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The Huddle.
You are listening to The Huddle with Dave Wyman, Michael Bumpus, and Stacy Ross. Byron Murphy is going to be joining us in just a few minutes. Then we're gonna hear from Brady Russell and more of your favorite Seahawks voices, that includes Geno Smith. A bit later in the show, we'll take a listen to his press conference, go in the Trenches with Ray Roberts, and have the Voice of the Seahawks d Rabel join us. Both those an hour two. But we're gonna start with very quickly looking back at a monumental NFC West win, Dave, a win over the Cardinals. Not only did you drop thirty points get that win, get the series sweep, you also had me in your most complete game of the season.
Yeah.
I mean they were able to run the ball, and I thought that that was the biggest thing that came out of that game was how to adapt to what you have and you didn't have canine available, and so they just ran Charbonnay and a lot of the we've been talking about all week, the post and poll and guard and tackle polling and things like that, and just his his patience and you know, his power and his speed. So yeah, that was you know a lot of people are saying, well he had fresh legs.
I'm like, no, I don't think that was it.
I think what it was was that finally Ryan Grubb figured out the best way to run the ball and what kind of offense to run, and I think he kind of solved the puzzle there.
Bum.
What did you see from the offense in week fourteen?
I saw officeive lineman play sticky football? All right, When you're supposed to block down on the one tech it's a guy inside the the between the guard and the and the center, they did it. When you're supposed to pull and kick out the end, he was demolished. When the tackle following the guard was supposed to get to the backer, he did just enough to get there, and then Charbadade has found a way to kind of stick with it and get down him.
I think they were a Simon friendly.
There's a lot of times when I watched the run game where I see a guy that's completely miss what I think is their assignment when it comes to run.
Are your gas geme?
So I saw a fish and play, and I saw a running back that did what he was supposed to do.
Just get downhill and let the big boys work for you.
All right, let's talk about what we saw defensively. A little more successful with the run this time around, the Arizona Cardinals were They also found the end zone early with a forty one I believe youard touchdown for Michael Wilson from Kyler Murray. But the defense still won the day, stop scoring, particularly later in the game, Arizona never getting more than eighteen in this one. Dave, what'd you see defensively?
Well, they took the ball away in key moments and you know that was huge and got the turnover differential down to minus four.
Now I think it is crazy considering where it was.
Yeah, so, I mean you got to didn't give any away, and I thought that that was huge. Kobe Bryant redeemed himself. And then, you know, it's funny. I was talking to somebody before the game. They're like, what do you think about Ernest Jones past coverage? And I was like, you know, the run going on and on about the you know, the the run stuff, and I was like, I think it's pretty good. I mean, we haven't really seen anything where it's been bad, but not really sure.
And then afterwards I went up to that guy.
I was like, hey, his past coverage is really good.
You lean into it. They'd be like, Dave Wyman is a genius.
No, I I really, you know, I haven't seen a lot of situations. And we talked to him, and of course he you know, he said something about getting tackled by a guy that.
Was on the ground and stuff like that. Yeah.
I was telling him, well, the rookie, you know, the rookie should have got a block there for you. That was ty but Tyree knocked the guy down, so I don't know what else he could do there.
But yeah, past coverage was was great.
Another rookie joining us right now Byron Murphy.
I'm not really a rookie anymore right at this point.
Still a rookie. Still, did you ever have to do any rookie things like earlier in camp where they were like, hey, you have to buy a dinner. You have to do I've been doing all season.
It never stopped, like, uh, even for this this month, like December, we had to decorate the d line room Christmas tree everything, that's what's up.
See, I'm going like a weird mom mode now out of nowhere. I'm like, they what.
They can't do that though? Baby?
So what did you were the decorations? Like, what did you get? Did you get a tree?
Got a snowman in there? Nine foot tree, nine ft tree? Got the candy canes on a tree?
Got lights? Looks pretty good. That's good. That's good.
