WEBVTT - Happy Half Hour Episode 88: Setting The Tone 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:03.880 This week on the Happy half Hour. I think Cuba's 0:00:03.920 --> 0:00:06.160 first run first play from scrimmage went like thirty yards, 0:00:06.160 --> 0:00:08.320 which is more than they got the entire Pittsburgh game. Yes, 0:00:08.320 --> 0:00:09.360 so it's one of those things you sit there and 0:00:09.400 --> 0:00:11.360 you're like, so today is going to be different, and 0:00:11.400 --> 0:00:13.159 you kind of knew that already. The tone would be 0:00:13.240 --> 0:00:15.400 like it was just different. They wanted to come out 0:00:15.400 --> 0:00:17.360 and be like, Okay, that's not who we actually aren't 0:00:17.400 --> 0:00:19.079 and make a statement, and they did it against a 0:00:19.120 --> 0:00:26.080 team that was hot. Texta, It's time for the Happy 0:00:26.120 --> 0:00:29.800 half Hour with your friends Kristen Balboni, Augusta Stone, and 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:36.360 Darren Gann. That's right, it's that time of the week. 0:00:36.400 --> 0:00:38.920 It's the Happy half Hour podcast with your friends Augusta, 0:00:39.000 --> 0:00:43.040 Darren and Kristian. And fittingly, the Happy half Hour Podcast 0:00:43.120 --> 0:00:45.920 is brought to you by Prowling Vineyards Napa Valley, which 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:48.400 is the official wine brand and wine club of the 0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:52.199 Carolina Panthers. These premium selections celebrate the great people of 0:00:52.240 --> 0:00:55.360 the Carolinas and the Panthers hunger to achieve excellence on 0:00:55.480 --> 0:00:58.880 and off the field, experience the benefits and lifestyle, while 0:00:58.880 --> 0:01:00.960 giving back to the community. As a portion of the 0:01:00.960 --> 0:01:04.640 proceeds support the Carolina Panthers charities. Learn more at Prowling 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:09.920 Vineyards dot com. Darren Augusta. In the time since we 0:01:10.080 --> 0:01:14.480 last spoke on this podcast, the Panthers broke to franchise records, 0:01:14.560 --> 0:01:18.160 played the coldest home game in Panthers history, became legitimate 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:22.280 playoff contenders, We celebrated a major holiday, the team had 0:01:22.319 --> 0:01:27.560 a significant injury to their secondary and brought back former 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:30.679 All Pro Josh Norman. It's a shame that we don't 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:35.640 have anything to talk about, guys. It's always so boring, like, 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:39.560 oh my goodness. Yeah, and this week gets into like 0:01:39.680 --> 0:01:44.000 the top eight of the two thousand two Carolina Panthers weeks. Right, 0:01:44.200 --> 0:01:46.440 it's uh, yeah, there's a lot maybe not even the 0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:49.080 busiest week that we've had. Is a great point, Aran, 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:51.840 There's a lot of stuff going on, but this is 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:55.000 this is wild and again you buys your ticket, you 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:57.680 comes to seize the show, and you never know what 0:01:57.760 --> 0:02:00.880 you're gonna get. And this year has con ain't multitude. 0:02:01.040 --> 0:02:04.000 It's just been one thing after another. And and like 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:08.120 said you, you just spanned all the emotions of the 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:12.840 week because it goes from hey, everything's great. Playoffs, dude, 0:02:13.320 --> 0:02:19.160 Jacy Horn, but Judge Norman and we're back. So it's uh, yeah, 0:02:19.280 --> 0:02:22.200 it's an interesting time to be sure, and you know, 0:02:22.280 --> 0:02:24.880 it's just kind of hard to process this stuff every week. 