WEBVTT - NFL REPORT: Bigger News from Chiefs-Bills 0:00:05.519 --> 0:00:08.200 This is Trent McDuffie, all Pro Corner with the Kansas 0:00:08.200 --> 0:00:10.799 City Chiefs, and this is the NFL report. 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:15.280 That's right, this is the NFL Report. I'm Steve Whitewoot. 0:00:15.360 --> 0:00:18.600 My guy James Palmer Ooh, he's looking a bit warmer 0:00:18.600 --> 0:00:21.520 than he was looking yesterday. But JP, we have a 0:00:21.640 --> 0:00:26.120 loaded show after these conference championships. We have got Steve Smith, 0:00:26.200 --> 0:00:30.120 Agent eighty nine, here, Stacy Dales who was in Detroit, 0:00:30.280 --> 0:00:34.000 Mike GARATFOLO with the latest news, Jeff Shdea, and a 0:00:34.120 --> 0:00:38.920 special piece with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. This is a 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:42.080 great loaded show, JP. I'm in my normal haunts. I'm 0:00:42.080 --> 0:00:44.280 in the VO booth here at the NFL Network studios. 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:46.760 You're still in Buffalo, bro. I can still see the 0:00:46.880 --> 0:00:50.320 Grace guys behind you. Must have been a great atmosphere 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:50.720 this morning. 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:51.640 Huh. 0:00:51.640 --> 0:00:52.800 It's a great atmosphere, Steve. 0:00:52.880 --> 0:00:55.840 The Grace guy's rather fitting for what's happening here in Buffalo. 0:00:55.920 --> 0:00:58.840 I'm at my hotel this morning. I'm at a coffee 0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:01.400 shop that's in the hotel. An older gentleman sitting at 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:03.840 a table by himself and his bill's hat looks over 0:01:03.880 --> 0:01:06.399 at a family of four next to him, two kids 0:01:06.440 --> 0:01:09.000 about eight years old in their Buffalo Bill's ski hats. 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:13.080 He looks at the two kids and goes wide right again. 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:13.720 Boom. 0:01:14.040 --> 0:01:15.480 The little girl. 0:01:15.720 --> 0:01:18.520 Looks back at him at about eight years old and says, 0:01:19.080 --> 0:01:21.200 I hate the cheese. 0:01:22.200 --> 0:01:24.880 One to go play sment down. 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:27.720 Bassist kick is up and the kick. 0:01:27.760 --> 0:01:34.080 Is Oh god, a little prophecy Taylor pass has struggled. 0:01:33.680 --> 0:01:36.400 And he just misses. The kick just went wide the 0:01:36.440 --> 0:01:43.200 whole way never came back. Oh the horror to have 0:01:43.280 --> 0:01:44.080 to relive that. 0:01:44.560 --> 0:01:47.920 So now there are a WHR Championship Sunday, January twenty eighth. 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:51.040 By virtue of that myst the Kansas City Chiefs advance 0:01:51.120 --> 0:01:54.720 to travel to Baltimore three pm on CBS, and then 0:01:54.720 --> 0:01:58.240 the Detroit Lions the NFC Nord champs. They go to 0:01:58.240 --> 0:02:02.600 Top Seat in San Francisco for a six thirty pm 0:02:02.720 --> 0:02:06.600 Eastern times start on Fox. So JP, you were there, 0:02:06.760 --> 0:02:08.880 we see the final four. You have got to let 0:02:09.040 --> 0:02:14.560 us know just everything about this game, just the aftermath, 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:18.360 the during math, and the math that did not break 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:20.280 in the Buffalo Bill's favor. 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:24.160 It was a really remarkable scene. 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:28.280 Steve I loved pregame, maybe more than anything. Chris Jones 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:32.760 over there barking at the Bill's mafia, calling him bums repeatedly, 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:35.840 over and over again. Patrick Mahomes kind of waving to 0:02:35.919 --> 0:02:39.120 the crowd. Really, I was told by multiple people in 0:02:39.120 --> 0:02:42.919 the Chiefs organization, Patrick Mahomes was embracing this trip here. 0:02:42.960 --> 0:02:45.720 He really embraced kind of being the villain, and he 0:02:45.919 --> 0:02:48.880 was a different player. You saw it pregame and it 0:02:48.960 --> 0:02:51.359 stood out the guys that are around him every single day. 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:54.720 They just said, he kind of took himself to another level. 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:57.320 And we saw this offense go to a different level 0:02:57.320 --> 0:03:00.200 than what we've seen this really entire season. I had 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:02.720 a chance to talk to offensive coordinator Matt Naggy before 0:03:02.720 --> 0:03:04.720 they were getting off the bus Steve, and he said, 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:07.760 look at what we did offensively. We barely had a 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:12.120 third down. They had five third downs in this entire game. 0:03:12.160 --> 0:03:15.600 They averaged seven point seven yards per play. 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:17.640 He said, we knew we were going to start. 0:03:17.440 --> 0:03:19.840 Getting this thing to click, and now they feel like 0:03:19.880 --> 0:03:22.840 they're playing the best offensive football of their season. You 0:03:22.880 --> 0:03:26.040 saw two touchdowns from Travis Kelce. They believe his legs 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:29.080 are kind of back after getting that rest in week eighteen, 0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:32.480 he was going off seven straight games without a touchdown 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:34.160 and he was back to his old tricks. But the 0:03:34.200 --> 0:03:37.280 biggest thing about this, Steve I was told, is there's 0:03:37.440 --> 0:03:42.560 fewer players rotating in and out at the wide receiver spot. 0:03:42.800 --> 0:03:45.520 That has been a big part of the synergy and 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:48.520 the rhythm that this offense has gained, specifically with Woo 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:49.600 rookie Rashi Rice. 0:03:49.920 --> 0:03:51.280 You saw MVS come on. 0:03:51.640 --> 0:03:54.200 They feel like the group they have right now is 0:03:54.240 --> 0:03:57.320 starting to click better than they have this entire season 0:03:57.560 --> 0:03:59.680 and leave it to the Chiefs to do it when on. 0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:02.040 The road here at Orchard Park and jap You've been 0:04:02.040 --> 0:04:06.240 alluding to this for weeks about the reduced rotation at 0:04:06.280 --> 0:04:08.000 that receiver group and how that will work with the 0:04:08.040 --> 0:04:10.800 rhythm and the functionality, and we've seen since Week seventeen 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:14.520 this offense has looked more and more like we're used 0:04:14.560 --> 0:04:16.120 to singing and think about this. 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:19.120 They didn't even run fifty offensive plays, you know, the 0:04:19.120 --> 0:04:20.280 Buffalo Bills. 0:04:20.240 --> 0:04:22.719 Really controlled kind of the flow of the game. 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:25.880 But like you said, that seven point seven yards were 0:04:25.880 --> 0:04:28.960 played that they were getting offensively with the mix of the. 0:04:28.839 --> 0:04:31.359 Pass and being able to finish with the run. 0:04:31.680 --> 0:04:35.360 Isaiah Pacheco doing some things in the ground game, especially 0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:36.040 in the red zone. 0:04:36.040 --> 0:04:38.200 We have been begging for it for most of the season. 0:04:38.640 --> 0:04:41.799 Run the offense through ten, and they did it yesterday 0:04:41.839 --> 0:04:45.599 against an injury beaten down Bill's defense, something they're not 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:48.240 going to see against the Ravens and the conference championship 0:04:48.279 --> 0:04:50.560 next week. But they were able to get it going. 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:54.000 And then when you have fifteen Patrick mahomes poise. He 0:04:54.120 --> 0:04:57.599 never flinched when Buffalo counted over and over. He just 0:04:57.720 --> 0:05:01.200 kept coming back and that is the will of a champion. 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:03.120 Real quick, JP, We don't have a ton of time 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:06.200 for this part, but the defense in the second half, 0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:10.800 we saw them really negate the Bills run game except 0:05:10.839 --> 0:05:14.120 for Josh Allen, and just kind of really stemy so 0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:17.520 much of the Bills when they had opportunities over and over. 0:05:18.320 --> 0:05:18.520 Yeah. 0:05:18.560 --> 0:05:20.600 I talked to a defensive line coach, Joe Cullen, one 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:22.320 of the best in the game and he's been with 0:05:22.360 --> 0:05:24.200 this group for a long time, Steve, and he kind 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:26.400 of said, what we figured out was we were trying 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:28.560 to do too much on the road in this environment. 