Official podcast was presented by win bet Betty his team sport but together at went Bett, Eric Allen here at one Jets Drive, joined by my partner Matt Becker Bart Scott.
How long has it been? Now?
Spent a long time? Fourteen years? I would say, Wow.
We've been working there. I've been doing this for fourteen years.
Yes, he signed with the jetson all nine correct, I.
Know, yeah, and then I retire. So every year after I retire, I've been doing this.
I guess we had a break in there. I don't even know what happened after you retire. I remember that disappeared.
I went to CBS right, and then I remember us being how long ago have we when we was at the hotel with Robbie Robbie Anderson, we had to apologize to America.
I'm bringing that up all the time. It's Chosen Anderson now.
I know Chosen. Yeah, they brought Chosen back last week. I was like, oh he's still around. Oh he lined up passed the ball. He's like, I got you, Tyreek Hill. You line up with one with chats over me, not Tyrek Hill, Darius Tony. He lined up his whole foot was he was past the defender.
He he did wave at the official like a couple of yards before.
But when you do that, you have to look and wait for the ficial response. Just look look straight the fisher like, bro, you are past.
The d end, Like, well, you gotta shed some light on that interview there. We used to we used to do inside the jets across the street and there were TVs up there and we were actually facing the TV.
And it was brought to uh, it was brought up by ESPN Radio and we used to do it and like at some point we just had to apologize to the people about.
Like you were apologizing miss Robbie. Is is kind of he's kind of he was. He was focused on a couple of other things while we're doing the interview.
Yeah, he was just faced out man, like only two guys I've ever had to do that with. Yeah, yo, I do that with Jerry Judy too. Like we ended, we ended the We ended me and my partner. We ended the.
Interview was ESPN Radio.
Yes, he was like, bro, like never, we'll talk to you, like, thanks, thanks for your time. Though he was he was promoting the product. He knew nothing about.
Oh was this a Super Bowl or was Judy just I don't know.
It was so bad that the PR and radio stages from Denver got hold of an interview and start calling us, like, man, this dude's an idiot and he he he was like, I don't know what he was like if this dude was on something like this dude tripping listen.
Robbie's a good guy. He was just focused on a couple of other things.
It was a crazy interview. It was like, but you never know, some guys are don't don't speak a lot, right, So he was only giving like one word ass like bro, you know this is entertainment, right.
So we came out of the break and you're still talking about it after we thanked him for coming.
On, Like bro, that was the worst, all right.
So the big news here this week was Aaron Rodgers going on Pat McAfee's show on Tuesday and his regular weekly appearance.
I have money to pay Aaron Rodgers so he could be my weekly Do you.
Think we should work on that for next year in twenty twenty four.
There's a couple of things.
It's gonna cost you seven digits, So there's a couple of things to get to here.
We ain't got seven digits to spare like that, No surprise, right, And we got seven digits like that, then we need to we need to up my salary and we can we can do without it, no sound, no surprise right when you when you think about the statement that was made before the game saying that if it was a one point zero zero zero one point chance, it was
still a chance he would play. But at this point it's no reward at all, all risk because if he hurts something and you know, looking at you know how Sam, you know got hurt last week, you know, getting hit, you know, took a vicious hit, it's no need for Aaron Rodgers to take Yeah, zat Zach, it's no need for Aaron to take that type of punishment. So let's
just live to fight another day. The good news that came out that is he believes he wants to play a couple of years, which I believe that's what he wanted to do anyway, was to play multiple years this year and next year. And because he only played four snaps, he doesn't consider this a year or you know, maybe if he had played eight games, got hurt, then maybe he'll consider it would have considered it a year and
say I want to play one more year. So now this means that the Jets has a solid commitment from him, right, you know. And the solid commitment, so I don't expect him to have to go into a hole or go into darkness retreat or anything like that. He'll do what he does to get his mind right for next year. But the fact that we know that we can have Aaron Rodgers for two years changes the way you go about free agency, changes about the way that you go
about the draft. So you know, I think that that statement alone multiple years means to me that you know, you have to build around Aaron Rodgers because you may have an opportunity to win a Super Bowl. If you win it the first year, you have an opportunity to run it much really similar to what Tom Brady did in Town.
Rogers has always played this game at such an elite level. He dealt with injuries. That last year in Green Bay before being traded over here. He tears the chilles.
But that was broken hands, So that's you're.
Still with the thumb right now.
I think other Nixon, I really don't think about that as like a aging injury.
Yeah, So That's what my question is. So he's forty, he'll turn forty one next season, But you have confidence after watching guys like Brady late in their career that.
Hey, Lebron, Lebron James. You have to put all great athletes. I think in the same category. Lebron James's acts and his body to do way more than what Aaron Rodgers is, right, because you're talking about basketball, you're playing offense and defense, and you're keeping up so like you're going by people, but then now you got to check somebody as well. You know, Aaron Rodgers is just playing off and so I have full confidence that he can play at high level.
And I always have this conversation with people when they talk about, well, he's forty forty one, I always say, Aaron Rodgers, whatever his ages, take off four years and that's what his real age is. Because he was a backup, he didn't get a lot of wear and tear. He didn't get like a lot of He hasn't had a lot of injuries. He hasn't torn his acl and all that.
So this is his first major injury. So I don't look at him as a typical you know, forty ye oh, quarterback, you know, and I kind of compare it to like guys like Brandon Jacobs and big guys who were young but wore down hard because the type of position that they play in the style in which they played. Right. We talk about Yeah, we talked about Earl Campbell right six years Right, we talk about some of the great like runners like Eddie George. They didn't play late into
their career. I mean, Frank Gore played forever. He was an anomaly. I mean the fact that he was able to play at a high level and still absorb that type of position. But quarterbacks, especially now where where the game is so less physical in the quarterback has so much protection and probably that tackle that he got, not saying that it was illegal, but they're going to take that weight drop tackle down away as well, so you don't worry about those type of tackles going forward.
