WEBVTT - #516 Packers Unscripted: Super matchup 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:14.360 Hi, everyone. Welcome to Packers Unscripted from Packers dot Com. 0:00:14.400 --> 0:00:17.200 I am Mike Spofford. He is the one and only 0:00:17.239 --> 0:00:20.640 West Hodkowitz. We're coming to you here from our studios 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:23.760 at lambeau Field West. We are approaching the end of 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:26.119 I guess you call it the post mortem week for 0:00:26.160 --> 0:00:29.720 the Green Bay Packers. The season is over. Just to 0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:31.800 get some logistical things out of the way, you and 0:00:31.840 --> 0:00:33.840 I are going to be doing this show and one 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:37.440 more show tomorrow, and then we're gonna go dark for 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:40.479 a little while because they're gonna be some days we 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:42.360 won't both be in the office and all that kind 0:00:42.400 --> 0:00:45.920 of stuff because we gotta take our breaks. So we 0:00:46.040 --> 0:00:49.680 will be back from the combine in Indianapolis a little 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:52.400 bit later in February. I always look at this like seasons, 0:00:52.600 --> 0:00:55.360 where you have like the regular season unscripted, and then 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:58.200 like the off season. It's like all your favorite television 0:00:58.200 --> 0:01:00.960 shows when you're a child, They didn't fifty two weeks 0:01:00.960 --> 0:01:02.920 out of the year. You had to have some variety 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:05.480 mixed in there. So we have to reset. We have 0:01:05.520 --> 0:01:09.240 to write new scripts. We don't write scripts, it's unscripted. 0:01:09.280 --> 0:01:11.920 We gotta fake writing some new scripts. And then we'll 0:01:11.959 --> 0:01:15.039 be back for the combine. My point being that with 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:17.520 having two shows left here before, we take a bit 0:01:17.560 --> 0:01:20.400 of a break, and tomorrow we'll be hearing from Packers 0:01:20.400 --> 0:01:23.800 general manager Brian Gudakuns. He's going to be giving an 0:01:23.959 --> 0:01:27.080 end of season press conference, so I want to save 0:01:27.080 --> 0:01:31.240 that discussion for tomorrow's show. So what I thought we 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:33.640 could do today is actually give our thoughts a little 0:01:33.640 --> 0:01:36.319 bit on this Super Bowl matchup. The San Francisco forty 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:40.520 Niners a week from Sunday down in Miami, will be 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:44.240 taking on the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs in the 0:01:44.240 --> 0:01:46.320 Super Bowl for the first time in fifty years, the 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:48.880 Niners back in the super Bowl for the first time 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:52.520 since two thousand twelve. I don't know what you thinks, 0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:55.440 but I think this is going to be a wildly 0:01:55.640 --> 0:01:59.320 entertaining super Bowl and there are some really really interesting 0:01:59.400 --> 0:02:02.840 things from matchup standpoint that I guess we can jump 0:02:02.840 --> 0:02:04.880 the gun a little bit because everybody in Miami is 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:06.760 going to be talking about it next week, so we 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:09.080 can we can talk about our thoughts as far as 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:10.840 how these teams match up. But I think it's gonna 0:02:10.840 --> 0:02:12.079 be a whale of a game. Oh, it's gonna be 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:14.200 a lot of fun for a lot of reasons. I mean, 0:02:14.200 --> 0:02:16.960 the biggest thing is that you have Patrick Mahomes and 0:02:17.000 --> 0:02:20.560 that that style of offense that Kansas City employees going 0:02:20.639 --> 0:02:22.960 up against Robert Sala's defense. I think it's a great 0:02:23.000 --> 0:02:26.240 test for both of those phases of the game, and 0:02:26.440 --> 0:02:32.000 offensively seeing exactly how this Jimmy Garoppolo led offense functions 0:02:32.040 --> 0:02:34.320 against Kansas