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:28.959 But what you keep seeing consistently is a team that 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:32.920 you know, everybody I think six weeks ago when we 0:02:32.960 --> 0:02:35.840 started invoking playoffs and hey, believe it or not, even 0:02:35.880 --> 0:02:37.640 though they're three and eight, they've still kind of got 0:02:37.680 --> 0:02:41.320 a shot at this thing. Um, everybody's sort of pointed 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:44.120 and left, and now it's real and now people are 0:02:44.160 --> 0:02:47.080 starting to see that, oh, this team does things well, 0:02:48.520 --> 0:02:51.679 maybe they do have a shot. So it's been fun 0:02:51.680 --> 0:02:54.640 to watch it has I want to go back and 0:02:54.720 --> 0:02:57.840 we got to relive these these records that were broken 0:02:58.280 --> 0:03:00.040 on Saturday. We got to talk about the cold this 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:02.040 of the game. But you know, just for all the 0:03:02.080 --> 0:03:05.320 fans that approach fandom the way I approach fandom, which 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:08.760 is pessimism and worry right before my team plays a 0:03:08.800 --> 0:03:11.960 big game during Speaking of j C. Horn, can you 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:15.880 give us the latest on on where that injury is. 0:03:16.240 --> 0:03:18.480 Broke his wrist in the game, right Brokeer's wrist during 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:22.359 the game, had surgery on Tuesday afternoon here in town. Uh. 0:03:22.520 --> 0:03:26.080 Steve Wilkes said yesterday they will reevaluate in ten to 0:03:26.200 --> 0:03:30.280 twelve days, okay, And even with sportswriter math, I know 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:34.800 that that takes us to a time before the Saints game. 0:03:35.720 --> 0:03:39.200 So no j C this week. But if you beat 0:03:39.240 --> 0:03:41.360 Tom Brady in the box this week and go into 0:03:41.400 --> 0:03:44.680 Week eighteen with a shot to go to the playoffs, 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:49.480 never know, and how does how does that work? Again? 0:03:49.680 --> 0:03:51.320 Like I said, if i'm if I'm the fan, not 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:53.720 only my pessimistic I'm also wondering about how that works 0:03:54.040 --> 0:03:57.400 with a broken wrist. Even me right as a sideline reporter, 0:03:57.440 --> 0:04:00.440 I could tell that his wrist was broken when it happened. 0:04:00.680 --> 0:04:04.720 I'm pretty good on evaluating the high ankle sprains. But 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:07.680 with the broken wrist, how does that work if he's 0:04:07.720 --> 0:04:11.440 going to potentially be able to play for the Saints game. Well, 0:04:11.480 --> 0:04:14.640 and I think you have to preface everything with every 0:04:14.640 --> 0:04:18.080 injury is different. But we did have one of these 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:20.479 in two thousand and fifteen, and some guy named Thomas 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:25.360 Davis him who broke an arm during the NFC Championship game. 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:27.520 Cast it up played Super Bowl. He didn't even come 0:04:27.560 --> 0:04:30.039 out of the game. Now when he now, when he 0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:32.719 took that cast off after the Super Bowl, his arm 0:04:32.800 --> 0:04:36.480 looked like the football they just played with. It was gross. 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:39.720 But in augustus starting to fade over here. I don't 0:04:40.279 --> 0:04:45.040 I don't think medical talk is where she thrives. But um, 0:04:45.080 --> 0:04:48.039 it's possible. And again, I don't know the specifics of 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:50.920 suh j C's injury, and they're not going to talk 0:04:50.920 --> 0:04:54.719 about him. Frankly, they shouldn't. It's his business. Um, But 0:04:55.480 --> 0:04:58.400 if there is an ability to club it up and 0:04:58.440 --> 0:05:01.000 go play, I think some people we'll try to. But 0:05:01.080 --> 0:05:04.040 it depends on the severity of the surgery. You know, 0:05:04.200 --> 0:05:06.080 what they had to put in there, how far up 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:08.599 the arm they had to go to do things, that 0:05:08.680 --> 0:05:10.800 kind of thing, I mean, and all that sort of stuff. 