December 9, 2025 • 33 mins
In the third hour, Dick Fain and Hugh Millen discuss Sam Darnold and the boost that the Seahawks have gotten with him at quarterback this year, AJ Barner’s impact, the interior offensive line for the team as Jalen Sundell returns, plus the Colts ahead for the Hawks.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, rolling into the five o'clock hour. John Wilner
(00:02):
will join us at six o'clock today. I had to
go a little bit later today at a little UH
function he had to go to. Or actually, he's in Vegas, right,
he's at UH. He's doing some UH doing some bowlwark
postseason working in Vegas. So we'll talk to him in
an hour. We talked a lot of NFL in the
first hour, a lot of Huskies in the second hour.
Haven't really dived into the Seahawks specifically much today after
(00:24):
spending a lot of time yesterday on it. And we
stumbled into something yesterday, Hugh, not an argument, it was.
I don't even know what brought it up. I think
we were just talking about the elite nature of the defense.
You were you were talking about the defense, and I
just started thinking and which is always a dangerous thing.
And as you were talking, I brought up the schedule,
(00:46):
and I was looking at the final scores of these games,
and I got to thinking about Sam Donald. I like
what Sam Donald's done this year. I was a proponent
of bringing Sam Donald in. I think Sam Donald has
been massively better this season than Gino Smith has been
in Las Vegas. But then I started questioning, all right,
(01:06):
how many wins has Sam Donald really given us over replacement?
Because especially recently other than the Rams game, which we lost,
and every other quarterback would have lost that game anyway,
that you know, any worse quarterback than Sam would have
lost that game anyway. You've won all these games by
blowout fashion, So you can't really look at Sam Donald
(01:29):
and say, wow, we wouldn't have won that game without
Sam Donald. So and then that kind of got you
got you going a little bit, Hugh, and so I
want to just what do you think Sam Donald's war
is win above replacement? It's such a big baseball term.
It's not as big as a football term, but it is.
You know, there is a war stat for quarterbacks. I mean,
(01:49):
are there is there a stat? Yes, but usually it
only comes out at the end of seasons. That's the thing.
I try to find an in season one and I can't.
And you know, Tom Brady is your career war leader
in the in the NFL all time, So at least
that shows some correlation to greatness.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
So well, what is the interesting if you average it
per season? Right?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Right?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
But I've looked at the war I'm I'm prepared to
stipulate that it's a good It's both a good idea
and probably a pretty good stat I.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Mean, I'm looking at some games. I'm looking at that
that Pittsburgh game that he played very well in twenty
two of thirty three, two ninety five, a couple of touchdowns,
did have a couple of sacks or of interceptions in
that game, but it was a two touchdown win that one. Potentially,
I do think the Cardinal game twenty three to twenty
he went eighteen of twenty six two forty two and
(02:39):
a touchdown. And yet the question I was posing was, Okay,
we're not talking about Sam Donald visa VI, just some
guy off the street like Philip Rivers. We're just talking
about Sam Donald and maybe the Dictionary definition of average
quarterback and the average starting quarterback in the NFL. How
much of a boost do you think the Seahawks have
(03:00):
gotten it? And what games do you think the Seahawks
have gotten that boost from where you can truly say,
you know what, Sam Darnold was a major reason why
we won this football game.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah. Well, and when I kind of jumped you, my
sense as you were kind of looking at it. You know,
I always try and go follow with the evidence leads,
evidence first and then conclusion. Right, I felt like you
were going conclusion first, let me find the evidence, you
call me yes, yes. So that that's when I was
(03:33):
kind of jamming you on that component of.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And I think it's because I was going backwards first.
I was going most recent games, and I was like, well, God,
anybody could have beaten Atlanta, anybody could have beaten Minnesota,
anybody could have beaten Tennessee, anybody could beat in Arizona
the last time. I mean, it's like there's just been
so many games where there's the defense was so smothering
that anybody could have played quarterback and the work.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Sure, and just because the methodology is wrong doesn't mean
that you didn't advance sound and you know, reasoned outcome
and conclusion your conclusion. To me, I would say this
the way I look at it, Okay, you've you've got
ten wins, you're uh, you're in second place in the NFC.
(04:15):
How many would you have with Gino Smith in looking
at those games, you say, Pittsburgh their their playoff team.
Fourth quarter that was that you had a chance to
lose that game. Patrick Queen comes in untouched on a blitz.
Donald Escapes gets a twenty seven yarder and and then
he hits a post route to Injigbah and then the
(04:37):
kickoff calamity, and next thing you know, you've got a
two touchdown win. But obviously it wasn't nearly that tight.
So that was a losable game. At Arizona, the Cardinals
had come back and tied you and Donald had to
hit a fade route up the right sideline and then
a fade out up the left sideline to to secure
(04:58):
that game. So you win that game by three. That
was a losable game. Jacksonville, the jack. You know, you
got to give credit for a quarterback who's throwing the
knockout punches early on right. I mean, you could you
just look at at at his big playability. We're talking
(05:18):
about the quarterback who's the number one quarterback in the
NFL in yards pert tempt yards per completion in percentage
of passes that are over ten yards, percentage of passes
that are over twenty yards. And then and yet for
efficiency standpoint, this is an odd one percentage of passes
over four yards fifty seven percent. That would include incompletions,
(05:41):
he's number one in the NFL and completion percentage over
four yards, so there's some efficiency components to it. I
probably should have kept going Houston. He had that unbelievable
throw in the second quarter right before halftime. You won,
but won by you know, a score, twenty seven to nineteen.
That's a hell of a defense. Actually, you watched Josh Allen.
(06:02):
Josh Allen couldn't beat him. Houston's defense is legit, absolutely legit. Right,
So that was a losable game. We won't say Washington.
Let's say we won't say Arizona at home, but then
you know Tennessee could have they upset. Yeah, they came
back within a touchdown. You had to make some plays
at the end. Atlanta was a losable game. Bad quarterback
(06:25):
play in the Atlanta game that you know that was
dancing on the head of a of a pin for
a half. So so if there's what we say, five
losable games out of the ten, yeah, would would have No,
you have to say, would Gino have lost all five? No,
I'm not gonna say that. Would Gino have won any
of the three that Donald lost? That's possible. Yeah, I'll
(06:50):
probably stick to what I said, uh, that it's between
two and four wins more with Donald in part because
you like because he's he essentially dick. He's the quarterback
with the highest slugging percentage in baseball terms. Yeah, Like,
imagine how you play a team that their four hitter
(07:11):
or the three hitter is, you know, Aaron Judge, like
the number one slugger in the league. How does that
affect everything else? How the defense plays you. So his
ability to strike and strike deep, he's number one in
yards per attempt out of play action. His ability to
get in the first half and go on first down
(07:31):
and go play action and go Pearl Harbor on your ass,
drop the house, bombs away and then get those leads.
I'll stick with. I think that they're two to four
wins better than and let's say that we're closer to
two than four. You pay fifty five sixty dollars to
(07:53):
a starting quarterback who can win you three more games
than the backup. That's right, The backup worth four million
can win you within three games as the starter for
fifty four million. It's not a linear graph, that's right.
