Big Red Rage - McBride Finding Way In Offense

State Farm? Talk to an agent today at eight hundred State Farm, And by Arizona Cardinals Podcasts visit acy Cardinals dot Com, Slash Podcasts, The Red Scene, Rising Guard, temperaturizing vision, blurring, rage taking over. Here's Paul Calvci. I'm ready. I'm one hundred percent ready. I'm telling you I'm ready. And Ron Wolflee. It doesn't get any better than that, boy, unleash the far.

You know, we'll studies say that every year over the holidays, the average American what's on an average of seven pounds or so. Well do you resemble that that remark? Yet, by the way, Quali right now, you better believe it, man. I mean, I've been on vacation now for a handful of days, and let me tell you that seven pounds is a little conservative. So over the next three weeks that we figure here's the game plan. Okay, America has to stop putting on the lbs, and then Arizona has

to if they want to get back in shape. The Cardinals got to stay stop taking these elves right now. Okay, that's the game plan over the next three weeks, and it starts with a bahambug beat down of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on Sunday night in prime time Christmas Night. It is the Big Red Rage, presented by santan Ford and Gilbert. We are santan Ford. We like to build ourselves as the original Thursday night Football, so we get

Jags and Jets tonight. It's all right here wolf because, as you know, our special guest is Cardinals rookie tight end coming off a season best game in his home state. Trey McBride is on board. Trey, how are we doing doing good? Yeah? Thank you so much for having me on. This is awesome. No, Trey, thank you, man. We really appreciate your joining us right now. How do you think

your rookie season is progressing? My friend? Yeah, you know, I think think about the rookie rookie years you're you're constantly learning everything, so different everything, you know, everything's moving so fast. So I think each week I've I've gotten a lot better. The game is starting to slow down a little bit for me, and I think each week I've started to progress and gotten each gotten better each

and every week. And that's something that I, you know, I'm striving to do is continue to get better each and every week. And I think I've done that. Well. Your numbers at Denver right, four catches, fifty five yards, he had the long twenty nine all season highs. Did your confidence actually build maybe even over the core of that game. Yeah, you know, I think just being back in Colorado, I think there was just something the something in the air that um just just made me play

a little bit better. But honestly, yeah, just as I kept going, I know, I know I can play play at this league and I know I can be a good player. So just you know, as I keep getting those reps, keep getting those balls thrown to me, that confidence is just continuingly growing. You know, going back to when you were growing up, why why did you start playing football? Why did you do that? Try? You know, we just I have three three other brothers, so we all just kind of had had fun together and we

just did whatever we could. And I think most of all our parents threw us into sports to get our energy out, you know. So I think that's really how it all started. Was my mom wanted us all to get out of the house and burn our energy, so she threw us in as many sports as we could. And and I think all of our brothers just fell in love with with football. I think that's just kind of how how it all happened. Yeah, it says here that in high school you also played basketball and baseball.

In fact, you excelled. You set school records for most career points and basketball and most home runs and RBIs in baseball. Now Wolf allegedly was all stayed in baseball. No, but he has yet to prove that three times stop stop. So at what point did you choose football only or was that sort of always your course? You know, I think it was I kind of realized that my best chance at success was going to be to play football.

I really love football more than anything. I was really good at basketball, was really good at baseball, and I did kind of teeter totter with playing baseball in college but I just knew I wanted to play football. That was always my calling. I knew I was going to be the most successful and the best at that sport. So I just wanted to put my sole focus into to football. And also I wanted to play football with my brother, and that's what I did in college, was

continued playing with him. So we know why you started playing football. But now is an adult. What is the best thing about the sport? Teams? Right? Yeah, I think there's there's so much to love about this sport. But I think just the grittiness of putting your pads on every day and getting to work and just like hitting those guys like in the trenches is you know, it's just fund in there and you just like get running those you know, duo and just getting a good block

with the tackle. I mean, just stuff like that. It's hard to beat. Like, it's just so fun when you get to do stuff like that. So I just, I mean, there's so much to love about this game, but I just I just love the gritty and nastiness about it, you know. So Trey, would you would you say duo? You mean double right? You mean the power without the poll? Yeah, exactly, yea, that is that is one of the most physical plays

in the game. Man, you know like that. I mean it's just when you get a good block with the with the tackle, I think that's fun. Man, when you get a combo up to a linebacker. I mean, it's part of the game, you know, it's you got to learn to love it, you know. Yeah, when I see your numbers last year at Colorado State, ninety catches over eleven hundred yards, receiving ninety plus yards per game, right, I mean John Mackey Award winner as the nation's top

tight end, I think of a receiving tight end. But to what degree were you a dual tight end Colorado State? You know I was. I was a real tight end. I put my hand in the ground seventy five percent of the time. Um, they didn't split me out a whole lot. So you know, that's that's really how I made my you know, that's how I made my role

