WEBVTT - Happy Half Hour Episode 48: The Wofford Panthers 0:00:07.520 --> 0:00:11.760 It's time for the Happy Half Hour with your friends 0:00:12.000 --> 0:00:22.720 Kristen Balboni, Will Brian and Darren Gamp. Welcome to the 0:00:22.760 --> 0:00:25.959 Happy half Hour podcast. It's your friends Darren, Will, Kristen 0:00:26.040 --> 0:00:29.680 and producer Matt. Guys, we're talking about a three and 0:00:29.920 --> 0:00:33.159 oh Panther's team that's had a little rest before they 0:00:33.240 --> 0:00:36.240 head down to Jerry's world. How are we feeling? I mean, 0:00:36.560 --> 0:00:40.720 they're three and oh. Of course we all expected this, right, yeah, 0:00:43.280 --> 0:00:47.200 questions asked when they were in Spartanburg. We were like, yeah, absolutely, 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:49.839 this is the best defense in the NFL, no question. 0:00:50.200 --> 0:00:52.720 It's been I mean it's been alarming, and it was 0:00:52.760 --> 0:00:54.960 kind of funny this week to hear Rule talk about, 0:00:55.280 --> 0:00:57.480 you know, I want to stay the Watford Panthers. I 0:00:57.480 --> 0:00:59.720 want to stay that team that nobody believed in. They 0:00:59.720 --> 0:01:03.280 would love to latch onto. Nobody thinks we're any good, 0:01:03.680 --> 0:01:06.440 but and listen, there are questions to be asked, but 0:01:06.840 --> 0:01:11.479 they're pretty good and it's not an accident. They're playing 0:01:11.520 --> 0:01:14.840 incredible defense right now. They lead to league in every 0:01:14.880 --> 0:01:18.800 meaningful defensive category other than points allowed, and that's only 0:01:18.840 --> 0:01:22.440 by a couple because Denver's also you know, off to 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:25.760 a hot start. But yeah, it's just it's been eye opening, 0:01:25.880 --> 0:01:29.320 it's been impressive, and it's been collective. I mean, it's 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:33.720 everything a football coach wants in a team because everybody's 0:01:33.760 --> 0:01:35.120 got a hand in it and they're playing at a 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:37.160 high level. Well, if he wants people to not believe, 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:39.039 and I'm I'm happy to do it again. I did 0:01:39.080 --> 0:01:41.120 it last week and it worked out pretty well. I 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.680 can just keep rolling on with all the reasons why 0:01:43.720 --> 0:01:49.240 they they're awful. It's just speak it out into the year. 0:01:50.240 --> 0:01:54.240 It's not only taking credit for you know, a superstition 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:56.680 of something he did last week that works. It's also 0:01:57.520 --> 0:02:00.400 not complementary of the team. Like, yeah, you want me 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:03.560 to talk about how awful it is, like I will totally, 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:06.040 I will totally not believe in them for for them, 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:08.280 and I will say this. I it's funny to like, 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:10.880 look at Panthers Twitter. I mean, not like the actual Panthers, 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:12.840 but people that talk about the Panthers, and you know, 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:15.920 each day it's a new here's some random graphic that 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:18.640 wasn't attributed to anything that said the Panthers are in 0:02:18.720 --> 0:02:22.480 the fourth tier of average defenses. You know, they're like, 0:02:22.560 --> 0:02:25.120 I'm so mad about this. It's like, where does that 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:28.200 even come from? And who cares? Like I can tell 0:02:28.240 --> 0:02:31.120 you where they rank their first period. That's that. No, 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:33.919 no graphic on Twitter can change that. But I think 0:02:33.960 --> 0:02:36.360 the cool thing about the NFL that we're starting to 0:02:36.400 --> 0:02:38.240 become part of that again, just like they were in 0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:43.840 is there's nothing that is recorded outside of my power rankings, 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:46.000 which come out Tuesday morning Panthers dot com. Please click 0:02:46.000 --> 0:02:48.919 on them. There's nothing that's actually meaningful. There's no a 0:02:49.040 --> 0:02:52.840 p top twenty five pole that you're number five, you know, 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:55.040 four weeks in a row, which leads to something in 0:02:55.160 --> 0:02:58.400 some sort of you know FC you know rankings or like, no, 0:02:58.400 --> 0:03:00.760 none of it matters. All that matters is the standings. 