Shawne Merriman joined Outkick The Coverage With Clay Travis To Discuss Week Number 12 In The NFL

I'm happy about that. So it was good. Uh. What's your favorite thing about? Like, did you grow up playing Thanksgiving football, like, you know, out with the friends, family, everything else? Uh? And did you play at all this year or at what age were you like officially not involved in like a family football game? You know what? Uh? If I got drafted when I got drafted by the Charges in two thousands five, but you know, moved out there,

so I was West Coasting at for a while. So the only time that would get a chance to go back home was during a bye week or we were allowed to have three or four days off. But otherwise, man, you know, over LC Gold going over. Danien's house is still in the plate here. Let their families cook and just go buy for the but the sweep off. You know. Uh Lorenz O'Neil, who's a super good guy. So I live in Nashville, and he played for the Tennessee Titans

for several years. He's part of the Music City Miracle. You know. He caught the ball and then handed it to Frank Wai Chick to throw back. We did a Music City Miracle reunion with Lorenz O'Neil, Frank why Chick, Kevin Dyson, all those dudes, super good guys. And as a part of that, we did an interview with Lorenz O'Neill and he put me in a sleeper hold and I legitimately think Lorenz O'Neil could have killed me in

like fifteen seconds. Is he one of the toughest dudes. Like, if you had to just pick somebody pound for pound, it's tough to top Lorenz O'Neill, isn't it. It's to than uh than O'Neil. Uh. Just one of the one of the quickest stories I can tell you is I came in camp late as a rookie. I held out because of contract issues. My first day of being issued pads was a fan night practice all the fans, about

thirty five hundred four thousand fans. On the sideline of practice, I get a chance to go against Loneil one on one back against line back because I blow him up, right, I mean, I'm hyped up and everybody, uh is screaming and the rookies coming in. Our top draft pick just made a big play, and I think I've committed one of the biggest mistakes down in my life because that very next play, Lorenz O'Neill had moved to running back over that I was supposed to go against, and he

went back up with me again. And I've never been hit so hard in my face, uh, in my life, where my blood was rushing to my fingertips and face, and I didn't know what the hell that was. We created what we called the brother in law and practice. We could never hit each other like that again because Loneil was just a different animals and I don't I've never played against anybody like him, especially at that full

back position. For people out there who are listening to us right now, what does it feel like to have a legitimate, you know, just man to man hit in the NFL. Because a lot of people can see it on television, they might even be able to hear it. I think even if you sit in the crowd, unless you're right down on top of the field, it's hard to really even understand the speed and intensity. Certainly television doesn't do it justice. But how would you describe what

that feels like? You know, for everybody out there who will never actually experience a legitimate, full on NFL hit, well, you know, the funny thing is play you hear the helmets cracking on the field, right, I mean, that's one of the things you hear. But what you don't hear and understand is the ones that are the deep thumping sounds are the ones that hurt the most, not the loudest. The loudest when you hit guys with your hell man and your helmet and helmet or helmet or shoulder pad.

You hear that the thumping ones are body to body and that's the ones that you can really not a guy out right. So uh. And when you hit those deep thumping sounds and normally comes with a fullback to a linebacker position or a guy crossing the middle and he's going to break the play up at a high speed, uh position, man, and have that adrinaline rush. You don't feel it right there on the spot, but man, when

you walk away, it's like, Okay. In my days, or I got a concussion door, I have whatever, and so you know, manage, and then you get guys that are like Lorenzo Neil. And I tell you I've been against a lot of fullbacks in my damn my life, and I never still to this day, seen anybody like Lorenzo.

Now he's up for the Hall of Fame. I think still at some point, man, I believe you should get in just based on I mean, because I hear that from so many people who played with or against him, is just what a freak of nature he was in terms of his ability to both take and deliver big hits and pop right back up and just be I mean, a different kind of dude. Well he was. He was my workout partner. He was my work got partner as a rookie when I came in. I believe he was

in his twelve thirteenth year. And I will live with him four days a week after practice as our second workout, and I couldn't keep up with him. So that should tell you what level Lorenzo O'Neill was on. Yeah, it's crazy. We're talking with Shawn Merriman. Go listen to the lights Out podcast podcast, which is a part of the I Heart Podcast network. All right, there are a bunch of different games I want to get into with you, but I think probably there were several super significant ones, but