City with the defense that I think is 0:02:34.360 --> 0:02:36.399 better than it was a year ago. Oh yeah, there's 0:02:36.440 --> 0:02:38.760 no question that's that's gonna be a big test for 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:42.080 them and seeing how exactly they defend it. More than 0:02:42.160 --> 0:02:44.880 anything though, I just think that this could really be 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:47.200 set up to be Patrick mahomes coming out party to 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:50.680 the NFL. Everybody understands he's he's won an m v P. 0:02:50.840 --> 0:02:52.560 He's one of the most exciting young players in the 0:02:52.600 --> 0:02:56.320 National Football League. But let's be honest. I mean the 0:02:56.400 --> 0:03:00.239 Tom Brady Drew Brees kind of era that that years 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:04.000 to be kind of fading now. So you know, Peyton 0:03:04.000 --> 0:03:07.160 Manning's gone, Eli Manning is retiring. There is sort of 0:03:07.200 --> 0:03:11.800 this dearth of like profile superstar quarterbacks out there right now, 0:03:12.040 --> 0:03:14.160 and Patrick Mahomes is set up to be one of 0:03:14.160 --> 0:03:16.720 those guys. Yeah. A couple of things that really intrigued 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:20.200 me from a matchup standpoint about this game is in 0:03:20.240 --> 0:03:22.959 the a f C playoffs, we saw that running game 0:03:23.000 --> 0:03:26.639 of the Tennessee Titans and Derrick Henry just plowing their 0:03:26.680 --> 0:03:30.720 way through the Patriots, through the Ravens, and really through 0:03:30.760 --> 0:03:34.520 the first quarter and a half in Kansas City where 0:03:34.520 --> 0:03:37.080 Tennessee had a seventeen seven lead in that game. They 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:40.680 were controlling the ball, controlling the clock. Then Kansas City's 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:43.920 defense stood up to Derrick Henry and the run, and 0:03:44.000 --> 0:03:45.960 once they were able to slow that down and take 0:03:45.960 --> 0:03:48.640 it away and the ball was in Patrick mahomes hands 0:03:48.680 --> 0:03:51.440 on a more frequent basis than the Chiefs started to 0:03:51.480 --> 0:03:56.120 get their separation. So given that the San Francisco forty 0:03:56.200 --> 0:03:59.760 Niners ran the ball forty plus times against the Minnesota 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:02.880 Vike things ran the ball forty plus times against the 0:04:02.920 --> 0:04:06.480 Green Bay Packers to plow their way through the NFC playoffs, 0:04:07.040 --> 0:04:09.880 that to me is interesting. Now that the dynamic of 0:04:09.920 --> 0:04:13.200 this San Francisco running game against that Chiefs defense that 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:16.240 had to stand up to Derrick Henry. Then the flip 0:04:16.279 --> 0:04:19.279 side of it for me is that the San Francisco defense, 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:23.039 which is so good up front, and they do such 0:04:23.080 --> 0:04:25.320 a good job getting pressure with just a four man 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:27.480 rush most of the time, they don't have to blitz 0:04:27.600 --> 0:04:31.760 very often. But if there was one thing San Francisco 0:04:31.920 --> 0:04:34.080 maybe had a little bit of trouble with this year 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:36.039 because a lot of it was in their division, it 0:04:36.120 --> 0:04:40.120 was with the scrambling mobile quarterbacks like Russell Wilson of 0:04:40.200 --> 0:04:43.080 the Seahawks and Kyler Murray of the Cardinals. They had 0:04:43.080 --> 0:04:46.000 four games against those guys, and those might have been 0:04:46.000 --> 0:04:49.520 there four four of their toughest games of the season. 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:54.440 Now their challenges Patrick Mahomes and uh I think that's 0:04:54.480 --> 0:04:57.920 the the intriguing matchup on on the flip side of things, 0:04:57.960 --> 0:05:00.760 from an X and O standpoint, it's kind of hipster game, 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:04.240 if we're gonna be honest here, right, because, like, offensively, 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:08.400 maybe outside of George Kittle, I don't really know if 0:05:08.440 --> 0:05:10.840 you line up any of these San Francisco forty niners 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:13.840 like skill position players and maybe even