0:03:00.840 --> 0:03:03.280 Like that's all the NFL is is just the standings. 0:03:03.600 --> 0:03:07.000 There's no polling, there's no voting of who gets to 0:03:07.040 --> 0:03:09.639 play who at the end of the year. There's no 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:12.360 you know, how well did this wind look or not look? 0:03:12.400 --> 0:03:15.800 There's no none of that matters. It's just the standings. 0:03:15.880 --> 0:03:18.600 And and that's a kind of a simple, cool, easy thing. 0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:20.960 And all the stuff that people say are just what 0:03:21.000 --> 0:03:23.160 people say. The only thing the NFL is better at 0:03:23.240 --> 0:03:26.959 than making money and creating television ratings, is creating conversation. 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:30.200 And by playing once a week, there's another six days 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:32.519 a week that have to get filled up. So now 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:35.960 they're filled up with Are the Carolina Panthers for real? 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:39.400 Can you trust the Carolina Panthers? Is this the real sounds? 0:03:39.440 --> 0:03:43.920 Are they? You know? I mean in all this stuff. 0:03:44.040 --> 0:03:48.640 But to Will's point, none of the stuff actually matters 0:03:48.680 --> 0:03:52.160 because that they have strung together three straight one in 0:03:52.200 --> 0:03:55.600 a weeks. And I love what Dante Jackson said in 0:03:55.720 --> 0:03:58.600 his press conference earlier this week, and it is a 0:03:58.640 --> 0:04:00.680 sentiment that we've heard plenty of times, but just the 0:04:00.720 --> 0:04:02.360 way he just has a way of putting things. As 0:04:02.360 --> 0:04:05.800 you guys know, d jack Um, he said, you know, 0:04:05.840 --> 0:04:08.320 I don't Someone asked him about all of the outside noise, 0:04:08.360 --> 0:04:09.960 and of course all of the players and coaches are 0:04:09.960 --> 0:04:11.760 gonna say, ye, we don't pay attention to it. It 0:04:11.800 --> 0:04:15.280 doesn't matter. As you said, Darren uh coach rules said, 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:16.960 you know, I want to. I like it. I like 0:04:17.120 --> 0:04:20.560 the Wafford Panthers mentality when no one knew what to expect, 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:22.520 but Dante said, he said, you know, I just that 0:04:22.520 --> 0:04:26.280 that stuff doesn't enter my day. You know whatever, someone 0:04:26.320 --> 0:04:28.800 says that hasn't seen us practice, like I'm just not 0:04:28.920 --> 0:04:32.560 concerned about it, and you know, I've even noticed that. 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:35.640 So this this person said this about this team, and 0:04:35.680 --> 0:04:37.800 I'm like, well, you've seen them on TV, like that's 0:04:37.839 --> 0:04:40.960 about it. That's that's really about it. And well, you're right, 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:43.280 it doesn't really matter at the end of the day. 0:04:43.320 --> 0:04:48.599 But there is this kind of national conversation around is 0:04:48.640 --> 0:04:51.280 this three you know, quote unquote for real or is 0:04:51.320 --> 0:04:54.560 it not? Do you think that this conversation would be 0:04:54.640 --> 0:04:58.640 happening if the rash of injuries in the Thursday night 0:04:58.680 --> 0:05:02.159 game did not happen, because I know that's a contributing factor. 0:05:02.240 --> 0:05:05.640 I think it still would be probably almost certainly in 0:05:05.760 --> 0:05:08.280 every year the NFL creates one of these. And listen, 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:10.680 Denver I mentioned earlier, Denver is getting caught in the 0:05:10.720 --> 0:05:13.560 same conversation. It's like, how good are the Bronco's really? 