at Colorado State. It all started in the run game. Um, and I think that's how you you you pave your role as you you succeed in the run game, and that's how you get opportunities in the pass game with the play action things like that. So that's how it all started at Colorado State. And um, yeah I was. I was putting my hand in the ground, you know, things like that. They didn't split me out a whole lot. So, um, I did get a lot of catches, but my hand

was in the ground. Speaking of Colorado State, what is the biggest difference between college and the National Football League? Yeah, I think just the room room for air is is very, very small. You know, guys just moved so much faster. The play of the game is so much faster, and you know, you just there's there's no room for air in this league. You know, like the the margin of air is so small, you know, catching a ball, you

you have to be so perfect on everything. So I think that's the biggest difference is just the margin of air you have is so minimal in this league. Cardinal's second round rookie tight end Trey McBride our guest here on the Big Red Rage presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert So. Before Fort Collins in Colorado State, it was Fort Morgan where you grew up. We saw some of that last night on Hard Knocks, you know, and it's interesting Wolf, we've had Antonio Hamilton from small town Johnston,

South Carolina. Zavan Collins, Hominy, Oklahoma. Both guys when telling us the population of their towns, which was less than ten thousand, they subtracted the population of the prison for that's how small because the prison like doubles the town population. But tell us a little bit about Fort Morgan. Yeah, you know, Fort Morgan's a small little farmtown northeast Colorado. But you know, our population was about ten ten to

fifteen thousand, so pretty small town. My graduating high school class was roughly, you know, seventy five to one hundred people. So you know, it's just a small, small community. Everyone everyone farmed, everyone knew each other, and it was just it was awesome. I loved it. You know, everyone knew where you lived, you knew where everyone else lived. You knew what I mean, everything all the business was going on. You knew everything that was going on in the town. So it was it was a lot of fun. I

loved everything about Fort Morgan. So, Trey, when you look down the road and you see yourself twenty years from now, do you see yourself living in a rural area. You know, I loved it out there. I loved growing up. Um, you know, I don't see myself going back to Fort Morgan necessarily, but I don't know. I it's hard to say. I could definitely see myself in a rural area, but

I just it's hard to say. You know, what's it like to watch you talk about your hometown and have all your interactions and your family documented by NFL films on HBO last night? What was that like? Yeah? I think it's it's very special, and you know, the just to bring um Fort Morgan into the picture. You know, it's a kind of an under the radar town that no one really hears about. So it's kind of cool to bring that into the pitcher and have people, you know,

see what that town's all about. It's it's very special to the community and everyone there and Fort Morgan as well. So I'm glad that I can, you know, shine a little light on that town. So talk a little bit, if you will, right now. Off this offense that you're currently in, how do you think you fit into this

offense going forward? You know, I think they do a really good job of you know, get there's so many playmakers on this team, so just just finding a role and kind of making as many plays as you can. You know, I think I'm a I'm a good run blocker. I think I can help in the run game a lot. And I also think that they can split me out a little bit, you know, get me one on one with linebackers, safety, things like that, and I feel like

I can win that matchup. But you know, I think that my roles continually increased each and every week just because this the play of the game, speed of the game is slowing down a little bit and I'm feeling more comfortable. So I think is as long as I keep showing improvement and uh, you know, room for less, room for air and that, then they'll continue to keep you know, featuring me speaking of your position, coach, Steve Hyden, Look, we know how it works with rookies in the NFL.

In fact, I had an assistant coach tell me earlier today, just say, Paul, when was the last time a rookie came in and really just crushed it from the get go? Right, It is a process. And Steve Hyden last night on Hard Knocks NFL Films, they captured a moment not long after the mid season season ending injury to zach Ertz, and all of a sudden, your role changed. Things got extremely real. Here you go. They took us into the tight End meeting room. We have a job inherent to

turn place what we lost. Right, you've it's time to step bottle all the that we've dealt with with the technique, mental errors scale, that's going to stop. You're not a rookie anymore. You know what to do. Just be confident, go out there and go do it. And that's all we saw and heard. What was going on in your mind when he was telling you that. Yeah, you know, I was just excited for the opportunity. Um, but you know I knew it wasn't wasn't anything that I wasn't

prepared for. Um, you know, I come in, I'm prepared. I knew each and every week that that I was one play away from being being that guy. So I prepared each week that I was going to play as many plays as I could. So I made sure I knew that playbook inside and out, so if my chance ever did come, I wasn't gonna miss it. So, um, that's something that's very It was very you know, it's a cool honor to to get that role. To be the guy that steps in for for an injured Zach.

