Big Red Rage - Conner, O-Line Aim For Physicality

Talk to an agent today at eight hundred State Farm, Tan buy Arizona Cardinals Podcasts, Visit Acy Cardinals dot Com, Slash Podcasts, The Rods, Rising Guard, Temperature, Rising Vision, Flurring, Rage taking over. Here's Paul Kelvc. I'm ready. I'm one hundred percent ready. I'm telling you I'm ready, and Ron will flee. It doesn't get any better than that. Unleash the far gonna drill down a little deeper right off

the top. Tonight's episode is not only brought to us by santan four, but specifically by the F one fifty and the Super Duty because Ron Wolfley, as you know, when you have James Connor in studio, we're gonna truck someone tonight. Oh yeah, Paullie, forget about the rams and Raiders. Okay, the Big Red Rage is the original Thursday night football. James, welcome in, and as you hear wolf laugh over there, I have to say, you tell me true or false?

The one constant, if any, between making the move from Pittsburgh to the As would be the voice of a wolf Lake Christ Wolfley with the Steelers and Ron with the Cardinals. True or false? Man, that's that's a hundred true, hundred true. Many phenomenal people bring great energy and it makes me feel feel like I'm still at home. You know. I just Wolfley mandate. That does my people. So I love a Wolfley. So, James, I gotta ask you, man. First of all, Craig says hello. He told me to

make sure you say that to James. Has anyone ever walked up to you and said it's always dreary in Erie. I've heard that once. It's twice. I've heard that once as fice. But we get nice days up there too, though we get some nice days. But uh, Erie, Man, yeah, I've heard that, you know, dreary Erie to something like to say, but man, I love this. I love What was it with James? What was it like growing up on the lake in Erie, Pennsylvania Bad. It was awesome. It was awesome to me. I did you know they

you know, I just love home. Um. And then me especially being the youngest with about my brothers. Uh, you know, I just always just awesome to be with them and have them. But I mean it gets super super cold up there, that lake effects snow um. Taking trips to Edinburgh and Buffalo, and you know, it's just I was just surrounded by the code and water. So you know, that's that's kind of what made me. You know, Erie Eries definitely what made me. But it was awesome growing

up there. I love I love the city. I loved people in the city and everything about it. How many older brothers? I got four older brothers four. It was a couple of years ago, was flag football in a bunch of ten year olds and there was one kid and he was dominating and I mean dominating, and and someone said, what are you feeding him? And the mom said, no, he has three older brothers. Yeah, to what degree was at an advantage? Seriously, because you're always trying to match

the bigger and older kids in your own family. Probably right, of course, of course. Yeah, we had a little cement cement block like patch in the backyard with with a hoop on it and me being the youngest, and my brothers though, they were about there playing twenty one, and it was just the hardest thing in the world was

for me to just get a rebound, you know. So when I got the round kids, you know, my size, my age, you know, I was just I would dominating, just trying to jump all over him getting rebounds and everything, just because you know, just playing with my my brothers. You know it definitely, it definitely makes you tough. They mold you, you know, to the athlete that you are for sure. So James, I gotta ask you, man, your your brothers, um, older brothers, were they as big as you or bigger?

They're they're all bigger than me. They're all bigger than Yeah, Um, you had their their monster man oldest, my oldest brothers like six four, you know, two forty, some other brothers sixty three, you know, like two sixty you know, the other brothers six two, a little heavier than me. So, I mean they're there. They they some big dudes. Man. Is that one of the reasons maybe you ended up on the defensive side of the ball. I believe, so

I definitely believe. So, you know, and just hearing like you know, talking with other Uh, we're not talking about facing other like linebackers and whatnot. You know, the average kind of size of a linebackers around six two two thirty, you know, especially for the bigger ones in high school and whatnot. So with me being that size, I'm like, man,

I'm just the same size as the linebackers. Hole and I played defense, played defensive in but running back with you love because Wolf remember the stat right, it was your freshman year at pitt It was the bowl game you once a bunch of time, split a sack with Aaron Donald. Yeah, you're in the same game that you ran for two hundred and twenty nine yards in the same game, man, I was that was a game to remember.

That was again't remember in Detroit Bowl game freshman year. Uh. Kind of set the tone going into my sophomore season. So but yeah, defense is definitely in the history. Defense is in the background for sure. So James, speaking of a game and games, let's talk about this season a little bit, how do you think this season has gone for you personally? James? Uh, it's hard to think, you know, personally when you know, I feel like I'm just I want the team to just be successful. Um, I'm prepared

it as hard as ever. You know, in the offseason, you know, I had to miss time with a rib and whatnotum, and so just trying to get into a rhythm. As of lately, I'm kind of like really now trying to get into the rhythm and just keep it going. UM. I mean, we have expectations and goals and stuff that we want to hit, but this kind of way with

the thing has been going. Uh, losing a couple of tight games and missing time with an injury, I just kind of just wanted to stay stay even, stay level headed, and just continue to just to finish strong no matter what the what the postseason look. It's like, uh, you know, I just want to finish strong and just continue to play my best football. No doubt. This team is still chasing its best game. And that's not us, that's your head coach Cliff Kingsbury, who said this, we don't think

we've we've played our best football yet. Collectively, it's trying to do that. And you know, five games left, like I said to National TV games, there's a lot to play for him and guys want to play our best football and see what we can look like when we put one together. And I think that is, you know, the motivation for the coaches and the players right now.

