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CheezeTalk S2 Episode 32 Packers and Titans Talk Part 1
45 Plays5 months ago
In this episode, I sat down with Titans fan Sam and discussed the NFL Draft, his favorite player, most memorable game, etc... It's always a pleasure meeting fans from all over the world and getting a chance to talk shop with them!
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Transcript
Introduction & Guest Introduction
00:00:42
Speaker
Oh, that intro slaps. You like that? I do. I do. I like that. I like it a lot. What's up, everybody? Welcome to the Cheese Talk Podcast. I'm your host, Brian Rago. And tonight, I'm joined with joined by Sam, a.k.a. Mr. First Down.
Offseason Moves Discussion
00:01:00
Speaker
um I'll join with you. It's okay. You'll join with me. Whatever. Both football fans, as you can tell, he's a he's a Tennessee Titans fan. Guilty. um
00:01:11
Speaker
We'll be speaking tonight about the Packers and the Titans and where we think they are so far this offseason, some of the moves they have made. Get our own opinions on that. First, I want to give a shout out to the Open Network for letting me do this podcast under their umbrella. They,
Dinner Banter
00:01:30
Speaker
as of two minutes ago, are 30 followers away from giving away an 8 by 10 Jair Alexander autographed picture. Again, that's Ohana underscore Packers on Twitter or X, whatever you want to call it. You get what I'm talking about. it's It's Twitter. I don't care what anybody says. So Sam, what's up, man? How are you doing? Oh, I'm good, bud. How are you doing this evening? I'm doing fantastic. I had a nice dinner and kind of whited down the the weekend that was
Sam's Titans Fandom Journey
00:02:01
Speaker
not wal Awkward, but I stay out of political debate. So I'm just gonna yeah leave it at that and just talk about what joined us together, sports. Amen, brother. Let's do it. um' I'm always about that. What'd you eat? I actually had a had a double burger. We went to a restaurant, me and the wife and five kids. I had like a double burger. I had my pickled jalapenos. um yeah onion ring, bacon, oh pepper jack cheese, raw red onion and fries. It was it was pretty good.
00:02:38
Speaker
Hey, it sounds delicious to me. I had
Titans Draft Picks Discussion
00:02:40
Speaker
bruschetta, tons of bruschetta. Yeah. My wife made it. There was a family dinner the other night and it was leftover and I was like foolish, foolish of you to leave this in the fridge. Slowly empowered it. Yank. Bruschetta is the ultimate appetizer. i could but I could probably order eight plates of bruschetta and be perfectly happy in my life. Right. It's all about being happy, right? Yes, sir. So ah how long have you been a Titan fan for? Since they came in 1997. So that's 27 years. We said ah we were kind
Packers vs Titans Draft Comparison
00:03:20
Speaker
of under the understanding
00:03:22
Speaker
ah I remember my grandpa saying that, we like he goes, we're we're small time Sam, we're a small state. We're not gonna get a football team. you know and He goes, we might, if things grow the way they are. We were slowly growing, but not super big. Nashville was mostly just a music scene. And then the Titans came to town and it just skyrocketed everything. Now there's skyscrapers and all kinds of things there. But yeah, they started the ah first couple of years out in Memphis. Then they played at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville. And then finally,
Future Performance Speculation
00:04:00
Speaker
we got their stadium up. And here they are. They're here to stay. So yeah. yeah For the time being, right? Yeah, for the for the time being. Well, this the they just signed a brand new contract, and they're building the new stadium. So I think i think they're going to be here a little while.
00:04:16
Speaker
ah the I mean, not even a mile long, I don't think. Oh, wow. I mean, you'd have to be here to see the layout
NFL Team Projections & Contenders
00:04:40
Speaker
and everything. What is this crazy? You're like in this smaller city and all of a sudden, boom, there's a big stadium. I'll be there for the draft. Yeah. I'll be there. Yeah. I'll be there. Yeah. Awesome. So you mentioned that, didn't you? You're going to be here for the draft. I forgot about that. Yep.
00:04:57
Speaker
we're we're pretty ah We're pretty pumped. we started go we We decided that last year was the inaugural year that we were going to go to any draft we can get our hands on. So we did Detroit and now, so Green Bay is up next on the docket. Should be fun. What are you guys planning on seeing? We're looking at ah ah some hotels and some Airbnbs right now, but we haven't made any like firm decision.
Packers Past Performance Reflection
00:05:21
Speaker
as go say There's probably a lot of stuff that's booked out or if it's not booked out, it's pretty expensive to stay at. Well, like as soon as they announced it, it instantly got expensive. There's no way you can escape expensive. you know what i mean like As soon as they said, hey, it's going to Green Bay last year, you go on the internet and it's like, oh, look at that.
00:05:39
Speaker
plus yeah Well, even like when the even when the when they announced the schedules, the Packers, everything's booked up like within like a half an hour. Oh, yeah. what next mean everywhere i i I had some Packers fans that wanted to come down because you guys come down to our place
Memorable Titans Games
00:06:00
Speaker
in September. I think week three or week four, I can't remember. And I had some packer friends that are hitting me up for tickets. And I'm like, okay, I'm a season ticket member, so I get discounts. And I looked at them, and I'm like, this is is how much it is. You're still talking about a $250 ticket.
00:06:19
Speaker
And they're like, what? Why is it so expensive? I'm like, well, I don't know. You're legendary and stuff like that. and it's It's your own team's fault for being so awesome. So now know all the cash all the you know prices are jacked up. So don't don't come crying to me. Yeah. I'm thinking about being like an Uber driver for the draft. It's driving people around.
