Transcript
Tristan Amundson: Miles, we needed. We needed a get -right game. We needed to just... Shake off some of the cobwebs we needed. We just needed something simple, man. You know, sometimes in football you just need...
Tristan Amundson: to win. You need to win the games that you're supposed to win. The Seahawks won the game they're supposed to win. I don't have anything cute to say this morning. I just want to get right to it.
Tristan Amundson: We needed this win. Miles, how are you doing, my friend?
M dub: Tristan, good to be with you. Defeating the Arizona Cardinals 17 -3. I don't know if you had this sensation Tristan, but it felt like there was actually very little football being played.
M dub: in this football game i don't know how else to describe it it was it was a football game with extremely low amounts of football content to it. Does that make sense at all? Have you experienced this?
Tristan Amundson: um That's interesting. Yeah, I guess from... If I'm just thinking about it from a Seahawks ah offensive perspective, I guess you're right. like Um, It was I mean, we it was a run heavy game, which I think we're all happy to see. It was good to see Zach Charbonnet have such a.
Tristan Amundson: um such a day and it wasn't We've become accustomed, maybe this is, tell me if this is what you mean. We've become accustomed to like these insane. jsn days where it's like he just completely rips the top and the bottom and the everything off of the defense and this was just kind of more of a normal human jsn game Do you think that has something to do with it?
M dub: I think that has something to do with it. I think the incredible ah low amounts of suspense had something to do with it. This was not a game. With an incredibly high margin of victory, it was another multi -possession Seahawks victory, which we talked about a lot last week. that ah We had ripped off 13 of those on opponents before falling to the Bears and then just get right back on the horse next week.
M dub: It's important to remember this. thing That up It feels pretty bad when you're on the other side. of a multi -position win. But yeah, this... This game was not in doubt from the second quarter on. And so maybe that's why.
M dub: we we We were just rolling to the end. from pretty early on here.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, I guess you're right. i I was watching this. I was busy during the game and I found out the score. um And so then i I was watching this on replay um in the evening.
Tristan Amundson: And. When the Seahawks scored, got to 17 points. And I knew that was the final score. I just kept thinking to myself, man, there's a lot of game left here. Like it doesn't seem I must be mistaken. Like it must be that because as I was watching it, we had 17 points. We were driving down the field and I was like, well.
Tristan Amundson: We're moving the ball pretty well. i I think there's probably I must have misread it. There has they had to have scored more than 17. And then I was kind of entertained to see that. Yeah, indeed, it it just stopped at 17. So.
Tristan Amundson: You're kind of right. There was there was definitely time for for more points, and this just continued to be kind of a low -scoring game.
M dub: Maybe it was this in the fourth quarter of this game. There were three possessions total the Seahawks had two possessions sandwiched around Along Cardinals possession in the middle.
M dub: And nobody scored on any of their possessions. That's ah that's pretty unusual for a fourth quarter.
Tristan Amundson: That is unusual. Yeah, that that is unusual. And then, you know, we've become so accustomed to throwing interceptions close to your own end zone. And we didn't get any of those, which kind of made this game feel kind of weird and and unusual. Right. Just, you know.
Tristan Amundson: yeah we we We really were used to seeing these. ill -fated, ill -timed interceptions and we didn't get any of those.
M dub: it's It's true. and that's definitely This is now pretty much the third game for Mr. Drew Locke, and this is the third game where he has kept a clean sheet on the turnover side of things.
M dub: Even though this is not going to be a long recap, can I still recap us to just get us in our flow here?
Tristan Amundson: Oh please do.
M dub: Uh... Maybe this points to the nature of this game is I'm going to start off with a punt. in the first quarter. Michael Dixon of the Seattle Seahawks places a beautiful.
M dub: Coffin corner punt. pinning the Arizona Cardinals back. And to everybody's surprise, led by Gardner Minshew. They start driving, and they drive most of the way down the field, an 89 -yard drive.
M dub: for a field goal And that turns out to be the end of their offensive day. They would get, for the rest of the game, they would get... 109. Total offensive yards leading to seven straight punts before getting stopped in a goal -to -go situation in the fourth quarter.