What's amazing. And James Connor is our guest Cardinals running back coming off the Pro Bowl season twenty twenty one, and you just had your first one hundred yard rushing game as an Arizona Cardinal and as it was unfolding against the Chargers, myself Jim MoMA Hundre, We're like, wait a minute, is that real? And we're trying to fact check that because you had eighteen touchdowns last year, but

that was your first hundred yard rushing game. What clicked in that game against the Chargers twenty five carries for a buck twenty uh, well clicked. I just felt like I got into a rhythm and I was just kind of, um, you know, it's kind of like, man, enough is enough. I know I'm a talented back and I've been feeling like I haven't been able to give my my best, you know, just like I said, from dealing with injuries

and you know, slow start early in the season. So it was kind of just like, man, I need to really I need to really just take it up a level and just up my focus. And so I just I felt good out there versus versus the Chargers, and um, I just wanted to just be efficient as possible, just move the chains, and uh, talking with Kay Want in the backfield and uh, you know, also talking with my coaches, They're like, you know, we're gonna get you going and stuff. So,

uh it just kind of worked together. We still didn't get the victory, that's really the only thing I care about, but um, you know, just got into a rhythm and kind of just up up the focus for sure. And and then obviously the schemes you know, we had, the tight ends were blocking greater on the perimeter, receivers were getting on people, made a couple of key blocks, you know, and just with the line, they were just physical. You know. That's where football games are one of lost at the

line of scrimmage. So, um, we set the tone in the run game and it was just working for us that day. James, you had twenty eight touches in that game, twenty five carries, three receptions. Is that sustainable for you

going forward? Yes? I believe it's sustainable. Um, that's why I train for you know, Um, obviously the things that's gonna come with it, you know, But I love this game, you know, and I've been sore before, so I definitely feel like it's sustainable and I just want to do, you know, whatever it takes to to um, you know, help this team win. And so that that's twenty five carries and I'm all for it. I'm all for it.

How different was the run game? There were certain players I'm like, wow, I'm not sure we've seen that before against the Chargers, and especially considering the change and run game coordinator, I mean, how much were things a little varied? Uh? Here and there are things vary, but um, you know, we still have our base runs and things that we love and uh, you know, really it always is going to come down to executing really and um, so we added a couple of things, but um, it was just

really a mindset. It was really just a mindset thing. And that same question wolf I just thought I mentioned was pose to Cliff Kingsbury and here he was talking about the run game against the Chargers. You know, Steve Hyden, Brian Nakin in that room. Now you know Brian Natkin and Steve Hyden got together and had some thoughts, different ideas, and I think it was more about the physical play

up front. Those guys created some some nice running lanes and I thought James finished runs downhill and so that was positive. But schematically, you know, there's similarities and obviously those guys are gonna put their own spin on things as well. And Wolf you noticed maybe you know here and there, right, I mean there were a couple of things and maybe he got you out of your seat as you were calling that game, right, Yeah, no doubt about it, Paulie James to meet, guys were running the

ball in a more northsou fashion than East west. Was that my imagination? Now, we definitely want to be an attack mode and go downhill. We had a couple of

counters and pools and pinpool plays and whatnot. So yeah, I definitely just wanted to wanted to attack um, attack their weaknesses and and uh yeah, that was definitely just getting the shoulders you know, north and south, and like I said, I just wanted to move those change and and finished runs going forward, just we can you know, stay staying and with new sets of downs and whatnot, and just be able to continue to move the ball that way. What's it like to be in the huddle

with all the rotating guys on the offensive line? Twelve different offensive linemen have played eight different starting line combinations. I'm just calling them at this point. Beach in the backups. Yeah, the one constant is your right tackle, Kelvin Beacham. What's that like? And we're observing in a moment where you're like, Okay, I guess we're gonna find out, you know, I mean you only can find out in a game situation, right, Yeah, very true. Uh, I just feel like it goes to

everybody just being singlearly focused on doing their job. It is different. We've had you know, injuries and guys you know come and go up front, and so it really hasn't been the same for for those guys to be able to click and get into a rhythm themselves. But um, it's everything that was with the next man up mentality and whatnot, and so as it was really everybody just do their job, we sho'll be able to you know, to move the ball and have success. But it's tough