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:16.880 Who cares? They've beaten the three teams they've had to play. Um, 0:05:17.200 --> 0:05:20.880 I think it it would still be happening even if 0:05:20.920 --> 0:05:25.080 Christian McCaffrey was healthy, even if J. C. Horne was healthy. Um. 0:05:25.240 --> 0:05:27.680 But obviously that opened the door to a lot of that, 0:05:27.760 --> 0:05:31.680 But the reality is down here in Mayberry, in our small, 0:05:31.760 --> 0:05:36.680 little southern town where nobody ever comes except the Rolling Stones. 0:05:37.640 --> 0:05:41.320 Um Darren is wearing since since no one can see this, 0:05:41.400 --> 0:05:44.160 Darren is wearing his Rolling Stones shirt because the concert 0:05:44.200 --> 0:05:46.120 is happening. If you're listening, maybe after the fact. The 0:05:46.120 --> 0:05:49.799 concert is happening at Bank of America Stadium tonight. Darren 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:53.080 is already an accountdown. How many hours until everything kicks off? 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:58.159 Until until I start preparing wisconser not that man, Until 0:05:58.200 --> 0:06:01.800 Darren starts warming up. Consent trading today is going to 0:06:01.880 --> 0:06:04.440 be pretty difficult, there's no lie, because it's We've been 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:06.640 walking around the stadium all week and the stadium has 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:09.720 been taken over by other people. But um, yeah, what 0:06:09.760 --> 0:06:12.600 were you talking about? I have no idea. I'm this 0:06:12.680 --> 0:06:15.320 is my day, you know, the other the other week, 0:06:15.360 --> 0:06:19.480 I was completely distracted by uh short week and game 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:22.679 on Thursday and what day it is today, I'm totally 0:06:22.720 --> 0:06:29.719 distracted by feels like yesterday and also as but I 0:06:29.720 --> 0:06:31.960 mean I I also I don't like the simplicity that 0:06:32.160 --> 0:06:34.839 and you know again it's ratings we're talking blah blah blah, 0:06:34.920 --> 0:06:38.200 but that this weekend will tell you everything you need 0:06:38.240 --> 0:06:40.760 to know about the Carolina Panthers. There's so many lines 0:06:40.960 --> 0:06:45.040 of these UH analyzes that are saying this weekend will 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:47.120 tell us what we need to know. Now they're playing 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:49.240 a team. It's like, as you said, now it's it 0:06:49.360 --> 0:06:51.600 doesn't it's week It's still only week four. They can 0:06:51.680 --> 0:06:54.200 lose and that doesn't mean anything. They could beat the 0:06:54.240 --> 0:06:56.560 Cowboys and then lose to the Eagles and it's like, 0:06:56.600 --> 0:06:59.240 oh no, that was didn't mean anything, and like, now 0:06:59.480 --> 0:07:02.000 you've got the whole season. I do think I mean 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:05.599 to kind of go along with the narrative little bit. 0:07:05.640 --> 0:07:08.320 I mean, this is the toughest test they've had. This 0:07:08.400 --> 0:07:12.960 is obviously the most difficult opponent they've faced um over 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:15.440 the course of this season. And the way they match up, 0:07:15.480 --> 0:07:19.560 I mean, because Dallas can spread you out offensively, because 0:07:19.600 --> 0:07:22.640 they have a ton of skill position talent, and because 0:07:22.720 --> 0:07:25.440 all of a sudden your secondaries full of injuries and 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:29.080 guys who aren't there anymore and you're changing tires on 0:07:29.120 --> 0:07:33.400 a moving car. It's reasonable to say, yes, this is 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:35.720 the tough one for the Carolina Panthers. This is where 0:07:35.760 --> 0:07:38.680 you'll fight well. It will learn things about the Carolina 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:42.640 Panthers for sure this weekend, but again because it creates 0:07:42.720 --> 0:07:48.120 national conversation. Every week turns into a referendum on and 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:51.440 it's the Cowboys. You know, anything involving the Cowboys is 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:54.360 a national everything. That's just what it is. Well, let's 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:57.760 talk about this game in terms of of the injuries 0:07:57.800 --> 0:08:00.280 that happened in the Thursday night game and and what 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:03.600 we think we'll see on Sunday that might look different 0:08:03.720 --> 0:08:05.600 from what we've seen in the first three weeks. During 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:08.840 you mentioned the secondary, So let's start there. Both j C. 0:08:09.000 --> 0:08:12.480 Horn and Justin Burris will not be there, right and 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:15.640 j C won't be there for most of the regular season, 0:08:15.760 --> 0:08:19.080 if not all of the regular season. I mean broken 0:08:19.080 --> 0:08:22.280 foot surgery that's probably a two or three month thing. 