the one that got the most attention. Chiefs get up seventeen nothing nobody can cover Tyreek Hill go on to hang on for the win. Four. If I told you right now, Chiefs or the field to win the Super Bowl, do you think the Chiefs are good enough that you would take them over the rest of the NFL combined. Well, so I'll put it this way. I do believe that the Steelers are the best team in football right now

because they're the most balanced team right uh now. The scariest team would be the Kansas City Chiefs because of what they have, the weapons that they have, I mean, Tyree Hill. We we've you know, we've seen some some fast wide receivers. We've seen some guys. We we've never seen anybody who has a gear like this and actually it's a complete receiver where they can run route um, you know you if you pick your poison with him right, because they had he had one play where he ran

a quick out and up there. Normally when you went running out and up you can you take two steps right. So he's just putting this foot in the ground and he's going He's basically telling telling the cornerback that I'm faster than you. You know what I'm doing. I'm fastering you, and it's nothing you can do about it. So when you have guys like that, it's scarier because they're explosive.

I do still believe that. You know, if you're talking about going all the way to the super Bowl and the most complete team, then the team you're gonna have the most problem with. I still would say the Steelers because they're so balanced. You don't know in which phase is game they're gonna beat you in. You know what you're getting out of the Cancer in Chief, you know, the Patrick the Homes you gotta contain him. Tybery Hill, you gotta contain him. And you know between the hashes,

Travis Kelsey is gonna get his catches. So between those three you can figure it out. The Steelers. They're too balanced. So the Bucks are now sitting at seven and five, they have four games left. I believe I'm doing my math right and I'm looking at their schedule Vikings, Falcons, Lions and Falcons again. Do they need to win all

four of those? Doesn't matter? Like, have you seen enough to know that the Bucks are not a Super Bowl contender in the NFC or you still buying that even sitting at seven and five, they could potentially still make a run because it's pretty clear now that they're not gonna win the NFC South, So they'd have to win three out of the wild card around and that's fine, and that's fine for them. You know, you're talking about a team that was a simple uh with superstars when

the wall seats. So you know, we're accustomed to seeing this happen. We've seen a bunch of super teams in football. Uh. And it makes it even worse when you don't have a off season. And I said that before, you know, it takes a little time. Look, Brady's been in the system for two decades where he's done the same thing. Practicely been the same way, the playbook has been the same. So now you're get into a new system with uh one of your guys you played with Gorenkowski, but everybody else, No,

you gotta figure it out. So I'm not I'm not surprised. And also if you look back at some of these games, he's getting hit, he's absolutely getting hit one of those interceptions. I be least two of those interceptions he was hit on those plays. Uh So I can't, you know, completely put it on Brady um. But at the same time, when you and when you and there should look they

probably should have been nowhere close in that game. They want you know they lost twenty, but truthfully, if you look at that game, they probably should have been blown out the way that the way the Chiefs are moving the ball, especially in the early on in the game, they should have been blown out. So anytime you give Brady a chance he gets his foot into the playoffs, then they automatically become also a dangerous team. They might be clicking clicking later on during the season going into

that playoffs stretch. We're talking to Sean Merriman that Lights Out podcast. Encourage you to check that out. Other biggest game, Derrick Henry, I want to talk to you about as a defensive guy trying to tackle Derrick Henry. I don't know how much of the game you got to watch between the Titans and the Colts. The Colts have had the Titans number for a while in that division. And then Derrick Henry came out in the first half, and I know the Colts had some defensive injuries, but he

just absolutely took over. It was thirty fourteen at the half. There was never really any suggestion of a game in the second half at all. What does that tell you? Titans get to eight and three may actually win the divisions. Both teams still have five games to go, and both teams have got some quality wins. But the Titans went on the road against Indie and just took control coming off of a really physical, tough game against the Ravens.

You know, um, one thing about somebody that can run the ball like Derrick Henry and that Titans offense is is the moralizing for defense. There's there's absolutely nothing worse than a guy just then a team just lining up against you know, they're running the ball and there's nothing you can do about it. And I don't care how

great that defense is. Uh, At some point in times, you're going to break down, especially if the offense is not doing something on the offense side of ball, they're not moving the ball, or at least worst case, uh have some kind of possession uh you know problem where you can just keep just hold the ball, keep it out of their hands. I mean, that's what you want to do. But there's nothing like you know what they're doing.

