Short Week Mini-Sode | Salty Dogs

who can forget again? I'm looking at the already Derek Bocks dilready touchdown tamp a day, Derek Books, spariable player. You're a national football like there it is Tuck Daggers in where you're gonna win the Super Bowl. We call them the Salty Dogs. Welcome everyone, thanks for joining us again for another edition of the Salty Dogs Podcast. Yes, we certainly appreciate you taking the time to basically waste, but it's great. I mean there's times you can waste,

like driving home or something. Yeah, you can. You can multitask too. I'm Scott Smith and I'm Jeff Ryan. We are the Salty Dogs and this is a little mini episode for the short week and the reason right because we're playing Thursday night, which would be tomorrow night, because we're recording this on Wednesday morning. It's a minisode, yes, if you will, well, so it's our Minnesota. It's basically the same thing without the star, and that would be

the player. I know. We always say that's our favorite part of them, and we're not doing that part because we made that decision on our own. We didn't even ask anybody because this week is so compressed that we thought it was just not a good ask to ask a player to do that in just a few days they have and looking at their schedule, the only thing they had was lunch, and even during lunch they had

to do lifts and other things and treatment. So they're very minimal time, especially considering they are traveling on Wednesday, Wednesday afternoon for the Thursday night game. So that would be today, very minimal. That would be today. Yes, we would be preparing for travel, do you and I? Jeff, Yeah, it's funny you say that, because I was thinking about that um coming in this morning, Like dang Chicago. I grew up in the outside of the Yeah, it's a

great city, the beautiful time a year ago. Right now they have that cast role thing they call pizza. Yes, yes they do. That's worth trying. Yeah, deep, I'm not a big fan of dem What what I love is Italian beef. I can't talk though. Yeah, the Italian beefs where they dunk it. Oh my goodness. They used to do that in Soldier Field. Yes, remember the old prespect

was a dump to complete dump. But but they had the little hallway in the back and every single game they had the people with the beef on wack I think they called it. No, no, that's in beef on wack is in Buffalo. This is called Italian beef. But they would if you wanted to, they would dunk it into which makes it extremely messy, but very excellent. It was worth all the dribbles on your shirt, it really was.

And also a Vienna hot dog. I mean, I realized you can get those anywhere, but there's something about eating a hot dog in Chicago that's just awesome. There's a lot to like about especially so now that you've got me all cranked up realizing that I'm not traveling to this game. But there is a silver lining and I have um kind of walked myself through it is there's just so many changes with with the dealing with COVID and how it wouldn't be fun travel anyway. They've reduced

the travel party again down a smaller number. How can they get much smaller? It's pretty small? And um, you know the hardest part about a night game And you know, I'm not telling you, Scott, I'm just telling people out there, the hardest part about a night game is sitting around all day waiting for the game to start. It's because they are going to have a walk through though at

the hotel, so, um, they're gonna stay busy on it Thursday. Yeah, because because of the short week, there was still stuff they needed to get done. As Bruce said, the Monday nine games in the worst because you've accomplished everything you need to do and then and then you're just sitting in your hotel room all day Monday with nothing to do. Well. Now, the NFL came out with even stricter guidelines on separation on meals, and I think they have t twelve feet.

I mean it is. I mean we're probably our distance right now, I would say between you and mean, yeah, it's probably about eighteen feet at least. Yeah, it's a big, big table. Yeah, maybe maybe twenty one ft. It is a big table, but it is um yeah, it is kind of you forget sometimes because you get wrapped up into football. But the virus is still out there and the NFL is making sure that we can get a season in. Unfortunately, they did have to move a game,

and they canceled a game. Didn't cancel it, they moved it two weeks. Well, yes, they canceled it for Sunday, but that they got over that, they got through that, they found a way to solve those But we're not out of the woods yet. And I say that because today brings the news that stuff on Gilmore of the Bills has tested positive and see that. And the problem for me with that one, and we have not heard

all ramifications of this yet. The problem for me with that one is he just played in that game against Kansas City. Oh yeah, yeah, So if he was asymptomatic but already shedding, then that could be a problem. So we're gonna We're gonna find out if there's If we see cases from the Chiefs and the Patriots popping up this week, then you know we're starting to see the worst case scenario that everybody's worried about Yeah, it's crazy because you feel good and then all of a sudden,

you know your your test. I don't know about you, but I'm not kidding you. When I go get tested, until I get the result, I am like, please, don't please. It's um. At first, when we started this season, I thought, man getting tested every week, and then for the Tier one and two tier people it's every day. What a pain? You know, I didn't know what to expect. Was a little bit scared. Now I'm glad. I feel like it's a it's an opportunity, it's an advantage that we're getting

because every week we find out that we're fine. It's truly a privilege because it takes salt because of the difficulties in getting a test, having a test done, you know, in in the good old USA. So, in addition to COVID, I wanted to say near the top that UM, what has become clear to me about this season is that it's going to be a season of attrition. UM. And

that's not just COVID, that's injuries. But although there's a lot of people who think the rash of injuries is a result of the lack of off season and preseason and the abbreviated training camp, which is of course because of COVID. So it's all related. But um, you know, we we will be talking about all our injuries here in a minute. Is severe and concentrated in several positions, and that's the problem. But nobody's gonna feel sorry for the Buccaneers. They have to figure out a way to

