WEBVTT - Happy Half Hour Episode 80: Strange Days 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.280 This week on the Happy half Hour, he was very stern, 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:06.400 you know, with sending him early to the locker room, 0:00:06.400 --> 0:00:08.119 and he was very pointed and direct, and there wasn't 0:00:08.119 --> 0:00:09.920 a ton of back and forth between those two. And 0:00:09.960 --> 0:00:12.600 I think that kind of exemplifies, you know, the side 0:00:12.640 --> 0:00:14.520 of his leadership where we say, you know, he's he's 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:16.560 a firm guy, he's a tough guy, and it's he 0:00:16.640 --> 0:00:18.880 kind of showed it and then we saw what happened 0:00:18.880 --> 0:00:26.360 as a result. TEXTA It's time for the Happy Half 0:00:26.360 --> 0:00:30.600 Hour with your friends Kristin Balboni, Augusta Stone and Darren Gann. 0:00:34.240 --> 0:00:35.839 That's right, it's that time of the week. It's the 0:00:35.840 --> 0:00:39.800 Happy half Hour podcast with your friends, Darren, Augusta and Kristen. 0:00:40.159 --> 0:00:43.879 Happy Thursday morning, everybody. How we feeling cold? It's a 0:00:43.920 --> 0:00:46.960 little older now, Yeah, Like it's so funny every year. 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:48.400 I was telling Darren, it's like you'd think I grew 0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:50.959 up in Florida because if it gets below fifty, I'm freezing. 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:53.600 I grew up and I always say the North Georgia Mountains. 0:00:53.600 --> 0:00:55.320 I was really in the valley, but it still gets 0:00:55.320 --> 0:00:58.360 pretty cold there. So um, I can't handle the cold. 0:00:58.400 --> 0:01:00.160 I'm a big baby. I do love it. I love 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:03.720 a little coziness. I do like a little fall on. 0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:06.160 The mistery at the front desk has been teasing me 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:08.399 the last couple of weeks. She saw me come in 0:01:08.400 --> 0:01:10.840 in long pants the other day and she's like, I 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:12.880 don't think I've ever seen you in long pants because 0:01:12.920 --> 0:01:15.760 I try to wear shorts as long as I possibly can. 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:18.440 And she said something smart, and she was like, it's 0:01:18.440 --> 0:01:20.679 pretty much long pants from here on out, isn't it. 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:23.440 It's kind of looking that way. I think it's going 0:01:23.480 --> 0:01:26.680 up into the seventies next. But yeah, I've turned my 0:01:26.680 --> 0:01:29.600 my weather talk on him. Such apparent we can just 0:01:29.640 --> 0:01:32.160 talk for the whole half hour about the weather in 0:01:32.200 --> 0:01:36.680 North Carolina. Oh God, Kristen's turned into the insurance commercial. 0:01:36.840 --> 0:01:40.440 I sure, am, I sure, I am, proudly absolutely. I 0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:43.039 love to talk about the weather. But we have plenty 0:01:43.040 --> 0:01:46.280 of other things to talk about on this episode, So 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:48.680 let's get right into it. Let's talk about what we 0:01:48.760 --> 0:01:51.320 have learned from Steve Wilkes. Let's call it week and 0:01:51.360 --> 0:01:56.000 a half tenure as UM as inter room head coach. Obviously, 0:01:56.040 --> 0:01:57.800 the game against the Rams did not go the way 0:01:57.840 --> 0:02:00.240 that the team wanted it to go or fans wanted 0:02:00.280 --> 0:02:03.440 it to go. Just a lot of injuries, a lot 0:02:03.480 --> 0:02:06.760 of adversity in that game. But um, but we've seen 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:09.040 some some good things and some bad things, so let's 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:11.000 let's talk about it all. So Darren, let's start with you. 0:02:11.080 --> 0:02:13.919 What have we learned since Steve Wilkes has taken over 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:16.800 the helm? Well, I mean, the first and foremost, Steve 0:02:16.800 --> 0:02:20.880 Wilkes has not inherited an enviable position with everything that's 0:02:20.880 --> 0:02:23.440 going on at the quarterback position, the guys being hurt. 0:02:23.760 --> 0:02:27.200 But I do think that Steve's got a tone about 