0:08:22.400 --> 0:08:25.760 And Justin Burros even though it's not even though it 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:27.920 kind of is in the shadow of j. C. Horn. 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:32.520 I mean, listen, in any other setting, losing j C. 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:37.400 Horne is a disaster because that guy is great at football. 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:40.559 I mean, he has come in in three weeks and 0:08:40.720 --> 0:08:45.680 proven himself already to be on the verge of being 0:08:45.720 --> 0:08:47.840 one of those corners that you just don't grow. I 0:08:47.880 --> 0:08:50.280 think one of the biggest compliments that I've heard. I've 0:08:50.320 --> 0:08:51.800 said it a couple of times, and then when Matt 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:53.360 Rules said it to me, I was like, oh, okay, 0:08:53.360 --> 0:08:55.120 I'm glad. I'm glad that I'm not the only one. 0:08:55.360 --> 0:08:57.719 Matt Rules like, I forget he's a rookie, and that's 0:08:57.760 --> 0:08:59.400 I mean, I don't think there's a bigger like there's 0:08:59.440 --> 0:09:02.120 there's Matt was like, he's a football guy compliment, and 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:04.240 then there's like, I forget he's a rookie. And I 0:09:04.240 --> 0:09:07.760 think that those are like the two biggest in season 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:11.360 compliments that that Matt Rule will give out. And I 0:09:11.360 --> 0:09:13.920 think it's true. Yeah. And and when I was talking 0:09:13.920 --> 0:09:16.160 to Phil Snow last week for the big Phil Snow 0:09:16.200 --> 0:09:18.480 profile that we did on Panthers dot com and you 0:09:18.520 --> 0:09:21.200 should definitely read only if you're up at five thirty 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:25.079 in the morning, when Darren tweeted it because that's when 0:09:25.120 --> 0:09:28.240 Phil Snow lives waight at five am because he's a 0:09:28.280 --> 0:09:32.160 football guy. Um, but Phil said something along the same lines. 0:09:32.240 --> 0:09:34.520 He's like with j C, I kind of forget he's 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:37.040 there sometimes because the ball is not going to that side. 0:09:37.559 --> 0:09:40.200 And I mean that's the ultimate sign of respect from 0:09:40.200 --> 0:09:43.920 opponents since they're not gonna try him, And you know, 0:09:44.679 --> 0:09:48.679 losing one of those guys changes everything you can do 0:09:48.840 --> 0:09:53.079 as a defense, and they're also doing it without their 0:09:53.120 --> 0:09:57.319 starting safety and Justin Burrows. They had already lost Miles Hartsfield, 0:09:57.320 --> 0:09:59.679 who was playing nickel for him in the opener. So, 0:09:59.720 --> 0:10:01.760 I mean, and a J boy A comes in this week. 0:10:01.840 --> 0:10:03.360 He's new. We thought he was going to get back 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:06.000 in last week, but as it turns out, practicing one 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:10.120 time in about seven weeks is not ideal preparation for 0:10:10.160 --> 0:10:12.760 your first game of the season. So but this week 0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:15.000 AJ is back on the field, and Dante is going 0:10:15.040 --> 0:10:17.280 to be out there, and Rashaun Melvin is a full 0:10:17.280 --> 0:10:20.640 time member of the fifty three again after being around 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:23.240 all training camp and being promoted from the practice squad 0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:25.199 in the last couple of weeks. And and oh, by 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:27.840 the way, they traded for a top ten pick and C. J. 