WEBVTT - The OTP | Week 1 With Brian Callahan 0:00:12.400 --> 0:00:14.880 But Andy Wells. I'm Mike Keith and this is the 0:00:14.920 --> 0:00:18.200 OTP with Titans head coach Brian Callahan, presented by Farm 0:00:18.239 --> 0:00:21.639 Bureau Health Plans. In the Game of Health Coverage. Farm 0:00:21.680 --> 0:00:25.599 Bureau Health Plans is the MVP. Tennesseeans have relied on 0:00:25.640 --> 0:00:30.720 their unmatched rates, coverage and service for nearly eighty years. 0:00:31.040 --> 0:00:36.080 The head coaches here. It is game week, Broan Callahan. Welcome, Yeah, 0:00:36.360 --> 0:00:39.440 welcome to kickoff week. It's exciting. 0:00:40.040 --> 0:00:43.400 It is exciting, and we obviously have a lot of 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:45.559 football stuff to talk about. But before we get to 0:00:45.600 --> 0:00:48.440 the kickoff week stuff, I want to rewind just a 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:51.920 hair because I want to talk to you about last 0:00:52.000 --> 0:00:55.360 week's and evening with the Titans dinner event. Sure, and 0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:59.600 at that event, you made the decision to announce the 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:02.160 caps for this team at that event, which I think 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:04.720 is surprised a lot of people. What was your thinking 0:01:04.760 --> 0:01:05.399 behind doing that? 0:01:06.319 --> 0:01:09.480 I wanted them to make it special for the guys 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:14.720 being announced. I thought it was a cool venue to do, 0:01:14.760 --> 0:01:18.200 so I can't take full credit for it. Tom Jones 0:01:19.600 --> 0:01:23.080 does deserve some credit. He had initially brought the idea 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:26.280 up to me and I said, yeah, if we can 0:01:26.280 --> 0:01:28.759 get the jerseys done. So we called Joey in and 0:01:29.240 --> 0:01:31.840 our equipment head of equipment, and I said, hey, can 0:01:31.880 --> 0:01:34.120 you get these first of all, do you have any 0:01:34.160 --> 0:01:34.800 C patches? 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:36.440 The captage patch? 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:39.720 Yes, the patch, and can you get it on these 0:01:39.800 --> 0:01:45.560 jerseys in you know, think three hours. He goes, yeah, 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:47.080 no problem, we can. We can get it done. And 0:01:47.520 --> 0:01:48.880 he goes, let me check and make sure I have 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:52.400 the patches first, and thankfully he found them somewhere in 0:01:52.440 --> 0:01:55.320 the equipment room. He'd had them stashed away, and he 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:57.120 was able to get those jerseys done. And I think 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:01.280 I got a text from I gotta talk to more Cox, 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:04.400 and then I got a text for some other from 0:02:04.440 --> 0:02:07.520 Will and just how they didn't even realize how much 0:02:07.560 --> 0:02:10.560 that was going to mean to them. I know, Jeff 0:02:10.600 --> 0:02:12.800 was really excited to have the C patch on his jersey, 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:15.000 and in the moment he was, you could see how 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:17.400 excited he was, and Morgan had said that he hadn't 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:20.119 he just he goes, I didn't think it wouldn't mean 0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:22.240 that much because I couldn't stop looking at it, you know, 0:02:22.639 --> 0:02:24.320 like I had a jersey home that night, And so 0:02:25.360 --> 0:02:27.120 it means a lot to those guys and I thought 0:02:27.120 --> 0:02:30.120 that was the proper form for us to kind of 0:02:30.120 --> 0:02:32.800 publicly our team was there for the most part. Now 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:35.080 our whole coaching staff wasn't, but our team was there, 0:02:35.080 --> 0:02:37.280 and I thought that was a good venue to make 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:39.120 it feel a little bit more special than just me 0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:40.480 telling him in the team meeting. 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:44.040 Why is it important to you to establish traditions like 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:47.120 that here in your very first year as a head coach. 0:02:47.680 --> 0:02:50.520 Because you're always trying to put your own twist on things, 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:52.640 in your own spin on whatever it is you do 0:02:52.720 --> 0:02:57.360 on a day to day basis, and so things that 0:02:57.400 --> 0:02:59.400 are new and exciting are new and exciting for the 0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:02.399 players too, and so I think that they enjoy those things. 