WEBVTT - Happy Half Hour Episode 56: Back In The Fold 0:00:07.520 --> 0:00:11.760 It's time for a Happy Half Hour with your friends 0:00:12.000 --> 0:00:22.600 Kristen Balboni, Will Bryant and Darren gamb It's that time 0:00:22.640 --> 0:00:24.400 of the week. It's the Happy Half Hour podcast with 0:00:24.520 --> 0:00:28.639 your friends, Will, Darren, Kristen and producer Matt Guys First 0:00:28.640 --> 0:00:34.239 and foremost, Happy Thanksgiving Eve. Yeah, I mean yeah, the 0:00:34.280 --> 0:00:36.479 food eating is about to commence tomorrow, but we got 0:00:36.479 --> 0:00:38.880 a little podcasting to do before that. It's all about 0:00:38.880 --> 0:00:42.400 the work half. We got to get this thing in 0:00:42.520 --> 0:00:44.360 on Wednesday. I had to do the push ups last 0:00:44.440 --> 0:00:46.720 night in order to make way for all the food 0:00:46.800 --> 0:00:48.760 that's come. Are you the kind of person that's like, 0:00:48.840 --> 0:00:51.040 all right, just one set and then I'm good to go, Like, 0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:56.600 are you did? I'm saying two sets, but I'm saying 0:00:56.920 --> 0:01:02.560 are you are? Are you now set for Thanksgiving? You're 0:01:02.600 --> 0:01:06.959 like today, what are the sets? What's the number? So 0:01:07.040 --> 0:01:09.960 it was dumbbells. Really I was exaggerating. It wasn't push ups. 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:12.080 It was why was she live about that? I don't 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:15.280 push ups sounded better? And now I'm having to explain it. 0:01:15.319 --> 0:01:16.959 I mean it was yea, So it was dumbbells. It 0:01:17.000 --> 0:01:20.080 was flies. It was like an investigative journalists you're not 0:01:20.120 --> 0:01:23.320 getting away. It was it was like whatever the crunches 0:01:23.440 --> 0:01:26.200 with the weight that you're twisting, you know all those things. 0:01:26.400 --> 0:01:30.960 First Happy Half Hour Podcast Poll of the week. Who 0:01:31.040 --> 0:01:34.759 wins a push up contest? Phil snow sixty five year 0:01:34.760 --> 0:01:38.080 old defensive coordinator the Carolina Panthers or young will on 0:01:39.120 --> 0:01:42.240 Phil snow And that's not not even gonna try. That 0:01:42.400 --> 0:01:46.160 is by no means meant to to count Will out. 0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:50.040 I have seen coach snow though um at a at 0:01:50.040 --> 0:01:52.760 an away game in the team hotel. One morning. I 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:55.000 had to get up really early to print something off. 0:01:55.040 --> 0:01:57.120 It might have been our preseason game. You get up 0:01:57.120 --> 0:01:59.200 really early print something off, like six am. And I 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:01.600 walk past the g him and he's doing planks and 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:03.200 then he's talking to me. He's like, hey, how's it going, 0:02:03.280 --> 0:02:05.120 you know, having a good morning? He had been up 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:08.320 for hours. He was holding a plank way longer than 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:10.160 I ever could have. And so I just I would 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:11.520 give it to Phil snow Over, and I'd give it 0:02:11.520 --> 0:02:14.280 to Phil snow Over. Son Reddick maybe like that. That's 0:02:14.320 --> 0:02:16.240 o MS. That's what we call a m S right, 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:19.000 old man strength. You could say it. I'm not saying 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:25.200 it all right. So, aside from Will's new Thanksgiving related 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:27.840 exercise routine, we got some stuff to talk about this week. 0:02:27.960 --> 0:02:32.320 Let's talk about Sunday's game, the Return of Cam Newton. 0:02:32.639 --> 0:02:34.800 It was kind of a roller coaster guys, right, I 0:02:34.840 --> 0:02:38.320 mean that from from the atmosphere the beginning, the game 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:42.399 went back and forth, and ultimately Washington came away with 0:02:42.440 --> 0:02:46.320 the win. Darren, what do you think in in five 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:50.600 ten years, you know you like to pull your your clips. Um, 0:02:50.880 --> 0:02:52.799 what do you think if you're going to look back 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:54.640 on this game and look at the articles that you 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:57.399 wrote and say, oh, yes, the return to Cam Newton. 