WEBVTT - Drive Time: Wildcard Round Variety Show with Ross Tucker 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:06.040 To on remove gall On Deep Speedways Pass From the 0:00:06.080 --> 0:00:10.400 Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. 0:00:10.960 --> 0:00:14.720 This is Drivetime with Travis Wingfield. 0:00:16.239 --> 0:00:30.120 He's got my avnds in the playoffs? What is up 0:00:30.240 --> 0:00:34.000 Dolphins and welcome to the Draft Time Podcast. I am 0:00:34.040 --> 0:00:37.240 your host, Travis Wingfield. And on today's show, our final 0:00:37.280 --> 0:00:39.840 address the wild Card round variety show. 0:00:39.920 --> 0:00:41.320 Ross Tucker, who. 0:00:41.120 --> 0:00:43.360 Will have the call on Westwood One, joins me to 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:46.000 break down this match up, talk about his experience and 0:00:46.080 --> 0:00:49.480 playing in miserably frigid cold weather. We'll hear some final 0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:52.800 thoughts from coach and Tyreek. I'll also talk about the 0:00:52.880 --> 0:00:56.280 injury impact this team has faced this year, a player 0:00:56.280 --> 0:00:57.280 that I think is going to go off for a 0:00:57.360 --> 0:01:00.680 huge game in the wildcard matchup, and a final a 0:01:00.800 --> 0:01:03.360 monologue about Dolphins fandom and playoff football. 0:01:03.400 --> 0:01:04.840 All of that and much more here. 0:01:04.959 --> 0:01:08.160 From the Baptist Hell Studios inside the Baptist Hell Training Complex. 0:01:08.200 --> 0:01:10.560 This is the Draft Time Podcast. 0:01:10.760 --> 0:01:14.679 Maybe Guff, Let's get to my guest today, the great 0:01:14.959 --> 0:01:18.039 Ross Tucker, joining us Today's former NFL offensive lineman and 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:20.960 the host of the Ross Tucker Football podcast. You can 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:23.840 hear him on the call Saturday night on Westwood One 0:01:23.920 --> 0:01:25.080 Dolphins and Chiefs Ross. 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:28.760 Welcome in man, Travis, my pleasure, man. Thank you for 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:31.319 having me. I love it. The Official Dolphins podcast. 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:33.360 Let's do this, Let's do this is right. It's a 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:35.880 big game on Saturday night. Not where Miami wanted to 0:01:35.920 --> 0:01:37.600 be heading into this one, but let's go ahead and 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:39.880 start here because they are in the playoffs and they 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:41.880 have a chance to right the wrongs in the last 0:01:41.920 --> 0:01:44.440 couple of weeks. You know you've experienced the highs and 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:47.360 lows of an NFL season. I was hoping you could 0:01:47.360 --> 0:01:49.680 take me in what the Dolphins locker room is like 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:51.800 this week. How do they get themselves up off the 0:01:51.800 --> 0:01:54.960 mat after what has been a challenging couple of weeks 0:01:55.200 --> 0:01:57.600 that didn't just see them going from contending from one 0:01:57.680 --> 0:01:59.640 of the top spots in the playoffs the top seed 0:01:59.840 --> 0:02:01.640 all the way to the sixth seed, but also lost 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:03.880 so many key parts to injury. What do you think 0:02:04.040 --> 0:02:05.520 is a Dolphin's mindset right now? 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:07.640 Well, it's not easy. 0:02:07.960 --> 0:02:11.040 It's tough, and there's two things that I think that 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:12.560 they're focusing. 0:02:12.040 --> 0:02:14.720 On right now. Right number one. 0:02:14.880 --> 0:02:17.519 Is that this is a tournament, right, I mean I 0:02:17.600 --> 0:02:19.720 think we lose sight of that sometimes. But the NFL 0:02:19.760 --> 0:02:24.040 playoffs it's a tournament almost like the NDAA tournament. It's 0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:28.400 survive in advance or it's one and done right, So 0:02:29.320 --> 0:02:32.280 I think all they realize is they just need to 0:02:32.360 --> 0:02:35.000 do whatever it takes to beat the Chiefs this week. 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:38.640 The Chiefs are not some unstoppable team like it feels 0:02:38.680 --> 0:02:40.480 like they've been the last couple of years. This is 0:02:40.520 --> 0:02:44.119 the worst Chiefs team we've seen in several years. There's 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:46.320 a reason why they're the three seed and not the 0:02:46.360 --> 0:02:47.120 one or the two. 0:02:47.840 --> 0:02:48.960 And while it looks like. 0:02:49.000 --> 0:02:51.280 If the Chiefs can beat the Dolphins, I'll have to 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:54.640 play some road playoff games, as Patrick Mahomes has never 0:02:54.720 --> 0:02:55.280 had to do. 0:02:55.760 --> 0:02:58.920 So I think that that's I think that's the rallying cry. Right. 0:02:59.360 --> 0:03:02.200 It's a bumber. We lost to Baltimore. You know, the 0:03:02.200 --> 0:03:05.720 way the Bills game went was unfortunate. The injuries we 0:03:05.800 --> 0:03:10.079 have are disappointing, but we're also getting reinforcements back. We're 0:03:10.120 --> 0:03:13.880 getting Raheem Mostered back, We're getting Jalen Waddle back. 0:03:14.280 --> 0:03:16.320 And if you go back and watch the Week. 0:03:16.240 --> 0:03:20.960 Nine game, that was a very winnable game against the Chiefs. 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:23.440 We had a play here or a play there that 0:03:23.600 --> 0:03:26.680 changed the entire complexion of the game. We can absolutely 0:03:26.720 --> 0:03:29.760 beat these guys. You guys know we can beat these guys. 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:32.200 Let's just go out there Saturday night and do it. 0:03:32.280 --> 0:03:36.160 That's really the mindset is that it doesn't matter what 0:03:36.200 --> 0:03:36.800 your record is. 0:03:36.880 --> 0:03:38.760 Now, it doesn't matter what seed you. 0:03:38.720 --> 0:03:41.000 Are, what your record is, you have as good a 0:03:41.080 --> 0:03:43.520 chance as anyone if you just win that game that 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:44.160 week and then. 0:03:44.080 --> 0:03:46.040 The following game the following week. You just keep taking 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:46.600 that tact. 0:03:47.360 --> 0:03:49.880 I love that one game at a time mentality because 0:03:49.920 --> 0:03:51.600 these games can take on a life of their own, 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:53.840 like you talk about there. And I'm curious you mentioned 0:03:53.840 --> 0:03:56.040 getting Waddle and Moster are back on my show this week. 0:03:56.040 --> 0:03:57.520 I've been talking about how this is gonna be the 0:03:57.520 --> 0:03:59.960 healthiest Dolphins offensive. Why don't they've had if they get 0:04:00.080 --> 0:04:02.600 those two guys back since their first game in December 0:04:02.640 --> 0:04:05.040 when they put forty five points up on Washington. I'm 0:04:05.080 --> 0:04:07.440 curious what you think this Dolphins attack looks like, because 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:08.720 it does feel like they're going to have to score 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:11.120 points because of the quarterback on the other side, but 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:13.120 also the injuries of the Dolphins defense. What do you 0:04:13.120 --> 0:04:15.200 think Miami's game plan might be offensively here? 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:18.000 Well, so that's when we need to start to talk 0:04:18.000 --> 0:04:22.440 about the weather, right, you know it's it's gonna be 0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:25.919 a factor. There's no question about it. It is not 0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:29.400 fun to play in weather that cold. Don't let anybody 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:32.920 tell you any differently. I played the coldest game I play. 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:34.640 I actually want to look that up, Travis. I'm glad 0:04:34.680 --> 0:04:36.880 we're talking about this. I played one of the ten 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:41.039 coldest games in Buffalo Bill's franchise history, which ironically was 0:04:41.200 --> 0:04:44.679 in Cincinnati, and I want to say the wind chill 0:04:44.960 --> 0:04:46.200 was in the single digits. 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:52.279 That was cold. This is going to be much much colder. 0:04:52.480 --> 0:04:56.640 I mean, you're not supposed to be outside in this weather. 0:04:57.000 --> 0:05:01.960 It's gonna be very entertaining for the people watching and 0:05:02.040 --> 0:05:04.280 not fun for the guys that are out there. 0:05:04.680 --> 0:05:06.760 I will say this though, Travis. I tell people this 0:05:06.839 --> 0:05:07.320 all the time. 