M dub: In the meantime. The Seattle Seahawks. might have listened to. a prominent Seahawks podcast last week. that talked about getting A .J. Barner red zone touches. He scores one rushing and then one passing in the second quarter.
M dub: And the Seahawks walk away with this thing. 17 -3, despite, we should say... There were a ton of injuries coming to this game. They all kind of crept out. After we released our episode last week, Seahawks came in here with a ton of holes.
M dub: Everywhere we had Drew Lockett, quarterback. Charles Cross was out. Quentin Nelson was out. Leo Williams was out. it started You start to wonder, hey, this is another NFL team over here. This is a lot of guys to be missing, and you kind of quickly forgot about their absences. Chenna was out as well.
M dub: ah Yeah, what a day.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, I mean, it's it's a good point. And I certainly was feeling that. um One of those games that you absolutely should win and there's there's no excuse not to win. um And yet at the same time, if you have that level of injuries, eventually that can catch up to you.
Tristan Amundson: As we're saying this, Miles. i and i'm i'm like this is off top of my head this feels like deja vu i feel like we've had this exact same conversation about the Cardinals over the past couple of years.
Tristan Amundson: of a game where the Seahawks had a lot of injuries coming in. And we both kind of felt like, hey, listen, this is is this. This is another NFL team. Don't. Don't sleep on them.
Tristan Amundson: And then we end up kind of winning pretty easily. Does that, are you having any deja vu? And if you ask me. Tell me the game you're talking about. I couldn't tell you the game I'm talking about. I just feel like I've seen this exact movie before.
M dub: I think that's really accurate to say we've seen this before. This actually, I don't remember that exact game, although I absolutely believe you. it was It might have been a bit of a forgettable one, as this one ah will inevitably be.
M dub: I did start. Deep diving on. Excuse me. on cardinals history here Because it it does seem like this team just does not change.
M dub: despite the NFL moving around it. It just seems, it just seems. It's such an immovable force at the bottom of the NFC West standings. I took a look.
M dub: Tristan, I didn't realize this, the Cardinals have been owned by the same family, the Bidwell family since the year 1930. That really shocks me because... We have the you know the Rooney family and the Mara family with the Steelers and the Giants on the East Coast. and These are historical things and George Hallis.
M dub: The Bidwell family comes in at pretty much the same time, and yet there is this total Lack of history and I think it's because the Cardinals You really need decades and decades and the generations in the same city to create like a sense of history and identity.
M dub: This is just such a bizarre situation where it's one family but three cities. They started out as the Chicago Cardinals. They had several decades in St. Louis at the end of the 20th century.
M dub: And then they've been in Arizona for a while. So somehow, even though it is family owned, as you would maybe ideally want an NFL franchise to be. They moved it from city to city, and this thing is is just not moving in any direction.
M dub: Tristan, the NFL changed to a 16 -game regular season in the year 1978.
M dub: How many? 12. plus win seasons that the Cardinals had since then. 1978, that's almost 50 years ago. The answer is one. In 2015, they got to 13 wins.
Tristan Amundson: Oh my gosh.
M dub: but One.
Tristan Amundson: That they're...
M dub: One 12 -win season out of 50.
Tristan Amundson: this The year they made it.
M dub: It shouldn't be possible.
Tristan Amundson: And that's the year they made it to the Super Bowl, right? and It must be.
M dub: It's actually not. They made it to the Super Bowl before then with Ken Wisenhut. That was like a 9 -7 year. They got to 13 with Bruce Arians and then got eliminated in the playoffs, yeah.
Tristan Amundson: Oh.
Tristan Amundson: Man, that's... that is wild man and i it's funny because and it it does make sense like if you're If you're transient as a team, like even though you have the history. you've just moved around too much. And then frankly, you've. Picked.
Tristan Amundson: if If your goal was... legacy. You've picked the wrong cities to move to. Kind of almost in order. like they would have been much better off starting in Arizona and working their way to Chicago.
Tristan Amundson: Going from Chicago to St. Louis to Arizona. Um, yeah it kind of in order of cities arizona's like definitely the most transient of the cities. I mean, Arizona is kind of famous for that, right? I mean, well, first of all, it's called Arizona, so we're not even talking about a city. um But Arizona, Phoenix area, like it's kind of known. It's it's a great area. I love the area.