So here we are three games remaining, Jets eliminated from postseason contention. It was a huge and probability to begin with as far as entering last weekend, but they lose to the Dolphins. What I think people at home struggle with is how would all this look different with Rogers Because we know that he is an unbelievable player at
the most important position in all of sports. So it's hard, I think when people are taking it in and they see the Jets offensive struggles for such a long time and say, well, how different does this look if Rogers is there?
Well, when you talk about war in baseball, that's what I'm talking about, ye wins over replacement or whatever, not the traditional word war.
Of course, you.
Would like to think that Aaron Rodgers is a plus two plus three. Well, if the Jets were plus two or plus three, where would they be. They would be in the thick of it. There would be there'll be eight, eight wins, maybe the seventh seed even.
War nine, seven and six. Right if you flip it, three three wins.
Yeah, three wins, that's what I'm saying. So, like you, you would think that they would be writing the thick of it in a wide open AFC where anybody gets hot and styles make fights would be able to win, you know what I mean. Maybe the run game would be a lot better because of non loaded boxes, because you know, if you give Aaron Rodgers off coverage, he's just gonna raise up and throw it to it and make that play. A run play and not even tell tell this offense that he's doing that. He just has
his cold word is one word with his receiver. A guy playing off in cover three ten yards off Boom instead of running the ball there you go tackle my guy in space. Giving guys opportunities like Garrett, giving guys like opportunities like you know, Gibson, given guys opportunities like Lizard just to raise up. And those are just the
things that his football acumen gives you advantage of. You like, he makes the game easier because because he's doing the thinking, you know, for for the team, right he's thinking at such a high level, Jedi level, that he's able to think the game and you know a lot of times that the game is more mental than it is physical at times, and he'll, you know, he'll always put you
at the right position, the right play. Not saying it is going to be perfect, but it's an added advantage when you have players that can think the game the way that Aaron Rodgers can.
We know the Jets have multiple offensive needs. We're not going to talk about the offseason at this point. Well, just with the Rogers conversation, talk about the defense. Does your mind go back as somebody who played the game and also who's commenting about the game every day and say, you know, I wonder how this would have played out in twenty twenty three if Rogers was healthy, because it sure feels like the AFC has a open feeling that
we haven't had quite some time. I mean, I know, Kansas City's defending champions and Baltimore is very good.
But everybody's beatable right on any given Sunday. And if you've got a great game plan and you have you know, efficient productivity and everybody plays well, any team could be in any team in the AFC. And you imagine, like what that would have looked like with a healthy Rogers and a healthy avt Ye. You know, because Abt, I believe, is probably the most valuable player on the offensive line because of his ability to get on the edges and be able to do things. And you look at how
Tipman has got better. Just imagine pulling the center and the backside tackle. What that would look like, you know what I mean, being able to get extra bodies to the open side.
You like avt more long term tackle, even though he can do both.
No, no, I think listen it depends on what you're able to fill the team with. I think at some point we're going to have to decide what he is and what he's going to stay at, and that's something he has to decide. But I'm sure right tackles get paid more than guards. I mean, Nelson, Quentin. Nelson did a great job in raising the price for guys like that and Zach Martin this off season, so I think maybe that closed the gap. But I just need Avt to be healthy. I mean that that was a draft
pick that you hit on. The talent isn't the issue. The versatility is an issue, but now the durability is an issue, and you don't know how many. I don't worry about the first injury, the tricep or the by set, whatever it was. I don't worry about those because those don't affect you as a player as far as I move before. But now you talk about the what was it Achilles? You talk about Achilles. That's that's a different thing, right, and we have to figure out, you know, as the Jets,
it's what three Achilles this year? Our woods?
Yes?
Abt, Aaron, Yes, I think you really have to figure out how to.
It feels like injuries are off across the Yeah.
But but but then particular injuries achilles has been you know, JK. Dobbins. A lot of guys, you know Phillips, right, it's a lot of guys with that. So a lot of times you have to start looking at Okay, what kind of shoes are these guys wearing? What kind of prehab can we do to strengthen and elanate the tendons so it's not so tight so it doesn't pop? Right? Most of these guys have tight calves, which means tight hamstrings. How
do we loosen that up? How do we you know, make sure that we stretch those and we warm them up properly before activity every day instead of just you know, doing it when you feel like it. You know what I mean? I used too, you know, it was a fear that because I have flat feet. That later in my career, they talk about how African Americans over thirty, how they have a higher tendency because we have high calves and this is a little bit and you know
other stuff. High calves which means that we flat feet, high calves, you know, a lot of tension on achilles. They were concerned so I made sure every day before I did anything, I did extensive warm up on the slant board to warm and stretch my calves and my achilles. Yes, because I already have plant fasciitis. Do you ever?
Yeah, I know, And that's what an awful injury isn't that. Yeah, let's go back to Rogers real quick. How want you like his mindset? When you just hear the guy talk, the hear like other dudes, like the way he phrases things and his approaches.
I mean, he's a he's a forward thinker, right, Like, he's a guy that's opened to everything, and an open minded person is a great person to listen to and be around because he doesn't shun ideas. He listens and internalizes his ideas. And you know, his attack to rehab and stuff like that was another example of his belief system as just as a person a right, So, I think a lot can be learned from a guy like that. It's a mindset. Yeah, like the Black Mamba, Yeah, like
Kobe a little bit. So we call him White Mamba.
Oh yeah, I wonder if he liked that, Nicknam, Yeah, so we gotta get him in the studio though, you're saying seven digits.
Yeah, man, well look, he ain't gonna charge you seven. It's his family. It's different. He might just do this off the strength off the love, I mean, because he's not going to play. So this is the greatest platform that he can do to speak to his peoples, not the McAfee show. To speak to your people directly. This is jets put out information, you know what I mean. So you talk to your people. You do this show. You sit in this seat. Yeah, you talk to E, A and B. Ski you take you can.
Follow what you did your map back in old nine. Join it yet content as a player, and then there was a little break in action when you went to CBS stuff like that. All right, so three games remaining. What do you want to see? What do you want to see? Because if you're a fan, you're already you're so upset, disappointed that you're in the situation. But there's that tug pushing Paul right that, Hey, I want a good draft pick, but also you want your team to
play well. You want to see individuals succeed. What do you want to see?