Jimmy Garoppolo himself, 0:05:13.839 --> 0:05:15.880 how many, like casual football fans are gonna be able 0:05:15.920 --> 0:05:19.680 to point out, Oh, that's Rashim Mostart. You know, that's 0:05:19.880 --> 0:05:22.839 that's Kyle use Check. They just aren't built that way. 0:05:23.120 --> 0:05:26.120 There just isn't that those those superstars to keep using 0:05:26.160 --> 0:05:28.880 that word in this offense, but they're so effective in 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:30.480 what they do. And to be honest with you, Mike, 0:05:30.520 --> 0:05:32.840 I think this is probably the most dynamic running game 0:05:33.520 --> 0:05:36.640 that has gone into a Super Bowl since maybe Seattle 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:39.440 want It. I mean that was more based on one player, 0:05:39.520 --> 0:05:42.919 but it's just it's amazing to watch all these different 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:46.159 backs compliment one another. I mean, you heard me asking 0:05:46.200 --> 0:05:48.000 the questions during the week leading up to the San 0:05:48.040 --> 0:05:52.680 Francisco game. It is it's a it's an unquantifiable strength 0:05:52.720 --> 0:05:56.400 that I think that they've had all year long that Okay, 0:05:56.440 --> 0:05:58.920 it can be Mostart, it can be Brita when they've 0:05:58.920 --> 0:06:01.120 needed him to be that guy. Jeff Wilson had a 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:04.120 couple of big runs this season, and seeing exactly the 0:06:04.160 --> 0:06:08.680 way that Kyle Shanahan uses those assets in how Kansas 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:10.599 City is going to be able to defend against that. 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:14.000 Because as much as you you you can point out 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:17.480 things the Packers did wrong against the you know, the 0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:20.600 Forts in that game, it's not like they just were 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:23.000 running the ball right up the middle for four quarters 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:25.440 and the packers couldn't stop it. It was the different 0:06:25.520 --> 0:06:30.880 variations of that scheme that maximized those opportunities. It was outside, inside, 0:06:30.920 --> 0:06:34.480 it was end a rounds, it was misdirections that it 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:36.520 was all. It was all kinds of stuff, and the 0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:39.480 packers were quite frankly, just flustered with all of it. 0:06:39.680 --> 0:06:43.280 And this is a this is an oversimplification, Okay, but 0:06:43.360 --> 0:06:46.120 I remember covering high school football and you might remember 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:48.279 this too. Now, the threat of the past is not 0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:51.000 there like it is in the NFL, but all the 0:06:51.040 --> 0:06:54.880 top offenses that I covered at that level, it was 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:59.279 always predicated on deception misdirection. Can you get guys to 0:06:59.400 --> 0:07:02.520 think the defense and make them move a stick slower? 0:07:03.120 --> 0:07:06.599 San Francisco has incorporated those principles at the NFL level. 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:09.400 That is mind boggling that they've been able to do that, 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:11.280 because it wasn't just the Green Bay Packers that had 0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:13.880 problems solving it. A lot of teams have had problems 0:07:13.880 --> 0:07:16.280 solving it. Kansas City, as much as this is about 0:07:16.280 --> 0:07:19.000 mahomes in Tyreek Hill and all these offensive weapons they have, 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:21.480 I think that game is ultimately going to come down 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:24.840 to can they stop the run and forced Jimmy Garoppolo 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:28.080 to throw. Well, that that personnel that San Francisco has 0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:30.800 in the running game really is a one of a 0:07:30.880 --> 0:07:33.920 kind combination. Because you talk about the three headed monster 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:36.200 at running back. Not a single one of those guys 