Tristan Amundson: but it's known as a place where people go to you go there to retire you go um you go there you know during the winter months because it's too cold where you live up north um It's not necessarily known as a place that you you settle down and you have roots for generations and generations. so um Yeah, that ah it it makes a lot of sense that...
Tristan Amundson: that this recipe hasn't worked for them, but it is shocking. to hear how long they've been around i knew about the chicago cardinals i don't know if i knew about the st louis cardinals um apparently st louis really loves Loves a Cardinal, which I didn't know that.
M dub: Um, i do feel I did make me realize that St. Louis has lost the Cardinals and the Rams, which is... ah that's That's tough for St. Louis. but um Tristan, this did bring it up to 11 straight games that the Seahawks have beaten the Cardinals.
M dub: You have to go back to 2021 for the last time. The Cardinals got one on the Seahawks. I'm looking at the all -time record now. We saw in the 1970s the Miami Dolphins beat the Bills 20 straight times.
M dub: And I... I think that's in reach, to be honest. and I know we we're just past halfway there. It's a really long time. but i think we know I think we know what we're dealing with, and I think it's possible.
Tristan Amundson: That's interesting. Yeah, I mean, if you look at this Cardinals team, there's there's nothing. Um, currently that they're they're building that is unbelievable right like they're I mean they Trey McBride I would and yeah I mean he's he's great Michael Wilson's a pretty good player Um,
Tristan Amundson: Beyond that, yeah, you I mean they're kind of starting. It's a team that's kind of been starting at zero for quite a while. You know, most most teams, I mean, the Seahawks are kind of ah a perfect example of a team that...
Tristan Amundson: um Made it to the mountaintop. Tried to stay there a little too long, had to kind of tear it all down and then rebuilt themselves into the current version that that the Seahawks are now.
Tristan Amundson: um with another Super Bowl. That. Arizona has been kind of floundering for for quite a while. I mean, this is going to be a bit hyperbolic. So this probably isn't actually. exactly true, but.
Tristan Amundson: but But maybe it is for the sake of this conversation. The last Arizona team that I remember that. caused fear that i you know that was a really fun team to watch had larry fitzgerald on it which um that might be i mean that's as damning as as you could say as far as uh being able to ah start over and, you know.
Tristan Amundson: Rebuild. the product that you you have on the field.
M dub: And it was supposed to be Marvin Harrison. I was told to be afraid of Marvin Harrison Jr. for a very long time. And, of course, he's on the Houston Texans now traded away for a very low draft pick.
M dub: And am I supposed to be afraid of Jeremiah Love? you know ah Don't really know the guy. But ah unfortunately, he's wearing a Cardinals uniform. It's hard not to imagine he'll kind of go that same direction.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, Buda Baker getting older, still a great player, but but getting older. um I mean, they they have. lj collier you know which which we we know lj is a great guy and um I wish him nothing but the best of luck. But yeah, to your point, as as I'm just kind of perusing even the box score and the different names.
Tristan Amundson: Um, Beyond Trey McBride. Not a not a ton of guys that... that make you quivering in your eye. in your cowboy boots down there in Arizona. So yeah, that's an interesting.
Tristan Amundson: Interesting thing looking at this team and looking at the history. and um and they've they've picked the wrong division to play in because the other two teams are you know it's murderer's row and in the nfc west and so could be tough sledding here for a while for for the poor cardinals but it is nice to know that you got a couple of wins every single year just uh you know mark them down even if you have a lot of injuries we'll probably be just fine
M dub: And unfortunately for the Cardinals, they get out of this thing. They lose Michael Wilson and Gardner Minshew to injury moving forward. I mean. that That's tough.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah.
M dub: It was already tough, but Michael Wilson was... you know, a wide receiver one. For ya, yeah. That's really tough.
Tristan Amundson: What did you think of that um out of bounds catch um in the beginning of the game? I'm just going to call it the out of bounds catch because I watched it multiple times in replay slow motion. And I was like, well, his feet are clearly out of bounds when he makes the catch. I don't I don't know how you.
Tristan Amundson: in your right mind, could call that a catch. And yet it was. magically a catch, Miles. Can you explain? kind of how that works with physics and um is it Does it have something to do with the distance of the earth to the sun? There must be something about the tides, something that I'm missing that made that a catch because as far as I'm concerned.