I want to see that. I want to see all the young players get an opportunity. I would love to see, like, listen, I know Breech probably has goals that he wants, but I want to see you know, you know, we know that Dalvin Cook probably won't be here, so I want to see I want to see a guy like is he Abana Kana get an opportunity to get meaningful rep
I want to put him in tough spots. I want to see him on third down pick up blitzes because next year you're going to expect him to do that, So I'd rather him get some type of on the job training before the season start. I want to see Rutgers start. I want to see him start and see Okay, you know who knows what the future of UZAMA is, So I want to see that guy, you know, go
out and start. You know, cochlan comes in and maybe you know, spells him and see if he can handle the load, the game plan, the pressure, the football action I'm trying to develop now, right, you know, I'm looking at Will McDonald like. I want to see him start. I want to see him in pressure situation. I want to see him on the strong side, leaning against the run. I want to see him anchor. I want to see
him take on double teams. I want to see him, you know, be disciplined, getting up the quarterback depth, spending underneath. I want to see that. I want to see young guys put in tough situations to see how they respond on the lights turn on.
I like that. What do you make of carryover? There's no carryover, right.
This is more well, it's momentum.
You can yeah, but you gained momentum as an individual. I'm saying like team wise, like, if you finish strong, can you take that into the offseason.
Yeah. A lot of teams we talk about all the time, teams that finished seven and nine back in the day, seven and nine, and then the next year they come back and they win the division. Like we've always talked about that team's goal. It's always a team that takes that jump from six and ten and next year they're a number one seed. That's always been the case, right, right, because it's it's not a far distance from six and ten to you know, you know, thirteen and five. You
know what I mean. It's like what it is is learning how to finish right, and you start realizing the differences and the small details that make the difference between winning and losing. And how many of those games if you would did things right way, if you would have been disciplined, if you wouldn't have pivotal bad mistakes, where you would have been Each.
Game is his own season. I know that, But why such a discrepancy when you see the second half against Houston and then you see what happened for sixty minutes against Miami.
Well, in my in my opinion, Robert Sala going into this game everything that Demico Ryan are a lot of stuff that themic O Ryan knows he learned from him. Yeah, so you understand and know those principles, so you attack him. And on the flip side, Mike McDaniels knows a lot about conceptually what this defense does, what gives him problems, And he knows because he's practiced against him and practice
over and over again. But he has the type of weapons that can really cause trouble for schematically what they do. I mean, he knew that that Robert Sala doesn't flip corners, So you gave him an idea of a matchup that he knew he could take advantage of and going over and saying, hey, I can take the best player that we have, not our best player when Tyreek Hill is here, but our best player and get him against you know, not saying DJ Red isn't a great player, but they
like the matchup. Yes, a length is what gives waddle issues. Not a guy that's that's short and quick and powerful. Maybe some some some some receivers don't like length and speed, right, because that length allows guys to recover and you can't get on top of them because they can keep you at harm's length. So then he can run two right, So and so understanding that right, you know, maybe that knowledge from going against former teams, uh teammate, which that's
what Salam mcdaiams was, you know, hurt. It helped them one week and hurt them the following week.
What do you think the response is gonna be here? Jets are five and nine, we're playing at home. This crowd is gonna be like, hey, you guys better do something early. This is a Washington this Christmas eve bro, this is a it's a Washington team at four and ten bart they won their first two games, so talk about struggles. I mean they're two and ten in their last twelve.
Well, they decided to clearly to move in a different direction, and they're flipping it. They they they traded their two best defensive players, like who trades two great pass rushers. They let Chase Young walk out the door, and they let Montes Sweat who has twelve and a half sacks. He had six for them then and now he has six and a half for the Chicago So proves that he can take the show on the road and be a multi scheme type of player. He may he's gonna
end up with fifteen sixteen sacks this year. You let that walk out the door because you decided you weren't gonna pay him, But you paid your D tackles. Hooper who doubles down on paying two D tackles. Usually you pay one D tackle and one outside. Not since Minnesota has I ever seen a team invest so heavily in D tackles like the Williams brothers, Kevin and Pat Like
I haven't seen it ever again. But to let two potentially all pro pass rushers go that you drafted, that's a fireable offense in itself.
Sam Hall, he's the young player back there at the signal caller position. Jacobe Brissett, we saw him last week. Verse enters the game up and down the field. He's moving that offense. How's an interesting guy because he's athletic, he's tough, he's a little bit smaller. They like to throw the ball up top. On paper, I think this is a favorable matchup for the Jets. You can say that most weeks as far as their defense is going
going against an opposing offense. But they like to get the ball down the field.
So you gotta takes two of them, so you gotta.
Stay on top of you said, scary Terry. They got Curtis, Samuel, Dodson and Dotson. So what do you think about the Jets corners against these three guys.
I mean, they gotta be disciplined, right because they're going to take shots. So you can in this game, you can stop nine out of ten, but the tenants to one that people's gonna remember, depending on if it's a big play or if it's a touchdown, or if it's like a Jalen Waddow, you know, seventy yard or however long that was touchdown that takes in the gates everything that you had done the other nine times because of that one tenth time.
I think this is the game where Sauce gets his first interception of the year. No, listen, he's gonna have some opportunities.
Yeah, Sam How is not gonna be afraid to throw the ball at anybody, right, all right, so I mean he's going after big play sleigh. Right. They've played Philadelphia very well two straight damn times that they played him.
So we're taping this Wednesday morning. Robert Style hasn't talked yet. I think the starting quarterback decision for this game may go later in the week because he said that there's a possible protocols. Right, Yeah, he's in protocol. He said if he was asked directly, if he's cleared later in the week, could he start without practicing, and he said
he could. But if it's Trevor Simeon, how do you make this a functional unit that we saw against Houston compared to the breakdowns that we saw against Miami, different opponent.
