you're turning
your back. You're having Smith turn his back on the
guys are gonna be blitzing at him. Because Brian Flores
blitzed as much.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
As anybody in the league.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
It's an entirely different deal than the Packers, who are
one of the lowest pressure teams in the league, to
now one of the biggest and the low one of
the lowest pressure teams in the league. Sacked their quarterback
seven times and hit them twelve times, So it would
seem like you don't want to put Smith under center
against the Vikings. No, it's probably gonna be back to
(36:02):
more shotgun, which means not a lot of play action passing,
which means not a lot to slow down those Vikings
pass rushers. There are plays to be made down the
field against the Vikings. They are second to last. I
think I cited a number in yards allowed and in
a pass game, but they also lead an interceptions, So
it's sacks, interceptions or big plays against the Vikings pass defense.
(36:26):
DK Metcalft for Chris we talked about even two weeks ago.
He's gonna have more chances in this game than he's
had probably in the last month. Everyone's been playing too
deep shell coverage and bracketing and over the top with Metcalf,
and he has to catch anything underneath. Not the Vikings.
They're gonna do zero blitzes. They're gonna have Manda Man
and there are gonna be chances if Smith can get
the ball out, if the.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
Line can give Smith time to throw, if it is
a good big gifts.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
So yeah, it'll be fun to see how this chess
match plays out. Obviously, I don't think Brian wants to
leave his guys on the island, but based on the
statistics numbers that are coming into this game.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
He is more prone to doing.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
It, but not everybody has a DKJS and ty Lockett
on their team. So now it's gonna be interesting to
see how much time he puts into Hey, we're gonna
send blitzes, and what type of pressure he's sending is
gonna be simulated dropping guys here and there. I know
Harrison Smith plays all over the place, and I forget
his name. Martellis number forty four. I believe he's played corner, linebacker.
(37:24):
He's played basically every spot, so Ginald keying in on
where he's at. I think his numbers forty four will
be huge just because he is everywhere, including Harrison Smith,
who he can play linebacker. He also plays deep safety
as well, so they have a lot of They have
two interchangeable pieces on defense, just as the Seahawks do
with Devin Witherspoon, Julian Love and Rashawn Jenkins. So that'll
(37:44):
be an interesting key on how Gino identifies where to
attack offensively, especially if they're gonna be doing a lot
of shotgun I do think running to the outside might
be their strength. I don't know how well the Vikings
defense is in regards to stopping the runs that go
outside versus in side the numbers. But if the Seahows
can run those counters and get outside and allow the
big men to lead Ken Walker or sharbonne Ay, I
(38:07):
believe that might be a successful attempt in running the football.
Running up the gut hat on hat probably not the
Seahawks' best strength right now. So again, the Seahawks will
know when they take the field whether the Rams have
won or lost in the Meadowlands against the Jets, and
they need the Rams to lose one of the next
two for it to be viable for that game to
be for the NFC West title to end the regular season.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Four nine, four or five one to tell them, we'll
do Tex Simond's game time. It's telly times. Some of
you are weighing in about the Seahawks and their chances
or lack thereof after losing to the Packers, and that's
where they've put themselves in with that Giants loss. Everyone
talking about how bad the Giants are, and every time
they say it, I'm like, yeah, well we beat the
Seahawks in Seattle, That'll probably be the game. If they
don't make the playoffs will be the reason why up.
(38:51):
But next, Hugh Mellon joins us as he does every Wednesday,
at eleven o'clock. We're going to talk about Michael Pennix,
the new Falcons quarter and what task he has, How
it is to play quarterback in the NFL as a rookie.
Hugh Millon played quarterback in the NFL, What kind of
challenges Panics up against and the Seahawks all the shotgun,
the play action passed. We'll talk to Hugh Millon next.
(39:13):
Reback your text at eleven thirty. Talk to Ian Ferness
at eleven forty five, All on ninety three point three
kJ RFM
We're going to talk a little bit more about that,
and we're going to talk about that at eleven o'clock
with Hugh millin or weekly visit with kJ r's quarterback.
I talked to him about shotgun. Did you know how
much shotgun they used against the Packers?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Besides a lot, I would guess probably eighty five percent.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Higher forty seven out of fifty three snap I'm throwing
away the final three snaps that Hajlani ran the ball
and ran the clock out. The fifty three plays beside
those forty seven times they were in shotgun.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
What is that like? Eighty five percent?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Yeah, that's that plays into running the ball, that plays
in the playoffs pass.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
We're going to talk about that eleven thirty.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
We'll reback your text at four nine, four or five
one on the Telemordo text line. The first question Ember
asked right off the top, the transfer portal nil is
here to stay in college football? How would you fix
college football? Is a one easy fix. The Washington coach
Jed Fish brought up that we're going to talk about two.
I mean, it's an obvious one, and it's not that
hard for college presidents, that's who it would take to
(01:03):
fix it? How would you fix college football? Because it's broken?
The product down the field okay, but everything else, oh broken.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
As Washington State felled again this morning.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Headlines about to you by Frost Brewed Corslight choose chill
Seahawk's practice today at one thirty, I'll be watching to
see if Gino Smith is out there as it usually is.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Knee injury.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Coach Mike McDonald's has said he believes Smith's going to
take the majority of first team reps in practices this
week to play against the twelve and two Minnesota Vikings
on Sunday. Do we still have his comments from yesterday
about Geno Smith's knee injury?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
One second? Grabbing it here it is.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
You know, we're fortunate so positive, like optimistic signs come
out of the tests. Gino's a beast man. He's in
here working out in the morning, working through it. I mean,
I know he's still feeling it, but this guy's tough
as nails, and hopefully we'll see him practice, you know,
throughout the week with optimistic and be ready for the game.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
At this play, would you exicipate him getting most of
the snaps with the ones this week?