Tristan Amundson: If you're out of bounds. and let me Let me make sure I say this correctly because it's a very complex part of the rule. um if you're out of bounds you cannot make a catch is is kind of what I thought, because if that isn't the case, then I could be making catches for the Seahawks here in Southern California all the time and we could be winning lots of games. Um, you know, just because, you know, is a catch is a catch. So can you help me? am i What am I missing here?
M dub: I'm going to be on your side on this one. i was I was really baffled by that play, and I was really baffled by a lot of calls. It seemed like the calls... Took a long time to come in and maybe fortunately for the refereeing crew here. Since this game was just put away early, none of them really ended up mattering, but...
M dub: I was baffled by that one. We had a couple more of the 15 -yard unsportsmanlike penalties as well, and I was really wondering. And it seemed like they were in the gray area, which is...
M dub: I can't recall a year. like this one where i've seen so many 15 -yard penalties against the Seahawks. And I'm kind of going. I don't really think there's a coaching point here. you know Sometimes you see your team commit a 15 -yard penalty and you...
M dub: you You want the coach to like rip into the guy or something or you want. a punishment of extra laps but So there's been so many times to see how he's going to 15 -yard penalty, and I'm kind of going.
M dub: my thought to My thought of this game was... is it Is it even possible to compete in an NFL game without... This much of an edge to you. It it just seems like You know, you know you't you can't You can't have like perfect manners out there. You know, you're you're playing in an NFL game.
M dub: it it just seemed like they were they were very It was just so slight is what I'm getting at.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, I... I think I agree with you on that. i um I do have like really and I know you do as well, like high expectations for don't make dumb mental mistakes. And. and You know, if you cost your team. wins or at the very least yardage um because of selfish.
Tristan Amundson: mental mistakes like that i i don't yeah again i just i don't have a lot of patience for it i think i agree with you for the most part that um a lot of the penalties in this game I kind of...
Tristan Amundson: but shrugged my shoulders as well um and just kind of okay you know whatever ah to your point it is easier in a game like this where it's the game was never really in doubt um and it it was never going to cost us that much but um yeah i i certainly agreed with that hey we were we were talking about injuries um a second ago and and obviously this was a tough game from a Cardinals perspective, losing.
Tristan Amundson: Uh, Gardner who, yeah, I think we all love Gardner Minshew. I think. I. he's a guy that i would like to see succeed and you know i think he's a good backup quarterback so um hopefully um Well, actually, it was a pretty bad one, wasn't it?
Tristan Amundson: Was it a UCL? I think Gardner Minshew is going to have to have Tommy John surgery, um if i'm if I'm not mistaken. michael Michael Wilson, good player as well.
M dub: That's correct.
Tristan Amundson: on the flip side of it man like we're seeing exactly what we want to see from two guys that were injured that are are coming back and and to me and i would imagine to most seahawks fans it's it's the number one storyline in this game which is the The play between Charbonnet and Judarian Price has been really fun.
Tristan Amundson: And. And this this to me. felt like a step in the right direction. If if we're talking about getting to the destination of Charbonnet and Price.
Tristan Amundson: having that perfect one -two punch. This felt like a blueprint of of what we want to see moving forward. um meaning Charbonnet is outpacing price in touches from a rushing perspective, which seems logical, right? Someone's going to have to rush it more. And I i think.
Tristan Amundson: It makes sense that that's Zach Charbonnet. On the other side. Price is out receiving Charbonnet. two to one, or four to one, excuse me, or and two targets, two to four.
Tristan Amundson: um which also seems about right. It seems like Charbonnet should be in the one to three target range and and Price should be in the. call it four to five, four to six type target range.
Tristan Amundson: um Again. Not against the best opponent in the world, but it seems like that's the direction we want to see this relationship. I, for one, was was really encouraged by the one -two punch that we saw from Sharp and from ah from Price. Just what did your eyes tell you when you were watching the game, Miles?
M dub: Yeah, you know, I totally agree. In the dregs of this game in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks get the ball back with four four or five minutes left and and no goal other than to just deflate the clock. and even though the game was over competitively at that point.