not having a rhythm. But you know, everybody's has to be singularly focused on on their job. James, you gotta be one of the nicest guys I've ever been around. Seriously, man um, but you run the ball in an angry kind of way. Do you ever think of being angry when you're in the middle of a run? Uh man? For sure. I definitely think violent, throwing my weapon, my stiff arm, uh man, and just you know, taking advantage of my size and and and you know, delivering out

pain and punishment. Really and I noticed, because you know this is you just want to pick pick a guy out early, you know, and then as the game unfolds, you know, to start turning it down. So you know, definitely you have to you have to have that mindset while you played this game, you know. Cliff Kingsbury told

us in our postgame radio interview. I asked him aout the run game one hundred and eighty one yards total buck twenty for you, and he said, yeah, we wanted to get James out on those DBS, get them out on the corners on a percent. Yeah, you know, you just want to wear them down. And you know that's you know, the DBS, that's not really what they love to do. You know, they like to cover and get interceptions and whatnot, so we just want to take advantage

of it when we can. James, what is your favorite running play to execute? And why my favorite running play to execute? I like, I like our inside zones. I like the pinapool when I got the tight ends out in front of me. It's kind of that's it slows down when I like that for me, when I get a chance to you know, jab step and let let the two poilers come out in front of me and let them, you know, kind of be my eyes before me, and uh take the most dangerous man and now I

can just kind of play off of it. It just allows me to read and the game kind of just slows down. And we ran that, you know, quite quite well, versus Versus Chargers being the most recent game. But yeah, I kind of like it when I got the blockers out in front and I get to just you know, slow the game down and pick and choose where I want to place the ball. You know, who also likes

the NFL Network and Kyle Brant and Green runs. Getting back to Wolfe's question, there you've been featuring a couple of times now, Yeah, do you get to keep the scepter? You know, the house at the house. Yeah, if I get another one, I'll give it to you. What do you ever like if anyone comes through the door, you know, like like a like a traveling salesman. Do you ever opened the door with the scepter? That's gonna You're intimidating enough,

but if you're holding a scepter, that's pretty tough. I mean, you know, come on, I haven't done it yet, but maybe I'll just keep it by a friend door so I'm reminded. I mean, Wolf, come on, don't tell me you're not jealous. So you don't have a scepter like James Connor from Angry Runs in NFL. Nowhere, get real, you know, Polly, they would have never given me an Angry Run scepter though, Polly, all right, they would have never done that. Now for a wedge and busting a wedge,

maybe I would have been a scepter. Okay, but they were not going to give me a scepter for running the ball. I ran the ball, James. I used to run it as a fullback with two hands, two arms over the ball. Yeah, that Wolf as his fullback club Okay, you know, and the guy. Have you ever considered yourself a fullback at any point in your career. Absolutely not, absolutely not. I've had great fullbacks. Um, you know, in past year, I had Roosevelt Nicks. He was a fullback

in Pittsburgh. He was phenomenal. Man. My hat's offer the fullbacks, you know, just to go in there and take on linebackers and and honestly, you know, kind of get no credit for it, you know, no touchdowns, and but still doing all the dirty work. And I got that most respect for fullback. So now I've never been a fullback. I'll tell you what next. Next Halloween, I might have to borrow the scepter. I mean, God's you know, I'm

just gonna build a costume around the scepter, are you kidding? Made? Kid, would be no doubt. So maybe I'll just maybe I'll have it on the sideline for Monday Night football. Lisas Salters, you know what, I've got the scepter over here. Okay, that's what we'll continue with James Conner on the Big Red Rage, brought to brought to you by Satan for In Gilbert hand off James Conner running to the left out of hole twenty five thirty thirty five forty bragged

down at the forty one. Boy, that's as big of a hole as we've seen opened up for the Cardinals this year. On the run, James Conner, the long back, Murray hands it to him off the left side for a priest at the fifty forty five forty head down to the thirty seven of the Chargers, so it's twenty boy yards on the ground. Sante Samuel Junior came home the cornerback and suddenly he realized that he was one on one with James Connor on the outside and thought

he was gonna get his doorbell rung. James Connor went right by him with a nice little June brow shot right up by Connor. He he dies in the end zone. He touched down, he broke a tackle at the two, and then go for painter about that to make a twenty four to seventeen twenty five carries one hundred and

twenty yards rushing for James Conner. A very special guest in the Big Red Rage, brought to you by Sand Team forward in Gilbert Paul kelvc ron Wolf Way and Wolf talks about it a lot, James, and maybe we just got an instance of that that if you can show a defender that at some point you're gonna run right through them, right, then all of a sudden makes that much easier to go the other direction and make a miss or vice versa. You tell us, Yeah, it's a it's a it's a it's a game, you know.