0:03:02.480 --> 0:03:06.000 They enjoy things different than what they've experienced before. And 0:03:07.639 --> 0:03:10.239 you know, there's when you build tradition and you build 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:13.240 your program, you want to have certain markers during the 0:03:13.280 --> 0:03:15.040 course of the season in the offseason that did that 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:17.800 have some meaning and everyone's got their things. But I 0:03:17.800 --> 0:03:20.240 thought that was a good place to, you know, try 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:22.760 to put a little bit of emphasis on those captains 0:03:22.760 --> 0:03:24.359 and then representing our team. 0:03:24.560 --> 0:03:27.679 Aby I didn't make Morgan Cox very happy because while 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:30.720 he was standing up there with Brian I said, hey, 0:03:30.880 --> 0:03:33.320 when you were at Tennessee, did you ever play against 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:35.720 Brian when he was at UCLA? And Borgan gave me 0:03:35.760 --> 0:03:37.600 this look and he stopped me in the lunch room too, 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:40.440 to again let me know he wasn't thrilled with me 0:03:40.480 --> 0:03:43.680 pointing out his age. They didn't by the way, they 0:03:43.720 --> 0:03:46.360 did not play against one another. They just missed each other. 0:03:46.800 --> 0:03:49.400 Brian did admit it to dinner. He played against Nick 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:50.920 Folk when he was at Arizona. 0:03:51.280 --> 0:03:52.040 That is correct too. 0:03:52.400 --> 0:03:55.760 But I've got a better one though. This Sunday, you're 0:03:55.760 --> 0:04:00.960 going to see Mercedes Lewis, forty year olds tight end. 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:05.840 Marcedes Lewis the former first round pick of the Jaguars 0:04:06.680 --> 0:04:09.880 in two thousand and six. Their second round pick was 0:04:10.320 --> 0:04:13.360 Maurice Jones Drew, who's now been on TV for ten years. 0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:18.040 What is it about Marcedes Lewis that has allowed him 0:04:18.040 --> 0:04:19.440 to play in the NFL? 0:04:20.440 --> 0:04:25.000 Yeah, I don't know. At that position, yes, traditionally one 0:04:25.040 --> 0:04:28.120 that deals with injury at a pretty regular rate. Just 0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:32.240 they're usually smaller than who they play against. History says 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:35.000 they all get hurt at some point, they break down 0:04:35.000 --> 0:04:37.360 a bit. But what he's been able to accomplish has 0:04:37.400 --> 0:04:39.480 been incredible. Mercedes and I were in the same recruiting 0:04:39.520 --> 0:04:43.760 class at UCLA. He lived in the room right across 0:04:43.800 --> 0:04:46.160 the hall from me, So I was teammates at Mercedes 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:51.320 for four years and he's the best. He's great. What 0:04:51.480 --> 0:04:53.440 he's been able to do for the as long as 0:04:53.440 --> 0:04:56.280 he's been able to do it is an incredible testament 0:04:56.320 --> 0:05:00.400 to his toughness, his love of the game. Boy, you 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:02.680 gotta love it to play that many years at that position, 0:05:03.440 --> 0:05:06.039 and he's been you know, he was, he was, he's 0:05:05.720 --> 0:05:10.000 he's six almost sixty seven. He's two hundred and seventy 0:05:10.040 --> 0:05:12.200 pounds now, I mean he's he's a big person, so 0:05:12.640 --> 0:05:14.480 he doesn't wear down maybe as much as some other 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:17.279 guys that played the position too, but incredible tip of 0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:18.800 the cap to him that I think he is the 0:05:18.880 --> 0:05:23.480 longest tenured tight end the history of football. 0:05:23.600 --> 0:05:25.360 Yeah, I mean it has to be. 0:05:25.480 --> 0:05:27.800 I actually played against Mercedes. I didn't play in this 0:05:27.839 --> 0:05:29.919 particular game, but we played against Mercedes when I was 0:05:29.920 --> 0:05:32.760 in high school. Dels L High School of Conquered California 0:05:32.839 --> 0:05:35.320 went down to play Long Beach Poly High School in 0:05:35.360 --> 0:05:39.560 two thousand and two thousand and one, and it was 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:41.400 the first time at the number one and number two 0:05:41.440 --> 0:05:43.680 ranked high school teams played each other in a regular 0:05:43.720 --> 0:05:46.600 season game. Mercedes was on that Long Beach Poly team, 0:05:46.600 --> 0:05:47.880 which was loaded with talent. 0:05:48.400 --> 0:05:51.120 Yeah, they're generally as they always are, generally Okay, so 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:51.760 he was. 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:54.440 He uh yeah, but what I mean, what an incredible 0:05:54.480 --> 0:05:55.760 what an incredible player in person? 