get through it. We just played the Broncos, who are missing a whole bunch of their key players, and I'm sure that had something to do with the outcome of the game. And then we just played the Chargers who were also missing a a number of their key players, including like three offensive linemen, and I gotta believe that had an impact. Um So yeah, but I have to give props to them because the next man up really

did play well. They played pretty well. They played very well, and of course I didn't mention that, um they were playing without their week one started a quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, because it looks like Justin Herbert is probably better anyway. Yeah, I think he certainly can get the ball downfield. I think when you're unfortunately, when when are they won in three? Yeah, but they look better to me than a one in

three team. Oh, no question, no question that I was very impressed with with him Herbert Um during Hard Knocks, Yeah, he was pretty impressive. Just just a demeanor, you know how you know, you know when you start watching guys, just things he was saying, as when he made a mistake, Okay, what did I do? How do I fix this? That type of thing. So, you know, those are the teams we've faced. We've seen like San Francisco battle through a whole bunch of injuries and still do pretty well. Although

they lost this week. There have been other teams and now it looks like it's our turn. And I think the team's two things. The teams that handled temporary rashes of injuries, which I think is what the Bucks have. I don't think it's other than O. J. Howard. It's not long term with any of these guys. But um, So, the teams that handled those stretches where they're missing a bunch of key players, well are going to be at

the top at the end. And then the teams that where it is more temporary, that don't suffer the real big season altering or season killing injuries, you know, are losing. J. Howard is big to be honest with you, because he was playing great and I think are two tight endpactages were really producing very well. Stats show that to be true. And we don't have another tight end that's really analogous to O. J. Rob Gronkowski at his peak form is

but we don't know if we have it. We certainly haven't really seen that yet, although he didn't make a

real nice downfield play in the last game. I think, you know, when before the season started, you were looking at tight ends and you were looking at Nimes and how many running back So we got so many receivers and I think, I think, I think you have to give props to Jason light and to Bruce Arians Realizing that this was going to be a very different everybody wanted us to trade O. J. Howard as soon as we got Rob Gronkowski, and they didn't even think about it.

They I mean, I'm sure they listen if somebody give me a big offer, but they knew what they wanted to do with these guys, and they knew you could lose anyone of them at the drop of a hat. And and so that seems to be all everything that everyone was talking about is, oh, we're really overloaded. We're really overloaded, and and here we are in week five and we're not overloaded at all. Let's go down the

list please. It is Wednesday, before their walk through. They're just doing walk Do you want to do this first or do you just want to say what an awesome game Sunday was? No, I want to do this, okay, because that's all I think it's most We are one day away, we're closer to the next game than we are the last one. We can still talk about that. I got some stuff here all my time. Okay, go ahead, I think this is more important, very much. Uh, this

is Wednesday when we're recording this around maybe to eleven. Um. We don't know yet. The the full injury report, where you would normally get on Friday, is going to come out today but probably later in the afternoon, in which it will show which guys are ruled out, which guys are questionable, which guys look good. So we don't know for sure. But what we do know is that all of these players have not practiced at all this week and these are just walk through, so they're not even

walking through. Chris Godwin, who we didn't expect to play anyway, Mike Evans, Scotty Miller, Justin Watson, Leonard four Nette le Shan Lashawn McCoy, and Gronk's been limited. If it is entirely possible that all of those first six guys I listed will not play, in which case, here's what you would have defense. Here's what you would have. Yeah, we're gonna get to that. Here's what you would have on your available on your fifty three man roster heading into

Thursday at receiver Cyril Mayson and Tyler Johnson. Okay, next, did you expect me to continue that list? Because that's

that's that's it. Uh, you have two guys on the practice squad Josh Pearson, who they chose to protect this week, which I think is telling, and another guy, Um that we recently added, and uh, you could choose to promote elevate both those with that new practice squad elevation thing, in which case you have four guys, But you have four guys who essentially between them have one NFL catch, right Cyril Grayson atta three rd catch last year. The tough part is is that even if guys can, you know,

start the game, it's just hard to keep going. You especially you're a razor thin, especially on a short week. So when Leonard four Nette couldn't play, and then Kenyan Barner and UM and Lashawn McCoy both got knocked out of that last game, you were down to Ronald Jones and the rookie Keyshaw Vaughn, who played very well. He made a very impressive play UM, So you were able to get through. But if you go in starting with those two and lose either one of them are both

what are you gonna do? And with at the COVID protocol I was just gonna say punt. With the COVID protocols, you there was really no opportunity to bring it everybody in off the street to help because it's a Thursday game, so they couldn't start trying to sign guys until Monday, and it would take until at least today. Right, Well, you have to test seventy two hours in a row for three days, so you really by the only time

you would be able to come in really is Friday. Well, if you get tested on Monday, you got to Tuesday. Then you gotta get tested on Windy, which is the day of the game, So you wouldn't even have a chance to teach them anything. There's no way you would put that guy in a game, so they didn't even try. There was no point you could do a more long term signing. But I don't think they think, other than Howard,

that these are long term injuries. So after after the Chicago game, have you got time for everybody to heal hopefully, hopefully at least some of them, so you have some representative offense. It's just it's going to be it's gonna be kind of crazy in a way. It's almost an interesting EXPERI him to see how the Bucks can get through this game. Well, that's I think that's kind of it. You know, if you're on the roster, you're supposed to be a player, and if you know you're in the NFL. Yeah,

