WEBVTT - Happy Half Hour Episode 28: Where Do We Start? 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:03.320 Hi, this is Dewey Jenkins. After my four years in 0:00:03.360 --> 0:00:05.600 the Navy, you're an A and I moved to Charlotte, 0:00:05.720 --> 0:00:08.560 even though neither of us were from here. I was 0:00:08.600 --> 0:00:11.200 from the Mountains of Virginia and she was from Florida, 0:00:11.440 --> 0:00:13.960 but we agreed that Charlotte was where we wanted to 0:00:13.960 --> 0:00:17.120 build our future together. I was a full time student 0:00:17.239 --> 0:00:19.439 at U n c C by day and ran a 0:00:19.560 --> 0:00:22.880 janitorial business that night. And a few years later I 0:00:22.960 --> 0:00:25.720 bought a little air conditioning company and that's how I 0:00:25.800 --> 0:00:35.640 met you, and I'm really glad I did. It's time 0:00:35.800 --> 0:00:39.920 for the Happy Half Hour with your friends Kristen Belboni 0:00:40.200 --> 0:00:50.280 and Will Brian presented by Morris Jenkins. That's right, it's 0:00:50.320 --> 0:00:52.320 that time of the week, the Happy Half Hour podcast 0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:55.160 presented by Morris Jenkins, and Mr Jenkins told me that 0:00:55.200 --> 0:00:57.720 he loves football and he looks forward to the show 0:00:57.800 --> 0:01:00.160 all week. When you're plumbing her air conditioning is after up. 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:03.200 Called Morris Jenkins or visit Morris Jenkins dot com. Kristen 0:01:03.320 --> 0:01:06.839 here with Will and Matt and Uh. It's been quite 0:01:06.959 --> 0:01:10.200 an interesting week here in Charlotte. It started on Saturday 0:01:10.280 --> 0:01:12.880 night the Panthers going up to Green Bay, playing the 0:01:12.920 --> 0:01:16.320 Packers close, but ultimately not getting it done. Another one 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:20.399 score loss for this young team. Then on Monday, the 0:01:20.480 --> 0:01:23.199 team parted ways with general manager Marty Hernie and now 0:01:23.240 --> 0:01:25.560 they are getting ready to face the Washington Football team 0:01:25.560 --> 0:01:29.240 and former head coach Ron Rivera. So many what a week? Many? 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:32.000 Where do we start? Where do we start? Let's start 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:34.640 with the Marty Hernie news. It was the end of 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:38.080 his contract coming up um last year on his contract, 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:43.040 and it just seemed like from everything that owner Dave 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:46.400 Pepper said, it was time. It was you know, his 0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:48.840 contracts was not going to be renewed at the end 0:01:48.880 --> 0:01:52.920 of the season, and maybe in both parties interests um 0:01:53.000 --> 0:01:56.040 to go ahead and let it happen now when he 0:01:56.080 --> 0:01:58.160 had made the decision, so that they could both start 0:01:58.200 --> 0:02:02.639 to look elsewhere. I think that many people expected something 0:02:02.720 --> 0:02:04.480 like this maybe to have happened last year. You know, 0:02:04.520 --> 0:02:06.720 a new owner comes in, you know, he gets a 0:02:06.720 --> 0:02:09.160 new head coach. You you kind of think that he's 0:02:09.160 --> 0:02:11.200 going to just do everything new. And I think one 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:14.480 of the things that I give uh Dave Tepper a 0:02:14.520 --> 0:02:17.519 lot of credit for was that he understood kind of 0:02:17.919 --> 0:02:20.520 this is a long game. This is a long process, 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:24.720 and it can make things that much more difficult if 0:02:24.919 --> 0:02:28.320 everyone's new, if everyone's coming in and there really isn't 0:02:29.200 --> 0:02:32.440 any sort of expertise or knowledge of you know, here 0:02:32.440 --> 0:02:34.880 he is. This is an NFL owner, has only been 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:36.960 in one or two years as a you know, full 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:39.480 fledged owner, you know, a college head coach that's only 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:40.840 spent you know, a couple of years with the Giants 0:02:40.880 --> 0:02:44.080 as an assistant. You know, Marty Hernie knows how this works, 0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:46.920 and especially in a