0:05:10.800 --> 0:05:13.520 That Jac's personal medical business that if he wants to 0:05:13.520 --> 0:05:17.680 share with us sometime, he's welcome to. But it at 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:22.440 least exists as a possibility in a theoretical sense. I mean, 0:05:22.520 --> 0:05:26.200 we don't know. Again, again, any anything can happen to 0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:29.720 a guy. And you know, even Brian Burns said, Burns 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:31.800 is as close to him as anybody in that locker room. 0:05:31.800 --> 0:05:34.359 And Burns is like if he's too serious. I don't 0:05:34.400 --> 0:05:38.080 want him to come absolutely, So I think the guy's 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:42.600 health obviously his first and foremost. But if it's a possibility, 0:05:43.080 --> 0:05:45.760 you know, I think, you know, even in a game 0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:49.280 planning situation going against the Saints, even if you think 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:51.720 he's got a shot to play, that's one more thing 0:05:51.760 --> 0:05:54.360 Dennis Allen's got to think about. So I think that's 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:57.000 probably a factor next week too. But it's like, at 0:05:57.080 --> 0:06:00.200 least there's a chance, that's right, And I appreciate the 0:06:00.320 --> 0:06:03.799 context of of course, we are, as you said, Darren, 0:06:03.800 --> 0:06:06.360 not saying that, oh yeah, he If he doesn't, then 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:08.359 that means that he's not doing something. I just was 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:11.159 wondering the context around what does it look like to 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:14.520 potentially be available with a broken risk, And I think 0:06:14.560 --> 0:06:19.040 that that really gives everyone listening context and best case scenario. Right. 0:06:19.080 --> 0:06:22.080 Of course, although we we absolutely hope that he takes 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:25.680 care of himself and his health, J C. Horne is 0:06:25.720 --> 0:06:29.200 going to be a part of caritall for far beyond 0:06:29.320 --> 0:06:32.240 next week's game against the Saints, and he's important to 0:06:32.400 --> 0:06:34.640 that future. So you don't want to do anything that's 0:06:34.640 --> 0:06:39.960 going to jack him up by trying to play one 0:06:40.000 --> 0:06:43.640 Hero game now. Absolutely, and uh, you know, talking to 0:06:43.760 --> 0:06:47.920 Steve Wilkes yesterday, UM, he said, look, I have confidence 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:51.119 in the guys who were there. He mentioned Keith Taylor 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:53.080 is going to have to step up t J. Carey. 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:56.719 But there is now another name that is in the 0:06:56.800 --> 0:07:01.680 mix potentially currently practice squatter, thirty five year old cornerback 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:05.880 by the name of Josh Norman Augusta. You know, I 0:07:05.880 --> 0:07:08.080 I know Josh. I covered him at while I was 0:07:08.120 --> 0:07:11.080 at Fox Sports. I've covered you know, the fan of 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:14.080 the team before I got this job. Darren of course 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:18.600 goes way back with him. What's been your initial impression, UM, 0:07:18.640 --> 0:07:21.960 as our as our new b of of Josh Norman exactly. No, 0:07:22.080 --> 0:07:25.720 it was super exciting. So I loved just his his 0:07:25.760 --> 0:07:28.360 interview yesterday because I felt like, no matter what the 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:32.800 question was, he had something very interesting to say. UM, 0:07:33.040 --> 0:07:35.400 very pleasant kind of guy, and it's it's really funny 0:07:35.400 --> 0:07:37.160 because like the experience he's had here. I mean, he 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:39.760 was cracking jokes with the reporters like David Newton, a 0:07:40.080 --> 0:07:42.080 ESP and all of them, just going and laughing with 0:07:42.200 --> 0:07:43.920 him and and talking with him, and it was it 0:07:43.960 --> 0:07:45.560 was cool. It was really I mean, he walks in 0:07:45.640 --> 0:07:47.320 and he has this air about him. He was hugging 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:50.040 guys on the practice field like it's it was really 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:53.120 like a homecoming of sorts. And the most interesting thing 0:07:53.320 --> 0:07:55.200 I thought what he said yesterday was like one of 0:07:55.240 --> 0:07:57.040 the first things that he was asked when he was 0:07:57.040 --> 0:07:59.080 talking about things that had changed and he remembered all 0:07:59.080 --> 0:08:01.280 these small details. He talking about how he had a 