0:05:28.600 --> 0:05:30.520 We weren't being gap sound, and we knew we just 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:33.039 kind of had to hold our place or else. Josh 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:35.040 Allen was going to continue to find holes up front, 0:05:35.040 --> 0:05:37.159 which he was brilliant at and running the football up 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:39.000 the middle, him and James Cook. But when they were 0:05:39.040 --> 0:05:41.000 able to kind of settle down, and he told me, 0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:43.479 that's the biggest thing when you're in this position year 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:45.719 after your year, Steve, you find ways to kind of 0:05:45.720 --> 0:05:47.960 be calm in those moments like they were at halftime 0:05:48.160 --> 0:05:50.400 and they were able to start making plays behind that 0:05:50.440 --> 0:05:53.320 defensive line. That was a big aspect of what changed 0:05:53.360 --> 0:05:56.039 in the second half. Settling into what they do best, 0:05:56.120 --> 0:05:58.479 not trying to do too much, but they're gonna have 0:05:58.560 --> 0:06:01.320 their hands full with Lamar Jackson and Chris Jones told 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:03.159 me that on the field, we got to find a 0:06:03.200 --> 0:06:05.320 way because we got another quarterback coming. 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:06.240 This next Sunday. 0:06:06.520 --> 0:06:10.080 Yeah, a different solid quarterback, but again rushing with intandem 0:06:10.080 --> 0:06:12.839 as a fence. That was a big thing. Let's real quick, 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:15.280 get to the bills, JP, because you know that's kind 0:06:15.279 --> 0:06:18.279 of the big story. Josh Allen was fantastic, but they 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:22.919 fall short once again. What is just kind of the 0:06:22.920 --> 0:06:25.520 feeling of that team. You were in the locker room 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:28.599 on Monday, What's is kind of feeling about this team 0:06:28.640 --> 0:06:29.320 moving forward. 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:33.000 Groundhog Day, Steve, it really felt like groundhog Day that 0:06:33.120 --> 0:06:35.719 hern was actually used by players getting a chance to 0:06:35.720 --> 0:06:38.400 talk to center Mitch Morris, who really said the biggest 0:06:38.400 --> 0:06:40.600 thing about this is we have so many free agents 0:06:40.640 --> 0:06:41.120 coming up. 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:43.080 We know that Josh Allen's cap. 0:06:42.960 --> 0:06:46.320 Number goes from a little over eighteen million to forty 0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:49.400 seven million next year. That's going to change the makeup 0:06:49.440 --> 0:06:52.280 of how this team is built. But the positive coming 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:57.560 out of that room today Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid, James Cook, 0:06:57.800 --> 0:07:01.839 three unbelievably talented skill players that are extremely young on 0:07:01.960 --> 0:07:06.120 rookie deals surrounding Josh Allen, and they don't even believe 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:08.880 they've scratched the surface on what they can do with 0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:11.680 Kincaid lining them up different spots on the field. Had 0:07:11.680 --> 0:07:14.640 coaches telling me pregame, Steve, it's the best rookie titand 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:18.000 they've ever been around. Dawson Knox said, him and Kincaid together, 0:07:18.280 --> 0:07:19.880 they're not even close to what they can do with 0:07:19.920 --> 0:07:23.320 them As an offense. If Joe Brady stays, which everybody 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:26.880 today was pulling for running this offense, there's still a lot. 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:27.680 To smile about. 0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:30.080 But as of right now, it's the same old thing 0:07:30.120 --> 0:07:33.040 that's happened here in Buffalo, and they did it here 0:07:33.520 --> 0:07:36.360 in front of Bill's mafia. To this Bills team just 0:07:36.520 --> 0:07:38.600 absolutely got wrenching. 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:41.360 All right, Javy. We talked a lot about the Bills 0:07:41.360 --> 0:07:41.960 and the Chiefs. 0:07:42.040 --> 0:07:44.800 But coming up next we're going to be joined by 0:07:44.920 --> 0:07:49.560 Agent eighty nine, Steve Smith, former wide receiver, to talk 0:07:49.560 --> 0:07:50.720 about the top seed. 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:55.120 Oh who stood on business and beating the Texans. That's 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:57.040 up next on the NFL Reboard. 0:08:03.880 --> 0:08:07.880 Glamar told itself runs in the last Has it a parn? 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:11.800 Come on in touch out events, dug it out a 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:14.400 championship gaming board because I. 0:08:14.600 --> 0:08:15.480 Hate a barn. 0:08:18.480 --> 0:08:21.160 Welcome back to the NFL Report, James Palmers, you watch 0:08:21.200 --> 0:08:23.720 with you and Steve. This is a mount Rushmore guest 0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:27.200 right here. This is in season one. Our top moments 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:30.200 of the NFL Report have happened when we've had Steve 0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:34.960 Smith Senior on the show. Steve, thanks for joining once again. 0:08:36.200 --> 0:08:38.720 Oh thanks for having me man, And it's a pleasure 0:08:38.760 --> 0:08:41.920 to be here. Steve Smith senior, not junior, so I'm 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:42.839 really proud of that. 0:08:44.920 --> 0:08:47.920 For those who aren't here, the first time the graphics 0:08:48.120 --> 0:08:52.200 identify I remember as junior or we got to write. 0:08:52.120 --> 0:08:52.880 Hey this time. 0:08:53.280 --> 0:08:55.120 But listen, I told you it was just there to 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:57.679 humble me in twenty twenty three. Man. So now when 0:08:57.679 --> 0:09:03.120 they get it right, I'm actually thanksful and have thankfulness 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:05.600 that they got it so man. And then my Baltimore 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:09.880 Ravens and then AFC Championship. You know, I got two teams, 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:13.520 Carolina Panthers in the NFC South and then Baltimore Ravens 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:15.040 AFC North. 0:09:16.400 --> 0:09:19.920 Want to stick with those Ravens, Steve, what I'm fascinated about, 0:09:20.440 --> 0:09:22.720 and I want to know from your active from knowing 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:26.560 that organization and being you know, the receiver that you 0:09:26.640 --> 0:09:30.720 were as a receiver as an offensive player. Can you 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:34.400 describe what it's like to play with Lamar Jackson because 0:09:34.400 --> 0:09:37.800 it's almost like he plays the position differently than we 0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:41.280 really see anybody else do it. What is it he 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:43.680 does and what is it like to play with him? 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:47.160 You think, Well, first of all, I don't know what 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:50.360 it's like to be on the same football field with 0:09:50.520 --> 0:09:54.520 Lamar Jackson, obviously in the Baltimore Ravens uniform, but I 0:09:55.040 --> 0:09:57.959 would say it can be It's a gift in a curse. 0:09:58.920 --> 0:10:03.040 The gift is you have the athleticism of a quarterback 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:07.600 who can scamper, who can move. He's a mobile quarterback 0:10:07.640 --> 0:10:11.160 and so when things break down, he can get the 0:10:11.200 --> 0:10:13.600 team and the offense out of a jam, and he 0:10:13.640 --> 0:10:17.240 can he can move the offense with his legs to 0:10:17.320 --> 0:10:21.319 have designed runs for him. It also can be frustrating 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:24.160 for a wide receiver at times, and an example would 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:27.360 be if you have play action where that's where you 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:31.640 open up to the right and then you go ahead 0:10:31.840 --> 0:10:36.400 and circle around and go left. Because of his athleticism, 0:10:36.760 --> 0:10:38.840 he can sometimes. 0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:40.280 Lamar in company. 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:44.920 All mobile quarterbacks they can do things that stationary stands 0:10:45.600 --> 0:10:49.679 cannot guys who are known to go through their progressions 0:10:50.160 --> 0:10:52.480 and less about their athleticism. 0:10:53.000 --> 0:10:56.880 Right, and so I believe right. 0:10:56.880 --> 0:10:59.760 Being a wide receiver where your quarterback is mobile, it's 0:10:59.760 --> 0:11:02.560 real freshet and it's helpful. And at times when you 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:06.600 wide open, or when the defense may pressure the quarterback, 0:11:07.120 --> 0:11:09.600 or all of a sudden they break away, and then 0:11:09.760 --> 0:11:14.720 your great route is overshadowed because a guy gets in 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:16.760 the face of your mobile quarterback and he takes off 0:11:16.840 --> 0:11:19.840 run and soways say, you're happy he did a eighty 0:11:19.920 --> 0:11:22.840 yard or a fifty yard run, but you are already 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:26.560 fifty yards ahead of him, wide open because of the pressure. 0:11:26.640 --> 0:11:28.800 So it's it's a gift and the curse. 0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:31.120 But Steve, we've seen him this year. 