M dub: That was when Sharbo really got running. and kind of had his best moments of the day. So it was really encouraging to see him end the day like that. Only got about six or seven carries last week in his return from injury. Nice to see him have a full 16 carries for 77 yards.
M dub: And those yards felt stronger as the game went on, but it which just felt really good. Well, what's funny to me is we saw Chicago have such an explosive game in Monday Night Football last week. The Bears got 22 first downs in that game.
M dub: And even though this game was nothing... not Not close to explosive. The Seahawks still got 21 first downs. I thought that was just so funny that that number was so close. It was 21 first downs. and nine of them were rushing first downs.
M dub: And they only got one or two rushing first downs against the Bears last week. so Everything trending in the right direction. Kind of funny that the game ended that way and he got in that rhythm in the fourth quarter. but much Much rather be stronger in the fourth quarter than than weaker. you know.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, that that seems normal for a running game and and what we kind of see. Um, Throughout the league in games in general, right? The the running game continues to build. um I will say another thing just to add one more kind of number to that is. um a a long of 17 for charbonnet kind of you know when we talk about hitting a double um that's the kind of double we're looking to hit um price.
Tristan Amundson: long of 17 on that catch, that really beautiful over the shoulder catch that he made. um again just just love seeing some explosives coming from those guys as the season's going on I just find myself thinking.
Tristan Amundson: Man, I want to see explosive contributing plays. by anyone except Jackson Smith and Jigba only to keep him as healthy as possible and only to make his life easier. um So fun seeing both of those guys get involved. and um This is the first game all year that anyone has out -received. Out -received? Is that how I would say that, Miles? Out -received JSN, but Price did it.
Tristan Amundson: 54 yards versus 51 yards from jsn so just barely beat him but hey i i kind of like that too let's let's give jackson is as much of a break as possible because he's just such an incredibly yeah I mean, he is the the... the most important Seahawk or the hardest to replace. How about that? The most irreplaceable Seahawk right now is JSN. So the the healthier and happier we can keep him, the better.
M dub: That's a great call. I didn't realize that. The price actually did out -receive JSN, but sure enough, there it is. um Yeah, that that is a really healthy sign going forward.
Tristan Amundson: Just just spreading it out. And ah I'll be the first one to welcome 150 yard game again from JSN. Hopefully we get it this Sunday. Happy happy to see it. Happy to see it, but i'm also just happy to see.
Tristan Amundson: uh more folks contribute um I guess the only other thought I have on the receivers is. Man, I just. I hate to keep using the word hope, but I just I hope I want to keep seeing like Tori Horton.
Tristan Amundson: um get back into the form that he was in last year. i the the the more... he can be a contributor on this team, the more he can show what he can do. um the better.
Tristan Amundson: I think we will have Rashid back. Um, ah this Sunday against um against the Raiders, which will be absolutely massive. i' Just kind of getting getting back into.
Tristan Amundson: into the rhythm.
M dub: Yeah, Shahid, another fella who was out. um We did see some great moments from A .J. Barner. really I really did genuinely appreciate the red zone. targets and I felt a source of pride that I... Put that on tape last week. But Tristan, you wanted you wanted to see something different from the tight end group, even beyond that, which I agree with.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, I mean, listen, i just it's something that Daniel Jeremiah said a couple of weeks ago that I can't get out of my head, which is 13 personnel with ah with the wide receivers and the tight ends that we have on this team.
Tristan Amundson: 13 personnel seems to make all the all the sense in the world. We we want to run the football. Check. um we have one absolutely stellar unbelievable wide receiver in Jackson Smith and Jigba check Um,
Tristan Amundson: We also have tight ends that we like getting the ball to check. So so to me, 13 personnel from a philosophy standpoint and from a personnel standpoint just makes all the sense in the world. For for those keeping track at home, 13 personnel, meaning one wide receiver with three tight ends on the field simultaneously. um And it it gives you a lot of options. It allows you to. run the football with. um
Tristan Amundson: with extra blockers in the game it allows you to potentially put jackson in fortuitous situations as the one wide receiver out there and that it also opens up the opportunity to be multiple with your tight ends. either running the football right with them as blockers or... putting them out um ah in a kind of a play -action scenario and and getting it to guys like A .J. Barner, um who you just mentioned, right? So seeing getting there, I think, is an interesting thing for this offense. I think it just... Again, I think it marries personnel with with philosophy Um, in this game they were in 13 personnel five times out of 81 so that's
Tristan Amundson: 6 % of the time. Um, I'm not going to pretend that I... in some strategy strategist that can tell you this is the correct number or this is what we're looking for. But.