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:03.520 memory in every room in this place, and how the 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:05.480 doors to the locker room, you know, weren't in the 0:08:05.520 --> 0:08:07.280 back like they are now, and they didn't connect to 0:08:07.280 --> 0:08:09.520 the weight room, and he's like everything so different, and 0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:11.840 it's I just I love. I didn't know that the 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:14.640 doors didn't always open, he said, I don't know. He 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:18.480 was talking about like doors and configurations, but they have 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:22.880 remodeled some things in the locker room in certain places 0:08:22.920 --> 0:08:25.960 that used to be other places. It was just awesome, 0:08:26.000 --> 0:08:27.920 Like I loved, Like, you know, he's one of those 0:08:27.920 --> 0:08:29.800 guys you could tell like takes in things and has 0:08:29.840 --> 0:08:32.440 like a very big observational sort of mind. And so 0:08:32.480 --> 0:08:35.480 I was just fascinated by because it hasn't been that long, 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:37.679 but you know, he's talking about all these little details 0:08:37.720 --> 0:08:39.640 and all the memories he has, and how he was 0:08:39.679 --> 0:08:42.560 a barista in Atlanta before he came back here, and 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:44.680 just all these little things. I just like when I 0:08:44.679 --> 0:08:47.280 wrote the article, just compilations of quotes. The whole time, 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:48.880 I was like, I don't even know where to stop. 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:51.640 Everything is golden. So I almost transcribed the whole twelve 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:53.280 minute thing because I was like, I don't know where 0:08:53.280 --> 0:08:56.600 to edit. It was brilliant. He's uh, he's a real one. 0:08:57.280 --> 0:09:00.600 Josh is you know what Josh is? John is fun 0:09:01.360 --> 0:09:04.000 and it's okay for football to be fun, and I 0:09:04.040 --> 0:09:06.680 and I think it kind of fits with you know, 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:09.200 we're gonna spend a lot of time we already have, 0:09:09.880 --> 0:09:12.880 uh talking about a guy who's probably going to get 0:09:12.920 --> 0:09:15.920 activated for Sunday, but not I mean, there's no game. 0:09:16.000 --> 0:09:18.120 We assume that's the reason you bring him in is 0:09:18.120 --> 0:09:20.640 in the hope of being activated off the practice squad 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:23.400 for the game. But we'll see I and as the 0:09:23.840 --> 0:09:26.160 wet blanket of reason, I feel like every now and 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:28.360 then I have to point out he's thirty five years old, 0:09:28.360 --> 0:09:30.319 hadn't played in the year, and went fast to begin with, 0:09:30.800 --> 0:09:35.440 so he's probably not a guy you want sprinting downfield 0:09:35.760 --> 0:09:39.120 forty yards at a time after Mike Kevin's I don't 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:41.880 know that that's a good matchup necessarily, but can he 0:09:41.920 --> 0:09:46.880 still around with Julio Johnny, you know? And there are 0:09:46.960 --> 0:09:51.520 things where I think Josh adds value to this team, 0:09:51.720 --> 0:09:55.960 whether he plays five ten snaps or not. I mean 0:09:56.600 --> 0:09:59.600 I asked him on Monday when he came in and signed, 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:01.960 and he was still big eyed when he walked down 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:05.800 that hall towards Samir Suleman's office to sign his contract. 0:10:05.840 --> 0:10:08.920 The other day, he's kind of moon. I'd like, I said, 0:10:08.960 --> 0:10:11.200 you didn't think you'd ever be back down this all, Digiti, 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:16.839 So I really didn't. Um, and thinking about thinking about 0:10:16.840 --> 0:10:19.320 that stuff. Then I asked him, I said, in fifteen, 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:21.960 you're last year here. They bring in a guy named 0:10:21.960 --> 0:10:25.200 Peanut Tilman to play his last year in the league. 