Iconic Players & NFL Moments
00:06:40
Speaker
right but we I get it free, right? I get it free. No, actually, I think I'm going to have my wife drop me off wherever it's barricaded. And I always walk to Lambo. That sounds awesome. i we're we We're looking at several hotels. One of them is down the street from it. One's, I think, an exit away or something like that. We were thinking, like, exit away. But man, if you forget something, you have to go all the way back. All the way back and all the way there. yeah so it's gonna be I can't even imagine. I know how it is on game day to have a lot of like two ways are one ways and cops are everywhere. Oh, yeah.
00:07:18
Speaker
Yeah, it's like really run
Football Strategies & Coaching
00:07:20
Speaker
it's so close to the main highway though, but it runs through central Wisconsin. So it's I 41. It's like. three blocks off of I-41 when you get off the exit. So it's like right there, you know, but. Yeah, it's amazing, though, because they always show drone shots or whatever. And like when we looked up parking, ah because we wanted to go to the game, I think two years ago, we wanted to go to the game up there. And there were like people's yards for parking. Yeah. It's not like, you know, you you come down to the Titans where it's like you go to this one, you go to this, you know, parking.
00:07:56
Speaker
Center and whatnot quiet computer. I'm talking so
Upcoming Games Banter
00:08:00
Speaker
the But like there's parking garages and stuff like that you go to So it's weird to see like hey pull up in my front yard but Well, there's houses right across in the state. I'm up and down Lombardi Avenue that people rent out just for the games during the year and They should. They probably make bank for it. I wish I had the cash to do it. I'd do it in the heart. Yeah. And they charge like 30, 40 bucks a car to park in the yard and stuff. That's crazy. and There's a church. So down here we have a church, the the first Nazarene church of Nashville. And ah they offer their stuff just a little bit cheaper.
00:08:38
Speaker
and they watch your car for it
Titans Draft Strategy
00:08:40
Speaker
and stuff, very nice people. So they're like, you know, ah so I gladly walked the mile to get to the stadium. It's not that bad. And it but it's all downhill. It's just that you hope you win because that walk back up is a lot more happier if you win. If you lose, you're down tech cast and slowly walking up. And then it rains, of course, and you're trying to make your way through. As long as you don't have a lot of, a lot of weight on, I mean, like clothes, clothes wise, you know, Jeff, my church and he's going to have a lot of stuff getting covered in water. Well, it's funny you say that because I wear three boas, two neck chains,
NFL Season Predictions
00:09:20
Speaker
and now I have a light up neck chain. I'm going to be wearing this. So yeah, I'm pretty layered. Uh, so when this starts raining, I'm like, ah, great. Yeah.
00:09:31
Speaker
You know, stoked to the bone, right? but So what we're almost there. Yeah, it's like what eight Sundays away something like that. seven mis sundayly way I believe that is correct. Yes, sir. What are your thoughts on the on ah the Titans draft this year? ah I liked it. i mean You were going to have to draft ah a tackle somewhere. That O-line last year was absolutely pathetic and awful. We wanted to see Will Levis, but all we saw was him getting
NFL Rivalries & Memorable Games
00:10:00
Speaker
destroyed over and over over and over again. ah So you knew you were goingnna we were going to have to draft offensive linemen. It was so funny.
00:10:09
Speaker
like the national media, I'm sure you go through this too, where the national media doesn't really know your team. So they just put somebody up there, like they're going to draft a wide receiver and blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, it's an offensive lineman, guys. They need protection. But it was so funny to see mock drafts with wide receivers on the first round. I was like, I don't think so. I don't think so, Chief. It's got to be <unk> got to be a lineman. It's not a pretty pick, but it's the necessary pick. Oh, Packers, they got a
Legendary Players Discussion
00:10:40
Speaker
lineman, too. Jordan Morgan. Yeah. I mean, means it's I have two dogs, too. Yeah. We knew like everyone was saying that kid from um from Iowa forgot his name already. That Cooper DeGene. Oh, yeah keep showing yeah. Yeah. People are like, no, we need a tackle. We need to be someone to replace Bach Tiari. You know, right. It wasn't like a like a
00:11:06
Speaker
like a pretty pick, but it's a project pick, you know what I'm saying? Absolutely. and And we got what we desperately need in Cooper and Javon Bullard. And we got a nice backup to Josh Jacobs at Marshall
Future NFL Prospects & Rebuilding
00:11:20
Speaker
and Lloyd. o We got, I mean, Kaitlyn King, round seven, cornerback out of Penn State. Yep. Would have went first round last year. Yep. Michael Pratt, Pratt out of Tulane quarterback. that like, I mean, Packers picked awesome. Yeah, you know, I they've filled their needs. They switched to the 43 defense. I think they drafted there a lot of safety and they drafted. Some linebackers. Well, you need a defensive help anyway, right? That that's that killed us last year. Yeah, that's that was my understanding. I had ah a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth in
Football Strategies & Coaching Philosophies
00:12:00
Speaker
my text chain with my Packers friends. Yeah, but I.
00:12:04
Speaker
It is what it is, you know, it's, I mean, we switched, you got a new defensive coordinator, so hopefully he can kind of help solve some of the issues. Um, we brought in, um, Xavier McKinney, the free agent, and we got Jevon Bullard. I think they both bring some swag along with a swag that's already in place with Jario Alexander. Ah, yes. Mr. Alexander. And, uh, I just think that, uh, defense Defense is what we've got to work on. and We've shown that our offense is lethal.
NFL Game Strategies
00:12:40
Speaker
You expect Jordan Love to keep flourishing then? i I think so. I really do. I mean, the receivers that we have, we have a good solid six receivers. And we met you and I were talking off air, who do you think number one is going to be?