Tristan Amundson: I certainly think it's something that we can start majoring in. How about that?
M dub: I have definitely talked about 13 personnel a lot on this show over the years. And I really thought it would happen before this year with Brian Flory coming in. As the San Francisco 49ers tight ends coach.
M dub: I totally agree with you that I'd love to see it. I fear that the Seahawks have had their window closed on being able to use that in 2026 just because Eric Saubert and Nick Callerup, we really appreciate their...
M dub: their skills as blockers. they have not really been given enough targets to be established in the passing game. So I fear that. You know, the the ideal thing when you've got the three tight ends out there is you... You have totally disguised whether you're about to run or pass.
M dub: And since those Sobern and Kalarup have gotten so few targets, I think Kalarup does not have a target, despite how much. He's played for the team both last year and this year. When the defense sees those guys out there, they know it's a run. you know and then unfortunately we have not seen progression from eliza arroyo this year He's also dealt with a lot of injuries. so I love seeing that 13 personnel out there, but I'm not sure.
M dub: I'm not sure if the Seahawks have used these early weeks of the season to be able to establish it as a weapon this year, which. I think is unfortunate.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, that's that's a really cool point, man. It's it's interesting. I think... my My counter to that would be... What I mentioned last week, which we're halfway through.
Tristan Amundson: the mission. And in in my mind, the mission is get to the bye week with two wins. Check on Arizona. We need one more win. And then we get to the bye week and.
Tristan Amundson: just when i think of of this team when i think of again someone who is new to a job. um As Brian Fleury is. I think this bye week is absolutely massive for him. I love the way the team responded coming back from the little mini bye after the Thursday night game.
Tristan Amundson: And I really like the idea of giving this offensive staff and specifically giving Brian. a week. to think through his plan to to to review what's worked what hasn't worked i i just i call I...
Tristan Amundson: I think it is. Um, unbelievably valuable. I think it's valuable real estate for him. in this moment of his coaching career. So I'll keep kind of banging that drum. The goal is get to the bye week, get to the bye week. My expectation is that we see I'm not going to say a different team after the bye.
Tristan Amundson: but a more polished. um better approach team after the bye. Does that kind of sound Pollyanna to you, Miles? or yeah I mean, to me, that just makes all the sense in the world. Get get past the bye week, I think.
Tristan Amundson: For a new offensive coordinator, it... it benefits him more than most.
M dub: I see that. and not expecting a big transformation. I mean, every every team can can use a bye week when it comes up for them, and the Seahawks are no exception. but I don't know if there's that much.
M dub: Real estate in in those hours to. to really... to To change your identity. I guess.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, I mean, i i don't and I don't think of it as an identity change. I do think of it as a... 10%, 15%. I think of it more as an adjustment time, more as a...
Tristan Amundson: Hey, the... this hasn't worked and here's why we're going to make this adjustment. I haven't, I've been so busy with deadlines, right? i've I've had to do the next thing and the next thing and I've needed to install this offensive. plan for this game. I haven't had time to sit back and fully understand.
Tristan Amundson: oh you know what? Yeah, this is just a hole in the offense. So to me, I just think of this as an awesome opportunity for him to have that deep breath moment. And hopefully that makes a big difference. But I agree with you. it's we're We're not going to see wholesale changes at this point. But can there be little adjustments made um as he is just, again, you know, new on the job?
M dub: I agree, there can be little adjustments made. Tristan, can I move us along to, we do have a game against... a real -deal NFL football team before this bye week. It's a pretty interesting matchup.
M dub: Seahawks go into Las Vegas. I think that's going to be. Eh. Kind of an aesthetic clash. I don't know. You're used to seeing the Seahawks and the beautiful. Northwestern air. I think.