0:05:55.800 --> 0:05:56.080 He is? 0:05:56.120 --> 0:05:57.840 He's I'm looking forward to saying load to him for 0:05:57.960 --> 0:05:58.200 the game. 0:05:58.200 --> 0:06:00.000 Well, let's talk about that game a little bit, because 0:06:00.120 --> 0:06:03.320 we are officially in preparation for Week one against the 0:06:03.400 --> 0:06:07.560 Chicago Bears. How do you kick off that preparation this week? 0:06:08.279 --> 0:06:08.719 Slowly? 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:10.640 This week because we get a bonus day to day, 0:06:10.680 --> 0:06:12.840 so players were off. For those that don't know, players 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:15.520 were off the weekend Friday, Saturday, Sundays. You saw a 0:06:15.520 --> 0:06:17.799 lot of guys back at their alma maters and things 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:20.159 like that. It's a good weekend to just take a 0:06:20.200 --> 0:06:22.680 deep breath from training camp and really try to transition 0:06:22.720 --> 0:06:25.479 into the regular season. So we came back today as 0:06:25.520 --> 0:06:27.360 a bonus day, so we still practiced and it was 0:06:27.480 --> 0:06:29.800 regular practice. We just kind of went against ourselves and 0:06:30.440 --> 0:06:33.520 we didn't do any real prep. Even my team meeting 0:06:33.600 --> 0:06:36.680 today wasn't even about Chicago. It's there, They're just we're 0:06:36.720 --> 0:06:39.440 not quite there yet, even though you can feel it. 0:06:39.440 --> 0:06:41.840 And it is a game week. But Tuesdays the off day, 0:06:41.839 --> 0:06:44.200 and Wednesday will start the regular prep. We've we've gotten 0:06:44.200 --> 0:06:47.200 ahead as a coaching staff. We've introduced bits and pieces 0:06:47.240 --> 0:06:50.080 to the players. But I've always found that too much 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:53.000 time on your hands tends to be literally lead to 0:06:53.040 --> 0:06:56.839 some over analysis and overthinking when you just you know, 0:06:56.880 --> 0:06:58.479 you don't get this extra time for any other game. 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:01.120 So just treat it the same and start Wednesday when 0:07:01.160 --> 0:07:01.920 you're supposed to start. 0:07:02.000 --> 0:07:06.000 Go back your business. Yea, So the injury report will 0:07:06.040 --> 0:07:09.640 come out on Wednesday, and for a player who's been 0:07:09.680 --> 0:07:14.160 injured like a DeAndre Hopkins who hasn't practiced in several weeks, 0:07:15.160 --> 0:07:19.320 as you prepare to go forward from a game plan standpoint, 0:07:19.880 --> 0:07:23.320 when do you need to have an idea you're gonna 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:26.080 have players like that available or you're not. 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:29.920 Earlier is always better, But you can manage that at 0:07:30.000 --> 0:07:32.600 some positions a little easier than others. You know where 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:35.000 you can you can wait till a Thursday or Friday 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:38.480 and just make sure they have the handful of plays 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:40.320 that you that they need to make sure they're focused 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:42.840 in on. That's where it does get easier now, is 0:07:42.880 --> 0:07:45.320 that now you're working through a game plan, and so 0:07:45.320 --> 0:07:47.160 there's only so many plays you have up in a game, 0:07:47.200 --> 0:07:49.920 and it's not like training camp where you're pulling from 0:07:50.320 --> 0:07:52.600 eight or nine or ten installs in your entire offense, 0:07:52.600 --> 0:07:55.280 and there's just a lot more. Everything tightens down, and 0:07:55.320 --> 0:07:59.320 so you can you can use players in limited roles 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:02.480 or whatever role their physical ability lets them play in. 0:08:02.600 --> 0:08:05.760 So not a huge deal. If it's you know, for him, 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:08.000 if we don't get the green light by Friday, or 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:10.400 if it's we get the red light on Wednesday, it 0:08:10.400 --> 0:08:12.880 doesn't matter. I can manage either either one of those 0:08:12.880 --> 0:08:14.840 scenarios with a guy like that. 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:20.440 Hey, Titans fans, celebrate each Titans when and enjoy the 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:23.600 sweet taste of victory with a free donut at Kroger 0:08:23.920 --> 0:08:27.320 the very next day. Just download your digital coupon to 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:30.840 score your free donut at any Kroger store. It's our 0:08:30.840 --> 0:08:32.080 way of saying thanks. 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:36.000 Now, let's be clear, it's one free donut per transaction 0:08:36.200 --> 0:08:41.320 while supplies last. Kroger Fresh for Everyone and official grocer 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:43.520 of the Tennessee Titans, Tight. 