And now move the sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.
What's up, everybody?
Welcome to move the sticks, DJ Buck with you Buck? We went matching matching sweatshirts today. Yeah are and I was having the coffee and you're having a coffee here, So I feel like the brand. Yeah, we are representing the brand, that's right. But we're kind of on the same page here this morning. How was your night last night? Did you get a chance to watch those ball games?
I mean I did have a chance to watch both of them.
I'm in North Carolina hanging with my parents, so I got a chance to watch the Vikings in Chicago paid more attention to than the Raiders. I called the end of the Raiders game for the most part, but it was interesting the Minnesota Vikings keep rolling the Bears r ms and oh.
My gosh, job, we're gonna get a job. Yeah, that job is gonna be a tougher job than everyone thinks about it, no doubt.
It's time for the lead block presented by T Mobile for Business. Football needs a network willing to go to the extra yards. So do you go further? With T Mobile for Business. It's interesting read right, there coming into this game because we start on the bear side of things. I was trying to think of, like, Okay, all the different things they need to fix and the problems they need to solve in the off season, But the number one thing Buck is they've got to fix the Wi Fi.
They because we've talked about this like that Caleb is having these freeze moments. Like if you've been on your Wi Fi and the Wi Fi freezes, that's what's going on with Caleb. They got to get that out of him. Man, where he's just like a glitching, He's just kind of stuck. He's got to get unstuck in the offseason. It's one of the more it's a weird thing to watch.
A player that you've seen play very fluid become very robotic, and it's almost as if there were too many voices in his head, too many people telling them how to play. And it's one of the things that you worry about with all players, but particularly players that may be a
little unorthodox in their games. Sometimes they try to conform to be more of a traditional player, but the traditional player is not what made them special and set them apart from their peers, and so You're always dancing that fine line between Hey, I need you to be traditional in some aspects, but we love you because of the different stuff that you bring to the table. Don't deviat her straight too far from that part of your game,
because that's what separates you from others. It's just really hard to kind of tell him what to listen to and what not to listen to when he's trying to figure out how to play.
Yeah, and I was, you know, just kind of watching the game, and I was thinking, Okay, he's going to get hit in the pocket anyways because of a combination of him holding the ball and them not being great up front. So if my guy's going to take hits, I'd rather have him take hits on the other side of the line of scrimmage, you know what I mean.
Like that's why I'm kind of and I know he's beat up a little bit, but man, I would be calling more design quarterback runs buck until we kind of get him kind of out of that little rut that he's in.
You know.
It's funny, and you would hear the quarterbacks talk about this all the time. Cam Newton and some others would talk about it, and they're not the same type player, but gam would talk about he wouldn't relax until he ran the ball a few times, because when you're at your when the anxiety is at its highest early in the game, you kind of need something to settle that down.
And I don't know how it was for you, but for me as a player.
Everything kind of came back to normal after I touched the ball that first time and got hit. Whether it was a kickoff return or catching a pass or whatever, you kind of need to get that out of your system so you can settle down and play. And for Caleb, I want to get him into his comfort zone as
soon as I can. And so if that's a design quarterback run early in the series, if that's something where I put him on the move where he has the option to maybe utilize his legs, but whatever it is, whoever is the play caller, whoever's the head coach next year, they need to make sure they find what makes him tick and what can get him into his comfort zone right away, because when he's in his comfort zone, he's a much different player than the uncomfortable player that we'll watch.
Four carries for three yards and those are mostly scrambles, I don't remember off top of my head designed quarterback runs in that ball game.
So I don't know.
That was just one of the things I was thinking trying and loosen him up a little bit. But he's and it was trike Ma did a good job of going through it on the broadcast, showing like, hey, you're at the top of your drop, it's there, take it, it's wide open, just take it. Yep, he's just kind of stuck and frozen. He and sometimes look like he's even looking at it, but he won't he won't pull the trigger. So and I know he's gone bazillion games
in a row without throwing an interception. I mean, I guess that's something you can build off of, but I'd rather live with some interceptions and let him play loose and free and uh and see the guy that we drafted. But I also think the other point Aikman made, which was good, was Akman was terrible.