You know, he's a he's a huge part of this offense. And for me to step in and they expect me to play just like he does, you know, things like that. So, um, it was a it was a huge honor for me, but something that I feel like I was prepared, um prepared for. You know, for me. I look at you and I watch you play tray and one of the most difficult adjustments I think you've had to make is where you line up in the backfield and where you run in space and try to get your block that way. Um,

how much of that did you do it? Colorado stayed? Did you do a lot of in the backfield stuff? You know, I didn't. We had another tight end that did a lot of that stuff, and I was just more of the inline you know, true why tight end that would that would put their hand in the ground. So we had another tight end that would do a lot of that other stuff. So so I didn't do it. So, yeah, that is a huge learning curve for me, but something that you know, I'm willing to do and I feel

comfortable doing. I just obviously it's a little bit of an adjustment at this level. Another y tight end, right, a classic guy, Max Williams, and we had him on. It was early this year. It was actually week three of this season. Max Williams was our guest here in the Big Red Rage and at that point, really you hadn't seen much action in the two regular season games at that point, yet Max Williams had seen enough to say this. I mean, I think he's gonna be special.

Young guy coming in. He's athletic, he can block. It's crazy people see him. They saying, Oh, he's gonna get this receiving tight end. He's gonna get down and dirty in those trenches. Wolf would love it. He's gonna be excited too. So for me, every one of the fans I wondered about Trey, you ain't gotta worry about Trey. Tredy's gonna be special here, in my opinion, and I can't wait to see it. I'm here for it. I'm all in his corner. I'm trying to do the best that can to help him. Me and Zach and I

love the kid man. He's awesome. Some great words from your teammate. Now, I know, Max Williams, he's a great, great personality, right, and he can be demanding and high maintenance on the rookies in the room. It's funny, you know, but but if there's a couple of things, maybe a couple of boxes are checked between now and the end of the season, in these last three games, what would you like to see and maybe in your own film. You know, I think, just just keep keep showing that

I can I can keep improving each week. You know, There's so many things that I can get better at. There's little things that can help me get open um. And it's just seeing it, you know, playing at this level, it's things happen so fast, people design disguised coverages so well. So it's really it's really just playing fast and continuing to grow each and every week. And I think that I can continue to do that and continue to finish

his season strong on a on a high note. Who is the baddest man you faced so far out on the field. Who's the baddest guy, Trey? You know, there's been a there's been a lot of good players that I've gone against this this year. You know, obviously Bosa was a good player, but I think the toughest guy that I had a really tough time was was with Davenport from from the Saints. He was a real tall, lengthy guy and I did have a heck of a

time with that guy. Well, if it was the former Bronco that you used to have the toughest time with was Den Carl Mecklenburg used to kick your face in a couple of times. Come on, now, there were a lot of guys. There were a lot of guys that kicked my face inla Burg. Yes, he was wonderful, full of scholiure. I just like saying the name Mecklenburg. I mean that just that just oozes football, doesn't it come app Yeah, there you go. By the way, he literally

had a forehead that was twice your sauce. Here we go, Here we go. That's yeah, the gloves are coming off here, Trey, we're just getting rolling. Trey mcbriner guest on The Big Red Rage presented by Santan Ford. In Gilbert two receivers McCoy's way, he takes the shotgun stamp pros to the left side. McBride caught it at the thirty five and he's got a first down before he's bumped out pass to the left, caught again by McBride inside the thirty

fighting for yardage. McSorley moving to his right, throwing on the run. It's caught for a first down by McBride, and he stepped out of bounds at the forty nine of Denver. Remember this is a homecoming of sorts for him, having played in Colorado State and winning the Mackie Award last year, which goes to college football's best tight end.

Mcsorley's passed across the middle, caught by McBride a first down and past the forty five fifty good run, McBride running through arm tackles path to the catch to the forty five of Denver. I tell you couldn't miss it. Down on the Cardinals sideline. Every time he made a plane, he had four catches for fifty five yards. That cheering section jumped up. It was like two three dozen people. You had your own cheering section behind the Cardinals bench

about ten rows up. Yeah. Yeah, it was really cool. My family all got tickets kind of right in that area, right behind the right band the Cardinals bench, So it was really cool to every time come over to the sideline get a you know, see them and it was just it was a special data to have everyone there. Trey McBride is our guest here on the Big Red Rage, presented by Santan Ford and Gilbert. We are santan Ford. We mentioned Carl Mecklenburg by the way, you know, Wolf's

nemesis back in the day with the Broncos. Did you have a guy growing up? Do you have a favorite Broncos player that you you you know? And Ryan Jensen, the Buccaneers center who's on IR and is a big reason why the Tampa offensive line has not been what it usually has been. He's from your hometown as well. Yeah, yeah, he's he's a Fort Morgan guy, went to went to the same high school. It's it's very special. There's been three of us um now that have made it to

the NFL from from my hometown. And and like you said, my favorite player growing up is actually, you know, my favorite Bronco was was Joel Dreeson. You know, he was he was our tight end. He's from my hometown. So just growing up and you know, everyone from my hometown wanted to be like Joel, So it was, uh, it was cool when he came and played for the Broncos. That that that it became my favorite player for sure, Trey,