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:39.600 West had even reached a hundred and forty carries in 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:41.800 the regular season, which means not a one of them 0:07:42.120 --> 0:07:45.800 average ten yard I'm sorry, average ten carries per game 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:49.400 in the regular season because the workload was so spread out. 0:07:49.840 --> 0:07:51.720 So you have that on top of the fact that 0:07:51.760 --> 0:07:53.960 you have the best tight end in the game and 0:07:54.000 --> 0:07:56.640 George Kittle and the best fullback by far in the 0:07:56.680 --> 0:08:00.120 game in Kyle use Check. That's your run person now, 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:02.680 aside obviously from your you know, your main five guys 0:08:02.760 --> 0:08:06.160 up front on the offensive line, that's a that's an 0:08:06.240 --> 0:08:11.400 incredible combination of run offense personnel that no one else has, 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:15.160 you know, and that's what makes them so special. Now, 0:08:15.200 --> 0:08:17.440 from the tight end position, if George Kittle is the 0:08:17.520 --> 0:08:19.720 number one tight end in the league, Travis Kelsey for 0:08:19.800 --> 0:08:23.040 Kansas City is one A or number two however you 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:26.440 want to phrase it, and he plays a very different 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:29.040 role from George Kittle. He's maybe not as involved in 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:33.520 the running game as Kittle is, but but he's certainly 0:08:33.640 --> 0:08:36.280 a target for Patrick Mahomes in the passing game, whether 0:08:36.320 --> 0:08:39.320 it be in those safety valve instances to move the 0:08:39.400 --> 0:08:42.840 chains or potentially for the big plays down the field. 0:08:42.880 --> 0:08:47.040 So that part is that part is really interesting here 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:49.720 as wealth just from a personnel standpoint, it's kind of 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:51.560 like when they hand out like m v P and 0:08:51.640 --> 0:08:54.600 like Offensive Player of the Year. In my opinion, George 0:08:54.640 --> 0:08:57.240 Kittle is the best tight end in the National Football 0:08:57.559 --> 0:09:00.800 because everything if you put up a job description of 0:09:00.800 --> 0:09:03.600 a tight end, he excels at all of it. Travis 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:07.160 Kelsey is the best playmaking tight end I feel like 0:09:07.200 --> 0:09:10.319 in the National Football League in the areas that especially 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:14.120 with where it complements this offense. He's exceptional. And Patrick 0:09:14.120 --> 0:09:17.079 Mahomes has that trust in him. And you can't really 0:09:17.200 --> 0:09:20.920 understate the fact that since the very beginning, since Kelsey 0:09:20.960 --> 0:09:23.600 came into this league, he has been a difference maker. 0:09:23.640 --> 0:09:25.720 There wasn't really a let up at all. This guy 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:28.000 just blew onto the scene and knocked the doors down 0:09:28.080 --> 0:09:30.600 here and and yeah, I think there's a lot to 0:09:30.640 --> 0:09:32.520 be said for both of these offenses. Getting to the 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:34.720 stage and having those type of tight ends. Because Mike, 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:37.079 this is putting you on the spot. I don't expect 0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:39.040 you to be able to answer this. I mean, think 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:40.920 of the last time you've seen a Super Bowl with 0:09:41.080 --> 0:09:43.680 these with with arguably the two top tight ends in 0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:46.680 the National Football League squaring off against each other. It's 0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:50.959 been a hot second. Yeah, I I can't. I mean 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:54.280 even even thinking back to to do that. Yeah, even 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:57.240 thinking back to like say the Cowboys dynasty of the 0:09:57.280 --> 0:10:00.600 early nineties, when you know j Novacek is running up 0:10:00.640 --> 0:10:02.760 and down the field. You know they had some of 0:10:02.760 --> 0:10:05.240 those Super Bowls against the Buffalo Bills. That that Bills 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:07.400 the K gun offense was not built on the title 0:10:07.559 --> 0:10:09.480 it was. It was built on you know, Andre Reid 0:10:09.520 --> 0:10:12.079 and Thurman Thomas and James Lofton and all of those guys. 0:10:12.120 --> 0:10:15.280 So um, you know don Beebie, those types of players. 