Big Red Rage - Shawn Jefferson's Super Sunday

And by Arizona Cardinals Podcasts. Visit Hacy Cardinals dot com, Slash Podcasts, The Rods, Rising Ud, Temperatureizing, Vision, flurring, Rage, taking it over. Here's Paul KELVC. Get the popcorn ready, It's gonna be a show and Ron will flee. It doesn't get any better than that horn. Unleash the farm and a big welcome to the Red Sea. Here on the Big Red Rage. Here is hoping that that you're week has somehow, some way resembled that of Matthew Stafford's week.

Actually make that Frat Stafford wolf as Frat Stafford was trending on Twitter. You know you're having a good week when you have your own Moniker trending. And when then Tom Brady weighs in because you know he's been there and done that over indulging at a Super Bowl parade when TB twelve tweets out, hey, matt mix in a water.

Trust me, you know you're feeling pretty good. Yeah, the debauchery of it all, Paula, you've got to be kidding me, right at some point in time, please, will you just put it down, walk away from it, don't walk away from people that are actually falling around you. Just actually put the bottle down and walk away yourself. Paul I didn't see though that Matthew Stafford needed any help walking away like Tom Brady did at the tree end of the parade a year ago. And Wolf, trust me, you

will get to talk here in a minute. But I have a thought I would like to start with. So, the Super Bowl champion, as we know now resides in the NFC best and it's up to the Arizona Cardinals more than ever right now this upcoming season. And here's where you need to follow me, because if we reverse engineer the NFC from the NFC Championship game back the Niners, I mean, come on, they're reading the reset button with the rookie quarterback Trey Lance, Jimmy G. The G stands

for gone. He's already said goodbye. So the Niners they're out Green Bay already nearly fifty million over the cap. Reports everywhere that Aaron Rodgers is gone. Maybe in Denver, who knows either way. The Packers they're out. Nobody and I mean nobody trust the Cowboys, right, doesn't matter. If they have doesn't matter. If they have the most talented roster, which they might have had this year, doesn't matter. They can't get out of their own way. They're their own

worst enemy. They're the only opponent really on their own schedule. They're out the box, just lost Tom Brady. So enough said, they're done. And the Seahawks defense, if you want to go that route, some sort of resurrection in Seattle behind Russell Wilson, who, by the way, probably really does want out, well, guess what. The Seahawks defense is every bit that bad at every level of that defense. So that leaves Ron Wilfley. The Arizona Cardinals has the only viable threat to save

the NFC. Stand between the Rams in La repeating and where would that happen? That would happen in your own building, and that's how it gets worse. So the time is now, the urgency is real. The Cardinals have to step up and stand between the Rams as a repeat NFC champ. Yeah, you know what, Paul, The best thing I think you said right there is just Jimmy G. The G stands for gone. That's what you pulled out of that that rambled right there. That to me was, Hey, listen, you

know what. It is a year to year proposition. This is this is the one thing that we know about the National Football League when you start, when you start trying to carry over one year to the next year, I think that is a dangerous, dangerous proposition. You just look at what happened to the Arizona Cardinals this year. Oh my goodness, unbelievable. Seven and oh of course ten and two. It's the ten and two number that bothers

me the most, Paul. I mean, that's twelve games, Paul, that is that is that's three months of football right there, and they were the best team in the NFL by way of example. That's what I mean by it being a year to year proposition. You just don't know what's going to happen from one year to the next it's this is the National Football League, and this is one of the reasons why it is as popular as it is, because you truly can go from worst to first and

first to worst. You know what, you said it and I asked it. It's gonna be a question to Sean Jefferson coming up. I buried the lead. Here we are the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert. We are Santan Ford and our special guest tonight is Cardinals receivers coach Sean Jefferson, and we're gonna ask him those two words, what happened. So we're gonna talk about this season, the way this season finished, his thoughts on that.

We're obviously going to get his thoughts on his son, Van Jefferson, Rams receiver who wins the Lombardi and had a baby on the same day Super Bowl Sunday. So we're gonna get day. We're gonna get that probably the best day in the history of the Jefferson family. Okay, So we're going to talk about all that as it went from La and the Rams winning, and then the very next day you probably saw they had the handoff.

They handed off the football the Rams Super Bowl Committee in LA handed off to Michael Bidwell, Doug Doocy, the governor, and Larry Fitzgerald. Right, so boom, Arizona is on the clock for Super Bowl fifty seven. It be February twelve, twenty twenty three. But before we get there, let's talk about Super Bowl fifty six. And that's exactly what Drew Stanton was doing on the Red Sea Report with our Craig Grigolou. And we all know what it came down

to that final drive. Matthew Stafford a Cooper Cop and here's Drew Stanton, the former Cardinals quarterback, just on the receiver that he is Cooper Cup. Everyone knows they're trying to throw it to him, right Like. That's the thing. It's not like he's some like well kept secret around what's going on. But because he has the freedom and these option routes, he's always going to make the right choice. He's always going to be at the right depth of where he needs to be. He's always going to do

all these things. And he's unselfish. He's not one of those guys that sitting there worried about it because he knows when his plays come he's going to make the most of it. The final drive, all of a sudden, you could just see him start building momentum and building momentum, and you know, much like we saw with Larry the course of his career. Here you get the ball in his hands and everybody else there's this belief system that just elevates of everybody on the team because of it.