What is it like hanging out around zach Ertz? You know, this guy has been one of the better tight ends, if not just a great tight end year in and year out. It's a guy that is really lit up the league. What is it like being around zach Ertz? Yeah, it's very cool, it's very special. I try to take in as much information as I can. I try to be a sponge around him. You know, he's been so successful in this league for so long, so trying to learn everything I can from him. He does such a

great job. He's he's very sharp in the he knows coverages, He's very sharp. So trying to take all the tools that he has, how he reads coverages, how he gets open and kind of put him in my toolbag and things like that. But it's been a lot of fun to be around him. He's he's a great person, a great guy, and a guy that's always willing to to, you know, teach me his ways. What's it gonna be like to be around Tom Brady on Sunday night? I mean, the goat of all time. Yeah, you know, that's gonna

be that's gonna be surreal. You know, a guy that I've really watched growing up my whole life. Um, and to be on the same field, um, primetime game, this is very very special. You know. I sometimes I almost wish I was on defense so I could get a chance to sack him. But um, but that's not going to happen. Um. But it is very special. It's a cool, cool, very cool deal. What do you think is the next step for you, Trey and your development? Is you look down the road, you say, my goodness, this is this

is where I am right now. This is where I want to be next year. What is that next stop? You know, I think just fine tune in the small things, just getting open and coverage, how to win against you know, releases, things like that, top of routes. Just really fine tune in everything to make sure that my margin of air is so small. So just making sure that I can be as perfect as I can in every aspect of the game. But you know, I think just just continuing

getting better, staying healthy, things like that. I think, come back next season knowing the offense I'm gonna be uh, you know, moving moving at a much faster pace when you when you think of Tampa, right, do you think of Rob Gronkowski And did you ever admire Gronk's game because he's another big piece missing from that Buccaneers offense

right now? Yeah? Absolutely. You know, one of my favorite tight ends growing up was was Gronk and watching him play for with Tom Brady and things like that, It's been very special. So yeah, I mean I love watching him. He's a heck of a player, and you know, you never know with him, he could come out of retirement tomorrow.

So and Wolf, you know, from doing Coach's TV show, Cliff Kingsbury, former teammate of Tom Brady, and the amount of respect he asked for Tom Brady and just here's what he had to say to the media about the matchup on Sunday night. I mean, he's still the greatest player of all time, and you know, I've known him

now twenty years. I got drafted there in oh three, and so to go out and compete against him, you know, or actually be on the same field with him, is going to be an honor and excited to excited to see him. He told us on the TV show that Brady's level of commitment to the game is just in saying was so far beyond. In fact, he almost lamented that he didn't have that same commitment in his own playing career, and it's one of the reasons why now he gets up at three in the morning and his

coaching career. So I thought that was that was pretty intriguing. But when you look at this, this Tampa team, and you look at the platform and the stage on Sunday night, I just think the fact Brady's out there, the fact it's Sunday night football. A lot of people are saying, yeah, the Cardinals are not officially out of the playoff chase, But I don't think energy and intensity he's going to be an issue Sunday night. What do you think? Yeah,

I don't think so at all. I think, you know, playing on Christmas, playing the primetime game, playing against Tom Brad, I think all these things factor into you know, that high energy, high juice, and I think guys are guys are still you know, guys still love the game. Guys. You know, guys are gonna go out there and play their hardest, give everything they have. So I don't think there's gonna be any question of what the Cardinals are

going to do that night. But I'm excited to go out there and see, you know, how we play and how we do against the Bucks. Trey, what do the Bucks do well? You've been watching them on tape of course. What do they box defensively? What do they do well? Yeah, they do a lot of really good things. They have really good stout defensive ends that are really good stout players that just do a good job in the run game. They're two linebackers they have or are just like maniac guys,

like they're all over the place. They're blitz in there, running around, they're out of their gaps, like they're just doing stuff all the time. They don't stop moving and just just fundamentally, they do a really good job defensively. And I think they they're a really good team, and I'm excited for the matchup. I think it's gonna be a great matchup for us, and I'm excited to see how our game plan fits. Yeah, Wolf, you know Devin

White and Lavante David. I mean, those guys were absolute money in twenty and twenty to the Super Bowl title. I think it's a reason why the Cardinals drafted Isaiah Simmons and Zavan Collins back to back. They wanted a pairing like those two inside linebackers from Tampa. And of course you're going with trace McSorley at quarterback. So he's gonna be making his first career start. By the way, Tom Brady has made three hundred thirty one career starts.