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:14.360 The human body can only really be concerned about one 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:16.520 thing at a time. You ever have like a cold, 0:05:17.080 --> 0:05:20.400 and then you like stub your toe, and for the 0:05:20.440 --> 0:05:23.839 next two minutes, you totally forget about the cold. 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:26.920 You don't even know that you're sneezing or stuff. 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:30.599 He knows your toe is the all that matters is 0:05:30.600 --> 0:05:31.080 your toe. 0:05:31.200 --> 0:05:32.360 It's killing you. Right. 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:37.400 So what's funny about being an NFL player is it's 0:05:37.520 --> 0:05:42.520 really bad Saturday night for the backups, really bad because 0:05:42.520 --> 0:05:46.039 they're just standing there. The guys that are playing, there's 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:50.320 so much adrenaline and when you go out there, you know, 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:51.960 I say this all the time. I played in Buffalo 0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:54.919 for three years. Right, it would be cold and that 0:05:55.040 --> 0:05:58.120 stinks and all that. Man, you get out there, Travis, 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:01.520 and you got a three hundred thirty pound dude like 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:05.400 eight inches from your nose and eighty thousand people watching 0:06:05.440 --> 0:06:07.159 and millions more watching on TV. 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:11.000 You are not concerned about the cold anymore. 0:06:11.240 --> 0:06:16.440 You are way more concerned about getting embarrassed or getting 0:06:16.480 --> 0:06:20.400 your brains beat in on national TV. So, but for 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:24.000 the backups, the worst thing of all times because you. 0:06:23.960 --> 0:06:27.440 Could go in any snap, any play. 0:06:27.880 --> 0:06:31.200 And be expected to perform, even though even standing there 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:33.040 for two hours not good. 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:35.000 You toss that park off and then it's like you're 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:37.479 in a different planet almost with the heat you have 0:06:37.600 --> 0:06:39.599 in that parka on the heated benches, and then you 0:06:39.640 --> 0:06:41.400 expose yourself out to the elements there and it just 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:44.400 changes entirely. And I'm gonna write this down because I 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:46.320 am a little baby when I get sick. 0:06:46.680 --> 0:06:48.520 Stub your toe is the best way to get over. 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:49.920 A cold, it sounds like, because that's what I'm looking 0:06:49.920 --> 0:06:50.640 forward to here. 0:06:50.800 --> 0:06:53.520 Next time I have the sniffles. But another thing I 0:06:53.560 --> 0:06:54.080 wanted to ask you. 0:06:54.080 --> 0:06:56.919 About, Ross is the time off the Chiefs had, And 0:06:57.120 --> 0:06:58.800 I talked to my Chiefs guest about this in the 0:06:58.800 --> 0:06:59.719 podcast yesterday. 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:00.920 P a take on. 0:07:00.960 --> 0:07:02.560 I'm curious to get yours because you've played in the 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:05.800 league when you have a week where you're still you 0:07:05.800 --> 0:07:07.719 still have a game, but you're resting starters like the 0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:09.760 Chiefs did. And this is a team that for so 0:07:09.920 --> 0:07:12.120 long under Andy Reid has been very good off the 0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:15.000 bye week. What's the benefit of that for the Chiefs? 0:07:15.000 --> 0:07:16.480 Were they able to get some advanced scouting in for 0:07:16.560 --> 0:07:18.480 the Dolphins? Like what does that week look like when 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:21.320 you're not prepping for It's basically a preseason game ahead 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:22.200 of what becomes. 0:07:21.880 --> 0:07:25.520 A playoff game, right, So it's not about the advanced 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:29.360 prep because they didn't know who they were playing until 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:32.920 after the Bills Dolphins Sunday night, so they didn't do that. 0:07:32.920 --> 0:07:36.480 They didn't spend mean, they might have had somebody spending 0:07:36.520 --> 0:07:39.480 a little bit of time getting a head start on 0:07:39.680 --> 0:07:43.360 Sunday evening when they realized it was either going to 0:07:43.400 --> 0:07:47.880 be what it was going to be, either Pittsburgh or Miami, 0:07:47.960 --> 0:07:49.480 So they might have done a little bit of stuff 0:07:49.520 --> 0:07:51.160 like start to cut up the video a little bit, 0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:56.920 but not much. The advantage is the rest, right, The 0:07:56.960 --> 0:08:01.360 advantage is getting guys to be able to be refreshed 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:01.880 a little bit. 0:08:02.360 --> 0:08:04.800 You're not taking the injury risk. You're not. 0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:11.320 Every guy, Travis has something going on physically right now. 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:16.080 That's bothering them, every guy. And if you don't, what 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:19.960 have you been doing the whole season? Like everybody's got 0:08:20.000 --> 0:08:24.440 something right. So the advantage is the Dolphins, like they 0:08:24.680 --> 0:08:29.720 incurred more injuries unfortunately, and whatever is ailing those guys, 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:34.840 it it just got exacerbated by an intense Sunday night game. 0:08:34.880 --> 0:08:38.680 Whereas the guys that didn't play for the Chiefs, they 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:41.520 were able to rest those things that those things will 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:43.960 feel a little bit better, they'll feel a little bit fresher, 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:47.120 they're a little bit rejuvenated all week during the week 0:08:47.160 --> 0:08:50.880 of prep, and that's that's really the advantage I see 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:51.679 as much as anything. 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:54.440 It's an interesting diconomy because, like you talked about, and 0:08:54.600 --> 0:08:56.760 it's funny saying one of the worst Chiefs teams you've 0:08:56.800 --> 0:08:59.120 seen of the Patrick Mahomes era or the worst because 0:08:59.120 --> 0:09:01.920 eleven wins is what most teams would strive for most years. 0:09:01.920 --> 0:09:03.080 But that's where they are right now. 0:09:03.280 --> 0:09:05.439 And you talk about the time off and I guess, 0:09:05.600 --> 0:09:08.200 you know, for Dolphins fans hoping that rust accumulated more 0:09:08.240 --> 0:09:11.040 than actual you know, rest help them. I'm curious what 0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:12.880 you think that time off for just going into the 0:09:12.880 --> 0:09:15.719 postseason or maybe the you know, the collection of experiences 0:09:15.720 --> 0:09:16.680 of the entire season. 0:09:17.120 --> 0:09:18.520 You know, again, it must be nice. 0:09:18.320 --> 0:09:20.880 To have issues using air quotes at eleven and six, right, 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:23.880 But I'm curious what you think they can what how 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:27.160 you think this Chiefs offense might rebound and look better 0:09:27.200 --> 0:09:28.400 heading into the playoffs. 0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:29.839 Yeah. 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:32.640 Again, I'm going to go back to the weather a 0:09:32.679 --> 0:09:36.040 little bit, just because I really do think it'll be 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:39.840 that much of a factor, Travis, that it's hard to 0:09:39.920 --> 0:09:47.599 talk generally about the Chiefs offense without talking about the weather. 0:09:47.400 --> 0:09:48.640 And how it's going to impact that. 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:54.880 The Chiefs already lead the NFL in drops this season 0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:59.920 and have the highest drop rate among their receivers. Now, 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:03.520 now they're going to play in a game where no 0:10:03.559 --> 0:10:07.199 one has ever felt a football as hard as that 0:10:07.280 --> 0:10:08.760 ball is going to be Saturday night. 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:10.160 They just haven't. 0:10:10.480 --> 0:10:14.400 I mean, I can tell you from playing center when 0:10:14.440 --> 0:10:15.520 I was in Buffalo. 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:19.880 The colder it is, the harder the. 