0:10:15.280 --> 0:10:17.680 So yeah, it's it is hard to it is hard 0:10:17.720 --> 0:10:20.800 to think of of that type of matchup. But you 0:10:20.880 --> 0:10:23.280 know that's going to be a big storyline in Miami 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:25.600 next week and both of the I think both of 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:27.920 those tight ends are gonna be are gonna be rather 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:32.079 motivated to prove that that you know, now, neither one 0:10:32.160 --> 0:10:35.240 can do anything about the others production on the field, 0:10:35.640 --> 0:10:38.000 but I think they're going to be motivated to prove that, Yeah, 0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:39.959 I'm I'm the best tight end in the league. You 0:10:39.960 --> 0:10:42.560 know that. That's that's the mentality of both of those guys. 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:44.760 And it's not a coincidence. Like that's the biggest point 0:10:44.760 --> 0:10:46.800 I'm trying to illustrate her. I think there's a direct 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:49.200 correlation of both of these offenses and both these teams 0:10:49.200 --> 0:10:52.520 getting to the super Bowl with those weapons. Because all 0:10:52.600 --> 0:10:54.559 year long people ask you and I you know, how 0:10:54.559 --> 0:10:56.760 do you stop George Kittle? How do you stop tight 0:10:56.840 --> 0:10:59.480 end X? And it's difficult questions to answer in the 0:10:59.520 --> 0:11:02.240 Packers aren't the only ones having to answer it. The 0:11:02.240 --> 0:11:04.480 tight end is an enigma right now in the NFL. 0:11:04.520 --> 0:11:07.360 I mean the way that this position has evolved and adapted. 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:11.520 This Rob Gronkowski generation sort of ushered in this new 0:11:11.520 --> 0:11:14.480 wave where you know, it's not just a you don't 0:11:14.520 --> 0:11:17.600 just have to be a pass catching tight end or 0:11:17.640 --> 0:11:20.920 an inline blocking tight end. You can beat all of it, 0:11:21.000 --> 0:11:23.280 and you can play in every down in every situation. 0:11:23.320 --> 0:11:24.920 You can motion out when you need to, you can 0:11:24.960 --> 0:11:27.120 be in line when you need to. Heck, George Kittle 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:29.800 will take a carry when he needs to. That's just 0:11:29.840 --> 0:11:32.440 the way that this thing has gone. And yeah, both 0:11:32.440 --> 0:11:36.040 of these teams, I'm sure practicing against that tight end 0:11:36.080 --> 0:11:37.960 are going to be ready for what it takes to 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:40.040 go up against a high level guy in a high 0:11:40.120 --> 0:11:43.040 level athlete. But it just adds in another wrinkle that 0:11:43.080 --> 0:11:45.920 I think this makes us a very interesting and captivating 0:11:45.960 --> 0:11:48.160 matchup on so many levels. Yeah, and to back up 0:11:48.200 --> 0:11:50.480 for a second what I was talking about before with 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:54.120 the forty Niners and their standard foreman rush, that is 0:11:54.320 --> 0:11:57.839 that's very much the foundation of that defense and how 0:11:57.880 --> 0:12:00.880 they did have trouble with the mobile quarterback Russell Wilson 0:12:00.880 --> 0:12:06.240 and Kyler Murray. From a strategic standpoint, if they want 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:08.680 to stick with the four man rush but then have 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:13.400 somebody spy Patrick Mahomes and whatnot for the scrambling, that 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:16.840 changes the type of coverage you've been playing all season long, 0:12:16.880 --> 0:12:19.800 because they've been a Cover seven, you know, rush four, 0:12:19.880 --> 0:12:22.960 Cover seven team. Well, if you want to spy, if 0:12:23.000 --> 0:12:25.400 you want to spy Patrick Mahomes, suddenly your Cover seven 0:12:25.440 --> 0:12:28.480 becomes Cover six in terms of the numbers back there, 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:32.200 and that's you know, that changes things. And I think 0:12:32.240 --> 0:12:34.600 that those are the those are the types of tweaks 0:12:35.120 --> 0:12:37.480 from an x is and O standpoint, that where the 0:12:37.480 --> 0:12:41.280 Seahawks and the Cardinals in that NFC West Division gave 0:12:41.320 --> 0:12:43.439 them some trouble. And that's why I said last week 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:45.800 when we were standing in the locker room for my money. 