You're paying way more for that extra.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
It's an exponential graph.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Exponential. Absolutely. It's like when I first got in the league,
I go, okay, I got I got a few secls.
I like, I love music. Let me let me. You
know I'm gonna get into high fi. Right, So so
I bought I bought this unbelievable amp from Threshold Sacramento.
Uh uh, you know I got the four model. So
thirty five hundred dollars in nineteen eighty six.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
That's a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
And you know what, it's the one possession I still
own that it still operates. I've got, I got it.
It's one hundred pounds. It's an unbelievable umpire. But you
know what I realized really soon, like, whoa, this is
a game I can't win. Maybe Dan Marino can win,
but I can't win this game, right because you double
Like if if you say I want to get you
(08:59):
know back then a seed player for one thousand dollars
or let's say five hundred dollars to get if you
go to twenty five hundred, you only getting a ten
percent increase. Right, the five hundred dollars CD player, it
sounds ninety five percent as good as the three thousand, right,
Like you're that's what it's like for quarterbacking. You are
(09:22):
paying that major surcharge on just a two or three
extra wins because the difference between you know, twelve and
five and nine and seven, that's everything. You get the
home field advantage because you won three more games than
you could because you have a top flight quarterback. And
(09:43):
a top flight quarterback isn't always going to win the
game in the last drive. Sometimes he wins the game
in the first half because he just knocked you out.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah, your your case in point the Houston game, Sam
Donald took Seattle and had a thirty two yard completion.
He took Seattle in the second quarter against Houston to
a fourteen nothing lead on a ten play eighty yard drive.
How many times do you think the Texans defense this
year has allowed a ten play eighty yard touchdown drive?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Great point, it might be the only one, Jackson, What
do you think? What is your gut tell you? I'm
saying two to four games, probably closer to two at
this junkster. Ten wins, I'd say maybe you'd have eight
with Gino. Yeah, seven or eight. Three was the number number.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah, So I mean right in between for all those
same reasons. So Geno will be seven and six or
eight and five. I think say Gino's been seven and
six sole life with us.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I mean seems you think about like here, here's better
than last year for sure, Like here's my thought, like
you put Gino Smith in this offense with this defense,
and the defense is going to keep you in every
single game. We know that. So how many games of
the schedule that we just went through is Gino Smith
going to be able to perform?
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Like Sam Darld did? I think a few less? Yes?
And but but I think we all agreed. Gino Gino
in this offense with this defense looks a lot more
like Seahawks Gino than he does Raiders.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
The only reason Raiders Geno was Raiders Gino is because
they decided not to pay or to have or even
have an offensive line exist. Do you actually I mean, Hugh,
I don't know. You watch tape. Do we know that
there is an actual guys in front of him?
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Do we know that it's.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I think three or four of them are offensive. Uh,
they're offensive line dressed up, but they're really traffic. Yes, right, No,
that's exactly that's what I thought.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
You know, there's there's one thing, guys that that now
has become become a trend. We're talking three games now
over the last four for Mike McDonald and it's starting
to bother me, to be perfectly honest with you, love
what Mike McDonald's doing as the head coach, but this
clock management at the end of games and the end
of half's, end of game against La, end of half
(11:56):
two weeks ago, end of half this week where he
just like he wants to hoard timeouts for the last
twenty seconds of halves like the squirrels do at my
house in September and October. Case in point against, he
let over fifty percent of the remaining clock time drain
(12:20):
out by not taking a timeout after a five yard
run and let it go from fifty one seconds to
twenty five seconds, and then he runs the ball again
and takes his first time out of the half with
twenty two seconds left to go in the half. I mean, now,
it's worked out the last two weeks because he's gotten
late field goals at the end, so it has worked
(12:42):
out for him, but it is has given me a
heart attack. Hugh yelling at the television or at at
the stadium last week is this is this an issue
or is this something? Do you like the fact that, hey,
he's just keeping as long as he can and he
knows he's got three plays left and he wants to
go time out, time out, timeout in the last three plays.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Have I think that he's got to calibrate his thoughts
a little differently. I think that particularly when you see, Okay,
what's the urgency coming up to the line of scrimmage
after when the clock's running, you know, I think there's
there's too much time that's that's being whittled off. I mean,
as you said, there's some of those those plays where
tackled in bounds where you know, you know, particularly if
(13:22):
the receivers are far down the field or what have you.
You just this is the time for the time out.
And I'm all for saving that final one for the kicker.
That makes sense. But I agree with you. I think
it's got to improve.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Some personnel questions I have for you. One you brought
up aj Barner yesterday a little bit. He had three
catches for twenty seven yards. He had a barnyard that
forced an off sides. He is becoming a more prominent
piece of this offense and I'm wondering when you look
at Aj Barner, do you see just that, you know,
(13:58):
a solid tight end, does his job, starting caliber, or
do you see a guy that eventually could become one
of these guys that we talk about as being one
of the better tight ends in the league, you know,
throw out you know, the same. Maybe not like a
Trey McBride or Brock Bauers. I think those guys are
probably on different levels. But the you know, the Sam
(14:19):
Laporta level, the Mark Andrews level over the last few years,
I mean, those those type of guys that you're like, hey,
we're gonna give another contract to this guy. This is
a guy that we want to pay decent money to
over the next four or five years on this team.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Yeah, I think that he's vaulted a lot. I certainly
think more of him now than I did a year ago.
You know, I think there was a little part of
me this like, yeah, we got the Michigan tight end,
but it's not close and leveling right, right, But you know,
standing watching him in training camp and just kind of
watching him block and what have you. First of all,
(14:51):
he has an incredible frame, like like crazy, like I
don't know, if the dude's married. I'm happily married to
one woman my whole life. But I got two eyes
that dude has. If you are a single chick and
you've got an I would be dming freaking that that
dude is. He's got like a twenty seven inch waist,
(15:12):
like he's got I just want his frame one week
and oh my god, my wife won't let me out
of bed. I mean, that guy is a is a
a dunnis and I mean and in every way, head
to toe, and I'm like, WHOA. That dude is an athlete.
He is a freaking athlete.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
And well, you know he has to have superior strength
that they're using him in the barnyard. The tush push,
you know. The dude's just got yeah, fantallic he can
squat five hundred pounds, pull.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Yeah yeah, no, I mean everything his lower body is
upper body. I mean he he is, So there is
a there's an athleticism to that guy. I think he
moves better than maybe I thought, stronger than maybe I thought,
you know, tall, you know, I think I think he
presents a big tar, and so I think he's probably
in the second quadrant. You say, first of all, is
(16:06):
he above the median. I think he's above the median,
but we're just judging him again starting tight end, so
I'm not certain he's above the median. I mean, you know, right,
I mean that means you've got to be in the
top sixteen obviously, right. I don't think he's a top
level you know, he's not a top eight tight end,
I don't think, but I think so. I think he's
in the second quadrant with an ability to to maybe
(16:28):
in his best years, push into the first quadrant. I
don't know that he has the long speed to ever
be a great pass catch, to be great great, but
you know, you know, the improvement level has been pretty steep.