0:02:27.320 --> 0:02:31.200 him that when things may seem chaotic, he's got such 0:02:31.200 --> 0:02:34.280 a steady hand on the wheel that you feel all 0:02:34.360 --> 0:02:36.840 right about it. I mean he is he is not 0:02:37.000 --> 0:02:40.200 a guy who projects panic or anything like that. And 0:02:40.840 --> 0:02:42.839 I think at the end of the day, I mean 0:02:42.919 --> 0:02:45.919 Steve is kind of an old defensive coordinator. He wants 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:48.680 to simplify things, he wants to strip it down. You 0:02:48.720 --> 0:02:50.600 saw that in the game plan last week. I mean 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:53.040 he said, we want to run the ball, and early 0:02:53.080 --> 0:02:54.880 on in that game they ran the ball well and 0:02:54.919 --> 0:02:58.400 controlled it. It It was like eleven minutes of the first quarter. Uh, 0:02:58.440 --> 0:03:01.040 they had possession and things were looking pretty good. You 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:04.600 get a defensive score from Dante, but it just as 0:03:04.639 --> 0:03:07.600 with a lot of things, with the quarterback situation they've 0:03:07.639 --> 0:03:12.639 had this year, wasn't necessarily sustainable. But I do kind of, 0:03:13.120 --> 0:03:16.600 I guess, like appreciate the fact that Steve's got a 0:03:16.680 --> 0:03:19.799 steadiness about him. You know, he knows this isn't an 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:23.200 ideal situation. There's no interim head coach who's ever walked 0:03:23.200 --> 0:03:26.920 into an ideal situation. But he's got kind of the 0:03:27.040 --> 0:03:31.320 personality to handle it and and try to lead guys 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:33.919 through it. I mean, it's really the only the only 0:03:33.960 --> 0:03:37.320 thing you can do when you find yourself in this moment. Well, 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:39.680 I'll go with the thing that I have learned about 0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:43.040 Steve Wilkes because it relates a little bit to yours, Darren, 0:03:43.480 --> 0:03:45.240 that of you know, he has such a history with 0:03:45.280 --> 0:03:48.040 the Panthers, But the person on the Panthers who may 0:03:48.040 --> 0:03:51.120 have known him the longest is long Snapver J. J. Jansen. 0:03:51.240 --> 0:03:54.280 Of course, yes, he told me that they have known 0:03:54.320 --> 0:03:56.840 each other since two thousand four, so almost twenty years 0:03:56.880 --> 0:03:59.840 when j J was a freshman and Notre Dame and 0:04:00.040 --> 0:04:02.600 he was coaching DBS and he said, I've I've known 0:04:02.640 --> 0:04:05.120 him since I was a scrawny little freshman at Notre Dame. 0:04:05.160 --> 0:04:07.440 And then he said, well, maybe not scrawny, which I 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:11.120 thought was great. But to your point, Darren, Um, I 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:14.320 spoke with JJ last week on on Wednesday, so right 0:04:14.320 --> 0:04:17.279 after the transition, and he said, I think knowing Steve 0:04:17.320 --> 0:04:18.960 Wolks for as long as I have, that he has 0:04:19.000 --> 0:04:23.159 the temperament to step into this situation because of the 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:26.480 way that he can just block everything out and focus. Um, 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:30.480 the way he's a great communicator, clear, concise, uh and 0:04:30.480 --> 0:04:32.840 ready for the challenge. And it just really struck me 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:35.360 what you just said, Darren. I think we're all seeing 0:04:35.400 --> 0:04:37.560 that as well, the thing that JJ told me to 0:04:37.600 --> 0:04:40.159 look out for. So that's something that that I've learned. 0:04:40.200 --> 0:04:42.159 He goes way back with j J Jansen Augusta, what 0:04:42.160 --> 0:04:44.039 about you exactly. Well, it's like you said when you 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:46.440 said communication style, I felt like you're almost reading my mind, 0:04:46.480 --> 0:04:47.960 because that's what I was going to say. I was 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:50.640 going to say. It's he's a very stern communicator. I've 0:04:50.680 --> 0:04:53.080 noticed this not only like on the practice field and 0:04:53.080 --> 0:04:55.080 obviously when he's talking to the team, but also when 0:04:55.080 --> 0:04:57.320 he's talking to the media, which as a reporter, I 0:04:57.360 --> 0:04:59.800 find that refreshing when you have someone who speaks and 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:03.720 indefinites or you know, answers things very very clearly. You know, 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:05.159 you asked him a question, he'll look you dead in 0:05:05.160 --> 0:05:06.440 the eye and he'll answer. And I just I I 0:05:06.760 --> 0:05:10.239 find that very respectable. And from my position, it's it's 0:05:10.279 --> 0:05:12.920 it's easier to work with a coach like that, UM. 