Speaker 4 (02:04):
I'd say I'm optimistic that he'll get most of the snaps.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
That's Mike McDonald's pet word, although optimistic hasn't worked with
Kenneth Walker.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
That's the other thing I'll be watching today. Is Walker
going to practice.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
He has not in the last two weeks with the
calf injury got against the Jets December first.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
McDonald said Monday he's hopeful that.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Walker would be get on the field today Wednesday, but
we'll see if he can stack days together. Right after
he got hurt in the Jets game, he was limited
in practice before the Cardinals game and then miss Thursday
and Friday. So even if Walker plays today, it's not
to me as indicative if he'll play Sunday against the
Vikings as it would be if Smith practices. They don't
give up first team reps the quarterback of he's not playing,
(02:46):
I mean, it's if he wasn't If there's a real
chance he wasn't playing, Sam Howe is going to get
the first team reps. If Smith takes those reps, there's
so few of them between games with full practice that yeah,
that means he's going to play on Saturday. On Sunday.
Talking about Geno Smith Viking Sunday one oh five with
the Seahawks at Leominfield. Remember the Rams Seahawks eight and
six atop the NFC West. The Rams are playing at
(03:09):
the Jets at ten am Sunday, so the Seahawks will
know before they take the four as they take the
field on Sunday afternoon for one o five game. What
the Rams have done. I watched the NFL Hard Knocks
in the AFC North last night.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Chris. If you saw that, oh, I'm really good. I
love it. I watched it with my son. Do you
like it better than the preseason one?
Speaker 2 (03:28):
It's a I think it offers the same thing. It's
just giving you a look at all the other teams,
like a team and for example, that has a chance
to win a the division versus a team that's playing
for nothing. So you like the four to I like
that idea. It really it touches on everybody in the vision.
You know, you usually just look at a good or
a bad playoff team in your previous years, but now
you get to see what Mike Thomas talking about, Oh,
(03:50):
how we got to shut down Jamar Chase and what
Burrow does. Like you get an inside look at it
and you can kind of envision, Okay, this is what
the Seahawks would probably do on the board. They got
number eighteen and Jordan Addison and the running back, and
they're like, Yo, we're gonna do everything in our power
to make sure these dudes not eat. So I really
enjoy just the little details in that documentary that they do.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
What did you think?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
I liked it and I have only watched the third
episode watching my son, we both laughed out loud sitting
on our living room when the narrator said, it's never
been about the paychecks with Russell Wilson, it's the competition.
This is the same Russell Wilson who kept the Broncos
on the hook for the thirty eight million guaranteed. He
could have opted out of that or waved it or
(04:33):
given some back nip the fact Broncos are paying all
but one point one million of his thirty eight million
guaranteed this year. Remember the Steelers, they're only paying the
veteran minimum. To play a guy and put him in
your uniform, you have to sign him to a contract
for the at least the minimum NFL salary for a
veteran And so he's getting one point one two million,
which is the veteran for his tenure veteran minimum, and
(04:54):
the Broncos are paying the other thirty seven million to
round out the Broncos are winning. Yeah, exactly, there's a
chance the Broncos are going to play Russell Wilson and
the Steelers in the playoffs. I hope Rest drops like
four hundred yards on him, so to say, he's not
about the paycheck. Mike saun and I both looked at
it other and just started laughing out loud. I said,
I'm going to mention that in my show tomorrow, this
(05:16):
whole paying a guaranteed contract for a quarterback and another
team panted that's going to come in to play more later,
We're gonna talk about that. Relating to the next headline,
and that's the Falcons announcing Michael Pennix Junior as their
new starting quarterback, replacing the epically struggling Kirk Cousins. Atlanta's
using this week of playing the two and twelve Giants
(05:37):
for Pennix to debut, which is a smart move, but
like Chris pointed out, he could have done it last week.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
They had lost sour straight games. That is the dumbest
thing ever. You could have bench Kirk Guns a long
time ago. He wins the game, not that he was
playing great, and then you're like, you know what, it's
time to bench you. That was The Atlanta Falcons are
a funny organization, from drafting Pennis to paying to bringing
in Kirk Cousins just hilarious.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So I can only imagine how this is going to
turn out the next three for you.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
I hope Pennix plays well for all being purposes, but
it's just their organization.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
It's hilarious to watch. Right now, they are a game
behind Tampa Bay. The Falcons are seven and seven, so
it's not like they're folding up the tents here. No,
they got three games left and they got to win them,
and they play. The Falcons are a game ahead of
them in the AFC NFC South. Of course, that they
win the division will get a home playoff game, and
Pennix is walking right into that. We'd like to play
some kracking headlines for you from their game last night,
(06:30):
but there aren't any.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
They lost three nothing in.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
The Ottawa well played and the air four game homestand
me score Greg zip Zilch as many as you and
I did last night. So the home standing climbing plays
lean ends with a thud. It's just one step foward,
one step back with these guys. They beat the Bruins,
you know, dominant and doing it, and then they lose
to Ottawa. I will point, do we question why they fired?