And uh and in that sense, you know it's a game throughout. So if you pick and choose your moves and what you want to do and and kind of how your body feels and angles and however you're feeling at that point in time. And so yeah, when they know that you when they will at least when they feel like you're a big bruise or type of back. You know, I think your moves are limited and you know,

underage to make your speed and whatnot. So you laid on them a couple of times and then you just give them a little you know, shoulder shiit me or whatnot, and you can get right through them. So, yes, it's definitely it's a game within the game, James. I know your faith is central to your life, faith that I share, bro Um, does it make you a better football player? And if so? Why? Absolutely? Um, I just feel like

I'm protected at all times, you know. So when I'm out there, a lot of sometimes guys will be able to well, they'll play a little slower or maybe have a certain fears or whatnot. But I really don't have no fears when I'm out there, just because you know, I feel like God put me in this position and uh, you know, it's giving me the ability to be out there and do what I love and so, um, you know, injuries happen. Things happen, of course, but I just feel

like everything happens for a reason. The story has already written. So it's it's all right, it's able. I'm able to just walk through, you know, my day to day, um, you know with uh, you know, walking with faith during practice the part we're able to see the media. I see you talking to de hop a lot. We love talking to DeAndre Hopkins obviously high I Q guys it classified info. If I ask you, what are you guys talking about at the times, you guys are laughing, you

guys are have some in depth conversations. What are you guys usually kicking around? Man, It's it's not classified. It's it's really some of anything anything you could think of, honestly, it's um ye out there. You know that that's my brother you know, and everybody else there as my brothers too. So it's just you know, honestly, could be anything, you know, um, game related practice for relater, what we're thinking, or something

so music, who's your favorite musician? Anything? You know, cars, food, anything so um, and we have to be like you said, Hi, i q so D is a very very smart person. You know, he's uh he's just real interesting. You know, he has things about him and so uh yeah, it could be literally anything. Jeames on that know, do you have a pregame routine and if so, what does it include?

Uh pregame routine, Uh, it kind of depends on you know what a time that we're playing at it for home away, um, if I'm at If we're at home, I kind of get to the stadium pretty early and uh, you know, do my tub and do all my my stretches and whatnot, and a couple of different workouts that I like to do before the game. Um, but nothing I don't have really had no like superstitions or nothing like that. It's like to get the game early and just uh just continue my focus and just make sure

um I'm loose and able to do that. But as far as you know, I don't really have no pregame rituals. All right. James Connor our guests twenty three touchdowns in his first twenty four games for the Ears on the Cardinals. That's a franchise record. So, Ron Wolfley, once upon a time played for Bill Belichick. You were in the AFC. How familiar are you with what Belichick's gonna do on defense? How often you did you go against the Patriots? Um, I got to play the Patriots. I've played them twice.

I played them twice, and uh, you know that's coach Belichick over there, so you know that, uh you know his team is gonna be well coached. You know that they're gonna be in position, they're gonna make few mistakes, and so, um, really, it just it's another it's gonna be another physical game because we have to do that. We have to do that to win this one. And so, uh yeah, I got some experience, but there's two games. But you know, you just you just know a type

of game the Patriots are are gonna play. The Patriots they have a tough defense too. Man, you watch them on tape this defense is good. Why are they so good in your opinion, because because everybody does their job, you know, everybody will be in position and they play as one to play as a unit, you know, and they trust one another. And that's that's just I see it.

That's kind of what it is. You know, if you play as a unit, play as one, trust each other, and you're gonna be in position to fly around, and you're gonna have a pretty successful offense and defense. You know, it's kind of goes hand in hand. Cliff Kingsbury, was drafted by the Patriots, said to the media this week that he learned more in that one year unto Bill Belichick when it came to coaching. Then he probably has

all his other years combined. Pretty interesting. So then someone asked him, all right, what do you expect from Belichick's defense. Here's Cliff Kingsbury week to week. They're they're so creative and what they do defensively and offensively, They're gonna attack your weaknesses. They're gonna find, you know, mismatches and then go from there. There you go. Cliff Kingsbury, I've heard it said by a number of guys that you know, you don't really know what Belichick thinks of you until

the game starts, and then he's sort of identified. All right, here's gonna be their points emphasis, here's the guy we're gonna take away. We presume it's gonna be d Hop to the top couple options, right, But how curious are you to find out and how much do the Cardinals have to sort of discern and diagnose? Okay, what is Belichick doing? Because the way I heard told from guys, he's so multiple. They do so many different things. Yeah,

that's true. Just like coach said, week to week, they're different. You know, you never know kind of what they what they're gonna expect there, what they're going to just do it this week? Um, we know, you know, I think Belichick already talked about d Hop and a talented player. He was in a high praise layers this week, so you know that they're gonna be on that. Um. But yeah, I'm I'm curious to find out you know, how they how they plan on playing in or what and you