And then you go score, and then you flip it over and say, all right, all right, Aaron, go win the game for us. There you go. Drew stan on the Red Sea Report he mentioned Larry. Would Larry have to say, didn't Larry tweet out something onlines of you know, Cooper Cup props, I have memories, you have the hardware, Yeah, you know what you know? That would yeah, that would be a good day for Cooper Cup right there if

you got a text for or tweet from Larry. Of course. Paul, you know though, I just want to say this, Um, it really wasn't Cooper Cup to me, that really was a story of this game for the Rams. For me, it was Matthew Stafford. It was Stafford Bally. I mean, he did it, Paul, he did it. The narrative surrounding Matthew Stafford is dead. The fact that he's not a big game quarterback, the fact that he didn't handle pressure pack situations very well. That narrative is dead. And think

of it. This game not only came down to a fifteen play seventy nine yard drive would just over six minutes ago that resulted in that one yard touchdown pass two Cooper Cup to win the game when it mattered the most. The fact that it came down to that, and that Matthew Stafford delivered that right there, Paul, that is the definition of killing a narrative. And you know what, he completed all four passes he threw to Cooper Cup

on that game winning drive. Think about it. They didn't have OBJ on the field, they didn't have Tyler Higbee, obviously Number eighteen can catch. They had a lot of nobodies. And he's still you're right, got it done. Although I gotta say, I mean, Cincinnati, when you got the ball back in the final drive and it's third and one with a Super Bowl on the line, and you're giving it to p Ryan, and I mean, run it anywhere except in the vicinity of Aaron Donald. And what does

he do. He runs right into Aaron Donald's gap, and then on fourth and one they get in the gun, and it's so predictable because now Aaron Donald doesn't have to worry about the run and only does his pin his ears back and boom, instant lead. He's into the map. Polay, Honestly, though, I thought Super Bowl fifty six the fulcrum of the football game. The turning point of the game happened when the Bengal went ahead and took a shot at Aaron

Donald early in the third quarter. I'm telling you, man, Aaron Donald, when he jack Joe Burrow out of bounds right there, Paul, and suddenly everyone got around him and they were jacking Aaron Donald in the face. They awoke the sleeping giant. What did your teammates always tell you about Lawrence Taylor? Hey, run him alone, leave him alone. Yeah, suddenly the Rams had six sacks. They went from one sack to six sacks in a blink of an eye. By the way, a couple of quick thoughts, because we're

gonna talk receiving next. Was Sean Jefferson, the Cardinal's receivers coach. You're talking about Cooper cup who had no college offers coming out of High school. You're talking about Matthew Stafford. When throwing a cup in this postseason, his passer rating was one forty three point eight. That's the best for any quarterback targeting a single receiver in the past five postseasons.

Think about that when we come back. Cardinals receivers coach Shawn Jefferson on the big red rage presented by Santa and ford In Gilbert blushed out of the pipe but of the right Nun throws back across the middle and it's caught in the back of the end zone by Hopkins and he got his feet down for the touchdown. Quick for over the middle, Hopkins has a catch of the tent, turns to his left at the five. He hits painter touched down DeAndre Hopkins throws left in the enzl.

Hopkins us there sliding cats on the tockdown side arms it over the little coper a touchdown by DeAndre Hopkins. Stuffs up loops and back of the enzel quite open his Hopkins and a touchdown off by Hopkins. Hit the tent, slips a tackle, runs left to the five into the end zone for the touchdown. Throws a bait left side of the end zone and in his cart for a touchdown by thee hop d Hop fought it looks right, throws a deep ball right side in the end zone,

pen it's caught, hits a touchdown, touchdown DeAndre Hopkins. All right, gee hop from Kyler. One of the most potent lethal combos in the NFL. And we saw this season what the Cardinals offense looked like with and without DeAndre Hopkins. As we have a nodding head here in studio and

we're gonna get to all that. But the NFL season ended with another combo, Matthew Stafford to Cooper Cup and then one final route, a go route, a nine route run by Rams receiver Van Jefferson from the field all the way to the hospital in LA and the delivery room. And a guy who had the front row seat is a guy who Van Jefferson. We heard on NFL films call him Pops, And I'm guessing we can output the word proud in front of Pops. And you're not eating again.