(06:52):
You know, I'm just saying, at what point if if
they end the season like in this up and down
roller coaster, it's like, well, how bad was he?
Speaker 3 (07:01):
That bad man?
Speaker 5 (07:02):
True?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I'm not the biggest hockey nerd, Like I would have
to ask Ian this, like, Ian, what what's the difference
between what we had last season in Bosma?
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Like is there a huge gap or what's you know?
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Yeah, it's true, Bowsma does have the background with the
Coachella Valley Firebirds, om Shane Wright and many veneers would
come up. But yeah, to your point, the bottom line,
I know what that the Paxstall was the extra driver.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
The expectations were high and he's only he only did
what twenty four so three seasons. But I'm thinking, I mean, dude,
it's only been three years. You want these guys to
be champions, It's gonna take time. I just thought, well,
Dan Burtter come in and just you know, light the
world on fire. But again, as I mentioned, I'm not
the biggest hockey nerd. There's more that I can learn
about the game and understand it. But looking at it
(07:51):
right now, I'm like, I mean, Dave could have done
the same thing.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Fifteen sixteen and one. I hear you. And now they're
going on the road.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
They play Chicago tomorrow to begin the four game road trip.
The Cubs traded former Major League MVP Cody Bellinger.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
To you said, the Marin's made a move. I didn't.
It may have slipped my.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Bad like you said, so the mayor have made a
big trade. I know it's only December, but my goodness,
still crickets from the Mariners.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Cubs, though, traded Cody Bellinger to the Yankees, their first
moved the post Juan Soto to their lineup, and then.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Remember we talked about yesterday the rumors he might go
to Sacramento State, and Sacramento State's moving to FBS. He's
going to FCS Norfolk State in the MEAC and that's
his from his home area. So Michael Vick a little
bit following the path, not a lot of it actually
falling the path. With Deon Sanders, former NFL started taking
an FCS historically black college and university job. His is
at Norfolk Stake for Michael Vick. The Bucks won that
(08:47):
NBA Cup in season turnam, I didn't even know what's
still going on.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yep, that last game was played.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Great game, okay, sees defense did what they could for
the first half and then the Greek feak decided to
say enough and uh, we'll just leave it at that.
Congratulations to the Milwaukee Bucks. I thought the Lakers gonna
repeat that didn't work out too well, so it was.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
It was a good game. We'll see what happens as
the season progresses.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Milwaukee started off really rough, but now they're starting to
figure things out. The offense is getting picked up, defense
is playing better, So we'll see how this turns out
for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
And everybody on the team got extra cash for that man's.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Vacation in Vegas and NASAs gets five hundred thousand dollars
for not doing anything.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Signed me up, Wael, That's that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Like if my little brother got a chance to go
to the NBA I'm like, bro, yes, win that five
hundred thousand and let me get some cast I have
to do anything, so that is that's pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You just, of.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Course, nowadays, get that in nil money as a benchwarmer.
On there, man, freshman, walk on. If you're good enough
Division one, let me sign some autographs.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
You don't even have to do anything anymore for an
il money. But just Breathe used to be name, image
and likeness. Now it's just living. That's what you have
to do to get an im money. The purpose is
a long uh. College football, the IVY League voted to
senate's regular season champion to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The FC had well one double A. That's the first
time they've done voted to do that. So now an
IVY League team could be the national champion in FCS.
(10:15):
He told you yesterday John Mattiers leaving Washington State entering
college Football Transfer Portal, and now Jake Dickard's leaving Wazoo too.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
He took the wake Forest job this morning. That's just crazy.
It really is. Hearing Ferness.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
I know he's pissed, and I get it because Ian
built a relationship with the guy. A lot of people there,
a bunch of times, a lot of people saying all
the great things he'd want. You know, I remember his
comment that I retweeted on kjr's account, talking about we
want guys that want to be here from the janitor.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
All the way up to that, and it's like.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
What that was only how many months ago? And now
you're like, hey, let me ink this deal elsewhere. So
it's it sucks and don't know where the coups go
from here. I really don't.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
He was the heart of that team and the team
falling apart, but you're like, oh, you know what, we
still got Dicker.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Yeah, not we, but the cooks still got it.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Two days ago he talked about Materied leaving and he
was saying, well, how the collective had done all it could,
and how proud.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
He was of the Cougars.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Forty eight hours later, eight hours later, So Wake Forrest's
coach just retired at fifty seven years old after two
consecutive four win seasons, unexpectedly, and Wake wasn't ready for it.
So then Wake throws out the net and the cash
to Jake Dickard and now he's gone. So now the
Coups don't have their head coach, their offensive coordinator, they
have their quarterbacks coach. They don't have their quarterback, they
(11:31):
don't have their thousand yard running back, twenty two players,
they don't have the starting defensive tackles, they don't have
starters in the secondary.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
And oh, by the way, in seven days they play
the Holiday Bowl. Cancel it. I know the lawsuit city.
If you do that, do it. I don't care. It
makes it. They are playing. It's red shirts and freshmen
and eighteen year olds. It's going to be like a
high school.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Hey, hey, Illinois, can you like make sure you play
your red shirts too? Like, don't have any of your
starters out there? They get a JC for us. It's Syracuse.
They excuse me, Syracuse, my bad noise. But can you
can you guys make an exception and like play your
third string second string guys.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Who knows Syracuse probably has half a dozen doesn't. It's
just really unfortunate.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Man.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
It sucks, But that's the landscape that college football is in.