I mean, you don't even have to be into football, right You don't even have to know the game at this point to know what they're gonna line up and do. You don't have to see formation set or down the distance. You know, coming to the game, what's their bread and butter, and what they can do right and and and being able to open it up, open it up for the passing game and everything else that they're doing. I mean, Tammy Hill is a good quarterback, but he's not Joe Montana.

You know, he's not a stellar quarterback. But when you run the ball that way, he looks like because they the pressure is off. So you know, I always say this, the rest of people. A championship team is being able to run the ball, to play great defense, and they're doing just that. We're talking to Sean Maryman. Now, I know it's Monday, but a lot of people were watching the Cowboys and we were off like a lot of

people were on Thursday and Friday. If you were Jerry Jones, what would you do with the Cowboys at this point as they now have fallen, you know, completely out of the mix right now, I believe they'd be around the third pick overall. Would you already be looking ahead and thinking potentially about trying to make a move to get Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields? Or would you be thinking, hey, we'll just signed back to a long term deal. What's

the solution for the Cowboys? You know? To be honest, I think that that's so far down the road and what they're looking at at this point. They need to evaluate, right because they have these these last were four or five games left. They need to evaluate who they're going to keep there and who needs to be out of there?

Right They they need to look at the film, look the total the season and as a whole, and go down the lines and list all the big contracts and all the all the people they've paid out, all the people that they were thinking about moving as not performing. Right now, they need to start looking at Clarenhouse and that needs to be friend, I'm talking about head coach included. I'm not I'm not saying even even for year one and Mike McCarthy, you're like that, I've seen enough to

know that this isn't working. Yeah, because it's it's not a play calling issue. It's not anything you know he has. The players aren't playing for him. They just aren't. You know, you look at the sidelines, look at how they give up long plays, look at the attitudes. I mean, gosh, when and they Dalton got hit, there was no players around and no one helped him up, no one came

to his defense. Yeah, so that there's a lot. I know Mike McCarthy came out and tried to uh warter that down a little bit, but that doesn't happen on good football teams. And right now they're just not they're not responding to his coaching style. So you know, you you start from the top down, is it coaches that we need to move on? And then you started working down to the playoffs players, maybe some guys in the

front office who knows. We're talking to Sean Merriman. Have you ever seen I'm sure the answer is no, because I don't think anybody's ever seen anything like it what the Broncos had to do at the quarterback position yesterday. And do you think that it's going to send a message to other NFL teams as it pertains to how important this distancing is, because I mean, effectively, the Broncos had zero chance to win this game as soon as

they had a positive test. Yeah, no, absolutely, And and because this is all new to them, it's new to everybody.

You need somebody to be that guinea pig before you say, okay, all right, we need to plan for this because if this happens to us this, we can't let it go down like this, right, So going forward, I think that everyone needs to look and start getting guys ready as that third string quarterback or maybe a wide receiver who really really played quarterback in college, getting him playing some

scout team quarterback in uh in practice. I mean, you started the great teams to start preparing for the worst. And I believe that was the worst situation that any NFL team could ever be put in. Yeah, I mean it's crazy. I mean they ended up with a hundred and twelve total yards, but they had twelve yards passing one for nine two picks. I mean it was hard to watch. Effectively, the Saints got a guaranteed win in that scenario, and we're able to continue to to to

dominate as they go forward. A team that a lot of people are talking about, the Browns are now eight and three? Are they for real as a team that can get into the postseason first? And if they get there, can they win a game? Have you seen enough to make you believe that the eight and three Browns are for real? Yes? And and I go back to the

same thing I said about Tennessee. The recipe for winning football games and and putting yourself in a position to win a championship is being able to run the ball. Being able to run the ball, and being able to play in great defense. Um, you know, we had we've seen some players that I believe it was you know, Baker had a wide open slant right in the in tone and missed it. So he I mean, he's playing good.

He's not playing on anywhere close to being great. But when you're running the ball the way they running the ball and playing the defense to their plan, you're gonna win a lot of football games. And that takes the pressure off of everyone else. So yes, if you're talking about that division, if you're talking about uh, them putting

getting their foot in the door and being a problem. Now, the bigger issue is they're gonna face some pains here coming up, and they're getting the playoffs and do their things. They're gonna face some guy. They might have a first round exit. It's just it's just the fact of the matter.