Was rookie year. Team wasn't good. He was terrible. You know, we saw it with.
We've seen you know, Sam Donald on the other side of the field go through multiple years of not being a great player, and now he's in the right spot, the right fit talked a lot about how he learned from Kyle Shanahan about defenses. I thought was fascinating, you know. And by the way, Troigman's really good. I don't know how I'm not getting into like ranking broadcasters and people like this guy.
Don't like that guy. He's really good.
Man like he had some insights in that from his experience playing the position. I thought it was excellent.
You know.
It's funny because everyone has talked about Tom Brady and some of the other broadcasters, and one I would tell anybody because you and I have both done it. It's a much harder deal than anyone can imagine. It is hard to get nuggets in in a thirty second window when so everyone understands the mechanics of the thing. The playback play guy has everything to the snap, and then once the play is done, the color guy has everything from the end of the play into the huddle breaks.
And so you have to have your points like dialed in. You have to be concise, but you have to be able to be a storyteller within those moments, and it's hard sometimes to process that all in your head to get it out and to make it coherent and if it's a story that needs multiple plays to be able to continue to pick up where you left off on
the previous play. There's an art to it, which is why when you talk about Troy Aikman and some of the other guys that are revered for what they do, Yeah, it's not something that you can just fall out the bed and be great at.
Yeah, no, no question.
I thought he just provided a lot of perspective and really hope for Bears fans too. It's like, hey, this doesn't happen right away for everybody. There's you know, there's all the tools are in there, all the abilities in there. They need to get the next hire right, and you get the right person around him. I know, I know there's been talking and people have promoted, okay, we should
get Mike Vrabel because of his historical success. You know, the physicality kind of matches the way they want to play, you know, in that city in Chicago, to match your environment. That's been you know that Marcus Freeman's name has been mentioned. Just a short trip over from Notre Dame. Buck, I'm normally like, hey, you get the best leader, you know,
that's the that's the right coach. And then you can hire the right coaches around him in this particular situation because it is a package that must be handled with care.
I don't know how they don't hire or an offensive coach where the voice is not going to change, you know, where you can have that same system, same voice in your head for at least you're committing to you know, most of these coach is going to get three years, so at least that's a three year full commitment to some stability around Caleb Williams.
Yeah, it's really hard because, look, I think there's so many things that the Bears have to fix beyond the quarterback. I understand what you're saying about the stability and the continuity that you're guaranteed if the head coach is the play caller or is an offensive mind where he's bringing his own playbook and those things. I just wonder when you're the Bears and they've tried that a few different times. They try to remark trustsmen, they try to Matt Nagget,
They've tried it in other iterations. It's such a hard job, and it appears that there's so many people who have kind of their hands in the cookie dough. I think you have to get the best leader, and if you can get the best leader who is offensive centric, then that'd be great.
I just think it's a really really hard job, and I think.
Kayla Williams is there, but he's kind of there as a backdrop to all the other issues that must be fixed before the Bears can be really, really good.
Yeah.
Yeah, you're right, there are a whole host of issues there. By the way, the other side of things, Minnesota's not done in this division. I mean we think about the big picture. Shoot, it's all right in front of them.
It's all right in front of them.
And this is the thing about the NFL season and why it's really a marathon and not a sprint. Whereas great as the Detroit Lions have been for the majority of the regular season, they could be a team that limps into the postseason because injuries take them apart, and the team that goes into the playoffs is not the team that we saw for most of the year. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings have been relatively big injury free.
You had Derris Shaw, he's going down.
You've had some other bumps and bruises, but for the most part, their core guys are there, and when you look at them, it appears that they're playing better and better each week, which is really a testament to the coaching and that stuff. To me, the MINUSESO Vikings are dangerous. Their legitimate threat to unseat the Detroit Lions as the top the division leader, and if they win and they're able to kind of like make their way to even
home field. Very very difficult team to deal with because koc in the offense is rolling, and then Brian Flores and the aggressive defense poses a bunch of different problems. Yeah, you're right keeping eye on in Minnesota Vikings because they definitely are coming.
I feel like we've been kind of the bad news brigade here when it comes to the Lions.