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:15.760 But I also just UM, I think we saw his 0:05:16.000 --> 0:05:19.320 sort of stern, pointed style UM in a situation that 0:05:19.560 --> 0:05:22.520 was not ideal along the sidelines against the rams UM 0:05:22.640 --> 0:05:25.680 when we saw Robbie Anderson and his position coach Joe 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:29.039 Daily kind of get into a small little spat a 0:05:29.080 --> 0:05:32.440 couple of times. And I saw the video replays of it, 0:05:32.480 --> 0:05:34.840 but he was very stern, you know, with sending him 0:05:34.880 --> 0:05:36.640 early to the locker room, and he was very pointed 0:05:36.640 --> 0:05:38.159 and direct, and there wasn't a ton of back and 0:05:38.200 --> 0:05:41.200 forth between those two. And I think that kind of exemplifies, 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:43.120 you know, the side of his leadership where we say, 0:05:43.160 --> 0:05:45.400 you know, he's he's a firm guy, he's a tough guy, 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:47.120 and it's he kind of showed it. And then we 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:50.640 saw what happened as a result, Um, And and now 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:54.520 Robbie is in Arizona. Yeah, let's let's yeah, great segue. 0:05:54.600 --> 0:05:56.880 Let's talk about that, Darren. Yeah, it was kind of 0:05:56.920 --> 0:05:58.719 a it was kind of a mess, and it was 0:05:58.800 --> 0:06:02.000 pointing that direction. And honestly, I think it's fair to 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:06.120 say Robbie wasn't thrilled with the way things were going. Again, 0:06:06.160 --> 0:06:09.520 the offense in general isn't clicking right now when you're 0:06:09.560 --> 0:06:12.279 thirty second in the league, that's fair to say. UM, 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:15.560 and the passing game in particular. And so Robbie is 0:06:15.600 --> 0:06:18.640 a guy. Every wide receiver wants targets. Everyone of them 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:20.640 wants to be involved. Everyone of them wants to be 0:06:21.160 --> 0:06:24.800 the guy making plays downfield. Nobody's making plays downfield right now. 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:29.080 So Robbie wasn't necessarily happy. Um. You know, there was 0:06:29.480 --> 0:06:32.120 there was some talk about his relationship with Matt Rule 0:06:32.200 --> 0:06:34.520 being a component of it, But I don't know that 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:37.760 that's necessarily it. I mean, Robbie just wants to be 0:06:38.560 --> 0:06:41.560 you know, involved in you know, featured more in a 0:06:41.600 --> 0:06:44.599 passing game that's got success. And you know, we'll see 0:06:44.680 --> 0:06:46.920 how it works out for him out in Arizona. They 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:51.480 obviously needed the help with Hollywood Brown getting hurt um 0:06:51.880 --> 0:06:54.960 interesting side note, Hollywood Brown had to go see Dr 0:06:55.080 --> 0:06:58.279 Robert Anderson in Green Bay about his foot and ankle, 0:06:58.360 --> 0:07:00.760 and now he's replaced in the line up by Dr 0:07:00.839 --> 0:07:05.520 Robert Anderson, who is uh on his way. He's been 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:07.560 practicing with the Cardinals for a couple of days. Now. 0:07:07.600 --> 0:07:09.279 We'll see if he's out there on the field tonight. 