So I'm happy with him. And I like how how
(16:48):
kouobiat kind of you know, he'll do a tight end
screen or do a delay and and it seems like
Barner's been the guy that's helped Darnold get out of
funks when he's been in one interesting you got me. Yes,
he's had a hell of a season, Darnold. It's a
coal level season. But the times he's slumped oftentimes, when
you look at that, oh, there's the drive that got
(17:10):
him out of the slump. Barner's usually been featured a
couple of times or there's a big completion in there.
So yeah, No, I like the guy, and I like
his his trend.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
When we come back, a guy that Hugh doesn't really
like his trend, that would be Anthony Bradford. And I'm
wondering if Anthony brad is going to lose his starting
job because we got Jalen Sundell coming back. Is he
going to play center or is he gonna play right guard?
We'll talk about that next on ninety three point three
kJ ERAP.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour is
brought to you by Duke's Seafood. Why don't you make
it at Duke's Night tonight. Reserve your table today at
Dukeseafood dot com. Now back to Softy and Dick on
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJR.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
FM, Softian Deck without the soft on one more day.
I'll be back tomorrow. Jackson is here, Hugh is here.
We're talking Seahawk football here in this five o'clock hour.
John Wilner will join us at six lots and lots
and lots to get to John Wilner definitely got to
chat about Notre Dame and their various decisions by their
(18:12):
athletic director over the last forty eight hours. But you know,
let's let's talk a little bit about this offensive line
situation with the Seahawks. Hugh and Jalen Sendel is going
to be back for the first time in a month.
And the question now is, you know he was playing
center before ol who's been playing center? Now You've got
(18:32):
Anthony Bradford at right guard. And the question, let's start
with Jalen Sendel himself, like what type of upgrade is
this going to be putting Jalen Sundell back in the
lineup at either position? What have you thought of the
job that he's done, because I think he's a guy
that probably has been forgotten, maybe the most forgotten starter
on this football team this season.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah, you know, really good athlete moves well in space,
you know, you know, whether it's screens or any kind
of pin and poll if he has to do that
or you know, get to a second level where it's
a tough reach block. His feet are really good. His
his downside is that he just isn't real strong, so
he's succept susceptible to bull rush in times where just
(19:14):
you know, there's a low center of gravity, gravity guy,
strong guy getting into him and make him move him
pretty good. So I think that he had a good rapport.
Uh and you know, smart guy that that probably handled
the offensive line H calls well. But uh, yeah, I
think he's a better athlete than Olu. Maybe not quite
(19:36):
as strong, but overall, I would say he performed has
performed better this year at center than Olu.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
He's perform an upgrade over Olu. And so the question
then being does the right guard spot change at all?
And is with Sundell. It doesn't sound like Sundell's strong enough.
You're talking about the lack of strength. I mean, don't
you don't you just have to be physically stronger at
right guard and you do it center because usually the
centers are a lot smaller than guards are.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
He has a general rule. Yeah, you need to be strong.
I mean you can make up for it if you
don't have strong you know, if you have length or
athleticism and technique. Uh, you don't have to be strong.
But but you know, as I said, Sundell, because he
he lacks strength, he has to be better uh at
technique and so overall he's just a better center than
(20:26):
Olu a timmy and I believe he would be a
better guard than Anthony Bradford. The question is, are you
better off with Sundell at center and keeping Bradford or
do you experiment around and maybe think Olu Olu is
a better center than Bradford is a guard.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
Right, That's that's the question, the upgrade.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
But then, but then you don't want to lose you
you know, if your comparative advantage with Sundal is that
you know, he's he's a you know, good very I
don't say very good. If he's a good center and
an average guard, maybe it doesn't make as much sense.
Does that make you follow me on that? Yes?
Speaker 1 (21:07):
And Craig Man wrong, Olu has played guard, just not
as much as center, right correct, and and and compare
Olu as a guard to Bradford is a right guard.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Well, we don't have a lot of reps from Olu
as a guard, but it's hard to you know, this
is a bad week to pick on Bradford. He had
a good game, you know, and good for him. I'm
glad that he did. You know, he's still you know,
out of one hundred and twenty seven guards, he's ranked
one hundred and fifth out of all plays, He's a
(21:41):
hundred and eighth out of pass blocking. I mean that's
pretty much commensurate with what I see on tape.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
One of the things you're changing subjects a little bit.
One of the things I've been really impressed with is
the ability of this team in Jalenson. Dell's really one
of these guys. The ability for these guys, whether it
be Mike McDonald than his scheme, or whether it be
John Schneider and just his talent evaluation grabbing some of
these diamonds in the rough. I mean, Sundell, look on
(22:09):
the defense, Ocada, Drake Thomas, Patrick O'Connell. I mean, is
this is this excellent scouting by John Schneider? I mean, yeah,
the answer is probably yes and yes. But which would
you tip the scales excellent scouting by John Schneider, or
particularly on the defensive side of the ball with guys
(22:30):
like Ocada, Thomas and O'Connell. That just Mike McDonald's scheme
is so awesome that it's in a way it's kind
of plug and play for guys.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Yeah, that's a great question. And I think pre dating McDonald,
Snyder had had success with you know, Baldwin and you know,
there was a time where the Seahawks were number one
in the NFL and use of active free agents, and
I think that they the Seahawks under under Snyder's direction,
(23:00):
they kind of look for those guys that have a
little bit of a chip on their shoulder and gonna
play angry and and maybe you know, just gonna give
you a little bit more. I mean, I'm blown away
at Drake Thomas. If you'd have told me that Drake
Thomas was just gonna unsee Tyree Knight because he'd play better,
I would not have believed that. I had no way
(23:22):
did I see that coming. Tyocotta playing as well as
he had it, ty Oconna was barely even gonna make
the team. Remember, like everybody thought Jared uh, not Jared
but but Jared Reed, Jeric Reed, h Jerck Reid was
gonna make it. Then o'cata had that great preseason game
against Green Bay. Seemingly maybe McDonald just knew it all along.
(23:44):
He was gonna have Ocatta but kinda makes that one
handed interception deep down the field. He looked like uh,
Jerry Rice making the catch and then and then but
then the next series he comes up and he and
he fills on a on a bounce play. That running
back had come backside and was trying to get outside
and he just came up and just chopped him down.
(24:05):
And I'm like, whoa. The the one head catch was impressive,
but that that's just kind of lucky. That play right there,
that's a legit, big time football play. And he kind
of did those plays back to back against the Packers.
The next thing he makes a team I'm painting a
picture like he he barely made it, and then now
look how good he is. I'm not sure if that's accurate.
(24:27):
As again, maybe Mike McDonald, if he's driving, he'd be laughing, going, no, dude,
Okada was gonna make it all along. Well, there weren't
any signs that that was gonna happen. But what to
your to your question, These these guys that you know undersize, uh,
you know, maybe maybe not great athletes, but they're making
(24:47):
up for it by their quick recognition and by their toughness,
their aware awareness of where their help is. Uh, you know,
they're they will stick their face in the fan every
single time like they they are not There is no
breaks when they go to hit somebody. Now they don't
have you know, Bam BAM's body, So we're not seeing
(25:09):
these knockouts. But they're giving you everything they have and
clearly playing the way Mike McDonald wants some question. Okay,
So so I think I think it's a combination. That's
that's a lame answer.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
But the truth well, this run of the Seahawks defense
facing backup quarterbacks, either backups from the beginning of the
game or the backup comes in the middle of the
game like Marcus Mariota had to do for Jayden Daniels.