0:02:57.440 --> 0:02:59.120 What do you think you're gonna remember the most? You know? 0:02:59.200 --> 0:03:02.320 I always say in reference to music concerts, I was 0:03:02.520 --> 0:03:05.440 if if you're ever wondering should I go do this 0:03:05.520 --> 0:03:08.040 or should I always go see the show? Always go 0:03:08.160 --> 0:03:11.639 see the show? And Sunday was the show. I mean 0:03:11.720 --> 0:03:14.120 you got Matt Rule said the other week he didn't 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:16.480 want cam light, he wanted the full cam. Well that's 0:03:16.480 --> 0:03:20.359 what everybody in the building got. I mean from the 0:03:20.360 --> 0:03:23.520 pregame warm ups and he's doing his thing with the 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:26.960 arms outstretched as he runs through the field. The entrance, 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:30.520 the smoke the people coming on glued. There were more 0:03:30.560 --> 0:03:35.160 people in this building for pregame introductions than I've seen 0:03:35.160 --> 0:03:38.080 in a long long time, and they were here to 0:03:38.120 --> 0:03:41.160 see that guy. And that guy didn't disappoint. I mean, 0:03:41.200 --> 0:03:44.000 he put on the show and he looked like, you know, 0:03:44.080 --> 0:03:46.240 we don't know. I've I've said throughout this thing. I 0:03:46.240 --> 0:03:49.280 don't know how it's gonna end. I don't know how 0:03:49.320 --> 0:03:52.040 it's gonna fold. I don't know how well he's going 0:03:52.120 --> 0:03:55.880 to be able to keep himself together and keep looking 0:03:55.920 --> 0:03:58.280 like Cam Newton. But again, Darren, I say, how dare 0:03:58.320 --> 0:04:02.320 you not know? Well right now that dude can play. 0:04:02.760 --> 0:04:05.600 And you know, in addition to the show, and in 0:04:05.640 --> 0:04:08.880 addition to the showmanship, he's doing pretty good with the 0:04:08.920 --> 0:04:11.520 limited amount of football he's got to work with. And 0:04:11.800 --> 0:04:14.960 he's out there probably knowing of the playbook at the 0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:19.040 moment or of the game plan maybe, but a limited 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:22.120 amount at any rate. And he was able to go 0:04:22.120 --> 0:04:24.640 out and throw a couple of touchdown passes the past 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:30.520 a Christian was just an adult NFL quarterback pass and oh, 0:04:30.560 --> 0:04:33.240 by the way, ran for a touchdown too, And you know, 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:36.719 just out there doing Cam stuff. That is that pass 0:04:36.880 --> 0:04:39.320 I was breaking down film with with Thomas Davis for 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:42.599 a t TV segment yesterday, and we looked at that one. 0:04:42.680 --> 0:04:45.720 That's one of those passes that you go, those are 0:04:45.839 --> 0:04:48.680 two guys who are really great at their job, you 0:04:48.720 --> 0:04:50.000 know what I mean. You know when you see that 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:53.960 like veteran quarterback pass to either you know, running back 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:56.919 or watching on TV like Sunday night football game, do 0:04:56.960 --> 0:04:58.480 you know what I mean? Like you see Aaron Rodgers 0:04:58.480 --> 0:05:00.680 passed to subway, see Tom Brady need to gronk, and 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:05.240 you're like, those are two professionals who know exactly what 0:05:05.279 --> 0:05:07.640 they're doing and have a ton of chemistry, and it's 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:10.400 just it's Jeff's kiss. You know. It almost felt like 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:12.560 one of those oh no, no, no, no, oh yes 0:05:12.960 --> 0:05:15.760 sort of moments for me, just based on the based 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:18.880 on what we've seen for a while, and then to 0:05:18.920 --> 0:05:20.680 see that and the ball comes out and you're like, 0:05:20.760 --> 0:05:23.240 oh my gosh, there's a lot of defenders around this guy, 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:26.080 and oh my gosh, that we placed it exactly where 0:05:26.160 --> 0:05:27.640 it should have gone, you know, a little bit behind 0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:29.640 