but I'm just talking to sheer numbers. John. Yeah. You know, most teams, including the Buccaneers, run eleven personnel, which is three receivers about sixty percent at the time. It's hard to run through receivers when you only have two receivers. And yeah, wow, I actually, um, I forgot. I didn't mention Jaden Mickens today. All right, so you do have three guys. You got Cyril Grayson, Jaden Mackins, he'll probably

be doing uh punt return. Yeah, but but he don't have to play on offense, and he has played a little bit on offense in Jacksonville. He he has some stats in his past, not a ton, but some. So you have Jaden Makins, Tyler Johnson and Cyril Johnson Cyril Grayson. So at least that's three, and then you could you could elevate Josh Pearson potentially from the practice squad to have four. Well, we certainly are learning the names of who's on the Buccaneers and say you have no choice,

and on game day it's even gonna be more. That flip card is becoming more and more important right now. I mean, there's a reason this offense was so good. And you you obviously say next man up. Every team says next man up. Every every players learns to say next man up in every interview. But there's a reason why Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are are the best. And hey, by the way, do you know who leads

this team in receiving yards? Scotty Miller? Oh, you did know, or you just made a good just because I don't walk in with papers doesn't mean but you knew, are you guys? I I knew because because I am interesting. I think I think it is. But I'm rooting for him, Yeah, I is. I is. You gotta root for the little guy. That's all I'm saying. I went into a I was asked in a different podcast before the season two name who I thought could be the unsung hero, and I

picked Scotty Miller. And my point was, I'm not just talking about Scotty Miller being a good third third receiver who stretches the field and makes an occasional big play. I'm saying this guy could get six or seven or yards this year. I may have been shooting low. If you want to see how fast Scotty Miller is, you need to go to the Buccaneers apper Buccaneers dot com and watch Randy Barber. You should do that every Yeah.

But but the breakdown of that play and how he just flies through it is you really see how fast. You can really get a gauge on how fast he is. Smooth very much. I think it's funny when you were talking about next man up and and you try not to say that you're going to drop off. But my initial thought there was is there is a difference in the players, because if there weren't difference in players, the money would all be the same, and that's not how it works. And yes, so the next man up, Yes,

you're you're up. You got your shot. And it wouldn't be much fun if everybody was equally good. No, get boring after a while. But but it also shows that sometimes guys become really good because they finally have a chance to show what they can do. One man's injury is another man's opportunity, which is what Bruce Arians likes to say. I like that where we are not currently injured, knock on wood is um offensive line, all five guys

playing very well, very much. I think we're seeing finally, Jeff, think of the resources that this team has pumped into the offensive line recent years. Second round pick on Donovan Smith and then and that was a high second I was like the first pick of the second round, and then a second contract for him a couple of years ago, a bigger one um third round pick on Ox Kappa.

That's the least of all of them. The big big contract for Ryan Jensen, second round pick, and another contract for Alan mar Pett and then the first round pick thirteenth overall and Tristan Whorf's It's not like we haven't tried, boy, they but we have not gotten results like this yet. And now it feels like it's really coming together. You cannot. I am just totally amazed how well Tristan is playing. Yeah, it's it's great to be at the game and just put a pair of binoculars just on him and watch

how well he played. Last Sunday talks about that a little bit too. Phenomenal, phenomenal. He's got good feet, Unreal, unreal, Joey Bosa said after the game. Yeah, really good. Well, when you get manhandled, you kind of have to say that, don't you. But but you know, Joey's you know, he just got a big contract and he's the first game he didn't have a sack this year, big time player. So that's a lot of he wasn't sacked in that game. He threw forty six passes and wasn't sacked. He's hit

about five times. He wasn't sacked. Yeah, I thought I get the ball quick. Yeah, I I thought they played really really well. Tom Brady, here's here's a here's a very noticeable difference between our offense this year Tom Brady and our offense with Jamis Winston and Jamis Winston did lots of really good things and had Hughes stacks huge numbers. Tom Brady will throw the ball away a lot more than Jamie's ever did. Think about when we got down to the goal, which is a good throw most of

the time. It's the right decision. And obviously to ring to Tom Brady to know right somethings like he threw that away quickly, but so we get down. I believe on the UM. I believe on the Mike Evans touchdown after the fumble. The first play clearly didn't work and he threw it high out of back of the end zone. Second play I think was supposed to be a swing pass out to the right to Keshan Vaughan and Um and he just threw it over his head. I mean

he was covered. He just so first two plays to throw aways, and then on throw down he scrambles and and he can't throw it on third down, so he scrambles, finds Mike Evans touchdown. If he forces one of those first two passes, he might never get the third down here Yeah, that's he's patient. He's patient and what he's trying to do, what he's what he wants to accomplish it, and he knows what he wants to accomplish. He's doing the quick checkdowns and um, it is it is um

fascinating to watch it, really is it. It's kind of, I don't know, surreal, just in just in watching him reached down the field and being down was seventeen points and then he he led four four straight possessions were touchdowns and then a field going the next one. That's we don't see that a lot. We didn't see that in the heyday. It's pretty great. It was. It was

it's fun. You know what that third and six scramble did to the third and six scramble and then touchdown past to Mike Evans, which is really nice play in which Mike adjusted his route when he saw that the player was breaking down and slid behind the defender. He first was going in front of him and then he went behind him, uh and found an open spot and