0:12:45.880 --> 0:12:47.920 Right now, as it stands, that's why Mahomes is the 0:12:47.920 --> 0:12:51.520 best five tool running running back quarterback in the National 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:54.800 Football League because of the running threat he possesses. H 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:57.960 he has, the arm, he has, the accuracy, has the 0:12:57.960 --> 0:13:00.640 the willpower to stand tall in the pocket deliver a 0:13:00.679 --> 0:13:03.559 big downfield strike and then by the way, when everything 0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:06.120 breaks down, he can make it remarkable run like he 0:13:06.160 --> 0:13:09.520 did last week that touchdown to help them win that game. 0:13:10.040 --> 0:13:12.240 He's just he's a threat on so many levels. When 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:14.440 I it was in, you know, the Packers won the game, 0:13:14.640 --> 0:13:18.280 and that was fun and it obviously was important to 0:13:18.280 --> 0:13:20.160 to get the buy and what it all meant for 0:13:20.200 --> 0:13:22.240 their season. But the fact that we kind of got 0:13:22.280 --> 0:13:24.720 robbed of that Rogers and Mahomes matchup was you know, 0:13:24.760 --> 0:13:27.720 that kind of stunk because it's like it goes back 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:32.080 to these these Brady and Roethlisberger and Breeze matchups, you 0:13:32.120 --> 0:13:33.679 just don't know how many times you're gonna get them. 0:13:33.679 --> 0:13:35.800 For whatever reason. Russell Wilson seems to be here every 0:13:35.800 --> 0:13:38.640 three weeks playing the Packers, but for the most part, 0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:42.240 those franchise quarterbacks you just don't get those matchups. So, uh, yeah, 0:13:42.280 --> 0:13:44.040 like I said, if this goes the way it needs 0:13:44.080 --> 0:13:47.880 to for Kansas City, you know, last year they felt 0:13:47.880 --> 0:13:49.240 like they were the team. This year, I think they 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:50.840 still felt like they were the team, even though they 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:54.520 had a weather through some adversity mid season. The Andy 0:13:54.559 --> 0:13:57.120 Reid angle to all this, I just feel like it 0:13:57.200 --> 0:13:59.520 is set up for this to be a really statement 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:02.040 game for Yeah, that was the other the other thing 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:03.840 I wanted to get to here because you just brought 0:14:03.880 --> 0:14:08.079 up Andy Reid. There are some interesting storylines with regards 0:14:08.120 --> 0:14:11.080 to the coaching in this And to start with Andy Reid, 0:14:12.679 --> 0:14:16.080 this was his seventh time as a head coach in 0:14:16.120 --> 0:14:19.440 a conference championship game and before this year, he had 0:14:19.480 --> 0:14:22.160 only been to the Super Bowl once, got the Eagles 0:14:22.160 --> 0:14:24.760 there one time they lost at the wire to the Patriots, 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:28.440 if I'm not mistaken, So Andy Reid and that was 0:14:28.520 --> 0:14:31.000 fifteen years ago. So he's back in the Super Bowl 0:14:31.000 --> 0:14:34.080 for the first time in fifteen years, still trying to 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:37.560 win his first Super Bowl, having now been to seven 0:14:37.600 --> 0:14:41.000 conference championship games as a head coach. On the other side, 0:14:42.080 --> 0:14:44.120 I don't believe, and again I'll put you on the 0:14:44.120 --> 0:14:46.800 spot here, but I don't believe there has ever been 0:14:46.800 --> 0:14:50.480 a father son combination that had both won Super Bowls 0:14:50.480 --> 0:14:54.960 as head coaches. So you have the Kyle Shanahan now 0:14:55.040 --> 0:14:57.240 as the son of Mike Shanahan. He's the two time 0:14:57.320 --> 0:15:01.520 Super Bowl winning coach of the Denver bronco So that's 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:05.760 some