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:12.120 I don't know how quickly Robbie will pick up, but 0:07:12.520 --> 0:07:15.440 you know, it just became an untenable situation because when 0:07:15.440 --> 0:07:18.680 somebody doesn't want to be here and kind of makes 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:21.120 it obvious that he doesn't want to be around with 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:23.080 the way he behaved on the sidelines. I mean, we've 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:25.880 seen Robbie get into it on the sidelines before. It 0:07:25.960 --> 0:07:29.160 was with Joe Brady in the past. He's he's gotten 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:34.760 in those situations previously, and it just got ugly. And 0:07:34.840 --> 0:07:36.960 when it gets ugly and there in the situation you 0:07:37.040 --> 0:07:40.040 get in, you get guys gone, and it's got Fitterer 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:43.000 got on the phone Monday morning was able to get 0:07:43.040 --> 0:07:46.640 two things for one. Robbie so at a six round 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:49.000 pick in twenty four and a seven and twenty five 0:07:49.080 --> 0:07:52.760 is not a lot, But considering the situation and considering 0:07:52.880 --> 0:07:55.240 what it looked like, getting a couple of things, you know, 0:07:55.400 --> 0:07:57.960 some extra draft inventory for the future is not the 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:01.120 worst thing, because I don't know much good Robbie was 0:08:01.160 --> 0:08:03.960 doing them in the short term anyway. And and now 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:07.120 you spend the rest of the season looking at Terris 0:08:07.160 --> 0:08:11.560 Marshall's shy smith, see what they've got to offer when 0:08:11.640 --> 0:08:14.800 he's healthy exactly. So you got to kind of adjust 0:08:15.080 --> 0:08:18.840 on the fly when things like that happened. But it, um, 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:21.680 it's that time of year. It feels like it worked 0:08:21.680 --> 0:08:25.760 out well for everyone involved, Robbie included, as you said, 0:08:25.800 --> 0:08:27.880 we'll see how it goes. So certainly we wish him 0:08:27.960 --> 0:08:29.960 all the best. But you know, as we sit here 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:34.480 Thursday morning, but that is the only trade that has happened, um, 0:08:34.520 --> 0:08:37.480 But the trade deadline is looming. So what are you 0:08:37.559 --> 0:08:41.160 two hearing about what the Panthers may or may not do. Well. 0:08:41.200 --> 0:08:44.120 The one thing I don't think they're doing is is 0:08:44.200 --> 0:08:46.839 trying to trade everybody on the roster. I mean, Scott, 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:49.320 I've heard the same thing. Yeah, Scott always says you 0:08:49.440 --> 0:08:52.680 listen to everything, and people listen. People are calling about 0:08:52.760 --> 0:08:56.080 Christian McCaffrey. You know why, because Christian McCaffrey is really 0:08:56.080 --> 0:08:59.439 good at football. UM and other people would enjoy having 0:08:59.480 --> 0:09:01.839 a Christian McCaffrey. It's just a matter of what to say. 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:04.560 They're not going to give him away. I I don't 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:07.200 think you're going to see a situation where you know 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:09.640 they're not going to trade Christian for a fourth round 0:09:09.679 --> 0:09:12.120 pick or something. They're not just throwing a guy away. 0:09:12.160 --> 0:09:15.840 If somebody calls and offers, I think you're obliged to listen. 0:09:16.600 --> 0:09:19.040 I think you have to listen to every offer and 0:09:19.120 --> 0:09:22.880 see because you know, realistically, the Carolina Panthers are going 0:09:22.960 --> 0:09:25.439 to be going into an off season where they want 0:09:25.480 --> 0:09:28.520 to find stability at quarterback and a lot of people 0:09:28.600 --> 0:09:31.280 think that means drafting one. And if you're trying to 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:34.600 draft quarterback, you know, I don't think it's the pick 0:09:34.679 --> 0:09:38.440 you're going to get in exchange, but any picks you 0:09:38.480 --> 0:09:41.440 add helps you in the process. So if you need 0:09:41.480 --> 0:09:43.679 to move up and get a particular guy that you like, 0:09:43.920 --> 0:09:47.280 or you need to package picks and trade from Matt Stafford, 0:09:47.320 --> 0:09:49.560 I mean, you never know. When we didn't know at 0:09:49.600 --> 0:09:51.959 the time Matt Stafford was going to be available, when 0:09:51.960 --> 0:09:56.560 he became available. So I think you you just kind 0:09:56.559 --> 0:09:59.400 of gotta look at its inventory if you make a 0:09:59.480 --> 0:10:01.800 deal for at