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:31.520 Henderson um and don't know how much he'll play this week, 0:10:31.559 --> 0:10:34.360 Maybe not a lot. But there's a lot of stuff 0:10:34.440 --> 0:10:37.959 going on For a team that talks about the standard 0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:40.640 is the standard, and we expect everything to just keep 0:10:40.679 --> 0:10:44.280 continuing down the same path. It is such a bummer, 0:10:44.360 --> 0:10:47.800 I mean, individually, of course for for anyone who's injured UM, 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:51.560 but also that secondary. After last season, they put in 0:10:51.800 --> 0:10:53.480 a lot of work to really get it in a 0:10:53.480 --> 0:10:55.760 good place, have depth, and it was exciting. It was 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:58.160 one of the most exciting position groups coming into the season. 0:10:58.160 --> 0:10:59.840 So it is a bummer to see, as you said, 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:03.199 with three significant guys that at this point not to 0:11:03.280 --> 0:11:05.840 be able to to be out on the field. Do 0:11:05.960 --> 0:11:08.640 you feel comfortable going into this game about where the 0:11:08.679 --> 0:11:10.440 depth is. I think I feel you know, the C 0:11:10.600 --> 0:11:13.880 J Henderson trade a J boy coming back. He's he's 0:11:13.880 --> 0:11:16.360 really been someone that of course we haven't gotten to 0:11:16.400 --> 0:11:18.280 see a lot of and certainly the fans haven't gotten 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:21.480 to see a lot of UM because he couldn't practice. 0:11:21.559 --> 0:11:23.160 We saw him in the off season. But he's someone 0:11:23.200 --> 0:11:25.679 that I know j C looks up to. I mean, 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:28.240 he's he's been able to perform in the NFL at 0:11:28.240 --> 0:11:31.959 a high level for for years. I feel pretty good 0:11:31.960 --> 0:11:34.760 about it. And then Dante is making plays left and 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:37.720 right on on that other side, so I think it's 0:11:37.800 --> 0:11:41.199 not you say, you lose two starters in one game 0:11:41.600 --> 0:11:44.959 out of the secondary. I feel like they're gonna find 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:46.920 a way to adjust and as you said, the standard 0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:49.840 is the standard. I feel okay about the secondary going 0:11:49.840 --> 0:11:52.080 into this game. You know, if J. C. Horne had 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:55.960 never happened, if he never entered our lives here in Charlotte, 0:11:56.440 --> 0:12:00.280 this secondary would still be light years a head of 0:12:00.280 --> 0:12:02.679 where it was last year. I mean, last year, you're 0:12:02.720 --> 0:12:05.720 pulling guys off the street. Congratulations, great to meet you. 0:12:05.720 --> 0:12:11.360 You're starting Sunday. Um. Now they've at least got Dante Jackson, 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:13.840 who is playing so much better this year than he 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:16.800 did last year when he wasn't well it was and 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:19.440 still learn a new offense. And boy is an adult. 0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:23.400 I mean, he's a grown up NFL cornerback who's better 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:26.439 than anybody they stood in that spot last year. And 0:12:26.480 --> 0:12:29.720 Melvin is Melvin's another old head. And so we'll see 0:12:29.760 --> 0:12:32.640 what those other guys bring. I mean, well, we're gonna 0:12:32.679 --> 0:12:35.920 find out more about cats like Keith Taylor and Stanley 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:39.600 Thomas Oliver and Sam Franklin and Sean Chandler over the 0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:42.760 next couple of weeks because they're gonna have to so 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:46.160 it's gonna be interesting. But they are absolutely when you 0:12:46.520 --> 0:12:49.120 when I've watched them throughout training camp and O T A. 0:12:49.240 --> 0:12:52.680 S and stuff. It's been the immediate difference is that 0:12:52.840 --> 0:12:55.920 secondary is so much better than it was a year ago. 0:12:56.040 --> 0:12:59.360 And and the pass rushes that help when you can 0:12:59.760 --> 0:13:03.560 make quarterback. Yeah, those guys are as aggressive as they've 0:13:03.600 --> 0:13:05.679 been in the first three games, and hopefully it'll make 0:13:05.720 --> 0:13:07.679 it a lot easier on the second. And one of 0:13:07.720 --> 0:13:09.920 the big parts about that is not just that it's 0:13:09.960 --> 0:13:13.760 the it's the run defense. It's it's both parts of 0:13:13.760 --> 0:13:16.760 that because Dallas, like Carolina, is actually one of the 0:13:16.760 --> 0:13:20.120 more balanced offenses in the NFL. Like they have nearly 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:24.079 fifty fifty pass and and rush plays well with those weapons. 