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:35.440 He moves more so he scrambles to throw it under 0:11:35.440 --> 0:11:38.440 the timeline consistence. He's different than he was before, and 0:11:38.480 --> 0:11:40.319 that to open up the field. We're seeing Isaiah likely 0:11:40.360 --> 0:11:42.320 getting to the end zone like every game at tight 0:11:42.400 --> 0:11:45.160 end coming in from Mark Andrews speaking Mark Andrews who 0:11:45.200 --> 0:11:47.880 could be back coming back from the injuries to add 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:51.040 to this. So and looking at this game upcoming against 0:11:51.040 --> 0:11:54.079 the Kansas City Chiefs then and seeing how good the 0:11:54.200 --> 0:11:57.160 chief defense is, I mean, where does Lamar you know, 0:11:57.200 --> 0:12:01.560 that athleticism, but yet he's looking more downfield for his receivers. 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:04.560 Where does that come in to help Baltimore potentially evan 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:05.320 to the Super Bowl? 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:09.360 I mean, obviously it comes in because we just saw 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:14.559 some type of version of a mobile quarterback with Josh Allen, right, 0:12:14.559 --> 0:12:19.200 and Josh Allen was cooking and keeping drives alive for 0:12:19.280 --> 0:12:23.600 the Buffalo Bills and the Kent City Chiefs at times 0:12:24.160 --> 0:12:28.680 looked exhausted. They looked fatigued, they were cold, they were tired, 0:12:29.480 --> 0:12:33.720 and that really gave the Buffalo Bills and their fan 0:12:33.800 --> 0:12:37.040 base and the Kansas City Chiefs. It gives Buffalo Bills 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:41.480 fans and fan Buffalo Bills hope that this might be 0:12:41.600 --> 0:12:48.280 the game that they finally overtake. Patrick Mahomes and Kansas 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:50.080 City had a little doubt of like, man, if we 0:12:50.120 --> 0:12:52.320 don't buckle up, And that's where those speeches came in. 0:12:52.400 --> 0:12:54.360 That's where man and man conversations. 0:12:54.400 --> 0:12:56.440 But at the end of the day, when you look 0:12:56.480 --> 0:13:01.440 at this game, the Kentas City Chiefs at Baltimore, it 0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:05.199 really becomes a game where you start to say, how 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:08.520 do you want people to know you? Or when your 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:11.120 name comes up, what do you want people to say 0:13:11.160 --> 0:13:15.160 about you as an NFL football player? And in January, 0:13:15.280 --> 0:13:19.880 in late January, early February, this is where the myth, 0:13:20.000 --> 0:13:26.560 the legend of quarterbacks of players begins to be in 0:13:26.640 --> 0:13:32.720 a team where you know them for you know January, Joe, all. 0:13:32.559 --> 0:13:34.280 These other guys, Tyreek. 0:13:36.040 --> 0:13:39.120 Just all Tyreek Hill, all these different guys who have 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:45.000 impacted the playoffs, Cooper Cup, Jerry Rice, Ricky Waters, right, 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:46.400 these are all the players. 0:13:46.440 --> 0:13:49.680 Tom Brady Julia Edelman, all of these players. 0:13:49.840 --> 0:13:53.920 You're known for what you did in late January and February, 0:13:54.520 --> 0:14:00.680 not what you're gonna do in October, some little day 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:03.640 of the week in November. No, nobody's really remembering that 0:14:03.679 --> 0:14:07.560 because everybody's tuning in. What thirty one thirty one point 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:10.880 eight million people watched that football game. They watched it 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:15.319 last night, not back in November, not back in September. 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:18.800 They're talking about it today, Steve. 0:14:19.000 --> 0:14:22.200 They were able to try to spy Josh Allen times. 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:23.600 It was supposed to be really gay, and he goes 0:14:23.640 --> 0:14:25.000 out with the neck injury. He was kind of one 0:14:25.000 --> 0:14:26.560 of the few guys on the field they thought could 0:14:26.560 --> 0:14:28.240 stay with Josh Allen, but they wanted to keep him 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:28.720 in the pocket. 0:14:28.760 --> 0:14:30.400 They did do a better job of that, not letting 0:14:30.480 --> 0:14:32.240 get An Allan get out wide. 0:14:32.640 --> 0:14:34.320 But I want to kind of touch on what Steve 0:14:34.440 --> 0:14:38.840 mentioned where Mark Andrews potentially coming back for this Ravens offense. 0:14:39.320 --> 0:14:43.400 This might sound insane, he's Ben Lamar's favorite target, but 0:14:43.840 --> 0:14:46.720 is there something about a guy coming back in this 0:14:46.920 --> 0:14:50.920 time where your offense is clicking? Does it throw anything off? 0:14:51.920 --> 0:14:54.600 Like Steve mentioned, Isaiah likely what he's doing. Does it 0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:57.240 throw anything off even if you're as good as as 0:14:57.280 --> 0:14:59.040 Mark Andrews, or it doesn't. 0:15:00.120 --> 0:15:02.880 I don't think it throws anything off in this game, 0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:07.240 because whether Mark Andrews plays or not, he's not gonna 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:11.080 play the game. If they have seventy sneven snaps, he 0:15:11.160 --> 0:15:13.960 isn't gonna play all seventy seven snaps. He's gonna be 0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:16.040 on a pitch count. You want to get him back 0:15:16.080 --> 0:15:19.440 in there. I don't care how much therapy you do, 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:24.800 how much cardio you are doing running in the pool. 0:15:25.480 --> 0:15:28.360 I know that organization. So they have pool stuff. They 0:15:28.400 --> 0:15:33.880 got anti gravity treadmill, they got all that stuff. But 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:36.400 here's what you're gonna do. You're looking at this play 0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:40.840 right now. You're running against your opponent. You're just audi 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:45.320 your adrenaline going fighting against a guy. That's the stuff 0:15:45.320 --> 0:15:47.640 you can't simulate. You ain't fighting against somebody in the 0:15:48.520 --> 0:15:54.440 in the anti gravity treadmill, guy in the tub where 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:56.800 you're just running trying to get that weight bearing and 0:15:56.840 --> 0:16:00.760 taking off some of the heavyweight because of the injury. 0:16:01.280 --> 0:16:05.760 So I don't expect Mark Andrews to play, you know, 0:16:05.920 --> 0:16:08.760 ninety percent of the offense. I expect him to play 0:16:09.120 --> 0:16:12.560 where he's needed, but also to a point where you 0:16:12.680 --> 0:16:17.800 cannot make him predictable of what you possibly are running 0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:20.520 because he's in a football game, because he hasn't played 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:21.400 in over a month. 0:16:22.760 --> 0:16:23.520 That's a great point. 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:25.480 That is next to the point because just him being 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:27.360 out there, you know defensive personnel is going to try 0:16:27.360 --> 0:16:29.080 to match up a certain way. We got to flip 0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:30.560 it to the other side of the ball real quick, Steve, 0:16:30.640 --> 0:16:32.760 because it's this defense. I mean, they did not allow 0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:36.520 a touchdown against the Houston Texans. They have been smoking 0:16:36.560 --> 0:16:39.080 teams by an average of eighteen point two points since 0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:41.240 the beginning of December, and that includes a lot of 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:45.160 playoff caliber teams. They're wiping squads out. When you look 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:47.480 at Patrick Queen, when you look at ro kwand Smith, 0:16:47.480 --> 0:16:49.880 when you look at Kyle Hamilton and Justin Madebike, all 0:16:49.920 --> 0:16:53.760 these guys, that to me is the swing boat for 0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:56.240 the Baltimore Ravens because no one has been able to 0:16:56.240 --> 0:16:58.320 move the ball on them, and if they have, they 0:16:58.400 --> 0:17:00.360 ended up taking it away at some point on that drive. 0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:04.480 Well, they're front there, front four, they're front seven. That 0:17:04.600 --> 0:17:07.280 three four defense that they're running back with the zone. 0:17:07.840 --> 0:17:11.040 What's really remarkable in that is you know they're going 0:17:11.119 --> 0:17:14.720 to get pressure, but they also even in getting pressure, 0:17:15.200 --> 0:17:19.840 they're disruptive, and the disruptiveness is throwing off the timing, 0:17:19.960 --> 0:17:24.119 so it's speeding up the process in which the quarterback 0:17:24.680 --> 0:17:26.000 has to deliver the football. 0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:30.040 He's never delivering the football, not under the rest. You 0:17:30.040 --> 0:17:30.520 can see that. 0:17:30.560 --> 0:17:34.080 And so they got Malet, who's who was drafted originally 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:36.479 by the pit Birch Steelers, but then he's playing in 0:17:36.520 --> 0:17:41.359 coverage but also blitzing. So it's just problematic that they 0:17:41.400 --> 0:17:44.879 can get pressure with their front four and then that 0:17:45.000 --> 0:17:48.000 means they're dropping back with the rest of the other 0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:51.520 guys in coverage and then they're stout. 