College sports is in, and the.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
College presidents are afraid to get sued. They won't step
in and change this because if you try to stop
a player from going anywhere, or a coach from going anywhere,
you'll get sued. And college presidents are scared to death
of that in the wake of the nil and the
at Obannon case and the House settlement, so they have
just decided to we are going hands off and let
the money flow. And it's flown everywhere in all directions,
(12:41):
including into the television contracts that pay these athletic departments
that are paying for all these coach moves. It's nuts,
it's not tenable. Congress is not going to step in.
I know the Congress. I know firsthand from talking to
regents and everybody else that they are waiting on college
presidents to go to Congress and say, Congress, please tell
us what to do, give us a law. Congress is like, hell, no,
(13:03):
this is your problem. And by the way, I'm not
going to tick off half of my constituents. If I'm
a congressman, say from Alabama, and I'm gonna tell Alabama
they've got to do this or do.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
That with their football money and their football program.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
No wayat guy wants to stay in office, you're gonna
do that. So no, Congress isn't stepping in, and college
presidents keep waiting for this white horse that doesn't exist.
Four nine four one on the Telemorteu techt line, how
do you fix this?
Speaker 3 (13:28):
How do you fix college football? Exactly? Silence exactly. Jish
Jetfish said something yesterday. Did you happen to find that?
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Here's what Jedfish, the Washington coach, said yesterday after practice
on how he'd fix at least some of this mess.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
I think in the world that college football we're living in,
there are no decisions that catch you off guard. Everybody
has to make decisions that they choose are best for them. Fortunately,
that's that's what we've created. We've created a very bad calendar.
There's a lot of great things about college football. One
of the things that's a problem is the calendar. We
have to find a way to allow guys to finish
(14:03):
what they start and then move on at the right time.
I still think the portal should be in April, but
definitely wishing him the best. There'll be others, and we
understand that in order for us to build our team
the way we want to with the championship culture that
we have, there's gonna be a lot of influx over
these next this year and as certainly these two portal windows.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yeah, he's right. Why is the portal in December?
Speaker 1 (14:27):
No, Why it's because coaches want to have an idea
of who they have to recruit and not recruit, who
they picked up and who they haven't because the early
signing period it's in December. Get rid of both. In
no way, there should be a transfer portal before it.
Teams seasons are over. SMU, who's in the playoffs? SMU
has players that are going to transfer portal and our
plans a playoff game, a playoff team, you'd think, okay, well,
(14:49):
the twelve teams in the playoffs, they're not messing.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Yeah they are.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Penn State has players they're going to host a playoff game,
and they have players that are leaving their program in
the middle of the season in the the playoffs. Get
rid of the transfer portal. What's that going to take?
College presidents and coaches coming together on a consensus about that,
And so far they haven't done it because the halves
keep getting heavier and the have nots keep getting have naughtier.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
And that's where Washington State's lying right now. They're on
the wrong side of that.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
The halves keep benefiting from this if you're a half,
if you're in Oklahoma, who went six and six this
year and had a terrible season by their standards, you
go get Ben Rbuckle to play caller from Washington State.
Then you go get his quarterback. That's how the halves
get heavier. Or Oklahoma intends to go back to nine
ten eleven wins next year with material quarterback and our
(15:39):
Buckle Colonis plays. Do what you did at Washington State,
but here, let's do it in Norman. That's halves getting
more and the havelves not's losing more. And because that
is still working for the halves, it ain't changing. And
that's why they have the transfer portal in December and
the early signing period in December.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Get rid of it all and blown up.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
Hell.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
College football is all blown up as it is. That's
just keep doing it. Fish is right. They have a
calendar problem. And then you.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Ask schools to pay for the band and for pay
the stabs and the entire athletic department to come to
these bowl games. Washington State's gonna get three million dollars
to play in the Holida Bowl. You know where that
money's going to send the band down and the cheerleaders
on a holiday on two weeks notice, with airline tickets
and charters charter planes on two weeks notice on holiday season.
(16:28):
That's gonna eat up that three million dollars. Washington State's
not going to profit from this game.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
They're gonna send.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
They're gonna pay as much as they got paid to
send red shirts and walk ons down to play in
a bowl game. That means nothing. That's what college football
is right now. And like I said, even the playoff
teams that are playing in bowl games that matter and
postseason games that matter, are losing players of the transfer port.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Get rid of the portal until after the seasons are over.
That's just not that's asinine that somebody just there.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Again, no one in college sports, college presidencies are wanting
to step in and change anything for fear getting sued.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Get rid of the transfer portal in December, make it
March or February.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Fish once in in April after his spring practice, so
he knows what Holesey has to fill.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
That makes sense. I'm mad at him. It does make sense.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
It doesn't.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
It doesn't help programs you're poaching from after spring practice.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
I can't think of the NFL being like, you know what,
let's just open it up before the season. I don't
even I can't even describe how it just bad is exactly.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
You can't even equate it does it make no equivalents
in the NFL. Just it's stupid. Hey, you know you
can leave before your playoff game? What there's no deadline
or the.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Story of the Washington State backup lineman Ian told us
on our show yesterday that he would threatened the coaching
staff that if he didn't get more playing time and
do more in the regular season and get more nil
money for it, he's leaving or he no, he was
going to he was not going to play the rest
of the Game's going to sit him out.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
I guess, and then say the only equivalent would be
Patrick Mahoons like, you know what, I don't feel like
playing for the Chiefs anymore right before first playoff games, Like,
you know what, I'm out, I'm going to play for
I want to be traded to I don't know.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
And the Chiefs would find and the Chiefs would find
the hell out of them. They find it the max
you can find them at.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
But that's just how crazy, That's how crazy is Mahomes
just like I don't.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Because Mahomes has a contract to fulfilled. None of these
players have a contract signed. They're just these od hoc
agreements that they have is NIO, and those aren't even
written contracts.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
There's no formality to them.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Make it these studies ad hoc agreements, and these agents
DM and guys from out of nowhere, make them written
contracts with terms like that, if you refuse to play,
to Chris's point, if you refuse to play X games,
you get taken X dollars away from your nil money.