M dub: I don't know that that Las Vegas stadium just feels so indoors. It's so empty. I think it's going to be aesthetically a disaster. and I'll be ready for the Seahawks to get back to Seattle. but Some interesting things happening in this game. We're, of course, going against our old friend, offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak.
M dub: But what's been happening with the Raiders is... Things are really falling apart. On the defensive side of the ball, Tristan, this Las Vegas team has given up. Over 30 points in six... Straight games. That is an. Unbelievable streak.
M dub: Um... I might have missed the latest news update there. The Seahawks are dealing with injuries to both Drew Locke and Sam Darnold. Looks like right now. Please correct me if I'm wrong that lock will be ready to go and we'll be kind of battling through an oblique injury, but...
M dub: This could be the very first extended playing time for Jalen Milrow as well. Teams have been putting up these points on the Raiders by passing. So it'll be interesting. We've wanted to see the Seahawks run more, but it looks like this passing defense is one of the worst in the league.
M dub: What are we expecting from the Seahawks? ah A lot of injuries versus a lot of... low performance.
Tristan Amundson: Well, I've been emailing Mike every day recommending that that Drew get. you know get some ice packs um for for that oblique i i haven't heard back so it's a little disappointing um from my perspective you know you're getting great advice from from a guy that's Had a couple injuries in his life. um I understand the power of ice. So hopefully they're doing that beyond my counsel. um I do think you're right, though. it's it's Sam is definitely out for this game.
Tristan Amundson: um Coming out of the game, they mentioned that Drew was was trending in the right direction. He even even said that he was feeling pretty good and expected to play. Um, So that's huge. i Man, I'll tell you what, I did not know. I hadn't done the research on.
Tristan Amundson: um their lack of defense on the Raiders side. So that is quite. um encouraging and again encouraging that our running backs are coming into form potentially at the right time to really help our quarterbacks right even if drew um plays and i think we do expect him to play
Tristan Amundson: it's still going to be a challenging game for him he's not going to be 100 so all the more reason to lean heavily on the running backs and on the short game on the screen game stuff like that So to be able to to utilize it is is absolutely massive.
Tristan Amundson: um To me, the story that I've been. just fascinated by is a young man. I believe his mom named him the Nandalorian. And ah that's who we're going to be facing. uh with the raiders uh trading away Kirk Cousins and starting um ah The Mandalorian. First of all, do you watch The Mandalorian? And how do you feel about facing...
Tristan Amundson: the nandalorian i i think it's an interesting matchup i i have kind of some numbers of how we've approached. Um, rookie quarterbacks in the past but Just right off the bat, how do you feel about ah good old Fernando there, Miles?
M dub: Haven't watched The Mandalorian. I have been very interested in The Mandalorian. You know, this man has not started an NFL game yet, but you already know. He is a completely new type of player. We have not seen somebody like him before.
M dub: And sometimes these personalities, just ah despite what you would think in the big, tough NFL. You've had your Andrew Lux before. You've had your Phillip Rivers. And I'm very curious to see if Fernando Mendoza is next.
M dub: It's really hard to know what to expect because the Seahawks have really destroyed rookie quarterbacks. This is such a unique situation. First pick overall in the draft. And you're going up against Clint Kubiak, a man that just helped.
M dub: lead you to the Super Bowl. You know his skills. um At the same time. We know how skilled Kenny Walker was. And. um Basically, I think everybody...
M dub: Everybody involved in this game knows the score. Because they've been against each other at practice so many times. And I think everybody might have known the score heading into that Chiefs game.
M dub: With K -9. And I think everybody knows the score. ah They will not tell us. we We do not know from the outside, but I think they know from the inside. there was You know, that offense -defensive battle. every year in trade every day in training camp last year.
M dub: it's It's really fascinating. It's one of the great things about the NFL. there's just You just do not know what to expect out of this game. And I... That makes both sides of the ball very interesting in this game to me.
Tristan Amundson: I mean, if you think about the Chiefs game. The Seahawks game plan going into that game was stop canine, right? Stop canine, make them throw it. That was their perspective when they were facing.
Tristan Amundson: A Super Bowl MVP, multiple MVP. Patrick Mahomes, one of the the great quarterbacks in the game today. the The game plan was simple. Make.