Sean Jefferson, Cardinals wide receiver coach, is our guest. Just tell us about the last week or so and especially the aftermath of Super Bowl fifty six. Coach Well I was just an unbelievable week for the whole family, leaning up to that Super Bowl and just spending a week my son just talking about the game, his preparation and mindset in the game, and just knowing that, you know, his wife is pregnant, you know, expecting the baby maybe

two weeks the next two weeks or something. So we get into the stadium on Sunday, and you know, we take our seats and I'm on pins and needles because I'm like, I really want my son to get this ring, right. You know what I'm saying. I meet myself. I played in two Super Bowls lost POFU. So I'm like, okay, third times in charm you gotta get this ring. Man. I come on, I'm rooting for you. Gotta get a championship in the Jeffson family. So it was, it was.

It was awesome. The game started off off off well, they scored, and thanks for going well. And then um, I'm there sitting by his wife and and and uh and she said before the game, someone had interviewed her. Her name is Samaria, and she said, loosely, I'm quoting, I'm forty weeks pregnant. I'm not missing the Super Bowl. She was hell then on attending, right, yeah, she was,

she was, and uh yeah, she definitely attended. And uh and so we're sitting there and game's going good and and I hear this kind of loud grunt and I'm like I look over it, and he's like, I gotta go. I'm like, oh my goodness. So me and my wife were football junkies, right. So it's me and my wife, my youngest daughter, and my sister, who's a nurse from Jacksonville was all to the game. And uh. I looked up to my wife was like, hey, um, I probably need to go with us. He was like, oh no,

I'm not missing this game. Like, oh my goodness. So my youngest daughter and my sister had to take take her out, but she left on a stretcher, right yeah. Yeah, the m Yeah, the EMC they came and got her and and uh and from there, things and things was happening fast. It was snowballing and everything and uh and uh just watching the game and just watching them come back into fashion and win that game. It was just

social real at that moment. I mean when when they won that game, I literally sat there and like I can't believe this just happened. My son just got a freaking ring. He's gonna be a champion for life. And I'm like, it really didn't hit me. And then so we get passed this and going out on the field and I ro up to him myself, may champ me for life? Man waiting and stuff and and um and

you know what. NFL Films captured what happened next as a PR person for the Rams came up in a rush and informed your son Van Jefferson that the moment was now here. It is right now. Oh my god, Yeah, mommy's gonna have a baby, you know, Yeah, mommy's gonna have your brother hospital. And it's an amazing moment because you see his reaction. But then he's also realizing, wait, I have two young kids here, I'm a father. So then he explains it to to a couple of your grandkids.

What's happening right, Yes, he does. He's sitting there explained. Now, they probably don't capture me, but I'm back and I'm like, let's go, let's go. What is happening. You're happening fast. We gotta move. So so I'm gonna start calling him clock kid, because because I mean, he went from that field to the elevator isn't like seconds, you know what I'm saying. It's almost like he's stepped into in the telephone booths and change frolls. And we were out the

rams at an unbelievable job holding the elevators. Had a car service ready for us there, so we're the driver that we had was unbelievable. I got to reach out to him, find out who he was. I gott to send him a thank you card because he was darting in and out of traffic. It was an hour, like our fifteen hour, twenty minutes away um from where the delivery place was. You know. She she had a midwife going to deliver the baby. And so we'll get there and my son is texting on the phone and midwife

is like, okay, we're okay, we're doing fine. So we get like thirty minutes away from there, and she calls like, hey, where are you. It's like, well, we're thirty minutes out. She said, okay, blah blah blah. So another phone call come within seconds. She's like, how far are you? Now? You better you better FaceTime because this is happening right now, a little boy though he's not He don't want to

stand mommy smelling him he's coming. So so we get to within like fifteen minutes away from the delivery place and and uh, she's had he had to get on FaceTime and watch it and and but it was just just unbelievable, experienced the wholy round to be a you know, to my son went in a championship and didn't maybe becoming a grandfather. Man, it was just unbelievable experience. I couldn't have actually anything better. You know that this Super Bow Super Bowl Sunday was the best Super Bowl sun

I experience in my life. And uh, I don't. I still haven't kind of fully grasped everything. So because you know, I had kind of being here for work stuff like that, it still hadn't hit me, you know what I'm saying. It still think me and my wife hadn't sitting down and we haven't we haven't even discussed it yet, you know what I'm saying. So it hadn't hit me. I think.

I think with the next couple of days and something like that, we'll make the track back up to LA and it probably hit me then, you know, Super grandson. I love some of the headlines. A baby and a Lombardi was one head there was another headline, oh baby, exclamation point. Jefferson wins the super Bowl and welcomes the son, and then I'll rip off the opening line from an AP story Van Jefferson won the Super Bowl and it wasn't even the best part of his weekend. So I mean,

let's just put it this way. What February thirteen, twenty twenty two will go down as an all tim Yeah, family history, big time. I'm the worst when it comes to the dates and stuff like that, But that's one birthday I've never never forgot. Did Samaria see the halftime show they up at halftime to show did she make halftime or was it before halftime? No, she didn't make halftime. Okay, no,

she didn't make half time. But it was it was it was just an unbelievable experience, and uh, gotta be just just so just awesome, you know, the energy in that stadium and and everything that was going on there. But but when I did make it down to the field and I saw the rams how they were celebrating everything like that, and it was it was like I