Think about the difference right there. Tell us about trace mcsloidy. Give us a quick scattering report on what you've seen out of the Cardinals third string quarterback. Yeah, he's a warrior. He's a guy who comes in every day, gets to work, and he's, uh, he knows what's going on. Like he doesn't. He didn't get a whole lot of reps um, you know, up to this point. But he's he's always knowing what's going on. He's really sharp, he's very talented, and I'm

super excited to go and play with him. He's a he's a very good quarterback and I feel confident going in the game with Trace back there. So I'm super excited to see everything he does, and uh, you know, I'm confident that he can bring us a win on Sunday. You know, was your watching tape and you're looking at the Tampa Bay box scheme from time to time. I'm sure maybe Lavante David or Devin White maybe on you who do you think is better in terms of coverage?

You know, I think both of them are are are good, very very good backers. But I think in coverage, I think I have an advantage on them. I think that I can get him up their spot. I think both of them do a great job, but I'm confident that that both of them, Um, I can beat one on one and in coverage so um. But I, like I said, both of them are very talented players and I'm super

excited to for the matchup. I'm just guessing, knowing Todd Bowles, former defensive coordinator from the Cardinals years ago, knowing how ultra aggressive he is, and that you have a young, unproven quarterback, You're gonna see some blitzes, aren't you. On Sunday night. Yeah, there's no question they're gonna they're gonna bring the heat. They're gonna they're gonna light us up

with pressure. So we gotta be really good about, you know, getting getting that ball out quick because they're gonna get heat up back there. Yep, no doubt. What do you expect to see now once again, who knows the game plan and everything else. I'm not asking you that, but do you think you're gonna get more five man pressures or more blitzes? You know it's hot balls. I think they're gonna do a lot of five five you know

man down pressures. M But I do think that they do do some four down stuff where they bring safeties and stuff off the edge as well. But I'm super confident that we're gonna get lots of blitzes, lots of pressure. Um. But I think with a game plan we have, if we can get the ball out quick, you know, hit some runs some things like that, well we'll be just fine. Look it's December, your rookie year. But I asked you last week if you still have rookie duties, you know,

the veterans tassi with certain things. And what was your answer this time of year? Yeah, absolutely, we have to. We actually had to decorate the tight ends room, get it all Christmas up. We put a Christmas tree in there, how to put some lights, you know, all kinds of different things in there, just to make sure that when when the guys came to work, they knew it was Christmas season. You know, try you got three games, man, you got three games. This is your rookie year right now.

What what can you accomplish over the next three games? Do you have a goal? Do you have a mindset going into these last three? Yeah? I think just just like I said, continuing to prove each and every week. I've gotten better each week. My you know, my numbers have gotten better. Everything's just continuing getting better. So I think if I just you know, put my head down, keep going to work like I have, keep improving, you know,

my opportunitis is going to come. And once that opportunity comes, I just got to take full advantage of that and run with it. We heard Cliff Kingsbury on hard not during a practice sake, Tray's got to play faster. Has that been part of your evolution? Yeah? Absolutely, you know, just the speed of the game, I said, is so fast, but just just playing fast, knowing exactly what you're doing and playing confident. Once you're confident, once you know what

you're doing, you play faster. You you go out there and just play. And then I think that's kind of where I'm getting to is, you know, everything's kind of coming together. Everything getting faster, so I just got to go out there and play now, you know, so quickly. Tray, ten years from now, do you see yourself still playing ball? Yeah? I do. I think I think I can play. You know, I want to. I want to have at least a ten year career, so you know, in ten years, I'm

hoping I'm still you know, blocking six techniques. That's awesome, hey, Tray, we really enjoy Thank you, thank you, Yeah, thank you guys so much for having me on. I'm super excited. And go Cardinals and we'll see him Sunday night. We'll be back with more of the Big Red Rage, presented by santan Ford and Gilbert. We are Santan Ford sack absolutely mauled by J. J. Watt. That's like turning around and all of a sudden, Jaws is there ready to

swallow you up. Back to throwing another sack for J. J. Watt. That's two today. As he beats his man and then beats down the quarterback back to throw RiPP it and the ball comes out as he's hit, it flutters and my J Sanders has a hold of it. They're gonna say it's a fumble recovered by Sanders. J. J. Watt came around, knocked the ball out of his hand. That's what he did. JJ. Watt got the right hand on it. So that go down as another sack goes down as

another side. There'll be three sacks in the first half and now a force bumble for Watt recovered by my J. Sanders. Oh, my goodness, JJ Watt, are you kidding me? The number was three. He had three sacks, He had three quarterback hits. He had three tackles for loss to go along with five tackles the force bumble in the past defense. There were also nine hundred a thousand other reasons that he

had a big old smile on that bench. Ron Wolfley, as we say, welcome back in to the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert we are santan Ford. And that was reportedly the contract incentives that he hit five hundred thousand for the first one and then two hundred thousand apiece for each of the next two sacks. Nine hundred thousand dollars on those three sacks right there,

performance incentives in his two and twenty two contract. Well, Polly, you know he did have a baby, you know, I'm Jeff saying right now, I want to put that away. If you know what I'm talking about, go ahead and put that into the school fun Paully Man, it was just incredible to see jj Watt out there bawling out the way that he was, and I cannot say that I was really surprised, I tell you. At halftime, Nathaniel