What was Christmas like for you growing up? I remember one of my moms as a kid, I got caught on camera doing this. We put the tree up in the corner and it was decorating and I'd be tossing the ornaments on the tree, and they finally caught me and Grandma shut that down. Anything specially y'all used to do growing up.
We used to go to my grandma house, Like you have one big you know one you know on this one, every you know, the whole family at one house.
At my grandma house.
We'll go over there like Christmas Eve and spend spend the night over there till Christmas morning and then man, we just have fun to have a blast and join each other.
So is it your favorite holiday? Favorite time of year?
Yeah?
I love Christmas, I do too.
Yeah, some people like Fourth of July, which I can understand.
But good food.
But I mean, think about it, Not only do you get Christmas this time with family, the food is amazing. But we're in the middle of the football season and we start inching towards the playoffs, right, we start inching towards these games. And for you guys, every weekend spend the playoffs. That's kind of been the mentality, right, Yeah, I respect it well.
Byron, how do you think your first year in the league has gone?
You look solid, you know, you're making some plays.
Where is it Is it kind of where you want it to.
Be first year?
I say, yeah, I feel like everything big going as playing. You know obviously, you know I want to fill up that that uh you know that the sack sheet, you know I want to get I want to get sacks. But other than that, man, overall, man, everything is going good. I can't get playing but playing at my best.
Yeah.
Yeah, I was just gonna say, you're your position doesn't really get a lot of stats, right, so when you when you get them, they stand out.
Man, defense got that swag.
Man, It's it's been fun to watch and granted, you guys are always confident. You wouldn't be on the field if you weren't confident. But it's just a different energy with this group when I see you guys playing, Man, what what's it like being out there knowing you guys are shutting somebody down and imposing your will on them?
Man?
This is uh just being out there just like you said, posing our will. Man, it's fun. You know, we controlling the game. You know, we feel like we know every time we step on that field, you know, we're taking over. You know, it's our time, not there's you know, and uh, guys just really just playing playing on one page, man, just playing together. Man, I feel like, honestly, like we can't be stopped, like we unmatched.
Tell me what stands out when you look at the Packers.
Well stands out they got a great running back. Josh Jacob's great, you know, great down here runner.
Uh.
You know they try to be very very physically. You know, they like to try to impose they will in the ring game. Quarterback, you know he's great. Tell him to guy. They gotta received. They got a pretty good team. I feel like we can go in there, Helen.
Look Byron you.
Know at this point, what's different about how you watch film? Or is it different from when you were in college? Like are you paying more attention to like little details and things like that tell us about that experience?
Well, now, the difference between film from college and from the league, what I'll say, I will say it's more, you know, it's more of the little things now, like even like for example, something like when I'm watching SYS now, like Jay Reed and Leo taught me, like they you know, they just looking at certain points of like certain tales that the O line give them, like when it pass you know, they looking at the foot, the knee, like anything that moves. So just any like just little things. Man, No guys teaching me a lot.
You got two backers playing behind you that are just balling right now, and Ernest and and Tyree.
Do they show you love when you keep them clean?
Because people don't realize, like you're taking on double teams making.
Sure those guys can get all them tackles. They show you some love.
They show me a lot of love, and they let me know they appreciate me, you know, taking up them blocks man keeping them clean.
When to make that's got I want people to list. Like when you see Ernest and Tyre's flying around, all right, it's because I'm big. It's taking care of them, them double teams up there.
Byron, let's talk about the thing that actually matters for Sunday Night uniforms. You guys are wearing Action green. Action Green is horrible. Do you disagree because you said yes, just now, That's.
What I've been hearing. Everybody's been complaining about it. But I actually like the you know, the greens. Yeah, it's my first time worrying. I've been I've been one the word all season.
Yeah.
I think do they save it just for prime time time only? Okay? Well, I mean I think it has pretty good track record, which is unfortunate. Again, I don't like it, but it does have a good track record, So it's it's looking good so far for Sunday Night. Based on uniforms alone.
They say that it doesn't look good on the big guys, and I'm thinking.
Byron, that you can you can pull it off.
