With the call of today's game on CBS Sports, Beth Moens joining us now. And I believe Beth is the first time we've had you on a Jaguars game. It's good to talk to you. Yeah. The I when I was prepping for Monday Night Football several years ago, we actually had a Jags pregame, uh that we broadcast to no one but ourselves, a preseason game. So wow. So I'm anxious to actually be heard and have one in the regular season. You are the first woman to call
a Jaguars game. I know that. And you know, do you consider yourself a pioneer of sorts or is that too too heavy of a burden? You know? I I know that it means a lot um to other people and and hopefully is inspiring. Uh, two young boys and girls that want to get into this business. And and I do realize, um that the significance of it, and I'm proud of that. Um. But from my perspective, it's always been my day to day. It's always been my dream job and and something that I've pursued with a
lot of vigor ever since i was young. So uh, as you know what, while you're in it and and you're focused on the task at hand. That does make it a little easier sometimes to to block out a lot of the noise. And then uh, perhaps JP go back afterwards and sort of embraced those moments and and sort of relish in the history of it a little bit. What did you first realize that you wanted to do
play by play? And how? I mean it's obviously difficult for anybody to move up the ladder, but what was the greatest challenge you've faced when you first got in the business. Well, I always, uh like sports and I like talking, So there was a perfect blend. Um lucky enough that I grew up as a coach's kid, and I had three brothers and a neighborhood full of little kids that loved kickball and whiffleball and football and basketball. So there was an always, always a game going on,
and I was always yacking away. I I wasn't a trash talker. I preferred to be much more descriptive in my verbage. And so I knew from a young age. And then uh, mid seventies, the old NFL Today Show with Phyllis George. That was the first time, you know, the the old adage if you see it, then you can believe it and and figure out a way to make it happen. And watching Phillis was the first indicator for me that it was something that I could do.
And then it's just a matter of, um, you know, plowing forward with everything you've got it the the other lucky break for better or worse. Um. I never had anything else I wanted to do j B. So if there was a roadblock thrown in my way, it was just a matter of figuring out how to get under it, around it, through it, or over it and and continue
on my way. Um I was. I was blessed to have a lot of great role models, most of them men when I was first coming up that took a shine to me and wanted to share a lot of knowledge and information with me. That that was greatly beneficial. Beth Mullins with us CBS Sports, what is your balance of duties? Now? Are you still doing ESPN stuff as well? And you're jumping on CBS this week? How often are you on the Columbia Broadcast System? Now? This uh, this
is always the crazy time of year. That there was a while where I was doing UM volleyball championships, soccer championships, college football, NFL men's basketball, women's basketball. I've been able to pare that down and narrow it down a little bit, so UM have had some basketball games on the schedule and have been UH doing college football with ESPN. I get an opportunity to enjoy some friends with the NFL on CBS this week and and possibly again at the
end of the regular season. So UH been fortunate to to have my hand in a lot of different things. And I understand they replayed my prices right episode from last week, so I'll be expecting that royalties check anytime anytime now. I love it. Beths with us as the play by play at the game on CBS today. All right, let's get to the game now, Beth. I mean, the Jaguars have started some significant change. They fired the GM
after last week's game. Dave Caldwell is out. That search will begin, if it hasn't begun already, it will officially begin after the season is over. Doug Marone trying to keep this team fighting. He's safe through the season. After that, who knows. It's a great challenge for Doug because they're out of the race. It's a young, beat up football team really both sides of the ball. They're on the
third quarterback and you know they're one intent. I get it, but they're fighting in some of these games, Beth, and and I think Doug is a big reason why this group has stayed as close as they have this part of the season. Yeah, you know, you look at the schedule, it's three of the last four games that are within four points UM And you know, you hate to to talk about moral victories, Uh, those don't necessarily count in the NFL, but that does I think show that the
guys are still fighting. You know, the shelf life in the NFL is so short that you know, even if you've got to turn to your backups or bring guys off the practice squad, there is such a hunger and uh, such a desire to prove that you belong that I think Doug and the coaching staff have been able to
get the most out of those guys. Um And you know, tip of the cap to some of these veterans that are are making the most of an opportunity, and certainly to these young rookies that are coming in and having an impact. I mean, you know, James Robinson is one
of the feel good stories of the season. We're certainly going to make a big deal on on the broadcast today about Robinson and Justin Jefferson trying to wrestle that Rookie of the Year honor away from another quarterback is as good as Justin Herbert has been with the Chargers. But I think there are some positives to take um and I think that you know, what other option do you have? It's not in anybody's DNA. I don't think too to call it quits before the season comes to
its conclusion. You mentioned James Robinson and his running style is just fantastic to watch. He's hard to hit, he hits the whole uh, he's decisive and in fact, he only has eleven negative runs this entire season. To write that one down, you might want to take a note on that, and it's a it's an impressive stat I mean, because the guy's always falling forward, and if they didn't have James Robinson, I don't know what they would be on offense. Ben. Yeah, and it's one of those stories.
It's just amazing how everybody kept missing how good this kid was coming out of high school and coming out of college and and you know, credit to the Jags for finding this guy. Um, he's so uh compact and so powerful and you just see him able to run around guys and run past guys, but also when necessary, you know, run right through people. And it's been a real pleasure to watch him on tape and and some of the games that I've been looking at for the Jags.
And and hopefully he can keep it up. It's uh, you know something that he's chasing that scrimmage rookie record, and hopefully he can continue to flirt with that and and make that a big story moving forward. Beth Bowens with Us from CBS has the play by play of the Jaguars Vikings game today at one o'clock. On the other side, it's a Jaguars defense that is just beat up all over the field. The linebackers are about the only guys who've been out there most of the year,
Miles Jack and Joe Schobert. But you look in the secondary is a lot of young guys, guys getting an opportunity because other players are injured, and this is not the week for that. With Jefferson and Feeling and those guys and Kirk Cousins slinging it around pretty well lately. It's a Minnesota offense. You mentioned Jefferson, but they've got guys outside that can match up very well, it feels
like against this Jaguars secondary. Unfortunately for the Jaguars this week. Yeah, it's a I think a tough time to come up against the likes of Feeling and Jefferson and Cousins. You could make the case he's been the best quarterback in the league since thereby, uh, you know, over the last five weeks or so, So it's definitely gonna be a big challenge. Uh. It's a really a calling card for Shobourd and Miles Jack to just have monster afternoons and hope that those guys in the bat can rise up.
Tough matchup for the Jags on the defensive side today. It's a Vikings team that needs it. Obviously, they're they're in the wild card race, but they won't be for long if they lose games like this. So you know they're gonna be up for this game. There's no letdown
game as certainly at this point of the year. If you're in the race in the NFL in December, there's no such thing as a letdown game or there shouldn't be no And I think probably they were, uh, you know, hit pretty hard in the face with that one in five start. And so this is some magic coming out of that I week, and and according to our research, a win for the Vikings and a loss for the
Cardinals moves Minnesota into that seven spot. Next week they face Tampa Bay, so an opportunity to pass Tampa Bay with the head to head if they get a win next week, and Detroit and Chicago, which you would think would be winnable, and then depending on New Orleans and what's going on, whether they've clinched or not, or whether Drew Brees is back, an opportunity for them to do some damage down the stretch. So I would imagine, uh, they would be fired up and ready to roll. That's
great stuff. I truly appreciate the visit and have a great call today of the Jacks. Appreciate it.