Hackett actually cited jj Watt. According to the sideline reporter that I talked with on the Bronco sideline, the first thing he said was, well, we can't block jj Watt, and then because of that they made the halftime adjustment. They only threw it like four times in the second half. All they did was start running the ball because their pass protection against Watt was so porous. Yeah, no, that's you know, once again, JJ Watt is such a game changer when he's healthy and he's ready to go. You

see it firsthand. The guy makes plays, whether he's actually getting sacks or pressures Pauli or knocking the ball out of strip sack, whatever it may be. You know what, those are obvious for so many people. But it's the plays that he makes where it's not so obvious. At the point of attack at the tip of the spear. What a great job he does. And not only that too, Paul, But you know this, JJ Watt is one of those guys. It's not just about him and what he does. He

impacts guys around him. You know, he was brought in in the late stages of his career, obviously, and one of the big reasons why was leadership. And he has definitely checked out box. So when you talk about, okay, where are the Cardinals going from here after this season? What exactly is the plan with J. J. Watt whose contract is up, and we get it, he's thirty three nails, little miles in that body, but look a and how he's playing, and then be look at what he does

in that locker room. In fact, Hard Knocks after the game in Denver last night gave us a look and a listen at his postgame speech. I'm not gonna stand up here and tell you it doesn't suck. It sucks. It's brutal. But what I do have respect for is everybody busting their I appreciate the willingness to come in every day and be a man and go about your work and go about your business even when we all

know what the situation is. Don't lose that. You gotta try and get better each day, please like for yourself and for us as a team, both equally, because right now the reality of the situation is is you're also doing for next season because the unfortunate reality is that we're not in the playoffs. So take care of yourselves. Study, don't let up, hit the weight room, hit the books. It's not time to pack it in. It's time to

work and put yourself in a better situation. Oh man, you know what makes a player, Gray Pauli is consistency, and JJ Watt is that guy. What he's basically describing right now is it doesn't matter who you're playing. It doesn't matter at all. It doesn't matter what week of the season is. It doesn't matter what team you're playing, it doesn't matter what coach you're playing against. None of it matters. What it is is a football game. That's

all it is. And you have another opportunity to go out and play as hard and as well as you possibly can. This is the reason why I love J. J. Watt. This guy the consistency. When you listen to him talking about this and going about your business and being a professional. The consistency is what is so amazing about this guy, not only how he plays, but also how he thinks.

And you see it Unhard now when he was miked up and the opponents, the opposing players after the game, the reverence they have for a JJ Watt and the respect for his game. I remember coaches on this staff saying a couple of games into his first season with the Cardinals, they had no idea they knew he was a leader, they had no idea of his ability to speak like that in front of the team. And he really he is that guy. He is that voice that

everyone follows now. The one person who's not been surprised about that Vance Joseph, who was an assistant coach on those Houston Texan teams when JJ Watt came into the league as a first round draft pick. So those two you see them talking a lot. And here's Vance and he was unhard knocks just about his message, right, and this is to the team about the final stretch upcoming. You know, my point of the players right now is, man, this last month, you'll be selfish about your time and

being the best player you can be. So moving forward, no one questions if you can play this game. Sometimes in the team sports we tell lies about I don't want to make money. I don't want to be a star. I just want to be a good team Jazz bool. But he's my point to you, guys. This year is my loss. So I want you to want something. I want you to go earn something. That's okay, you want to contract and you want to be a star, play

your ants off, help us win games. I want you to be selfish, to be the best player you can be. But what's your ask earning the all access that we get behind the scenes from Hard Knocks NFL films. Well, if what stands out to you about that speech Van's Joseph, what he had to say to the defense, Yeah, you know, it's just so true right now. Typically when you get a guy that basically says, I'm going to play for you, you know what, buddy, sit down, Okay, you know what. Honestly,

just go play for yourself. You can see it. It's very interesting that JJ Watt, and not only JJ Watt, but Van's Joseph, they're trying to get guys that are out there. They're trying to reach guys that are still young and developing. They're trying to they're trying to reach

these guys and let them see that. You know what, you have an opportunity, man, you have an opportunity to finish this season strong and send a message to not only the Arizona Cardinals going forward, but also to every other team that might be interested in you one day, every other team that might be looking at you this offseason if in fact you're going to be a free agent. And we know there's a large contingency of guys inside that locker room that are going to be a free agent.

So what he's saying is be selfish. Go ahead, look at yourself and go out there and ball out. And you know what, Paulie, Honestly, I just want to say this once again, that's the way it should be every week. That should be whether you're under contract for four years, whether whether you're going to be out there as a free agent the off season, it doesn't matter. You've got to train yourself, train your heart, train your mind, your soul to go out and play like that every game.