0:10:25.800 --> 0:10:29.800 And Peanut was a good player during the regular season, 0:10:30.240 --> 0:10:33.320 but peanuts value to that team was in what he 0:10:33.520 --> 0:10:37.960 shared with guys like Josh, and so Josh still, I mean, 0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:40.720 he's a cornerback. He still believes he can play like 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:44.640 I'm still a playmaker. Um got his chest out a 0:10:44.679 --> 0:10:47.440 little bit, but he understands that that's part of the 0:10:47.480 --> 0:10:52.840 reason he's here too. I mean this, this Panthers defense 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:57.040 is still very very young and still has a lot 0:10:57.120 --> 0:10:59.559 of guys who are still learning how to play football, 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:03.600 and so four cats like you know j C, if 0:11:03.640 --> 0:11:05.920 he's well. Although j C is such a different animal 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:08.160 because he grew up in the game and you know, 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:11.280 he's got a different mentality than most. But guys like 0:11:11.400 --> 0:11:16.000 Keith Taylor, guys like Jeremy Chen having a Josh around 0:11:16.040 --> 0:11:18.640 them is gonna be good for their development. In the 0:11:18.679 --> 0:11:21.040 same way having s to find Gilmore around here last 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:25.040 year was helpful. But I think, you know, whatever whatever 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:27.640 it is the kids say these days, I think Josh 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:31.520 has a dog inside of him or or something that 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:35.400 is what he brings to the room. Yeah, and Steve 0:11:35.400 --> 0:11:37.559 Foaks told me, he said, look, if if we feel 0:11:37.559 --> 0:11:39.160 like he can go, he said, he wants to make 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:42.600 sure he's in game shape. He said, bab optimistically, fifteen 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:45.120 to twenty plays. Deren you were probably more measured at 0:11:45.160 --> 0:11:49.120 five to ten. So it's not as you said, it's 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:52.840 there's gonna be no no saviors is coming to to 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:55.040 save the secondary. It's going to have to be by committee. 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:56.960 It's going to have to be these these younger guys, 0:11:57.040 --> 0:12:00.000 these key Taylor's, t J Carey stepping up. Uh. Josh 0:12:00.000 --> 0:12:03.480 Norman helping if and where he can for this game. 0:12:03.480 --> 0:12:05.400 But as you said, he brings a lot of value 0:12:05.559 --> 0:12:08.640 to this team from a leadership perspective, from having been there, 0:12:08.640 --> 0:12:10.559 and that's what he told me. Look, it's just a mindset. 0:12:10.600 --> 0:12:13.800 It's a mindset that Steve Wilkes has instilled in in 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:16.160 me for years, and I want to bring that to 0:12:16.360 --> 0:12:18.360 these guys and make sure that they are ready to 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:21.440 go for this big game. You want to know what 0:12:21.520 --> 0:12:25.640 else Josh springs. Honestly, during a week when all the 0:12:25.679 --> 0:12:28.160 talk would have ordinarily been about, Oh my god, you 0:12:28.200 --> 0:12:30.040 guys are playing to get Tom Brady, Oh my god, 0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:32.200 you guys have the playoffs on the line. Oh my god, 0:12:32.240 --> 0:12:34.400 this is so much pressure. You've never done this before. 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:38.199 We've now spent three days talking about Josh Norman off. 0:12:38.760 --> 0:12:42.040 It really does. I think it's a collateral benefit to 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:46.240 this too, because it keeps this from being a oh 0:12:46.280 --> 0:12:50.319 my god, changes up the news cycle a little about 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:54.720 does That's a really good point. So, gus So you 0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:57.320 mentioned this, and I talked to him in in uh 0:12:57.360 --> 0:12:59.600 in my interview as well, I got him right off 0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:01.400 the field yesterday and I said what were you doing? 