was trapped. It was about like a minute there where I just was just looking at things, and the whole time I'm looking at the Ram players, I'm saying to myself, this has gotta be us next year. This has gotta be us next year. That's what I was saying. I was like, yeah, I was happy for my son and and and everything like that, but I'm I'm about a minute. I mean, I'm looking at that them, I'm like, this has gotta be us. The energy was amazing, you know

what I'm saying. The stadium was just everything was just just lit up, and I'm thinking, this has gotta be us year. And we all know what happened in Week four. The Cardinals went into so Far absolutely, Jack stomped the Ramps absolutely so. Is there a takeaway from what you witness firsthand? Is there any it's a copycat league? Ye? Is there anything to be learned from the manner in which the Rams won it all? Yeah? I mean, we gotta finish better. We gotta finish better, you know what

I'm saying. They did. They went through they went through the highs and lows of the season, and they was able to, you know, to get through those little valleys and stuff like that and come through them and stuff. That's what we gotta learn. We gotta learn when we go through the value, we gotta learn how to come through them. We can't we can't be lost in the valley. We gotta you know what I'm saying, We gotta, we

gotta push through them. And uh they they did it better than any team minute in the NFL, and that's why of the champs. Our guest here on the Big Red Rage, brought to you by Santan Ford and Gilbert, is Sean Jefferson. Not only what a seventeen year coach in the NFL, thirteen year playing career for those who don't know you were a ninth round pick Yeah, by the Houston Oil. He played thirteen years, almost two hundred games, a dozen postseason games, the two Super Bowls absolutely reference.

So you're more qualified than anyone I'll talk to answer the following question. What happened? Everyone wants to know seven and oh ten and two? What happened? Well, we we we we encountered some injuries. I think injuries happened to us at the wrong time. And you know we we we're making a Super Bowl run. You got to kind of be hitting on all cylinders health wise and everything like that. And I think you know, we we we wasn't healthy at the right time. You know, our quarterback

went down. Uh D. Hop was a major part of that because it changed the way the defenses will play us. It really did. He's he's such an impact player out there, and you know, and usually we have a Hopkins uh out there, the defenses usually rolled to his side. So and then you have, you know, guys playing other guys one on one. You beat you to create mismatches that way, and um, you know, by by not having him on the field certainly impacted us, It really did. I mean,

think of the Rams without Cooper Cup, right, yeah. And I bring that up because there's a whole variety of stats. Obviously on Cooper Cup he won the Triple Crown or receiving. But this is one I had not heard before. After the season, someone calculated that in the fourth quarter of Ram's regular season or playoff games, Matthew Stafford to Cooper Cup, he was fifty five of sixty one passing. Wow, just

to Cooper Cup. That's a ninety percent completion percentage. Seven touchdowns on the ear no interceptions just in the fourth quarter to Cooper Cup. So I think everybody looks at d Hop and Kyler Murray and they see that sort of potential. So how do you get there? How do you become that sort of lethal combination? Well, I think number one, you know, these last two years put pretty much put a hamper a damper in the off season program,

off season workout program. So I think now getting back to some kind of normalcy with the off season workout program and OTAs and stuff like that, I think that's when all that stuff is captured in the time and the importance of you know what I'm saying that, like getting getting reps in and and Kylum Nolan were I even look at Hop what we're doing in that situation and everything like that. I think by I was having

a full off season. Now, I think that will help us going forward because if you believe a lot of the analysts who looked at especially at that fourth quarter when they were missing O B J No, Tyler Higbee, you know, and then and I mean you you just had a bunch of unknowns and Cooper Cup there were times he was getting double and triple covered. But if you listen to the analyst, Cooper cup was able to look at the coverage, read coverage and be immediately in

sync with his quarterback. Right absolutely, But that that stuff happens during the off season. That's where that trusts and that's what that that that that chemistry, Uh, it takes place to an off season by by reps. You know what I'm saying, I think we can get back to some type of normalcy with this NFL off season. Um, Um, it would bolt well for us big time Cardinals receivers. Coach Sean Jefferson as our guests. So d hop is a known other than that, it's Rondelle Moore and then

TBD to be determined. Right, you're looking at a lot of uncertainty right now in your room, aren't here? Yeah, you know, we have some guys that's coming up on free agency and everything, and and um that scares me. You know what I'm saying, it's you know, this friggs thing. You know, there's a lot of nos in the free agency. Um. And of course you know, Christen Kirk's one of our main contributors. He's he's there. You know, we got Chase,