year with you know, a pandemic, 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:48.960 with all the things that we're going on. You know, 0:02:49.000 --> 0:02:52.079 I thought that his words about that in the last 0:02:52.120 --> 0:02:55.000 couple of days we're really telling of how much he actually, 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:57.160 I mean, I think those are sincere. He really did 0:02:57.240 --> 0:03:00.880 value um the experience and the ex artist that that 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.800 Marty Herney had this year to help this group. But 0:03:03.880 --> 0:03:06.440 now I think, you know, he still wanted to bring 0:03:06.440 --> 0:03:09.239 in and to develop you know, kind of a scouting 0:03:09.240 --> 0:03:13.400 in general manager and operations system department. That really kind 0:03:13.400 --> 0:03:16.399 of reflected the way that both he and Matt and 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:18.200 in this whole kind of group kind of wanted to 0:03:18.200 --> 0:03:22.040 see going forward. Yeah, I agree, I thought the the 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:24.200 things he said about Marty Herney were very sincere and 0:03:24.480 --> 0:03:26.160 Coach Rule as well. You know, I talked to him 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:27.960 and he spoke to the media, and he said he's 0:03:28.040 --> 0:03:31.320 learned a lot from him and really has I think, 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:34.079 really a lot of regard for for Marty and their 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:37.560 time together and helping him get settled, and he said 0:03:37.600 --> 0:03:39.400 he's taught him a lot. And so I think it's 0:03:39.960 --> 0:03:43.640 you know, I think everyone is gonna part ways, um 0:03:43.680 --> 0:03:48.000 with good memories and good experiences and certainly, you know, 0:03:48.040 --> 0:03:50.400 wish the best to Marty, and I think it's it 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:52.920 sounds to me like he and Coach Rule will keep 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:55.960 in contact and that's a good relationship that they can 0:03:56.040 --> 0:03:58.880 leave on. But um, it just seemed as as Dave 0:03:58.960 --> 0:04:01.120 Tepper said, it was said, we learned a lot, you know, 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:02.520 Matt Rule and I learned a lot. But it was 0:04:02.560 --> 0:04:07.160 a time to graduate. And it's very hard to get 0:04:07.320 --> 0:04:10.440 first round draft picks right. It is very difficult. And 0:04:10.480 --> 0:04:14.400 you look at these drafts that that um, Marty Hernie 0:04:14.400 --> 0:04:15.960 has been in charge of. There's been a lot of 0:04:16.120 --> 0:04:19.520 really really good first round draft picks that were exactly right, 0:04:19.880 --> 0:04:22.400 you know, exactly it. But I think, you know, we 0:04:22.400 --> 0:04:26.200 were talking about before. There's there's more to this job, 0:04:26.240 --> 0:04:28.839 and there's especially more to this job now. I think 0:04:28.839 --> 0:04:31.360 maybe you know, maybe than ten years ago or fifteen 0:04:31.400 --> 0:04:36.039 years ago, than the NFL Draft, than seven picks. There's 0:04:36.080 --> 0:04:39.320 there's so much more in terms of running an organization 0:04:39.400 --> 0:04:42.159 and running a part of an organization, running departments, running 0:04:42.160 --> 0:04:45.560 all these things that that take more than just scouts, 0:04:45.680 --> 0:04:48.880 scouting reports and picking some players in April UM. And 0:04:48.920 --> 0:04:51.640 I think that's part of of what this decision is. 0:04:51.680 --> 0:04:53.960 It's really kind of building a foundation and building an 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:58.400 entire top to bottom organizational group that really kind of 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:00.640 reflects you know, and and a letics and day and 0:05:00.640 --> 0:05:02.440 all that stuff kind of gets thrown around. I think 0:05:02.800 --> 0:05:06.120 it's tools. It's those are just more tools. There's more 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:07.800 tools that need to be in the toolbox and need 0:05:07.839 --> 0:05:11.479 to be integrated. UM in a more specific way, I 0:05:11.520 --> 0:05:13.000 think is what it is. It's not just I think 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:16.799 people were asking, all right, what what what what analytic number? 