Just it is what it is. I mean, you're coming off of a tough.
Loss, You've had all these injuries and Buck, what was the matchup we've been talking about that was like, Man, the one that that I wouldn't love if I were them is the Rams. So if you're the Detroit Lions and Minnesota comes and they beat you in that game, I believe it's the last week of the season.
You're the fifth seed.
You're not only going to you're not only playing the Rams, You're playing the Rams on the road.
You're not playing the Rams at home.
Like that's that is a tough matchup for them as the teams are constituted presently.
Yeah, no, it's not that a great matchup. It's certainly not something that you want to see. And I'm telling you the two things they worry about the Detroit Lions. And I am the biggest Dan Campbell fan that you can find out there. I'm worried a little bit about the risk taking. I understand the identity. I understand how you built the team, and I understand all of those things like all gas, no breaks, whatever, the iteration of being aggressive is. However, I want you to be aggressive,
but I don't want you to be reckless. And I think sometimes he board his own recklessness when it comes to the decision making beyond side kick in that game with twelve minutes left, little reckless. Some of the gambles that they take on when they go for it on their own end of the field a little reckless. And I don't want to say that I judge him based on the result, but I do worry in the playoffs, where really more games are lost in one because the
mistakes are magnified. I just worry about him and the decision making in those pressure moments when he's just so apt to go for it. On top of them not having look a full lineup, a complete lineup, that really made them different than the other teams in the division.
I've never asked you this question, but I was thinking about because you you've brought up concerns on Sirianni, and we talked about that, right, how Sirianni has a little edginess to him. Buck I'm learning out like he wants even keel, he wants a steady hand at the wheel.
He doesn't want the emotional.
So so then and then now Dan Campbell, you voice your concerns on Dan Campbell being overly aggressive. So when I was thinking about the coaches that you've been around, like, because I think of Marty Schottenheimer's emotional like Edgy Kauflin the unique how he how he operates, but I think there's an energy and him, and then I think of Mike Holmgren and from the outside looking at it seems
like that's just like a steady, calm presence. So I'm curious what your what your take is on the coaches you've been around and what has given you this perspective, Because I do like Buck, I know you well enough to know that I think that you prefer somebody just be hey, let's even keel, let's not get too big.
So so I mean, man, we can talk about it. Man.
My high school coach was edge, but he was consistent. You knew what you were getting every day. Mac Brown Hall of Fame.
Are very even keelled.
When it came to his emotional ups and downs, I would say Marv Levy, Hall of Fame coach in Buffalo very even keel.
Mike Honggrin was more of a cerebral coach.
He could explode, but he still kind of thought of the game a little differently. I would say for all the things that Tom Coughlin was in terms of like not emotional but a disciplinarian in those things, I felt like there was an emotional maturity about him when he approached the game. Marty Schottenheimer was by far the most
confident coach that I've ever been around. But Marty is the one that I coined the phrase like more games are lost than one, because he would talk about that He would talk about, guys, if we just take care of the things that we can control, nobody would beat us.
Most teams can't beat us. We'll just wait for them to implode.
He was like that, and I felt like his fatal flaw was in San Diego. He tried to prove to people that he is a risk taker, and so he would take he's risk in the postseason. I'm like, that's who you really have pretended to be. And then John Gruden, it was his first year as a head coach. He was a little more emotional on that.
But you may be right.
The guys that I've been most influenced by as a coach were more not flatlined from an emotional standpoint, but when it came to risk taking, maybe they were a little more risk adverse than some of the others.
Yeah. No, I think it's interesting, man.
We just kind of look at who the influences were because I think about kind of some of the coaches that I've been around, and it was Jerry Moore when I was in college, was just steady. You know, he's a Hall of Fame coach, but he was not too high or too low. He was very under control, calm, never really raised his voice ever.
Ever.
Then, you know, I think about when I was in college in Northeast Louisiana. Ed Zombrecker was the head coach there, but he had a lot of he is more he blew up on me a few times, but there was he was kind of a little more even.
But then coaches around.
Him, he had a lot of volatility like around him that way. And then we get Billick was high emotion. You know, he tapped into the passion of the defense. So he brought a lot of energy, confidence, you know, bravado like that was kind of.