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:52.000 In the run game. 0:17:52.080 --> 0:17:55.000 And I was when I was in London, I had 0:17:55.000 --> 0:17:59.720 the opportunity to to look at Jadeveon Clowney and talk 0:17:59.720 --> 0:18:02.399 to him. And the one thing that I noticed with 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:04.600 Jadeveon clown and I remember saying, I went into the 0:18:04.600 --> 0:18:08.280 locker room, I said, bro, you got thin man, you 0:18:09.320 --> 0:18:12.000 look smaller, and he looked at me said I had 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:16.840 to because of my knee. The adaptation of Jadavion Clowney 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:21.320 understanding for him to impact this game and to stay 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:25.840 consistent in being the disruptive defender that he is and 0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:26.600 has been. 0:18:27.520 --> 0:18:29.720 He's had to adapt and get a. 0:18:29.640 --> 0:18:32.600 Little bit smaller in wait so he can go the 0:18:32.680 --> 0:18:34.480 long distance. You got to remember, this is a guy 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:37.760 who played with a number of teams and one of 0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:43.399 the biggest issues was health. He's healthy and playing and 0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:46.800 so now you have a veteran who's adapted and all 0:18:46.840 --> 0:18:50.520 of a sudden he can give some expertise to other 0:18:50.640 --> 0:18:53.800 players and hey, this is what I did, and it's 0:18:53.880 --> 0:18:56.960 just all of a sudden, it makes them a dangerous team. 0:18:57.000 --> 0:18:59.240 We know the Baltimore Ravens for years have been known 0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:03.639 for defensive minded organization. We call it the Black and 0:19:03.640 --> 0:19:07.479 Blue Division, we call it bullyball. But one of the 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:10.119 things that the Baltimore Ravens have not had in a 0:19:10.240 --> 0:19:17.360 consistent way is a prolific offense, passing and running attack, 0:19:17.840 --> 0:19:20.639 probably since the last time they won a Super Bowl. 0:19:21.359 --> 0:19:23.560 And now we have the opportunity the last time they 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:26.280 won a Super Bowl has the potential to go against 0:19:26.280 --> 0:19:29.719 the exact same team and they played the last time 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:31.920 they wanted this is a possibility, Sampsus go for nine, 0:19:31.960 --> 0:19:33.760 and so I just it's gonna be unique. 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:34.600 It's gonna be fun. 0:19:34.720 --> 0:19:38.480 I think both defensive coordinators are gonna throw the kitchen 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:41.639 sink at these offenses, and these offense must adapt, but 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:44.040 also be calm and collective and be patient. 0:19:45.200 --> 0:19:48.200 Steve, real quick before we let you go Britique. John 0:19:48.240 --> 0:19:52.240 Harbaugh's dance moves post game that lockery. 0:19:53.680 --> 0:19:54.480 On coach. 0:19:56.720 --> 0:20:02.800 Knowing coach Hardball h now his second time dancing. The 0:20:02.840 --> 0:20:05.960 first time was was really him, right, it was all him. 0:20:06.160 --> 0:20:08.000 The second time was like, all right, if I'm gonna came, 0:20:08.119 --> 0:20:08.640 I gotta. 0:20:08.760 --> 0:20:11.960 He tried to maybe learn a few moves, but that 0:20:12.080 --> 0:20:12.879 gene Pool. 0:20:12.680 --> 0:20:13.360 Kicked right back. 0:20:15.000 --> 0:20:15.680 He was in on. 0:20:16.640 --> 0:20:17.520 He was hit on the morning. 0:20:17.600 --> 0:20:17.800 Three. 0:20:20.280 --> 0:20:21.920 Yeah, let me get that, and then that and then that, 0:20:22.119 --> 0:20:27.639 Oh yeah, I'm let me. But here's the unique thing 0:20:27.680 --> 0:20:32.359 about Ball, don't know. I met coach Hoeball my rookie 0:20:32.400 --> 0:20:37.920 year at the Pro Bowl. Because of our relationship that 0:20:37.960 --> 0:20:40.800 we cultivated at the Pro Bowl. Was one of the 0:20:40.840 --> 0:20:44.960 reasons why when I had the opportunity to go to 0:20:45.040 --> 0:20:50.920 a team was his constant communication and openness every time 0:20:50.960 --> 0:20:53.760 we saw each other at different events throughout the league, 0:20:54.520 --> 0:20:56.920 and then when opportunity came to get with each other, 0:20:58.600 --> 0:21:01.439 it was one of those things, of course. 0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:04.840 But here's the thing, why what do I bring all 0:21:04.880 --> 0:21:05.200 this for? 0:21:05.880 --> 0:21:10.800 Jason Baker was in Philadelphia for a cup of coffee, 0:21:10.960 --> 0:21:13.120 who was a punter for the Carolina Panthers, who lives 0:21:13.119 --> 0:21:15.560 here up in Davison, North Carolina, up up at the 0:21:15.600 --> 0:21:21.359 Lake Lake Norman and John Harball still Texas here and 0:21:21.400 --> 0:21:26.560 there talks to Jason Baker just the same way he 0:21:26.720 --> 0:21:31.040 texts and talks to me. So this showed authenticity that 0:21:31.160 --> 0:21:36.000 coach whole Coach Harball has especially with special teams player, 0:21:36.080 --> 0:21:38.480 but just kind of shows you, right, he can be, 0:21:38.760 --> 0:21:41.600 he could be a little tough, he could be annoying, 0:21:41.720 --> 0:21:43.640 he can really push your buttons. 0:21:44.040 --> 0:21:44.240 Yeah. 0:21:44.440 --> 0:21:47.000 But the thing that I respect in love about Coach 0:21:47.040 --> 0:21:51.000 Harball that I can't say it is throughout the league 0:21:51.960 --> 0:21:54.360 is you always know where you stand with Coach Harball, 0:21:54.840 --> 0:21:57.840 and that is very rare, great stuff. 0:21:58.960 --> 0:22:01.000 I love it, Stave, I love it. I love it. 0:22:01.080 --> 0:22:03.720 I love that Steve couldn't even dance offbeat if he tried. 0:22:04.160 --> 0:22:05.800 You tried to be off rhythm, Steve, and you couldn't 0:22:05.840 --> 0:22:07.200 even accomplish that. 0:22:07.280 --> 0:22:09.000 You were just too good at it. 0:22:09.280 --> 0:22:13.320 Well, I'll say that Steve I'm not really a good 0:22:13.400 --> 0:22:15.639 dancer because you know, gangsters don't dance. 0:22:16.400 --> 0:22:17.240 Will they do, Steve? 0:22:17.800 --> 0:22:18.120 They do? 0:22:18.160 --> 0:22:18.480 Steve? 0:22:20.840 --> 0:22:33.200 Yes, sir, we got to go. J Pagon is out 0:22:33.200 --> 0:22:33.560 of here. 0:22:35.560 --> 0:22:36.359 Uh coming up. 0:22:36.440 --> 0:22:40.880 Stacy Dalls was in Detroit, which was an absolute scene. 0:22:41.640 --> 0:22:45.120 The Lions are in the NFC Championship game. She's gonna 0:22:45.160 --> 0:22:48.080 take us inside Ford Field next. On the NFL Report. 0:22:52.600 --> 0:22:55.320 You're listening to the NFL Report podcast, but you can 0:22:55.400 --> 0:22:58.000 watch me, Steve Which and my co host James Palmer 0:22:58.280 --> 0:23:01.600 on the NFL Report at seven to fifteen Eastern time 0:23:01.680 --> 0:23:04.800 on Mondays and Thursdays on the NFL app and free 0:23:04.800 --> 0:23:08.920 streaming platforms on the NFL Channel on Roku, two b, Peacock, 0:23:09.119 --> 0:23:13.120 Pluto TV and other free streaming apps. 0:23:18.000 --> 0:23:21.000 You're built for this, you're. 0:23:22.359 --> 0:23:24.879 And look what you went out there, and then what 0:23:25.119 --> 0:23:29.119 it's another hot team that we knocked off. It's the 0:23:29.119 --> 0:23:30.040 next hot team. 0:23:29.880 --> 0:23:30.480 That you knock off. 0:23:30.520 --> 0:23:32.720 Feel how hard it is to win this league in 0:23:32.720 --> 0:23:35.800 the playoffs? Do you understand what you're doing right now? 0:23:36.280 --> 0:23:39.920 What we're capable of? That's two? All right, that's two. 0:23:40.359 --> 0:23:41.720 We got two to go with. 0:23:41.840 --> 0:23:42.720 A buy in the middle. 0:23:44.680 --> 0:23:48.120 Lions coach Dan Campbell after Detroit knocked off Tampa Bay 0:23:48.160 --> 0:23:51.040 to go to the conference championship, just said they've got 0:23:51.119 --> 0:23:52.800 two to go with a buy in the middle. 0:23:52.840 --> 0:23:55.800 That means super Bowl or bust James Palmer. 0:23:55.840 --> 0:23:58.520 We're now bringing in Stacey DALs, who was at that 0:23:58.640 --> 0:24:01.679 divisional playoff face. First off, I mean, we know it 0:24:01.720 --> 0:24:05.920 is now magical for the city of Detroit, for these Lions, 0:24:06.080 --> 0:24:09.240 all of their dubious records and things like that, But 0:24:09.359 --> 0:24:12.280 can you give us an atmosphere and maybe a player 0:24:12.920 --> 0:24:16.000 or a moment who just kind of encompassed what this 0:24:16.119 --> 0:24:17.520 team is doing right now? 0:24:18.640 --> 0:24:22.320 Yeah, there's so many. There's such a collection. My ears 0:24:22.320 --> 0:24:25.160 are still ringing from that game. I mean it was. 0:24:25.320 --> 0:24:29.000 It was one of the loudest experiences in fifteen years 0:24:29.000 --> 0:24:34.240 covering the NFL that I've experienced myself. When I left 0:24:34.240 --> 0:24:36.760 the facility, I would describe it as my ears were 0:24:36.800 --> 0:24:39.080 ringing like I left the concert. I mean, that's how 0:24:39.119 --> 0:24:41.399 big it was. But there's just so many And I 0:24:41.440 --> 0:24:43.639 think when you look at this roster, what Brad Holmes 0:24:43.640 --> 0:24:46.040 and Dan Campbell have sort of comprised with this team. 0:24:46.560 --> 0:24:49.440 We saw it manifest against the box, right, I mean, 0:24:49.520 --> 0:24:52.760 Josh Reynolds, Craig Reynolds both had really important moments in 0:24:52.840 --> 0:24:57.000 that game. These are auxiliaries sort of excuse me, supplementary players, right, 0:24:57.480 --> 0:25:00.840 and then the Derek Barnes