him to get him out of that traffic. It was great. Well, 0:05:29.640 --> 0:05:32.560 what do you think you're going to remember? Obviously I 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:36.960 think the the pregame, the crowd, you know, the way 0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:38.960 the city felt leading up to it, you know all 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:42.320 of that stuff. You know everything online about how fans felt. 0:05:42.520 --> 0:05:45.960 But at the same time, I also I'm not sure 0:05:46.080 --> 0:05:50.400 that I'm willing to make that game a referendum on everything, 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:52.880 you know. I for me, it felt like just a 0:05:52.960 --> 0:05:55.279 really exciting, good football game. But I think in that 0:05:55.440 --> 0:05:56.760 I guess my point. But I don't think it's a 0:05:56.720 --> 0:05:58.960 referendum at all. But I guess my point being in 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:02.800 ten years, whatever happens, like Darren said, we don't know, 0:06:02.839 --> 0:06:06.640 the ending cam's return to Bank of America Stadium will 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:09.120 be something that you'll probably get asked about in ten years, 0:06:09.120 --> 0:06:10.880 and Darren will probably get asked about I'll probably get 0:06:10.880 --> 0:06:13.640 asked about, right, I think it. I think it goes 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:16.240 down alongside And I was going to post these three 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:18.279 pictures kind of side by side with each other, but 0:06:18.320 --> 0:06:22.560 it goes down alongside the Buffalo game of, the Jacksonville 0:06:22.640 --> 0:06:25.359 game of and none of those had anything to do 0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:27.600 with what happened in the game. No one quite remembers 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:29.640 what the final score was or who really won. But 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:31.719 that was the time that Julius Peppers came back to 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:35.039 Carolina and he said later that he was nervous running 0:06:35.040 --> 0:06:37.120 out of the tunnel because he didn't know what people 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:39.520 were going to do. He didn't know whether he'd be 0:06:39.600 --> 0:06:42.760 welcomed back, and of course he absolutely was, absolutely was. 0:06:42.920 --> 0:06:45.840 And then the moment when Steve Smith at halftime took 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:48.080 off his shirt and there's his jersey one last time, 0:06:48.160 --> 0:06:55.880 eight nine, and just all of the moments those are 0:06:56.400 --> 0:06:58.680 those are the things. You know, who cares what the 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:01.039 score was, you know, nintenu is You're going to remember 0:07:01.480 --> 0:07:05.119 the way that this organization, the way that this fan base, 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:08.760 this team, they welcomed their guys back, and they were 0:07:08.800 --> 0:07:11.720 back in the fold and they were, you know, back 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:14.520 a part of our hearts and who we are. Yeah, 0:07:14.640 --> 0:07:18.800 I think I'll remember. I'm very lucky that I can 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:22.560 go into the tunnel um pregame, watch the players come out, 0:07:22.600 --> 0:07:25.040 and I always tried to get in there to see 0:07:25.080 --> 0:07:26.920 what the mood is like. There are games that you 0:07:26.960 --> 0:07:30.080 wouldn't think everyone would be hyped up, and everyone is 0:07:30.160 --> 0:07:32.720 hyped up their games where they're they look laser focused, 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:35.400 and so doing radio sideline, it's always good to see, 0:07:35.400 --> 0:07:37.040 you know, who's talking to each other. There was a 0:07:37.040 --> 0:07:39.280 lot of stuff early on in the season about Sam 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:41.120 and Robbie, and if you see them in the tunnel, 0:07:41.160 --> 0:07:43.640 they're giving each other hugs and secret handshakes. It's not 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:46.360 you know, there was no lack of chemistry or friendship 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:48.520 from them off the field, so little