00:12:59
Speaker
I think if you get Christian Watts and anywhere close to 100% healthy, his speed and how much of a athletic freak he is, I think he would be receiver number one. like I can see that. Dubs are Reed, number two. But then we have Don
Bears Draft Decisions
00:13:20
Speaker
Tabering-Wicks, we have Malik Heath, we got Bo Melton. We have people that can definitely produce. so people There are some people that are really high on wicks when I was looking stuff up. they're They're very high on him. I'm still sticking with Christian Watson. i ah Hamstrings be damned. He'll figure it out. They sent him to UW-Madison in the off season to get that all looked at and everything. and They think they kind of got to figure it out. So we'll see where he's at in preseason and then hopefully the hamstrings
00:13:53
Speaker
kill stays stays away from Green Bay. I know they got a new anew conditioning and strength program.
Team Rebuilding Challenges
00:14:00
Speaker
There are people that run it. you know So hopefully they're making changes to help help the team out. No, I totally get it. We have new everything as well. We fired Mike Vrabel, which I hated. ah But I understand that if you were going to make a move, it was you might as well do it when you're going to have a lot of cap space. and a top 10 draft pick. So they made the move. And I have a new everything from top to bottom. I have a new everything. um It's always funny because these fans, like nobody around the league will say Mike Rabel is a bad coach. but Nobody's gonna say it because they all
Titans & Packers Future Speculations
00:14:40
Speaker
know he is. he's got He's got a bad luck of the draw with some bad teams. They fired the GM halfway through the year two years ago and he was trying to make something out of nothing and it just wasn't working.
00:14:52
Speaker
So I find it really funny um when people are just like, all right, brand new things. So this new toy is going to be better, right? Well, that's not always the case. We hired Brian Callahan and I hope it works out. But this is no longer a running offense. We're throwing the football this year. We're going to throw it 60% of the time. And that's going to blow some people's minds. I was like, no, they'll still run it. I was like, they are not going to run it as much. Because number one,
NFL Team Performance Analysis
00:15:20
Speaker
King Henry is not back there anymore. And two, the running back, you do have Tajay Spears out of too late, another two-lane guy.
00:15:28
Speaker
ah is ah mainly a speed guy and a catching guy. So that that's the offense that's about to be run here. And I'm intrigued to see it, but boy, I'm more just hoping it works. I just hope not just open work yeah i Yeah, I'm not sure what the Packers' third game plan would be. I'm sure they're going to try to split it, because I mean, we have all the offensive the receivers that, you know, and plus you got Kraft and Musker every time you end. But then you bring in Josh Jacobs. I
Memorable Packers Moments
00:16:00
Speaker
mean, they brought back AJ Dillon. I think more is like a veteran leadership role on the ah on the offense. But I think Marshawn Lowey is going to be our second running back behind Josh Jacobs. Makes sense. And it's just.
00:16:17
Speaker
If Marshall and Lloyd can produce in kind in the NFL, how he produced in college is going to be crazy running game in Green Bay, which then on the other side will open up the past game for the Packers, which will just go hand in hand. And it's just, you know, that's quite the rebuild the Packers had, you know, everyone say, no, it's a rebuilding year because they lost Aaron Rodgers. They lost Aaron Rodgers. Well, there wasn't too much of a rebuild. If you ask
NFL Season Expectations
00:16:40
Speaker
me, besides the quarterback, you know, and Nobody likes to rebuild, ah as people like to say. Now, you might be rebuilding or what I think somebody called it a soft rebuild.
00:16:54
Speaker
um But like the the bottom line is coaches don't want to do that. They just want to, like even if your quarterback's deficient, they still want to carry on the season and make it work. And they will find the ways to make it work. Matt LaFleur, when he was offensive coordinator, was a master at the play action pass. He still is a master at the play action pass. It wouldn't surprise me if they get it going this year. It wouldn't surprise me if he has some tricks up his
Team Dynamics & Future Prospects
00:17:20
Speaker
sleeve. that It wouldn't surprise me if Jordan Love flourishes. But yeah wait there's what we think is going to happen because we always see it in Vegas and everywhere else that this is going to happen. This is going to happen. Heavy money here or whatever then flips on you. I think my question is, though, like looking at everything and whatever else is when I look at the league as a whole,
00:17:43
Speaker
that who who is it on the NFC side, right? It's Eagles, Cowboys, Packers, and 49ers. Oh, and ah your arch nemesis, the Detroit Lions, but I don't know. I have an eyebrow raise at the Detroit Lions. There's going to be some sort of hangover from that to
Future NFL Seasons Predictions
00:18:00
Speaker
Bockel at the end of the year. But I just kind of look at it like, and the AFC, it's just the Chiefs. no no one No one can get by them. No one can do anything with them so but every every year it's the same article it comes out every year for the last five years is CJ Stroud and the Texans the ones that overthrow the Chiefs or the you know are the Buffalo Bills going to overthrow the Chiefs and everything it's it's always so oh Joe Burrow and the Bengals are they going to overthrow the Chiefs and it they just still stand tall
00:18:35
Speaker
So, whoever it is on the NFC side, I'm like, okay, it's the Chiefs versus whoever. I don't even think about the
Team Rebuilding Strategies
00:18:40
Speaker
AFC who it's going to be. It's going to be the Chiefs until proven otherwise. Yeah, I think one too in the NFC this year is going to be Sam Fran and then Green Bay. I like it. I like it a lot. Y'all have some unfinished business with them. Yeah, yeah yeah we do. And I think It's going to be we're gonna be, I think we're going to be run heavy and a different and it's going to have the same impact, if not more than we had when we had Aaron Jones, you know. so Right. I mean, the 49ers are mortal. They're a mortal team. It's just people either either A, your
Player Dynamics & Season Expectations
00:19:20
Speaker
your team shoots itself in the foot.