potential history that could be made here. Um. Obviously, 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:08.800 two very different coaches at two very different stages of 0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:13.760 their careers, but some really interesting stories that go into 0:15:13.960 --> 0:15:16.520 how these guys got here and what's at stake for them. 0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:19.320 You know what I love about Kyle Shanahan's story. In 0:15:19.360 --> 0:15:21.920 addition to I think he's just a phenomenal coach. I 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:23.880 love his temperament. I even remarked to you when we 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:25.560 were in the press box in San Francisco, he just 0:15:25.560 --> 0:15:27.120 seems like a guy that is a media member you 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:30.160 would really enjoy covering. Based on the few interactions I've 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:32.720 had with him, and sure looks like players enjoy playing flame. 0:15:33.440 --> 0:15:35.360 But the thing that I like more than anything with 0:15:35.440 --> 0:15:37.520 his stories that this wasn't a guy that was the 0:15:37.600 --> 0:15:40.680 son of Mike Shanahan, so he just got everything that 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:43.600 he received. Mike Shanahan was out of the National Football 0:15:43.680 --> 0:15:47.040 League after what two he had to go to Cleveland 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:49.200 to be an offensive coordinator. With all due respect to 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:52.560 Mike Petton in the Browns, it isn't considered to be 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:55.000 one of the pristine jobs in the National Football League 0:15:55.000 --> 0:15:57.040 over the last twenty years. It's an uphill battle. It's 0:15:57.040 --> 0:16:00.280 a grind. He he leaves there after one year, goes 0:16:00.320 --> 0:16:02.880 back to being a you know, you look at this. 0:16:03.040 --> 0:16:05.840 You know. Now he's in Atlanta and then suddenly he 0:16:05.840 --> 0:16:07.640 gets to a super Bowl with Atlanta, and then he 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:10.960 gets this opportunity with San Francisco. Everybody's high on San 0:16:10.960 --> 0:16:14.080 Francisco after one year. Then Garoppolo tears his A c 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:16.640 L and they go four and twelve. They luck into 0:16:16.680 --> 0:16:19.200 bosup in the early part of this draft. It's just 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:21.760 all these things had to line up for him to 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:24.200 be back in this moment, and for a guy that 0:16:24.240 --> 0:16:26.400 has talked about it before when he was in what 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:28.720 was it ninth grade or eighth grade or whatever it was, 0:16:28.760 --> 0:16:31.520 when when Mike Shanahan won the super Bowl in thirty two. 0:16:32.520 --> 0:16:35.800 It's it's a remarkable story. And that that's the part 0:16:35.800 --> 0:16:37.280 of it that I think I kind of enjoy out 0:16:37.280 --> 0:16:39.440 of this. Either you're gonna see Andy Reid finally get 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:41.960 that elusive super Bowl championship, or you're gonna see history 0:16:41.960 --> 0:16:45.280 be made. And one of those two things the other 0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:49.560 one that doesn't happen. That's that's a huge reality that 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:53.880 you know, that's the beauty and also the real I 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:55.440 don't want to say horror, that's the only way that's 0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:57.160 coming to mind. But it's it's the heartbreak of it, 0:16:57.280 --> 0:17:00.600 the heartbreak of this game. There's the eisen Lowes are 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:03.600 going to swing Sofia so far well. And when you 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:06.520 and when you talk about Andy Reid and and I 0:17:06.520 --> 0:17:09.480 I'm not familiar with his entire coaching tree. It would 0:17:09.480 --> 0:17:11.280 take me a long time to, you know, to put 0:17:11.359 --> 0:17:14.760 all the names together and whatnot. Man, but the fact 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:17.280 that Andy Reid