0:05:17.200 --> 0:05:19.479 Like is there like a number that says like this 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:22.000 player is really good? And then old panther stats guy 0:05:22.040 --> 0:05:25.080 over here is like, please come on, there's not there 0:05:25.200 --> 0:05:27.800 not there was one number everyone would use it. Yeah, 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:30.760 it's it's it's just more tools, and it doesn't mean 0:05:30.800 --> 0:05:33.440 that there's an answer. It just means that there's more 0:05:33.560 --> 0:05:37.240 at your disposal. Yea more holistic approach, considering a lot 0:05:37.279 --> 0:05:40.240 more things as you make any decision. But you mentioned 0:05:40.240 --> 0:05:43.320 the draft and and those first round picks that he's 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:45.400 brought in here and has gotten, right, I thought it 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:49.000 would be a good time to talk about this past draft, um, 0:05:49.080 --> 0:05:52.159 because it kind of matches up we're talking about what 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:55.960 Marty Hernie does so well with UM that game in 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:57.919 green Bay, you know, I was looking at that D 0:05:58.080 --> 0:06:02.040 line and you had to aggress Monto's Derek Brown, braveon 0:06:02.160 --> 0:06:04.200 Roy and then Brian Burns out there for almost the 0:06:04.360 --> 0:06:09.320 entire game with a very young, thin D line and 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:12.599 they had five stacks on Aaron Rodgers after UM. You know, 0:06:12.640 --> 0:06:15.320 green Bay had only given up fourteen on the season, 0:06:15.839 --> 0:06:19.839 and that's you know, that's not the whole picture. There's 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:22.400 certainly things that that these young guys can improve on, 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:24.760 and this defense can improve on as a whole. But 0:06:24.800 --> 0:06:27.240 then you know, you look back and there's there's Jeremy 0:06:27.279 --> 0:06:30.000 Chin out there as well, and Matt Rule talked about 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:33.600 that and Marty trading up for him, and he's in 0:06:33.640 --> 0:06:36.920 contention to be the defensive rookie of the year. I 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:41.600 think this defense, UM, especially those guys that were drafted, 0:06:42.440 --> 0:06:44.839 really you know, Matt Rule said, he said they're going 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:47.520 to be called on early. I wish that wasn't the case. 0:06:47.520 --> 0:06:49.400 This was in April when he said this. I wish 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:51.520 that wasn't the case. But that's the way things are 0:06:51.640 --> 0:06:54.200 right now, and every single one of them has been 0:06:54.839 --> 0:06:59.560 and you know, braveon Roy out there, six rounder looks good, 0:07:00.000 --> 0:07:02.240 and I just I think this young defense is really 0:07:02.240 --> 0:07:04.599 coming on, and I think those draft picks, those seven 0:07:04.600 --> 0:07:07.760 guys are a part of it. UM. But I've been 0:07:08.400 --> 0:07:10.880 I've been impressed with the growth that these young guys 0:07:10.880 --> 0:07:13.640 have shown over the last three or four games. Again, 0:07:13.800 --> 0:07:16.160 still far from perfect, still a lot of work to do, 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:17.800 but I think it is heartening, Will and I wanted 0:07:17.880 --> 0:07:21.160 to know what you think, to see the improvement, to 0:07:21.160 --> 0:07:24.320 see them starting to settle in UM and be able 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:27.280 to make big plays. Back in I think it was 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:29.040 November we were talking about, you know, what are we 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:30.720 looking for here? I think it was, you know, after 0:07:31.000 --> 0:07:33.920 the Panthers were maybe officially eliminated from the playoffs, right, 0:07:33.920 --> 0:07:35.320 So what are we playing for? What do we what 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:36.960 do we look to see in the next four games? 