intercept at the end. This 0:25:00.920 --> 0:25:03.320 is a fourth rounder that they took in twenty twenty 0:25:03.359 --> 0:25:05.439 one out of Purdue. I fell in love with him 0:25:05.480 --> 0:25:08.360 during the draft process. And I know why, Like when 0:25:08.359 --> 0:25:10.560 you sit and you listen to the character of a 0:25:10.600 --> 0:25:13.560 guy like Derek Barnes, and now he has his moment 0:25:13.640 --> 0:25:16.719 three seasons later and is a starter for the Detroit 0:25:16.760 --> 0:25:20.600 Lions and a defense that has vastly improved. It was 0:25:20.760 --> 0:25:22.359 just so unique. And then you ask him. I was 0:25:22.359 --> 0:25:25.320 as locker room last night, you guys, and I said, 0:25:25.320 --> 0:25:27.480 take me through the interception, take me through the play. 0:25:28.080 --> 0:25:33.120 And interestingly, Aiden Hutchinson, prior to that, when I asked 0:25:33.200 --> 0:25:35.200 him about the play, he said he had actually called 0:25:35.200 --> 0:25:38.280 a game games at the defensive line where they're trying 0:25:38.280 --> 0:25:41.679 to get different mismatches and such and create screens and 0:25:41.720 --> 0:25:46.240 all that chaos and movement. But Derek didn't even recall that. 0:25:46.320 --> 0:25:48.240 All he recalled was the film that he studied on 0:25:48.280 --> 0:25:50.760 Baker Mayfield and that Baker likes to go to those 0:25:50.800 --> 0:25:53.479 seams and he likes to throw to the scene and 0:25:53.520 --> 0:25:56.760 that's exactly where you saw Derek Barns. So there's just 0:25:56.800 --> 0:25:59.600 a collection of great character guys on this team, and 0:25:59.640 --> 0:26:00.920 you could be happier for him. 0:26:01.760 --> 0:26:05.080 And when you have this group of people that are together, Stacey, 0:26:05.200 --> 0:26:07.840 we know the leader that Dan Campbell is, but you 0:26:07.880 --> 0:26:10.320 also need a player that steps up into that spot. 0:26:10.560 --> 0:26:12.600 And I look at the quarterback and we often do 0:26:12.680 --> 0:26:15.040 in this league. And Jared Goff has played in a 0:26:15.040 --> 0:26:17.720 conference team, and I know he's talked about a lot 0:26:17.720 --> 0:26:21.080 of these rookies don't play like rookies in his eyes, 0:26:21.280 --> 0:26:23.840 but there's still rookies and lead on lean on a 0:26:23.840 --> 0:26:26.639 lot of young guys on this team. What type of 0:26:26.720 --> 0:26:30.960 role do you think he plays this week in Detroit? 0:26:32.080 --> 0:26:34.920 Such an important role. You guys know that everything shifts. 0:26:34.960 --> 0:26:37.480 You both understand everything shifts this week when we have 0:26:37.560 --> 0:26:41.160 Championship Wednesday coming up, which is a very long day. 0:26:41.359 --> 0:26:44.280 It's almost like a precursor to what comes at a 0:26:44.320 --> 0:26:47.240 Super Bowl, right in terms of the availability, it's all 0:26:47.240 --> 0:26:51.240 scheduled out for each team. I'm and Ross Saint Brown actually, 0:26:51.280 --> 0:26:53.679 in my postgame interview kind of answered it for me. 0:26:53.800 --> 0:26:56.440 To your point, James, just in terms of what type 0:26:56.440 --> 0:27:00.439 of leader he's been, he constantly delivers. I have quotes 0:27:00.480 --> 0:27:04.240 in front of me. He's just so calm, he's so collected. 0:27:04.240 --> 0:27:05.760 But am and Ros said, we're going to have to 0:27:05.920 --> 0:27:09.760 count on him basically as I'm paraphrasing, to guide us 0:27:09.760 --> 0:27:11.880 through this week because he was in that twenty eighteen, 0:27:12.920 --> 0:27:15.600 you know, NFC Championship game when he was with the Rams. 0:27:15.840 --> 0:27:18.000 What's really great for this team, I think, guys is 0:27:18.000 --> 0:27:20.919 he's two and two all time at San Francisco and 0:27:20.960 --> 0:27:24.359 he has boasted some pretty good numbers there. He's not 0:27:24.520 --> 0:27:28.720 far where he originated from in California, grew up not 0:27:28.840 --> 0:27:31.000 far from there, so he's probably going to have a 0:27:31.000 --> 0:27:34.720 big family group coming. But it's probably be a little 0:27:34.720 --> 0:27:38.960 emotional for him too, going back to the Bay. But yeah, 0:27:39.040 --> 0:27:42.600 I think his leadership James, to your point, one hundred percent, 0:27:42.600 --> 0:27:44.600 they're going to count on this week because he's been there. 0:27:45.040 --> 0:27:47.119 Speaking of leadership, Stacey, you know you mentined to been 0:27:47.119 --> 0:27:48.720 here fifteen years. You and I got hired at the 0:27:48.720 --> 0:27:51.679 same time, and you always give us something special with 0:27:51.720 --> 0:27:55.280 your reports. Well Sunday on game Day preview, you gave 0:27:55.359 --> 0:28:00.000 us this special intro to your report from ford Field. 0:28:00.000 --> 0:28:04.040 Sorry, is it's so bustling in this place at fort Field, Andrew, 0:28:04.040 --> 0:28:06.440 I just lost service officially on my phone. I can't 0:28:06.440 --> 0:28:08.880 do a damn thing on this thing at this point. 0:28:12.480 --> 0:28:13.520 Did you never get it to work? 0:28:14.040 --> 0:28:14.280 Oh? 0:28:16.040 --> 0:28:18.919 I did eventually, so I had to toggle with it. 0:28:18.960 --> 0:28:20.959 But you guys know, when you're at these games, at 0:28:20.960 --> 0:28:24.000 this magnete, your phone just cranks out on you and 0:28:24.280 --> 0:28:26.760 you're just like you feel helpless, right, James. You can't 0:28:26.760 --> 0:28:30.280 tweet anything out, You can't get any information out. If 0:28:30.280 --> 0:28:34.000 you did have any breaking news, you can't write. I 0:28:34.040 --> 0:28:36.480 did get it restored, though it's usually for me though, 0:28:36.840 --> 0:28:38.640 you know, I've been in the playoffs in Green Bay 0:28:38.720 --> 0:28:41.400 so much in my history that it's usually because of 0:28:41.400 --> 0:28:44.080 the cold weather your phone dies or a severely hot 0:28:44.160 --> 0:28:47.240 day early in the season. But yeah, that place was 0:28:47.280 --> 0:28:50.680 bustling and that happened. Actually, it's a real z Stayce. 0:28:50.720 --> 0:28:53.320 We appreciate you so much, absolutely fantastic. 0:28:53.320 --> 0:28:56.480 Can't wait to talk to you next Monday when things 0:28:56.480 --> 0:28:57.760 are cranking up getting ready for this. 0:28:58.040 --> 0:29:02.600 Yeah, and now for the lie opponent, San Francisco forty 0:29:02.720 --> 0:29:03.160 nine ers. 0:29:03.480 --> 0:29:04.560 How did they get here? 0:29:06.280 --> 0:29:06.520 TV? 0:29:06.560 --> 0:29:09.440 On a shoutdown je truck, Trusha gets chased out to 0:29:09.560 --> 0:29:10.080 a slight. 0:29:10.000 --> 0:29:11.400 Gonna throw on the running back. 0:29:11.240 --> 0:29:15.400 Mental man is in a shifted Joe Jack Dray Greenlaw 0:29:15.880 --> 0:29:21.760 big dwayn Dray goes down two interceptions for pig plague 0:29:22.280 --> 0:29:28.640 Dray Greenlaw. All right, dam that was a caller, Drake 0:29:28.680 --> 0:29:31.840 Greenlaws Field sealed the victory over the Packers right there. 0:29:31.880 --> 0:29:35.080 Now we're bringing in Jeff Shediah. Now, Jeff, you know 0:29:35.120 --> 0:29:38.200 how JP and I love brock perty right, he is 0:29:38.240 --> 0:29:39.320 our guy. 0:29:40.720 --> 0:29:44.480 Well, seriously, he was. He was on shaking round. He 0:29:44.640 --> 0:29:48.160 was shaking around in this game. Hey, look going into 0:29:48.160 --> 0:29:50.880 this game to get the Lions. After that performance, I mean, 0:29:50.920 --> 0:29:53.400 what what does that tell you more about? 0:29:53.520 --> 0:29:56.080 Is that? Is it more concerning for the forty nine 0:29:56.120 --> 0:29:56.480 ers the. 0:29:56.400 --> 0:29:57.880 Fact that he was able to lead them on the 0:29:57.920 --> 0:30:01.320 game winning drive. You're like, Okay, he's good, he's good 0:30:01.320 --> 0:30:02.000 in the big moment. 0:30:03.480 --> 0:30:06.800 Well, look, it was bad weather. For one, it was raining, 0:30:07.160 --> 0:30:09.560 and I'll give him credit for that playing through that. 0:30:09.600 --> 0:30:12.440 But also he lose Deebo Samuel for a good portion 0:30:12.560 --> 0:30:14.720 of that game, which is a huge loss as well. 0:30:14.760 --> 0:30:15.840 And look it's. 0:30:15.840 --> 0:30:18.440 We know that he's had trouble playing with some of 0:30:18.480 --> 0:30:21.400 these circumstances before. But what I loved about what brock 0:30:21.400 --> 0:30:23.920 Perry did in that game, he didn't let not let that, 0:30:24.200 --> 0:30:27.120 let that bother him when it mattered most. He had 0:30:27.440 --> 0:30:29.920 six for seven in that game when he drive let 0:30:30.000 --> 0:30:31.960 him down there Christian McAffrey scores the game when he 0:30:32.000 --> 0:30:32.400 touched down. 0:30:32.400 --> 0:30:34.520 But he was sharp in that moment. He was taking 0:30:34.520 --> 0:30:35.440 what was given to him. 0:30:35.560 --> 0:30:37.920 He wasn't pressing like he was in that three game 0:30:37.960 --> 0:30:40.600 losing streak when he lost Debo and McCaffrey and Trent 0:30:40.600 --> 0:30:43.320 Williams earlier this year. So I think it showed a 0:30:43.360 --> 0:30:46.160 lot about his character and his toughness and his readiness 0:30:46.360 --> 0:30:48.360 to play in these kind of games at this time 0:30:48.400 --> 0:30:48.760 of year. 0:30:49.760 --> 0:30:51.840 We saw him operating right there out of the gun 0:30:51.960 --> 0:30:53.600 a whole bunch in the second half of that game, 0:30:53.640 --> 0:30:55.880 Jef something you don't see a whole lot out of 0:30:55.920 --> 0:30:59.080 this offense. And that's why I bring up where he's 0:30:59.080 --> 0:31:00.560 lined up in offense. 0:31:01.560 --> 0:31:02.880 What do you think the. 0:31:02.720 --> 0:31:07.320 Role of Kyle Shanahan's offense plays in in some of 0:31:07.360 --> 0:31:11.000 this stuff we're having this conversation about with rock Perty 0:31:11.160 --> 0:31:13.840 or times in the fourth quarter where the streak was 0:31:13.880 --> 0:31:18.360 finally broken. Right, they're now one in thirty when trailing 0:31:18.440 --> 0:31:21.600 by five or more in the fourth quarter. 0:31:22.320 --> 0:31:25.480 Is there any sort of fear in your mind? 0:31:25.560 --> 0:31:29.080 With the way Kyle Shanahan's offense is built, it's brilliant. 