Brady found him. Um that kept us perfect. And then there were two more and later in the game or one before and one after on goal to go every single time this year, on eleven tries that we have reached first in goal, whether it be from the nine or the one or the ten, we've gotten into the end zone, which I find remarkable and I would love for that. You can't continue the whole year, but as long as it as long as it goes, keep going right,

even if you slack off a little bit. And that was against number and we were four three for four in the red zone. That is three four red zone drives, three touchdowns for in receptions, I mean three touchdowns, one field goal. That would be a really weird stay um. And that was against the team that came into the to the week with the best red zone defense in the league. They were only averaging allowing touchdock versions. We

knocked them out of that spot. And now the top red zone defense in the league is Chicago, which we get to face now, so we'll see again strength on strength what I like to I know Tom had A had a pick in this game, but a bad one. A bad one. Yeah, And I don't understand that play. I I mean I heard b A explain it and he said he needs to coach him up more on that play. So I don't know if they're most breakdowns

like that are not just one little thing. Maybe just as justin Watson's route was something that was supposed to be, say, maybe Tom didn't see the guy. Maybe Bruce would have preferred to choose chose to throw up some more. But I will say that it didn't bother him, and he was he still wasn't just flinging, so to speak. You know that you were talking about how many completions he was. Yes, And that takes me another tangent um that I think

is the most important point. Did I started with something here? It's good. It's a good thing. So yes, on the side of the players said after the game on the sideline that Tom Brady never got down. He was upbeat the entire time, even when were down seventeen, and especially after we got that sort of gift right before halftime and made it a ten point game, that they felt

like they could win that game. Bruce arians said it, Todd Bowle said it, then Levante David said, they all said that's a game we would not have one last year. And it wasn't like they're like maybe all of them

were pretty emphatic. The two thou nineteen Buccaneers would not have won that game, No, and we would have scored points, but we would have also given up a ton of points just because you got sci because you're because now you're chasing and your defense not being able to lead, and if you're gonna make a comeback from seventeen or twenty down or whatever, your both sides have to play well because you're you have to close that gap, but

you have to keep them from rewidening it. Right. Yeah, Todd Bowles was was on the b A Show and it's it's on the site on the app um talking about you know, they got all the acquilades of my bad accolades, accolades. I mean you would, they would be acqulades if they were the first stuff you did in water. I was, I was drowning here. That was pretty good,

Thank you very much. You recovered nicely. Yes, I know what I was gonna say is that he was he likes the fact that his defensive players are getting recognition. But it's like a kiss of death. Yeah, he said, it's a kiss of death. That. Oh yeah, look how great we did. And then we came out and played like we played on Sunday. Not so good for the

first half. For the first half, Yeah, that's true. Somebody asked me, um in them a bad question, if this defense should have a nickname, and their contention was that all great defenses have a nickname, and they're thinking, of course, like the Steel Curtain and Doomsday. But I don't think that's actually true, because I don't think the Bucks in two thousand two and around that time had a nickname. They called it to Tampa two, but that wasn't a nickname.

That was just that was just what the system was, and it was an indication that we played it so well that they changed it to their name. The best defense in the NFL that was I don't think the Ravens in two thousand had a nickname, But anyway, I opened it up to the fans. They started answering in emails and on Twitter for team nick for nicknames for the defense, and um uh. There was plenty of responses like, hey, come on, we're four games into the season, you know,

let's let's pump the brakes a little bit here. It's been a while, so people are really really excited, as they should be, and that's that's sports them. By the way, Lavante Lavante has been here since two thousand twelve, and he basically said none of the teams he's been on until now would have won that game. Cam Braits said the same thing he did. That's right, he did. He said that since he's been here, it's just that's encouraging. Well,

they see it. And when players, you know, you talk about buy in or you talk about how how the locker rooms coming together, When you start hearing that stuff, then then what you and I and the fans are seeing is what players are seeing. And it's more important what they see than us. But it's the term buy in. I mean, if you're on the team, of course you're you're hoping that that's what it's supposed to be. Yeah, right, you're right now you're believing. Now you're believing. Yes, Well,

I'm just kind of you know. The nice thing about this is it's not really scripted this podcast, so we can just jump around to whatever topics we want. I don't want us to stop and have me forget that we need to give some love to Bradley opinion. Yea really, and I said, you can't come back without both sides. But there's three phases to the game. And pinion played

a part in that comeback. He had his three points for fifty fifty seven and fifty six yards for an average obviously a fifty seven, and his net was fifty three point seven. And both of those are the best, by the way, that any Bucketer punter has ever had in a single game with at least three points. That's pretty great. One of those was one of those was the one where the pent him inside the ten that led to dominic Ensu's force fumble. So he played a

part in that in that win. Yeah, and usually you know, the punter usually is when when you're talking about the punter, it's usually when things are going south. When it didn't didn't go well. He got blocked. He made a great tackle too, that's right. He got a tack. He made a great tackle. It didn't really matter, right, but but still it's still kind of gave up. He gave up

the body. He didn't arm tackle. He just did the old here I come, I'm rolling my shoulder back and but he took him out, took him out so strong. You see a lot of them power rankings. Everybody does