You gotta run the ball, man, you still have to. It always stops and starts with running the ball and being effective running the ball. So they can't run the ball, then that's going to allow extra resource to be applied to stop in the pass and you know, entirely defensively I told you how great they are with I always say his name wrong. It's Pain and Allen, Right, two different guys to Iron Payne or something something that they can be game breakers. And this team still plays hard man.
So this is evenly matched game and they got to figure out how to get a win. Last time you're going to be in front of your home crowd, you want to leave them with a positive taste in their mouth.
We talked about it before. What do you make of the conference? What do you make of the division? Not just this year but long term? Because the just are gonna be bat on Miami for a while. Buffalo seems that they have fine on its footing here a little.
Bit maybe a little bit too late. You know they had you know they have, I forgot who they have. They have a couple of tough games.
I think they got the Chargers Patriots, and then Miami Miami that that that may be to get into postseason for them, and then New England. This is a crazy set up here.
Well, it's it's the reset for them. Who knows that Bill Belichick is going to still be on the team. If he's going to still be there.
What were your thoughts and what were your thoughts be, because there's been reports that they could part ways.
Yeah, I mean Jack's final game. I mean it could be time. Yeah, it could be time. Right, you talk about you know, they're moving on from their quarterback, you know, and they didn't do a great job in developing and I know that could be said for for this organization as well. But they're clearly going to be drafts and they're right now the number two, number overall pick. So are you going to trust Bill Belichick to develop that quarterback?
I was saying, how crazy would it be if this ends up being Belichick's last game and you're sitting there with the number two overall pick heading into that matchup against the Jets and Caleb Williams is out there, Drake May's out there.
Yeah, I mean, they have an opportunity to get a generation of what we feel like is to can't miss quarterbacks. But then, you know, people said that about many drafts and that hasn't been the case. So be careful what you wish for.
So Christmas coming up, you got any plants?
No, man?
Just what are heetting the kids? Yeah?
Well the kids already taken care of, you know, Santa. Okay, with them or what. Yeah, my kids do a good job, man, I can't. They don't really act for stuff, so they're doing a good job man. So I think I think they Gucci with Sanah. But you know one thing I like is they don't really ask for stuff or really have desires for stuff. Maybe just because they buy stuff all year round, so maybe that's maybe it's a difference. But they don't really go too crazy. My daughter always
wants candles, and well my daughters. If anybody wants anything, it's my daughter. But it's not really anything crazy. It's you like bomber jackets, cool jeans, and like candles, I mean gets she wanted some type of floaby thing or something to put it, put her hair in in it makes it curly when it comes out, when you come out. I don't know.
Uh, let's say them here because I want people to go out to the pulse. Give me a reason why the following players are Pro Bowl worthy.
Soft Gardner, I mean, Sauce is probably want the most avoided players in the league. So you can't look at stats all the time with them. Just know that heated doesn't get the ball thrown his way. He ranks high and man, the man and zone, which is rare. Some guys are dominant in one. He's dominant in both. I think he breaks over ninety five in both categories. Right before DJ Reid, DJ Reid, I think, you know, last week was a tough week, but you know that's the
first time we saw him struggle. I thought he was actually playing better than the Sauce before last week. But he's been playing at a high level. And like we said, like we don't switch side, So everybody that you want to give Sauce credit for stopping or DJ Reid has done the same.
Michael Carter second.
Mike Carter second. I think it is one of the best players at his position. I mean, he plays at such a high level. To me, he's the best nickel in all the football CJ. Mosey, Well, Mosley's just you know, he gets underrated as far as you take it for granted, right, and that's the definition of greatness doing the small things routinely. So I mean he's already a four or five time Pro bowler. So yeah, this is just Quincy. I think
had a breakout season. You you said earlier, you know on our other show that we take about where he ranks as far as tackles for loss sacks passed right right, So it's like real round, it's gonna be tough too, because you know the kid, and it's always tough to try and be the new kid breaking into a new swat because we know one of those spots is already probably reserved for Ray cron Smith because they have the best record in the AFC and he's playing at the
high level. He's a brand name as well. You know this this new kid Zaire uh leads the league and tackles, so that's gonna be so it's gonna be tough. And their team is actually in the playoffs, so that it's it's all kind of factors that at least one of.
Those guys should go, mostly Quincy Uh, Quentin Williams.
Well, Quinn is a brand name. I don't have any problems with Quinn getting and he's getting a lot of attention. And now this sack numbers are starting to get to a respectable spot where people are like, oh that they but before it was glaring because she's getting triple team. Yeah, but look at how many the other guys are eating off his plate. Yeah, Jefferson eat off his play. All these guys are having career years because Quinn is taking up all the resources.
Yeah, those are the other two guys that wanting on Bryce Off and Jermaine Johnson.
They both Yeah, but we know, we know, we know how this game goes. Like, you got Miles Garrett, you got some war dads, you got the Allen Josh Allen down there, no doubt like so like it's gonna be tough letting, but the fact that he'll get some votes and nominated, he'll probably be alternative alternate, you know, just speaks a lot volumes about him.
Garrett Wilson should get some votes. I mean, yeah, I know the numbers aren't going to compare it to some of those other guys to he still got seventy nine catches playing with four different quarterbacks.
Yeah, it's tough sledding, but I think he gets respect. I mean, listen, if he doesn't go, take take note because next year, hopefully you'll have Aaron Rodgers and then you'll be able to make your case.
Preestall has quietly become one of the best backs as far as receiving that.
Yeah, they just haven't been able to find a way to to for him. To run the ball. And it's weird because last year he ran the ball. That's such a crazy clip and early in the season. But you mentioned it before. It's because avt out of the lineup. I think there's a correlation here. Yeah, yeah, it's always a correlation right between those two. Ring game goes those two together. Man, they like the dynamic duel.
And Tyler Conklin. I'll tell you what. From a tight end position, I know you want seeing more reps and he's definitely gonna get some more rops down the stretch. But Conklin quietly has had a nice year as well.