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:46.560 Nut home is at the forefront of all that we do. 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:50.040 It's why we're so committed to caring for the places 0:08:50.080 --> 0:08:53.760 and spaces in which we work and live. Ashley, the 0:08:53.880 --> 0:08:57.760 official furniture provider of the Tennessee Titans, made a rookie 0:08:57.840 --> 0:09:01.439 mistake this football season. Maybe you should have had a 0:09:01.600 --> 0:09:02.880 Snickers because. 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:04.800 Now you can enter for the chance to turn those 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:08.280 rookie mistakes into prises, including a trip to Super Bowl 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:08.880 fifty nine. 0:09:09.160 --> 0:09:14.240 Visit snickers dot com slash Rookie Mistakes for details. As 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:18.040 we continue with Brian Callahan, let's now talk defense. 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:20.640 So let's start with linebacker Ernest Jones. How do you 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:22.600 expect to utilize him on Sunday? 0:09:23.000 --> 0:09:26.120 Yeah, he's gonna play. I mean, he's he's we we 0:09:26.120 --> 0:09:27.880 we traded for him and signed him for a reason, 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:32.760 and that's to help us. Obviously, Jack Gibbons has certainly 0:09:32.800 --> 0:09:35.240 has more time on task and so that's probably where 0:09:35.800 --> 0:09:38.000 the game starts. But but he's gonna have a role 0:09:38.040 --> 0:09:40.480 and he's gonna play some. And really, the more comfortable 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:42.720 he gets, the more he learns. It's like learning a 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:44.640 new language. You know, he's got to pick up the verbage. 0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:46.320 And again it's it's a little easier in a game 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:51.360 week because it's tighter, the package is tighter, But it's 0:09:51.400 --> 0:09:52.920 really gonna be up to him on how fast he 0:09:53.040 --> 0:09:56.560 learns and feels comfortable and can communicate the verbage in terminology. 0:09:56.640 --> 0:09:59.800 So looking forward to seeing that role grow for him. 0:09:59.800 --> 0:10:01.920 And and we're gonna use all our linebackers. I mean, 0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:03.840 there's all kinds of roles those guys can fill. So 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:05.839 I would anticipate seeing him on the field. 0:10:06.200 --> 0:10:08.839 We did not see Harold Landry at all in the preseason, 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:11.920 but he ended the twenty twenty three season in a 0:10:11.960 --> 0:10:15.160 pretty remarkable fashion. He was one of the best past 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:18.920 rushers in the National Football League. How do we think 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:21.120 that he is going to be able to pick up 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:23.440 where he left off in the twenty twenty four season. 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:26.559 Everything about what Harold's done and where he's at will 0:10:26.600 --> 0:10:29.640 lead me to believe that he's not far from where 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:32.800 he was when he finished. He's been He's had a 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:34.760 really really good training camp, he had a hell of 0:10:34.800 --> 0:10:37.720 an offseason in terms of workout wise. He's really was 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:40.600 in shape, he was dialed in, he was he was fantastic. 0:10:40.640 --> 0:10:43.600 And so he's also done this for a while now. 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:46.920 And those are the guys as they stack years in 0:10:46.960 --> 0:10:49.120 the league where you end up saying, I know what 0:10:49.160 --> 0:10:51.320 it's going to look like. So I feel really good 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:52.959 about where Harold's at and what that's going to look 0:10:53.000 --> 0:10:56.079 like for us. But he's I anticipate him playing really 0:10:56.080 --> 0:10:58.240 good football. Him and you know him and Jeff, the 0:10:58.280 --> 0:11:00.480 two guys that have you been here probably the longest 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:02.880 almost and then the guys that have played the most 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:05.240 for us over the years, and so those guys are 0:11:05.760 --> 0:11:08.400 anticipate seeing the same version of those guys that everybody 0:11:08.440 --> 0:11:09.360 knows and loves. 