power ranking. I'm not either, but then there are some other sources like one I sort of like called Football Outsiders, which is more of an analytical type thing, and UM by their UM what what I call their proprietary stat their main stat that they put together, which is called d v o A, which stands for defense adjusted value

over average. It's kind of like war in baseball. It's kind of like a catch all type of stat, and it's based on comparing what the team does on any given play compared to what the average is based on down and didn't here let me read it. I knew I wouldn't remember it right. D v o A breaks down the entire season, play by play, comparing success on each play to the league average, based on a number of variables including down distance, location on field, current score, gap, quarter,

and opponent quality. While it can be used as a measure of total team performance, it differs from other power ratings found throughout the web because it can be broken down to analyze team effectiveness in any number of ways, etcetera, etcetera. So my point here is this is not some people sort of turn a skeptical eye to some of these UM websites that do analytics and rank players and say this is the best card in the league or whatever,

because it's it's subjective. They're looking at the film and saying, did that guy do a good job on that play? And they don't. They may not know what he was supposed to do on the play. Always, this isn't really the same thing they're just it's just it's just a stat dump. It's taking they they're not analyzing. They're not the one saying whether this team did good. They're just comparing what they did do what the average is in that specific situation. So I don't mind Devo. It's an

interesting little thing to look at. And according to their rankings, over all, the Buccaneers are number one in the league, the best team in the league. Like it overall number one, seventh and offense second and defense to Indianapolis. That sounds pretty good at me. That's how come and that's where and that's where you are three and one. Yeah, that's a big deal. First quarter, there's so many undefeated teams.

Is a really top heavy league, crazy, isn't it? So it's hard to even get to the top five in the rankings. When Kansas City, Buffalo, Buffalo, the Titans who may never play again, h Green Bay, who I think is really good. They You know what I did watch that Green Bay they got through a game with with when they were down on receivers and running backs and

tight ends. Well, what I have a tendency to do is I watch games that truly watch games that we're gonna teams that we're gonna play like you truly do that. I do that. Um, Kansas City, that was a good game. I just like watching Kansas City trying to figure that out. Um, do you do you know which team The Buccaneers have their longest active winning streak against Kansas City. I kind of made that easy for Yeah, it's gonna be hard to get to six. They have won five straight games

against Kansas City. Really, it's gonna be hard to get to six. I'm saying we can't do it. But that's the biggest challenge of Well, you know what if you eventually, if you make it to the super Bowl and they're there, you gotta play them anyway. So this many times you gotta play the good teams game point get them. Now, that's kind of one of your things. You think we've done enough, Yeah, we've done almost twenty nine minutes. Okay, like we said, this is a minisode. Um, we're not

having a player guest. That was by choice. I'm sure if we had asked someone, someone would have done it, but we didn't like that ask and it and it makes it really hard because sometimes you know they will do it, but they're a little rushed and uh and so I haven't to us with um ante well a couple of times. Yeah, he was right in the middle of it was fault. It wasn't his fault. And all

of a sudden, especially on a short week too. You know, there there are media requirements that they have to do and we are not one of those requirements to say so, um, we we don't even need to take a break. Nope, let's just roll straight into normally my life easy. I'm just gonna put the open and music underneath when we're done. Okay, get this, we'll get this on the site before you

know it. All right, So we're gonna go to our questions now from fans you guys, Yes, send them to us at Salty Dogs at Buccaneers dot NFL dot com. We love them. We'll do more, we'll do We've we've been known to go minutes on these questions. So last week we we read a question from a fan, a Buccaneers fan in Australia, and which led us into a lot of talking about Australia, which probably will happen again.

His name was Elliott love Joy Um. We ran into a couple of points of confusion and asked him to email us the answers. One of them was yes. One of them he was he he has a radio show in It's spelled c a I c a I r n s, which just reading it normally I would pronounce that Carnes or cairns karens. You thought it would be more like cons And I think you're right, because he said, the easiest way to pronounce this word is just and it's it's spelled cans se A n s. But given

the accent, it's probably cons. Right. I should have asked him to do it phonetically. Sure, it might be cans. You've been there. Would they pass the a like cans or only they think about it? Yeah, he said, we take a Yeah. I can't remember because in your head you're reading it like you think it is. And then when you get there and then someone then you hear the locals say, and then you gravitate towards that, as

I said, like Melbourne Melbourne here is Melbourne. Yeah, he says along those lines, he says, we take a lot of shortcuts over here and don't like to pronounce letters when we don't need to, which begs the question why are you about it? Putting him in the word they were probably I guess that's down from English. Uh, you know they were English words. And and then that's funny, uh, he says. And and we'd also asked because he used the phrase radio presenter, so I didn't know if that

man he was a DJ or news read interviewer. And as far as my job, I do a break a breakfast show here with a network called Triple. Isn't that interesting? He calls it a breakfast show where we call it the morning show. Interesting, okay yea pointing out all these differences basically sport and greatest hits. That's pretty cool. That have been here about two years now, But prior to that, I've been looking in that radio has taking me to

Abu Dhabi Niagara Falls. I've never been there either Niagara Falls. Have you been to Niagara Falls in New York or in Canada or where? What do you think there's another Niagara. I don't know. Well, there's Niagara Falls New York and there's ny It's the same thing. It's just two sides of the same thing. But it's not once in Canada ones in New York. It's not the same thing. Try across the border. It ain't happening. But it's still just one falls. Well, this is true, there's not like a