I mean, you went from that game, you went from
that game to Jacoby Brissette. Then you did play Matthew Stafford,
and you did play cam Ward Starters, but then you
(25:42):
played Max Brosmer, and then you played backup Kirk Cousins,
and now you're playing backup I don't know. Maybe Philip
Rivers Frank Reich was interviewed today, Rivers's old coach, now
coached at Stanford this past year. He said, it'll be
familiar for Philip, It'll be easy. I have zero concerns
about that. Give me a quick take on forty four
(26:04):
year old Philip Rivers. If he's got to play quarterback
for there's just no way he knows the offense. If
if he can go out and he can beat the
dark side, which is what de La wants to call
the defense, if that's what he wants to call him,
then fine. If he can do that, then forget the
five years waiting for the Hall of Fame. Just put
(26:25):
him in on Monday. In no way do I believe
that that's gonna happen. And but you know what, Look,
Seattle's been fortunate. There's no question even prior. You know
who a week ago, hell, four days ago. If you
looked up the highest scoring team in the NFL, do
you know who it was? Up? It's all week ago, Dallas,
(26:48):
the Colts up until four days ago.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Wow it They only got knocked out of the number
one scoring position by virtue of last this past Sunday,
two days AGO's game. So, and I actually did a
breakdown on the thirty thirteen. Mike Tannenbaum asked me to
break down Daniel Jones. He didn't know that I had
been a prior fan of his, So it worked out.
But I looked at extensively at the Colts tape and
(27:15):
you know, every single play up to that point. And
they've got some dudes. Now they they've got targets. I
was extremely impressed that Ty Warren the tight end hotly
cow and they got this little guy, Josh Downs. He
was wearing number one, but when they acquire Sauce Gardener,
(27:37):
now he wears number two. He's like one hundred and
sixty five pounds, but they use him and they match
him up. He is so damn quick. He's a tough cover.
You've heard of Michael Pittman, right, But Alec Pierce, you know,
Alec Peerson to the last two years, has been like
number one in yardsberg catch. They got number fourteen. This
is a big, tall receiver, doesn't run great, but man
(27:59):
can he finish. I mean they've got they have got studs.
And of course they got Jonathan Taylor. I mean this was,
you know, in a deficient offensive line. This was an
offense that, let me say it again, until this Sunday
was number one in the NFL and points. And so
I don't think they'd have the trigger man to make
it happen whatsoever. I think I think Seattle glides easily
(28:22):
on this, but I could be wrong because that there's
some potency to that offense. But you know, you raise
the question like, Okay, Seattle got lucky. There's no question,
period and of story. Anybody who says otherwise, they're just,
you know, blind luck. They didn't have to play the Colts.
The Colts were going to be on their schedule no
matter what. It could have been the first week in October,
(28:44):
and Seattle would have had their freaking hands full.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
Oh, there's no question we're playing the Colts at the
right time. But we played Tama time, you know.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Just to underscore the point. Two thousand and two, the
Buccaneers beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl handling. That
was an unbelievable defense. Brad Johnson was a quarterback. All
those Buccaneers have Super Bowl rings. Answer me this question,
how many backup quarterbacks did the Buccaneers defense play that year?
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Well, because you're asking, I'll probably say like seven or eight?
Speaker 2 (29:11):
You know what I am asking because I don't know.
I didn't look it up.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
I got okay, I don't know. You don't know matter
they won, they won the games, and god the you.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Think anybody, Yeah, you think at the at the holiday party,
anybody looks at the ring goes, how many backup quarterbacks
did you play that? You know, you got the freaking hardware.
So so you know what the sports got. You know,
the football gods are going to smile on you, and
sometimes they're going to kick you in the and then
you know, and the jewels and and you know when
they smile on you, you just say thank you. You know,
you pick up your ball and you go to the
(29:42):
next hole. Hey, when that's what they have with the
Colts on center.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
When we get back, an interesting name being tossed about
as a potential head coach of the Washington State Cougar.
So I'm gonna give you my thoughts and get hughes
as well. On ninety three point three kJ.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
RFM, this is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour
is brought to you by Duke's Seafood. Why don't you
make it a Duke's night tonight. Deserve your table today
at dukesefood dot com. Now back to Softy and Dick
on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
John Willho is going to join us in the next segment,
talking all things, college football playoffs, Hugh speaking of college football,
speaking of college athletics. Twenty two years ago, Dick Bennett
was hire as the head basketball coach at Washington State University,
and they went on a run three years with Dick
Bennett and then multiple years with his son, Tony Bennett,
(30:33):
and it was the greatest Cougar stretch of basketball in
this entire by far, in this entire century, and best
even more so than probably George Raveling back in the days.
The football team has got an opportunity to do something
very very similar. Rick new Eisl is out there. He
(30:54):
has expressed interest in the job, his son waiting in
the wings. You could have Rick as the head coach
for a couple three years, You could have Jerry's head
coach for a couple three years, and you could eliminate
the uncertainty that is the Cougar head coaching position, where
guys can leave after eleven and a half months, like
what just happened. I think it's a good idea. What
(31:16):
do you think?
Speaker 2 (31:17):
I think it's a good idea. I think that I
first of all, I commend Rick for wanting to get
back in the arena. I think that some guys have
a calling and and all of the the gratification that
you get from interacting and impacting positively the lives of
young guys. I think that some guys it really gives
(31:41):
them fulfillment. And I'm thinking while I'm talking of one
of my best friends, Jim Mora, who went to Yukon
and you know, he just he had he had a
great deal going in Custom House in Sun Valley, you know,
a place in LA Like, he didn't need to coach, right,
but he he just he had this drive that he
(32:02):
wanted to be, you know, back in the competition and
back into influencing kids positively. And I think you probably
know Yukon nine and three. They've got more wins in
the last two years and eight against ACC teams than
Florida State. And they're not they're they're an independent. Well
he's yeah, he's.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Done such a good job at Yukon that it's he's
been on the on the list if Jed, if Jed
were to leave, he's now on the list for the
for the US.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
He's one of the twelve finalists for the College Coach
of the Year. But so, but at your point is
there's some similarities.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
I do, and I and back to your point on
on Rick, you know giving a you know, giving up
what is a freaking unbelievable life man. Rick is playing Riviera,
Rick is playing l A c. C Rick is making
a good living front CBS. I mean, and to move
to Pullman after. I mean, you're going, that's that's incredible
(32:57):
that you would have that type of commitment to the
coaching profession as well as, let's face it, trying to
help your son get a Division one football job. Still
that's saying a lot.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Yeah, Well, it would be more money presumably that he's
making with the network, not implying that that money is
you know, central, a secondary or even a tertiary issue.