0:13:01.440 --> 0:13:03.320 Because he was talking about the importance of the number six, 0:13:03.320 --> 0:13:05.120 which is his new number. And I said, what were 0:13:05.120 --> 0:13:07.200 you doing six days ago? And he said, I was 0:13:07.240 --> 0:13:11.000 a barista at a coffee shop. And he told me 0:13:11.080 --> 0:13:14.840 about all these different drinks he was making, so um. 0:13:14.840 --> 0:13:17.000 He said his specialty was he could do a great 0:13:17.200 --> 0:13:19.760 double espresso. He could do an oat milk latte. There 0:13:19.840 --> 0:13:22.800 was something involving sweet potatoes, which I didn't quite understand. 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:24.920 But there's a new type of I don't know if 0:13:24.960 --> 0:13:27.400 it's a milk or some sort of a substance, but 0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:29.760 sweet potatoes, which I thought was very interesting. But he 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:32.080 knows his stuff, there's no doubt about it. So in 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:35.000 that spirit, I have to know what what are your 0:13:35.000 --> 0:13:38.080 coffee orders when you get something. I know you had 0:13:38.120 --> 0:13:41.280 the lemonade and coffee for a little bit Augusta. But Darren, 0:13:42.000 --> 0:13:44.840 let me just guess with Darren black coffee? Yeah, Josh, 0:13:44.840 --> 0:13:48.079 can you make truck stop black? If you've got a 0:13:48.120 --> 0:13:50.800 pot that's been sitting around all I wanted to be 0:13:50.840 --> 0:13:55.920 burned a little bit. You know. I'm a black coffee 0:13:55.920 --> 0:13:58.840 person too, though, that's about it, Augusta, what's your order? 0:13:59.000 --> 0:14:02.200 So right now, it's very normal. I actually have one 0:14:02.240 --> 0:14:05.120 with me. It's three sugars and oat milk, just original coffee. 0:14:05.200 --> 0:14:09.319 I do prefer coffee to espresso, though I find espresso 0:14:09.360 --> 0:14:11.240 is a little aggressive, so like, I don't get express 0:14:11.480 --> 0:14:13.560 great drinks. I get coffee and then I mix it. 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:15.720 But I'm I'm pretty normal right now. I have like 0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:17.600 when I'm making at home, I have like this vanilla 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:20.600 soy milk that I use. But yeah, I love that. 0:14:20.680 --> 0:14:22.440 I will say I love that alternative milks are big 0:14:22.440 --> 0:14:24.120 and coffee. Now people are talking about eat milk and 0:14:24.160 --> 0:14:28.440 stuff as a vegan plug it um. But yeah, no, 0:14:28.520 --> 0:14:30.200 I love that. So yeah, no, it was really cool. 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:31.760 I was watching your interview with him, and I loved 0:14:31.760 --> 0:14:33.080 like here and I'm talking about all the lot days 0:14:33.120 --> 0:14:34.680 and stuff. That's something I would love to learn to 0:14:34.720 --> 0:14:37.360 do someday. Three sugars. He can teach you three sugars. 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:40.840 Three sugars, big buddy, the alef energy. Absolutely, But I 0:14:40.880 --> 0:14:43.840 will drink like that or the espresso right And I'm 0:14:43.840 --> 0:14:45.800 with august on that the espresso makes me feel a 0:14:45.840 --> 0:14:48.440 little shaky and feel weird. That my decisions first thing 0:14:48.440 --> 0:14:50.400 in the morning. You know, there's a come down off 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:52.240 of it, so I'd go with the three sugars. Usually 0:14:52.560 --> 0:14:58.920 other things to regret. So we've gone all this time 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:01.640 and have not even talked about the way in which 0:15:02.320 --> 0:15:06.040 the Panthers dominated the Lions on Christmas Eve, the coldest 0:15:06.120 --> 0:15:09.360 home game in franchise history. And you know, as Steve 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:11.400 Wilkes told me yesterday when I was talking to him 0:15:11.440 --> 0:15:13.080 by the game, he said, you know we are looking 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:15.720 forward now, right, um, And of course we are, but 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:19.600 I do think it is, Um. It is indicative of 0:15:19.600 --> 0:15:20.960 the way in which, of course they would like to 0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:23.360 play against Tampa and against the Saints, and if they 0:15:23.400 --> 0:15:25.800 go further than that. I mean, it's a great formula 0:15:25.880 --> 0:15:28.920 for dominating pretty much anyone if you can rush for 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:35.880 over three and what how many yards were three? Um? 