Niagara Falls. Was kind of interesting that he was there. I would like to go there. I've been there. Yes, I've been there in the wintertime and I have been there in the summertime, so he said. He also send some photos, one of which had him one of which showed how beautiful it was there in cons Cans and one of which showed him in a judge jameis Winston, Jersey. So where else was he he was? He said, Abu Dhabi,

Niagara Falls in over a few spots in Australia. Uh in the sport Okay, So he does have a question, which is fair in a sport that is dominated by egos. You guys, most must be impressed by the together otherness of this team so far, that's not really question. But we can talk about it all those times in running back, sharing carries, and the defense spelled. Let's see, seemed just as happy for their mates to get sacks when they

get their own. I think all that's true. This does seem like a particularly tightened team, and they're becoming tighter. That's what happens when you start winning, especially when we're talking about young guys getting their first stage and now

is the next thing. I was gonna say, you have a bunch of young guys coming together, improving together, and then you have some veteran guys that have been around Tom Brady to lead the whole thing, got Lavante David to lead the whole thing, but you got the enthusiasm of your Kevin Whites and Sean Murphy pat you are doing it. So it's a nice formula when it when it hits when you're winning, and then if you're not winning, then there's a whole other things break down and the

old guy got the guys team's fractured. We're hopefully we're not having that discussion anytime this year. I don't feel like that's what happened with that. Winning solves everything. Why saw healthy ones a happy victory Monday Slash Tuesday Wednesday yeah, well he doesn't know. And to be honest with you, this this email actually came last week. I just didn't

use it. From our palace in Brazil. Alexander not Cemento, and I said, he says, Mr Smith, I was reading one of your articles about Lavante David, and I learned that a sack is also considered a tackle for loss. That's true. It's also considered, well, that's true, acceptive. If you tackle the quarterback at the land scrimmage and it's gain of zero, that does count as a sack, but it doesn't kind as a tackle for loss. So most sacks are tackle for loss, but not all of them.

Is that? Like I before, E excepted after seeing and then most sacks also count as a quarterback hit, unless like it's one of those sacks where you swiped the ball out of their arm, you know, like JPP comes around the EDGEWI that counts to a strack, but it didn't hit the guy. But it's a strip. Yeah, it's a force pulm. So most sacks are a sack, a

quarterback hit, and a forced fumble in your stat sheet. Um, we tend to when we're writing about them and talking about them we don't emphasize that because it sounds more impressive to say he had a sack and a quarterback. He also had a quarterback hit in a tackle for lost. So if you if you see a line where a guy has a sack and a quarterback hit, it's probably the same play. If you see a line where guy has a sack and three or four quarterback hits, then

he was really getting to the quarterback a lot. You got to know that when you're reading these stats. I'm going to continue to use it the other way because it's it makes it more power if you know what you know. If you know this and you're reading it, you can read between the lines. So his question is and it's it's kind of a fun one. The question came to when I saw Antoine Winfield making a sack and force fumble in just one play. So with that in mind, what is the most possible statistic points a

player can have in one single play? And what I thought of was you sacked the quarterback and force a fumble and recover the fumble touchdown, which happens. It has so if you did that drip sack, sack, scrip sack fumble, you know well, you gotta make sure you hit him, because if it's just a hit it out of his arm,

then you're not gonna get the quarterback hit. So if you do a real sack, you force a fumble, you pick it up, you run into the end zone, you would get a sack, a quarterback hit, a tackle for loss, a force fumble, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown. That seems like the most you could probably get in one place.

I would think, what else would it be? I mean, the one we've joked about before on offense is if you throw the ball and something bats in the end and you catch Brad Johnson did in Minnesota, you would get a pass, you get the yards in the pass, you get a completion, you would get a touchdown, and you get a reception and the yards in the play and a touchdown. So that would be that'd be pretty big. But that's more of a fantasy football type. I think,

which is your favorite time? I love, love it, love it. So I think that's it. The sack, force, fumble, pick it up, scooping quick. Yeah. I can't think of one that would be more. There isn't what else would it be? I don't know. Just not. Yeah, well, someone will prove us wrong. I'd like to see him try. Come on, come on, come at me, Come at me. Bro, you're feeling good. Three in one, Yeah, we gotta be careful with that. We've been down that road. Oh yeah, five

dash to go, So you went way back. Yeah, well it's been a while, Sam White, Ye five dash too. Um. Well last time, well, the last time we were in this situation, we well, let's see we were. Last time we were three and one was two thousand and eleven, and that didn't And that's when we came four and two. Yeah, I think so, and then and then then we did it. We did That's not gonna happen with this team. No, I'm not saying this is gonna be a tough one

this week. We've got some tough ones down the road. But this team is not going to go in the tank. So you have you have Chicago, you have not that this team is looking ahead you and I are looking at that the way. If Chicago have Green Bay in the city, those are the big ones or no no, no, no, no, no, no, no. In a row is is Chicago Green Bay Raiders Giants, And three of those are night games three out of