or whatever picks it happens to be. 0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:06.520 And and I don't think they're absolutely intent on trading him. 0:10:06.520 --> 0:10:09.319 I mean, I think if they don't get an appropriate offer, 0:10:09.440 --> 0:10:11.800 they don't get what feels like value, why would you 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:14.680 just give the guy away? You wouldn't so because he 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:16.880 has high value to your team right now with the 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:19.200 way he's been playing. And that's that's the thing that's 0:10:19.240 --> 0:10:22.280 important to remember. After not seeing a lot of Christian 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:25.600 for the last two years, the Christian we're seeing right now, 0:10:25.679 --> 0:10:27.920 it's like, Wow, this guy is getting it done again. 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:30.040 And and I think that's what's got a lot of 0:10:30.040 --> 0:10:33.480 people interested. But I don't think, you know, they're not 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:36.920 trying to trade off Brian Burns or it's not like 0:10:36.960 --> 0:10:39.760 they're just trying to accumulate future draft picks for the 0:10:39.800 --> 0:10:42.719 next full time head coach that they're gonna hire in 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:46.760 twenty three. So it's not a fire sale, it's not 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:49.920 give everybody away. It's not clear the decks or anything 0:10:49.960 --> 0:10:52.120 of the sword, and and they're not going to take 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:54.400 pennies on the dollar for guys. I mean, there are 0:10:54.440 --> 0:10:57.760 assets here, and I think that's worth remembering at a 0:10:57.800 --> 0:11:00.920 time when everybody's talking about what's going wrong, what's you know, 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:03.679 who could be on the way out those kind of things. 0:11:03.720 --> 0:11:07.240 I mean, this is still a team that going into 0:11:07.320 --> 0:11:10.320 twenty three, still has Brian Burns, still has Derek Brown, 0:11:10.400 --> 0:11:15.600 still has j. C. Horne, still has Jeremy chen of 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:18.640 a defense along with Dante d J. Moore on the 0:11:18.640 --> 0:11:22.000 other side, the starting five off on the offensive line 0:11:22.040 --> 0:11:25.520 that's played every snap so far this year and has 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:28.520 some good depth in Bradley Boseman and Cam Irving and 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:33.360 Michael Jordan's you know that stuffs in place, and so 0:11:33.559 --> 0:11:38.839 I think there is things that you know they're going 0:11:38.840 --> 0:11:41.200 to want to build all and so you look at 0:11:41.280 --> 0:11:43.440 and you listen, and I don't think it's a fire 0:11:43.440 --> 0:11:45.679 sale by any stretch of the imagination, but you never 0:11:45.760 --> 0:11:48.480 know what could happen. I've heard the same thing. You know, 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:50.600 there are a lot of as you name just a 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:54.120 few of the really talented players on this team, and 0:11:54.760 --> 0:11:58.160 they've been developed and are are playing well at a 0:11:58.160 --> 0:12:02.120 lot of different positions. And um, I've heard the same 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:06.280 that that's not something that's on the radar, right, Trying 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:09.520 to keep those pieces in place is important, so we'll 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:12.480 certainly see what happens. We never know, of course, That's 0:12:12.480 --> 0:12:15.440 why we love and sometimes hate football, right we never 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:17.760 You never know what's going to happen. But I always 0:12:17.880 --> 0:12:21.520 appreciate we're in the football business, but also the news business. 0:12:21.600 --> 0:12:23.880 We all know that our lives can change with one 0:12:23.920 --> 0:12:27.120 phone call. We sure do we sure to do. Um. 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:29.599 But but Darren, you talked about stability at quarterback, so 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:33.400 let's talk about quarterback as it stands right now, Augusta. 