0:07:37.440 --> 0:07:39.720 And you know, I was like, you want to win, 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:41.640 you want to play well, you want to set a 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:44.840 tone for next year. And I think you know, the 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:47.480 winds haven't necessarily come and there's a there isn't Well 0:07:47.560 --> 0:07:50.200 we can talk about later. There's an upside there close 0:07:50.240 --> 0:07:52.080 to picking third in the draft. I mean, there's an 0:07:52.160 --> 0:07:56.440 upside to that. But there are specific areas of play 0:07:56.520 --> 0:07:59.960 that you are seeing momentum being built. You know, this defense, 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:03.960 it went from giving up third down conversions what of 0:08:04.000 --> 0:08:05.480 the time for most of the season, it's down to 0:08:05.520 --> 0:08:07.640 thirty percent. It was the last couple of weeks over 0:08:07.680 --> 0:08:09.920 the last three or four weeks, yeah, four weeks I think, 0:08:10.000 --> 0:08:14.760 and you know, going into the Green Bay game. So 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:17.400 their third down numbers over the last three weeks going 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:19.160 into the Green Bay game, where like you said, around 0:08:20.800 --> 0:08:24.000 the quality of opponent was not quite to the level 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:26.400 as some of the other teams that they had played, 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:29.400 the Chiefs, the Buccaneer, So you go, okay, well, but 0:08:29.480 --> 0:08:32.920 then they were going up against the second best third 0:08:32.960 --> 0:08:38.280 down offense and the potential NFL m v P UM 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:41.800 in this game, and they after those first few what 0:08:41.840 --> 0:08:47.000 was it they started out after that? Yeah, it was, 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:48.760 and I think I think it was the total. The 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:51.040 last numbers were five for twelve. I'm just we're saying 0:08:51.120 --> 0:08:54.280 random stats right now. It's great, great well researched here 0:08:54.320 --> 0:08:56.760 on the Happy Half Hour podcast presented My worst Jackens. 0:08:56.760 --> 0:09:00.400 But that is that's improvement. And I think that also 0:09:00.440 --> 0:09:03.680 gives those guys confidence and being able to get to 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:06.080 UM get to the quarterback as well, which is something 0:09:06.080 --> 0:09:08.719 that they struggled with early on this year. I think 0:09:08.720 --> 0:09:13.200 we're starting to see consistent improvements in those areas. And 0:09:13.280 --> 0:09:16.439 one thing I will shout out shout out to that 0:09:16.480 --> 0:09:20.319 group is they did it the five sacks on six blitzes, 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:23.520 which was the best like sacked to blitz ratio in 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:27.360 the NFL last week. And that speaks to a what 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:29.400 Phil Snow has always said, you have to be able 0:09:29.440 --> 0:09:31.640 to get home with four. You've got to be able 0:09:31.640 --> 0:09:33.040 to get home with four and I have to send 0:09:33.040 --> 0:09:36.600 six or seven. And it means that against Aaron Rodgers 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:40.240 and Davante Adams in this you know vaunted pass, Dante 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:43.520 Jackson played really well. Those guys back there you know 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:46.280 there are result Douglass. Those guys had a lot of 0:09:46.280 --> 0:09:48.960 pressure on them and they were able to hold it 0:09:49.000 --> 0:09:52.000 down until Brian Burns and f A and Derek Brown 0:09:52.040 --> 0:09:55.079 could get there. And I think that's it takes all 0:09:55.080 --> 0:09:56.640 of that. You know, it's not just the pass rush. 0:09:56.840 --> 0:09:59.480 If you if you give up something on the back end, 0:09:59.720 --> 0:10:01.440 you can be a half second away every time. But 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:03.960 someone's open and they get the pass off. So good 0:10:04.000 --> 0:10:05.800 for them too. You know, they came up, they made hits, 0:10:05.840 --> 0:10:09.160 they were physical. Um, they had really good coverage against 0:10:09.160 --> 0:10:13.000 a really really really good passing offense. Okay, so now 0:10:13.040 --> 0:10:15.040 what do we do you know this next week? How 0:10:15.120 --> 0:10:17.120 do you continue to carry that on? I think that's 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:19.800 that's the challenge and that's the uh, the thing we 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:22.200 want to see. Yeah. I was talking to Matt Rule 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:25.160 earlier this week and I asked him about this defense. 