Of course he's having a career year for himself, right, And you know, but I just say record just because like next year moving forward, he's gonna be there. You know what you're gonna get from Conkland, right, you know what he is and what he's capable of. And you want to see, like some of the young guys the future, you know, see what they can do and put them
in meaningful games. Playing the preseason is not meaningful. You want to see what it's like when they got to make real, live decisions when everybody's playing.
And this is what the final three games are going to be all about subscribe rate and review, also banging the like on the YouTube and do you have a final pitch for Aaron Rodgers.
First of all, a Ritzel called double Check the People's champ. It's Sony right, you know what I mean. We let you get all the way through the year. Didn't bother you doing the preseason? Then bother you on OTAs. Come holler at you boys man, get a real interview.
Merry Christmas, Tefalds.
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Been a special bonus on the Jets official podcast. Today, We're at your by punter Thomas Morristaid. Thomas, thank you so much for joining us. One thing I got to ask you, what are you most proud of her this season? You got twenty eight points down inside the twenty, you got fifteen down inside ten, and I believe you have six down inside the five yard lift.
Yeah, I didn't know the exact numbers, so that's cool to hear. You know, I think I'm just proud of being here. You know, three years ago, I got cut from the Saints and had a bad injury, and I just struggled to kind of get past it and couldn't get a work out with anybody just because of my age, And you know, I just kind of made a commitment to myself that I was going to just stay ready and get back healthy, and if I didn't get an opportunity, then I could live with it.
But I if.
I did get an off and I wasn't ready, I would regret it. So I just trained and it was very frustrating time because I feel like I was the best punter in the league for a decade. In the twenty tens, and to not even be given a workout or you know, get an opportunity was difficult.
So I just stayed ready.
And then when I came here in the week two of twenty twenty one, you know, I showed everybody that I was still playing at an elite level.
And then and so just kind of the.
You know, the I've seen the really good side of this business and and the tough side of the business, and to kind of like persevere through that and have to go to a few different teams to kind of get my you know, get back in and to kind of like really just you know, been I called elite consistency.
You know, I don't have the highest punt or the farthest punt in the league.
And to be statistically competing at the top of the you know league in a bunch of areas and doing it as the oldest player at my position and have come through that and my kids to have seen me persevere, it's like a really unique opportunity.
And so I'm just proud to be here.
You're not an old guy, but by NFL standards, you are an old guy. Yeah, So thirty seven, you got four kids, what other ages and what has been a like been a been at all been like for you as far as them being able to watch dad on the field perform at such an lead level.
Yeah, So I've got Maxwell's nine boy, Beckett is eight boy, Maggie's six girl, and Rossallely is four girl, and it's been amazing. I remember about two weeks after I got cut three years ago, and you know, it was the first time me and my wife kind of sat down and kind of felt like somebody died, like we were grieving like our homes in New Orleans and we've been there my whole career. And she just finally asked, like after two weeks, she was like, so, what do you
think you want to do? And I just remember like telling her, I said, you know, I know it doesn't look great right now, but I just know I'm not done right, I'm and I'm I just need to like recalibrate and get back into my training how I've been able to for so long, Like I already know what the script is, you know what I mean, I know how to do what I you know how to train what I need to do to get back. And I said, what do you think you know, because it's going to
now not have the stability. It could be us moving around, it could be a lot of change.
And she just said, you know, all.
I know is you've got an opportunity to show your kids, particularly your boys, who are the older ones that kind of know what's going on. You've got an opportunity to show them how to get up when you get knocked down. And I I just remember being like floored that she just hit me with that, Like it was basically like nothing else matters. People are telling you to retire, don't ruin your legacy. You've done it all with the Saints
and all this stuff. And she was like, you've got a chance to show your kids how to handle some adversity and you may never get this opportunity again. And I remember just being floored. And so, yeah, I mean it's been amazing. They know, you know, it was hard on them, right. Are we allowed to be Saints fans anymore?
So?
Yeah, we'll always be Saints fans, you know, well we're you know, we still live there and they love the team and we still root for that team. But they've kind of learned the business side as well, and you know, you know, well do you have to do? You have to keep working because then you're going to be gone. And you know, it's just there's a lot of dynamics. And so they've they've kind of been through it with with us all. We've all done it together, and I'm
really proud of it. And uh, you know, there's been sacrifices made by everybody. You know, we moved everybody up here this year, and we pulled them out of their school homeschooling this year so that we could all be together. And that's been hard because they're they're missing all their buddies down south and going somewhere where you don't know anybody. So it's been a challenge for them, but it's also
been kind of a growing experience for the family. We've kind of we're all together, and we've made it to where a lot of friends have been able to come up and visit and stay with us and come have a cool experience up in New Jersey, New York, and and so it's been good. It's been a good change and a good good year of growth of the family. And honestly, I feel like we've kind of as a family,
we've gotten away from the rat race. Because of that, we've created our own schedule and we've kind of had a nice Yeah, we found a teacher here in Floram Park who is who specializes in in that, and so she comes to the house a few hours every day and kind of, you know, Mom's helping out, Lauren's helping out, but but she's like teacher and so that mom can still be mom and you know, not have to be both all the time.
So it's been good.
It's been a good challenge and it's allowed the kids to kind of have a little more freedom and we haven't been rushing around constantly getting the kids out the door to all these different things. They still have a few activities, but it's been a little bit of a recharge for our family this year, and it's been nice.
Can you talk about being AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after the Giants game when you had one of the best puny performances I've ever seen, So you're talking about Juts franchise history. I only go back twenty three years here, but if you go back to nineteen sixty, I don't know if anybody ever pointed better than you in that game. And why was it such an emotional moment for you following the win.
Just because of what I talked about.
One of my most proud about being is just being here and having kind of you know, persevered and to like, it's not just it wasn't just that performance, right, I mean we just had a pun a lot that day.
I just got my number called lot.
It was it just you know, I felt it from everybody, and I felt it before that game. That just magnified everything, right, But I felt the love and support from teammates where like there's only one of us on every team, right, a kicker and a punter, and so like, as a general rule, you want your teammates to be like Glad that you're their punter in that in every game.
Right, That's how I look at it, Right.