things like that. 0:07:48.560 --> 0:07:50.240 I'm very lucky to get to go in there and 0:07:50.240 --> 0:07:52.800 see kind of where everyone's mind is at before the 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:56.000 game starts. But I think that I'll remember seeing that 0:07:56.080 --> 0:08:00.760 tunnel and and seeing that you know, I've never worked 0:08:00.800 --> 0:08:03.840 here for a CAM gamer or really that anyone from 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:06.680 that old regime, right, So I got here around the 0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:08.360 same time as this new staff and a lot of 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:10.360 the new players, So it was really cool for me 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:13.320 to to get to see what that looks like for 0:08:13.360 --> 0:08:15.280 so many years. I get to see, you know, they 0:08:15.320 --> 0:08:17.960 have some exclusive fan spots in there, and also see 0:08:17.960 --> 0:08:22.320 what what Cam's mentality was, how the team um really 0:08:22.400 --> 0:08:24.760 kind of put that energy out as well. So I 0:08:24.760 --> 0:08:26.800 think I'll remember that because it's a it's a view 0:08:26.840 --> 0:08:29.040 that very few people get to see, so I feel 0:08:29.120 --> 0:08:32.160 very lucky for that. Yeah, and I think in time, 0:08:33.040 --> 0:08:36.320 you know, people will forget to Will's point, you know, 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:38.800 five years from now, people will forget that was the 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:41.240 day the Carolina Panthers stopped being good at defense for 0:08:41.240 --> 0:08:44.840 a day, and you know, some of those details will fade, 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:48.600 but they will remember what he looked like, what you know, 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:51.480 how they felt. I mean, again, it was just a 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:53.640 scene you want to be a part of. And I think, 0:08:54.040 --> 0:08:56.240 you know, that's one of the things about Cam. There 0:08:56.320 --> 0:08:59.000 was this overarching concern of can you be a Matt 0:08:59.080 --> 0:09:02.480 rule guy? And it was reasonable. I mean, Matt was 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:05.440 trying to install a program and a certain ethos and 0:09:05.840 --> 0:09:07.920 you know what he calls the brand, and you know, 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:09.480 a lot of people I think it was fair to 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:11.360 wonder if Cam was going to fit in. But I 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:14.120 think the neat thing to me, and talking to guys 0:09:14.640 --> 0:09:16.960 around the team, talking to coaches about the way he 0:09:17.000 --> 0:09:21.840 approached it, is Cam's bought in. He's trying to be 0:09:21.920 --> 0:09:25.680 a part of this. He's keep saying it's about winning, 0:09:25.760 --> 0:09:28.440 It's not about me, it's not about all this other stuff. 0:09:28.679 --> 0:09:31.640 And the coaches who were working with him after hours, 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:34.400 and he's spending a lot of those you know, when 0:09:34.400 --> 0:09:36.680 everybody else is out of the building, he's coming back 0:09:36.720 --> 0:09:39.679 in kind of hours to try to pick this thing up. 0:09:39.720 --> 0:09:43.320 I mean, he is invested in this thing. So that's 0:09:43.360 --> 0:09:46.560 what to me, regardless of all the other stuff, makes 0:09:46.640 --> 0:09:51.400 these last six games of the season fascinating because you 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:53.680 don't know how it's going to unfold, and it could 0:09:53.760 --> 0:09:56.480 be way over here, and it could be way over 0:09:56.600 --> 0:09:58.640 here on one end of the spectrum or the other. 