I think I can.
Yeh, fine, is gonna be looking in the mirror before the game. Not bad.
You know, you see him and his dad on draft ding. They can pull anything off. Man they're out there looking fresh man. Yeah, they can pull it off.
Man. What's up? What's your house looking like? Right now? Are you decorating?
Now?
You got a fiance?
Right?
I got she got the light on the house, got the trees in there already, got a little prisons in the trees.
Yeah, Styre, they're ready, the lights everywhere looking good. Yeah. Wait, she got the lights up and she put the tree up.
No, I haven't. Okay, she got somebody to put the lights so she.
See what really is? Is she directed what it is is? Yeah, you get the spirit and then you say like we're pitting the tree.
Yeah yeah, And by the that never stops.
Because I've been married for thirty one years and yeah, that's the way it's gonna go.
Every I'm getting used to it.
Fantastic. All right, let's uh, let's talk a bit more about the rest of this defensive room. We've talked to a couple guys, and I feel like that it feels like the energy is really good. I've heard Leonard Williams is the most encouraging in terms of like someone gets a sack, someone does something that he's always right there. Who are you closest with, Like who do you spend the most time with.
Well, I'm closest with the people close with this Leo, I say, Leo and Jerry Man them guys. You know I lean on him whenever I need something. You know, I always be up. I'm always trying to learn from them, be up under them guys, wings like I'm running them twenty four to seven. And I do look up to them, the great Fitch and Ill tall me a lot. So forress I've been in to leave. Man, I just keep just keep learning to listening to them.
Hey, we heard from you early on that you said your mom wanted you to play defense because when you were a young guy you were a running back. Was that because you were kind of growing into it, because you'd be an awfully big running back, but or was that just because she wanted you to hit rather than get hit.
She wanted me to She wanted me to hit. And then also too, she was like, man, you know that's where the money at. Yeah, you guys getting fast defense.
Yeah, running backs kind of get screwed.
Yeah.
Yeah, there there was a moment where, you know, we do a daily show, the Bumping Station Show, and people be texting it all the time. Man, they got to be able to score on short yardists. Get Byron Murphy the football. You gotta score against Texas? Did you ever just walk by grub but like grab you know, I got you if I need you.
I ain't did it yet, but I want to.
We've been talking about it, like some of my guys on the d line, like Murphy, Man, they need to put your full back.
You know, hey, I'm willing to take the opportunity.
You know, get in there. I'm gonna punch it in there. You go the.
Opportunity to present It's gonna be a touchdown.
Let's go.
You guys have been an NFL locker room, so you know football culture. Would it be weird for a rookie Byron Murphy to go up to Ryan Grubb and say, just think about it, coach, you got some status.
You got some status.
He's a first rounder?
Is the first rounder? Yeah, you can do whatever. You got some status. I was undrafted.
I say, no, this is whatever you need. I got you anything at all? All right? He is Byron Murphy, the rookie about to don action green for the first time prime time Sunday night football against the Packers. This is a team currently in first place in the NFC West. You guys have been playing amazing defense. Been fun to watch, and Byron, thanks so much for taking the time. We appreciate it. All right, You guys are listening to the huddle. Don't go anywhere this.
He is the huddle every Thursday from noon to two on Seattle Sports.
You are listening to the huddle with Dave Wyman, Michael Bumpus, and Stacy Ross. Brady Russell joining us in about fifteen minutes. Before we get to Brady, though, let's take a look ahead already to Sunday night against the Packers. I love Prime Time and I love this matchup. If I were just an NFL fan, you guys, with no allegiance to any team, I'd be going. Man. You got a Packers offense that scored, you know, thirty or more points in their last three games. They got this great running back, this fun young quarterback. You know, a young team, but they're fun. And then you got the Seahawks, whose defense has really been tightening things up. Man, could be this could be really good. It could go either way. As someone covering the Seahawks, I'm very nervous because the Seahawks have one win against a team over five hundred, and this in Minnesota will be the toughest part of the remaining schedule, no doubt. Whyman, I'll start with you, when you look at favorable matchups for Seattle, where Seattle has an edge or where you feel pretty good about what the Seahawks can do, where do you look, well.