0:10:25.200 --> 0:10:28.080 I said, are you seeing the things that that I'm seeing, Um, 0:10:28.120 --> 0:10:31.760 you know, the consistent improvement, guys starting to get comfortable 0:10:31.800 --> 0:10:33.640 and he said yeah. He said, I think some of 0:10:33.679 --> 0:10:36.960 our young players are playing the best that they ever 0:10:37.040 --> 0:10:41.440 have And I think that's great. Um, but you're right 0:10:41.520 --> 0:10:44.640 in terms of it's got to carry over. I think 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:46.640 it has been building, but you want to see them 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:48.400 finish out the season strong. And I think that was 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:51.280 where Um, when you talk to Matt Rule earlier in 0:10:51.320 --> 0:10:54.600 the season, if it you know, if it was penalties 0:10:54.640 --> 0:10:56.679 in one game, it was third downs in another game. 0:10:56.720 --> 0:10:58.400 And I'm not just talking defense, but you know, with 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:01.560 a young team and with implement in this new way 0:11:01.559 --> 0:11:03.959 of playing and not having those preseason games or O 0:11:04.040 --> 0:11:06.440 t A s, you know, they'd have a good showing 0:11:06.440 --> 0:11:09.120 in one category and then it'd be something else situationally, 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.800 and it feels like they're starting to move toward well, 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:17.280 certainly not perfect, um, more consistency. And he said this 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:20.640 a lot they when you've lost this many what is it, 0:11:21.040 --> 0:11:23.560 eight nine in a row, you know, four and four 0:11:23.600 --> 0:11:29.280 and ten. Now we haven't lost well the Lions. Sorry, hey, 0:11:29.280 --> 0:11:31.640 that was that was a shutout in the NFL. Sorry, 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:35.480 sorry about that. Mean, but when when you've lost like this, 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:38.520 it is really hard to kind of keep bringing it, 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:41.400 to keep coming. And that's the thing that while there 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:43.760 have been mistakes, there have been penalties, there have been 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:47.000 um miss assignments or that there have been things like that, 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:50.960 but there hasn't been hasn't been a lack of effort, 0:11:51.200 --> 0:11:55.120 I think on defense and and especially when you see 0:11:55.120 --> 0:11:58.320 those guys show up in Lambeau in they're flying around 0:11:58.360 --> 0:12:01.640 and they're hitting people hard, and they're you know, they're 0:12:01.679 --> 0:12:04.760 really engaged with us, which is exactly what you need. 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:07.560 Like you just you have to stay engaged. You have 0:12:07.679 --> 0:12:11.360 to stay really amped to to do this job at 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:13.560 the highest level. Well, one of those guys that is 0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:16.160 doing this job at the highest level for a rookie 0:12:16.240 --> 0:12:19.079 is Jeremy Chin. Um, he's gonna be I mean they're 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:21.840 not playing against each other, of course, but you know, 0:12:21.960 --> 0:12:24.240 he and Chase Young the two front runners for a 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:28.000 defensive Rookie of the Year. They know that they're playing 0:12:28.040 --> 0:12:31.840 against each other this week in this game, and you've 0:12:31.840 --> 0:12:34.319 got to think that it's it's on their minds and 0:12:34.520 --> 0:12:37.559 they're still both trying to make their last push. Where 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:39.160 do you think it stands right now? I know it's 0:12:39.200 --> 0:12:42.080 hard for us to say because because we're on you know, 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:47.040 we're