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:23.840 Ball gets, it becomes like a rock, right, like the 0:10:24.040 --> 0:10:27.800 air expands or whatever. And it's actually why some people 0:10:27.920 --> 0:10:30.440 like the ball. When there's a little bit less air 0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:32.400 in it, right, you can grip it better, you can 0:10:32.480 --> 0:10:33.280 palm it better. 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:35.959 We don't need to go through you. 0:10:35.920 --> 0:10:38.840 Know, the history of organizations, you know, and all that stuff. 0:10:38.880 --> 0:10:42.440 But there's no doubt in my mind when I was 0:10:42.440 --> 0:10:45.800 playing the Warmer, it was the better for me as 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:48.800 a center to be able to just squeeze the ball 0:10:48.840 --> 0:10:51.559 a little bit get a better grip on it. So 0:10:51.600 --> 0:10:55.560 what why I say that story is it's not easy 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:58.880 to throw and catch that ball. It's like catching a rock. 0:10:59.040 --> 0:11:02.640 There's no give to it. You know, you're gonna have 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:04.680 to have two hands on everything. The gloves are gonna 0:11:04.679 --> 0:11:07.920 have to stick it. So I think the Chiefs are 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:12.440 gonna lean a lot on Isaiah Pacheco, I think they're 0:11:12.440 --> 0:11:16.520 gonna think, man, who wants to tackle that guy because 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:20.880 he's like, he's like a rolling ball of butcher knives 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:24.199 when he gets going, And so I think that's gonna 0:11:24.240 --> 0:11:28.040 be the chief's idea is to try to run with Pachecko. 0:11:28.240 --> 0:11:31.240 But I honestly think that should be what the Dolphins 0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:33.480 try to do a lot too. I mean, for the 0:11:33.520 --> 0:11:36.360 first time in a long time. You'd have to tell 0:11:36.400 --> 0:11:39.080 me when the last time was. They should have the 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:42.920 two headed monster of Mos Dirt and Devon h Chan, 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:46.839 by the way, the top two guys in the next 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:50.720 gen GPS stats in terms of average miles per hour 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:53.920 per carry in terms of their average miles per hour 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:56.640 when they hit the last scrimmage. I would lean on 0:11:56.760 --> 0:12:00.120 those guys. I would lean on Moster and h And 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:03.400 you got a two headed monster of the two fastest 0:12:03.440 --> 0:12:04.240 running backs. 0:12:04.000 --> 0:12:05.040 In the league right now. 0:12:05.520 --> 0:12:07.240 And they can still get the ball to two I 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:08.880 mean to it can still get the ball to Tyreek 0:12:08.920 --> 0:12:12.800 and Waddle on some quick hitters and stuff. But I like, 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:16.160 I think both teams will probably at least early lean 0:12:16.240 --> 0:12:17.240 on their ground attack. 0:12:17.880 --> 0:12:18.560 It would make sense. 0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:20.559 I mean, like we talked about the Dolphins run game, 0:12:20.600 --> 0:12:23.000 has found its identity a little bit here as the 0:12:23.040 --> 0:12:26.000 year has gone along, especially in that Cowboys game winning drive. 0:12:26.040 --> 0:12:29.240 They were almost exclusively on the ground on that final 0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:31.400 drive to get themselves into a big victory and clinch 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:33.320 the playoff spot there. I have a quick question on 0:12:33.360 --> 0:12:35.920 the football, because I want to get your experience from 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:38.760 playing in, you know, a cold game like this, So 0:12:38.840 --> 0:12:41.240 it's gonna be hard, it's gonna be slippery, right. Is 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:43.240 there a different way that you kind of work up 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:45.720 the football before the game and when it's gonna be 0:12:45.840 --> 0:12:47.560 like this compared to how you would do it in 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:49.400 a you know, seventy degree Miami day. 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:52.240 That is a quarterback thing. 0:12:52.520 --> 0:12:56.040 Yeah, so, and I never knew anything about that or 0:12:56.400 --> 0:13:01.040 was part of those discussions. The quarterbacks are the ones 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:03.839 that get sometime before. 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:06.440 The game to work on the balls. 0:13:06.840 --> 0:13:10.760 The kickers too, but the quarterbacks, for the those are 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:13.480 different balls that the kickers use versus what the offensive 0:13:13.480 --> 0:13:18.360 lineman and the quarterbacks use. So I don't know what 0:13:18.400 --> 0:13:19.800 they do to it. I don't know what they can 0:13:19.880 --> 0:13:21.760 do it due to it, to be honest with you. 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:24.560 But it's absolutely a fact that the other thing is 0:13:25.120 --> 0:13:29.000 there will be more fumbles Travis, because it's like there, 0:13:29.600 --> 0:13:38.360 it's like you're carrying a rock balloon that's matched out 0:13:38.400 --> 0:13:41.640 with air, right, and it's it's gonna be like slippery, 0:13:41.679 --> 0:13:46.359 it'll pop, it'll pop out because it's so it's so robust, 0:13:47.080 --> 0:13:49.400 it's gonna be it's gonna be fascinating. Like I'm telling 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:52.600 you right now, there's gonna be some fumbles on Saturday night, 0:13:52.840 --> 0:13:54.280 which could be the difference in the game. 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:57.040 I mean, it's it makes you know, it makes for 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:58.559 fun for the people to watch it home, like you 0:13:58.600 --> 0:14:00.360 talk about there and now I hope you and an 0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:02.199 inside boot on the radio call. 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:04.680 You know what's funny about that, dude. So my boss 0:14:04.679 --> 0:14:07.800 from Westwood One said, I knew I was getting two 0:14:07.800 --> 0:14:10.040 games this weekend because it's kind of in my contract 0:14:10.120 --> 0:14:13.160 or whatever, and so I knew i'd sideline for one 0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:16.319 in the booth for the other. And he said, all right, 0:14:16.360 --> 0:14:18.760 Saturday night, you're in Kansas City. And I was like, 0:14:19.160 --> 0:14:24.160 oh my. And in the booth, I thought, oh, thank goodness. 0:14:24.360 --> 0:14:30.360 And interestingly, Trav, the Chiefs radio booth is one of 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:32.440 the only in the in the league that does not 0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:37.040 the window you cannot open, so and usually you like 0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:38.760 to have it open so you get a feel for 0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:40.640 the crowd, the atmosphere of the weather. 0:14:41.160 --> 0:14:43.160 I am very. 0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:47.240 Happy that it's impossible to open up that window in 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:51.200 Kansas City because it's gonna be bad. Man, It's gonna 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:54.000 be legitimately, legitimately bad. 0:14:54.720 --> 0:14:56.800 Yeah, steal that thing shut, man, don't let any errand 0:14:56.800 --> 0:14:58.240 to that thing, and keep it that. I toast you 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:00.760 seventy five degrees in there. I have one more football 0:15:00.840 --> 0:15:02.760 question here for you, Ross, and you can put it 0:15:02.800 --> 0:15:04.640 through the prism of the cold weather if you'd like. 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:07.160 But I have to ask this because to me, in 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:09.640 a normal setting, it would be the most fascinating part 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:12.760 of this matchup. TUA kills the blitz. The Chiefs blitz 0:15:12.800 --> 0:15:14.400 no matter what. They don't care who's. 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:15.160 On the other side of the football. 0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:17.960 They're gonna send that dime heavy defense with DB's and 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:20.160 you know, off the lion of scrimmage blitzers and come 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:22.280 after you. They also played twenty percent dim in the 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:24.440 back end there. So just curious how you see that 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:26.520 part of the matchup shaking out. Does it even happen 0:15:26.560 --> 0:15:28.760 because the weather? What do you think about Chiefs blitz 0:15:28.800 --> 0:15:30.320 versus an offense that kills the blitz. 