I think our backers are playing really well right now. And you know, I think Jordan Love does a great job with play action pass. I watched him it's the Lions where you know, he fakes a hand off, fakes a throw and then he ends up rolling out and I mean he just he's just an incredible in that way. He's so smooth. So, you know, I feel like linebackers, as far as play action goes, obviously they're going to have to step up and you know, really play the run against Jacob's But yeah, that's I feel like that's.
Probably our best matchup.
We've got two inside backers that are playing really well right now.
You saw Tyrese Knight talked about this the other day.
He had a play where I saw the tight end McBride from Arizona try to throw him down because he does that he'll throw the block him, throw him down and then be open. And he tried to do that to Tyresee and he didn't budge and he ended up knocking the pass down.
So I feel like those those two guys are going to have a big night bump.
Very similar question, where do you see potentially a competitive edge for Seattle? And I'm going to toss on a part two for you, which is where do they need to watch out because the Packers are going to pack punch in one.
Area competitive edge. I like their our d line versus their old line. I pointed out yesterday I had to single a man out. I hate doing that. But number seventy five, their right guard, had a couple of tough games. Played well against the Lions, but the game before against Miami struggled a bit with stunts and all that stuff. So I think they're Their safety play is crazy right now. McKinnie Xavier McKinney has seven interceptions, he leaves the league. I excuse me, forget the other guy's name, number thirty three. The way they rotate and react to stuff is crazy. They are playing extremely fast, so I think that's a matchup you need to look at more of just the way they cover ground and they're not really going to be singled up too much unless you go one high and then you have one of the guys on a tight end.
But the temple that they play with is really good.
What kind of statement can the Seahawks make with Owin Whyman?
Well, I mean, I think they've kind of, you know, proved that they can, I don't want to say dominate the NFC West. But now all of a sudden, it's like, you know, twice in a row, you're playing and two really good teams from a really good division. And obviously you know they played the Lions and you know they had five hundred yards of offense, but Jared Goff happened to.
Go eighteen for eighteen. So but that's a tough division.
So this will, I feel like this will kind of be a predictor of what happens if they get into the playoffs, and how can they play against a team like the Green Bay Packers, because I think they're going to be there in the end.
I think we're looking and hoping at the defense that they continue to be pretty stingy narrow points. Again, the Packers have scored thirty or more in each of the last three games. Not all of those are wins, but they played the lines pretty close. But if we're looking at the offense, I mean bump. Like we said in the open, the offense took off against the Cardinals against a Green Bay defense that has some injuries, hasn't been super consistent with the pass rush. Is there some hope it could be a big day for let's say GINO and JSN or where can we look for the Seahawks to maybe maybe try to really strike.
I think they got to open up and try to run the full again. I think that establishes everything. Green Bay Packers play the fourth most man coverage in the game right now, So that tells me the receivers you gotta be technicians. And I'm wondering how Grub is going to use his reb concepts, like his meshes and all that stuff.
Last week.
I like how he used the motion with no offense and got him in the flat things like that to whereas if you see a guy running with a man in motion and he's out leverged, you get him the football now and you get the run after the catch. So I think they just have to be technicians, like Jason has to shine, he has to be technicians. I think this is a game that Lockie can do his thing and if they do, stay in, man, this is where we can probably finally get a big play from Decay over the top that we haven't seen in a while.
Is there something speaking of not having seen that in a while, hoping to see it? Is there something you're hoping to see in this one? Why man, that you feel like you haven't seen in a while with this.
Team takeaways another game with the spate of takeaways, those two you know got them there. There's a difference of thirteen between us and the Green Bay Packers' LUs nine and we're.
Down to minus four.
So yeah, I mean, if you just see how huge those plays are when Kobe picks that pass off and then you know, same thing with you know, with our guy Ernest Jones.