0:09:58.720 --> 0:10:03.079 But it's going to be interesting. That's and that's always 0:10:03.160 --> 0:10:07.520 what you want, right So, in keeping Darren with that theme, 0:10:07.880 --> 0:10:11.079 um of the actual football. That's what Matt rules is 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:14.600 if you focus on the show or the energy that 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:16.719 he's bringing, I think we're allowed to for a few 0:10:16.800 --> 0:10:21.720 minutes wax poetic about about the the return. But he said, 0:10:21.760 --> 0:10:23.760 you know, if you if you focus on all that stuff, 0:10:23.800 --> 0:10:28.560 then you kind of are undermining what Cam actually is 0:10:28.600 --> 0:10:30.800 doing right on the football side. And as we said, 0:10:30.920 --> 0:10:33.000 I think we all thought he looked very good for 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:36.520 for the limited amount of time ten days, um that 0:10:36.559 --> 0:10:39.520 he's been in the building. I thought, you know, throwing 0:10:39.520 --> 0:10:42.520 motion looked good. Of course we know he can run it, um. 0:10:43.400 --> 0:10:47.119 So but let's talk about the actual game. As you said, Darren, um, 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:50.079 the defense, how did you put it? Forgot how to 0:10:50.120 --> 0:10:52.400 be good? For a day or play football, or everybody 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:54.840 forgot they were good at defense from all men. And 0:10:54.840 --> 0:10:58.199 and that's what made it so peculiar, because defense is 0:10:58.480 --> 0:11:01.960 so good. Every single game point, the thing you trust 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:05.319 went away, and the thing you've been unsure about all 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:08.840 year was suddenly, all right, we're not worried about that. Yeah, 0:11:08.840 --> 0:11:12.120 twenty one points, that's good. And and most weeks, you know, 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:15.000 you stake Matt Rule and the Carolina Panthers to twenty 0:11:15.000 --> 0:11:17.320 one points, and I think they'd take that bargain. I 0:11:17.360 --> 0:11:19.640 think most weeks they'd say, yeah, the little sign our 0:11:19.720 --> 0:11:23.240 names for that right now. Um. But it was just weird. 0:11:23.440 --> 0:11:26.199 And part of it is, you know, I go back 0:11:26.240 --> 0:11:29.120 and I hear the voice of John fox He's like 0:11:29.200 --> 0:11:31.920 the ghost of Christmas past in my head. But I 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:36.000 hear John Foxy and the other team practices too. And 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:39.200 Taylor Honeke came in and had a day, and Terry 0:11:39.280 --> 0:11:41.760 McLarin came in and had a day, and Ron Rivera 0:11:41.880 --> 0:11:45.240 came in and had a day. And but it wasn't 0:11:45.360 --> 0:11:48.240 that oh my god, these guys are terrible at their jobs. 0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:51.199 It was just, dang, look at look at Taylor Heinekey. 0:11:51.240 --> 0:11:53.079 I didn't know he had that in him, and he's 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:54.600 had it in him a couple of weeks in a row. 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:57.480 Now he's beating Tom Brady and he's beating Carolina Panthers 0:11:57.520 --> 0:12:02.960 on the road. So I um again, we do this 0:12:03.040 --> 0:12:06.719 film breakdown with with Thomas Davis every single week, and 0:12:06.840 --> 0:12:10.240 we were looking at Washington last week. He was like 0:12:10.240 --> 0:12:12.640 scouting the opponent and picked a couple of plays and 0:12:12.679 --> 0:12:15.880 he picked this, um. He picked some plays from the 0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:18.480 Washington football team versus the Bucks game because that's what 0:12:18.520 --> 0:12:20.800 they had just come off of that big win. And 0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:23.199 it was like a Taylor Heineke dime, Like it was 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:25.040 just a great and he said and I just I 0:12:25.080 --> 0:12:27.319 didn't think that we'd be hearing this, but he was 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:30.320 so right. He was like, don't don't let Taylor Heneke, 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:34.280 you know, get comfortable half time, like he's gonna he's 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:36.640 gonna throw it and it's gonna be good, and you 0:12:36.720 --> 0:12:40.160 cannot give him time. You have to get pressure on him. 0:12:40.520 --> 0:12:42.719 And like in the moment, I was like, well, yeah, 0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:45.040 and that one game, yeah, and that game okay, sure, 0:12:45.240 --> 0:12:47.480 you know, but Tomas played with him and we saw 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:49.720 what he could do in the second half against the 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:54.679 Panthers last year. And I mean it's just he's really 