Panthers employees. But but just objectively, Panther stats guy, 0:12:47.160 --> 0:12:51.559 what do you think I was a little worried this week, 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:55.480 not because of chin but because Chase Young made the 0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:58.960 Pro Bowl over Brian Burns. And I think to me 0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:03.000 that shows kind of you know, it's obviously there's some 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:05.560 different elements that go into this. There's Pro Bowls more 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:09.280 of a popularity contest. You know, the voters for defensive Player, 0:13:09.360 --> 0:13:11.640 the Rookie of the Year are a little bit more 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:16.160 engaged with the sport, you know, a little bit more informed. Um. 0:13:16.200 --> 0:13:19.079 But yeah, the fact that like Burns had such better 0:13:19.080 --> 0:13:21.679 stats and they're playing the same position, it's like these 0:13:21.720 --> 0:13:26.200 are directly comparable. Um. And but I feel like people 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:29.199 are they know about Chase Young, he's kind of been 0:13:29.360 --> 0:13:31.800 very flashy this year, you know, and us someone people 0:13:31.880 --> 0:13:34.320 knew about in college. You know, he came out, you know, 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:36.199 he was a you know, no one knew about Chin. 0:13:36.480 --> 0:13:39.000 It's taken it's taken the second half of the season 0:13:39.040 --> 0:13:40.760 for Chinn to really get on people's right. Really the 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:43.440 Minnesota game for kind of a national audience, you know, 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:46.120 with the two touchdowns, so it's kind of been it's 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:48.400 kind of been late. And the fact that Washington is 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:51.800 winning there, you know, they if they go to the playoffs, 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:55.320 you know, that could be a deciding factor if they're 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:58.360 similar enough. Because the problem is those two. They play 0:13:58.400 --> 0:14:02.600 different positions, so you can't compare tackles to tackles. You 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:07.240 can't compare you know, interception. It's just a little bit different. Well, 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:10.160 we'll see what happens. I mean, regardless they're both having 0:14:10.720 --> 0:14:14.480 great seasons, um, and and whether you know one of 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:16.960 them takes it away over the other, I mean they 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:19.320 should both still just be incredibly proud and it's exciting 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:22.400 to see both of their careers UM developed at this 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:24.520 next level for both of them. But I know they 0:14:24.520 --> 0:14:27.520 both wanted of course you you wanted UM, all right, 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:30.560 But let's talk about this game as a whole here 0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:33.440 on the Happy Half Hour podcast presented by Morris Jenkins. 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:35.720 But quickly Mr Jenkins told me his plumbers in a 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:39.400 c text secretly where Panthers jerseys under their uniforms. When 0:14:39.400 --> 0:14:41.760 you're plumbing or air conditioning is acting up, called Morris 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:45.240 Jenkins or visit Morris Jenkins dot com. So, um, Panthers 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:51.080 facing the Washington football team, facing Ron Rivera, facing Thomas Davis. Well, 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:53.440 you know I wasn't here for that era. I was 0:14:53.520 --> 0:14:56.600 a fan UM during that time and have have great 0:14:56.640 --> 0:15:00.520 respect certainly for both of them. UM, But I know 0:15:00.600 --> 0:15:03.280 you have been here for for quite a while, and 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:07.360 I just was wondering what kind of personal stories, um, 