0:31:29.320 --> 0:31:33.480 But if they get behind early in the conference championship. 0:31:33.600 --> 0:31:35.720 Well that is a concern just because of the way 0:31:35.760 --> 0:31:39.000 the Detroit Lions played football. They want to they want 0:31:39.040 --> 0:31:41.080 to beat you up, they want to bully you. And 0:31:41.120 --> 0:31:43.160 we saw what happened when they played a team that 0:31:43.240 --> 0:31:45.600 was similar to that in the Baltimore Ravens earlier this year, 0:31:45.640 --> 0:31:48.440 where the Ravens were very physical with them, able to 0:31:48.440 --> 0:31:50.440 get a lead, and they ran away with the game. Now, 0:31:50.480 --> 0:31:53.880 Detroit isn't, as I would say, as explosive as the 0:31:53.960 --> 0:31:57.360 Ravens in some area, especially quarterback runs, but they have that, 0:31:57.480 --> 0:31:59.200 they have that capability to do those kind of things. 0:31:59.240 --> 0:32:01.480 So yeah, I think it's sure important as the Niners 0:32:01.520 --> 0:32:06.400 play their style of football, play from ahead, get pretty comfortable. Look, 0:32:06.520 --> 0:32:09.360 he didn't play last year in an NFC championship game 0:32:09.400 --> 0:32:12.480 for longer than what fifteen twenty minutes before he was 0:32:12.480 --> 0:32:15.080 out of that game and so we still don't know 0:32:15.120 --> 0:32:18.960 how he can play in that level of the game. 0:32:19.520 --> 0:32:20.760 That's a huge question about him. 0:32:20.760 --> 0:32:22.240 So they got to get him comfortable in the same 0:32:22.240 --> 0:32:24.560 way that the Buffalo Bills had to get Josh Allen 0:32:24.560 --> 0:32:27.480 comfortable that Division a round game against the Kansas City Chiefs. 0:32:27.760 --> 0:32:28.480 Well, I'll tell you this. 0:32:28.520 --> 0:32:31.120 You know, JP was talking about Kyle Shanahan's offense. I 0:32:31.160 --> 0:32:32.800 was getting ready to throw a brick at the ball, saying, 0:32:32.840 --> 0:32:35.440 give the ball to Christian McCaffrey and that may calm 0:32:35.440 --> 0:32:37.920 everything down. But Jeff, real quick, let's flip it to 0:32:37.920 --> 0:32:39.360 the other side of the ball. I want to talk 0:32:39.400 --> 0:32:42.360 about both number one teams because they both invested in 0:32:42.400 --> 0:32:44.640 their inside linebackers. You know, we led this We led 0:32:44.640 --> 0:32:46.920 this off with a high light of Dre Greenlaw, who 0:32:46.920 --> 0:32:49.000 sits next to Fred Warner, and then he got Rokwan 0:32:49.080 --> 0:32:52.120 Smith and Patrick Queen for the Ravens. The way these 0:32:52.160 --> 0:32:54.440 teams are built and the way so many other teams 0:32:54.480 --> 0:32:59.520 dismiss inside linebackers, what about the importance of those players 0:32:59.560 --> 0:33:01.960 and how the this whole defense functions for two of 0:33:01.960 --> 0:33:02.720 the best teams. 0:33:02.480 --> 0:33:03.080 In the NFL. 0:33:03.880 --> 0:33:08.120 Well, both of those duos are crucial to their teams obviously, 0:33:08.160 --> 0:33:09.960 and I'm a big believer in what you're talking about 0:33:09.960 --> 0:33:12.280 here that finding those kinds of players in the middle 0:33:12.280 --> 0:33:14.080 of your defense does make a difference. 0:33:14.320 --> 0:33:16.240 The hard part is finding those kind of players now 0:33:16.280 --> 0:33:19.680 because it's so the NFL is so diversified, and it's 0:33:19.720 --> 0:33:21.440 hard to get guys who have the side and the 0:33:21.440 --> 0:33:24.080 athletic ability to play there and be effective. But when 0:33:24.080 --> 0:33:26.520 you have two guys like that, it makes it a 0:33:26.600 --> 0:33:30.360 huge difference. There's no question that what Drake Greenlaw and 0:33:30.360 --> 0:33:34.280 Fred Warner bring to that defense is attitude. It's tone setting, 0:33:34.400 --> 0:33:37.240 it's playmaking, it's all the things that you look at 0:33:37.320 --> 0:33:39.760 Dallas for example, when they have to defend the run 0:33:39.760 --> 0:33:41.240 and they can't get it done. You look at some 0:33:41.280 --> 0:33:43.360 of the other teams around the league that can't find 0:33:43.400 --> 0:33:46.480 those big plays when they need them. They always rely 0:33:46.560 --> 0:33:48.240 on these kind of players to deliver for them, and 0:33:48.280 --> 0:33:51.120 that's what's made them so successful. I know it's about 0:33:51.160 --> 0:33:53.960 pass rush and cover corners and all this stuff, but 0:33:54.040 --> 0:33:56.120 those guys in the middle, like I said, they set 0:33:56.120 --> 0:33:58.440 the tone and they establish the identity that you have 0:33:58.480 --> 0:34:00.000 to have to win ball games on defense. 0:34:01.120 --> 0:34:03.400 And Jeff was interesting too. You mentioned that position. 0:34:03.440 --> 0:34:06.080 I'm fascinated by the game that I watched yesterday and 0:34:06.160 --> 0:34:09.759 the Chiefs run essentially to mike linebackers at times on 0:34:09.840 --> 0:34:12.800 the field at the same time and Drew Tranquill and 0:34:12.920 --> 0:34:15.919 Nick Bolton. It's a facet of their defense to stay 0:34:15.920 --> 0:34:18.080 physical in the middle of the field. And I bring 0:34:18.160 --> 0:34:21.000 that up because let's talk about Deebo Samuel real quick. 0:34:21.040 --> 0:34:23.319 We saw this offense with the forty nine ers get 0:34:23.320 --> 0:34:25.360 disjointed when Deebo was off the field. 0:34:25.400 --> 0:34:26.120 He was part of the. 0:34:26.040 --> 0:34:28.680 Game plan and running the football. They wanted him to 0:34:28.680 --> 0:34:30.520 be physical running the football as part of their game 0:34:30.520 --> 0:34:32.759 plan in that game, and weren't able to do it. 0:34:33.120 --> 0:34:35.440 You saw other guys step up in his place. 0:34:35.880 --> 0:34:39.799 Were you either, I guess, encouraged by the number of 0:34:39.800 --> 0:34:41.880 guys that filled his role in a variety of spots, 0:34:42.160 --> 0:34:45.120 or discouraged about them playing without him potentially in the 0:34:45.120 --> 0:34:46.879 after Well, I. 0:34:46.920 --> 0:34:49.040 Was discourage just knowing that, look, you can get through 0:34:49.080 --> 0:34:51.120 a game or a part of a game without him 0:34:51.120 --> 0:34:53.239 being there. To go into a game without him being 0:34:53.280 --> 0:34:56.200 part of your game plan, that's a big, big absence 0:34:56.320 --> 0:34:58.400 for them, because you know, I talked to a personnel 0:34:58.400 --> 0:35:01.640 guy earlier this year, and he described Diebo as their bully. 0:35:02.120 --> 0:35:04.080 You know you as the route runner. 0:35:04.440 --> 0:35:07.320 Kittle is the is the top tight end from the 0:35:07.320 --> 0:35:09.920 top tight ends in the league. McCaffrey is the do 0:35:10.040 --> 0:35:12.880 everything running back. But Depo is like Fred Warner and 0:35:12.920 --> 0:35:14.880 Drake green Law, the guy who sets a tone on 0:35:15.000 --> 0:35:17.480 offense for them. And so because he can light up 0:35:17.520 --> 0:35:19.479 in so many places, because he can do so many 0:35:19.480 --> 0:35:23.040 things with the football in his hands, that it's you 0:35:23.160 --> 0:35:25.680 lose that, and it's it's enormous. It's like two we're 0:35:25.719 --> 0:35:28.200 talking about Loa losing Tyreek Hill. 0:35:28.400 --> 0:35:29.000 You just don't. 0:35:29.040 --> 0:35:31.520 You don't find guys who replace that easily. They manage 0:35:31.560 --> 0:35:33.880 to do it for a few quarters, but to do 0:35:33.920 --> 0:35:37.520 it for entire game against a team like Detroit, it's 0:35:37.560 --> 0:35:38.120 gonna be tough. 0:35:38.800 --> 0:35:39.000 Yeah. 0:35:39.040 --> 0:35:41.680 And Jeff, as you know, with Debo out there, defensive coordinator, 0:35:41.760 --> 0:35:43.440 someone like Aaron Glenn's be like, okay, we've got to 0:35:43.480 --> 0:35:46.680 focus on that. Without him out there, they can change 0:35:46.680 --> 0:35:48.760 their defense and run it much differently. 0:35:48.760 --> 0:35:51.399 Hey, Jeff, we appreciate you checking us out. 0:35:51.440 --> 0:35:53.800 Hanging out of the NFL report again is your typical Monday, 0:35:53.800 --> 0:35:57.359 appearing to have fun this weekend at the conference championships and. 0:35:57.400 --> 0:35:59.600 We come back, we're gonna be talking about Bill Belichick. 0:35:59.600 --> 0:36:02.560 He is to ever do it right? But is he 0:36:02.719 --> 0:36:07.640 really wanted to coach another team? Mike Carrofolo tell us 0:36:07.640 --> 0:36:08.880 on the NFL. 0:36:08.520 --> 0:36:17.760 Report, Welcome back to the NFL Report, James Palmer, Steve 0:36:17.800 --> 0:36:18.360 whtch with you? 0:36:18.480 --> 0:36:18.680 Now? 0:36:18.719 --> 0:36:19.880 Look who it is, Steve. 0:36:20.040 --> 0:36:23.239 It is the batman to Steve Smith's Robin. It is 0:36:23.280 --> 0:36:27.280 Mike Carrafolo, the star of every Thursday Night on NFL 0:36:27.320 --> 0:36:32.120 Network this season. In the NFL Reports, insider Michael, I 0:36:32.280 --> 0:36:35.920 have to start off with the name. Everybody is trying 0:36:36.360 --> 0:36:39.400 to get their hands on and figure out and wrap 0:36:39.480 --> 0:36:42.560 around the greatest coach of all time in Bill Belichick. 0:36:43.160 --> 0:36:45.040 What is happening with Bill right now? 0:36:45.480 --> 0:36:48.560 Particularly Atlanta is the one we keep hearing, but they're 0:36:48.600 --> 0:36:51.319 interviewing about a lot of other people. If things don't 0:36:51.320 --> 0:36:55.200 work out in Atlanta right now, could we see a 0:36:55.280 --> 0:36:58.280 year where we don't have Bill Belichick in the NFL? 0:37:00.160 --> 0:37:00.359 Yeah? 0:37:00.440 --> 0:37:01.000 I believe so. 0:37:01.560 --> 0:37:04.040 Perhaps a guest on the NFL Report next year, or 0:37:04.080 --> 0:37:07.040 maybe the Insiders anything he'd be willing to come off 0:37:07.040 --> 0:37:07.840 here in NFL. 0:37:07.840 --> 0:37:11.959 Combo Ask a combo asks for Bill, Mike Lit going on. 0:37:11.920 --> 0:37:14.560 Here, James Power not going on for the Atlanta FL 0:37:14.600 --> 0:37:17.560 because you're right. I mean, they've definitely conducted a thorough search. 