00:19:22
Speaker
or ah they just outlast you because they have better athletes. It's just how they operate. I mean, I think we all saw the Super Bowl last year, right? Everybody everybody in their right mind with what, under two minutes or a little over it, you go over there and you tell your team if you're the 49ers, hey, guess what? Patrick Mahomes doesn't see the field again for the rest of the game. and But then they go out there and just kind of, Poop the bed and and then give Patrick Mahomes way too much time to take care of business. And that kind of stuff always makes
Football Strategies & Prospects
00:20:00
Speaker
me laugh. but Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers, they could be so brilliant at times and then just so not the next, especially in like the biggest moment, like just the absolute biggest moment.
00:20:13
Speaker
Yeah. Well, the Packers did beat the Chiefs last year. So we have, we have that going for us. yeah That's right. So they didn't want you, they didn't want you back there. That's what they, they didn't want you. Yeah. No, Packers. It just clicked for him at one point last year and they wanted to tear, you know? Right. The, the Cowboys game was stunning. I mean, like yeah I was sitting in the car. Uh, do you remember, um,
Team Strategies & Rebuilding Efforts
00:20:40
Speaker
the Disney cartoon Robin Hood from back in the day. A long time ago, the Weasley little prince, I was that guy. I was like, kill him, kill him. Like, because the cowboy, God bless him. There's just not a lot of like, the only person that cares about the Cowboys are the Cowboys fans. Let's just be honest, right? yeah You know, but when when the Cowboys are losing, everybody's just laughing at Jerry as he's crying in his box. yeah know I don't know why this is happening.
00:21:08
Speaker
It's happening, Jerry, because you destroy your team every year anyway. But ah it it was so enjoyable watching that game. And Jordan Love and the Packers offense could do absolutely nothing wrong.
NFL Team Performance Predictions
00:21:20
Speaker
and They just marched all over them. But the scene of the people in that stadium was the best part. They were just losing their minds. And I get it. I get it. If I was a Cowboys fan, I'm like, you know, they go through the regular season and they just look so good and then they get there and it's just, I don't know how to explain it. They keep losing in the first round over and over and over again. It's stunning to me. Absolutely. We saw it. We saw it from the same head coach ah here in Green Bay for for a little bit. You're really good in the regular season. Then when you get to the playoffs, you you poop the bed, you know, and
Team Rebuilding & Player Development
00:22:00
Speaker
it was stunning to watch that game last year. I mean, that's,
00:22:03
Speaker
The funny thing about Dallas... The funny thing about that is the Packers have more playoff wins in Jerry World and the than the Cowboys do. Oh, that see, that that just blows my mind. Oh my gosh. That's just hilarious. And it just seems like the reaction of Mike McCarthy is this it makes it even better. yeah he looks He looks like I'm dead inside. like That's what he did. He just stares off into the distance or whatnot. I hateed i hated seeing that whole thing with the
00:22:38
Speaker
him and, ah
Player Performances & Coaching Impact
00:22:40
Speaker
you know, Rogers the whole time. I was like, this is going to be ugly. And it was, it was ugly all in the way through. But it happens. I mean, look, these, these, everybody always likes to make fun of the team going through it, but you won't hear it from me because I was there for the Vince Young and Jeff Fisher fight. So every everybody's going to get a turn at this eventually. Dom Van Dapp and Andy Reid, everybody gets a turn to where the quarterback and head coach decide they don't like. ah Brady and Belichick. like It comes for everybody eventually. Yeah, it's crazy to see how that works out, it isn't it? e It's like, gosh,
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:23:20
Speaker
you guys were so successful together. What happened? but you that was just like
00:23:26
Speaker
you know, you bring in Matt Lafleur, you know, the offensive tree that he comes from and then you have a ah successful quarterback as his quarterback that. the floor relays in a play. I mean, you can almost guarantee this happened several times during the game. And Rogers audibles out of it. And you know what I'm saying? So you have, aaron stream he changes the play during the game. But now you see Jordan Love trusting what the floor is telling him and trusting all of his receivers. And you can actually see
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:24:00
Speaker
the offense that the floor wants to run is out there on the field and people can't stop it.
00:24:05
Speaker
Yeah, no, yeah you have to be you have to be on your A game. The only way you're going to stop a proficient offense is if your D line is up to snuff. That's the only way you're going to stop. And if your D line is not the snuff, you know you're not going to get much. hu How did we win against you guys two years ago? Jeffrey Simmons in the middle of the defensive line, that that was the only reason we won. is it because that we weren't going to stop you through the air because we were horrible. We might still be, but we don't know yet. mean You never know. Yeah. it will
Football Strategies & Expectations
00:24:40
Speaker
Watch it reverse. I won't have a good D line, but I'll have a good secondary. and I'll be like, okay, whatever. but One day I want it all, baby. I just want it all. All in one place. Right.
00:24:51
Speaker
Do you have an all-time favorite Titan? All-time favorite Titan. It has to be the great number 27, Eddie George. Eddie George. Eddie George. I have never seen a man work as hard as he did. He worked so hard. um I remember he would cry when we would lose and he'd get so mad. I remember the battles because we were in the AFC Central with the Browns
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:25:20
Speaker
and the Bengals. Oh, the Browns, the Ravens, and the Steelers. Bengals, Ravens, Steelers. I'm sorry. Bengals, Ravens, Steelers.