0:12:54.720 --> 0:12:59.280 having cool a stretch. If he could stay healthy, he 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:02.040 could avoid getting hit really hard over and over and 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:05.240 over again. When he's a great quarterback, I think he 0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:09.679 really can be an NFL starting caliber, like a guy 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:12.240 in this league. And I think that it was always 0:13:12.280 --> 0:13:13.640 just that he couldn't stay on the field. I mean 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:17.880 that one the one game he started in uh at 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:19.959 the end of that season for Carolina, Like he got 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:22.120 hit so many times. He had like he couldn't get 0:13:22.120 --> 0:13:23.760 out of his shoulder pads. Like at the end of 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:26.440 the game, he couldn't move his his arm um. Yeah. 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:29.120 I mean, and and give credit to to that running 0:13:29.160 --> 0:13:32.120 scheme too. I mean the way that they moved left 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:33.679 and right, the way that they had you know, the 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:37.359 play action, like the bootleg reverses or like the bootlegs 0:13:37.360 --> 0:13:39.719 for Heineke on fourth down when there's nobody. I mean 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:42.560 that was like a cam run back in the day. 0:13:42.960 --> 0:13:47.440 Boy when he when he scrambled for the first popped 0:13:47.559 --> 0:13:52.640 up and so he's just dounting on you. Now, that's 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:55.239 not good. So Darren, we all know it's a combination 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:58.120 of of everything, right, there's there's usually not just one 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:00.920 thing that leads to a performance like that. But if 0:14:00.920 --> 0:14:03.800 you had to say between you know, the other side 0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:07.000 just schemed better, played better. It was the matchup, it 0:14:07.120 --> 0:14:11.960 was the coaching, it was the miscommunication. Where where would 0:14:11.960 --> 0:14:14.200 you be worried about or are you just like, look, 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:16.840 it was it was a day that they had. They're 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:19.560 allowed one game. I'm not worried about it. We'll see 0:14:19.600 --> 0:14:21.600 this normal defense back in my name. Well, the big 0:14:21.640 --> 0:14:25.440 flashing red light now for the Carolina Panthers is run defense. 0:14:25.520 --> 0:14:28.040 And you know, in the six losses they're giving up 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:30.480 a hundred sixty three a game. In the five wins, 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:34.880 it's four. And it was a huge deal last year. Now, 0:14:34.920 --> 0:14:37.040 granted they've added they added a ton of pieces, this 0:14:37.160 --> 0:14:40.120 defense does not look the same, but they've improved in 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:43.240 so many categories. There was almost like there was no 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:46.680 holdover at first from last year's issues the third down, 0:14:46.760 --> 0:14:49.440 the run defense, and we're starting to see a little 0:14:49.480 --> 0:14:53.240 bit of it re emerging. And listen to books out 0:14:54.120 --> 0:14:57.200 people around the league. No, the Dolphins know everybody on 0:14:57.200 --> 0:15:00.480 the schedule coming down the stretch knows you want to 0:15:00.600 --> 0:15:02.960 run on the Carolina Panthers put big people on the 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:05.240 field and and lean on them a little bit and 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:08.280 muscle them up, and you know, until it's one of 0:15:08.280 --> 0:15:10.520 those things people are gonna punch you until you make 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:14.080 them stop punching you. And you know, we'll see what 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:16.440 Miami is able to do. I don't know that they're 0:15:16.480 --> 0:15:20.800 built to um necessarily go off