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:26.040 When I mean, when when you have I mean, you 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:27.800 know everyone knows Zeke. You know, you've got this guy 0:13:27.840 --> 0:13:30.760 Pollard that that's averaging just as many yards on the ground, 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:32.600 you know, really good change of pace. And they've been 0:13:32.640 --> 0:13:35.280 able to, you know, like old school football people. They 0:13:35.440 --> 0:13:37.679 established the run and then all of a sudden, Dak 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:40.319 Prescott gets to sit back there and play action. And 0:13:40.440 --> 0:13:43.040 I mean he's completed over of his pass is the 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:46.640 last two games. He's not missing his guys. And when 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:48.280 you can do that, when you can, you know, as 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:50.720 to have that run threat in you know, have the 0:13:50.760 --> 0:13:52.920 linebackers be sitting back looking for the run or whatever. 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:56.839 I mean, people are getting open. But the Panthers pretty good. 0:13:57.000 --> 0:13:59.000 I mean they shut down Alvin Kamara, who then the 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:01.840 next week went back out and did Alvin things. You know, 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:04.960 I mean that that wasn't just Alvin's having a down year. 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:08.360 That was the Panthers defense. And that's the thing. There 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:11.920 excuses and conditions for all three of those games. You know, 0:14:12.280 --> 0:14:15.079 it's just the Jets, Oh, it's just the Texans. Ah, 0:14:15.160 --> 0:14:17.720 the Saints are you know, missing all these guys in 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:20.960 COVID and away from home. The Panthers have had something 0:14:21.040 --> 0:14:24.400 to do with each of those conditions the last three weeks. 0:14:24.440 --> 0:14:27.800 But like Will says, because they're playing so well, they're 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:33.320 forcing people into those days. Absolutely absolutely, um. And you're 0:14:33.320 --> 0:14:36.640 talking about, of course the Cowboys run game and the 0:14:36.640 --> 0:14:40.360 Panthers needing to the run. Defense needs to be there. 0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:42.200 But but also it will be the first time the 0:14:42.240 --> 0:14:46.800 season that they're facing a quarterback. I don't know how 0:14:46.800 --> 0:14:50.320 to put this, like who's experienced in decision making? Who 0:14:50.360 --> 0:14:53.760 can outthink you? Who's um? I mean, and I know 0:14:53.960 --> 0:14:57.520 Jamis has experience, but that would have been Drew Brees. 0:14:57.600 --> 0:15:00.080 Last year, they would have seen Drew Brees and and 0:15:00.120 --> 0:15:03.120 I think the NFC South traditionally has had those just 0:15:03.920 --> 0:15:07.080 credible veteran quarterbacks, but this is really the first one. 0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:09.560 So I'll be interested to see how this steam line 0:15:09.560 --> 0:15:11.880 does against you know, it was it was it was rookie, 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:13.680 it was Jamis and then it was rookie. So I'll 0:15:13.680 --> 0:15:17.360 be interested to see how they fare against a guy 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:20.680 who has more tools and his tool belt and and 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:24.000 Dak Prescott has the ability to spread you out. And 0:15:24.080 --> 0:15:27.480 when you're talking about injury questions in the secondary, that's 0:15:27.480 --> 0:15:30.920 a bigger problem because Dak is smart enough to know 0:15:30.960 --> 0:15:34.520 where it goes and Okay, I'm gonna look here, here, here, 0:15:35.120 --> 0:15:37.520 And he's got the ability to do all that stuff. 