00:25:31
Speaker
And him and, oh, who's the linebacker for the Ravens? Ray Lewis. Ray Lewis. Ray Lewis and Eddie George. You can look up footage. It was a bloodbath. They hated each other. One time Ray Lewis popped Eddie's shoulder out of socket and Eddie walked over to the wall and put it back in and walked back. out the up the field And I said, they don't do that anymore. here you know yeah's crazy Yeah. But Eddie
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:26:00
Speaker
and he said the only reason he was able to win the game was he was willing to die on the field to get those yards. like that's That's how he played. It was so vicious. I'm surprised he's still standing, but like to be honest. Yeah, he he coaches a college down here in Tennessee now, TSU.
00:26:19
Speaker
okay Yeah, eddie's ah Eddie's a terrific guy, a great guy. Happy to have him um as my number one favorite Titan. i just I love the whole crowd chaining Eddie back in the day. It's hard to forget, i could still I could still hear it. Yeah, my ah my favorite Packer of all time is Charles
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:26:40
Speaker
Woodson. Big time. I bet if you thought about it, you know who my favorite Packer would be. He was with the Eagles on the defensive line, and then you guys picked him up. ah The minister, the minister. Reggie White, Reggie White, yeah. Yeah, Reggie White from the University of Tennessee. yep And I just remember, yeah gosh, I don't think there's ever been a better defensive end than him. He's just, he was exquisite to watch, and I'm glad he got his championship.
00:27:13
Speaker
Yeah, ah he was he was quite the quite the player too. Gone too soon, for sure. Absolutely.
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:27:21
Speaker
The doctor says you can't sleep, ladies and gentlemen. That's the bottom line. Yeah. The thing is, he probably didn't know he had it, you know? Probably didn't, but I mean, then he had these things where he's like, I wake up and I can't breathe. I'm like, so go to the doctor. but yeah Yeah, I'm fine now. No way.
00:27:43
Speaker
go to the doctor oh What's what's the most memorable game that you that you've witnessed that I've witnessed in person just in person or on TV or Was it there the Music City Miracle? No, I wasn't there.
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:28:00
Speaker
I'll i'll tell you i'll give you two of them. For the Music City Miracle, I was in the car. I think I'm 11 or 10 at the time. And I'm crying. we We've lost to the bills. This is it. And my dad, like like all fathers, like we are going to do to our kids, you know hey, these things happen. Sometimes you just don't get it.
00:28:19
Speaker
you know and stuff he's consoling the poor child who's just my dreams are just crushed and then I hear Mike Keith the Titans play-by-play announcer going there are no flags on the field it's a miracle it's a miracle for the Titans and my dad turned it back up and he goes well after he gave me this hey you know
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:28:40
Speaker
the the he goes and sometimes that happens
00:28:44
Speaker
They had 17 seconds. I don't know how they want it. So um I remember that. And then of course we went home and we saw the highlights on Sports Center over and over. It's crazy how nuts that play has become. Some people consider it the best special teams play ever. put on there, and I'm i'm just like, jeez. And if you ever look up the history of that play, how Kevin Dyson had no idea what to do. He was almost in the wrong space at the wrong time. Frank Wojciech wasn't supposed to get the ball, but Lorenzo
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:29:20
Speaker
Neil didn't want to pass it, so he gave it to Frank. It's amazing. These three guys were like, oh, no, no, I don't want to do this. They did it, and it worked.
00:29:32
Speaker
So it just goes to show you how random football could be. But my favorite game, if you remember, there was this quarterback named Peyton Manning, he was in my division for a little bit, ah like almost 20 years of just straight mopping the floor with the Texans, the Titans and the Jags every single year, we couldn't get him. So the the times you could get him, were the most memorable. And in 2008,
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:30:00
Speaker
we had the number one rushing attack in the NFL. And Kerry Collins was keeping everything steady at quarterback while Vince Young was going cuckoo, go nuts. So, anyway, bad bad memory. Anyway, so that in 2008, they're walking in. I remember our linebacker, Keith Bullock.
00:30:21
Speaker
still love to this day. He points over there towards the Colts walking down the field. And he says, you see them? They don't want to give us respect. We have to take our respect. because they have just whipped us again and again. And the Titans went out there and they
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:30:40
Speaker
they were down, so gosh, it was like 14 nothing in the first quarter. And then all of a sudden, they just started firing on all cylinders. They started running the ball. ah Albert Haynesworth defensive tackle, Kyle Fandibos defensive end, Jevon curse defensive end.
00:30:56
Speaker
They kept pet Peyton almost on his back or restless in the pocket all night. And we took that game, we won. And that's when we were the head of the week. We had finally beaten the Colts after all these years. And that's the one I remember because I could not believe that they had finally stuck it to him and the implications of that game. where the Titans were going to win the division for the first
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:31:20
Speaker
time in ah a long time. But it was nice to know I wasn't the only one because there were three other teams, two other teams with us that were like, why can't we kill this man? And it's a testament to Peyton Manning's brilliance. He was a brilliant, brilliant football mind.