that platform the way 0:15:20.840 --> 0:15:25.000 other teams are. But Dallas, Minnesota, New England, Washington kind 0:15:25.000 --> 0:15:28.120 of all got after him, you know, with different runs, 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:31.600 but with the same philosophy, and it's we're gonna muscle 0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:33.560 you up and we're gonna lean on you until you 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:36.920 push back. And and they didn't in those games, I believe, 0:15:37.680 --> 0:15:40.160 you know. They everybody talks about and it's one of 0:15:40.200 --> 0:15:42.920 those coach cliches, but it's also happens to be true. 0:15:43.320 --> 0:15:46.960 You can to stop the run. All eleven dudes have 0:15:47.080 --> 0:15:49.280 to be in the right spot. And it almost doesn't 0:15:49.320 --> 0:15:51.440 matter which eleven, but they've all got to be in 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:54.640 the right spot. All the spots get accounted for. But 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:56.960 if a guy gets knocked off his feet, if a 0:15:57.000 --> 0:15:59.400 guy is not where he's supposed to be, that creates 0:15:59.400 --> 0:16:04.239 a lane and makes everybody look like idiots, So uh it, 0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:09.080 you know, listening to Hassan Reddick on Monday basically saying 0:16:09.280 --> 0:16:12.040 we can't be friends now we've got two point fingers 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:14.440 that dudes and say you're in the wrong spot. You've 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:16.560 got to tighten this up. You've got to be better. 0:16:16.960 --> 0:16:21.560 You know, all that talk about accountability. It would surprise 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:24.200 me if they didn't get some people's attention with some 0:16:24.280 --> 0:16:27.600 of that this week. And so we'll see what it 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:31.960 looks like on Sunday, Miami. But it's it's definitely the 0:16:32.120 --> 0:16:34.840 thing you've got to worry about with that defense right now, 0:16:34.880 --> 0:16:37.920 because we know they can cover, we know they can 0:16:37.920 --> 0:16:40.480 play man, we know they've got enough corners to match 0:16:40.600 --> 0:16:42.880 up with anybody in a passing game. It's the number 0:16:42.920 --> 0:16:45.440 one past defense in the NFL. We know they can 0:16:45.520 --> 0:16:48.440 rush passers and get sacks. Hassan and Brian have been 0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:51.280 playing well. What they've got to do is fix the 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:54.200 stuff up the middle. And until they do, it's gonna 0:16:54.200 --> 0:16:56.800 be a little suspect. I mean, obviously, all the all 0:16:56.800 --> 0:16:59.640 the numbers that are all contained in in all the 0:16:59.720 --> 0:17:02.360 things that that Darren just said, for sure, and I 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:05.000 think that they they've got to do it. Early, and 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:09.400 they've got to they've got to get people off that trajectory. 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:12.040 It's so easy to shut down a run game in 0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:14.720 the first half because if you if you allow a 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:16.440 team to kind of get some life and to get 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:18.600 going in the first half a little bit, they feel 0:17:18.760 --> 0:17:21.480 more and more able to do that, especially if the 0:17:21.480 --> 0:17:23.240 game's close, you know, in the second half. And I 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:25.480 think that's what you saw against Arizona, Like Arizona could 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:27.520 have run way more in the second half, but they 0:17:27.520 --> 0:17:30.480 couldn't because of the way that that avalanche just came 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:32.520 at them, and then it became a whole lot easier 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:35.280 for that defense. That defense was just sitting back at 0:17:35.320 --> 0:17:37.200 that point because of the way Arizona had to play. 0:17:37.240 --> 0:17:38.560 So I think a lot of it comes down to, 0:17:38.680 --> 0:17:40.280 you know, the offense got to continue to do what 