0:37:17.600 --> 0:37:19.719 And at first it was like, oh, they're conducting this 0:37:19.800 --> 0:37:21.799 thorough search is sort of an Oakie dope, But it 0:37:21.840 --> 0:37:23.960 really feels like they are. And the fact that they're 0:37:24.000 --> 0:37:27.520 talking to Jim Harball again for the second time. So yeah, 0:37:27.760 --> 0:37:30.840 I still feel like Bill Belichick in this situation is 0:37:30.840 --> 0:37:34.200 going to look for something that's right for him and 0:37:34.239 --> 0:37:37.279 if it's not right, not really rush into another job here. 0:37:37.800 --> 0:37:39.600 I mean, I know he's at a latter part of 0:37:40.120 --> 0:37:43.399 his NFL career and not a whole lot of time 0:37:43.440 --> 0:37:46.239 despair and not that he's dying here, But the point is, 0:37:47.719 --> 0:37:49.439 you know, you would think that if he's gonna try 0:37:49.480 --> 0:37:51.600 to chase that record that he wants to get so badly, 0:37:52.160 --> 0:37:53.920 he would jump into another job. No, it's gonna have 0:37:53.960 --> 0:37:55.200 to be right, and it's gonna have to be the 0:37:55.239 --> 0:37:57.680 right set up for a guy who had the right 0:37:57.719 --> 0:37:59.760 setup for him for twenty years. 0:38:00.160 --> 0:38:00.759 To that point though. 0:38:00.800 --> 0:38:03.200 I mean, other than the Falcons, there's no no other 0:38:03.239 --> 0:38:05.920 teams really knocking on his door. I had a conversation 0:38:06.000 --> 0:38:09.320 with somebody, uh with with you know who's involved with 0:38:09.360 --> 0:38:12.799 the Falcons surge, who said that they are very impressed 0:38:13.760 --> 0:38:15.920 with some of these other candidates, like maybe it was 0:38:15.960 --> 0:38:19.759 Belichick's to lose and some of these other candidates, some 0:38:19.800 --> 0:38:23.440 of these young upstarts have been so impressive it might 0:38:23.600 --> 0:38:25.280 no longer be Bill Belichick. 0:38:25.400 --> 0:38:27.080 So to that point, what about some. 0:38:27.080 --> 0:38:29.239 Of these other you know, Mike McDonald, some of these 0:38:29.280 --> 0:38:32.120 other names we're hearing from these young upstarts who could 0:38:32.200 --> 0:38:34.440 be taking the place, like getting an Atlanta job or 0:38:34.480 --> 0:38:35.400 some of these other squads. 0:38:36.440 --> 0:38:39.120 Yeah, Mike McDonald, I'm gonna give you the scouting report 0:38:39.160 --> 0:38:42.200 out of Baltimore from uh Mike McDonald if I can 0:38:42.320 --> 0:38:47.080 find it here. Uh yeah, Tell he is he smells, 0:38:47.360 --> 0:38:50.440 he doesn't brush his teeth. Uh, and he's a bad 0:38:50.560 --> 0:38:54.160 character guy. And that's what they say when they don't. 0:38:54.000 --> 0:38:54.759 Want to lose a guy. 0:38:54.840 --> 0:38:56.640 So that's what you're telling me out of Baltimore, And 0:38:57.080 --> 0:38:59.640 make sure you tell everybody all these things. 0:38:59.400 --> 0:39:00.400 About Mike McDonald. 0:39:00.600 --> 0:39:03.000 So, Mike McDonald is a guy that they think extremely 0:39:03.080 --> 0:39:03.520 highly of. 0:39:04.000 --> 0:39:04.839 He's a defensive guy. 0:39:04.880 --> 0:39:08.600 If he was an offensive guy, he'd be over Ben Johnson. 0:39:08.640 --> 0:39:10.520 As far as the guy that we're talking about, that's 0:39:10.560 --> 0:39:14.360 absolutely pointifly going to get a job. But he's a 0:39:14.400 --> 0:39:16.600 defensive guy, right, You got that working against you in 0:39:16.640 --> 0:39:19.120 this league here. But the job that he has done 0:39:19.160 --> 0:39:21.160 with the Baltimore Ravens over the last couple of years, 0:39:21.239 --> 0:39:24.000 going from one hardball gym at Michigan to the other 0:39:24.080 --> 0:39:27.440 harball john and back into the NFL level, I think 0:39:27.520 --> 0:39:29.239 this guy's setting himself up to be a head coach 0:39:29.280 --> 0:39:31.920 fran long time in this league, perhaps perhaps starting in 0:39:31.960 --> 0:39:32.640 twenty twenty four. 0:39:34.280 --> 0:39:36.280 What if you heard when you're asking around the league. 0:39:36.600 --> 0:39:40.200 But when you look at coaches like Mike McDonald and 0:39:40.280 --> 0:39:43.680 guys that are still playing and they're still gonna be playing, 0:39:44.040 --> 0:39:47.160 right even though they've slowed the process, Are. 0:39:47.000 --> 0:39:49.879 They at an equal spot. 0:39:49.800 --> 0:39:52.719 Or they at a disadvantage right now as teams even 0:39:52.760 --> 0:39:55.560 though it's slower, are going through all of them. 0:39:56.120 --> 0:39:58.600 I think it's helping the folks that are still in it, 0:39:58.680 --> 0:40:01.000 for sure. I think it's helping all guys. Go back 0:40:01.000 --> 0:40:02.600 to what we talked about with Atlanta, I mean that 0:40:02.680 --> 0:40:05.320 is a situation where it reminded me of Andy Reid 0:40:05.560 --> 0:40:07.240 going from Philly to Kansas City. 0:40:07.480 --> 0:40:09.880 I remember it was done like practically. 0:40:09.400 --> 0:40:12.200 The next day or maybe Tuesday, after he had coached 0:40:12.200 --> 0:40:15.399 his last game with the Eagles, and then they had 0:40:15.400 --> 0:40:17.959 to do the sham Rooney rule interview and it was like, no, no, 0:40:17.960 --> 0:40:22.280 we're really gonna Andy Reid was at the North Philadelphia Airport, 0:40:22.320 --> 0:40:24.240 the Northeast Philadelphia Airport. 0:40:23.960 --> 0:40:24.960 Getting the deal done. 0:40:25.080 --> 0:40:27.239 In this case with Atlanta, that probably or may have 0:40:27.280 --> 0:40:29.720 been the case as it was years ago. But because 0:40:29.760 --> 0:40:34.040 the process has been slowed down, that's allowed for why's 0:40:34.080 --> 0:40:36.440 what you're hearing, Hey, we're really impressed with all these 0:40:36.480 --> 0:40:39.279 candidates that we've had a chance to have a conversation with. 0:40:39.320 --> 0:40:41.719 So if I'm still in the playoffs, I'm thankful that 0:40:41.760 --> 0:40:44.160 the NFL has slowed this thing down and given us 0:40:44.200 --> 0:40:46.200 a chance to have a full search regardless of what 0:40:46.239 --> 0:40:48.600 your current situation. 0:40:48.200 --> 0:40:49.839 Is with your current team you're coaching with. 0:40:50.200 --> 0:40:52.680 Might we got forty five seconds? The Philadelphia Eagles have 0:40:52.800 --> 0:40:55.760 scheduled a news conference with Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman. 0:40:56.520 --> 0:40:57.480 Those aren't Tea Leaves. 0:40:57.520 --> 0:40:59.560 That's telling us something about who their head coach is 0:40:59.560 --> 0:41:00.799 going to be twenty twenty four. 0:41:01.320 --> 0:41:04.080 Yeah, I never really thought it was not going to 0:41:04.120 --> 0:41:05.360 be Nick Sirianni. 0:41:06.000 --> 0:41:07.239 So this doesn't surprise me. 0:41:07.239 --> 0:41:09.280 And we knew that they were gonna be widespread changes 0:41:09.280 --> 0:41:12.279 on the coaching staff. They've interviewed Ron Rivera, They're gonna 0:41:12.280 --> 0:41:16.359 interview Mike Calbler. Actually are interviewing Mike Caldwell, the former 0:41:16.400 --> 0:41:20.240 Eagles linebacker who was with the Jaguars. Defensive coordinator Brian 0:41:20.320 --> 0:41:22.600 Johnson's interviewing for head coaching job. 0:41:22.680 --> 0:41:24.880 So they don't want to fire him necessarily. 0:41:24.480 --> 0:41:26.680 But there's gonna be an evaluation of potential move there 0:41:26.840 --> 0:41:28.880 on the offensive side of the ball. They got to 0:41:28.880 --> 0:41:31.760 get Jalen Hurts right. There's something off about the quarterback. 0:41:31.800 --> 0:41:33.440 I know he was injured this year, but there's just 0:41:33.440 --> 0:41:36.120 something that's not right there, and especially the connection with 0:41:36.200 --> 0:41:38.160 him and his teammates. Some of the stuff we were 0:41:38.160 --> 0:41:40.960 hearing about Carson Wentz, we're now hearing about Jalen Hurts. 0:41:41.120 --> 0:41:43.120 Oh, Like it's completely off base either. 0:41:43.239 --> 0:41:45.080 To be honest with it, Jalen Hurts got to get 0:41:45.080 --> 0:41:47.880 back with his teammates, with his coaches and in the 0:41:47.920 --> 0:41:49.399 right frame of mind heading into twenty four. 0:41:49.640 --> 0:41:51.680 All Mike jam Once, you know, once his coaching circle, 0:41:51.800 --> 0:41:54.799 you know carrousel stopped spinning. Some of those coordinators will 0:41:54.840 --> 0:41:56.759 become more available as they're looking for work. 0:41:56.800 --> 0:42:00.600 Mike, Gee, appreciate you and the fam. That was a splendid, 0:42:00.800 --> 0:42:02.880 splendid segment. 0:42:02.520 --> 0:42:02.839 All right. 0:42:02.840 --> 0:42:05.600 Coming up in the final bodus of the NFL Report, 0:42:06.200 --> 0:42:09.720 we go off the field for a visit with NFL 0:42:09.719 --> 0:42:10.960 Commissioner Roger Goodell. 0:42:11.600 --> 0:42:15.600 By a visit him and I took this summer. Next 0:42:15.760 --> 0:42:16.720 on the NFL Report. 0:42:21.440 --> 0:42:24.040 Hey, it's James Palmer and you're listening to the NFL 0:42:24.200 --> 0:42:26.839 Report podcast along with myself and Steve Weisch. 0:42:26.920 --> 0:42:28.960 But remember if you want to see our beautiful. 0:42:28.600 --> 0:42:32.240 Faces, this is a show at seven point fifteen Monday 0:42:32.719 --> 0:42:36.759 and Thursday at seven fifteen pm Eastern, and we are 0:42:36.840 --> 0:42:40.280 on the NFL app as well as fast streaming platforms. 0:42:40.280 --> 0:42:43.359 That's two B, that's Roku, that's Pluto, that's Peacock, all 0:42:43.440 --> 0:42:47.319 of those platforms as well as the NFL dot Com, Slash, 0:42:47.520 --> 0:42:48.680 NFL channel. 0:42:48.400 --> 0:42:50.400 Find us all of those spots. 