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:37.760 And then and then the week before you saw the 0:15:37.800 --> 0:15:40.520 Steelers game, which Steve Wolks will say, we got embarrassed, right, 0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:44.160 So there's your that's your spectrum, right. Um. The thing 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:47.320 that I took away from this game standing there on 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:51.320 the sidelines two things. Number One, talking to Steve Wilkes 0:15:51.320 --> 0:15:54.240 in the studio last Wednesday, we do our TV interview 0:15:54.400 --> 0:15:56.480 talk every week, and I said, what do you do 0:15:56.600 --> 0:15:58.400 to come back from the Steelers game? And he said, 0:15:58.400 --> 0:16:00.560 we've got to set a new line. A scrimmage on 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:01.960 both sides of the ball is going to start up front. 0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:03.640 Would do all the things that he has preached to 0:16:03.840 --> 0:16:06.200 this team. And when you rush for like twenty four 0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:07.960 yards in the Steelers game, you go okay, all right. 0:16:08.560 --> 0:16:11.560 They came out and did exactly what he said they 0:16:11.640 --> 0:16:15.440 needed to do. They executed on the game plan. And 0:16:15.480 --> 0:16:19.240 the second thing I saw, um was the amount of 0:16:19.360 --> 0:16:22.840 confidence that that gave them early to come out and 0:16:22.840 --> 0:16:25.040 and run for like seventy yards in your first two plays, 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:29.960 right courtesy of Chewba Hubbard. Um. It was just incredibly impressive, 0:16:30.000 --> 0:16:33.400 and you saw the confidence build throughout the game on 0:16:33.440 --> 0:16:34.920 both sides of the ball because they were able to 0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:37.320 come out and establish that identity, not just establish it, 0:16:37.320 --> 0:16:40.120 but establish it early augusta right. I mean, it was 0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:43.280 just it was neat to see because they you couldn't 0:16:43.280 --> 0:16:46.359 tell them anything. By like the second quarter, they believed 0:16:46.600 --> 0:16:49.200 in what they're doing exactly and they're so into the details. 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:51.440 I have a story dropping later today where I was 0:16:51.440 --> 0:16:53.840 talking with the running backs because I practice, I've noticed 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:56.400 and you've probably seen it too, where after every single 0:16:56.560 --> 0:16:59.080 rep that the offense takes, it's always Jeff Nicks in 0:16:59.120 --> 0:17:01.320 the three running backs and they're always going under their 0:17:01.320 --> 0:17:03.760 watching the tape. And they do this every single practice, 0:17:04.040 --> 0:17:06.240 every single rep. So it'll be like they'll go under 0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:08.200 the tent five or six different times during team periods 0:17:08.200 --> 0:17:10.000 and it's great and they've gotten into the nitty gritty 0:17:10.040 --> 0:17:12.560 details and you can see that it's like working out 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:15.000 right because it's it's like when you have something that's 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:17.640 working well, it's like we'll find those little bitty fine 0:17:17.640 --> 0:17:19.520 tune things. And I will say one thing about confidence. 0:17:19.560 --> 0:17:21.640 The thing about that game was I think Tuba's first 0:17:21.720 --> 0:17:23.680 run the first play from scrimmage went like thirty yards, 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:25.720 which is more than they got in the entire Pittsburgh game. 0:17:25.960 --> 0:17:27.040 So it's one of those things you sit there and 0:17:27.080 --> 0:17:29.439 you're like, hmm, so today it's going to be different, 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:31.240 and you kind of knew that already. The tone would 0:17:31.280 --> 0:17:34.040 be like just it was just different, but um yeah, 0:17:34.119 --> 0:17:36.480 just getting into the nitty gritty details, like kind of 0:17:36.960 --> 0:17:40.000 polishing up things that they already have that are working well. 