If I'd like to be the better player eighty percent of the games, if that makes sense, that's kind of my mark of being super valuable to the team. And I felt that almost every single game this year, where it's like, all right, we're Glad more Stead's our guy, you know what I'm saying, And that it just kind of spilled over in that and it was emotional, and.
You know, people keep asking.
What are you going to retire?
Like how much long do you want to do this?
And all that stuff, And it's just because of my age, but it's like, I don't feel like I'm at that point. I know I'm not at that point, but at the same time, you know that statistically you're kind of close, you know what I mean, And so I don't know. I feel like it's kind of like a glimpse into the aging process just in life.
It's just relative to football.
It's like you get closer to the end and you're still able to enjoy doing the things you're doing. It's hard not to appreciate it differently, especially when you've not had it, when you've lost it at some point and you've been on the street, you haven't had a job, and to get back in there's just a different level of appreciation for.
Being able to do it. And I guess that's that's why I can explain.
That how is that dynamic being a punner, Because I think on Sunday against up your next opponent, which of course is the Washington Commanders, you were going to set a career high in terms of punts for a season. I think you're previous.
I've already passed it.
I thought it was a season. I thought it was.
We're over eighty for the season. I've never done that before.
So so so okay, so speak to that. I don't know if there's speak to the dynamic of Hey, offensively, we want to score points. I want to be part of a winner, but also as a performer, you like going out on the field and helping the tea.
I don't think of it that way.
You know, I've I've punted forty three times a few times in my career for a whole for a whole season, right, which is like half of what we've done this year. And my point in saying that is, I don't look at it like people ask, do you root to punty? You excited to like I'm like, of course, I want
to score on every drive. Like you know, I would say that, I just stay ready and whenever my name is called or then you know, the team is called, I'm excited to go do that job that rep because coach has decided that's the best play for us to have the best chance to win. Right, So I'm I'm excited for the op when it comes, but like I'm pumping my fist when we get a big third down conversion and it's first down.
Now we're going.
So but I'm not like, you know, okay, take it. I can let my breath out now and breathe like I'm I'm not disappointed either way. I'm excited when we keep it keep it moving. But you know, when I get my name called to go do my job, I'm it's like it's the best play we have to win the game, or at least in the eyes of coach, And so I'm excited to go execute whatever they asked me to execute.
So, so, why have you excelled as a directional kicker throughout your career? Because you talked before, I'm not the best to hang time. Maybe I'm not the best directional guy, but bottom line is you are one of the more proficient punters over the course of your career.
Yeah, so I don't want to like, I don't know, sometimes I get you know. The best way I can answer that is sometimes it's nice to humble yourself and your own speech in your own mind, and it's not because of a lack of confidence. My point in saying that is that if you were to put me at the NFL combine I'm not going to have the highest punt that is possibly hitting. That's the guys that come out every year. They're so talented. They can absolutely hammer a
football super high and super far. If I kick the ball over fifty six fifty seven yards, I've probably kicked my coverage. Like, I'm not trying to ever do that, Whereas I know some guys they're trying to hammer it as far as they can every time, and that's what they do, right, So I'm not knocking myself. I do think in a way it's a compliment to myself that if I'm up here in averages and I'm never kicked it as far as the best guys, that tells you
that my efficiency is is elite. And I do feel like if they had a metric for ball striking in this league and just hitting type of ball you want to hit consistently where you want it to go, I think I'd be the number one guy.
And so.
You know, I'm not trying to knock myself when I say those things, but I do know that if you hit spirals that go to the location you want them to go, you really should not ever have a not have a job. You know what, I mean, so if you if you can tell your gunners and your punt team that hey, this ball is going to be in this range in this part of the field, and everybody knows that and they can all synergize with that, you should be able to control games.
And well you're doing it at all this year.
Well because you got forty seven points of fifty plus yards.
Yeah, well we've punted a lot, you know.
So but you know, I you know, it's it's you know, it's like I said, I'm it's it's not exciting to you know, pub your your punter whenever the offense is struggling. But it is cool to be on a team where, you know, field position has all the games we've won have been the defense has played really really well, and the special team has played really well and so and
offense has contributed. But it's been very much a complement of football, no turnovers, play the field position game, and it's been exciting to be a part of those wins and some even some of the losses that we've have been really close in, we've we've kind of had a chance because of those field position games, and so you know, that's that's what that's what I get paid to do.
So it's exciting to be a part of that.
What's it like working with Greg Zerline because for my money, again, you talk about you having a fantastic year, this is probably the best kicking year in the history of this franchise. I mean, you put you two guys up against anybody in the league right now as far as the combinations concerned.
Yeah, Look, it's all about what have you done for me lately? And it's all about your next performance. So having said that, I think we've I think we've been at the top of the I think all three specialists have performed at a super high level. We have none of us have been perfect, but we've all done I think we've all played at a very high level. You know, I think Greg's missed one extra point and a fifty something yardfield goal this year, and so he's like ninety six percent.
And you guys aren't playing a dome at home games.
Yeah, yeah, I'll say that's another sense of sort of surprise. You know.
I don't want to call it pride, but just.
Well, people were wondering at twenty one, right, does he.
Have Yeah, Well, I've always been you know, personally I've been accused of being a dome punter, and so being able to have success outside in some tougher conditions has been you know, it feels good to be like, no, you know, I've just been a good punter that happened to play in a dome. So, you know, it definitely
offers challenges different inside as supposed to outside. But there's a lot more excitement to the play because there's a little more variability and rain, snow, things like that, and so it's just a different just you just play the game a little differently. But yeah, I think all the specialists have been you know, have been pretty solid this year, and it's been fun just to work together. Our group
is just we have a lot of experience. I think Henny's in his seventh year, and I think this is year twelve for Greg and this is fifteen for me. So we just kind of all been around the block a little bit and we all enjoy working together and so it's just been a nice energy just all come to work together.
What would it mean to you to get a Pro Bowl nod here at thirty seven.
It'd be pretty cool. It'd be pretty cool.