0:11:09.760 --> 0:11:13.560 Harold, Landry arden Key and Ben. Who else do you 0:11:13.640 --> 0:11:16.680 expect to see take part in the rotation at outside 0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:19.040 linebacker this weekend at Soldier Field. 0:11:19.720 --> 0:11:21.920 Yeah, it's gonna be. It's gonna be those guys. It'll 0:11:21.920 --> 0:11:27.120 be you know, Jalen, Harold will play, Caleb Murphy will play. 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:31.360 We'll see how far all he comes along. Those guys 0:11:31.400 --> 0:11:33.840 are all viable options. I think we get you know, 0:11:33.840 --> 0:11:36.160 you got six guys for probably what's gonna be five 0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:40.320 active spots on the game day roster. But you know, 0:11:40.360 --> 0:11:42.800 what that rotation looks like will kind of be determined. 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:44.240 But we're gonna need those guys to help us and 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:46.400 step in and play a role, because it's hard to 0:11:46.400 --> 0:11:49.760 play every snap if you're Harold and Arden. So we're 0:11:49.760 --> 0:11:51.160 gonna need two more guys to be able to step 0:11:51.240 --> 0:11:51.959 up and play for us. 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:55.640 You also have four defensive linemen on the roster. Depth wise, 0:11:55.679 --> 0:11:58.560 do you feel like you can mix and match enough 0:11:58.600 --> 0:12:01.720 defensive personnel to get through the game with four defensive linemen? 0:12:01.920 --> 0:12:04.280 Yeah, we probably won't go in with four. We'll probably 0:12:04.320 --> 0:12:08.520 elevate from the practice squad most likely just to get 0:12:08.520 --> 0:12:11.240 the fifth. We'll carry five most most games, with some 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:14.040 version of five d linemen for the for the active roster, 0:12:14.200 --> 0:12:16.400 just because you need those spots. So the answer is no, 0:12:16.480 --> 0:12:18.880 I don't feel comfortable with four, and that's that's why 0:12:18.880 --> 0:12:21.240 we have the practice squad spots and we can do 0:12:21.280 --> 0:12:23.360 some standard elevations that you should get a few of them, 0:12:23.400 --> 0:12:25.040 and then we'll go from there and we'll see where 0:12:25.040 --> 0:12:26.360 the roster's at in two three weeks. 0:12:26.440 --> 0:12:29.600 All right, A lot of new on the Chicago Bears offense. 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:33.840 Keenan Allen at wide receiver, DeAndre Swift in the running 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:37.720 back position obviously, Caleb Williams, the rookie quarterback Shane Waldron, 0:12:37.800 --> 0:12:41.240 the offensive coordinator. Is it hard to get a handle 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:43.400 on what Chicago's offense is going to look like with 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:44.000 all the new? 0:12:45.600 --> 0:12:47.559 Probably no harder than it is for them to get 0:12:47.559 --> 0:12:49.160 a handle on us with all the new. I think 0:12:49.200 --> 0:12:52.440 it's very similar in that regard that they got new coaching, 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:56.280 new players, quite a few, and some unknowns in a 0:12:56.559 --> 0:13:00.440 rookie quarterback, and so we're gonna find out. You know, 0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:03.240 you can you can watch what they've been in their 0:13:03.280 --> 0:13:05.720 previous places. Obviously we know what keithan Allen can do 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:08.920 in swift and you watch Kayleb Williams as a college player, 0:13:08.920 --> 0:13:10.760 you know what he's capable, and you see his preseason 0:13:10.800 --> 0:13:12.679 tape and you see the things that you saw when 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:15.319 he was in college, and so all of those things 0:13:15.559 --> 0:13:17.560 will be They'll be dealing with the same things that 0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:20.320 we are with. There's some unknown there's some new. Not 0:13:20.400 --> 0:13:22.800 a ton of continuity across the board, but certain spots 0:13:22.840 --> 0:13:25.360 have some And you know, I think Shane's I've known 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:27.120 Shane for a long time. I think Shane's a really 0:13:27.120 --> 0:13:28.920 really good football coach, and they did a really nice 0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:32.160 job in Seattle. And so you try to base on 0:13:32.280 --> 0:13:34.600 what maybe he's done before and what things he leans on. 0:13:34.640 --> 0:13:36.079 But at the end of the day, they got a 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:37.960 different set of players than he did in Seattle, and 0:13:38.000 --> 0:13:40.520 so he'll have his own twist for their roster they 0:13:40.559 --> 0:13:42.920 have now. So just a matter of settling in and 0:13:42.960 --> 0:13:44.360 finding your way through. The first part of the game 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:46.400 is usually always the always the hardest part. 