00:31:35
Speaker
He wasn't going to out physical, but he would outsmart you every single time. That was his game. And that's going to win every single time too. Yeah. when they can't ah You know, when you outsmart the opponent, you know. Yeah. Well, he said, I think in his retirement speech, he goes, there are always people that could out physical me and out hit me and outwork me, but no one could outsmart me. And he was 100% right. Now
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:32:00
Speaker
it didn't always work, but I mean, like we're talking, he could barely throw the ball in Denver. He still got a super bowl out of it. You know, it's, it's amazing ah to see that. And then, Hey, that's one reason we watch. We we want to see these guys do it, you know,
00:32:17
Speaker
Not as not as cool as Aaron Rodgers throwing multiple Harold Hill marries in one season. That sir was crazy. That game in Detroit. Yeah. That was that game, and then it was against ah Arizona, Arizona. Yeah, had that one. The jet was a Jeff Janis. Yeah. The one in Detroit was the Richard
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:32:40
Speaker
Rodgers. But yeah, that was crazy. like I don't think I've ever jumped that high off the ground in my life. I least sat there and we're like eating dinner at that time. And I just, we all look up at the screen and they're like, that's two Hill Marys in one season. And we're just like, God dang it. but there's no No one's going to stop them. But we we had said it multiple, if Aaron Rodgers is on, you're you're you're not going to win. Like he he won't be stopped. The light switch is on, he's going to win. That's just all there is to it.
00:33:11
Speaker
Right, yeah, like I say in all my podcasts, i um i'm I'm thankful for what he did. I'm just glad that that we've moved on.
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:33:20
Speaker
Yeah, there comes a time when the party has to be over. And it could be too soon or it could be too late or it could be at the right time. Most of the time, it's too late because people want to hold on to these people and make it work. The Saints obviously had no answer after Drew Brees was won. They had zero answer. And I get it. He's a legendary Hall of Famer guy. But I think what we're seeing now in the way the league is set up, the the quarterback market is so bad.
00:33:54
Speaker
in the league right now. It's it's bad, right? you got You got guys like Jacoby Percet that are
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:34:00
Speaker
making top dollar because they can manage a football game because there's not a lot of people out there. So what do you do? You draft somebody and try and and try to make it work. You guys drafted Jordan Love. You are doing your best to make it work. You can't just keep relying on guys like like the Colts did with Phillip Rivers and Matt Ryan. It didn't work. You have to take the plunge. It's scary. I get it. If you're wrong, you've set your team back three years.
00:34:26
Speaker
But history as shown in football and in other areas of life as well, that fortune favors the bull. You gotta take the dive. Somebody's gonna give it. i I don't know if Will Levis is the answer in Tennessee. We're gonna find out.
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:34:40
Speaker
that's That's just how it is. That's how it works. Speaking of setting franchises back three years, what do you think about what do you think about the Bears drafting Caleb Williams? Oh, boy, boy. I cannot wait to put that in a loss column in week one. i just I'm not trying to be mean or anything. The Bears have just had a horrible time. They they have had a horrible time. Partly their fault. Another part is just rotten luck.
00:35:09
Speaker
um They come out there with Caleb Williams. Our defensive tackle was on the Rich Eisen show, Jeffrey Simmons, and he says, I can't wait to smash those painted nails that he has. well think
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:35:20
Speaker
The thing I don't get, okay. I'm a huge Wisconsin Badgers fan, so I've seen Ohio State quarterbacks in my lifetime. yeah Justin Fields is the one that I was going pro that I've been most, not afraid, but like most worried about playing. He has all the attributes you need to be a successful quarterback. Yeah, you just need somebody to cultivate it. And so you you bring in DJ Moore, yeah you get Kenan Allen.
00:35:50
Speaker
you're on pace, you're getting the first on first pick of the draft. You could bring in Marvin Harrison Jr. Instead, you trade the quarterback.
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:36:00
Speaker
It's like you're punishing the quarterback because your offensive staff couldn't do anything for him. So instead of getting rid of the root of the problem, the coaching staff, you get rid of the player. Now, I hope he goes to Pittsburgh and it lights it up. Yeah, where serious wouldn't that just be? Wouldn't that just be poetic justice and Caleb Williams doing nothing? We didn't nobody. I got I got him week one, so I will do my best to smack him around for you. But you know what I'm saying? Like why don't you? Why don't you go after the coaches that under underproduce with him? You know what I'm saying? no So here's what I think. I think
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:36:40
Speaker
Eber Flus got up there and he says it's not my fault. It's this offensive staff we've assembled.
00:36:47
Speaker
Like, it'll be better. Trust me, everything will be better. is it It feels just like a typical coach job of, I want to keep my job so I'll make this move to make it look like I'm trying to do something. I don't think Eber Flus has done anything as a head coach. I don't think he's good enough as a head coach. And now he gets first year at a rookie quarterback trying to make it work. ah just yeah It's like they're just trying to force things there. And it's like good good luck good luck throwing the ball to these weapons when you're gonna be on your back within a
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:37:20
Speaker
matter of three seconds. you And i is I just don't see it being successful, especially when you look at
00:37:26
Speaker
look at the Packers or the last 30 years, what they've done at quarterback. They've drafted their guy and it let them sit for four or five years. remember Yeah, it's a rarity. You don't do that. They don't throw him in the fire and let them be give him nothing to work with the first his first game, at first and you're in the first year in a week. And I think that's going to hurt Caleb Williams big time. you know I think so too. I feel bad for the kid. I'll be curious. I'll be watching Mr. Fields as well, because more than likely, Russell Wilson's going to start for Pittsburgh.
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:38:01
Speaker
We'll see how long they can put up with it until ah he gets his chance. But you see people like Iber Flus did that with the Bears. Doug Peterson did it with the Jaguars as well. He fired everyone on his offensive staff. And it feels just one of those like last ditch effort like, hey, it's you know, everything will be fine after I get rid of all these people, you know, and it's just like, boy, that just that just reeks like something terrible is about to happen. Yeah. Well, I mean, like the floor, I mean, they got rid of Joe Berry. They got rid of and they brought in that rich that I can't pronounce his last name from
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:38:40
Speaker
the Raiders. Special teams coordinator. Okay. He's like, he's like an assistant coach, but I mean, I don't know. It's the floor. I think the floor is a hell of a coach. I really, he just, he just, it is a sharp minded guy. Yeah.