I've been the first alternate like six or seven times in my career, and you know, it's been a hard pill to swallow a number of times when I thought I should have gone and it'd be cool. So you don't make it a goal every year, or I don't because I don't control it right now.
I don't control how people vote or how coaches voter, players vote.
But at the end of the day, if you're providing value for your team and the team is glad that you're their guy, it's a it's a good feeling.
And certainly felt that this season.
Well the fans still have a little bit of time they can get out and vote.
Yeah.
Yeah, Look, it's like I said, it's appreciated no matter what happens. It's it's irrelevant to how this season has been for me individually. You know, I've feeled the love from all the fans game day at the stadium, and it's just it's fun to It's it's nice to feel valued. You know, I don't care what your job is, it's nice to feel valued. So I definitely felt that.
You're definitely are valued by Jet Nation and your teammates. Let me ask you about this, two thousand and nine, you come in to the league, got SMU first year, you're playing in the Super Bowl. Yeah, halftime, Peyton says, doing an onside kick. What's the thought process there for him or me? For you? Once you hear that that's the call.
I panicked, I mean I was ri I was terrified. Yeah, I mean, I'd never he said we were going to run lead, right, So that's not that they're losing.
We're losing ten six.
And and honestly, we've you know, to be only down ten six, I mean they kind of we were, I think, feeling pretty good about where we were at at halftime to only be down for and coach had said we were going to run it, not if just what. It was just gonna be a question of when. But I didn't believe we would actually do it. And and Peyton, Manny's on the other side.
So if you don't get that ball, it's ten six, they get the lead and he's got a short field.
Yeah, And I think part of it was just possession, right, it was less of I mean, one of the drives they had in the first their touchdown drive they had in the first half, I had punted it ball down to the four yard line and they went ninety six yard and scored a touchdowns. So I think coach felt more like, hey, it was worth the risk on the short field to just have a chance to get another possession.
That was going to be the difference.
And so and at the time with the rules on you know, kickoff rules are different now, but at the time you could have guys get a full on running start and so the odds of recovering a true surprise on side kick.
Were close to two thirds.
So people say it was super aggressive and a major gamble, but it was like, you know, if you're at the blackjack table and the dealer flops a six over, you know, if you've got a chance to double down, you double down. It doesn't matter what you got right, you've you do it because deal was gonna bust.
And it was.
It was kind of like that. Even though it was super aggressive and felt like a gamble, two out of three times you do that, at the time, the odds where you're going to get it, So it was not the odds were in our favorite to go do it. And and so he called it and I was freaked out. Yeah, I mean I just didn't believe we'd do it. I really didn't believe we do it. We'd said we'd run different fakes throughout the season. We never did, but it's
probably because we were winning all the time. And so yeah, we just thank god the halftime's like thirty something minutes long because of the half, you know, the whole halftime show and the glitz and glamor of the Super Bowl. So I had time to kind of process it and almost have like a I don't know, a therapy session with myself, you know, in the locker, and I'm you know, at the time, I used to never take my helmet off.
It was a long story, but basically I got I was unprepared for a play in my last player my senior year of college. Couldn't find my helmet and I didn't think we'd punt, and they sent the punt team out and I was frantic, and I shanked the punt last That's why my college career ended. And so I always kept my helmet on and I looked like such as spas. I was just sitting like this nervous little rookie with this helmet on all halftime, just thinking about
what I had to do. And I was pretty negative in my mindset about it, and I was thinking, man, if I screw this up, letting down the team, letting down our whole city of New Orleans, there's one hundred million people watching this, and.
Blah blah blah blah blah.
And so I was.
Pacing around and then I kept this picture of my coach at my locker that was from college who passed away the day after got drafted, named Frank Gann Senior. He's an all time great especiallyams coordinator in the NFL. And I just looked up at his picture and he used to have this acronym ac DC, which was the
more aggressive, more confident, more disciplined, and better communicators. Those teams won, and I thought, well, this is pretty aff an aggressive, and I kind of relaxed, and then I thought, you know, every time coach called us to hit this in practice, I hit it how, you know, exactly how I needed to. And then I was like, man, if we get this, we're gonna win this game. And then by the time I went out for halftime, I was confident.
I was still.
My nerves were it's hard to explain, they were still through the roof. And and the worst part is you can't go out and practice it. So I'm out here just hitting kickoffs as far as I can. At the back, Pat mcfee's there, punter. We had drafted as rookies together, and I'm talking to Pat saying, you know, I'm like, hey, tell you returner or not to bother even going out there.
This is going to be in the stands.
You know.
I'm trying to sell the kool aid to anybody I can, just to talk myself into it. And I went over the sideline and got in the huddle and John Carney, an old kicker who had kicked for us that season, was coaching us through the playoffs, and he used to always tell me ten percent when I would go out to kick this ball. And he grabbed me last person that said something to me, and I turned around to him and he said, TIMO one percent, like he knew I was just. I was just I was charged up. Yeah,
he said, timo one percent. And I just went out there and honestly, I just said a little prayer and I said, Frank, I hope you're watching, and and we went out. I kind of blacked out, Oh you hit it. We got it, went down and scored and I ended up winning it was pretty cool.
So cool.
Yeah, and it's carried Saints win the Super Bowl along with winning the Super Bowl and being part of the history of that and and you know, that's awesome, and that's that's a forever thing. You know, We've already had a ten year reunion, There'll be a twenty year reunion, they'll be a thirty year reunion. It's a lifelong, cool
brotherhood that you're part of. But for my career, it's really been super beneficial because, you know, specially being a specialist, so much a mental game, right, and the days you don't feel as good as you want to feel, you're not as confident as you want to feel, to be able to take yourself back to big moments like that when the pressure was on and you had to have it, and to remind yourself that you've got the goods to get it done and not be lying to yourself.
It's you actually believe that.
It's to be able to go back and think about that play and numerous other plays have had my career, whereas like the games on the line here and to be able to think back to that and be like, yeah, I've got it, you know what I mean?
I'm going to be able to control myself.
I'm going to be able to get it done and to really believe that has carried me a lot through a lot of tougher times or tough days at the office.