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:50.280 Switching to offense. What is Will Levis's main challenge this 0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:52.719 Sunday against Chicago's secondary? 0:13:53.480 --> 0:13:57.320 Yeah, it's a good defense. I wish we got to 0:13:57.360 --> 0:14:02.240 open up against like Southwestern State, you know, so we 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:04.960 could so we could really get our get our bearings. 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:07.120 But now we got to go against the Chicago Bears 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:13.800 and that defense that's they go. Yes, But I just 0:14:13.840 --> 0:14:15.800 think that he's going to have to be smart with 0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:16.120 the ball. 0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:16.440 You know. 0:14:16.520 --> 0:14:18.760 The name of the game usually in this first week 0:14:18.840 --> 0:14:21.000 or two of the season is is how well you 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:23.160 take care of the football, how much you minimize your 0:14:23.200 --> 0:14:25.440 own mistakes, you know what I mean? There's a there's 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:27.720 an element of we just need to do our jobs 0:14:27.760 --> 0:14:29.680 first and need to worry about what we can do 0:14:29.760 --> 0:14:33.280 and not necessarily worry as much about them, because that's 0:14:33.280 --> 0:14:35.880 where sometimes the mistakes happen you try to do too much, 0:14:35.920 --> 0:14:38.280 and that's what wins and loses. He's opening a couple 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:40.200 of games probably the first three weeks of the season 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:42.920 is how well do you just execute what you're good at? 0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:44.920 And that's what I'm gonna ask of Will is just 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:48.280 do the things he's good at and manage the game 0:14:48.320 --> 0:14:50.800 from that standpoint and keep the ball in our possession 0:14:50.840 --> 0:14:53.280 and make sure we're making good decisions and completing the 0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:55.160 football and then we'll be aggressive when we need to. 0:14:55.280 --> 0:14:59.440 But there's definitely a don't beat yourself in the first week, 0:14:59.640 --> 0:15:01.560 and that's going to be a big part of it. 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:03.200 Is playing smart football. 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:08.320 It's Bears coach Matt Eberflus's defense, that's his background. But 0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:12.200 there is a new defensive coordinator in Eric Washington. Do 0:15:12.240 --> 0:15:15.600 you expect any tweaks from what you've seen from an 0:15:15.640 --> 0:15:19.240 Eberflus defense, especially when he was totally running it at 0:15:19.280 --> 0:15:20.200 the end of twenty. 0:15:19.920 --> 0:15:23.520 Twenty three, You know, I think that's his mo that's 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:25.840 what he's cut his teeth on his defensive football, and 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:27.520 he's been a part a lot of really good defenses. 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:30.440 I got a ton of respect for coach abraflues and 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:33.240 places he's been times I played against him. I know 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:35.360 what they're all about. I know what we're in for, 0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:40.320 So I anticipating a lot of that. Now. Eric Washington 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:43.360 has had a really good run in Buffalo, and they 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:46.880 did a really nice package of things in Buffalo on defense, 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:50.240 and so I'm assuming we'll see some flavor of what 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:54.000 he's done. That's why they hired him, is to bring 0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:57.480 some maybe new ideas, a new perspective, and I'm sure 0:15:57.520 --> 0:16:00.720 he'll do that. And so they've not shown much, and 0:16:00.800 --> 0:16:02.440 of course I'm sure they'll have planning to show us 0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:05.240 on Sunday. So I'm anticipating a little bit of maybe 0:16:05.240 --> 0:16:07.080 some things he's done in his past mixed with what 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:11.360 they major in with with coach ebflu So I think 0:16:11.360 --> 0:16:14.160 they got the makings of a pretty pretty dang good defense. 