0:15:37.560 --> 0:15:41.360 I mean, it's he's not he's not Drew Brees, but 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:44.680 he's definitely moving down that road and he's closer to that. 0:15:45.000 --> 0:15:48.360 I mean, DA's one of those guys now that drews 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:50.600 out of the league. I mean Tom Brady's just Tom Brady. 0:15:50.640 --> 0:15:53.720 That's a different conversation. But you know, DA's got that 0:15:53.800 --> 0:15:57.600 awareness and that ability to process on the fly that 0:15:57.720 --> 0:16:00.600 they haven't had to contend with in the first three weeks, 0:16:00.600 --> 0:16:03.400 so that was going to be a challenge anyway, you know, 0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:07.040 and especially because the cats he gets to work with. 0:16:07.160 --> 0:16:11.000 I mean that skill position gast of characters is pretty strong. 0:16:11.120 --> 0:16:14.120 So it's it's definitely going to be the toughest tast 0:16:14.320 --> 0:16:16.320 and and like I always like to do with these things, 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:18.240 I always like to look at the other side of 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:20.880 the matchup that people aren't talking about as much against 0:16:20.880 --> 0:16:25.400 this Cowboys defense and Sam Donald without Christian McCaffrey. And 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:27.560 one of the things I think is really interesting about them, 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:30.360 they lead the NFL and takeaways. They have eight takeaways. 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:32.440 They've had more at least two takeaways in each of 0:16:32.440 --> 0:16:35.320 the last seven games dating back to last year, but 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:38.800 their third to last and total yards allowed, second to 0:16:38.880 --> 0:16:43.160 last in sacks, and like tenth to last and points allowed. 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:45.480 Sorry just this year or in that same seven games 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:49.720 defensive coordinator. So the first three games they are getting 0:16:49.800 --> 0:16:57.600 after people making takeaways, but like not stopping. Yeah, I mean, 0:16:57.960 --> 0:17:01.320 like Philly, Philly should never have been within an arms 0:17:01.360 --> 0:17:03.960 throw of them on on Monday Night, and somehow, all 0:17:04.000 --> 0:17:06.280 of a sudden, here goes Jalen Hurts for a couple 0:17:06.800 --> 0:17:09.000 a d r drives like how did that happen? And 0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:10.760 then they get a pick six and you know, and 0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:12.640 and all of a sudden it's it's gone again. So 0:17:13.600 --> 0:17:15.840 you have a quarterback in Sam Donald who's taking care 0:17:15.840 --> 0:17:19.160 of the ball really well. Um, you know that they've 0:17:19.200 --> 0:17:21.160 spread the ball around a lot, and obviously they found 0:17:21.200 --> 0:17:24.640 DJ Moore. But yeah, I mean it's a Now, obviously 0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:27.280 some of those strip sacks that happened in Houston, like 0:17:27.520 --> 0:17:32.800 those start getting scary. Matt Paradise is there, though, don't worry. 0:17:32.840 --> 0:17:37.240 Matt Paradis is there to recover those. But that that's 0:17:37.280 --> 0:17:40.399 what Dallas is. Dallas is is you know, no risk a, 0:17:40.520 --> 0:17:45.840 no biscuit. Okay, Um, but let's let's talk about that, 0:17:45.960 --> 0:17:50.080 because let's let's talk about this offense without Christian McCaffrey 0:17:50.080 --> 0:17:52.320 would be a little bit harder to establish the run 0:17:53.000 --> 0:17:55.520 um with you Bohubbard and Royce Freemant. Is just the 0:17:55.520 --> 0:17:58.800 way it is. Christian McCaffrey is one of one. What 0:17:58.960 --> 0:18:01.320 have you seen? You know that I've asked Matt Rule 0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:04.119 about this and I think we're all in agreement. At 0:18:04.160 --> 0:18:08.679 least from the Thursday night game. Cuba didn't look his 0:18:08.800 --> 0:18:11.040 best early knowing that he's a rookie. But by the 0:18:11.160 --> 0:18:13.679 end of the game when he got his I don't know, 0:18:13.720 --> 0:18:15.959 he got a little bit more familiar, got his legs 0:18:16.040 --> 0:18:19.480 under him a little bit. He showed a lot of promise, 0:18:19.520 --> 0:18:21.320 showed like he was he was ready for it, and 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:23.560 I thought, you know, ended the game on a high note. 