We got a bunch of guys. So I have confidence in our GM and our owner and our whole scouting department and our head coach. Um, Um, I'm pretty sure that you know, we're not just gonna let players walk. We're not. You're gonna fight like hell for him. And I'm pretty sure I got I got a lot of confidence in those guys. We'll get it right. We'll get it right Rondale Moore, you know, And look, everyone's an armchair quarterback. I get a lot of people ask me,

are they gonna target Rondale Moore down the field? More? Is there upside there? What do you think the next step is for the rookie? App The next step for him is you're right, uh talking to more down field adding to his route tree. Um, you know it's coming in as a rookie. You know, you got de Hobb, you got Kristin Kirk, you got aj Green. So he's kind of lost in that, you know what I'm saying. A boy being a rookie and everything like that. But that's one of the things that me and Runde Hall

discussed about growing his routes. We've been able to put him outside a little bit more where he can run some of those routes on the outside, so his his route tree will grow leaps and bounds this year. So and again we've talked about how important off season is going to be, the workout and ota is going to be. That's when the growth come. That's we're gonna take the

steps and learn how to run those routes. He's a phenomenal route runner already, but just learning the little nuances of plan on the outside and opposed a plan on the inside of the field. How about two other guys on the fringe. You saw Antoine Wesley and Cliff Kingsby really bullish on Antoine Wesley is a guy from Texas. Second, we saw him excel against Dallas in Indianapolis in particular, and then Andy Isabella. So tell us about those two guys and where you think they fit in and what

their off season is going to have to accomplish. Well, it will look similar to what Rundale also look like. Um, a lot of stuff is like off seasons for for development. Tweets took a step, you know what I'm saying, and for and it's all about getting reps. I've got to get him more reps, you know what I'm saying. He's got talent. We drafted in the second round, so he's got talent. I just got to do a better job of getting him more reps. You know what I'm saying.

What do you think it's his role? Andy Isabelle? Ideally? What realistically what could be his role? Well? Well, I mean kind of like what Rondale did this year, who was a gadget guy our screen runner. Um, and Andy is super fast, like you can use him in a capacity to clear his own out using mapacity for ropes down to field. You know. So, so he does have a role. I just got to do a better job

of getting squid Away in that role. Run and DeAndre Hopkins tracking from everything, you know, the injury, I mean he should be good to go from what we're hearing, correct, yep, um U talk to him a couple of times and his spirits are good, and um he's looking forward to getting back on the field. Tell me as we wrap it up here with Sean Jefferson going back to your son Week fourteen, Monday Night Football, coming out a halftime

fifty two yard catch, you know. And I bring this up because NFL Films has some rate clips where he keeps the football, and he says, I'm giving this to my pops. But then on the other sideline there's a shot of you and you know, there's a lot of words I can't repeat right now. So how about that whole dynamic, just you and your son and he's playing for one of the team's arch rivals. Yeah, I know it, you know, like I talked to some of my colleagues

all the times. Man, it's gotta be great playing against your son twice a year. I'm like, no, it's not like the swing of emotions after playing him. I mean, I go home, I'm totally like spent. You know what I'm saying, because at one point I want to beat the crap out of him, right, you know what I'm saying, I'm father. Won't know, Hey, I'm still father, Like I leg up on you and you know, and and and at the same time I want him to do well,

you know what I'm saying. And that Monday night was just like I don't know, that Monday night was like he caught the test down. I'm like, oh man, because you know, you just I'm I'm I'm I'm his father, but I'm competitive. I don't like gett my butt beat, especially not by my son, you know what I'm saying, So so uh yeah, it's just a swing of emotions, man, and it's just it's it's the toughest thing that I've had to do as a coach to sit there and watch my son on the other side of the ball.

You know what I'm saying. Well, I can't. I can't root for him because I'm in competition against them again, but I wanted to do well. Like I said, I may mostly spend after those games. Hey, we know you're competitive if you wear cleats as a coach. Were are you wearing cleats right now? Coach? By the way I'm looking at Okay, how much business do you get business from the guys? Do they ras you about the cleats or is that just accepting now? And how did that starts.

I'm my first coaching coaching gig and I was a trot. I started to winning clicks out there on the field for number one, Like, I like showing my guys how I want things done, and I can't do it in tennis hughes, you know, flippering and stuff like that. But I've ever since day one I've been a coach, I've had cliques on them. Like so it's it's it's just part of what I do. You know what I'm saying. It's just and and and it's just it's just stuck. I just I'm not one of these coaches that I

want to tell guys. What do. I want to show guys what I want them to do. You know, once I show them, they have no excuses at that point if you tell them what I thought you meant this, I thought you meant that. No, I'm gonna show you exactly what I want and I want you to do it. You know what I'm saying. So that's another reason why I do it. And how critical is that as a coach, a guy who did it at the NFL level for thirteen years, that's got to bring more buying outould think

from your room. Absolutely, man, it brings more more credibility, you know, to me as a coach. You know what I'm saying, And they know that I've been through the grind So like I tell guys, when I'm not going to actually do anything that I wouldn't do, you know what I'm saying it, But I do expect the high

level of excellence when we're doing it all right. Well, I'll tell you what, as much as the NFC West Okay was represented by the Rams Okay, it just I think all of everyone associated with the Cardinals just takes gratification that there was a personal connection through you and your son and the manner in which it unfolded. So is there gonna be a moment here in the offseason where everyone gets together and there'll be a Super Bowl celebration that you couldn't have after the game? Is that