0:15:31.560 --> 0:15:33.720 Well, that's a really good point. And one thing we 0:15:33.840 --> 0:15:37.920 haven't talked about a lot yet is just the fact 0:15:38.480 --> 0:15:41.040 that this Chiefs defense, it's the best defense they've had 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:42.400 in the Andy Reid era. 0:15:42.560 --> 0:15:44.320 I mean, they have been really good. 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:48.720 That side of the ball has saved the Chiefs this year. 0:15:49.080 --> 0:15:52.200 If they had an average defense this year, their record 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:53.720 would have really been rough. 0:15:53.880 --> 0:15:56.080 But that side of the ball save them. I think 0:15:56.080 --> 0:15:57.440 their third I read. 0:15:57.240 --> 0:16:01.320 In terms of bringing dB pressure, which is interesting, and 0:16:01.360 --> 0:16:03.640 they've had a lot of success with it. I would 0:16:03.640 --> 0:16:07.640 imagine they would still do it some. But man, when 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:10.920 you're going against Waddle and Tyreek Hill and with as 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:14.840 fast as Tua gets the ball out, I'm just not 0:16:14.960 --> 0:16:17.400 so sure they gonna they're gonna blitz all that much. 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:20.040 And I know what you said about their statistics and stuff, 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:23.960 but you don't want to give up something cheap and deep. 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:27.520 You don't want to have any guys in man coverage 0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:31.840 against those guys without any safety help or anybody behind them. 0:16:32.520 --> 0:16:34.400 I don't think we're gonna see a ton of blitzing 0:16:34.720 --> 0:16:37.440 from the Chiefs. That would surprise me. Maybe I'm wrong, 0:16:37.600 --> 0:16:39.440 you know, I know we can do whatever he wants. 0:16:39.480 --> 0:16:42.560 But that would surprise me a little bit if they 0:16:42.640 --> 0:16:45.160 if they brought the pressure a lot because of just 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:48.440 how good Tua is against the blitz and how quickly 0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:49.840 he gets rid of the ball. 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:52.120 Yeah, it makes for a fun matchup, man. So two 0:16:52.120 --> 0:16:53.560 teams are fun and they match up in a really 0:16:53.600 --> 0:16:55.240 good way. And again, like you said, the weather, we'll 0:16:55.280 --> 0:16:56.920 have a big impact on that real quick. Ross Foy 0:16:57.000 --> 0:16:59.240 gets you out of here. One holiday season just edited. 0:16:59.280 --> 0:17:01.360 But for those out there with a significant other, a 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:03.200 pretty important one coming up as well. Can you tell 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:05.320 us about the best Valentine's Day gift ever? 0:17:05.840 --> 0:17:09.120 Thank you man. My buddy started this company, Travis. It's amazing. 0:17:09.160 --> 0:17:12.240 It's called myfront page story dot com. And believe it 0:17:12.359 --> 0:17:15.480 or not, Fellas Valentine's Day is a month away. You 0:17:15.560 --> 0:17:17.880 literally talk to one of their writers for like ten 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:20.800 minutes while you're driving home from work, or you can 0:17:20.840 --> 0:17:22.439 do it what you can just fill out an email 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:25.840 question like five questions, tell them how great your significant 0:17:25.840 --> 0:17:29.600 other is. They write this story and get pictures. It 0:17:29.640 --> 0:17:32.240 looks like it's on the cover of the newspaper. It's framed, 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:35.360 it's beautiful, and the key is Travis to be able 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:37.480 to say to somebody, hey, honey, I want you something 0:17:37.480 --> 0:17:39.800 special for you this year. So I had a story 0:17:39.840 --> 0:17:43.080 written about you like that just sounds amazing. And then 0:17:43.119 --> 0:17:45.720 when she actually reads it, like the quotes like make 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:48.600 sure you say I just don't thank her enough for 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:49.879 a little things she does. 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:51.360 Bet they cry every time. 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:53.560 See, even if you can't think of any little things 0:17:53.560 --> 0:17:57.000 your your wife does or whatever, you just say that line, 0:17:57.240 --> 0:17:58.080 they will cry. 0:17:58.560 --> 0:17:59.200 You will win. 0:17:59.320 --> 0:18:02.200 It's my paidstory dot com and then it'll be hanging 0:18:02.280 --> 0:18:04.680 up in the house forever. So it's like the gift 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:08.160 that keeps on giving. My front page story dot com. 0:18:08.280 --> 0:18:11.080 Trust me, myfrontpagstory dot com. 0:18:10.560 --> 0:18:13.120 An easy way to get yourself year long accolades from 0:18:13.119 --> 0:18:15.159 the wife. It's a great idea there, Ross Tucker, I 0:18:15.160 --> 0:18:17.640 appreciate your time today, man, the Ross Tucker Football Podcast 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:20.879 at Ross Tucker, NFL on Social Saturday night, eight o'clock 0:18:20.920 --> 0:18:22.199 on Peacock and Westwood One. 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:24.480 Ross, you're the man, buddy, Thank you so much. 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:25.399 My pleasure, Travis. 0:18:25.440 --> 0:18:27.440 Yeah, make sure you check it out my social media 0:18:27.480 --> 0:18:30.040 at Ross Tucker, NFL. So those of you, if you 0:18:30.080 --> 0:18:32.440 want to listen to our broadcast, I'll post the link, 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:35.240 and of course I'll have the video of the press 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:36.000 box food. 0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:39.040 They better, they better have some Kansas City barbecue. Travis, 0:18:39.119 --> 0:18:41.480 I'm hoping enjoy the game and say war my friend. 0:18:41.760 --> 0:18:42.159 Thank you. 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:43.639 There he goes. 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:47.640 It's not very often the show here has someone that can, 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:50.600 I guess, match or up my energy, but I think. 0:18:50.480 --> 0:18:52.520 Ross did that for us here on this episode. 0:18:52.560 --> 0:18:55.840 So appreciate him for coming on the podcast here, and 0:18:55.840 --> 0:18:58.159 of course you'll hear him on the call on Saturday night. 0:18:58.240 --> 0:18:59.840 Let's go ahead and take our first break right there. 0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:02.320 Back on the other side, picked the wild card playoff games, 0:19:02.320 --> 0:19:04.959 talk about the Dolphins injury luck this season, Predict a 0:19:05.000 --> 0:19:08.800 breakout player the game on Saturday night, and I'll close 0:19:08.840 --> 0:19:11.680 the podcast with a monologue from me to you Dolphins fans. 0:19:11.680 --> 0:19:14.760 That's all next Draft Time podcast to your host, Travis Wingfield, 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:16.000 brought to you by Auto Nation. 0:19:19.000 --> 0:19:20.040 So the great Ross Tucker. 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:21.840 There a lot of fun check out that podcast, The 0:19:21.920 --> 0:19:24.920 Ross Tucker Football Podcast. Fun and entertaining and kind of 0:19:25.200 --> 0:19:27.040 you know, like I said, match my energy. 0:19:26.760 --> 0:19:28.119 There, which is hard to do. 0:19:28.200 --> 0:19:32.000 But speaking of funny guys who are entertaining, I wanted 0:19:32.000 --> 0:19:34.119 to play some additional audio for you guys ahead of 0:19:34.160 --> 0:19:37.280 this game, ahead of the playoff game picks because I 0:19:37.280 --> 0:19:40.919 thought that this tone, just compared to the rest of 0:19:40.960 --> 0:19:43.760 the season was a little bit different. 0:19:44.040 --> 0:19:46.080 It's just another game, you feel me. I mean, I've 0:19:46.119 --> 0:19:48.560 been in this league eight years, no man, and I'm 0:19:48.560 --> 0:19:51.360 gonna play it as just like any any of the opponent. 0:19:51.600 --> 0:19:55.240 You feel me, So you know, I'm excited about the opportunity. 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:59.000 And they got a great team, and it's all I 0:19:59.040 --> 0:19:59.360 can say. 0:19:59.440 --> 0:19:59.600 Man. 0:20:00.359 --> 0:20:03.080 I mean last time it was I'm gonna go break 0:20:03.080 --> 0:20:05.600 double coverage and score touchdowns and backlips until the peace 0:20:05.640 --> 0:20:07.960 sign up, right. And this is the part that I 0:20:07.960 --> 0:20:10.920 really love because well, let's just go ahead and play 0:20:10.920 --> 0:20:14.080 the audio. Here's Tyreek on his team MVP season. 