the next four night games, the next seven or night games. Yeah, I forgot about that, that's right, and then a game with Green Bay, So yeah, this team isn't going to see a one o'clock game again until like, no, it's it's so great. On Sunday, it was awesome. Get up on drink some coffee, get dressed, roll out the door, home, was home by six, got to watch the Raider game the end of the game, then start watching the Sunday

night game. It was awesome to pull back the curtain for you out there from a team standpoint in terms of exposure for the team and what the fans probably like. Four games and night games are awesome. They're awesome. We know that it's great for the team that we have

five time Yeah, that's awesome. If you work for the team, you love one o'clock games on Sunday, And as you look at the schedule, you get excited that everybody is excited about the Buccaneers and we get five prime time games and four twenty games all over the place, and then you go, oh man, and then we only get

like four one o'clock games. But if you're traveling, it's if if it's a normal year and and you you have night games, it's kind of fun because it gives you a little more time in the city and you can get up and it doesn't apply this. No, no, no, That's why I was saying. But yeah, but you're gonna know what the team's made up. You're gonna know where we're at. Where you know. I feel good, I'm excited about it. I need this injury situation to clear up. Yeah, I think I think we can run with any team

right now. Yeah, that's fair. I think, especially after what I told you about those d v O ranking t v O A rankings. We're good on both sides of the ball. Ye, special teams have improved, we've been They've improved since the start of the season. I don't think we're one of the best teams in the league. Do you have an any other couple? Not that I'm in a hurry, I just didn't know I made these. This

is from my person, Nam Corey in Tallahassee. I heard Bruce arians say the other day that he thought Ali Marpett was a top five guard in the NFL, which he did. That's true. I remember when he called Carlton Davis a top ten quarterback in training camp, and then Davis went right out and shut down Michael Thomas in Week one. That also is true. He did say that, and that did happen to for two. This arians guy may know what he's talking about. Say thanks, that's a

good way to put it. I'm going to isolate that clip and send it to Bruce. He'll sleep better it well. I mean, I think the point in a funny way, and I like it. I think the point is coaches can sometimes say stuff about our players that's a little bit of hyperbole. Love you man, This guy is gonna do just as good as the guy he's replacing. But wait, looks like he was right about Carlton and um, there's been a lot of talk about Ali mar Pet is

finally getting some buzz, which is good. He's apparently playing very well. Yes, so if we believe him and Mark pet really is that good? Do you think he has a shot at the Pro Bowl this year? I feel like we haven't had a lot of offensive linemen in the Pro Bowl through the years, though I'm sure Scott will correct me if I'm wrong on that. Yeah, I think anyway, Thanks for your time and go Bucks. Yeah,

because you're back to we're playing prime time games. People are seeing him, seeing him or the team that they haven't. It's the Brady factor, no question, um. And even not

prime time, they're just getting a lot of attention. And when you start talking about how well Tom Brady's doing with the offense, then you start talking about the other parts of that offense, and then people start noticing how well the offensive line is played, and then they start taking a closer look at the guys on that line, Domino, and suddenly people are looking at Ali mar Peco. Man, this guy is really good, which we've been saying for years. When you bring your a game, you just make me

look better. So I'll start at the end here. Um, I would say, you're not that wrong, Corey. Uh. It's not a real highly decorated position for us in terms of Pro Bowls through the years. We didn't have a single one, as a matter of fact, until Tony Maybray broke through and n and then had three of them.

And you know why that happened. The Bucks got good. Yeah, it's not a coincidence that the first time we get an offensive lineman is the first time in you know, a decade and a half that we were actually good. We sent like eight people of a Pro Bowl. That was crazy. I was actually at that Pro Bowl. That was a good Tony Maybrayer was good, but then he got recognition. Yeah, that's a cool picture of all of

them too in Hawaiian shirts. And yeah, I remember when you're talking about Otherwise, we've had Logan Mankins won one most recently, and even though that might have been a bitten name related, he appably did have a pretty good season. That was his second season here in his final NFL season, Davin Joseph deservedly got to underrated. He was so Yeah, he was a great player and a great guy, still

is a great guy. Randall McDaniel Jeff Christie bow got one, uh and I think like two thousand and two thousand and one, and that was after they joined us from the Vikings. Both those guys were big names at the end of their careers, and I think their names had a lot to do with that. Not to downplay because they both I think rand McDaniels in the whole of

fame he is um. I believe Jeff Christy was a very good player too, But I think that year they probably got it well, a lot of so much love for the A lot of times you get it from not the you get it from a previous year, you know, because you have this really good year, like like like Lavanti David. He he has been good his whole career. But I think now it's going to catch up where where people are recognizing. I mean, it's a tough position he's in. Well he's still playing well this year too though,

so it will still be deserving. So that's good. He was the defensive player of the month. So speaking of speaking of offensive player of the week, which I didn't I spoke of, you didn't spoken defense. Yeah, Tom Brady, Tom Brady, you know he's won that a word thirty one time. He hasn't won the end of see or one that one one time. Like do they get a

plaque or something. Is he just like throwing it in the garage They're like used them to hold open doors and yeah, you know, just I was like one of these that or he doesn't even go collect it, you know, he doesn't even open the box anymore, just but it goes on the list and he's one to thirty one. That's crazy. He wins he's basically half time a year. Yeah, and that's not easy to do either. Well obviously, well

I do not understand that, but I'm just saying. So the question is, could Ali Marpett end up in the Pro Bowl? Sure? The what where you need to start here is who does he have to beat? So let's look at who made the NFC Pro Bowl for guards last year. The two players voted in but they didn't play. Where Zack Martin of the Cowboys and Brandon Brooks of the Eagles. Well, Brandon Brooks is out for the year with an injury, so you don't have to worry about him.