gonna happen in the Jefferson family somehow someway? I'm pretty sure that will sometime right now, Like I'm in full, like I'm in full, like Cardinal Mold Man, I'm in frezes Mold. I'm ready for a combine and I'm ready to get to OTAs because i mean, just seeing that that, when I saw in that field with my son him, I'm like, that's gotta be us this year. So that's the moment I'm in And I'm guessing you're sharing that with the guys in the rest of that room. So absolutely, okay, coach,

thank you, Thank thank guys for having there. You go Sean Jefferson, who, yeah, he's probably a knee deep in college film right now, watching all these guys getting ready for the combine. Well, yeah, there you go, and we wrap it up with a head nod as well as we continue here at the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford and Gilbert we are satan Ford go to throw Murray in trouble, spins out of there to his left, being chased by two Vikings, and launches a deep, wide

open near side of the parties. Mindel mar Cod at the thirty twenty at the fifteen ten five clip down, Tyler Murray, you are ridiculous, Murray, Madchicks. Seventy seven yard tops down pass. Ninety nine point nine percent of the quarterbacks on the planet gets sacked. And not only is Kyler Murray not get sacked rows a touchdown, Nasty Nasty does. And we all know that Kyler Murray is nasty. The stuff you see in dreams and in video games, but

not in the NFL. WHOA, that's a great call, Arizona Cardinals radio network pass and wolf the seventy seven yard catch and run, and it was a run by Kyler Murray as well, just to make way. In fact, I'm not sure if that was the exact play, but we got anecdotes as the season went on that opposing defensive coordinators Ron Wolfley, when they showed film of Kyler Murray, they would show some of the plays where he would

extend plays for ten, twelve, thirteen seconds. We saw him do it in week one against Tennessee that play there, Rondale Moore. It is a big red rage And we just had Sean Jefferson on wolf Would you make of the Sean Jefferson interview? Wow, Bally, You know, honestly, I've got to start with the injuries he was talking about, in particular two DeAndre Hopkins right there. I really do think Paula, I didn't think it was going to be

that big of a deal. I'd listen, that sounds crazy to say when you're talking about nuke, you're talking about DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best wide receivers in the National Football League. Yet at the same time, I thought Kyler Murray in this offense had so many other weapons that they were going to be able to absorb that loss of d hop And although they wouldn't be nearly as effective, I thought going forward, I thought, surely they were still going to be able to go out and

score points and win games. And Paul, I'll tell you what, when d Hop went down, that changed everything. Yeah, you heard Sean Jefferson say it. You know what we talked about the whole second half of the season. It just changed the way defenses played the Arizona Cardinals. And no longer we're coverages rolling to his side, and no longer does some of the other guys get those one on one man to man matchups. Because of it, and for whatever reason, the Cardinals just struggled minus d Hop, and

they struggled mightily and losing five of the last six. Paul, I'm so glad you brought that opschematics matter right in the way that defenses would try to defend Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals. Coverage was not nearly as predictable when d Hop went down. Coverage wasn't nearly as predictable as when d Hop was out there. I think Kyler Murray had cleared up a lot of his reads for Kyler Murray a lot of times too. You were gonna

see two safeties high. You were gonna you were gonna see two safeties high, and that meant they weren't going to be able to jam up the box, and that also had an impact on the offense in terms of running the ball, especially with James Connor in between the tackles. No doubt, Rondale Moore, that was the subject we heard there the Highlight and we talked with Sean Jefferson, the Cardinals receivers coach, about Rondale Moore, or the second round rookie out of Purdue, and and he confirmed yes, they

they definitely planned to target him more downfield. They said he's already had the conversation Rondel Moore that we want to expand your route tree within the offense. Says he already is a really good route runner for a young guy. But what's intriguing is the prospect of moving him outside more. Yeah, that'll be interesting, especially if you then figure Andy Isabella, because that was our next question, we if Andy Isabella

would fill the role perhaps that Rondale Moore occupied this year. Yeah, it's gonna be interesting to see what happens. But Rondel Moore is a guy I was so high on Rondel Moore early on. Paul, I think we all pretty much were on Rondel Moore, and yet at the same time I remember saying specifically, man, he's got to get vertical. Vertical,

he's got to get vertical. If he can get vertical and become a vertical threat like a Tyreek Hill, Yes, Tyreek Hill, he gets a lot of horizontal stuff, but man, the thing that is at the base of Tyreek Hill is the verticality of him. He opens everything up underneath for the likes of a Travis Kelsey, opens up everything

underneath and intermediate for a lot of his receivers. Rondelle Moore has the ability to do this if in fact, they can get him to run nine routes which are go routes, run those eight routes which are posts, or the corner route, the corner route that is a seven route, Paul. If he can run these deep routes and be effective at that and run by people, man, that's when it gets so good for a guy liked hop yeah, and that too high safety shell coverage. Oh yeah, you know