And man, if you can get guys to do that, if you can get guys to understand that, Paul Man, it makes things so much better. And you're right, there's nearly thirty pending free agents. You've played nearly eighty players this year. Decisions will be made. There will be change after a losing campaign like this. Guess what, there's most likely going to be changed of the GM position according to NFL Network and the reports they put out there.

So if there's a different decision maker, as Cliff Kingsbury said, he told the team that these guys are gonna have some recency bias, if you will, when they look at the film. They're going to go to the film and say, what sort of game did you put out there when the games didn't county down the stretch? What were you like and were you one of the first? Were you part of the problem or you know, part of the solution? And I think that's part of the message Advance and

JJ Water trying to convey. No, you're you're right on it, Paul, You really are right there. You know I say it all the time. You gotta take this game personally. You gotta make it snow Paul. And that's what I think it is. If you make it personal like that, it's never gonna be a game to you. It's gonna be a test. And if you make it a test, somehow,

some way, you can turn it into a test. You're gonna go out and you're gonna give everything you have take it personally, well, look, the Cardinals are gonna have one last gift on wrap on Christmas. It'll be a Christmas Night. They the home game against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football Primetime International TV audience. So, yeah, you want to go out there and you want to do something for yourself. You want to do something about

that home win loss mark this year. And we'll talk about how and with whom next when we come back. This is the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert. We are santan Ford back to pass, goes ripping looking Dave wearing it out right side, underground and picked off on the goal line, Intercepted on the goal line by Buddha Baker and returned out to the four Budda Baker sitting in the middle of the field. I was an easy pick for food off. You know, these

type of acculates come. It's definitely a cool thing and especially with you know, the team not doing as great as we could and them still you know, you know, giving me the praise, giving me the good acculate. So it's definitely special and um, you know cool for me. An easy pick is an easy interception, an easy pick for all the voters. Buddha Baker and all pro safety a starter in the Pro Bowl, how about it? That's his fifth. By the way, Wolf is Craig Grilu, not me,

As Craig Griolu pointed out, there's another cardinal safety. Now this one doesn't wear number twenty four, but there's another cardinal safety. You just exceeded your number of Pro Bowls by one. First, Adrian Wilson. Now, Buddha Baker. First of all, you had to say that polygons. That was Craig Griolu pointed that, okay, right, exactly, we all know it. A dub of course had five. I only got to fourth. Thank you very much, Paul, really I appreciate that. You know,

it's it's fascinating, Paully. In the last beautiful part of the program, we were talking about greatness and consistency, and can I ask you do you think Buddha Baker, Paul, do you think he treats games differently, or do you think Buddha goes out pretty consistently and lays it on the line game in and game out. I never thought I would see another Cardinals safety in recent history play as hard down in, down out, week in week out

as Tyrn, Matthew and Buddha Baker does it. Yes, he probably exceeds it, to be honest with him, Paully, It's just it's a great thing to watch, it really is. He's a guy that takes the game personally. He's a guy that is consistently great. Why is that? It doesn't matter who they're playing. It doesn't matter how big the game is. It doesn't matter if it's played on Christmas and if it's going to be a nationally televised game. It doesn't matter. FOODA Baker approaches each and every game

exactly the same in guess what guys see that. People see that all over the country. And that's the reason why he's going at the Pro Bowl. Hey, look at the playoff loss last year in LA. Look at when he got hurt at the very end. He was the one guy who was still running around like the game had just started. It's just it's remarkable and when you look at the last four years, basically his run of

Pro Bowl safety starting safety right nominations and bids. He leads all NFL safeties and tackles and it's not even close. He exceeds the next closest guy by over one hundred tackles. It's just it's been dominant play by Buddha Baker. Think about this too. At some point in time, man, he's going to continue to go to Pro Bowls. It's not like he's got this huge resume of picks. He doesn't have a ton of picks in the National Football League for a safety. And yet all this guy does is

go out and produce Pro Bowls. After five Pro Bowls right now, the guy is incredible. Man, he gets like three four more and you're gonna start looking at him like this is Hall of Fame stuff. You know what he does have. He has a respect of all his teammates and he has a respect of everybody watches Cardinals game film. Bans Joseph said that again today. How many coaches come up to him just tell him how Buddha Baker jumps off the Cardinals film. And we've heard that

so many times. If you're Tom Brady. You're obviously looking for Buddha Baker before every snap, right, You're okay, where's number three? Where's number ninety nine? And then for the Cardinals, speaking of quarterback, you have Trace McSorley, And we talked a lot about Brady, but let's talk about what the Cardinals are facing with their third string quarterbacks, starting with the head coach, Cliff Kingsbury. Yeah, avoid the negative plays. You know, the last few times he's got in it's

really without any reps at all. So if he can get some reps, I think it'll help. And just you know, gotta stay away from the turnovers and then first and s and down sacks. If we can stay on schedule, particularly against this Tampa front, that will definitely help our chances. And those are all things that obviously plagued him in that second half coming in relief of Colt McCoy. But now he has a full week of practice, he gets all the reps, and he's gonna get a game plan

catered towards his skill set and plays that he likes. Remember, Cliff Kingsbury told us on his TV show this week, he's gonna ask him. He's asked Trace Okay, look, what are you most comfortable running? So with that in mind, Wolf, what's a realistic expectation you think for Trace McSorley on Sunday Night. Yeah, you know, Polly, I wish I knew, Paul,