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:43.119 I think it's not surprising, But what it is is 0:17:43.160 --> 0:17:45.399 it's like, Okay, they have a formula, they know how 0:17:45.440 --> 0:17:47.080 to get to the formula. And then I think also 0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:49.480 with the offensive line, the theme that I had just 0:17:49.520 --> 0:17:51.680 talking with those guys. They were so embarrassed after the 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:54.119 Steelers game. They wanted to come out and be like, Okay, 0:17:54.119 --> 0:17:56.800 that's not who we actually are and make a statement. 0:17:56.880 --> 0:17:58.800 And they did it. They did it against a team 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:01.639 that was hot, trending, hot, winners of six of their 0:18:01.720 --> 0:18:05.040 last seven coming into that one, and that offense had 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:07.439 been on a roll. They hadn't turned it over. The 0:18:08.000 --> 0:18:11.680 that offense was the reason the lines were in that conversation. 0:18:11.800 --> 0:18:14.320 And you know, Ben Johnson, their thirty five year old 0:18:14.320 --> 0:18:17.280 offensive coordinators, one of those hot young offensive minds that 0:18:17.359 --> 0:18:19.439 everybody wants to talk to in the off season. And 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:22.359 you know, Steve Wilkes may eventually be competing for a 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:25.080 job with that guy. And he's got a pretty good 0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:27.720 you know, bullet point to put on his power point 0:18:27.760 --> 0:18:32.240 display for that game. Oh yeah, Ben Johnson, I remember him. Yeah, 0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:36.320 we yards on his team and kept them, you know, 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:39.280 from doing the thing that they had been doing. But hey, 0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:42.359 I think too that operates. That confidence piece of it 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:44.479 operates at a lot of levels. I mean, the the 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:47.040 offensive line we wrote about that Augusta wrote about it 0:18:47.080 --> 0:18:49.760 after the game is just a Okay, this is who 0:18:49.840 --> 0:18:52.359 we are again, this is what we want to do again. 0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:56.520 And where that branches off. Falso is they didn't touch 0:18:56.560 --> 0:18:59.760 Sam Donald all day. The Lions didn't lay a finger 0:18:59.840 --> 0:19:02.800 on Sam Donald. And here's another thing that you can 0:19:02.840 --> 0:19:08.000 read about on Panthers dot com. Um Sam Donald pretty good, 0:19:08.560 --> 0:19:13.040 not not just, but actually pretty good. And I and 0:19:13.080 --> 0:19:15.159 I feel bad. And I told Sam yesterday in the 0:19:15.160 --> 0:19:17.280 locker room when we were finished talking, I said, I 0:19:17.320 --> 0:19:20.640 feel almost bad saying it this way because it sounds 0:19:20.720 --> 0:19:23.760 like a slight It sounds like we're damning him with 0:19:23.800 --> 0:19:27.359 faint praise. But Sam has actually been better than just 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:29.320 take care of it and don't screw it up. And 0:19:29.359 --> 0:19:32.000 he's made plays downfield and you've seen that over the 0:19:32.040 --> 0:19:34.200 last couple of weeks. There have been some of those 0:19:34.200 --> 0:19:36.720 shots to DJ. I mean that touchdown he threw to 0:19:36.880 --> 0:19:40.480 DJ against Detroit was one of those balls that was 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:43.679 placed in a spot. And if you remember back to 0:19:44.000 --> 0:19:47.040 New England joint practices, the three of us were standing 0:19:47.040 --> 0:19:49.320 in a corner of an end zone and Sam Donald, 0:19:49.480 --> 0:19:51.760 back when Baker Mayfield was in the midst of winning 0:19:51.760 --> 0:19:54.919 a quarterback competition, Sam Donald threw a ball to Derreck 0:19:55.040 --> 0:19:57.240 right in the corner of an end zone, and we're 0:19:57.240 --> 0:20:00.440 all like, my god, Sam just threw that all into 0:20:00.480 --> 0:20:04.040 a space about the thing of beauty. I mean, Christian 0:20:04.080 --> 0:20:07.760 McCaffrey ran across the field to bear hug Derrek. I mean, 0:20:07.760 --> 0:20:09.840