0:15:07.560 --> 0:15:09.280 do you have about either one of those guys or 0:15:09.320 --> 0:15:12.320 what does this mean you know that that they're facing 0:15:12.360 --> 0:15:16.920 them right now. I think that Thomas Davis will always 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:21.320 continue to kind of be this, um, this kind of 0:15:21.360 --> 0:15:26.520 bedrock of what Panther football really was. Uh. He's someone 0:15:26.720 --> 0:15:30.080 that you know, I over the course of all of 0:15:30.120 --> 0:15:32.720 these last several years, of all of these big time 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:36.360 names and faces leaving the organization at different points, that 0:15:36.400 --> 0:15:41.200 one really hurt. That one hit really hard, UM, and 0:15:41.440 --> 0:15:44.120 you know this one, this one is gonna be it 0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:46.280 was it was. I was glad we didn't have to 0:15:46.280 --> 0:15:48.560 face the Chargers last year when he was playing for them. 0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:50.800 But this this one's gonna be tough. I'm not sure 0:15:50.840 --> 0:15:54.240 how much he hasn't played in every game this year, um, 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:56.480 but just seeing him on the field talking to our guys, 0:15:56.840 --> 0:15:59.160 it's gonna mean a lot. You know, Thomas was someone 0:15:59.280 --> 0:16:04.120 that you know, he was he was he was mature 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:07.200 when he was young. He was the old man in 0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:10.240 the locker room when he was like twenty two, and 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:12.840 he kind of always carried himself that way and you 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:17.000 just you know, you immediately he's the guy right there. 0:16:17.360 --> 0:16:19.680 He kind of always had that to him and when 0:16:19.720 --> 0:16:25.280 he walked in the room, very mature beyond his years, right, 0:16:25.320 --> 0:16:27.760 But I mean that that was what Thomas was for. 0:16:27.840 --> 0:16:30.280 I mean, two thousand five to two thousand and eighteen, 0:16:30.360 --> 0:16:33.680 that's a long time to be the face of you know, 0:16:33.720 --> 0:16:35.400 there's there were a lot of faces, but I think 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:38.720 Thomas really represented that for me. And of course, you know, 0:16:38.920 --> 0:16:42.680 Ron Rivera, he ingratiated himself in this community. You know, 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:46.640 like he was out everywhere. He was, um, he was 0:16:46.680 --> 0:16:50.800 someone that for all of the tough times when you 0:16:50.800 --> 0:16:54.480 know he had to uh not battle, but you know 0:16:54.560 --> 0:16:56.800 he had to go at it with reporters at different times. 0:16:57.200 --> 0:17:01.000 You know, like his last press conference, long time gritty 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:04.000 sports reporters had tears in their eyes, you know. And 0:17:04.040 --> 0:17:06.200 I think that that speaks to that speaks to all 0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:08.960 of it, um of kind of the impact and the 0:17:09.000 --> 0:17:11.920 relationships that that someone can have in a community and 0:17:11.960 --> 0:17:14.960 everything he's been through and and just his fight and 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:18.480 hearing people around the office who have checked in with him, 0:17:18.480 --> 0:17:20.360 it's it's great to hear that that he's doing well. 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:22.560 It's just been quite a year for him. But I 0:17:22.600 --> 0:17:24.399 will say, as I said, I was not here with 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:27.560 the organization UM to work with either of those guys. 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:30.680 But two things stand out to me. Number One, I've 0:17:30.720 --> 0:17:33.439 never heard anyone here say a bad word about Ron Rivera, 0:17:33.640 --> 0:17:36.040 people that have worked with him for for years and years, 0:17:36.200 --> 0:17:39.119 And I just think that's that that right there is it? 0:17:39.440 --> 0:17:43.240 You know, that's the mark of who he is. And um, 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:45.440 I just think that's incredible, what a what a great 0:17:45.440 --> 0:17:48.439 person to have led the Panthers for as long as 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:51.040 he did and now to lead the Washington football team 0:17:51.160 --> 0:17:54.000 and happy for their success that they're having this season. 