0:42:54.320 --> 0:42:57.120 Welcome back to the NFL Report, James Palmer, Steve Wetch 0:42:57.200 --> 0:42:59.560 with you. And on top of Steve just being a 0:42:59.560 --> 0:43:02.080 great host on this show, Steve spends a lot of 0:43:02.160 --> 0:43:06.799 time doing other things around this league, Steve on and 0:43:06.880 --> 0:43:09.360 off the field, and this, to me is one of 0:43:09.440 --> 0:43:11.719 the most interesting and coolest things I've seen you do 0:43:11.800 --> 0:43:13.120 in recentm Well. 0:43:13.120 --> 0:43:16.120 I appreciate it, James, because in August, NFL Commissioner Roger 0:43:16.160 --> 0:43:19.880 Goodell and I joined former player Justin took Tuck, Miami 0:43:19.880 --> 0:43:22.200 Heat assistant coach Karan Butler, and to people from the 0:43:22.280 --> 0:43:25.600 Vera Institute of Justice and taking a tour of the 0:43:25.719 --> 0:43:29.719 True Unit at the Cheshire Correctional Institution in Connecticut. And 0:43:29.800 --> 0:43:33.719 the Special Unique Unit is a rehabilitative unit aimed at 0:43:33.760 --> 0:43:36.880 eighteen to twenty five year olds will be returning to 0:43:37.000 --> 0:43:41.080 society one day. Right now, I'm joined by NFL Commissioner 0:43:41.239 --> 0:43:43.920 Roger Goodell and Commissioner even though it's you know, we 0:43:44.040 --> 0:43:46.600 went on this visit in August and we're months removed, 0:43:47.200 --> 0:43:51.000 the impact of that day to me still feels like yesterday. 0:43:52.239 --> 0:43:53.720 I just want to kind of get what you felt 0:43:53.840 --> 0:43:56.799 then and then just kind of the after effect now, 0:43:56.920 --> 0:43:58.960 like what you're still feeling about that visit. 0:43:59.480 --> 0:43:59.880 As you know. 0:44:00.000 --> 0:44:03.439 So I was there really at the request of Justin Tuck, 0:44:04.000 --> 0:44:07.200 who said I did this, would you be willing to 0:44:07.239 --> 0:44:09.960 do it? I promise you it'll be worth your time. 0:44:10.000 --> 0:44:13.480 And I found it such an incredible moment in the 0:44:13.760 --> 0:44:18.240 context of you learned so much that you probably only imagine, 0:44:18.280 --> 0:44:21.520 but you don't have an opportunity to really experience. And 0:44:21.640 --> 0:44:25.120 most of that was the humanity of the people we met, 0:44:25.680 --> 0:44:30.160 the extraordinary individuals that were there that clearly had made 0:44:30.200 --> 0:44:34.359 a mistake, and they all acknowledged they were there for 0:44:34.400 --> 0:44:36.880 the wrong reasons, and that's how they were looking at 0:44:36.880 --> 0:44:39.239 their lives. And I think the time for us to 0:44:39.280 --> 0:44:41.960 be up there. You know, they kept repeating it to us, right, 0:44:42.040 --> 0:44:44.240 thank you for taking the time, thank you for caring 0:44:44.280 --> 0:44:47.840 about us. It was interesting to me how much believing 0:44:47.880 --> 0:44:49.200 in somebody makes an impact. 0:44:49.440 --> 0:44:51.080 But the one thing I really took when the program 0:44:51.160 --> 0:44:51.720 was the language. 0:44:51.719 --> 0:44:53.480 And they said, it's important they're not referred to as 0:44:53.520 --> 0:44:57.640 prisoners or inmates or by a number. They're referred to 0:44:57.719 --> 0:45:01.560 as mentors and mentees and young men. What did you 0:45:01.640 --> 0:45:03.879 find you talked about the humanity, What did you find 0:45:03.880 --> 0:45:07.040 about how much that meant to at least making these 0:45:07.040 --> 0:45:09.880 people have some sort of dignity while they're behind bars. 0:45:10.440 --> 0:45:13.759 I think this program what was so impactful to me 0:45:13.960 --> 0:45:17.520 is that it was all about teaching these young men 0:45:18.120 --> 0:45:19.920 how their life still ahead of them. What are they 0:45:19.920 --> 0:45:22.719 going to do to take advantage of the opportunity when 0:45:22.719 --> 0:45:26.120 they get out. How mentors who are going to be 0:45:26.200 --> 0:45:28.880 in there and have been in there for maybe a lifetime, 0:45:29.880 --> 0:45:31.919 are making a difference in their lives so that they're 0:45:32.000 --> 0:45:34.799 successful when they walk out of there. And to me, 0:45:35.320 --> 0:45:38.359 that's what we're looking for is rehabilitation, not penalty, right. 0:45:38.400 --> 0:45:41.160 We're looking to see these people go on and be successful. 0:45:41.680 --> 0:45:45.719 These young men be contributors to society, and they appreciate 0:45:45.760 --> 0:45:47.000 the fact that we cared about that. 0:45:47.400 --> 0:45:49.920 One of the most jarring moments, memorable moments came. We 0:45:49.920 --> 0:45:52.880 were all in one wing together not too long before 0:45:52.920 --> 0:45:55.960 we wrapped, and they passed the microphone along and one 0:45:56.000 --> 0:45:59.040 of them looked at Justin Tuck and said, Justin, you 0:45:59.040 --> 0:46:01.080 were here before, and hold us the next time you're 0:46:01.120 --> 0:46:01.720 coming back. 0:46:01.960 --> 0:46:03.319 You're coming with the commissioner. 0:46:03.800 --> 0:46:06.480 Here he is, He said to most of us, that's 0:46:06.520 --> 0:46:09.120 the first time someone in life upheld a promise. 0:46:10.000 --> 0:46:14.640 He came back with Roger Goodell, come on, man, give 0:46:14.680 --> 0:46:15.160 you the round. 0:46:15.200 --> 0:46:19.799 Of course, when you saw that, when you heard that, 0:46:20.480 --> 0:46:21.640 I mean, what was that like? 0:46:22.320 --> 0:46:25.080 Yeah, I agree, Steve. It was a jarring moment because 0:46:25.840 --> 0:46:29.600 one my hat's off to Justin because he really felt 0:46:30.040 --> 0:46:33.160 this was an important moment for these young men to return, 0:46:33.480 --> 0:46:35.440 to come back and to do what he said he 0:46:35.480 --> 0:46:38.480 was going to do. That was important to Justin. It 0:46:38.560 --> 0:46:40.960 was important for me to help support him in that context. 0:46:41.280 --> 0:46:44.120 But I feel the same way I think. You know, 0:46:44.520 --> 0:46:47.000 you don't just go there, visit and leave. You have 0:46:47.080 --> 0:46:50.239 to carry what you learned and the thoughts of these 0:46:50.280 --> 0:46:52.960 young men every day with you and hopes that you 0:46:53.080 --> 0:46:54.600 can make a difference for them at some point. 0:46:54.719 --> 0:46:58.040 Commission, of course, you know everybody wanted to speak with you. 0:46:58.200 --> 0:47:01.400 Have you been in contact with anybody from the program 0:47:01.520 --> 0:47:03.880 or the facility since we've been there. 0:47:04.160 --> 0:47:07.839 Yeah, it was really actually surprising to me, Steve. Some 0:47:07.880 --> 0:47:10.520 of them reached out, and you know, I responded to them, 0:47:10.560 --> 0:47:13.480 and I expect I'm going to see them again someday 0:47:14.520 --> 0:47:18.120 where they're out here in society and they're back doing 0:47:18.200 --> 0:47:21.279 something important to their life and productive in life, and 0:47:21.320 --> 0:47:22.719 we can be supportive in some way. 0:47:22.920 --> 0:47:23.879 That's so good to hear. 0:47:24.000 --> 0:47:26.200 And as you know, the NFL is a partner with 0:47:26.239 --> 0:47:28.200 the Vera Institute of Justice, and trying to get some 0:47:28.239 --> 0:47:28.840 things done. 0:47:28.640 --> 0:47:30.040 With the incarcerated peoples. 0:47:30.640 --> 0:47:33.480 But as we wrap up, you grab the mic and 0:47:33.520 --> 0:47:36.360 you told the young men in this program, the mentors 0:47:36.360 --> 0:47:39.160 in this program, the guards, that the NFL is committed 0:47:40.160 --> 0:47:44.120 to that true program, to Verra, to Tashure, what can. 0:47:44.040 --> 0:47:44.839 Be done there and. 0:47:44.719 --> 0:47:47.080 What maybe can the NFL do to continue to expand 0:47:47.160 --> 0:47:47.920 programs like this. 0:47:48.080 --> 0:47:50.440 You know, I think there are their programs are inspired 0:47:50.560 --> 0:47:54.279 change work that we focus so much on. How do 0:47:54.320 --> 0:47:57.960 we improve the criminal justice system? It's one of our pillars, 0:47:58.520 --> 0:48:01.359 and we believe that we can have an impact. This 0:48:01.400 --> 0:48:04.920 program true and the very institute I think is actually 0:48:04.920 --> 0:48:07.319 well on its way, and that's a program that can 0:48:07.360 --> 0:48:11.040 be taken into other institutions and I believe that's ultimately 0:48:11.040 --> 0:48:11.880 going to be a good thing. 0:48:11.960 --> 0:48:14.799 It was an amazing experience, Commissioner. I'm glad you went. 0:48:14.920 --> 0:48:17.759 I'm glad we were invited to go. And as we know, 0:48:17.800 --> 0:48:19.920 with all these programs with the NFL, it's not what 0:48:19.960 --> 0:48:23.120 the NFL and people do, it's the impact that they 0:48:23.160 --> 0:48:26.279 have on others. And you and Vera and Justin Tuck 0:48:26.719 --> 0:48:28.240 have had a lot of impact on people. 0:48:28.280 --> 0:48:30.000 So thank you for that, and thanks for spending time 0:48:30.000 --> 0:48:30.359 with us. 0:48:31.640 --> 0:48:34.040 Well, Steve, thank you, but thank you for coming also 0:48:34.120 --> 0:48:38.120 because I know you made a difference. Also, listen, they 0:48:38.160 --> 0:48:39.960 just need people believing them and the fact that you 0:48:40.040 --> 0:48:43.640 were there was impactful on them also, so thank you. 0:48:43.880 --> 0:48:45.720 Well, I appreciate that. Thanks again. 0:48:46.920 --> 0:48:47.080 Well. 0:48:47.080 --> 0:48:48.960 The one thing these young men in this program understanding 0:48:49.000 --> 0:48:52.600 there are victims outside because of their behavior, but this program, 0:48:52.719 --> 0:48:55.600 should they get out, they're hoping makes them better people 0:48:55.640 --> 0:48:58.000 and they could be big contributors to society. 0:48:58.080 --> 0:48:58.319 JP. 0:48:59.200 --> 0:49:02.960 Amazing work all of you guys, just just absolutely unreal. 0:49:03.040 --> 0:49:03.200 Now. 0:49:03.239 --> 0:49:08.120 Remember we are coming up with the NFL report on Thursday. 0:49:08.160 --> 0:49:10.640 But that handsome face right there, not mine one next 0:49:10.680 --> 0:49:13.040 to it, Steve Wish will not be there. 0:49:12.960 --> 0:49:13.840 With me on Thursday. 0:49:13.840 --> 0:49:17.080 We'll be replaced by the one Rhett Lewis. Steve right, Yes, 0:49:17.280 --> 0:49:19.960 NFL Network Fame. It's gonna be Ret and Eye on Thursday, 0:49:20.000 --> 0:49:22.399 seven fifteen. We're gonna have a fully loaded show. We'll 0:49:22.400 --> 0:49:26.239 miss you tremendously, but it was a great seeing your 0:49:26.280 --> 0:49:27.719 face today here from Orchard Park. 0:49:27.760 --> 0:49:31.480 Steve, miss you as well. See everybody next Monday. It's 0:49:31.480 --> 0:49:33.239 a podcast. Listen to the podcast.