Tristan Amundson: make Patrick Mahomes beat us, which is a wild thing. So if you use that same logic and you're now going against. um A rookie, a first round pick. I, you know, hopefully he has a great career. um There's no reason to believe he won't.
Tristan Amundson: um And yet. He's going to have to face the Seahawks for the first time. Um, one of the best defenses in the league you know certainly top five defense in the league And um he's going to have to do it.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah. theoretically on his own because I think we know the Seahawks are going to be really committed to stopping Gentry. and um making making them. uh defeat.
Tristan Amundson: defeat the Seahawks, you know, through the air, which is is going to be. Going to be interesting, man. i'm I can't wait to see it. i'm I'm looking forward to seeing him. There is always in my mind a little bit of a... um It's a little scary, like the unknown, right? that it's It's different having a book.
Tristan Amundson: on a quarterback versus facing him for the first time so he certainly has that going for him the element of surprise he we don't know his game inside and out yet so that's kind of interesting um so that that would be something going in his favor going into this game um But certainly, you know.
Tristan Amundson: Talk about trial by fire. This is you know maybe the last defense you would want your first nfl game to be against um but i'm sure he is supreme supremely confident and i'm sure he's excited and ready to go. And I will say, I really do respect the timing of all of this from from a Raiders perspective.
Tristan Amundson: Um, You draft a guy highly. But you you tell him, hey, we're gonna get you a mentor. And for 10 weeks, he's been watching someone else do the job. He's been watching someone do the job at a really high level and someone who knows how to do the job in Kirk Cousins. and And they gave him that level of mentorship. And I think everyone knew at some point this was going to happen this season. He was going to become the starting quarterback. um So I got to say, I do love the approach. I love.
Tristan Amundson: um giving a rookie some time to get his feet wet in the nfl and understand how to prepare Um, So I am I am genuinely looking forward to seeing him.
M dub: It'll be really fascinating to see one way or the other. However his career goes, we are seeing the first start from Fernando Mendoza here. I thought the Raiders had signed Cousins basically...
M dub: to get Mendoza past the Seahawks defense and start him once the Seahawks were. in the rear view on the raiders schedule that was just my assumption This summer. So it is funny that. ah Exactly the opposite thing happened with the timing of the trade deadline.
Tristan Amundson: Yeah, yeah, it just is what it is with the timing of the trade deadline. um it probably It might have been that way if the trade trade deadline, excuse me, was a week from now. but um Yeah, just the way it so happens to work. ah you know this this is where we're at in the season and uh Again, trial by fire, but um I'm sure he's very excited to to start his first NFL game.
Tristan Amundson: um And he is doing it, you know, with the Seahawks defense that's a bit banged up. It'll be interesting to see if we get Chenna back this week. i Certainly. I would be absolutely shocked. I don't think we'll see big cat leonard williams in this game whatsoever those stinger injuries can be weird and to me having giving him another week and then the bye week to just let that thing rest and calm down I mean... I don't know. It seems like a no brainer to me to just.
Tristan Amundson: Um, you know, just just let, let Leo have this week off.
M dub: Yeah, no IR for anybody that we're talking about, which is a good sign. So yeah, the Seahawks are probably making some calculations about the bye week here.
Tristan Amundson: Very good. Very good. Yeah, man, i'm I'm excited about it. I'm excited about this week coming up. And um any anything to leave us with as we as we kind of sign off here, Myles?
M dub: Yeah, you know, last year Pete Carroll was the coach of the Raiders and he kept, I heard he kept the little motivational slogan written on an index card that he kind of kept in his pocket or in his shoe the whole time he was with the Raiders.
M dub: And maybe this is why things didn't go so well. Do you know what that slogan was?
Tristan Amundson: Man, I mean, i would just win, baby, I would imagine would would be kind of a popular Raiders slogan. um I mean, I would say welcome to the dark side, but we have the dark side defense, so it couldn't have been that.
Tristan Amundson: I'm blanking, Miles. what what What would it be?
M dub: Well, I don't know if you knew this. Before Pete Carroll was with the Raiders for one year, he was with the Seahawks for a lot longer than that.
Tristan Amundson: Oh.
M dub: So so that slogan said, Go Hawks.
Tristan Amundson: Go Hawks.