And if you don't agree to stay beyond one year,
you give back a portion of your money. That's they
need to put that down then writing, but they're afraid
(18:47):
to do that so far because they're freid of getting sued.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
So they need to get into the league.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
They need to hire some pretty good attorneys to write
contracts to these NIO deals that protect the teams and
the coaching staffs and the other teammates.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
I mean, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah, it's broken beyond it's not broken beyond repair. They
can fix it. They aren't doing anything because they're free
getting sued and they're waiting on Congress to step in.
Four nine four or five one, and tell them what
the text on how would you fix this mess? Because
it is absolutely a mess. That's the people in Poland
about that man just sickening this stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
God.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Next, coach Mike McDonald says the Seahawks need to run more,
and he says he's looking at how to do that
better with maybe play action passes. But they've been in
shotguns so much that is it even feasible to get out.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
A shotgun against the blitzing Minnesota Vikings.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
That's next, Hugh Mellen's at eleven o'clock. Your text will
read them back at eleven thirty. All on ninety three
point three KJRFM quarterback to the Great Best Show with
Christopher Kidt on a Wednesday. Happy Wednesday to you. We're
happy to have on the air out of nowhere because
he's a friend of ours. De Orlando Ledbetter Thelanta Journal Constitution,
(19:55):
who's here to talk to us about the Falcons pulling
the trigger finally right in the middle of a playoff
race and are starting Michael Pennock Junior, the rookie over
benching one hundred and eighty million dollars. Quarterback Kirk Cousin sir,
thanks for joining us on no notice. I gotta know
you got to run.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
What do you make of this? Are you surprised?
Speaker 1 (20:11):
Did you think it should have happened a couple of
weeks ago? Do you think they're never going to do it?
Speaker 5 (20:16):
Yeah? I was surprised, you know, because of the money
and the fact that.
Speaker 7 (20:21):
Uh, you know, they're trying to develop Mike, and I
knew he hadn't taken any.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
First team reps.
Speaker 7 (20:28):
Uh So that's gonna be interesting to see how they
do it because you started playing so bad. He never
looks like he's a assured they wouldn't have him on
injury report. Uh no, zip on his passes.
Speaker 5 (20:41):
I mean they basically went to the the wishbone to
beat the Redlars and random balls. Uh So, so at
that point he's like, Okay, do we have a better
chance of winning these games with Michael? We'll give him
a scrimmage against the Giants.
Speaker 7 (20:56):
And hopefully taking him up to Washington and try see
if he can throw us into the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
Is uh where I'm at?
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (21:03):
You know, so that's it wasn't a stunner. You know,
we had coach on the line two hours before we
were grilling him, and he kept dancing around it, and
they would get an email from PR with no heads
up that they were making a move. So bad job
all around by South Coast here handling this situation.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Why not do this two weeks ago when they had
lost and then now you look at it four straight
and then they win. Not that Kirk Cousins played great,
because as you mentioned, they just run the football. He
couldn't throw. Why didn't they make this move early? Did
they really have hope that Kirk Cousins would turn it around?
Speaker 5 (21:40):
Well, they gave Kirk his reunion homecoming Minnesota Vikings trip.
And you didn't want to start to rook against Brian Flores.
I could have been damaged for life. I wouldn't They
didn't want to make They were in a bad spot.
They couldn't start him there, and then after that, you
(22:00):
know they could have started maybe last week. But you
know the the Raiders, same thing. You know, you got
Max Crosby and you're thinking you got mac Crozy eventually
didn't play well. They could barely block.
Speaker 7 (22:13):
The Raiders front that half four sacks without Max Crosby.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
So desperation move this the hell? Mary, No, no way,
to sugar coated. But that's where the Falcons are seven
and seven and go hand the ball over to the
rookie and say, hey, take us to the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Do you know a man of that better?
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Atlanta Journal Constitution talking to us about Michael Pennix, the
new starting quarterback for Kirk Cuttins.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
So now, what do I mean?
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Twenty seven and a half million guaranteed to Cousins for
next year, and if he's on the rosters, you know,
and March, he's gonna get ten more million as an
early bonus for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
Is this some Russell Wilson Denver situation.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
Where the Falcons are gonna eat this money and let
him sign somewhere else from minimum?
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Yeah, very well, could be that. But the numbers are
in the tie, you know, I I'm you know, we
we're breaking them down at twenty seven plus tens looked like.
Speaker 7 (23:06):
Twenty twenty you know, forty total.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
But I mean, I'm not aligned by that. That doesn't
do me much harm giving a tack, what you know,
pitting pay for their quarterbacks off season. He got back.