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:44.639 they're doing, which is score early, be be efficient. You know, Carolina, 0:17:44.680 --> 0:17:46.960 after that beginning, they couldn't convert on third down, and 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:48.920 all of a sudden, you kind of start letting Washing, 0:17:50.320 --> 0:17:52.800 you start letting Washington get the ball right back, and 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:54.879 then here's a play to McLaurin and then all of 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:56.320 a sudden, now they're on the plus side of the 0:17:56.359 --> 0:17:58.120 fifty and now they can run a little bit, and 0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:00.560 you know that that's kind of that's kind of how 0:18:00.600 --> 0:18:03.360 that game started to go in against Miami, they've only 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:06.400 averaged seventy seven point three rush yards a game. They're 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:09.480 not good statistically at running the ball. Doesn't mean they 0:18:09.520 --> 0:18:12.080 can't and doesn't mean they won't try, but over the 0:18:12.119 --> 0:18:13.960 course of a season, they haven't been good at this. 0:18:14.520 --> 0:18:17.959 It's been to a and tour. Right now is playing 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:21.760 like some of his best ball like eight percent completion rating. 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:25.840 I'm just doing my stats the way now. I mean 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:30.080 last week percent like that is really really high for 0:18:30.200 --> 0:18:32.679 a guy that you know, let's be real, there's been 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:35.080 a lot of question marks around, you know, in the league, 0:18:35.080 --> 0:18:37.439 in the media, is two of the guy? Can he 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:40.040 be the guy? I don't know that he will be 0:18:40.119 --> 0:18:42.920 the guy forever, but right now he's playing winning football. 0:18:43.840 --> 0:18:47.280 So this matchup, it's fair to say against Miami the 0:18:47.320 --> 0:18:50.240 week before the bye week is set up so that 0:18:50.560 --> 0:18:53.439 Carolina can get right if they if they do the 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:57.480 things that they are capable of doing and execute, it 0:18:57.520 --> 0:19:02.200 feels like a favorable game to go into feeling pretty 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:05.560 good about um before the bye week. Right I'm should 0:19:05.600 --> 0:19:07.760 I be knocking on something. I mean the way and 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:09.640 if it and if it doesn't work out that way, 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:13.480 it's not ours. But you feel like you want that 0:19:13.600 --> 0:19:16.040 term get right. It feels like it's been on the 0:19:16.040 --> 0:19:19.120 other sideline a lot this year, Like the Giants kind 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:21.359 of got right against the Panthers in a way, like 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:24.040 the Eagles, did you know, all of a sudden, they 0:19:24.080 --> 0:19:26.399 don't look so bad. Right, there's there that's kind of 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:28.600 been happening to Carolina. I'd like to see that go 0:19:28.840 --> 0:19:31.760 the other direction, you know, to have a get right 0:19:32.080 --> 0:19:34.720 and just put it into somebody on the other sideline. 0:19:35.200 --> 0:19:38.119 And and again, it would be great to have right 0:19:38.119 --> 0:19:39.760 before the bye week. This is one of the latest 0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:42.800 bye weeks in the NFL. Right, that's the or the latest, 0:19:42.840 --> 0:19:45.240 but there's some other teams that also share this by week. 0:19:45.240 --> 0:19:48.000 I have to look at Will just to make sure. Right, 0:19:48.119 --> 0:19:50.959 it's been a long time since those dudes have had 0:19:50.960 --> 0:19:54.800 a Sunday off Yeah, slash us had a Sunday offense 0:19:54.960 --> 0:20:00.679 and the story yeah, um, but yeah, I'm excited for 0:20:00.720 --> 0:20:03.600 this game in Miami. Um, it will be the first 0:20:03.680 --> 0:20:06.800 game that I'm not traveling to, which is a little 0:20:06.880 --> 0:20:10.680 a little sad for me. They yes, they they put 0:20:10.680 --> 0:20:12.280