But I gotta give them credit. They they picked it up. Uh, you know, they lost O'Dell you know some weeks several weeks ago, and they found a way to get to get Juice landry Man the ball, and I think that was that was really a chief of Juice Landry Man is playing incredible. We're talking to Sean Merriman. He's the Lights Out podcast I Heeart Podcast Network. Your Chargers team you played with for so many years, continue to lose

in so many different interesting ways. They they had a lot of success moving the football against the Bills, came up short again. They had that crazy play where it looked like they were trying to the quarterback was sneaking in the Did you see that play The offensive line was dropping back to past pass block. I think it was what's going to happen there? Do you think Anthony Lynn keeps his job? Obviously there's lots of reason for optimism with Justin Herbert, But what exactly is going on

with the Chargers? And are you buying the Bills as a Super Bowl contender in any way out of the a f C. Well, you know, first and foremost, um, there's there's so many bright spots with the Charges that you know, it's almost sickening when you look at the record that they have in the seasons they're having, losing what three or four games within six points? That really makes you sick as a coach, as a as an owner,

as a general manager. That has to make you sick because those three or four games, if you can pull those out, you're looking at it a completely different season. Now. The bright spots you have you got obviously Justine Herbert, and he's not he's playing at a pace where we haven't seen as a rookie probably ever. But you know, Mike Williams and Hunter, Henry Keenan Allen, these guys are just planning incredible and you gotta get in the ball.

The problem is, and not everybody, but you have some spots on that defense, there's just not getting it done. Joey Bosa came out was vocal a few about a week or two ago about God needs to step it up, and I'm glad that he did that, you know, because he's not a guy that's very vocal. So when you have guys who are not vocal, who really don't talk much in the locker room and they say something, everybody listens.

And the way Joey bose was going out there playing and getting after Josh Holla and he was in his face all day long, you know, they need to get other guys in that defense to step up and play the way he's playing right now. So they As far as Anthony Lynn, you got a couple more games, I believe that to go out and prove what you can do for the rest of the season. And I don't call for anybody to get fired, not just to charge,

but anybody LFL. I don't. I don't like to say this guy should get fired, that you guys get fired, But it's such a performance business and you look at that team that they have, there's no way in hell you shouldn't be winning more football games. Period. Last question for you we're talking to Shawn Merriman. Appreciate him joining us here breaking down everything in the world of the NFL. Obviously, there are a lot of different sort of major issues

going on with the NFL. Right now, Tuesday, we have a game between the Ravens and the Steelers. Can you imagine what it would be like to be playing in this type of season and how much more challenging would it be than almost any year when we know it's hard to play in the NFL, but can you imagine not knowing what day you're playing, what guys are playing. I mean, you've ever seen anything like this? No, no,

And I don't think we're gonna say anything like this again. Uh, this is something that came up that uh, we not just NFL, we as a country trying to figure in the fan thing out. We're just trying to figure out white, right, And that doesn't change anything when you're talking about the NFL. I bought them. We even getting up and getting the season going in the first place. It's pretty amazing. Honestly. You know a lot of people are giving them grief, and I see some of the players like, Hey, what

the hell is going on? Well, guess what you know, there's millions of people out here that's not wor kame, millions of people trying to figure this whole thing out. They've found a way to get it going and get you know, move forward, because the truth of the matter is, we don't know what this is gonna look like six months from now. It could be the same way. We have no idea. So for them to do what they're doing, I paused them and the players have to understand that.

People have to understand in general, uh, that they're trying to figure this thing out for the first time too. You think the NFL like having the Broncos with no starting quarterback. I mean, that doesn't make them more money. You know, that's you know, that's bad football, that turns away fans, that has people griping about what's going on. So you know, they're trying to figure it out as

everyone else trying to figure out. So I appaued them trying to uh to keep this thing going and not shutting down and just figuring it out along the way. I agree. I mean, I think you know, most of American life and certainly American business is about finding out a way how to do something. And the NFL has been imperfect, like all things created by men are. But to be able to get as many games as they have, even amid these challenges, and oftentimes even with fans present,

I think it's a hell of story. Uh. Shawn Merriman, appreciate the time. Thank you for coming with us, and I'm glad to hear you had a good Thanksgiving. My man, you gotta shame me. Thanks having