0:20:14.200 --> 0:20:17.080 I mean, I've been busting my tail man, you know, 0:20:17.160 --> 0:20:19.080 dealing with a lot of stuff as far as injuries 0:20:19.119 --> 0:20:21.480 and stuff like that, man, and you know, just trying 0:20:21.480 --> 0:20:22.480 to get back to the basics. 0:20:22.480 --> 0:20:22.640 Man. 0:20:22.640 --> 0:20:24.880 I try to kiss Judge like each and every day 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:26.960 after practice, even though I don't got to, man, I 0:20:27.320 --> 0:20:29.960 try to get back to, like, you know, the things 0:20:29.960 --> 0:20:32.040 that got me to this point, you know, which is 0:20:32.280 --> 0:20:35.040 attention to detail, the fundamentals and the techniques man that 0:20:35.400 --> 0:20:37.800 you know, the coaches taught me or even my dad 0:20:37.800 --> 0:20:38.119 taught me. 0:20:38.160 --> 0:20:39.320 Man, going back to the roots. 0:20:39.359 --> 0:20:39.520 Man. 0:20:39.600 --> 0:20:45.120 So yeah, like when like when you've done so much. 0:20:45.040 --> 0:20:48.080 Man, you gotta find new ways to like create new ways, 0:20:48.320 --> 0:20:48.600 you know. 0:20:48.600 --> 0:20:50.240 To entertain yourself. 0:20:50.240 --> 0:20:52.760 Man, because the season is long, the season gets born, 0:20:52.840 --> 0:20:56.680 and you know, yeah, I've said this before. You got 0:20:56.680 --> 0:20:57.960 to find out way to fall in love with the 0:20:58.000 --> 0:21:01.240 boring things. And for I kind of got away from 0:21:01.280 --> 0:21:05.119 that and now I'm back to it, man, refocusing just 0:21:05.240 --> 0:21:07.120 on you know, catching the ball and stuff like that, 0:21:07.200 --> 0:21:08.960 and I feel like I'd be all right. 0:21:09.520 --> 0:21:12.240 Nobody works hard at their craft than Tyreek Hill. It's 0:21:12.320 --> 0:21:15.520 interesting to hear him make that comment after he was 0:21:15.520 --> 0:21:17.359 in pursuit of two thousand yards and on track for 0:21:17.400 --> 0:21:20.280 two thousand yards when the ankle injury happened against the Titans. 0:21:20.320 --> 0:21:21.680 But also you see a guy that you know, he's 0:21:21.720 --> 0:21:24.399 limping off the field every other drive and toughing now 0:21:24.440 --> 0:21:26.520 for his teammates, so you can never question his toughness 0:21:26.520 --> 0:21:28.679 in his heart. In fact, we're gonna talk about injuries 0:21:28.720 --> 0:21:31.399 here in a second, and Tyrek almost never miss his games. 0:21:31.400 --> 0:21:34.560 So it's it's interesting that way, And I don't know. 0:21:34.600 --> 0:21:37.080 It just seems to me from listening to that audio 0:21:37.160 --> 0:21:40.919 and being in that locker room yesterday talking to the guys, 0:21:41.359 --> 0:21:43.800 and you know, I had a candid conversation with TWOA 0:21:43.840 --> 0:21:46.800 about he mentioned playing up in Seattle in high school 0:21:46.800 --> 0:21:48.680 and the and the wind and the rain in that game. 0:21:48.720 --> 0:21:50.800 And I stopped by and said, like, what where did 0:21:50.840 --> 0:21:52.400 you play that? Was it that century Link? And he's 0:21:52.440 --> 0:21:54.280 he told me, no, it wasn't a century Link. And 0:21:54.320 --> 0:21:56.280 then I walked away, and he came back by the 0:21:56.280 --> 0:21:57.680 locker room and like put both of his arms on 0:21:57.720 --> 0:22:00.520 my shoulders and then took the microphone from our video 0:22:00.600 --> 0:22:02.840 team was going and interviewing his teammates around the around 0:22:02.880 --> 0:22:05.920 the locker room. So like the locker room's ready, they're prepared. 0:22:06.040 --> 0:22:08.800 Tyreek seems to be very locked in. And that's why 0:22:08.880 --> 0:22:12.920 I am predicting a monster night for Tyreek Hill. Yes, 0:22:13.520 --> 0:22:15.840 the weather plays a factor, and that's why I'm not 0:22:15.920 --> 0:22:18.880 going two hundred yards, which I would if the game 0:22:18.960 --> 0:22:21.920 were down here. But let's say one twenty five in 0:22:21.960 --> 0:22:24.280 a touchdown, and how about a big play that swings 0:22:24.320 --> 0:22:25.800 the game as well. That's what I'll go with here. 0:22:26.040 --> 0:22:28.400 The attention that Watled's gonna command. Being on the field 0:22:28.440 --> 0:22:30.880 will open up some opportunities and if they don't good, 0:22:31.040 --> 0:22:33.320 throw the ball at Gelan Waddle. But I think Case 0:22:33.520 --> 0:22:35.080 will get a little bit arrogant in the way they 0:22:35.080 --> 0:22:37.400 deal with Tyreek, and I think he'll make them pay 0:22:37.440 --> 0:22:40.600 for that. And in fact, why don't we go ahead 0:22:40.600 --> 0:22:41.960 and lock the damn thing up? You know what, The 0:22:41.960 --> 0:22:43.880 Dolphins are gonna win this game. The predictions are coming 0:22:43.960 --> 0:22:45.480 up here in a second, but I'm gonna. 0:22:45.240 --> 0:22:46.959 Go ahead and lock it up. 0:22:47.160 --> 0:22:50.879 Dolphin's gonna win this game, baby, that's my prediction. I 0:22:50.920 --> 0:22:53.119 mentioned Tyreek's injury, speaking of injuries. Before we get to 0:22:53.119 --> 0:22:54.959 the game picks here, I want to make a note 0:22:55.040 --> 0:22:59.119 of something because even though we have the quarterback and 0:22:59.119 --> 0:23:01.399 I'm gonna tell you how exciting this night should be, 0:23:01.840 --> 0:23:05.320 I also want to display some context as we could 0:23:05.400 --> 0:23:07.320 be in the off season mode, you know, twenty four 0:23:07.560 --> 0:23:09.800 thirty six hours from now, depending on when you hear 0:23:09.840 --> 0:23:13.840 this podcast and why. Regardless of the outcome, it was 0:23:13.880 --> 0:23:16.320 a special season that I hope we can run back 0:23:16.400 --> 0:23:18.520 next year. And anyone that says otherwise about running it 0:23:18.520 --> 0:23:21.960 back that doesn't understand the cap cash flow or what 0:23:22.040 --> 0:23:24.920 financial flexibility is in the national football Like, they absolutely 0:23:24.920 --> 0:23:27.160 can't run this thing back next year. So you know 0:23:28.320 --> 0:23:32.560 that we lead the league in war lost to injuries 0:23:32.680 --> 0:23:36.399 sans quarterbacks, right, and war is wins above replacement, and 0:23:36.440 --> 0:23:38.359 it's by actually quite a lot. The only team that 0:23:38.400 --> 0:23:42.560 has lost more than two point zero war wins above 0:23:42.600 --> 0:23:46.919 replacement outside the quarterback position. Like what in baseball, a 0:23:46.960 --> 0:23:48.960 two win player is a good player. That's one hundred 0:23:48.960 --> 0:23:51.080 and sixty two game season. A two to win player 0:23:51.400 --> 0:23:55.320 is a decent player. In football, let's just actually look 0:23:55.359 --> 0:23:58.280 at the players we've lost for how many games the 0:23:58.720 --> 0:24:01.000 and measure that against their career average games loss, and 0:24:01.040 --> 0:24:05.000 also use approximate value, a Pro Football Reference stat that 0:24:05.080 --> 0:24:06.760 kind of measures a player's impact in the course of 0:24:06.760 --> 0:24:09.560 the season. So here it is Raheem Moster missed two games. 0:24:10.240 --> 0:24:12.680 We're gonna start the games missed in his career in 0:24:12.720 --> 0:24:15.359 twenty seventeen because prior to that he was a special 0:24:15.359 --> 0:24:17.639 team's fifth running back that never got much action. But 0:24:17.640 --> 0:24:19.080 when he got to the Niners and seventeen he was 0:24:19.080 --> 0:24:21.280 a full time running back. He missed six point two 0:24:21.359 --> 0:24:24.120 games per year previously in his career he missed two 0:24:24.119 --> 0:24:25.760 this year, so he's one of the odd ones in 0:24:25.840 --> 0:24:31.280 terms of missed less time than usual. His approximate value 0:24:31.280 --> 0:24:33.439 this year was eleven, which is a Pro Bowl caliber season. 0:24:33.520 --> 0:24:35.600 Devon eight Chan missed six games. He's a rookie, so 0:24:35.640 --> 0:24:38.480 there's no career precedent there. His approximate value was eight. 0:24:38.520 --> 0:24:40.919 If you're above five or six, you're a very impactful player. 0:24:41.320 --> 0:24:43.919 Tyreek Hill one game missed, and he misses less than 0:24:43.960 --> 0:24:45.560 one game in his career on average, so right in 0:24:45.600 --> 0:24:48.159 line with that. His approximate value was seventeen, which is 0:24:48.280 --> 0:24:51.920 MVP level good. Jalen Waddell missed three games. He averages 0:24:51.960 --> 0:24:54.239 a half game missed per year, So that's what I'm 0:24:54.240 --> 0:24:56.400 telling you, guys, this guy's missed. I know we talked about, oh, 0:24:56.440 --> 0:24:59.120 Chris Greer, injury injury prone players, like, first of all 0:24:59.119 --> 0:25:02.680 shut up two. Like a lot of guys missed more 0:25:02.720 --> 0:25:05.120 games than their career average, so you can't really say 0:25:05.160 --> 0:25:08.680 like it was doomed from the start. Waddle's approximate value 0:25:08.720 --> 0:25:11.640 was ten. That's close to Pro Bowl caliber. Tron Armstead 0:25:11.720 --> 0:25:13.920 missed seven games. He averaged just four point seven to 0:25:13.960 --> 0:25:15.720 five games missed in his career, so he missed almost 0:25:15.760 --> 0:25:18.800 double his average. His AV was seven this year. Isaiah 0:25:18.840 --> 0:25:21.040 Win missed ten games. His career average is the highest 0:25:21.040 --> 0:25:23.040 on the list eight, but he did miss ten. 0:25:22.920 --> 0:25:24.680 Games this year. His approximate value was four. 0:25:24.920 --> 0:25:28.960 Connor Williams missed eight games. His career average games missed 0:25:28.960 --> 0:25:31.080 one point seven to five. Just bad luck man. His 0:25:31.160 --> 0:25:34.680 AV was seven. Rob Hunt missed seven games. He had 0:25:34.720 --> 0:25:38.040 never missed a game before this year. His AV was seven. 