You got Trevor Lawrence to Baker Mayfield making thirty million.
So basically you end up with Kirk Cousins for one year,
sixty million, and uh, you know, yeah, you was hoping
(23:32):
it was gonna work out signing a thirty six year
old with the coming up achilles injury, and uh, it
didn't work out. Now it might be time to move on,
and uh you have to eat that part and hopefully
the salary cap goes up and doesn't hurt as much
because you got a rookie. You got a starting quarterback
on a rookie deal.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Do you saying that Pennox hasn't had first team reps?
Do you think he's gonna go in and get a
full meal deal of the Falcons offense throwing the ball
all around the yard, or are they gonna ease him in.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
Oh yeah, they gotta. I know, they gonna throw the
whole thing out there. You're gonna see some cowpits deep.
You'll see some drakes learning and crumbing across the field
on those Romeo Dody route they ran at once. You know, uh,
they know what he can do and they're gonna call it.
So I'm not in no sense of trying to make
(24:26):
him an option quarterback and do read the option and
all that you know he can swing it. They gonna
let him do it. And uh, you know if the Giants,
you know, uh, try to confuse them with coverage and
everything and check the ball down the.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Begone real quickly.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
I know, we gotta let you go here soon. But
has Michael Pennix prepared for this moment? Have he talked
to you guys and said like he's ready to take
that step if needed?
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Or has he just been a great backup?
Speaker 2 (24:51):
And that's pretty much it, and now he has an
opportunity to go out there and compete.
Speaker 5 (24:56):
No. No. I talked with him on December second, and
I was like, hey, look he knows. I was like, look, man,
it looks pretty bleak out there. He goes if it's
an emergency, He's like, he's like, yeah, I'm I stay ready,
I'm you know, I'm good to go. I was like,
have you ran the games playing? How do you you know?
Speaker 6 (25:15):
You?
Speaker 5 (25:16):
What have you done to make you feel comfortable? You're ready?
You just been running the scout team. He's like, yeah,
that's right. But when he's out on the field, I'm
taking mental reps, I'm watching everything. I'm uh you know, uh,
that's the best thing I can do to get ready
is handle these mental reps and the same thing as
quarterback coach T. J. Yates said, I was like, hey, man,
Michael told me he was ready. I was like, how
(25:38):
can he be ready? Well, we ain't ran the offense,
and they're like, oh no, that's life of back up quarterback.
I think he's ready. He's doing all the right stuff.
So now we're gonna see if I'm gonna take him
out that word that he's ready. So we're gonna holding
to the standard. I'm trying to go out there and
we're gonna see if he can play some winning football
with a lot of tallet players around him.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
My uh.
Speaker 5 (26:01):
If it works out for the Falcons, they'll be ecstatic
around Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
The Orlando led Beetter, thank you on no noticing in
a hurry. We'll let you go back to your real
job and appreciate you always dropping in. I hope you
get a fun ride with Pennixy's last three games.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
All right, Well, thank you so much, Greg.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
You off, Yes, sir, Orlando led Better from the Atlanta
Journal Constitution talking with from Flowery Branch, Georgia, Atlanta Falcons
headquarters where last night, the way he mentioned that is
so NFL. That's exactly what a team note. Hey, how
the coach say one thing and then put it out
of the press. They put it out in a press
release last night, obviously because the word was starting to
(26:37):
get out and they probably hadn't even told Cousins yet,
and so they had to hurry up and tell Cousins.
And once they told Cousins, then they put it out
on a press release. That's the way that goes around.
But the Orlanda led better Courts I could I know
him for decades, and I could see him going up
to Pennix and going, how the hell you're gonna be
ready when you haven't run a first team repull season.
(27:00):
I'm totally picturing that conversation. It is weird to think
that they waited till now. To your point, Chris, that's.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
So dumb because now they give him no room to
fore air.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Oh yeah, Like, if this is a team that wants
to made the playoffs, Michael Pennix has to be the savior.
And that's a lot of pressure from the jump who
hasn't taken any snacks right, He has no familiarity with
the receivers.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Six months of running scout team.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Yeah, but hey, this is where stars are quote unquote
born true. This is where Pennis can say, you know
what I've been given crap. I haven't done anything, but
let me go out here and deliver.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
You're right.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
If Michael Pennix gets the Falcons to the playoffs, this
will be one of the most remarkable rookie quarterback performers.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
As part of me.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Really wanting to get it done because the situation they
put him in.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Yeah, and how cold jacked with people around you, dub
and it would just be great for him.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Rookie accomplished it to be better than that, I don't know,
running a scout team for four months, then coming in
with three games left in a playoff push and and
balling out and getting your team over the team that's
in front of you to win a division title and
get a home playoff game after five months on mothballs
and scout team. Oh man, that's that'd be one of
the greatest rookie accomplishments to quarterback. I can gear into
(28:16):
you this.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
If the game is available over here in Seattle, everybody's
going to be tuning in at that ten o'clock.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
I think it's ten o'clock is a ten o'clock game.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
I think it's on Fox, and unfortunately, I think it's
only a Fox single wingdoed window this week, and that's
the Seahawks and the Vikings.