His his deal.
And then I had Andy Reid who was you know, very even keel and Romeo Crenell who never raised his voice. So it is interesting how the different coaches.
So it's funny.
So Andy Reid was an assistant coach in Green Bay when I was there. He was the tight ends coach in the quarterbacks coach, and he was in charge of the scout team.
And I can see that and DJ.
So the common threa between all those guys, like for me, coaching Hall of famers or Super Bowl winners, and so you start thinking about like what wins and what wins in the pick. There has to be a level of calmness to your demeanor that you can make big decis visions under pressure. And what I worry a little bit about Dan Campbell and Nick Sirianni sometimes they're so emotional that I wonder if the emotion drives the decision making and what you would.
Like to do.
And this is something that Bill Washer said, Man, most of your decisions should be made throughout the week. So when you come to the situation, just look at your sheet and say, hey, here's how we're going to approach it.
There shouldn't be this, Hey, let's draw it up in the dirt and go because most of the time those things, as much as we like to think about the novelty of making adjustments and all that, a lot of that should be already thought out when you're calm and cool and you just make a decision that's been thoroughly researched and you go with it. I just worry about Dan Campbell because of the risk tape. For Nick Sirianni, I just worry about the emotional stuff creating chaos on the
sideline where they can't think. Because it already seems like Philadelphia is chaotic with their team. I just worry about Nick Sirianni point a little kerosene I seen on.
It making it explode.
But I say that in recognizing that Nick saiir Janni's won a lot of games.
Man, his record is.
One of the best records that you'll find for a young coach that has taken over a program.
This is a little different.
So so let me ask you this because I was thinking about this the other day with uh when we were talking about Fangio and how Fangio has worked there and didn't work in other places, you know, and so it's the right having the right kind of kid. What do we always joke about where all Phillies players come from Georgia and Alabama.
Where they're used to that, where they have been mother, mother and trucks.
Since you say they stepped on campus, that furnace, that furnace, they've lived in that furnace, and they know how to respond to that.
I never thought about that, but DJ, you are right when you bring that up.
Because one of the things and one of the things that we talked about when we go back to scouting, like why you take players from winning programs and championship programs or whatever. Part of that is like the pressure that they've been under and playing in those big games. But when you think about Alabama and Georgia, and I know, like there's so many rules and restrictions in terms of
what you can ask players now. But you remember when we talked about horror coaching and when you ask guys like, hey, what's the best way to coach you? Is to walk through visualization, yelling, screaming, horror coaching. The Georgia, the Philadelphia team, a lot of guys they need horror coaching. Guys they're respond to the horrid coaching because that's how Kirby Smart goes about doing his business. He loves them up well man, him and Nick Sabeman coached them hard.
To coach them hard, no question.
So again, I think that's part of the scouting process is finding kids that match you're building and Howie Roseman has done a great job of that. All Right, that's a rap for the lead block presented by T Mobile for Business. Football needs network willing to go to the extra yard. So do you go further with T Mobile for Business. We haven't forgot about the other game, the Raiders and the fouls plus the rookie draft that's coming up right after this, All right, Buck, we don't need
to spend a ton of time on it. I wasn't you know, I wasn't super fired up to watch this game, and I kind of got a reason why after seeing what went down there.
Ugly, ugly game Atlanta and the Raiders.
Yeah, ugly game and a lot of conversation coming out the game is gonna be Kirk Cousins, right, Kirk Cousins didn't have another had struggled through another performance.
One and twelve yards? Yeah, I mean interception not playing well.
My thing is this, though, DJ Right, Because people have talked about Michael Pennocks being in the bullpin, I think is are we going through a rookie quarterback in the middle of the thick of the playoff races.
To be like, okay, Mike, let's go get him to me.
This is something that if you're having those thoughts, don't you want to give him a run up before yes, to get into those elimination games and those pressurized games. There's no acclimation period for Michael Pennix. If you put him in the game right now, we're expecting him to be ready right now, And I don't know if that's fair to a young quarterback to throw them right into deep end.
Yeah.