I think, as I said, I think he just feels
a compulsion to go. He's already coached three teams in
the conference, so I think, I don't know, maybe there's
(33:33):
something I'm overlooking, but it seems like it'd be good
for Wazoo and it'd be good for Rick.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Yeah, no, I think. So let's talk about it with
John Wilner coming up right after the top of the
hour Headlines on ninety three point three KJRFM
All right, rolling into the five o'clock hour. John Wilner
(00:02):
will join us at six o'clock today. I had to
go a little bit later today at a little UH
function he had to go to. Or actually, he's in Vegas, right,
he's at UH. He's doing some UH doing some bowlwark
postseason working in Vegas. So we'll talk to him in
an hour. We talked a lot of NFL in the
first hour, a lot of Huskies in the second hour.
Haven't really dived into the Seahawks specifically much today after
(00:24):
spending a lot of time yesterday on it. And we
stumbled into something yesterday, Hugh, not an argument, it was.
I don't even know what brought it up. I think
we were just talking about the elite nature of the defense.
You were you were talking about the defense, and I
just started thinking and which is always a dangerous thing.
And as you were talking, I brought up the schedule,
(00:46):
and I was looking at the final scores of these games,
and I got to thinking about Sam Donald. I like
what Sam Donald's done this year. I was a proponent
of bringing Sam Donald in. I think Sam Donald has
been massively better this season than Gino Smith has been
in Las Vegas. But then I started questioning, all right,
(01:06):
how many wins has Sam Donald really given us over replacement?
Because especially recently other than the Rams game, which we lost,
and every other quarterback would have lost that game anyway,
that you know, any worse quarterback than Sam would have
lost that game anyway. You've won all these games by
blowout fashion, So you can't really look at Sam Donald
(01:29):
and say, wow, we wouldn't have won that game without
Sam Donald. So and then that kind of got you
got you going a little bit, Hugh, and so I
want to just what do you think Sam Donald's war
is win above replacement? It's such a big baseball term.
It's not as big as a football term, but it is.
You know, there is a war stat for quarterbacks. I mean,
(01:49):
are there is there a stat? Yes, but usually it
only comes out at the end of seasons. That's the thing.
I try to find an in season one and I can't.
And you know, Tom Brady is your career war leader
in the in the NFL all time, So at least
that shows some correlation to greatness.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
So well, what is the interesting if you average it
per season? Right?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Right?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
But I've looked at the war I'm I'm prepared to
stipulate that it's a good It's both a good idea
and probably a pretty good stat I.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Mean, I'm looking at some games. I'm looking at that
that Pittsburgh game that he played very well in twenty
two of thirty three, two ninety five, a couple of touchdowns,
did have a couple of sacks or of interceptions in
that game, but it was a two touchdown win that one. Potentially,
I do think the Cardinal game twenty three to twenty
he went eighteen of twenty six two forty two and
(02:39):
a touchdown. And yet the question I was posing was, Okay,
we're not talking about Sam Donald visa VI, just some
guy off the street like Philip Rivers. We're just talking
about Sam Donald and maybe the Dictionary definition of average
quarterback and the average starting quarterback in the NFL. How
much of a boost do you think the Seahawks have
(03:00):
gotten it? And what games do you think the Seahawks
have gotten that boost from where you can truly say,
you know what, Sam Darnold was a major reason why
we won this football game.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah. Well, and when I kind of jumped you, my
sense as you were kind of looking at it. You know,
I always try and go follow with the evidence leads,
evidence first and then conclusion. Right, I felt like you
were going conclusion first, let me find the evidence, you
call me yes, yes. So that that's when I was
(03:33):
kind of jamming you on that component of.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
And I think it's because I was going backwards first.
I was going most recent games, and I was like, well, God,
anybody could have beaten Atlanta, anybody could have beaten Minnesota,
anybody could have beaten Tennessee, anybody could beat in Arizona
the last time. I mean, it's like there's just been
so many games where there's the defense was so smothering
that anybody could have played quarterback and the work.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Sure, and just because the methodology is wrong doesn't mean
that you didn't advance sound and you know, reasoned outcome
and conclusion your conclusion. To me, I would say this
the way I look at it, Okay, you've you've got
ten wins, you're uh, you're in second place in the NFC.
(04:15):
How many would you have with Gino Smith in looking
at those games, you say, Pittsburgh their their playoff team.
Fourth quarter that was that you had a chance to
lose that game. Patrick Queen comes in untouched on a blitz.
Donald Escapes gets a twenty seven yarder and and then
he hits a post route to Injigbah and then the
(04:37):
kickoff calamity, and next thing you know, you've got a
two touchdown win. But obviously it wasn't nearly that tight.
So that was a losable game. At Arizona, the Cardinals
had come back and tied you and Donald had to
hit a fade route up the right sideline and then
a fade out up the left sideline to to secure
(04:58):
that game. So you win that game by three. That
was a losable game. Jacksonville, the jack. You know, you
got to give credit for a quarterback who's throwing the
knockout punches early on right. I mean, you could you
just look at at at his big playability. We're talking
(05:18):
about the quarterback who's the number one quarterback in the
NFL in yards pert tempt yards per completion in percentage
of passes that are over ten yards, percentage of passes
that are over twenty yards. And then and yet for
efficiency standpoint, this is an odd one percentage of passes
over four yards fifty seven percent. That would include incompletions,
(05:41):
he's number one in the NFL and completion percentage over
four yards, so there's some efficiency components to it. I
probably should have kept going Houston. He had that unbelievable
throw in the second quarter right before halftime. You won,
but won by you know, a score, twenty seven to nineteen.
That's a hell of a defense. Actually, you watched Josh Allen.
(06:02):
Josh Allen couldn't beat him. Houston's defense is legit, absolutely legit. Right,
So that was a losable game. We won't say Washington.
Let's say we won't say Arizona at home, but then
you know Tennessee could have they upset. Yeah, they came
back within a touchdown. You had to make some plays
at the end. Atlanta was a losable game. Bad quarterback
(06:25):
play in the Atlanta game that you know that was
dancing on the head of a of a pin for
a half. So so if there's what we say, five
losable games out of the ten, yeah, would would have No,
you have to say, would Gino have lost all five? No,
I'm not gonna say that. Would Gino have won any
of the three that Donald lost? That's possible. Yeah, I'll
(06:50):
probably stick to what I said, uh, that it's between
two and four wins more with Donald in part because
you like because he's he essentially dick. He's the quarterback
with the highest slugging percentage in baseball terms. Yeah, Like,
imagine how you play a team that their four hitter
(07:11):
or the three hitter is, you know, Aaron Judge, like
the number one slugger in the league. How does that
affect everything else? How the defense plays you. So his
ability to strike and strike deep, he's number one in
yards per attempt out of play action. His ability to
get in the first half and go on first down
(07:31):
and go play action and go Pearl Harbor on your ass,
drop the house, bombs away and then get those leads.
I'll stick with. I think that they're two to four
wins better than and let's say that we're closer to
two than four. You pay fifty five sixty dollars to
(07:53):
a starting quarterback who can win you three more games
than the backup. That's right, The backup worth four million
can win you within three games as the starter for
fifty four million. It's not a linear graph, that's right.
You're paying way more for that extra.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
It's an exponential graph.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Exponential. Absolutely. It's like when I first got in the league,
I go, okay, I got I got a few secls.
I like, I love music. Let me let me. You
know I'm gonna get into high fi. Right, So so
I bought I bought this unbelievable amp from Threshold Sacramento.