Speaker 8 (28:30):
At one oh five, So you'd have to go to
your local bars. But I bet you'll be full with
Pennis Jersey. This is this is huge, So I hope
he goes out there, balls out. It just it sucks
that he's in this situation. But I know this is
what he would want, and he's accepting the challenge and
he's excited for the opportunity to go out there and
improve people that think TENNA draft of this kid.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
You know, we got Kirk Cousins, whatever the case may
have been. So this is huge.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Four nine four five one on a telemill Do text line,
Can you come up with a rookie accomplishment as a
quarterback in the NFL in recent memory? That would be
more impressive than if Penix leads the Falcons to the
playoffs out of nowhere from the jump, no break in,
no acclimation. You heard deer and and of Ledbetter saying,
oh they don't know what he's him in. He's got
to give him a full deal. He's gonna have the
(29:13):
full playbook. At his disposal of the Falcons tossing the
ball all the way down the field against the Giants.
Speaker 3 (29:19):
I saw it. Of course they started him against the Giants.
It's an easy landing.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
But then they could have done it with the Raiders.
Then you're giving him the break in game.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
They had opportunities. They just do want to pull the
trigger for whatever reason. For the money, we'll talk about
the money we're going to sign Kirk in the first place.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Oh, that's becoming obvious, but yeah, we'll talk about the
money coming up. Because the Kirk Cousins money is really
interesting in parallels to Russell Wilson in Denver. Here and
the Steelers are making out. They're a ten and three
team in first place, paying their quarterback one million dollars.
Denver's paying him thirty seven to win for them, And
(29:56):
Denver and Pittsburgh could very well meet in the playoffs
first round.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Perhaps it's looking like it's gonna be a collision. Courts crazy.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
The Broncos could be paying the quarterback they're playing against
in the playoffs thirty seven million to play against him.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
That's hilario.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Hey, Wes, we're going to add an extra ten view
to lose brother. How's that sound? Go ahead and throw
us a pick wine?
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Why don't you? But now Cousins is in the Pennock
situation is coming up to be the same.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
I think if your cousin you just retire, like I
know you love the game, but this is anybody taking
you next year, you're gonna be a backup that.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
I don't think so even for a veteran minimum with
the Falcons playing the freight, he can't move.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Not having mobility in the pocket is even Tom Brady
could move in the pocket and he wasn't that.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
He wasn't gonna do nothing. Crazy Cousins thirty seven next,
he can't move. He just cannot be pretty when he
said that they ran the Wishbone to just.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Beat the Raiders because he can't move and maybe he
is hurt, but you knew, you knew there was gonna
be issues coming into the season. He wasn't gonna be
a complete Kirk. Cousins like, oh he's back.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
Fourteen games are running the scout team and now the
Falcons are asking Michael Pennix to come in on a
white horse and lead him to the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
Michael Pennix, can you do it man?
Speaker 1 (31:05):
Four nine four five one on the tunnel, We'll do
text line, Dear Orlando Ledbetter. People on the text line
already said, had that guy on to talk.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
About the weather? They love this guy.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
He's great, he's so awesome, he's so Southern, he's a
gentlely here's a bow tie everywhere. I told you the
story when he and I both won the state Sports
Trader of the Year awards and went to the National
Sports Media Could Mention or Awards ceremony in Winston Salem,
North Carolina.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
He brought his whole family, his parents, his cousins.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
I mean, they're like twenty people there, and they were
so happy for him, and it was and rightly so.
He's been doing it for such a long time. The
Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta General Constitution. If you missed
his interview with his and only you can speak like
he does, put it in playing terms. You can download
it later today on the iHeartRadio app or a nine
three to three kjar dot com. Okay, we had to
(31:54):
put d on. Now we'll give you coming up the
breakdown of the Seahawks with their play action passing versus
the knee to run more versus the need probably to
stay in shotgun to avoid the vikings pass rush. Eleven
o'clock Hugh Millen, we're going to talk to him about
Michael Pennix.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
We're going to talk to him about seahawks and shotgun
so much.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
And eleven thirty we'll read back your text four two
five said yes, explanation point when you said dear landon
Ledbetter was coming on, I was so happy.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
He was fantastic to listen to. Would love to have
a drink with that guy.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Much more coming up on ninety three point three KJRFM.
Welcome back to the Greg Belt Show with Christopher Kidd
on ninety three point three KJRFM. If you missed our
interview with de Orlando Ledbetter, the award winning d from
the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Michael Pennock's the decision that
(32:45):
he said was a quote stunner.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
You can catch that on the.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
iHeartRadio app later today or at nine three three KJR
dot com SERTs the Greg Belt Show with Christopher Kidd,
and you'll find the always folks, he always plain speaking,
dear LANDA. Ledbetter, just putting it real and saying, how
are you going to be ready? After months in the practice,
were actually scout team running in practices, never getting first
team reps.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
How you can be ready to put him in the playoffs?
He said.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Pennix told him quote, I stay ready, and that his
offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach said the same thing to him.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
We'll see how it works.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
It would be quite the coup for Michael Pennix in
his NFL splash to lead the Falcons from an offensive
abyss into the playoffs in the last three games. First
win is Penix's first NFL start on Sunday in Georgia
against the two to twelve New York Giants. Again, the
Falcons a game behind Tampa Bay for the lead in
the NFC South with three games remaining. Here in Seattle
(33:40):
Viking Seahawks, with the Seahawks tied in the standings win
loss wise with the Rams, but actually behind him by
tide breaker atop the NFC West with three games re raining,
remember the final game Rams hosting the Seahawks the first
weekend of January. The Seahawks need to stay even with
or a game ahead of the Rams before that for
that game to be for sure for the NFC West title.