0:25:38.160 --> 0:25:40.840 Austin Jackson missed one game this year. His career average 0:25:40.880 --> 0:25:42.880 was eight, but that's because he missed all of last year. 0:25:42.960 --> 0:25:44.760 You know it just it was injury that kind of 0:25:44.800 --> 0:25:46.720 doomed his entire season. That one's a little bit of 0:25:46.720 --> 0:25:48.200 an outlier there, but his. 0:25:48.160 --> 0:25:48.880 AV was nine. 0:25:48.960 --> 0:25:51.280 We missed him for one game. Deerm Smith missed one game. 0:25:51.320 --> 0:25:54.080 He averages less than one game, missed AV four. Jalen 0:25:54.119 --> 0:25:56.640 Phillips missed nine games. He had never missed a game 0:25:56.680 --> 0:25:59.000 prior to this in his career. His AV was seven. 0:25:59.200 --> 0:26:01.840 Bradley Chubb miss one game. His career average was four 0:26:01.840 --> 0:26:03.560 point eight, so he, like most, are one of those 0:26:03.560 --> 0:26:05.639 guys that got you more than what you're used to. 0:26:05.920 --> 0:26:08.080 In his career, past. He had an AV of ten 0:26:08.119 --> 0:26:10.240 this year. It's right in the Pro Bowl range. Andrew 0:26:10.320 --> 0:26:13.840 van Ginkel technically like zero games missed this year, but 0:26:13.880 --> 0:26:15.080 he did come out in the last game, and he'll 0:26:15.080 --> 0:26:18.080 miss Sunday's game obvious or Saturday's game obviously. He missed 0:26:18.080 --> 0:26:20.200 ten games his rookie year with an injury in training camp, 0:26:20.240 --> 0:26:21.880 but prior to that or after that, he hadn't miss 0:26:21.880 --> 0:26:24.520 any games in his career. His AV this year was seven. 0:26:24.720 --> 0:26:27.840 Jerome Baker missed four games this year, hadn't missed one before. 0:26:28.640 --> 0:26:29.560 His AV was six. 0:26:29.840 --> 0:26:32.960 Jalen Ramsey missed half the season eight games prior to that, 0:26:33.080 --> 0:26:35.679 averaged less than one game missed if you don't include 0:26:35.720 --> 0:26:38.720 the holdout he had when he wanted out of Jacksonville. 0:26:38.280 --> 0:26:38.760 But injuries. 0:26:38.800 --> 0:26:40.800 He missed less than one game per year in his career, 0:26:41.000 --> 0:26:43.359 and he had AV of seven despite missing half the season, 0:26:43.400 --> 0:26:45.600 which tells you he was a DePoy candidate if he 0:26:45.640 --> 0:26:48.320 played the entire year. Xaviing Howard missed four games, he 0:26:48.359 --> 0:26:50.879 averages less than three games missed in his career per season. 0:26:51.600 --> 0:26:52.639 His AV was nine. 0:26:52.880 --> 0:26:56.120 Javon Holland missed five games. His career average point five 0:26:56.160 --> 0:26:59.120 games per year, his av was five, and Deshaun Elliott 0:26:59.119 --> 0:26:59.800 missed two games. 0:26:59.800 --> 0:27:00.760 His career average is five. 0:27:00.800 --> 0:27:04.440 So really moster Chubb and Elliott were the two ones above, 0:27:04.480 --> 0:27:06.920 but pretty much everybody else either right in line or 0:27:07.040 --> 0:27:10.359 well above their career average in games missed. 0:27:10.400 --> 0:27:11.080 It's bad luck. 0:27:11.240 --> 0:27:13.040 Let's go ahead and pick the postseason here, and go 0:27:13.040 --> 0:27:14.560 ahead and fire up the music as we do that, 0:27:14.640 --> 0:27:17.760 because quite frankly, and I'll update the divisional round when 0:27:17.760 --> 0:27:21.000 I'm inevitably wrong about this, because this is the toughest 0:27:21.040 --> 0:27:23.280 plate of wild card games to pick. I can recall 0:27:23.880 --> 0:27:25.399 because it starts with the opener that I have no 0:27:25.440 --> 0:27:27.359 idea who to take. Who's gonna wait in Cleveland or Houston? 0:27:27.400 --> 0:27:30.360 I don't freaking know, dude. I'm taking the Texans because they're. 0:27:30.160 --> 0:27:31.760 At home and I like their quarterback better. 0:27:31.800 --> 0:27:34.120 But both teams are banged up as hell. I don't 0:27:34.119 --> 0:27:36.520 trust Joe Flacco's miracle ride to continue. I'll probably be 0:27:36.600 --> 0:27:38.520 wrong on that, but I'm taking the Texans. I'm taking 0:27:38.560 --> 0:27:40.159 the Dolphins over the Chiefs. I already locked it up. 0:27:40.200 --> 0:27:42.040 You already know, damn straight run the football for two 0:27:42.080 --> 0:27:44.680 hundred yards, get Tyreek going and get some takeaways. 0:27:44.720 --> 0:27:45.800 Let's go win the football game. 0:27:45.960 --> 0:27:48.440 I'm taking Buffalo over Pittsburgh. I don't want that to happened, 0:27:48.440 --> 0:27:52.080 but that's probably gonna happen. Dallas over Green Bay. You know, 0:27:53.040 --> 0:27:55.600 Dallas at home's a different beast, and you know the Packers' 0:27:55.640 --> 0:27:56.560 defense is lastrocious. 0:27:56.600 --> 0:27:58.200 Dallas probably scores forty in that game. 0:27:58.480 --> 0:28:01.679 Rams over Lions Stafford goes back into that building and 0:28:01.680 --> 0:28:02.479 tears their hearts out. 0:28:02.560 --> 0:28:05.000 How tough would that be for Lions fans? But I 0:28:05.080 --> 0:28:05.560 expect it. 0:28:05.960 --> 0:28:08.359 And then Philly over Tampa Bay, despite my buddy here 0:28:08.480 --> 0:28:10.199 JT saying that the Eagles is not gonna win a. 0:28:10.200 --> 0:28:11.000 Game for the rest of their life. 0:28:11.040 --> 0:28:14.000 So picking the Eagles to beat the Baker Mayfield Bucks. 0:28:14.119 --> 0:28:17.440 Then I'm gonna go Baltimore over Miami in the divisional round, 0:28:17.720 --> 0:28:21.120 with Buffalo over Houston in the divisional round. 0:28:21.200 --> 0:28:24.240 So Baltimore Buffalo aft championship game games Sims. 0:28:24.080 --> 0:28:28.000 Quinn, Niners over the Rams, Cowboys over the Eagles, and 0:28:28.040 --> 0:28:32.520 then Baltimore over Buffalo and Niners over Cowboys, with Baltimore over. 0:28:32.400 --> 0:28:35.160 San Francisco in the Super Bowl. So that's my picks there. 0:28:35.280 --> 0:28:37.480 Let's go ahead and take our last break right there 0:28:37.520 --> 0:28:39.160 and come back on the other side. I have a 0:28:39.200 --> 0:28:41.840 monologue that I'm pumped to bring you guys. A last 0:28:41.840 --> 0:28:43.520 word I'm gonna say before we get out of here 0:28:43.640 --> 0:28:46.280 ahead of the playoff game. That's next Draft Time podcast, 0:28:46.360 --> 0:28:49.040 your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation. 0:28:52.880 --> 0:28:56.200 I wanted to end today's show by talking straight to you, 0:28:56.360 --> 0:28:58.920 the fans, bringing in a little bit closer and let's 0:28:58.920 --> 0:29:02.600 make my contact here from one die hard from day 0:29:02.640 --> 0:29:06.400 one to another to the others. Well, I should say, 0:29:06.440 --> 0:29:08.800 you know, when I was six, seven, maybe even eight 0:29:08.880 --> 0:29:10.720 years old, I was just a football fan, you know, 0:29:10.800 --> 0:29:14.480 growing up in eastern Washington. Every Christmas and Birthday I 0:29:14.520 --> 0:29:16.680 asked for new jerseys like I remember Joey Galloway for 0:29:16.760 --> 0:29:20.480 the Seahawks, Ricky Williams for the Saints, war Done for 0:29:20.560 --> 0:29:23.480 the Buccaneers jerseys and video games. The two things I 0:29:23.520 --> 0:29:25.920 cared about in life were sports and video games, and 0:29:25.920 --> 0:29:29.520 the video games were almost exclusively sports video games all 0:29:29.520 --> 0:29:31.400 I cared about my whole life with sports for that matter. 0:29:32.480 --> 0:29:36.600 But the more memorabilia that we acquired, the more we 0:29:36.680 --> 0:29:40.960 realized the overwhelming majority of said memorabilia was becoming aqua 0:29:41.040 --> 0:29:42.720 and orange, and when I say me, it's me and 0:29:42.760 --> 0:29:45.120 my brother, who's also a big time Dolphins fan. My 0:29:45.280 --> 0:29:48.120 dad used to have a subscription to Sports Illustrated and 0:29:48.120 --> 0:29:51.000 we would always capitalize on those offers. You know, buy 0:29:51.040 --> 0:29:53.680 this bud like koozy and get a free Dolphins belt 0:29:53.680 --> 0:29:58.320 buckle with your next purchase of SI's annual membership. Yes, zoomers, 0:29:58.400 --> 0:30:00.600 that is how the world used to work in the day. 0:30:00.880 --> 0:30:03.320 The one that really sold me on the Dolphins, well, 0:30:04.040 --> 0:30:07.360 I guess it was twofold, but I distinctly remember the 0:30:07.480 --> 0:30:11.840 opportunity to purchase replica championship rings. And when I tell you, 0:30:11.960 --> 0:30:16.360 I rocked my Dolphins Super Bowl ring with pride alongside 0:30:16.360 --> 0:30:19.400 that mid nineties starter jacket, the jacket that was so 0:30:19.520 --> 0:30:21.680 puffy a windy day would take you away. 0:30:22.480 --> 0:30:24.840 Man, those were the golden days. I rocked that crap 0:30:24.880 --> 0:30:25.400 with pride. 0:30:25.480 --> 0:30:25.800 Man. 0:30:26.000 --> 0:30:29.080 I remember those late nineties early two thousands playoff games 0:30:29.080 --> 0:30:30.080 like they were yesterday. 