Zach Martin has the name recognition and is a fantastic player, and we'll have a very good shot to make it again. But let's also keep in mind that the Cowboys don't look like they're very good. They're supposed to be good, but they're one in three. As we've said, you know, the Cowboys are always going to get attention. So Zack Martin still is a good shot, but maybe a little less than some other years. Yeah, that is a struggling team. He was the Now, you know, guys get hurt or

they go to the playoffs. They don't play in the Pro Bowl, so they were replaced, okay, and then the third guy was uh just chosen was Brandon Schurf of Washington. He's hurt. He's on injury reserve right now. I don't know if the season is over, but he's hurt, so at the very least he's not going to have as much time to prove it. Sure, once you know it, all the Buccaneers will make it to the Pro Bowl and there won't be one. I just want to I

just want the recognition about the game. Well, so I I will say this, it's great thinking about that, but I think you just gotta keep winning. You gotta keep playing because if they can play well and if the team does and keep winning, oh yeah, for sure, it's not but we think they will. And I don't think we're being delusional with that. This looks like a pretty darn good team. Now. I'm not putting a number of

injuries are injuries could be an issue. You never know, And we also don't know if COVID will interrupt this thing at some point. You know, we started at the top about Gilmore thing, and I bet you by the time we get back to our computers. There will be something else, some other piece of news, like they're considering not playing that game or something like that. Um, you

know you say that and you're checking your phone. I just right now, eleven minutes ago NFL n f L P A looking at whether Titan players worked out together last week. Wow, they're gonna get They're gonna get gobsmacked. If if that's the case, they're going to get disciplined heavily, they might as well just go to the White House. Jeff getting political. No, not at all. I'm just saying where it's it's a hotbed. I'm not that's not being political.

It is a hotbed, both the type in the White House. Yes, man, So I wasn't done here because those three none of those three guys actually played in the game, and they were replaced by these three guys. Trey Turner, Uh, he is in the a f C. Now he's a charger going for me by him. Andrew's Pete for the Saints, who is currently hurt. And Larry Warford, also of the Saints last year, who's not in the lake. Mm hmm, so he's got a good shot. Yeah. My point is

they're kind of clear in the runway for him. Somebody's got to land there. Somebody's gotta land the plane there, and why not, why not Elie mare Pitt And Ali just needs to do his part, which he does, which he's doing. Just keep playing, just keep playing. We just need it's just the same with all this. We need good fortune. I need fortune to shine on us in terms of injuries everything, and otherwise I think this is

gonna be a continue to be a very fun season. Yeah, and it and it is as with all the difficulties that we're having, uh with COVID, etcetera, Um, they're still there. Is still fun. It's still fun. There is a glimmer of of you know, excitement, and even though I think it's I don't want to go down the road. But I thought sometimes think, gosh, if we weren't dealing with all this COVID, how much fun would this? And it was nice to see some fans in there, and it

did make a difference. I thought. I thought Bruce was funny. He said you could hear the fans and even when they were bitching, you could hear him. And he's like, they I had a friend, Um, you guys suck. Yeah, he gave me a call and said, hey, I really enjoyed the game. Um, he said, I said, how was it in the stands? He goes, it was so weird. He said. It was funny because you would you would yell and you actually would hear yourself, where before you'd

be yelling and just be there. Yeah, and he said, he said he realized he was yelling and he's, wait a minute, that's me. Usually when you're like you're mad and you're yelling at a player, you suck you blue that that you don't think they're actually gonna hear you. This time he yelled and they go They turned around looking yeah, better what he said? He said where he was sitting and he goes, yeah, he goes, it was.

He goes, there weren't very many people around us, but he goes, but the one guy that was, oh he was he just talked the whole game and he you thought he was doing all the game planning there was and he was doing it broadcast. Yeah, he said, yeah it was. But hopefully that you know, we'll be able to increase fans come. Yeah. Yeah, it was the soft opening and um, do you see where green Speaking of

Green Bay? Green Bay is not allowing fans. That's because that area is one of the nation's biggest hot spot. At one point, even the city of Green Bay is the hot spot, not just not only Wisconsin. I think at one point last week they had like a infected right, Yeah, that's enormous. And that's a little town too. I mean it's about that in that city. Yeah, but I don't know how many. But um uh, Buffalo is allowing some

fans in. Interesting is the Titans are talking about letting fans in that they did got approval to let fans in. Now if now, if only the team could enter the stadium, you guys can come. We're not gonna be there. You're welcome to come in the stadium, we chuckle, but please wear a mask. Yeah, no kidding. All right, that's good. You know, we called this a mini episode and we've

gone about an hour. I know, but that's because you and I are just busing with each other, and it's I know, I think I had a lot to do. I really do. What the broadcast of tomorrow, which was funny, is because we were trying to do this yesterday and I kept pushing it back, and finally you brilliantly said why don't we just do it tomorrow and I was like, yeah, that's the best thing ever be So I got slam yesterday.

So so, like you said, wear a mask, wear a mask, and since you did, thanks for listening.