Uh uh, you know I got the four model. So
thirty five hundred dollars in nineteen eighty six.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
That's a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
And you know what, it's the one possession I still
own that it still operates. I've got, I got it.
It's one hundred pounds. It's an unbelievable umpire. But you
know what I realized really soon, like, whoa, this is
a game I can't win. Maybe Dan Marino can win,
but I can't win this game, right because you double
Like if if you say I want to get you
(08:59):
know back then a seed player for one thousand dollars
or let's say five hundred dollars to get if you
go to twenty five hundred, you only getting a ten
percent increase. Right, the five hundred dollars CD player, it
sounds ninety five percent as good as the three thousand, right,
Like you're that's what it's like for quarterbacking. You are
(09:22):
paying that major surcharge on just a two or three
extra wins because the difference between you know, twelve and
five and nine and seven, that's everything. You get the
home field advantage because you won three more games than
you could because you have a top flight quarterback. And
(09:43):
a top flight quarterback isn't always going to win the
game in the last drive. Sometimes he wins the game
in the first half because he just knocked you out.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah, your your case in point the Houston game, Sam
Donald took Seattle and had a thirty two yard completion.
He took Seattle in the second quarter against Houston to
a fourteen nothing lead on a ten play eighty yard drive.
How many times do you think the Texans defense this
year has allowed a ten play eighty yard touchdown drive?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Great point, it might be the only one, Jackson, What
do you think? What is your gut tell you? I'm
saying two to four games, probably closer to two at
this junkster. Ten wins, I'd say maybe you'd have eight
with Gino. Yeah, seven or eight. Three was the number number.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah, So I mean right in between for all those
same reasons. So Geno will be seven and six or
eight and five. I think say Gino's been seven and
six sole life with us.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I mean seems you think about like here, here's better
than last year for sure, Like here's my thought, like
you put Gino Smith in this offense with this defense,
and the defense is going to keep you in every
single game. We know that. So how many games of
the schedule that we just went through is Gino Smith
going to be able to perform?
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Like Sam Darld did? I think a few less? Yes?
And but but I think we all agreed. Gino Gino
in this offense with this defense looks a lot more
like Seahawks Gino than he does Raiders.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
The only reason Raiders Geno was Raiders Gino is because
they decided not to pay or to have or even
have an offensive line exist. Do you actually I mean, Hugh,
I don't know. You watch tape. Do we know that
there is an actual guys in front of him?
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Do we know that it's.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
I think three or four of them are offensive. Uh,
they're offensive line dressed up, but they're really traffic. Yes, right, No,
that's exactly that's what I thought.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
You know, there's there's one thing, guys that that now
has become become a trend. We're talking three games now
over the last four for Mike McDonald and it's starting
to bother me, to be perfectly honest with you, love
what Mike McDonald's doing as the head coach, but this
clock management at the end of games and the end
of half's, end of game against La, end of half
(11:56):
two weeks ago, end of half this week where he
just like he wants to hoard timeouts for the last
twenty seconds of halves like the squirrels do at my
house in September and October. Case in point against, he
let over fifty percent of the remaining clock time drain
(12:20):
out by not taking a timeout after a five yard
run and let it go from fifty one seconds to
twenty five seconds, and then he runs the ball again
and takes his first time out of the half with
twenty two seconds left to go in the half. I mean, now,
it's worked out the last two weeks because he's gotten
late field goals at the end, so it has worked
(12:42):
out for him, but it is has given me a
heart attack. Hugh yelling at the television or at at
the stadium last week is this is this an issue
or is this something? Do you like the fact that, hey,
he's just keeping as long as he can and he
knows he's got three plays left and he wants to
go time out, time out, timeout in the last three plays.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Have I think that he's got to calibrate his thoughts
a little differently. I think that particularly when you see, Okay,
what's the urgency coming up to the line of scrimmage
after when the clock's running, you know, I think there's
there's too much time that's that's being whittled off. I mean,
as you said, there's some of those those plays where
tackled in bounds where you know, you know, particularly if
(13:22):
the receivers are far down the field or what have you.
You just this is the time for the time out.
And I'm all for saving that final one for the kicker.
That makes sense. But I agree with you. I think
it's got to improve.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Some personnel questions I have for you. One you brought
up aj Barner yesterday a little bit. He had three
catches for twenty seven yards. He had a barnyard that
forced an off sides. He is becoming a more prominent
piece of this offense and I'm wondering when you look
at Aj Barner, do you see just that, you know,
(13:58):
a solid tight end, does his job, starting caliber, or
do you see a guy that eventually could become one
of these guys that we talk about as being one
of the better tight ends in the league, you know,
throw out you know, the same. Maybe not like a
Trey McBride or Brock Bauers. I think those guys are
probably on different levels. But the you know, the Sam
(14:19):
Laporta level, the Mark Andrews level over the last few years,
I mean, those those type of guys that you're like, hey,
we're gonna give another contract to this guy. This is
a guy that we want to pay decent money to
over the next four or five years on this team.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Yeah, I think that he's vaulted a lot. I certainly
think more of him now than I did a year ago.
You know, I think there was a little part of
me this like, yeah, we got the Michigan tight end,
but it's not close and leveling right, right, But you know,
standing watching him in training camp and just kind of
watching him block and what have you. First of all,
(14:51):
he has an incredible frame, like like crazy, like I
don't know, if the dude's married. I'm happily married to
one woman my whole life. But I got two eyes
that dude has. If you are a single chick and
you've got an I would be dming freaking that that
dude is. He's got like a twenty seven inch waist,
(15:12):
like he's got I just want his frame one week
and oh my god, my wife won't let me out
of bed. I mean, that guy is a is a
a dunnis and I mean and in every way, head
to toe, and I'm like, WHOA. That dude is an athlete.
He is a freaking athlete.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
And well, you know he has to have superior strength
that they're using him in the barnyard. The tush push,
you know. The dude's just got yeah, fantallic he can
squat five hundred pounds, pull.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Yeah yeah, no, I mean everything his lower body is
upper body. I mean he he is, So there is
a there's an athleticism to that guy. I think he
moves better than maybe I thought, stronger than maybe I thought,
you know, tall, you know, I think I think he
presents a big tar, and so I think he's probably
in the second quadrant. You say, first of all, is
(16:06):
he above the median. I think he's above the median,
but we're just judging him again starting tight end, so
I'm not certain he's above the median. I mean, you know, right,
I mean that means you've got to be in the
top sixteen obviously, right. I don't think he's a top
level you know, he's not a top eight tight end,
I don't think, but I think so. I think he's
in the second quadrant with an ability to to maybe
(16:28):
in his best years, push into the first quadrant. I
don't know that he has the long speed to ever
be a great pass catch, to be great great, but
you know, you know, the improvement level has been pretty steep.
So I'm happy with him. And I like how how
(16:48):
kouobiat kind of you know, he'll do a tight end
screen or do a delay and and it seems like
Barner's been the guy that's helped Darnold get out of
funks when he's been in one interesting you got me. Yes,
he's had a hell of a season, Darnold. It's a
coal level season. But the times he's slumped oftentimes, when
you look at that, oh, there's the drive that got
(17:10):
him out of the slump. Barner's usually been featured a
couple of times or there's a big completion in there.