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:26.560 How how are you guys feeling about the Royce Freeman 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:30.199 Cuba hubbard Um running back situation for this game? It 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:33.320 could be worse. It could be worse. I mean, honestly, 0:18:33.480 --> 0:18:37.800 it's having been around here long enough to remember when 0:18:37.800 --> 0:18:39.920 there were a couple of backs at the same time, 0:18:40.000 --> 0:18:43.880 and Angelo and Jonathan or Stephen Davison Deshaun Foster. There 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:46.639 was always that debate of how can you get a 0:18:46.640 --> 0:18:48.960 guy in a rhythm when you're running one in and out? 0:18:49.040 --> 0:18:52.080 And to your point, Kristen Chuba looked much better in 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:54.240 the second half of that game when it was all 0:18:54.400 --> 0:18:57.840 him than he had in these previous Okay, come in 0:18:58.119 --> 0:19:01.040 spot him for a play. You got this series, You know, 0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:04.280 it's hard for running backs to develop any of that 0:19:04.359 --> 0:19:06.639 kind of stuff without being on the field to do it. 0:19:06.720 --> 0:19:09.480 And and if you want to be encouraged by that 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:12.800 second half of Houston gives you some reason to be 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:15.960 I mean, he did look better in that than he 0:19:16.040 --> 0:19:18.880 did at any point previously this season. So we'll see 0:19:18.920 --> 0:19:22.000 if that holds up. But it's a lot more incumbent 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:24.879 on him to do that because they've talked about and 0:19:24.880 --> 0:19:28.000 we wrote it on Panthers dot Com last night, Um, 0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:30.920 the offense isn't necessarily going to change. They don't want 0:19:30.960 --> 0:19:33.400 to change the way they're doing business. They still want 0:19:33.400 --> 0:19:35.560 to try to run and all by the way, in 0:19:35.600 --> 0:19:38.679 addition to Christian McCaffrey, they're also without Dan Arnold. I 0:19:38.720 --> 0:19:41.159 was just gonna say, we're we're watching twenty minutes in 0:19:41.320 --> 0:19:43.400 and I just thought I was like, oh, we thought 0:19:43.440 --> 0:19:46.080 of talk about that. So there's a lot of adjustment 0:19:46.200 --> 0:19:48.800 happening on the fly with this offense right now. But 0:19:48.840 --> 0:19:51.960 they want to try to do the same thematic things, 0:19:52.000 --> 0:19:54.000 which means Jube is gonna have to be the guy 0:19:54.200 --> 0:19:56.240 for a minute. He is, you know, and we've talked 0:19:56.240 --> 0:20:00.240 about red zone especially or getting the ball down. The 0:20:00.320 --> 0:20:02.879 said no Christian McCaffrey, Now, no Dan Arnold, who was 0:20:02.920 --> 0:20:05.680 your coming into this, you know, your number one tight end. 0:20:05.840 --> 0:20:07.720 I think that shows a lot of confidence and in 0:20:07.800 --> 0:20:10.359 Tommy Tremble he had a big game, and Ian Thomas, 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:12.960 anyone in that tight end room. But that's something that 0:20:13.000 --> 0:20:15.640 we haven't touched on as well. How different do we 0:20:15.720 --> 0:20:19.760 think that the the quarterback to tight end dynamic is 0:20:19.760 --> 0:20:22.639 going to be, if at all without Dan Arnold on 0:20:22.680 --> 0:20:24.879 the field. I think when people ask me, you know, 0:20:25.000 --> 0:20:26.800 how is he going to get the tight end involved, 0:20:26.840 --> 0:20:29.520 I'm gonna say by throwing it to Robbie Anderson that 0:20:29.720 --> 0:20:33.040 that's my answer. I mean, you you've got to figure 0:20:33.080 --> 0:20:36.800 out a way that Robbie becomes back what Robbie was, 0:20:37.080 --> 0:20:40.080 you know, like whether you know he remember last year, 0:20:40.119 --> 0:20:41.800 you know, you know midway through the season, you know, 0:20:41.880 --> 0:20:44.199 he was getting all of these catches, he was coming in, 0:20:44.280 --> 0:20:47.320 you know, short yardage, you know, routes, crossing routes, all 0:20:47.359 --> 0:20:50.639