know what it's gonna look like. But um, it just goes back to doing your job and running hard. I'm gonna have to run through arm tackles. You know, I'm gonna have to break tackles, um, just because I know that everybody's gonna be in position and sometimes you know they're gonna scheme it up. Um, they take the runaway obviously. So as long as I can, you know, run aggressive, break through arm tackles, and it's gonna trying to move the chains, uh, and stay consistent with it in the

big ones, in the running game and whatnot. To start popping James on that note right there, Who do you think is the best tackler on that defense? Uh? Eight Bentley? Benley's a good Yeah. Ben Ley's Uh, He's gonna come down put his hat on you. Um, twenty three is doing his thing. Ja. Jabrielle Preppers is a talented football player, you know. Um, so you know seeing that and then um up front their stout Jude on leading the league in sacks, you know, so they got they got they

got playmakers, you know, all over the defense. How much pride do you take in your pass protection? And how often are you are you when you're getting twenty twenty five carries a game, how often are you also called upon to pass protect? Yeah, it's all, it's all part of the job. Description. You know, um, you know your fatigue sets in of course, but you know that's that's that's part of the job description. You know you're running back.

But it's not just to run the ball. You know, it's to catch, to block, to you know, move, the change, the run, aggressive, everything that comes that comes with it. So knowing Romandra Stevenson run the ball very physically, does that ever make you want to run the ball even more physically? On the other side, do you ever get into anything like that a little tit for tat oh, or you're gonna run the ball that way? Watch me run this? How about? Yeah, I'm sure, I'm sure, I

think it for sure. Um, you know last week verst Ekeler last year he had like twenty some touchdowns, you know, so a little extra there, um, But yeah, you know Stevenson runs that thing. He runs a thing tough too, So it's definitely, you know, I always want to try to be the best back in the stadium. I mean, well, you know how it works. I mean, like, I'll take a recent example when the Cardinals beat the Rams all week oh ninety nine, Aaron Donald, Aaron dot and then

who had the best ninety nine game? Out there. J. J. Watt, Yeah, you can't tell me that JJ didn't hear about ninety nine. He's like, wait a minute, there's another ninety nine on this field, right, And guys pick out little motivational things like that, I hear him say. And then and then there's Monday night football, right, and look there was Troy Ikman and he called out some members of the Cardinals

defense in Mexico City. So that's you had another reason why people went, oh, you know, five games to go, Okay, you're four and eight part I mean, just the whole primetime thing. That's the whole guys accountable, I would imagine, sure for sure. And and and it's just you know, we have our we need to have our resume. And that's that's what you put on tape, is you know,

that's what we're judged on. So anytime you step on that field, you know you gotta give it you all, man, you have to um and just for the love of the game, you know, simple as that. You know, it's just I can't disrespect the game. No matter if if you if you knocked out the playoffs earlier, you still got games to play. You know, you got to go out there and give it you all and prepare And that's that's honestly just the bottom line, James. Speaking of that,

you do have games to play. You got five games left. What can you accomplish as a team over the next five games. We can accomplish some more some more victories, um, and just build whatever that comes with it, you know, just try to play for one another, just this um camaraderie and just putting it out there, you know, just

leaving or a out there. You know, we have honestly nothing to lose, so it just go out there and give it you all and it's um, you'll be able to see what type of type of players that we have now with d Hop and Hollywood Brown out there. I mean, there's a lot of potential still left in this offense, isn't there? Yeah? There is. Like you said, we still you know, with with with the missing pieces and injuries and whatnot. You know, we still have yet to have like our whole unit out there playing as

one and playing our best football. So we got five more opportunities at that. Dude, you have any regrets so far with this season? No, sir, No, no sir, no regrets. You say that with certitude. James, No, do you. We just have to know your preparation and um, you know

what you do for the game. And so obviously you know watching film and film session, there's there's runs you want to get back, or I wish I would have cut cut it back right here, or took that hole or bounced it, bounced it outside on that one, or you know stuff like that. But man, as long as you know that you that you're putting your best foot afford and you're truly preparing and um playing with max effort. You know, this game is so humbling, and so you

know there's there's really no reason to regret anything. And if you can truly lick yourself in a mirror, note that you're giving it everything that you've got. Hey, James, we really appreciate it. Man, We really enjoy watching you play football. We really do. Thank you so much. Appreciate you. Guys. There you go, James Conner coming off his Pro Bowl season.

Monday Night Football Straight Ahead, we continue on the Big Red Raid presented by santan Ford and Gilbert Burst and goal on the two Cardinals look at to tie the game. Snap the Palmer gonna throw lops at left side of the end zone for fitz He's on the ground and he's still bought it the cent dream mark for Larry Fitzgerald. Career touchdown number one hundred and the Cardinals tie the game at twenty. You'll wind him up at the slot

and throw the fade. Larry touches the ball as he's going down to get somehow hit it towards What a catch by Larry. Should we expect anything else? A historic moment and a ridiculous catch for the future Hall of Famer. There you go. Some Cardinals history circa two sixteen against the New England Patriots. That was the season opener. And you know what, Wolf think about this? It's a big red rage presented by santan Ford in Gilbert We are santan Ford Special thanks to James Conner. Will get into

that a little bit. The Pro Bowl running back. But if you have Monday night football, is fits gonna be out on that field on Monday Night as an ESPN broadcaster, Wolf, Yeah, that's gonna be really weird. Paul. You know what, you better keep your head on a swivel because twenty sixteen was right about the time that he took you down on that same field. And you know why, I think.