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:36.520 We have heard, uh Steve Wiks say that it will 0:12:36.600 --> 0:12:40.200 be Why are you guys laughing? Huh, I'm just there's 0:12:40.240 --> 0:12:42.400 there's a lot, and there's a lot. I mean, if 0:12:42.400 --> 0:12:44.199 you think about it, there is a sense of stability 0:12:44.240 --> 0:12:47.280 because I Steve Wokes told us to be prepared for 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:50.280 the same starter and the same backup. That backup is Jacobs. 0:12:50.320 --> 0:12:52.760 That is one way to look at it. But yeah, 0:12:52.800 --> 0:12:55.880 it is a sense of stability. It is continuity, get 0:12:55.920 --> 0:12:59.800 doing by week. Oh my goodness. No. Um. I got 0:12:59.800 --> 0:13:03.320 to seak with Jacobison on Monday, and uh, I just 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:05.600 I really enjoy talking to him because he has such 0:13:05.600 --> 0:13:07.880 a such an honest outlook about things. But at the 0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:10.840 same time, like I I genuinely asked him. I said, okay, 0:13:10.880 --> 0:13:13.560 look like you come off the practice squad. You've been 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:16.080 here since August thirty one. So I was writing late August, 0:13:16.120 --> 0:13:17.720 and I was like, it's about as late in August 0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:19.800 as you can get. You get here from Seattle on 0:13:19.840 --> 0:13:22.920 a red eye, learn everything really quickly, and then lo 0:13:23.080 --> 0:13:25.360 and behole. P J Walker ends up, you know, hurting 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:27.840 his neck. He's fine and he'll play this week, and 0:13:27.880 --> 0:13:30.880 he practiced yesterday. But um, all that to say, you know, 0:13:30.920 --> 0:13:33.920 I was like, the circumstances, like they're wild. He goes, oh, 0:13:33.960 --> 0:13:35.920 they're wild. Like he gave it right back. He's like, 0:13:35.960 --> 0:13:39.040 it is absolutely wild. Um, having to learn on the fly. 0:13:39.280 --> 0:13:41.040 But that's kind of I think I talked about last 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:43.680 week with the mindset of the backup, and it's it's 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:45.880 so interesting, you know, I wrote about it yesterday. I 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:47.680 sort of went down the list of like, Okay, so 0:13:47.760 --> 0:13:50.360 p J. Walker, he heard his neck, but he's fine, 0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:52.000 and he took all the first team reps, and then 0:13:52.080 --> 0:13:54.760 Jacobison he'll be behind him. Baker Mayfield still isn't clear 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:57.440 but he's still running around and he's still you can 0:13:57.480 --> 0:13:59.640 tell he wants to get out there so badly. And 0:13:59.640 --> 0:14:02.480 then say, I'm Donald returned yesterday, and the response on 0:14:02.520 --> 0:14:04.920 Twitter that I saw whenever I tweeted a photo of 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:08.679 him was very excited, which was cool. Um, And just 0:14:08.720 --> 0:14:11.160 to clarify because I know we know this because we're 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:13.920 reading all the articles. He's designated to return from i R. 0:14:13.960 --> 0:14:16.280 So we returned to the practice field, but we are 0:14:16.320 --> 0:14:19.280 not anticipating him being ready to go. And just just 0:14:19.320 --> 0:14:22.200 to make sure that our listeners aren't aren't showing the 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:25.160 same excitement as Twitter. Right, So, yeah, it's still some time. 0:14:25.200 --> 0:14:28.000 It's some time. They're played football in seven weeks, so 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:30.320 I think it's reasonable to let him practice for a 0:14:30.360 --> 0:14:32.440 couple of days before he gets right back into it 0:14:32.480 --> 0:14:35.080 and he'll need a little time. But uh, it's also 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:38.080 a different Sam Donald is pointed out by Christian McCaffrey. 0:14:38.120 --> 0:14:42.200 He's got a sweet beard. I was gonna be the beard. 