If the Seahawks are a game behind the Rams leading
(34:02):
into that game, it comes into play through tiebreakers, the
third of which is common opponent games, and the Seahawks
are currently trailing in the games the two teams have
played each. For instance, the Rams have swept the forty
nine Ers, the Seahawks split with just this one example,
the Rams beat the Bills, the Bills beat the Seahawks.
It's those kind of decisions and those kind of results
(34:25):
that could be the difference between the Seahawks being out
of the playoffs and then winning the NFC West if
it comes down to that final game. But to get there,
they got to probably beat the Vikings and the Bears.
Because the meanwhile, the Rams are playing at the Jets
and hosting the Cardinals the next two weeks. So how
are they going to pull this off as a home
underdog for the second straight week. Well, they talked this
(34:48):
week about running the ball more, they ran. They just
they gave their running backs. Ryan Grubb called just eleven
running plays for running backs in the first fifty three
snaps of that game before George Hawney ran three times
to end the game and run the clock out. They
were in shotgun forty seven of fifty three times until
the Jilani three runs at the end of the game.
(35:08):
They're talking about having to do more play action passes.
They are in the bottom five in the league and
play action pass attempts, yet Gino Smith is in the
top four and overall attempts, So they're just not throwing
play action pass and they're in shotgun a lot. The
best play action is in under the center with a
running back behind you, whatere. It all looks like run
(35:29):
in formation and in movement of the backfield. But if
you do that against the Vikings Chris, then you're turning
your back. You're having Smith turn his back on the
guys are gonna be blitzing at him. Because Brian Flores
blitzed as much.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
As anybody in the league.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
It's an entirely different deal than the Packers, who are
one of the lowest pressure teams in the league, to
now one of the biggest and the low one of
the lowest pressure teams in the league. Sacked their quarterback
seven times and hit them twelve times, So it would
seem like you don't want to put Smith under center
against the Vikings. No, it's probably gonna be back to
(36:02):
more shotgun, which means not a lot of play action passing,
which means not a lot to slow down those Vikings
pass rushers. There are plays to be made down the
field against the Vikings. They are second to last. I
think I cited a number in yards allowed and in
a pass game, but they also lead an interceptions, So
it's sacks, interceptions or big plays against the Vikings pass defense.
(36:26):
DK Metcalft for Chris we talked about even two weeks ago.
He's gonna have more chances in this game than he's
had probably in the last month. Everyone's been playing too
deep shell coverage and bracketing and over the top with Metcalf,
and he has to catch anything underneath. Not the Vikings.
They're gonna do zero blitzes. They're gonna have Manda Man
and there are gonna be chances if Smith can get
the ball out, if the.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
Line can give Smith time to throw, if it is
a good big gifts.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
So yeah, it'll be fun to see how this chess
match plays out. Obviously, I don't think Brian wants to
leave his guys on the island, but based on the
statistics numbers that are coming into this game.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
He is more prone to doing.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
It, but not everybody has a DKJS and ty Lockett
on their team. So now it's gonna be interesting to
see how much time he puts into Hey, we're gonna
send blitzes, and what type of pressure he's sending is
gonna be simulated dropping guys here and there. I know
Harrison Smith plays all over the place, and I forget
his name. Martellis number forty four. I believe he's played corner, linebacker.
(37:24):
He's played basically every spot, so Ginald keying in on
where he's at. I think his numbers forty four will
be huge just because he is everywhere, including Harrison Smith,
who he can play linebacker. He also plays deep safety
as well, so they have a lot of They have
two interchangeable pieces on defense, just as the Seahawks do
with Devin Witherspoon, Julian Love and Rashawn Jenkins. So that'll
(37:44):
be an interesting key on how Gino identifies where to
attack offensively, especially if they're gonna be doing a lot
of shotgun I do think running to the outside might
be their strength. I don't know how well the Vikings
defense is in regards to stopping the runs that go
outside versus in side the numbers. But if the Seahows
can run those counters and get outside and allow the
big men to lead Ken Walker or sharbonne Ay, I
(38:07):
believe that might be a successful attempt in running the football.
Running up the gut hat on hat probably not the
Seahawks' best strength right now. So again, the Seahawks will
know when they take the field whether the Rams have
won or lost in the Meadowlands against the Jets, and
they need the Rams to lose one of the next
two for it to be viable for that game to
be for the NFC West title to end the regular season.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Four nine, four or five one to tell them, we'll
do Tex Simond's game time. It's telly times. Some of
you are weighing in about the Seahawks and their chances
or lack thereof after losing to the Packers, and that's
where they've put themselves in with that Giants loss. Everyone
talking about how bad the Giants are, and every time
they say it, I'm like, yeah, well we beat the
Seahawks in Seattle, That'll probably be the game. If they
don't make the playoffs will be the reason why up.
(38:51):
But next, Hugh Mellon joins us as he does every Wednesday,
at eleven o'clock. We're going to talk about Michael Pennix,
the new Falcons quarter and what task he has, How
it is to play quarterback in the NFL as a rookie.
Hugh Millon played quarterback in the NFL, What kind of
challenges Panics up against and the Seahawks all the shotgun,
the play action passed. We'll talk to Hugh Millon next.
(39:13):
Reback your text at eleven thirty. Talk to Ian Ferness
at eleven forty five, All on ninety three point three
kJ RFM
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