0:17:54.480 --> 0:17:58.919 And then with Thomas Davis, UM I I got to 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:01.680 talk to him once. It was during the schedule release show, 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:06.399 did the digital show, and he came on this show. 0:18:06.480 --> 0:18:09.680 We had people from from different teams and he came 0:18:09.720 --> 0:18:13.840 on and did the Panthers schedule release show. I just 0:18:13.880 --> 0:18:16.600 thought that was the coolest, you know, and just couldn't 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:19.119 have been nicer and more gracious. But then also I 0:18:19.160 --> 0:18:22.359 can't remember, I want to say, maybe it was KK 0:18:22.800 --> 0:18:25.800 that was on at the time. We paired up different players. 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:29.679 Um we had um Christian McCaffrey and Tyron Matthew to 0:18:29.720 --> 0:18:32.600 talk about the Chiefs game, and then I want to 0:18:32.640 --> 0:18:35.240 say it was Thomas Davison and KK, but I can't 0:18:35.320 --> 0:18:36.919 quite remember off the top of my head with us 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:39.320 being so long ago. But you know, he was also 0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:41.320 just like, oh, I got this one circled, like don't 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:44.000 you don't you worry, Like this one's gonna be fun. 0:18:44.119 --> 0:18:46.040 Can't wait for you guys to come up here. But 0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:48.800 I just thought that was a mark of just a 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:51.919 very classy guy. And you could tell how excited that 0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:54.879 um that KK was to talk to him, and the 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:57.119 other guys that were on with me, you know, Jake 0:18:57.200 --> 0:18:59.560 and people that knew him well were excited to talk 0:18:59.600 --> 0:19:02.160 to him. Um, don't know, good memories. It'll be nice 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:04.640 to get to see all of the interactions and see, 0:19:04.760 --> 0:19:06.960 you know, old friends get to to say hello. He 0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:09.359 is a guy that I think very few people in 0:19:09.400 --> 0:19:13.320 any organization can really say this, but he's someone that 0:19:13.400 --> 0:19:18.920 he spans generations of of a team, of an organization, 0:19:19.000 --> 0:19:21.879 of a fan base, of of all of it. You know, 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:24.880 he's he's like the pre Twitter guy, you know, like 0:19:25.000 --> 0:19:27.359 he's he's you know you talked to like you think 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:30.600 about the Hall of honor guys like he's Jake's class. 0:19:30.680 --> 0:19:32.800 I mean he came in two years after Jake was here. 0:19:33.080 --> 0:19:36.199 I he played with Jake for like four years, and 0:19:36.240 --> 0:19:39.520 then he's playing with Cam and then he's playing in 0:19:39.600 --> 0:19:42.359 almost you know this kind of like after that. It 0:19:42.520 --> 0:19:45.679 was he just spans all of these iterations of what 0:19:45.760 --> 0:19:48.560 this franchise has been. Um, and I think, I think 0:19:48.600 --> 0:19:51.120 that's really cool. That's that's a great point. I hadn't 0:19:51.160 --> 0:19:53.239 thought about it that way. But you're absolutely right, all right, 0:19:53.320 --> 0:19:55.199 Is it is it that time of the week for 0:19:55.280 --> 0:19:57.280 Will's stat at the week? I think it's that time? 0:19:57.320 --> 0:20:00.440 All right? What do you got for us? The time 0:20:01.000 --> 0:20:09.320 picks instead of the week? So last week we talked 0:20:09.320 --> 0:20:13.280 about Robby Anderson d J. Moore. Both of them became 0:20:13.359 --> 0:20:16.359 one thousand yard receivers in the same game at Green Bay, 0:20:16.640 --> 0:20:19.000 just the second time in franchise history that we had 0:20:19.040 --> 0:20:22.080 a pair of wide receivers that both had a thousand 0:20:22.119 --> 0:20:24.800 receiving yards in the same season. It's really really special 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:28.720 for those guys. This week, Mike Davis is thirteen scrimmage 0:20:28.800 --> 0:20:32.760