I think in hindsight now we realize why, because how many times, Wolf, did you report that Larry the end of his career was going to go play for the Patriots. I never reported it, Polly, but suspected it, Yeah, from time to time. So there you go, Larry Fitzgerald part of the Monday night festivities. We think, I mean, come on, it would make sense that right in his own home state of Asy, where he's on a first named basis with everyone, Larry, that he might be part of the

broadcast Cardinals and Patriots. It'll be Monday Night and you're gonna get a Patriots team that well means you get Bill Belichick. And Wolf, you played for him, so you know him, and you know that you're lucky as a media member if you get like a couple of mumbles and a grunt out of Bill Belichick when he asked

him a question. Did you see how effusive he was with the praise high praise for DeAndre Hopkins this week when they asked him about Cardinals receiver de hops speaking of receivers as a matter of fact, Polly, Yeah, I did hear that, and I think it's probably a good way to go if you're an opposing coach, especially if you're Bill Belichick, because you never say any thing about anyone for the most part, certainly not your own players.

But I do remember Bill lathering up some other players from other teams from time to time, just not that he was insincere in regard to doing it. Because you could look at DeAndre Hopkins and you can watch him playing, you can say, my goodness, that guy is really really good. You can look at Kyler Murray and all the talent that Kyler Murray has and you can say, my goodness, this guy is an absolute freak. You can see it,

and I think it's rather obvious. But you know what, Listen, Bill Belichick, it all starts with execution, over and over and over again. I cannot tell you, PAULI, how many times he talked about doing your job, how many times he intimated that it wasn't the play, it was the player that makes the difference, and do your job. To this day, I continue to hear him say that he's all about the d tales in you going out there and preparing yourself to be ready to give everything you've

got to do. Your job. He looks for very well balanced, well proportioned football players, guys that mentally can understand any scheme, even if you make an adjustment midstream. And I'm talking about Paul first quarter, first quarter. I have memories of him calling the offense over in Cleveland, calling everybody over and saying, Okay, everything we practiced all week, forget about it, we're not doing it. Here's what we're doing. PAULA. You

had to a grease Bart. You had to literally be able to absorb what he was saying and go out and regurgitated on the field just moments later. It's he looks for a certain type of football player, and he wants to be Paul. This is the one thing about the New England Patriots in Bill Belichick, more so than maybe anything else. They will be whatever they need to be in order to beat you. Does that make sense, Paul, yep, yes, because they're going to attack your weaknesses. Yes, so they

will adapt accordingly correct. So it's interesting, you know, speaking of de hop in those words of Bell, Belich said, he said, I mean, he said a lot, but I mean it really resonates when he says about Deander Hopkins quote he's every bit as good as anybody I've ever coached against. So he just bottom lined it with that. But de hop said that Belichick definitely has had a

certain way of defending him. De Hoop wouldn't elaborate or let the media in on it, but his record with the Houston Texans was one in seven against the New England Patriots, so he's been very effective. Kyler Murray shared with the media that Belichick a couple of years ago had a very specific game plan that Kyler saw that was Belichick esque. And remember the loss at Foxboro twenty

twenty and then empty stadium the COVID year. So I think everyone an offense both is really curious to know, Okay, what is Belichick having now because he's so multiple and James Connor confirmed that you're never quite sure what he's gonna bring. Yeah, and Pauly, you know what, this defense is very very underrated. It is right. You don't hear

a ton about the New England Patriots defense. Yet in every major metric they're either elite, which is top five to me, or top ten, which is really really good. You want to be in the top ten in major metrics, and when you look at yards per game and yards per play, and you look at passing yards per game, and passing yards per play and rushing yards per you know, you look at all those major metrics. Poly they're in the top ten men and big metrics like interception rate

and sacks per attempt. They're elite, top five in the NFL defensively. Yeah, the problem they have that bottom five offense, and the formula to beat the Patriots basically has been if you can score more than seventeen points, you win the game. And here's the other thing, and I'll just throw this out there. They've obviously said issues against Josh okay, so maybe he's dropped again. Is there we go, Paulie? Are you there? Okay? A different style of runner, I

apologize than Kyler Murray. But I'll tell you what, Maybe it's a good time to hear you know a guy who is rarely getting tackled by one person, second year player that of course Bill Belichick even has said good things about which you don't really hear Bill Belichick saying. So he's a leading target in Russian, leading target in

the receiving as well. So a guy that we know is going to be heavily into the game plan and a guy we're gonna have all eleven that needs to get to him because he's a he's a big dude, you know, two forty plus. I mean, Wolf, you tell me two hundred forty pounds coming downhill. Cardinals better be motivated on Monday night or Troy Hickman might call him out again. Yeah, now you're right about that, man. I honestly believe this is exactly what Bill Belichick and the