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:44.720 It's uh, Sam's one of those guys. I can't grow 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:48.800 a decent beard. Sam has and Christian said yesterday he's 0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:52.400 got big lepre con energy, and so Sam was like, 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:54.840 wait a minute, I'm taking this from Christian McCaffrey. It 0:14:54.920 --> 0:14:58.680 was kind of funny, funny go back and forth. But yeah, 0:14:58.840 --> 0:15:01.760 the bearded Sam darn Old could be back and and 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:05.040 could be a factor, honestly, because we don't know. We 0:15:05.080 --> 0:15:08.120 don't know right now how long Baker might be out. 0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:11.640 If Baker's coming back, and and I asked Steve Wilkes 0:15:11.760 --> 0:15:14.640 last week. I said, when Baker comes back and he's healthy, 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:17.920 is he absolutely the starter? And Steve said something other 0:15:17.960 --> 0:15:21.400 than yes, absolutely. I mean he talked about those guys 0:15:21.440 --> 0:15:23.640 are going to compete for it again. So there was 0:15:23.640 --> 0:15:26.320 a competition once upon a time, and then Baker came 0:15:26.360 --> 0:15:29.560 back and hadn't played great before he got hurt. So 0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:31.880 all things are kind of on the table right now. 0:15:31.960 --> 0:15:35.080 So the idea that we might see Sam Donald at 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:37.360 some point this year, we might see p J. Walkers 0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:39.960 some more, we might see Baker Mayfield again. You know, 0:15:40.080 --> 0:15:42.920 right now as we sit here on Thursday morning at 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:44.840 ten thirty in the morning, where it's kind of hard 0:15:44.880 --> 0:15:48.440 to tell what's coming next. Well, whoever we see over 0:15:48.480 --> 0:15:51.440 these next few weeks is is very lucky in the 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:54.280 fact that this offensive line has been playing together and 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:57.440 they have been playing well, as our very own Panther 0:15:57.600 --> 0:16:00.440 stats guy, Will Brian is going to tell us and 0:16:00.480 --> 0:16:05.440 he's done enough. Will's stat of the week? All right, So, 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:09.360 as promised, live from our undisclosed location inside Bank of 0:16:09.400 --> 0:16:12.640 America Stadium, here's Panthers stats guy with this week's stat 0:16:12.680 --> 0:16:16.600 of the week. So ikey, yeah, he's okay. He's been 0:16:16.680 --> 0:16:18.680 playing pretty well right there. In the last two weeks. 0:16:18.680 --> 0:16:21.840 He has a seventy five point eight pass blocking grade 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:25.720 according to PFF. That's the highest among rookie tackles in 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:27.880 the NFL over that span. And it's not just him. 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:30.880 The entire offensive line has really been playing quite well. 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:33.360 Their pass blocking grade over the course of the season 0:16:33.440 --> 0:16:36.480 so far ranks seventh in the NFL. So what once 0:16:36.600 --> 0:16:39.480 was a weakness really has become a strength. Really is 0:16:39.520 --> 0:16:42.160 strange days that we're talking this way about a Panther's 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:44.720 offensive line. I can always count on you and putting 0:16:44.720 --> 0:16:48.680 it in perspective. Thanks man. We need theme music for that. 0:16:48.920 --> 0:16:50.840 I think Quinn will comes in. He needs to have 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:54.040 his own theme song. I think you should see him. Well, 0:16:54.040 --> 0:16:55.800 come in. I'll see if I can write something for 0:16:55.880 --> 0:16:59.880 next week. Maybe home a few bars. I would love that. 0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:03.080 But it's a great point, right This offensive line has 0:17:03.200 --> 0:17:08.160 um become very stable and Um is doing a good job. 0:17:08.280 --> 0:17:11.200 And again, it just blows my mind that we're having 0:17:11.200 --> 0:17:15.800 these conversations because watching last year, fourteen lineups in seven 0:17:15.840 --> 0:17:19.160 team weeks and literally guys walking in off the street. 