he talked about. Now boom, that's where you get the old phrase to take the top off, right. That's when a guy's able to do something like that. So you have Rondel Moore and d hop they are really the only knowns, the only certainties in that Cardinals receiver room. And so we asked Sean Jefferson, Look, it's less than a month away free agency. March sixteenth is when free agency begins, and we asked Sean Jefferson, just about the

unknowns right now? You know, we have some guys coming up on free agency and everything, and um, that scares me. You know what I'm saying. It's, you know, this friggs thing. You know, there's a lot of knows in the free agency. And of course, you know, Christian Kirk's one of our main contributors. He's he's there. You know, we got Chase, we got a bunch of guys. So um, but I'm I have confidence in our GM and our owner and

whole scouting department and our head coach. I'm pretty sure that you know, we're not just gonna let players walk. We're not. We're gonna fight like hell for him. And I'm pretty sure I got I got a lot of confidence in those guys. We'll get it right. Christian Kirk just under a thousand yards receiving this year former second round pick at the end of his rookie contract. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a lot of interest in a receiver in his prime right now, Yeah, Paula,

I know I'm with you on that one. Right there. Um, I think somebody's gonna come in and somebody's gonna make an offer to Christian Kirk that the Arizona Cardinals are going to be unable to match. This is just a guess. I hope I'm wrong. Yet at the same time, I want to see him do well. You know what I mean? You know, should Kirk the affinity and affection that we have for Christian Kirk. I want to see him do well.

I want to see him get rewarded. Yet at the same time, I want to see the Cardinals do well. So you're torn, very much like Sean Jefferson. You're suddenly torn between wanting to see the best for Christian Kirk, who was a local product, of course, and then what is the best for the Arizona Cardinals. I would hate to lose Christian Kirk. I just think that's probably going to happen. Yeah, I mean, if you know, for example, if you know, Rondell Moore d hop and then maybe

a receiver taken in the first or second round. Maybe that other outside guy was some size perhaps to go. If you indeed lose Christian Kirk, we'll see what Paul is. Can I just jump in and say, you know Antoine Wesley as well? Right, there's a guy that is really intriguing going forward. Could he fill that role very much like an AJ Green on the outside? Could he fill that of having a big wide receiver to throw the ball down the field too. I don't know, but I

liked what I saw from Antoine Wesley last year. And he's got a lot of competitive fire. I mean, that guy is intense. Cliff Kingsbury will tell we saw it in camp. I mean he was on the verge of a few camp fights as a receiver, which you which you rarely. That's always a BLUs ball. That is absolutely college. In fact, speaking of when we asked Sean Jefferson, okay, is there a takeaway from the Rams winning the Super Bowl?

Is there anything to be learned? Because he was so close with his son and he was there at the game and he didn't hesitate. He said an I quote, we got to finish better. We can't get lost in the valley every season. As his ups in its downs, peaks and valleys. We can't get lost in the valley. Translate that for us. What do you think he meant by that? Yeah, Paula, you just got to be more consistent. You have to be able to overcome adversity. That's what

do you mean. You can't just face the valley and not be able to climb out of the valley. You've got to be able to face at adverse city and overcome it. Finish better. We know, we know exactly what that means, Pollie. You think of the last two years, many whole two and five, paul And again, I'm not

going to say the four and seven. I'm gonna look more specifically at the one in four finish, which is a worse losing percentage is a matter of fact, look at the one in four because that is a sample size where weeks start to consecutively pile up one and four. You could just see the Cardinals they were in trouble and because of that, POLLI, they've got to finish better.

And that's exactly what Sean Jefferson is talking about. Yeah, how about him sharing that when he was down in that field, he was so happy for his son well once again torn because he's looking at the Rams sand. Yes, this has got to be us. Next year, we continue with a Big Red Rage presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert. We're talking about next year and how the Super Bowl might tie into that. Next on the Big Red Rage.

In the victory formation, Stafford gets the snap in Goose doing me eclipt benches are gonna empty and the Rams are gonna win it with the script right out of Hollywood and the stars studded Los Angeles Rams all right, yet they have won Super Bowl fifty six and traumatic coming from behind packing. Wow, I'll tell you what. You had a Rams team that really couldn't run the ball in that game. They had twenty three carries for forty three yards rushing. They didn't have OBJ for a good

majority of that game. No, Tyler Higbee their second and third biggest weapons in that offense. But Matthew Stafford and Cooper Cup and then Aaron Donald at the very end, boom. They are Super Bowl champions and the next super Bowl will be in the AC Super Bowl fifty seven, February twenty twenty three. As we wrap up this edition to the Big Rage brought to you by Santan Forward and Gilbert Paul KELBC Ron Wolfley, and we saw the approach,

did we not? You trade it away? Well, we are less sneaed at the parade and what do you say? Bleep those picks right, and he's wearing the T shirt. So it's Jo settled out. It's a copycat league, Ron Wolfley. Do you expect other teams to follow this sort of blueprint where you go after the superstars, you trade away the unknown for the proven, and then just fill in your roster after that. Yeah, no, Polly, absolutely. It is