Patriots offense is going to do. They are going to line up and they are going to run the ball. Romandre Stevenson I think gets the ball twenty five times at least in this game. It's not like Bill Belichick hasn't done it before where he lined up and said, you know what, your weakness is stopping the run. Isn't that right? Buffalo Bills? And he's gonna line up and run the ball forty five times. I forget how many times exactly he ran the ball. I think it was

forty six, Polly, but don't hold me to that. Ask Mac Jones. He was yelling about it on the sideline. Yeah, you know what, Polly, I think we could see a repeat of that offensively from the Patriots. I think they're gonna line up and they're gonna stoke it. By the way, he's not the only one. Kendrick Borne, the receiver of the Patriots, said quote, we've got a at the ball down field. Mac needs more time, he said. The receivers

can't do anything if the ball doesn't get downfield. If we can't throw it past five yards, it's gonna be a long game. Kendrick Bourne calling out the offense and or Matt Patricia, the play caller, former defensive coordinator who's now running the offense ostensibly under Bill Belichick. So we'll see about that. Hey, joined the season ticket priority list and select your seats before the general public. Twenty twenty three.

Opponents of colul the Seahawks, Niners, and Rams, plus they've Giants, Cowboys, Ravens, and Bengals are all going to visit State Farm Stadium. Gotasy Cardinals dot com slash priority lists but more info back with a big red rage right after this. You know who's the worst at throw on the red flag? Have you ever seen Billichick throw it? Now? Billichick underhands it, really he saw it. Oh, it's the soft toss throw.

I mean, Bill for you know, in the name of all that is good and righteous, dead thing and you know, come over the top with it. Well, as you know, I'm not on snap face and all that, so I don't really get those. But I really just worried about getting our team ready to go. I'm really do worried about what they put on Vinceton Chat or whatever it is. I'd like like a little puppet that you can kind

of put your fingers in. It's a little monkey and then he can talk and move his fingers and nod his head and say, can kind of talk back to you. I'm guessing that was from a media Super Bowl day, you know, the media day on Super Bowl. I mean, I don't know where else that possibly could emanate from that whacky Soundbye, I do mean whacky when you're stayed in context of Bill Belichick right there. You're a former

coach and h Wolf. Come on, maybe you know the whole cornhole thing with the bean bags, right Maybe that's how he's throwing the red challenge flank. I don't know, Yeah, yeah, I don't know either, Polly, I can tell you. Do you see that little attempt at humor right there? That last little, you know. I mean, the coach just isn't good at it. You know, I love the guy. I love playing for you. He totally left you alone. I

love that about Bill Belichick. He didn't try to act like he was your best friend, didn't try to act like he cared about you, your marriage, or your kids. He didn't. I affectionately call him the sociopath, right, I mean that's what he was. Basically, he was all business. He was all about football all the time. And I

really appreciated that about him. Someone tweeted out the classic moment that someone captured of Randy Moss going into his coach's office inviting him to his Halloween party at a skating rink, and and Belichick accepted and showed up in costume on skates at a skating rink. I heard that story, Paul, and I didn't believe it when I heard it, And if there's no video of it, I wouldn't have believed

it either. And Randy Moss is like nervous asking him, and coach immediately accepted it and showed up and was the life of the party. So I gonna have a personality, Paul. I mean, he's one of his best friends is John Bond Jovie for real? You know. Yeah, So look, you want to talk about Money night football, He's third all time in the history of Monday night football in terms of wins. It's Don Shula, It's Andy Reid and Bill

Belichick in that order. And so it just so you go in even Cliff Kingsbury semi joke, remember on our TV show this week, he said, yeah, you got an extra layer sweat on the back of your neck just looking at the other sideline and there's the great Bill Belichick, right, And that's who you're coaching against and trying to match wits against. And so yeah, it can be very daunting, there's no doubt about it. And then you're Kyler Murray. And of course he was asked about the New England defense.