is not won a super Bowl, but 0:17:17.440 --> 0:17:20.439 Doug Peterson from his coaching tree has won a super 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:24.280 Bowl ten years ago was coaching right exactly. So I mean, 0:17:24.560 --> 0:17:28.040 you know they're I think they're I think there, yes, 0:17:28.320 --> 0:17:31.959 in Philly where Andy Reid, uh, you know, took five 0:17:32.119 --> 0:17:35.200 Eagles teams to the conference championship in the NFC, only 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:37.520 got to one Super Bowl and then lost to Tom 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:40.680 Brady and Bill Belichick. This is a remarkable coaching tree 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:42.919 for read just take this with you for a second. 0:17:42.960 --> 0:17:47.280 Ten former assistants have become head coach John Harbaugh. John 0:17:47.320 --> 0:17:49.080 Harbaugh was one of them. So there's a there's a 0:17:49.200 --> 0:17:51.440 there's another one off the Andy Reid coaching tree. You 0:17:51.480 --> 0:17:54.280 has who has a Super Bowl ring? But look, listen 0:17:54.320 --> 0:17:57.960 to this tree man, this is insane. Brad Shoulders, whatever 0:17:58.000 --> 0:18:00.320 you think of Brad Shoulders, he had success in in 0:18:00.600 --> 0:18:03.440 in with the Vikings for a short time. Steve Spagnola, 0:18:03.440 --> 0:18:09.080 who's now his defensive coordinator, Leslie Fraser, Ron Rivera, Pat Shermer, 0:18:10.480 --> 0:18:16.880 Todd Bowles, Doug Peterson, Sean McDermott, and Matt Neggy. That's 0:18:16.920 --> 0:18:18.480 a heck of a t I didn't I mean I 0:18:18.520 --> 0:18:22.600 knew obviously about and I didn't remember that McDermott was yeah, 0:18:22.600 --> 0:18:26.359 that's right. And then as we mentioned with regard to 0:18:26.400 --> 0:18:29.199 Peterson and Harbor having one Super bowls. Ron Rivera has 0:18:29.240 --> 0:18:32.280 been to a Super Bowl and unfortunately came up short. 0:18:32.359 --> 0:18:35.479 So yeah, that that is uh um, that is an 0:18:35.480 --> 0:18:38.800 impressive coaching tree. I think from a coaching standpoint, nothing 0:18:38.880 --> 0:18:41.520 against the Shanahans by any means, but I think there's 0:18:41.560 --> 0:18:46.600 going to be a lot of national fan sentiment towards 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:50.280 Andy Reid here to uh you know, to finally be 0:18:50.359 --> 0:18:52.679 able to hoist that Lombardi Trophy. That that's just what 0:18:52.760 --> 0:18:57.320 I sense from the general national football fan. Yeah, because 0:18:57.320 --> 0:18:59.439 I mean there's how many guys have been head coaches 0:18:59.480 --> 0:19:03.400 in the National Futball League him and Belichick. I mean 0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:06.159 like it's a short list, and he obviously had to 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:09.000 go through two different organizations to be here. But this 0:19:09.040 --> 0:19:11.720 is a guy that when things finally went the way 0:19:11.760 --> 0:19:14.439 they did in Philadelphia, he got picked right back up 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:17.280 by Kansas City and then you know, again, this a 0:19:17.280 --> 0:19:19.600 lot of this goes to John's Dorsey. I will continue 0:19:19.640 --> 0:19:21.280 to bring up his name because he's the guy that 0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:24.280 had the intuition to go and draft Mahomes. Yeah, he's 0:19:24.280 --> 0:19:25.840 the guy. He's the guy who picked him, and a 0:19:25.880 --> 0:19:28.000 lot and a lot of people question that pick with 0:19:28.160 --> 0:19:31.199 how high he took him in the first round, and uh, 0:19:31.240 --> 0:19:33.480 Dorsey had the courage of his convictions there he turned 0:19:33.480 --> 0:19:35.520 out to be dead right, and for the moment that 0:19:35.600 --> 0:19:38.040 they got there, they that was a really weak class 0:19:38.040 --> 0:19:40.919 in two thousand thirteen for quarterbacks. I think Geno Smith 0:19:41.200 --> 0:19:43.040 was the one that got taken first as far as 0:19:43.080 --> 0:19:47.400 the quarterback's position was concerned, maybe him or forget maybe 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:49.680 I'm trying to remember, but be that as it may. 0:19:49.720 --> 0:19:52.080 He went and traded the second round pick Dorsey did 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:55.080 to get Alex Smith. They draft Eric Fisher, who's now 0:19:55.080 --> 0:19:58.800 they're starting left tackle, and they won right away read 0:19:58.920 --> 0:20:01.120