a year to year proposition. The day of trying to build a dynasty truly is non existent in the NFL anymore. It is a year to year proposition. You do whatever you can to feel the best team year in and year out. Yes, you're gonna have a nucleus of players, there's no denying that. But man, you've got so much more turnover than you've ever had before. How close do you think the Arizona Cardinals are right now? We heard

that call from Westwood one and Kevin Harland. I mean, realistically, legitimately, how close are the Cardinals? I think a lot of us, including yours truly are confused because they just hammered the Rams in Week four. They didn't play all that well in Week fourteen, barely lost at the end. Kyler had no touchdown, passes, two picks. They still almost won and went down to the final possession. Then obviously the playoff

loss was lopsided. So I'm trying to figure out how close how much ground did the Cardinals have to make up on the Super Bowl champion. Yeah, you know, honestly, BALI it just ten and two happened. That happened that much. I do know they were the best team in the National Football League. Ten and two happened now for a lot of different reasons, and I think injuries are certainly one of them, but for a lot of different reasons. I think the lack of leadership down the stretch factored

into this team. And they're finished, they're one and four finish, they get factored into that, Paulie. But you know, once again, listen, this is a year to year proposition, and you've got to continue to hope that picks like Isaiah Simmons right and Zavian Collins, that these guys are going to be able to step up next year and really make some massive strides going forward. And Rondale Moore is another guy. I think some of these young guys have got to step up and take on a new role, a dynamic

role offensively or defensively going forward. Paul all Right, Cliff Kingsbury the day after the playoff loss, and he just hit zoom out, look big picture and going forward, what exactly is the game plan? The head coach, Cliff Kingsbury, We've got a lot of work to do and we want to be better and finished strong on all those things. But we definitely improved dramatically in the first three years and we're hoping to do the same next year, and

we're gonna have to. The NFC West is a challenge year in and you're out with great players and great teams, and we got to make some real progress that we want to keep up. Yeah, what the SEC is to college football, the NFC West is to the NFL. There's no doubt about it. Next up, you're gonna get the combine the first week of March, and then mid March you're gonna get free agency. Ron Wolfley. The Athletic put out a ranking of the top seventy five free agents

that are going to be available. Three Cardinals. Now, somehow James Conner, a Pro Bowl running back, did not appear on the top seventy five free agents. So okay, good ball, not exactly go ahead ball, I hope nobody, Yeah, nobody notices right, everybody forget about James conn I think you see here, Paul, Yeah, number six, Chandler Jones, number thirty one, Christian Kirk number fifty seven. Zach Ertz, Yes, you're Steve Kime. What sort of order of importance would you put on these?

Penny Man? You know what, Paul, I really don't know how Steve would feel about this. I will tell you right now. My own thought is they need to get an offensive guard, Paul, and if it is a free agency PAULI is at via draft pick. They need an offensive guard. In my opinion, they need a wide receiver. In other words, they need to protect Kyler Murray, especially the interior pocket. The interior has got to get more solidified. They got to find a way to bring back Justin

Pew even though he's under contract. There's a weird situation going on with him where the contract that they're gonna have to re up him they need to protect Kyler Murray. Maybe you draft a offensive guard at number twenty three. The wide receiver. You got to give Kyler Murray more options. You've got to find a wide receiver and then Paully, you got to bring a tight end in. Who's a two way guy. This is this is I've talked to

you about this before. But you need a tight end and run down situation first and ten second and one to six that you can line up and run the ball or throw the ball. They were at their best when they had Max Williams as that tight end. Yeah, that was an underrated loss. And you've pointed out out for a long time and aptly so you're absolutely right on that one. I mean, protect that quarterback, yes, I agree with you. Get to the get to the quarterback. Yeah.

Chandler Jones could be act. They tagged him once upon a time, and then a couple months later they came up with a contract extension and Darren Urban pointed out an acy Cardinals dot Com if you tag Chandler Jones would be just over eighteen million. Is that feasible? Is that doable for a team that's just slightly over the cap right now? I don't know what sort of attention will a thirty two year old pass rusher get. Yeah,

Paulie know that. I think he's going to get attention on a one or two year deal, right there, Brot you know, um, I kind of like that right there, Go ahead and do it. If you have to tag him, go ahead and bring bad chant Man one more time, one more dance. Two quick reminders the airs on a Cardinals season. To take a priority list, just go to Acy Cardinals dot com slash Priority lists for more information there.

The Dave Pash podcast about suns Ford mcale bridge is available now wherever you get your podcasts on Twitter at pashpod special. Thanks Jim, I'm andro Cody Fincher of course. Sean Jefferson, Cardinals receivers coach for Ron Wolfe on Paul KELBC. This has been the Big Red Rage presented by sa A Stanford in Gilbert. Number one kil You've been listening to The Big Red Rage presented by Santanford in Gilbert?

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