0:30:30.360 --> 0:30:31.440 I remember the Colts game. 0:30:31.680 --> 0:30:34.120 We used to pull the mattress of the futon from 0:30:34.240 --> 0:30:37.479 my stepbrother's room out into the living room to have 0:30:37.520 --> 0:30:40.960 these campouts to wake up on Sundays to football. Remember 0:30:40.960 --> 0:30:44.360 ten o'clock am kickoffs in the Pacific time zone. I 0:30:44.400 --> 0:30:47.560 also remember my basketball career interfering with most of those games, 0:30:47.640 --> 0:30:50.239 like after we had won a game on Saturday in 0:30:50.320 --> 0:30:52.360 nineteen ninety nine and breaking the team. 0:30:52.240 --> 0:30:53.680 Huddle with go Dolphins. 0:30:53.720 --> 0:30:56.680 I did that only to get home at halftime to 0:30:56.760 --> 0:30:59.240 see a forty one to seven deficit in Dan Marino's 0:30:59.280 --> 0:31:02.040 last game. And that was the week after I My 0:31:02.160 --> 0:31:04.760 dad had a pick them pool at his work that 0:31:04.840 --> 0:31:06.120 he let my brother and I do. 0:31:06.160 --> 0:31:07.640 It was one dollar a week. We all got our 0:31:07.680 --> 0:31:08.960 own picks. It was fun. 0:31:09.240 --> 0:31:11.680 And then I forget the size of the pot for 0:31:11.680 --> 0:31:14.600 the playoffs, but it was huge, probably a hundred bucks 0:31:14.640 --> 0:31:17.200 met back then. But I was the only person in 0:31:17.240 --> 0:31:20.959 the entire pool to pick Miami over Seattle in the 0:31:20.960 --> 0:31:22.920 wild card round, which actually was the first time a 0:31:22.960 --> 0:31:25.040 six to three beat a three seed in the playoffs. 0:31:25.240 --> 0:31:29.200 And my brother and dad pleaded with me, like, no, tomorrow, 0:31:29.440 --> 0:31:31.320 please pick Jacksonville Travis. 0:31:32.200 --> 0:31:33.480 Not a chance in hell, bucko. 0:31:33.800 --> 0:31:36.120 We could all learn something from twelve year old Travis, 0:31:36.160 --> 0:31:38.719 who only knew how to support his favorite team and 0:31:38.760 --> 0:31:42.160 do nothing else. I remember dancing around the Futon campground 0:31:42.320 --> 0:31:45.280 when Lamar Smith found pay dirt In two thousand, I 0:31:45.320 --> 0:31:48.280 remember I had a basketball practice actually outdoors, because we 0:31:48.280 --> 0:31:50.640 were like a AAU team that didn't have access to 0:31:50.720 --> 0:31:53.200 a gym. We had an outdoor practice in Washington State 0:31:53.200 --> 0:31:57.320 in January freezing ass cold, and I remember practicing outside 0:31:57.560 --> 0:32:00.400 for this basketball team ahead of the matchup against the 0:32:00.480 --> 0:32:02.680 Raiders that we got shut out in twenty sixth and 0:32:02.680 --> 0:32:05.120 I think it was I remember watching the two thousand 0:32:05.160 --> 0:32:08.200 and two Jets Packers finale that bumped us out of 0:32:08.200 --> 0:32:11.120 the playoffs with friends at my house consoling me that 0:32:11.240 --> 0:32:14.640 day after a late season collapse with losses to Minnesota 0:32:14.680 --> 0:32:16.920 and New England, after you held an eleven point lead 0:32:17.160 --> 0:32:20.520 with four minutes to play, blowing both those games, and 0:32:20.560 --> 0:32:23.080 the Packers, who were twelve and fourteen, losing to the 0:32:23.160 --> 0:32:25.000 nine to seven Jets to get them into the playoffs, 0:32:25.000 --> 0:32:27.360 and Jamar Fletcher did not commit DEPI. 0:32:27.000 --> 0:32:29.600 By the way, and that was kind of it for 0:32:29.640 --> 0:32:30.120 a long time. 0:32:30.200 --> 0:32:33.200 Yes, we had eight and I watched the VHS copy 0:32:33.240 --> 0:32:35.920 of that game at the Meadowlands in eight every day 0:32:36.000 --> 0:32:36.840 for the week leading. 0:32:36.720 --> 0:32:37.560 Up to the Baltimore game. 0:32:37.600 --> 0:32:40.800 That year, we had the fun twenty sixteen run with 0:32:40.840 --> 0:32:42.600 Matt Moore but were Lams to the. 0:32:42.600 --> 0:32:43.520 Slaughter in Pittsburgh. 0:32:43.560 --> 0:32:46.440 Aside from that, it had been which of these impending 0:32:46.440 --> 0:32:49.360 free agents on these playoff teams do I hope Miami signs? 0:32:49.680 --> 0:32:50.800 It was mock drafts. 0:32:50.880 --> 0:32:54.040 It was yearning for playing in these games, just to 0:32:54.080 --> 0:32:57.040 see Miami make it in a big playoff elimination game, 0:32:57.120 --> 0:32:58.840 even in late December in the regular season. 0:32:59.040 --> 0:33:01.840 That was all we wanted for years, me at least. 0:33:02.480 --> 0:33:04.800 And now we're back the second straight year, the first 0:33:04.800 --> 0:33:07.960 time we've had that since the Futon Campground days. It's 0:33:08.000 --> 0:33:11.120 the first time we have our quarterback, one who's also 0:33:11.280 --> 0:33:13.120 starting in the Pro Bowl and led the NFL in passing, 0:33:13.200 --> 0:33:15.360 by the way, starting in a playoff game since that 0:33:15.640 --> 0:33:18.520 eight debacle fifteen years ago. But you see, for me, 0:33:18.600 --> 0:33:21.120 it changed a few years ago. I did my first podcast, 0:33:21.200 --> 0:33:24.200 I'll Never Forget It October twenty seventh, twenty sixteen. We 0:33:24.280 --> 0:33:28.640 dropped three episodes breaking down Adam Gase's offense, fans Joseph's defense, 0:33:28.680 --> 0:33:30.680 and a game review of the Bills game that we 0:33:30.720 --> 0:33:32.280 had just won, the one that was a twenty eight 0:33:32.320 --> 0:33:35.200 to twenty five victory where Tannehill found Kenny Stills for 0:33:35.200 --> 0:33:37.400 a sixty yard touchdown on third down to put the 0:33:37.440 --> 0:33:38.080 game on ice. 0:33:38.600 --> 0:33:41.680 Kevin Durna and I, my co host back then started 0:33:41.720 --> 0:33:44.000 the podcast conceptually. 0:33:43.240 --> 0:33:45.760 When we were one and four that year, and then 0:33:45.760 --> 0:33:47.600 we proceeded to go on a six game winning streak 0:33:47.640 --> 0:33:50.040 before getting blown out in Baltimore, but then won the 0:33:50.040 --> 0:33:52.320 next three games to clinch a birth on Christmas Eve. 0:33:52.600 --> 0:33:54.760 The next year, I got hired by Lockdown, but he 0:33:54.920 --> 0:33:57.280 was but was really doing it more for fun than 0:33:57.280 --> 0:33:59.320 anything else. I'll never forget the first call I got 0:33:59.360 --> 0:34:01.840 from David Locke, who said, I can't pay you a salary, 0:34:02.040 --> 0:34:03.800 but you can go on a nice vacation with the 0:34:03.800 --> 0:34:04.720 money you make each year. 0:34:04.760 --> 0:34:05.560 Cool, you know. 0:34:05.560 --> 0:34:08.480 A few years later, though, the podcast was getting more 0:34:08.480 --> 0:34:11.160 and more traction, and I decided I wanted to pursue 0:34:11.160 --> 0:34:12.600 the dream full time of doing this. 0:34:13.000 --> 0:34:14.319 I had been writing for many years. 0:34:14.320 --> 0:34:17.160 My first byline actually was two Backs better than One 0:34:17.480 --> 0:34:19.640 question Mark, and it was about the combination of Ricky 0:34:19.680 --> 0:34:21.480 and Ronnie back in two thousand and eight. But I 0:34:21.560 --> 0:34:23.520 was in position to do that and go back to 0:34:23.560 --> 0:34:25.960 school to get my degree just a few credit shy 0:34:26.040 --> 0:34:28.160 of my AA, so I went back to JUCO before 0:34:28.160 --> 0:34:31.440 eventually transferring to WSU. And I bring that up because 0:34:31.480 --> 0:34:34.719 I always will remember those hour long commutes in the 0:34:34.719 --> 0:34:37.440 freezing cold months of the winter ahead of the draft, 0:34:37.840 --> 0:34:42.680 listening to exclusively football podcasts and literally podcasts like the 0:34:42.719 --> 0:34:45.960 Matt Miller guy, who I don't really like his takes 0:34:45.960 --> 0:34:48.080 that much or his draft knowledge because I don't think 0:34:48.160 --> 0:34:49.759 he does it the right way. I would listen to 0:34:49.840 --> 0:34:51.560 his podcast with his brother and they would do like 0:34:52.160 --> 0:34:54.120 two man mock drafts like every damn day, and I 0:34:54.200 --> 0:34:54.600 listened to. 0:34:54.520 --> 0:34:56.040 That, like please pick two with the fifth pick. I 0:34:56.080 --> 0:34:56.880 was desperate for it. 0:34:57.040 --> 0:34:58.920 I wanted to see a winner, man, And so I've 0:34:58.960 --> 0:35:01.160 been thinking about that. I've been thinking about where we 0:35:01.200 --> 0:35:03.520 are as fans of this team, where we've come, and 0:35:03.560 --> 0:35:05.959 where I think we'll go, because not that long ago 0:35:06.320 --> 0:35:09.440 we were so thirsty for any amount of success. And 0:35:09.520 --> 0:35:12.279 now somehow an eleven and six season just has a 0:35:12.400 --> 0:35:16.440 generally strange vibe around it. And that's purely speaking from Twitter, right, 0:35:16.480 --> 0:35:18.359 which we know is not real life, so who knows, 0:35:18.800 --> 0:35:22.719 but that's what you're inundated with, right. I think perspective 0:35:22.800 --> 0:35:25.160 is key. If you guys saw the Hard Knocks episode, 0:35:25.160 --> 0:35:26.560 how about the great Drew Brooks story. 