So here's the cardinal starting quarterback. I remember two years ago. You know, they kind of played me a little differently. I just think with him, you know, you never really know what to expect. You know, they can do one thing one week and switch it up the next week, all depending on who they're playing. His resume speaks for itself, you know, tons of respect and for what they do, their scheme and stuff like that. But at the end of the day, we got to focus on us and

go out there and execute. And oh, by the way, the New England defense is number three in the NFL and sacks. This isn't like the Chargers missing Joey Bosa. They're coming and they're going to be really stout against four backup offensive linemen. Yeah, Polly, now, you're right about that. They do a great job of getting you in third and obvious pass situations as well, Paul Aman, this is as I was talking about. This is a top ten defense overall. They're actually number eleven in rushing yards per

game allowed, number nine in rushing yards per play. They do a really good job of stopping the run. Are they going to be able to commit eight in the box? Are they going to walk of safety down? I don't think so. I think they're gonna start with Hollywood Brown of course, and d hop on the field. I think they'll start with that covered two shell right there. And that's the reason why the game within the game for the Cardinals is going to be can they run the

ball when they have that covered two shell? Can they still run the ball in between the tackles? Specifically and can they do it with any decency? That to me is where the worm will turn PAULI, because if they get you in third and obvious as situations, you got Matthew Judon who is a powerhouse. He is a bowl without horns coming off the edge. And then you have Ooja as well, and uj is more like a burst, get up the field, get around the edge, speed rusher.

But those two guys they get after you. And look, we can talk about New England all we want, and rightfully so, but the last five games are about the Arizona Cardinals and can they get this offense? Right? You heard from Kyler Murray if he's looking for even further motivation inspiration. CBS tweeted out NFL and CBS tweeted out their QB Power rankings. Wolf, I know you love the power rankings, right Yes, Kyler right now is the eighteenth

rated quarterback. Some of the quarterbacks immediately ahead of him, Daniel Jones, who was in the same draft with Kyler, Ryan Tannehill, Jared Goff, Derek Carr, Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence, all rated ahead of Kyler Murray right now? What can he do to get back to that Pro Bowl level and legitimate MVP candidates status that we saw the first half of last year. Yeah, Paul, you know what, honestly, what can he do? Start throwing the ball down the

field where he completes some passes down the field. I think that really would open up this offense. You know, if you're just going to get the ball out quickly, that's great, there's nothing wrong with that. But you know, secondaries are going to start tightening up of course and looking for that. And I think defensive linemen as well, not really rushing the passer, but looking to bat a ball down. I think we've seen that happen to Kyler Murray this year as well. So you've got to be

able to throw the ball down the field. Chunk throws. That's what really has been missing from the Arizult Cardinals offense, PAULI is chunk throws in so much of the time, I'm tired of saying it, Paul, but so much of the time using play action, attacking the line of scrimmage because you have been run the ball and running the ball fairly well, that's why you are attacking the line of scrimmage, and all of a sudden you fake it and you use play action to take some chunk throws

down the field. It's been around for a long long time because it works, Paul, It's part of the fabric of the game. And I don't think Kyler Murray in this offense does that enough and does it well enough. But defensively from the Cardinals these last five games, is there's one or two things you'd really like to see develop and materialize over the final five games. What would

it be? Wolf? You know you're talking defensively specifically, Paul, or offensively, and maybe I'll start I'll throw this out there. I'd like to see, obviously, some more production from the edge. The leading edge guy has two sacks. So I would give every single snap I could to my j Sanders and young man. Let's see what you have. Cam Thomas, you're gonna play ninety percent of the snaps as well. And then Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins. You know these guys, look,

the stats are great, but have they been reliable? Have they been consistent enough? Have offenses been able to victimize them at times? And you saw it obviously at the end of the Chargers game. So if you can get these guys just to be that much more instinctive and reliable snap to snap. I think these are important things for the Cardinals to try and to develop over the last month plus. No, you're right about that, Polly, especially on the defensive side of the ball, Zaven Collins. I'm

really encouraged with Zavian Collins. Isaiah Simmons has made some gray plays, There's no doubt about it. I think Isaiah Simmons has a rare knack of being a big play guy, but he's got to do it with more consistency, Polly. He's got to make the mundane play, not just the gray play, but the mundane play. And I'm encouraged with Zavian Collins and how much better he's got. Here's the big question going forward. You got five games, Man, five

games will be offense evolve? Will it evolve into something different trying to find that offense going into the off season, or will be double down on the offense A b always run. We'll see a reminder to support this year's toy drive presented by Desert Financial Credit Union prior to the Money Night game against the Patriots, bring a new unwrapped toy to the game. Drop it off at collection points outside State Farm Stadium. It's the Toy Drive and

it benefits Arizona helping hands. By the way, the Patriots have played more Super Bowls than regular season games at State Farm Stadium. There's your Holy can Only stat special thanks to James Conner. Good stuff from him. He has the scepter at home. Oh man, am I jealous about that special? Thanks to Jim Almandra Lauren Colbil for Run Will Film, Paul KLBC. This has been the Big Red Rage TAW number one. You've been listening to The Big Red Rage presented by Santanford in Gilda. Are You San?

Tanford State Farm Talk to an Agent today at eight hundred State Farm and by Arizona Cardinals Podcasts visit acy Cardinals dot com Slash Podcasts. This has been an exclusive presentation of the Arizona Cardinals Football Club.