You know, what's the thought process? People were following you on social media as far as before you board that plane on the road, you get that selfie there's TEAMO in front of the plane. How long you been doing that?
I think since my rookie year. So I just kind of I don't know why I started doing it.
I just did you do a week way first game year?
I can't, honestly, I can't remember, but I can't remember not doing it, so I don't At some point it became a thing, and so yeah, I've just always done it, and I think, you know, fans of mine over time get used to seeing it's it's almost so dull.
And so boring.
I'm just you know, I'm just wearing and now I just looked like a freaking dad out there, just you know, rocking up in a polo flannel whatever shirt and khakis, and I don't know, I think a lot of people just they kind of look forward to it and see you know, kind of a regular looking dude that's getting to do a cool thing, and I don't know people appreciate it.
I guess the run to the sidelines quite afflict as well, right.
Yeah, I kind of have a little disdain from the fact that that I got put on Hard Knocks because I'd never really gotten any attention from it other than a few teammates, and you know, I not that I have a problem with it, but it was, you know, I think some people thought I was looking for attention and I've just always done that.
You know, for a long time. I didn't pump much throughout the season, so it's kind of a way to kind of keep myself loose. So I haven't done as much sprinting this year because I've kind of been a little looser throughout the game. But yeah, it's kind of just part of you know. I think I said it best to Randall in the Hard Knock Steel. I said, I don't know how to I don't know what to tell you. I just know what I.
Need and he was like, hey, you do you brother? You know it's working. So so yeah.
So that's that I got to ask you about Rogers here. He indicated early this week that he's not going to play in twenty twenty three. Robert Sala of course said today that he's going to be activated, but he's not going to play. With that being said, you're thirty seven, have a career year. He's going to be forty coming off in Achilles. What do you think is next for
Aaron in terms of his career? Obviously going to be with the Jets, and he's professed his love for this place and his teammates and the organization and things like that. How excited are you from your perspective a guy who's been in a room with him to see his next chapter.
Look, I mean, that's one of the reasons I came was to be a part of that, be a part of winning, and obviously not just Aaron, but we've had like a gauntlet of injuries, especially on the offensive side of the ball this year, and you know, nothing's guaranteed in life, and you know it's uh so, I don't know what's you know, if anybody knew, you know that there you know, So you know, I'm excited for him.
There's nothing better than a good comeback story. You know, there's nothing better than doing something that people tell you you can't do.
And so.
You know, obviously he's he's got such a microscope on him and everything he's doing. And but you know, I've enjoyed getting to know him this season.
And I'll be.
Honest with you, I wasn't a huge Aaron right before getting here, just from what I've seen in the media and and uh, just falling along over his career, kind of an abrasive guy, and and you know, and I've really enjoyed getting to be teammates with him and getting to know him, and uh, seeing how he ticks, you know, it felt like a guy who loves the attention, and and just now getting to know him this year, I'd say, he really doesn't care what anybody else thinks outside of
the people that he cares about, you know, his teammates or his family or people that he's close with. He's he just doesn't care and he's going to do what he thinks is the right thing. And and I respect that. So I really enjoyed getting to be teammates with him. And you know, no matter how things go in the future, I'll be pulling for him.
Nothing better than a great comeback story. You're authoring your own comeback story.
Yeah, we all we all have our on our own books to write, you know, and uh, it's cool when you get to cross paths with with special people and so yeah, it's I'll be I'll be pulling for him for sure.
But talking about you as far as your comeback story, it's still ongoing. Now, what's Christmas going to be? Like the Morstead House? You play Christmas Eve? Yep, so you gotta go to the hotel.
Yep.
You're gonna line up, suit up, hopefully get a w against the commanders and then you to go home. And what do we got planned?
Well, we're going to try to find a church service Christmas Eve to get to We're obviously getting out a little bit later than would be ideal for five o'clock bank probably not a five o'clock mass, but we'll see. We my wife's kind of looking into that right now because the whole family's going to the games. We may find try to find a church, like really close to the stadium if we can.
Sneak off to that.
And then yeah, I mean my kids are at the age where you know, they're all living upstairs, upstairs in the house.
And all the.
Feet pitter pattern down the stairs for Christmas morning. Is you know, all the excitement is like legitimate, and we're in a really cool place with that. With the kids, they're all young enough and that you know they'll be up before any of us. So it's an exciting time and I certainly don't take it for granted.
We're looking forward to it. I'm glad we're all together this year.
Yeah, very cool. Congratulations and an outstanding season. You got three games remaining and you've enjoyed your experience here in twenty twenty one. Then you come back in twenty three and obviously the life of the kicker or plunter the National Football League is always a little bit people on the move, right. It's you had that long stay in New Orleans, but would you like to be back?
Yeah, sure I would.
I mean, like I said, we made a commitment to come up here and really see what it was like and do it as a family, and we had a great setup in New Orleans and we still have our house down there. But well, you know, we brought everybody up here and so you know, we'll see what happens. I mean, it's I've really since COVID happened, really it's been COVID and then getting released and having to jump
around a little bit to get back in. We've gotten to a point where we just enjoyed such stability for so long, and we've grown a lot in the last three years. Our family has and me my wife, and you learn to deal with things as they come, and you stop worrying about or trying to plan too far.
Out, you know.
And uh, that's been a big learning for me, or it's been a challenge for me because I am kind of you know, I'm a planner. I like to have things laid out, and we just kind of enjoyed life as it's come, the experiences as they come, and we've been present and and I think that's one of the reasons I'm playing so well.
You know, I'm just enjoying it. And uh, you know, you know, you get the questions about the future and all I knows.
I'm enjoying my time right now, and you know, I'm focused on playing well this week and that's all I can do, and we'll see how things turn out.
Yes, staying in the president and that's the kids are going to have a lot of presents.
And a few more than more than they probably should, and Thomas.
Moore said, you've had a hell of a year. Fans. You can get out and vote for the Pro Bowl right now. A number of Jets deserving, including this man, Timo, thanks a lot
Thanks for having me appreciate it.