No, I it's getting to the point, man, where it's like, I know the plans, I know what you want to do, but it's you know, we got Christmas coming up, man, and it's like having that package that you can see it right over there in the corner of the room. I'm kind of curious what's in that package, you.
Know what I mean? Like that that's to the point where they are.
You know, I think, listening to Raheem's comments postgame, we're getting close to open in that package. I don't think they wanted to. I don't think that was their plan. They were going to wait till Christmas. But here we are, and that thing's you know, they think maybe I like, maybe that's a little maybe there's a bike in there. I take that thing around the block a little bit, go play with my friends. I don't off that package is going to stay on open much longer.
Buck.
So here's what I can say. And I don't think I will out anybody when I say this. So the Jaguars played the Atlanta Falcons in pre season. Michael Penix didn't play. But I had a chance to go down there because I know some guys on the coaching staff and some of the supporting staff, and I was able to put them something, Hey, man, what's the skinny.
Yeah, they're like, off the record, Yeah, Michael Penix's a lot of a lot of role.
So then in pregame what they did because Michael Pennix didn't play, so they do those guys had to do kind of like what you'll see the Philadelphia Eagles when the Eagles have inactives, their guys come out in pregame.
That's another practice. That's a rigorous workout.
It's not all almost said on the side and and eat Swedish fish.
And chill out.
And let me just tell you, Michael Pennix and the ball coming out as he's throwing routes on the doors, it got a little little juiced to it, and you can just see what.
Everyone was excited about.
Now, it's different when you put bodies on the field, but in a simulated game, they told me he.
Lit it up.
There's a lot of positivity about him. It's just, man, we're gonna drop him. We're gonna drop him. But I mean, I think I've told you this story about my kids learning how to swim. So my son, my son learned there's this guy, mister Conrad. You're making guy this and that, and he guaranteed I can teach your son how to swim in five days. Literally, DJ you take him to the pool and he's like, okay, what's your name, Trey?
Oh yeah, okay, you got to swim from something right in the water.
My daughter went to a water whisperer and it was like six weeks of sprinkling water on the head.
He's enough to.
Tell you my son was a stronger swimmer for the longest time, and now my daughter can swim now.
But it's it's a different thing.
And so maybe maybe, just maybe they'll just take Michaels and be like, oh yeah, what's that on your Yeah, give.
Me the floaties. Right, we just kind of figured out.
I'm telling you, man, like that's it just feels like the temperatures changing in the room a little bit on that whole decision, and whatever your plans were, they might be a change in here, especially as you know, as Tampa's playing really really well, so and.
Tampa's playing Tampa's playing so well the good thing for the Falcons is they won both of those games. And I would say that the Thursday night game, Man Tampa's gonna root today. They let them come back and kind of steal that one in the end because they out played the Falcons for three and a half quarters and they allowed the Falcons to swipe one.
But yeah, man Tampa's coming and they come.
In like a bear, and the Falcons have to figure out a way that they're not scoring enough points, they're not productive or explosive. Maybe Michael Pennix gives them a little juice, but once you go to them, ain't no turning back, no question yep. Now it's you can't drown. You got to find a way to get up to the surface because you're not going back. One thing on the Raiders and uh and then we'll move on to
the rookie draft. But I was just thinking about it with Tom Brady's presence there in that organization, could I mean, this is going to be unlike anything we've ever seen. If they have the first pick, you're going to have the greatest quarterback of all time, who I would imagine is going to be I mean, I would imagine you'll be zooming with these kids all the time.
He's going to be doing watching film with them. He's going to go work them out, spending all kinds of time with them. Hey, Like I think of like if you've seen Brady, like his notebooks of preparation that he has, Like Tom Brady's gonna, hey, show me your notebook, Like what have you been doing in college? Like show me
how your preparation? What that looks like on paper? Like that's going to be fascinating to see how how involved he is in this process and what Tom Brady values does he is he looking for himself or is he looking for someone? You know, this may be more quote unquote a modern quarterback that can really move like and I'm just looking at Shadoor versus cam Ord. Those are
two totally different types of guys. Sure is more tom Brady like going to sit in the pocket, read it out, and while cam Ward has got some more spice to him, he can create, make some more plays with his legs, and he's got more he's got more firepower.