0:17:19.640 --> 0:17:22.159 You know, they claimed Michael Jordan off waivers from the 0:17:22.200 --> 0:17:26.200 Bengals at initial cuts, coming out of the coming out 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:29.520 of training company ends up starting team games. So you know, 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:32.679 last year was just a grab bag. Every week it 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:35.400 was a different group. And now for the same guys, 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:39.560 same five guys to start and play every snap of 0:17:39.600 --> 0:17:42.680 the first six games. Now, Pat Elflndes on the injury 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:45.879 report this week hadn't practiced. So you know, if Pat's 0:17:45.880 --> 0:17:49.720 not able to go, having a Bradley Bozeman, who started 0:17:49.800 --> 0:17:52.280 forty eight games the last three years for the Baltimore 0:17:52.359 --> 0:17:55.360 Ravens is a pretty good place to be. And again, 0:17:55.880 --> 0:17:58.680 after last year, I know it just clouded my judgment. 0:17:59.560 --> 0:18:04.960 But but Queen Boseman, Jordan's Cam Irving who here's a 0:18:05.000 --> 0:18:08.320 tease for you coming up this week on Panthers dot Com. 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:11.720 We've I'm working on a story about Ikey and his 0:18:11.840 --> 0:18:14.639 development and and the role cam Irving plays in it, 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:16.280 and it's pretty I think it's going to be a 0:18:16.280 --> 0:18:18.760 pretty cool little story, So be on the lookout for 0:18:18.800 --> 0:18:21.959 that on Panthers dot com. So excited to read that 0:18:22.000 --> 0:18:24.960 because I that's something I've noticed from game one on 0:18:25.119 --> 0:18:28.919 the sidelines, you know, doing radio sideline is just um, 0:18:29.240 --> 0:18:30.840 I dare, and I don't want to steal your phrase. 0:18:30.880 --> 0:18:34.679 It's the perfect phrase of cam Irving being the Ikey whisperer. 0:18:34.720 --> 0:18:37.480 You know, he's really taken that that role as he's 0:18:37.600 --> 0:18:44.600 not playing much to guide and develop and support um Ikuanu. 0:18:44.680 --> 0:18:46.399 And it's incredible. So I can't wait to read that. 0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:49.639 And this Aquanto kid pretty good at football. Think he's 0:18:49.640 --> 0:18:52.280 going to be pretty good. I think he's gonna be Okay, 0:18:52.920 --> 0:18:56.320 let's let's talk about injuries overall. Though. You mentioned Pat 0:18:56.320 --> 0:18:59.840 elf Line being on the injury report and um, you know, 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:04.399 aside from the quarterback um issues and injuries in the 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:07.920 last game against the Rams, which we've already addressed, that defense, 0:19:08.000 --> 0:19:11.680 especially that secondary was pretty thin in that last game 0:19:11.720 --> 0:19:14.280 and they were already missing some key pieces. You know, 0:19:14.400 --> 0:19:17.760 you're Frankie Lulu's your j C Horns so Augusta Darren, 0:19:18.240 --> 0:19:21.679 what are YouTube hearing about? Who may or may not 0:19:21.760 --> 0:19:25.000 be healthy, who may or may not play the state 0:19:25.000 --> 0:19:27.600 of the defense Yesterday, Steve Wokes had a ton of optimism, 0:19:27.680 --> 0:19:31.320 especially around the cornerback so Dante. He said that Dante 0:19:31.400 --> 0:19:33.680 Jackson told him that he'd be able to play um 0:19:33.720 --> 0:19:36.680 with that ankle, and he wasn't dressed out in practice yesterday, 0:19:36.720 --> 0:19:39.800 but I wouldn't. I'm not. I'm not reading into that 0:19:39.840 --> 0:19:42.440 too much. Um. And then J. C. Horne was back, 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:44.879 which was really good news. Um, he was in the 0:19:44.920 --> 0:19:49.320 Green limited at some capacity. Jersey Frankie Luvu same deal 0:19:49.359 --> 0:19:51.440 though he's been taking the Green jersey on and off 0:19:51.600 --> 0:19:54.439 even when he was playing. So Um, there's some general 0:19:54.480 --> 0:19:57.119 optimism I think around that, which is so good because, 0:19:57.119 --> 0:19:59.359 I mean I wrote about it after the game in 0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:01.720 Los Angeles. List. I mean they were Tay Hayes was 0:20:01.760 --> 0:20:03.439 out there and they had just he had just been 0:20:03.480 --> 0:20:05.440