So yeah, No, I like the guy, and I like
his his trend.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
When we come back, a guy that Hugh doesn't really
like his trend, that would be Anthony Bradford. And I'm
wondering if Anthony brad is going to lose his starting
job because we got Jalen Sundell coming back. Is he
going to play center or is he gonna play right guard?
We'll talk about that next on ninety three point three
kJ ERAP.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour is
brought to you by Duke's Seafood. Why don't you make
it at Duke's Night tonight. Reserve your table today at
Dukeseafood dot com. Now back to Softy and Dick on
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJR.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
FM, Softian Deck without the soft on one more day.
I'll be back tomorrow. Jackson is here, Hugh is here.
We're talking Seahawk football here in this five o'clock hour.
John Wilner will join us at six lots and lots
and lots to get to John Wilner definitely got to
chat about Notre Dame and their various decisions by their
(18:12):
athletic director over the last forty eight hours. But you know,
let's let's talk a little bit about this offensive line
situation with the Seahawks. Hugh and Jalen Sendel is going
to be back for the first time in a month.
And the question now is, you know he was playing
center before ol who's been playing center? Now You've got
(18:32):
Anthony Bradford at right guard. And the question, let's start
with Jalen Sendel himself, like what type of upgrade is
this going to be putting Jalen Sundell back in the
lineup at either position? What have you thought of the
job that he's done, because I think he's a guy
that probably has been forgotten, maybe the most forgotten starter
on this football team this season.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah, you know, really good athlete moves well in space,
you know, you know, whether it's screens or any kind
of pin and poll if he has to do that
or you know, get to a second level where it's
a tough reach block. His feet are really good. His
his downside is that he just isn't real strong, so
he's succept susceptible to bull rush in times where just
(19:14):
you know, there's a low center of gravity, gravity guy,
strong guy getting into him and make him move him
pretty good. So I think that he had a good rapport.
Uh and you know, smart guy that that probably handled
the offensive line H calls well. But uh, yeah, I
think he's a better athlete than Olu. Maybe not quite
(19:36):
as strong, but overall, I would say he performed has
performed better this year at center than Olu.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
He's perform an upgrade over Olu. And so the question
then being does the right guard spot change at all?
And is with Sundell. It doesn't sound like Sundell's strong enough.
You're talking about the lack of strength. I mean, don't
you don't you just have to be physically stronger at
right guard and you do it center because usually the
centers are a lot smaller than guards are.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
He has a general rule. Yeah, you need to be strong.
I mean you can make up for it if you
don't have strong you know, if you have length or
athleticism and technique. Uh, you don't have to be strong.
But but you know, as I said, Sundell, because he
he lacks strength, he has to be better uh at
technique and so overall he's just a better center than
(20:26):
Olu a timmy and I believe he would be a
better guard than Anthony Bradford. The question is, are you
better off with Sundell at center and keeping Bradford or
do you experiment around and maybe think Olu Olu is
a better center than Bradford is a guard.
Speaker 1 (20:46):
Right, That's that's the question, the upgrade.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
But then, but then you don't want to lose you
you know, if your comparative advantage with Sundal is that
you know, he's he's a you know, good very I
don't say very good. If he's a good center and
an average guard, maybe it doesn't make as much sense.
Does that make you follow me on that? Yes?
Speaker 1 (21:07):
And Craig Man wrong, Olu has played guard, just not
as much as center, right correct, and and and compare
Olu as a guard to Bradford is a right guard.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Well, we don't have a lot of reps from Olu
as a guard, but it's hard to you know, this
is a bad week to pick on Bradford. He had
a good game, you know, and good for him. I'm
glad that he did. You know, he's still you know,
out of one hundred and twenty seven guards, he's ranked
one hundred and fifth out of all plays, He's a
(21:41):
hundred and eighth out of pass blocking. I mean that's
pretty much commensurate with what I see on tape.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
One of the things you're changing subjects a little bit.
One of the things I've been really impressed with is
the ability of this team in Jalenson. Dell's really one
of these guys. The ability for these guys, whether it
be Mike McDonald than his scheme, or whether it be
John Schneider and just his talent evaluation grabbing some of
these diamonds in the rough. I mean, Sundell, look on
(22:09):
the defense, Ocada, Drake Thomas, Patrick O'Connell. I mean, is
this is this excellent scouting by John Schneider? I mean, yeah,
the answer is probably yes and yes. But which would
you tip the scales excellent scouting by John Schneider, or
particularly on the defensive side of the ball with guys
(22:30):
like Ocada, Thomas and O'Connell. That just Mike McDonald's scheme
is so awesome that it's in a way it's kind
of plug and play for guys.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Yeah, that's a great question. And I think pre dating McDonald,
Snyder had had success with you know, Baldwin and you know,
there was a time where the Seahawks were number one
in the NFL and use of active free agents, and
I think that they the Seahawks under under Snyder's direction,
(23:00):
they kind of look for those guys that have a
little bit of a chip on their shoulder and gonna
play angry and and maybe you know, just gonna give
you a little bit more. I mean, I'm blown away
at Drake Thomas. If you'd have told me that Drake
Thomas was just gonna unsee Tyree Knight because he'd play better,
I would not have believed that. I had no way
(23:22):
did I see that coming. Tyocotta playing as well as
he had it, ty Oconna was barely even gonna make
the team. Remember, like everybody thought Jared uh, not Jared
but but Jared Reed, Jeric Reed, h Jerck Reid was
gonna make it. Then o'cata had that great preseason game
against Green Bay. Seemingly maybe McDonald just knew it all along.
(23:44):
He was gonna have Ocatta but kinda makes that one
handed interception deep down the field. He looked like uh,
Jerry Rice making the catch and then and then but
then the next series he comes up and he and
he fills on a on a bounce play. That running
back had come backside and was trying to get outside
and he just came up and just chopped him down.
(24:05):
And I'm like, whoa. The the one head catch was impressive,
but that that's just kind of lucky. That play right there,
that's a legit, big time football play. And he kind
of did those plays back to back against the Packers.
The next thing he makes a team I'm painting a
picture like he he barely made it, and then now
look how good he is. I'm not sure if that's accurate.
(24:27):
As again, maybe Mike McDonald, if he's driving, he'd be laughing, going, no, dude,
Okada was gonna make it all along. Well, there weren't
any signs that that was gonna happen. But what to
your to your question, These these guys that you know undersize, uh,
you know, maybe maybe not great athletes, but they're making
(24:47):
up for it by their quick recognition and by their toughness,
their aware awareness of where their help is. Uh, you know,
they're they will stick their face in the fan every
single time like they they are not There is no
breaks when they go to hit somebody. Now they don't
have you know, Bam BAM's body, So we're not seeing
(25:09):
these knockouts. But they're giving you everything they have and
clearly playing the way Mike McDonald wants some question. Okay,
So so I think I think it's a combination. That's
that's a lame answer.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
But the truth well, this run of the Seahawks defense
facing backup quarterbacks, either backups from the beginning of the
game or the backup comes in the middle of the
game like Marcus Mariota had to do for Jayden Daniels.