So that's going to be interesting. Man, It's gonna be interesting debate.
And I will say this, and you know it's funny because I would like to think, and man, I love everything that Tom Brady represents six round pick, like making his way and becoming the greatest quarterback that we've ever seen. The thing is, it's hard for great players sometimes to be able to identify other great players. We saw John Elway struggle with that for a long time. He is one of the more decorated quarterbacks in the National Football League. And they had a hard time finding.
At Weiler and Drew.
I mean they yeah, they found they had a hard time finding a quarterback in the draft. Tom Brady, I think, can be a great resource, can be a great guy. He can kind of help have those conversations, but there's no guarantee. And I think the thing that the Raiders have to do after they make whatever decisions they make at the end of the season, at some point the
Raiders have to sit in whatever decision they make. They cannot continue to keep turning over coaches and personnel in those things and think that they're going to be good. Consistency and stability is the only way that you have an opportunity to rise to the top. This is a huge decision that they'll make if they have the number one overall pick, if they getting a quarterback, because man, they haven't DJ rich Gannon was the last time they've had a big time quarterback like rich Gannon.
I mean just maybe one of their carr had one or two good years in there, one or two good years. I'm talking about big time quarterback.
Yeah, I mean, like, so this is this is a huge decision, and if you don't have a quarterback, you don't have a chance.
And so they got to get this right.
So I'm sure Tom Brady's involvement will help them make the decision on whichever quarterback they pick at the top of the draft.
Yeah, that's going to be interesting. Man, Let's get to this rookie draft. Last week, I mean, we at least cut in a little bit, got one point off Rhett, and he's still in a little bit of a runaway position. Here we're gonna try and reel him in. Rehets in first place. Here, we're battling behind him here, Buck today, it looks like I believe I have the first pick,
So it's gonna go me and you then Rhett. So Rhett has given his board his little rankings to Nobile, so Nobill will throw his picks in the chat I'll start us off. I'm gonna do what I what just about all of us have done when we've had the first overall pick. I'm gonna go Jaden and Daniels with the first pick. I know they play Philly, but that game is at home, and that is a rivalry game, and uh, I think he'll I think he'll he'll acclimate quite well there, even against that defense.
I'm gonna go Jayden Daniels with the first pick. Europe.
Okay, uh is this one where we got running back? So is the two wide receivers?
You can do?
You can do, you can take. It's a whatever skill player you can go. Right, I'm gonna take Okay, I'm gonna take the offensive rookie of.
The brock Bowers.
Oh nice, Okay, No, Bill is going to pick for Rhett here. He's got back to backer for Rhett. He's gonna go betj excellent and he's gonna go lad McConkey.
What are we doing, neb you? What about that man taking two wide receivers? I don't like that. DJ. Who'd you take number one overall? Who's you got? I took Jade Daniels, so you are up? Okay?
I need to take a quarterback at some point. I guess I'm haav to take bow Knicks right now. I'm gonna take bow Nicks right now with this pick.
Okay, you're going bow Nicks. I'll tell you what I'm gonna do.
I'm gonna go with Uh with your namesake, because I saw him up close. Bucky Irving went off last week, so I'm gonna go Bucky Irving, and then I'm gonna also come back with Uh.
Let's see who who.
Gosh, it's so hard to go with the Giants players just because they're so bad, but I'm gonna have to stick with you. They play the Falcons on the road, I'll go Neighbors.
Okay, So when you go Neighbors, I'm gonna go Marvin Harris.
So hold out, you got you got Rhett No, No, yeah, you're up. You're going Marvin Marvin.
Okay. Then Rehet's got his last pick. He's going Drake May. There you have it.
So I've got Jaydon Daniels, Bucky Irving, and Uh Malik Neighbors. Bucky is coming with Bowers, bo Nicks and Marvin Harrison Junior. Rhett has Brian Thomas Junior, Lad McConkey and Drake May So we'll see if we can cut into this lead a little bit. We've run out of time to catch him here, but hopefully we can. We can reel him in. All right, Buck, that's gonna do it for us today. We'll be back tomorrow with another fresh episode. We'll see it right here on.
Move the sticks.