00:38:56
Speaker
Yeah, he's a he's a super nice dude too. I've I've gotten a chance to talk to him a few times. That's awesome. Yeah, actually I coached his his youngest kid in basketball a couple years ago. Oh cool. I got a chance to because I live i'm I'm right outside of Green Bay up here. So right. now But yeah, super nice family. But I I just think Tennessee he was he was obviously a very sharp individual. Well, yeah,
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:39:20
Speaker
and you can tell that here. He's like very attention to detail and. You know, it's just. Players love playing for him. You know, he's not some 80 year old guy that's walking the sidelines and no one can relate to it. You know what I'm saying? but I think too with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback being the age difference with a lot of players in the locker room, people felt like they're walking on eggshells with him.
00:39:42
Speaker
Well, I better do this right or I'm not going to get the ball. Well, if you don't get the ball and you don't produce, guess what? You don't get money. I got to get money. So they're trying to do the right thing. They they didn't want to be that odd man out and have all the darts thrown at them. You know what I'm saying? So I think were this last year was this is a glimpse of what we're going to see in the future. And it's
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:40:00
Speaker
it's good. You know what I'm saying? it's <unk> it's It's a positive for the Packers. And I'm glad we're we're we are where we are, I guess. You do have one of my, uh, my, uh, I have a soft spot in my heart for a Clifford on your core in your quarterback. then You might be the th third string quarterback. I know. I know. I love the guy. I thought he did. I thought he did great in college and everybody box to me. And I said, Tucker's got a real winner there. Shut up, Sam. Yeah. Now you might be the practice squad quarterback. Oh, man. Poor Sean. Oh, man. I think Pratt's going to be the the second straight forward. Is he really? Wow. Goodness.
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:40:40
Speaker
Poor Clifford. But even with Clifford, I saw him in the previous season last year. And in games, he came in. He drops back. He makes his read. He throws a nice ball. And he gets the ball. I mean, he has a football mind, for sure. Right. I kind of looked at him and said, when he was in college, I think it was for the Pitney Lions.
00:40:57
Speaker
and he uh uh i don't know i just i loved his pocket presence he got the ball out nice and clean i just i was like hey i like the kid i don't like him because i'm ah i'm a badger fan so only Only exception I make is it was like when Woodson played for the Wolverines and i was a bad and um obviously I was a
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:41:20
Speaker
Badger fan, but watching him play defense and special teams and some he's playing receiver at some times for Michigan, it just he played the game the way it should be played.
00:41:30
Speaker
absolutely in and And I'll admit, you know, obviously I'm a huge cheese head, but I do have a ah Charles Woodson Raiders jersey that's back from when they went to the Super Bowl against the Buccaneers back in 2003 or whatever it was. But. Yeah, i've I like Woodson a lot. he He just played the game the way he's supposed to be played, you know? Yeah, no, he played he played it to its core, right? I mean, look, you're talking to the guy
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:42:00
Speaker
to deal with Derek Henry being from Alabama. You know how annoying it is to hear Roll Tide Roll and ah in your professional football stadium? oh Yeah.
00:42:10
Speaker
yeah the ah alabama In the SEC, the Alabama fans are very entitled let's just say let's just say that so do you think with with the save and leave and that's gonna change a little bit i think they're gonna struggle a little bit i don't think they're gonna like just fall off the deep end or anything like that i i but i do think they're gonna struggle because this guy um I mean, he's no Nick Saban. He's a successful coach. I don't think he's a bad coach or anything. But there's always a changeover when you make
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:42:40
Speaker
a coaching change, right? Sometimes it's for the better. Sometimes for it's work for the worse. And I think they're going to be a little bad. I think they're going to lose probably four.
00:42:50
Speaker
ah somewhere and somebody is going to smack him in the mouth that we weren't expecting like an Arkansas or a Southern Miss or Ole Miss or something. Ole Miss always gives Alabama trouble for whatever. Ole Miss could lose every game in its season but somehow beat Alabama. The one win the one win is against Alabama. Yeah, yeah, no, no joke. you If you look at them, they they always have trouble and they'll win. They'll beat Ole Miss, but it'll be by like a field goal or one point. Auburn and
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:43:20
Speaker
Ole Miss give them the most trouble. We're not sure why. We think there's some voodoo magic or something going on because you could look at each depth chart and say, Alabama is going to destroy that team. And then here comes Ole Miss. And it's like, wow, they just put 14 on them. What's going on?
00:43:36
Speaker
Like, you know, and then a couple there's a couple of years where Ole Miss got them for no reason whatsoever. So it's just, I mean, like we all have those teams, right? There's always the teams that know how to needle you or whatever. For example, Jeff Fisher. Never lost to Tom Coughlin. He always beat him every single time. Coughlin, ah Jeff Fisher
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:44:00
Speaker
never beat, that was the head coach for the Chargers. I can't remember his name. He had a weird name. Man, in the 2000s, it bothers me. North Turner, he could not beat North Turner, no matter what he did. We could have the far superior team.
00:44:17
Speaker
couldn't beat it. So there's always these coaches whose philosophy always somehow trumps the other one. Is that way in college? Is that way in the NFL? There's just some people you can't beat, right? look the the The Bears can't beat the Packers. No, they can't. No matter if they have a better team or not. ah i remember I remember the one-legged Aaron Rodgers game.