0:35:26.560 --> 0:35:27.600 Our head of security here. 0:35:27.760 --> 0:35:29.840 I wasn't even aware of his backstory, just knew that 0:35:29.920 --> 0:35:33.480 Drew was the absolute best guy possible. But like perspective, right, 0:35:33.560 --> 0:35:39.279 perspective is everything, because Sunday night felt like utter devastation, right, hell, 0:35:39.360 --> 0:35:42.480 every loss kind of did this year. The only one 0:35:42.480 --> 0:35:45.080 that didn't derail my mood was the Eagles loss the 0:35:45.480 --> 0:35:48.080 NFC game. It didn't, you know, the officiating was out 0:35:48.080 --> 0:35:50.600 of whack that night. I guess it just wasn't the 0:35:50.600 --> 0:35:52.560 same one. But the other ones were brutal, each one 0:35:52.600 --> 0:35:54.480 of them. The Bills lost the first one, the freaking 0:35:54.920 --> 0:35:57.160 the Chiefs loss. I was distraught for two weeks. The 0:35:57.200 --> 0:35:58.920 Titans lost, you guys know how that was, and then 0:35:58.960 --> 0:36:01.920 the last two, my god, And even earlier this year 0:36:01.960 --> 0:36:03.880 when we were rolling, I would always tell my wife 0:36:03.880 --> 0:36:06.600 the odds are, because no one ever has. 0:36:06.520 --> 0:36:09.040 Great odds to go to the Super Bowl, the. 0:36:08.960 --> 0:36:11.480 Odds are that this season will end at some point 0:36:11.520 --> 0:36:15.960 in devastating fashion. But that's so much better than what 0:36:15.960 --> 0:36:18.120 you're used to. A fan of a certain age of 0:36:18.160 --> 0:36:21.799 this team hasn't really endured that late January devastation. Right 0:36:22.160 --> 0:36:25.080 last AFC championship game we played was nineteen ninety two, 0:36:25.239 --> 0:36:27.799 and it hurts. It hurts now more than it ever 0:36:27.880 --> 0:36:30.960 has for me personally. Yeah, oh wait, sucked, But that 0:36:31.040 --> 0:36:33.239 Ravens team was just a flat out better football team. 0:36:33.239 --> 0:36:36.160 They just were This Dolphins team, you know, six weeks ago, 0:36:36.440 --> 0:36:38.919 with a decent bill of health, I would still argue 0:36:39.000 --> 0:36:40.759 was one of the three best teams in the NFL. Hell, 0:36:40.920 --> 0:36:43.480 when it was fourteen thirteen, two weeks ago in Baltimore, 0:36:43.640 --> 0:36:45.480 I tweeted, these are the two best teams in the AFC, 0:36:45.520 --> 0:36:48.520 and it ain't particularly close. I still believe that it 0:36:48.520 --> 0:36:49.359 was clear to me they were. 0:36:49.400 --> 0:36:50.400 But lots can change. 0:36:50.560 --> 0:36:53.279 But bring it back to how devastation is worse, but 0:36:53.440 --> 0:36:56.319 in that way better than the devastation of the end 0:36:56.360 --> 0:36:57.440 of the twenty sixteen season or. 0:36:57.400 --> 0:36:58.360 Even two thousand and eight. 0:36:58.440 --> 0:37:01.800 This is something that I've been read conciling with internally 0:37:01.840 --> 0:37:04.319 for a couple of weeks. I told you guys that 0:37:04.440 --> 0:37:06.560 my family was back home during the Ravens game, right, 0:37:06.600 --> 0:37:09.360 so I felt with a lot of quiet time, I 0:37:09.480 --> 0:37:11.800 just had so much time to let my brain wander 0:37:11.840 --> 0:37:14.680 and think. And I experience this with my Mariners. I mean, 0:37:14.719 --> 0:37:17.359 the Marrors were out of contention by June every damn year, 0:37:17.680 --> 0:37:19.879 and the hurt of the season ending before it ever 0:37:19.920 --> 0:37:20.680 got off the ground. 0:37:20.680 --> 0:37:21.279 It sucks for like. 0:37:21.280 --> 0:37:22.719 A week, but then you get over it and you 0:37:22.800 --> 0:37:25.480 go for a walk or something. But losing when you're 0:37:25.480 --> 0:37:28.680 a contender, when you have the Astros on the ropes 0:37:28.719 --> 0:37:31.440 in game one of the Alds only to get swept, 0:37:31.920 --> 0:37:34.040 that is so hard to come back from. It's like, who, 0:37:34.080 --> 0:37:35.880 how do I care about may baseball? 0:37:35.920 --> 0:37:36.200 Again? 0:37:36.520 --> 0:37:38.560 It's like dying in a video game and level one, 0:37:38.600 --> 0:37:40.920 who the hell cares? Just started back over again? But 0:37:41.000 --> 0:37:43.640 level twenty and you have to climb the mountain again. 0:37:43.680 --> 0:37:47.799 It's daunting as hell, And suddenly you're no longer anticipating 0:37:47.840 --> 0:37:50.359 OTAs or training camp or even the preseason. Maybe even 0:37:50.360 --> 0:37:52.520 for some fans, maybe you're not that juice about the 0:37:52.560 --> 0:37:54.960 September games. Like I used to always ask Patriots fans, 0:37:55.200 --> 0:37:57.560 do you even get excited for an October two game 0:37:57.560 --> 0:38:00.200 against the Buffalo Bills, a team you've beaten thirty team 0:38:00.239 --> 0:38:00.800 straight times? 0:38:00.840 --> 0:38:01.160 Whatever? 0:38:01.960 --> 0:38:03.920 Because you just want to get back to this spot 0:38:04.000 --> 0:38:06.440 right here. But man, the only reason you did look 0:38:06.480 --> 0:38:10.279 forward to OTAs was because you were probably eliminated by November, 0:38:11.040 --> 0:38:13.680 so the heartbreak is harder, but I promise you it's 0:38:13.800 --> 0:38:17.040 better than all those years of boring ass football just 0:38:17.120 --> 0:38:19.160 hoping to get in, even if you had no chance 0:38:19.160 --> 0:38:19.440 to win. 0:38:19.480 --> 0:38:21.920 You just wanted to get in and compete with those teams. 0:38:23.360 --> 0:38:25.000 And that takes me to the idea of the whole 0:38:25.080 --> 0:38:27.680 replace and move on from crowd, just stop it. Like 0:38:28.200 --> 0:38:30.600 McDaniel and Tua are funny the ones man, we got them, 0:38:30.600 --> 0:38:32.919 They're here there ares. Let's grow with those guys. Let's 0:38:33.000 --> 0:38:35.959 enjoy continuity. Let's watch them standing the progress and play 0:38:36.000 --> 0:38:38.640 in big games every single year. Because even if you 0:38:38.680 --> 0:38:41.520 have to endure three more seasons like this, like Peyton 0:38:41.520 --> 0:38:44.240 Manning did, like Drew Brees did, like Lamar Jackson currently 0:38:44.280 --> 0:38:47.680 is doing, if you just break through one time, nothing 0:38:47.680 --> 0:38:48.440 else will matter. 0:38:49.360 --> 0:38:50.480 And I tweeted about this. 0:38:50.600 --> 0:38:53.440 You know, as a reporter or whatever role you have 0:38:53.560 --> 0:38:56.560 in covering football or sports, your top priority is to 0:38:56.719 --> 0:39:00.200 not be the story, right, And this wasn't me being 0:39:00.239 --> 0:39:02.600 the story, But I just thought you, guys of anyone 0:39:02.640 --> 0:39:06.480 could understand this moment I had in coach's Thursday press conference, 0:39:06.520 --> 0:39:08.880 and I'm so glad I asked it because it was simple, 0:39:08.880 --> 0:39:11.960 a simple question that anyone could have asked, but there 0:39:12.040 --> 0:39:15.279 was something special about to me that Coach answered this 0:39:15.360 --> 0:39:18.440 question while addressing me specifically. And that's how we're going 0:39:18.480 --> 0:39:20.840 to end the show today. Here's Coach on what it 0:39:20.840 --> 0:39:23.600 would mean to end the twenty three year playoff drought, 0:39:23.600 --> 0:39:26.719 and we're gonna just no outro close the show right 0:39:26.719 --> 0:39:29.319 there with Mike McDaniel Slady would be the franchises first 0:39:29.360 --> 0:39:30.880 in the postseason for twenty three years. 0:39:30.920 --> 0:39:32.839 What would that breaking that drought mean to you? 0:39:34.160 --> 0:39:38.239 Well, I mean, I've been saying a quarter century just 0:39:38.360 --> 0:39:42.520 because it's a it's more impactful. But I've been saying 0:39:43.360 --> 0:39:45.439 means that. I've been saying it a lot, which means 0:39:45.480 --> 0:39:48.239 it means a lot I've been It's one of the 0:39:48.239 --> 0:39:51.000 first things I said that talked about my first day 0:39:53.160 --> 0:40:00.200 on the job, because you have to understand what the 0:40:00.200 --> 0:40:04.120 the passions that your fan base are, the the experiences 0:40:04.120 --> 0:40:08.040 they have had, what they're harboring, and then what it 0:40:08.080 --> 0:40:14.560 will feel like to bring people that joy of, you know, 0:40:14.760 --> 0:40:19.919 rooting for a team for that long and then to 0:40:19.920 --> 0:40:22.919 to not be able to experience at least one postseason win. 0:40:24.400 --> 0:40:27.319 That's that's rough. That is rough that. 0:40:29.040 --> 0:40:34.040 Myself and the whole organization want to deliver on, you know, 0:40:34.200 --> 0:40:37.600 ending that and and doing right by all those years 0:40:37.640 --> 0:40:42.760 of passion. I also think it's something really cool to achieve. 0:40:44.040 --> 0:40:48.200 So I've been leaning on that. You know, both seasons 0:40:48.239 --> 0:40:52.280 have been here. We've talked about it on my first 0:40:52.360 --> 0:40:58.400 team meeting this week when we're beginning this prep because 0:40:58.440 --> 0:41:05.879 it that that is an obstacle, but generally obstacles have 0:41:06.120 --> 0:41:12.680 a if there's a huge pot of gold, so to speak. 0:41:13.800 --> 0:41:16.799 When there are obstacles, there's a saying that I just 0:41:16.840 --> 0:41:20.920 came up with right now adversity as opportunity just right now, 0:41:22.320 --> 0:41:26.560 live speed. But that's why because it's like, wow, that yes, 0:41:26.680 --> 0:41:27.359 that that is. 0:41:27.440 --> 0:41:28.000 That is. 0:41:29.600 --> 0:41:33.719 How great would it feel to be able to be 0:41:35.080 --> 0:41:41.319 the team that that that ends that drought? And uh 0:41:41.520 --> 0:41:45.200 for a fan base that is very steadfast and hungry 0:41:45.280 --> 0:41:47.480 and you know, we we have a lot of love 0:41:47.520 --> 0:41:53.319 for for our fans and so it's a it's a 0:41:53.360 --> 0:41:57.799 big deal that comes that that you don't chase directly. 0:41:58.280 --> 0:42:02.800 You know it's there, but you're if you worry about 0:42:03.400 --> 0:42:09.920 constantly your technique, fundamentals and execution of your job, that's 0:42:09.920 --> 0:42:13.200 that's something that is a reward waiting for a job 0:42:13.239 --> 0:42:13.640 well done.