I wish I could answer your question. Really, it's I have no idea what to expect from Trace McSorley in a game where he's gonna have all week, he's gonna have all week to prepare for it. I would expect we're going to see a real blend the old versus the new. That's what I expect, Paul, I do. I think we're gonna see Trace McSorley maybe a little bit more under center than what we have seen Colt McCoy even or Shirley Kyler Murray. Of course. I think we're

also going to see him in the shotgun. I think the pistol. I think we're going to see more variations of the blending of the old and the new. And yeah, Trace McSorley is a guy that can pull the ball down and run, and that I would expect to see RPOs. I would expect to see zone reads as well. And you know what I would expect to see twenty two and twenty three duo as we like to call it, a north south attack on the line of scrimmage and then play action off of that. I think trace McSorley

can do all of that. I have no idea how he's gonna play, but he doesn't look flustered, I'll tell you that much. He handled the press conference with a palm. I mean, he didn't look nervous at all, all the questions about facing Tom Brady. His first career start against Tom Brady on Sunday Night in primetime. Here's the guy who won three state titles in high school and then went to Penn State and was a four year starter. So, I mean, he's used to a big stage in a

lot of ways, but nothing quite like this. But it is amazing how many guys in the locker room use one word with him confidence. They say he plays with a lot of bravado. So we'll see if that translates to the field against Tom Brady and company on Sunday Night. Yeah no, and you know they're gonna need that. There's no doubt. It's gonna be really interesting to see what kind of effort the Arizona Cardinals give coming out of the tunnel. They've had a miserable season for the most part.

And for me, Paully, man is the misery continues to pile on. It forces you to go out. It fills you with this expectation of going out and balling out these last three games when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, Paully, it makes you go out from the very get go, from the opening kickoff and ball out because you know that it's winding down, you know that it's going to end. You know the misery is going to be over at some point in time more times than not, and Paul, you know I've

got a PhD In losing more times than not. Man, the last three four games of a season, that's ball out time right there. It fills you with a hope of a new day, a better way next season. It's the light at the end of the tunnel. And I agree we'll know right away if the Cardinals are matching that energy, that desperation from a Buccaneers team where the head coach Todd Bowles says, quote, we have three games left to save our season. They're six and eight, they

have a one game leading in the Division. If they win out, they're in. They will host a playoff game and Tom Brady will avoid the first losing season ever of his NFL career. Think about that. But they have to win out all three of their final games. So we'll see if the Cardinals are up to it. You know, matching that you're also figuring your trade. Brink Bryan, talk about a wolf. I mean, if you know one thing about Todd Bowles from his years here, he's gonna go

down swinging, isn't he? Oh yeah, you know that's the one thing about her right there. You're talking out of defense that is going to be hyper aggressive. We heard Trey McBride, as you say, talking about that thing. But that's the one thing we know about Todd Bulls. He is PAULI. He is a grandmaster guru sense. When it comes to five man pressures, he's bringing five. You just don't know which five he'll actually bring. And then we know that he's got a real affinity as well for

our bringing cover zero. And that's man across the board, bring everybody when it gets down to it, when it's nasty time, Todd Bowles is not afraid to dial up Cover zero. So I would expect, especially with Tracey McSorley a young quarterback, I would expect Todd Bowles to give him a lot of complex pressure package looks and a

lot of blitzes as well. And think about it, the Cardinals could have their eleventh different starting offensive line combination based on whether Kelvin Beacham is going to go at right tackle. He did not practice again today. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers got Tristan Worf's back to practice, so that could be a big disparity. We'll see as the Cardinals injuries continue on both sides of the ball. Again, It's going

to be Sunday Night Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady has played more Super Bowls in that stadium than he has regular season games. Think about that, all right, all part of the allure that Trey McBride and everyone else is going to be facing with the Cardinals. Special thanks to the Cardinals Rookie Ted end as our special guest. Thanks as always, Jim almahondro Cody Fincher for Ron. We'll play on Paul Calvci. This has been the Big Red

Rage presented by Santanford and Gilbert. We are Santanford Number one. Tyler, You've been listening to The Big Red Rage presented by Santanford and Guilder. Are you Santanford State Farm Talk to an Agent today at eight hundred State Bar and by Arizona Cardinals Podcasts visit acy Cardinals dot com Slash Podcasts. This has been an exclusive presentation of the Arizona Cardinals Football Club.