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:44:41
Speaker
I remember it because I was sitting there like, if they were going to beat the Packers, now would be the time they still didn't win. It was, oh man, unbelievable. You could tell at the end of the game, the interview with Aaron riders, he was on some good stuff. Oh yeah. No, they were, they were launching that guy. There was a bunch of hot needles in a bag somewhere.
00:45:02
Speaker
just ah they say but these point likeways you know maybe they one They've won straight. It's just a minor strain, a minor strain on his foot. I have the stats somewhere written down where like Aaron Rodgers record
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:45:20
Speaker
against the Bears and his stats and Brett fires and it's just crazy how we've owned the Bears the last 30. 30, I don't know. They've done something. they're're so The bears have done something wrong. Maybe somebody peed on a Aztec temple wall of Mexico or something. Something has happened to the bears. They cannot beat the cheese. They just can't do it. um Do you fear, I have to ask you this because I don't get a chance to talk to a lot of you people up here. um Do you fear the Detroit Lions? Like do you see, no, okay.
00:45:55
Speaker
They beat us in Green Bay. We beat them in Detroit. you know Yeah, I see them. And
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:46:00
Speaker
I just see a team that is talented. To be sure, they're talented. But they they they seem to have trouble pulling the trigger when they need to do it. And like if it seems like if they come out and they get a lead, they'll just be fine. But if they don't get a lead and they have to fight for it, it it turns into a boxing match, then then they struggle. It's really interesting. Yeah, no, I don't really don't. um No, I don't really fear. I mean, I know they they've had a number the last few years, but it is what it is. You know, you can't win them all now. I rather lose the Lions and lose of the Bears, I guess. You're you're you're in a good space. Trust me, I'm in the AFC South, so
Player Dynamics & Game Outcomes
00:46:40
Speaker
it's whoever can somebody beat Houston. I don't know, maybe. yeah
00:46:46
Speaker
us and the Colts and the Jags are all looking at each other. You want to do it? You, you want to do it. You did the Spiderman meme or there's all three points. Yeah, exactly. Who's going to you want to do it? Okay. So should be interesting. Right. Now, do I, I have you on later on, don't I? Yeah. We need to do it again. I have to go through my phone and check it out. I'd have to check too. Cause I, I was thinking about maybe making this like a, like a two point, a two part, Oh, I'm in. I have to wear a different shirt. That's
Rebuilding Strategies & Future Prospects
00:47:20
Speaker
fine. I wear the neon glowing necklace so you can't see my face. It's just bright light all in your eyes the entire time. July 21st. OK. But did you want to cool me, wrap this one up, and then we'll continue on July 21st? Whatever you mean. Last question for you, though, before we go, what's your favorite kind of cheese?
00:47:40
Speaker
My favorite kind of what? Cheese. Oh, dude. Lacey Swiss all day. Lacey Swiss all day. Love it. I'm going with ghost pepper. Cheese. Ghost peppers up there. Munsters up there too. Man. Everybody has their cheese. I'll go Lacey Swiss because I love putting it on a nice BLT sandwich. Yeah. It just goes so well. Yeah. I'll go with a nice Lacey Swiss. And by the way, I did post the picture when I had for dinner on on Twitter. So you have to go on my profile and look for it oh like a hundred. I'm going to unlike it and like it a bunch of times. one two That's what I'm going to do. Oh, my goodness. Anyway.
00:48:24
Speaker
Thank you for having me on. I appreciate it. Yeah, thanks for being on. Well, this is part one. We'll we'll do part two on July 21st. Again, where can people find you at? People can find me on Twitter at Mr. First Access. Well, there it is. All my name right there. You can find me on the LTS show. We go live every Monday and ah Thursday. ah Monday we're going to be talking some because we're all sports so we get we get to cover tennis and hockey and baseball but ah last week we had on Thursday we had the AFC West last week and we all expect the Chiefs to win go figure and now we'll have the NFC but ah West this week.
00:49:03
Speaker
So i I imagine we'll see how high the Rams are on everybody's list and we'll go through it and everything. So you can catch us at 8pm Central on the Let's Talk Sports Network. The link's in my Twitter and all that stuff. and I share it all the time in our chats. I'm like, that do it, do it, share it, share it, share it now. Anyway, but ah yeah, and I also have a, if anybody's in the wrestling, I have a wrestling show on the LTS network. Whoa. Is that the, is that the girl from the ring? That was terrifying. That's my, that's my, my seven year old.
00:49:35
Speaker
Oh, hey how do you do hi. doing? Hi. So we do that. ah If you're into wrestling, we we go live every Tuesday and Friday at 8 p.m. Central. Also of the Let's Talk Sports Network. If you need anything, like we have multiple shows on the Let's Talk Sports Network. So if you ever want to watch it, come on. We got tons of stuff, even for Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Who are they? I don't know, dude. yeah I don't know. They wave a towel in the air, dude. ah Terrible towel. It's a terrible idea. I'm going to grab a fork and go and just wave it. It's a terrible fork. It's awful.
00:50:11
Speaker
Right on. Well, again, Sam, I appreciate it. We'll continue this chat in a week or so, and we'll continue part two. And maybe we'll have you on the future pass. And once you season the season starts, we'll get you on whenever whenever you're free. Absolutely. Give me get me on the week before we play each other so I can just look daggers into your eyes a little. And we'll get you on before, and we'll get you on after. Hey, I'll do it. I'm down. Unless unless I lose, then I'm going to be sick. All right. All right. Well, again, thank you, Sam. I appreciate it. Have a good night, buddy. You too, bud. See you later. Yep. See you.