I mean, you went from that game, you went from
that game to Jacoby Brissette. Then you did play Matthew Stafford,
and you did play cam Ward Starters, but then you
(25:42):
played Max Brosmer, and then you played backup Kirk Cousins,
and now you're playing backup I don't know. Maybe Philip
Rivers Frank Reich was interviewed today, Rivers's old coach, now
coached at Stanford this past year. He said, it'll be
familiar for Philip, It'll be easy. I have zero concerns
about that. Give me a quick take on forty four
(26:04):
year old Philip Rivers. If he's got to play quarterback
for there's just no way he knows the offense. If
if he can go out and he can beat the
dark side, which is what de La wants to call
the defense, if that's what he wants to call him,
then fine. If he can do that, then forget the
five years waiting for the Hall of Fame. Just put
(26:25):
him in on Monday. In no way do I believe
that that's gonna happen. And but you know what, Look,
Seattle's been fortunate. There's no question even prior. You know
who a week ago, hell, four days ago. If you
looked up the highest scoring team in the NFL, do
you know who it was? Up? It's all week ago, Dallas,
(26:48):
the Colts up until four days ago.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Wow it They only got knocked out of the number
one scoring position by virtue of last this past Sunday,
two days AGO's game. So, and I actually did a
breakdown on the thirty thirteen. Mike Tannenbaum asked me to
break down Daniel Jones. He didn't know that I had
been a prior fan of his, So it worked out.
But I looked at extensively at the Colts tape and
(27:15):
you know, every single play up to that point. And
they've got some dudes. Now they they've got targets. I
was extremely impressed that Ty Warren the tight end hotly
cow and they got this little guy, Josh Downs. He
was wearing number one, but when they acquire Sauce Gardener,
(27:37):
now he wears number two. He's like one hundred and
sixty five pounds, but they use him and they match
him up. He is so damn quick. He's a tough cover.
You've heard of Michael Pittman, right, But Alec Pierce, you know,
Alec Peerson to the last two years, has been like
number one in yardsberg catch. They got number fourteen. This
is a big, tall receiver, doesn't run great, but man
(27:59):
can he finish. I mean they've got they have got studs.
And of course they got Jonathan Taylor. I mean this was,
you know, in a deficient offensive line. This was an
offense that, let me say it again, until this Sunday
was number one in the NFL and points. And so
I don't think they'd have the trigger man to make
it happen whatsoever. I think I think Seattle glides easily
(28:22):
on this, but I could be wrong because that there's
some potency to that offense. But you know, you raise
the question like, Okay, Seattle got lucky. There's no question,
period and of story. Anybody who says otherwise, they're just,
you know, blind luck. They didn't have to play the Colts.
The Colts were going to be on their schedule no
matter what. It could have been the first week in October,
(28:44):
and Seattle would have had their freaking hands full.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
Oh, there's no question we're playing the Colts at the
right time. But we played Tama time, you know.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Just to underscore the point. Two thousand and two, the
Buccaneers beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl handling. That
was an unbelievable defense. Brad Johnson was a quarterback. All
those Buccaneers have Super Bowl rings. Answer me this question,
how many backup quarterbacks did the Buccaneers defense play that year?
Speaker 1 (29:08):
Well, because you're asking, I'll probably say like seven or eight?
Speaker 2 (29:11):
You know what I am asking because I don't know.
I didn't look it up.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
I got okay, I don't know. You don't know matter
they won, they won the games, and god the you.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Think anybody, Yeah, you think at the at the holiday party,
anybody looks at the ring goes, how many backup quarterbacks
did you play that? You know, you got the freaking hardware.
So so you know what the sports got. You know,
the football gods are going to smile on you, and
sometimes they're going to kick you in the and then
you know, and the jewels and and you know when
they smile on you, you just say thank you. You know,
you pick up your ball and you go to the
(29:42):
next hole. Hey, when that's what they have with the
Colts on center.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
When we get back, an interesting name being tossed about
as a potential head coach of the Washington State Cougar.
So I'm gonna give you my thoughts and get hughes
as well. On ninety three point three kJ.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
RFM, this is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour
is brought to you by Duke's Seafood. Why don't you
make it a Duke's night tonight. Deserve your table today
at dukesefood dot com. Now back to Softy and Dick
on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
John Willho is going to join us in the next segment,
talking all things, college football playoffs, Hugh speaking of college football,
speaking of college athletics. Twenty two years ago, Dick Bennett
was hire as the head basketball coach at Washington State University,
and they went on a run three years with Dick
Bennett and then multiple years with his son, Tony Bennett,
(30:33):
and it was the greatest Cougar stretch of basketball in
this entire by far, in this entire century, and best
even more so than probably George Raveling back in the days.
The football team has got an opportunity to do something
very very similar. Rick new Eisl is out there. He
(30:54):
has expressed interest in the job, his son waiting in
the wings. You could have Rick as the head coach
for a couple three years, You could have Jerry's head
coach for a couple three years, and you could eliminate
the uncertainty that is the Cougar head coaching position, where
guys can leave after eleven and a half months, like
what just happened. I think it's a good idea. What
(31:16):
do you think?
Speaker 2 (31:17):
I think it's a good idea. I think that I
first of all, I commend Rick for wanting to get
back in the arena. I think that some guys have
a calling and and all of the the gratification that
you get from interacting and impacting positively the lives of
young guys. I think that some guys it really gives
(31:41):
them fulfillment. And I'm thinking while I'm talking of one
of my best friends, Jim Mora, who went to Yukon
and you know, he just he had he had a
great deal going in Custom House in Sun Valley, you know,
a place in LA Like, he didn't need to coach, right,
but he he just he had this drive that he
(32:02):
wanted to be, you know, back in the competition and
back into influencing kids positively. And I think you probably
know Yukon nine and three. They've got more wins in
the last two years and eight against ACC teams than
Florida State. And they're not they're they're an independent. Well
he's yeah, he's.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Done such a good job at Yukon that it's he's
been on the on the list if Jed, if Jed
were to leave, he's now on the list for the
for the US.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
He's one of the twelve finalists for the College Coach
of the Year. But so, but at your point is
there's some similarities.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
I do, and I and back to your point on
on Rick, you know giving a you know, giving up
what is a freaking unbelievable life man. Rick is playing Riviera,
Rick is playing l A c. C Rick is making
a good living front CBS. I mean, and to move
to Pullman after. I mean, you're going, that's that's incredible
(32:57):
that you would have that type of commitment to the
coaching profession as well as, let's face it, trying to
help your son get a Division one football job. Still
that's saying a lot.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Yeah, Well, it would be more money presumably that he's
making with the network, not implying that that money is
you know, central, a secondary or even a tertiary issue.
I think, as I said, I think he just feels
a compulsion to go. He's already coached three teams in
the conference, so I think, I don't know, maybe there's
(33:33):
something I'm overlooking, but it seems like it'd be good
for Wazoo and it'd be good for Rick.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Yeah, no, I think. So let's talk about it with
John Wilner coming up right after the top of the
hour Headlines on ninety three point three KJRFM
Dave 'Softy' Mahler and Dick Fain News
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