0:16:14.680 --> 0:16:18.000 So the Bears only had twenty sacks last season, which 0:16:18.040 --> 0:16:21.120 is why they added players like Montes Sweat, So you 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:23.640 have to figure that they're going to be trying to 0:16:23.680 --> 0:16:28.040 set a tone on Sunday. How does Bill Callahan prepare 0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:31.520 the offensive line for what figures to be a full 0:16:31.560 --> 0:16:32.240 on assault? 0:16:33.240 --> 0:16:35.840 Say, they know what they're in for. I mean, that's 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:40.240 That's the one thing about having a coach that's been 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:43.760 coaching for forty plus years. He knows how to do it, 0:16:43.880 --> 0:16:45.960 and so that that much I do know is that 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:48.520 they will be prepared for what they're about to face, 0:16:49.840 --> 0:16:53.200 both schematically and an intensity. I think all those things 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:55.720 will be We'll be ready to match whatever it is 0:16:56.120 --> 0:17:00.720 we're seeing and hopefully exceed it. But yeah, it is. 0:17:01.320 --> 0:17:02.840 You got a team that's trying to make a mark. 0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:05.040 They have a lot of a lot of enthusiasm around 0:17:05.040 --> 0:17:07.800 their their building, and they should. They are a very 0:17:07.840 --> 0:17:10.560 good football team, and our job is to is to 0:17:10.600 --> 0:17:13.879 not let that get off the ground week one. They 0:17:13.880 --> 0:17:16.520 can have it after us, but week one, I'd like 0:17:16.560 --> 0:17:18.359 to not let them have all that momentum. But it's 0:17:18.440 --> 0:17:19.720 it's it's a tough task going. 0:17:19.600 --> 0:17:20.080 On the road. 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:22.840 That place will be low. Chicago's a great place to play. 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:25.840 It's a great football city. They're excited about their team. 0:17:25.880 --> 0:17:27.760 They got a young quarterback that everyone wants to see, 0:17:27.800 --> 0:17:30.040 so uh, yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna be pretty 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:35.720 hilatious environment. What constitutes a successful rushing performance for the 0:17:35.760 --> 0:17:39.360 Titans on Sunday in Chicago what's good running the ball? Yeah, 0:17:39.359 --> 0:17:41.960 I mean you always, I really get more into the 0:17:42.560 --> 0:17:44.439 the carries can be skewed, you know, if you're just 0:17:44.440 --> 0:17:47.119 looking for volume of carries because hopefully you have a 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:48.560 lead and you're in the fourth quarter trying to run 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:51.360 a ball a bunch to kill the game, and that's 0:17:51.400 --> 0:17:53.800 where you can that's where those carries up take a ton. 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:56.240 I'm really more concerned about the yards per carry mark 0:17:56.480 --> 0:17:58.760 and and our and our rush efficiency and our ability 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:00.720 to generate some explosives. Love to be able to run 0:18:00.760 --> 0:18:03.280 the ball and hit a few explosives in there. And 0:18:03.280 --> 0:18:06.400 then the efficiency to us is always a really critical 0:18:06.400 --> 0:18:09.000 stat you know, are we are we up above fifty 0:18:09.000 --> 0:18:13.800 percent in our efficiency? And are we are we earning positive. 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:15.919 EPA? 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:17.840 We use epay quite a bit, so are we are 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:19.920 we earning positive EPA every time we had the ball 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:22.560 off or it was a negative, and so all those 0:18:22.600 --> 0:18:24.320 things factor in. But I think we look a lot 0:18:24.320 --> 0:18:26.479 at that the the yards per carry, which means you're 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:31.359 getting explosives, and your ability to have positive EPA either 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:34.600 percentage and or outcomes. So it's kind of nerdy, but 0:18:34.640 --> 0:18:35.159 that's what it is. 0:18:35.560 --> 0:18:39.240 Okay, Well, it's for example. I mean, if you have 0:18:39.400 --> 0:18:42.280 third and one and you get two, that's a positive 0:18:42.359 --> 0:18:44.800 carry even though you only got two yards on a carry. 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:46.760 Correct, So that's that's we use all those things. If 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:50.399 you're if it's first and ten and you get you know, 0:18:50.480 --> 0:18:54.200 you get six or you get five, that's a huge 0:18:54.200 --> 0:18:55.840 that's that's a really good run for the spot. If 0:18:55.880 --> 0:18:57.280 it's second and four and you get a first down, 0:18:57.320 --> 0:18:59.600