So yeah, I feel like that would be the next big thing to come. And it really shows.
It indicates that you're playing loose and free on defense. It's like, we know we can stop everything now, you know, we can start taking chances and jumping routes and things like that. So that would be, you know, to me, a great formula that's pretty much the formula for any game. I mean, you look at turnovers, they're they're huge, but they haven't really had that, you know, and it felt really good the other day the timing of both of those takeaways. So if they can get you know, two or three, that would be huge.
Very related. No, last question of the segment bump with Jordan Love. You've talked about it endlessly when we've talked about kind of what we've seen from quarterbacks around the league. You've said, you know, he loves doing things, but he's throwing picks and and he did for a stretch. Now in their last three games, he hasn't thrown one, but prior to that he had won at least one every single game. Is that going to have to, like Wyman said, be the key for Green Bay? Like, what do you see from Jordan up?
Yeah, that'll be nice. He's not afraid to risk it. He'll have a guy free off of Bliss alignment of party like the Red Sea, and he's gonna get hit and he'll still try to force one out there.
Yeah, he's a brave young man.
I have those squarebacks, but that will get him in trouble as well.
So Yeah, he's he's just young.
You know, when I was young, I used to hot fences, and I even think about it now. I'm walking around through the entrance because I'm safe and.
Throw ornaments at the tree. Apparently something else, all right, Brady Russell is going to join us. Next to your listening to the huddle.
This this he is the huddle every Thursday from noon to two on Seattle Sports.
You are listening to the huddle. Brady Russell gonna join us in just a little bit, and we are gonna also spend a good chunk of today show looking ahead to Sunday night against the Packers Action Green loom Enfield Packers coming to Seattle. Did you guys know it's been like, what is it like eight years since the Packers have won in Seattle?
I did. Matt Lafleur had a.
Mattleflee I had a press conference and he mentioned that it's it's tough to win here.
I don't like that though.
I feel like he's trying to do like reverse jinks or something. Mind your business man, just show up and get these.
Hands mine your business. Why don't you pay attention to you right now?
You know what I mean?
Why don't you focus on trying to get a win. Don't worry about the past, don't worry about what's our business.
Do you guys remember if it was like entirely taken over by Packer fans last time.
Because it's starting to happen, we've kind of worried about that a little bit.
I wonder if the Packer fans are gonna travel well, I typically do.
I was surprised when the Bills did, though I get it you face each other less often. I don't remember, but I mean forty nine Ers fans unfortunately for both sides, right, same, it's the same. And Seahawks fans show up in Glendale all the time, like it's on the West coast. These are divisional matchups. Maybe have friends and family there, it's easy. But I was surprised at at the Bills fans that showed up at at some of the other teams that have that have shown up here.
And so yeah, well, and you know, if I asked somebody to get tickets and like, are they Seehawk fans? And I'm like, I guarantee you they will not be dressed up in cheese heads, right, but yeah, that'll be interesting to see if that's if that's the case. But for the most part, I mean, I think everybody's starting to get pretty excited about this team.
I do too, and it's you know, it's crazy, bump. I think when we look at the turnaround that they've been able to make, the defense is a big part of that. But I think that you're also seeing, particularly in their last two games, some of the best offensive line play they've had all year, allowing only five pressures against the Cardinals, their second best performance of the season. We are seeing the run game. Obviously, this hasn't been consistent, right, it's fresh. You gotta wait to see more. But what if they start playing their best football as the year goes on.
I mean, typically you want to play your best football around this time of year, right Ryman. You want to start gearing up for the playoffs and correcting some wrong So that's what gets me the most excited is they have their success that could have been flawed success or you know, fools gold and then they go through some dark times and they start to climb out of it.
But it looks like the stuff that they're.
Doing is sustainable, you know, like Liman just getting to the right guy and dominating him.
I think it's sustainable.
Leonard Wims put together three great games and we didn't give him love last game because he didn't have a pick six or a sack or something great and.
The stat sheet was still on point, you know.
So no, I think this is where every team wants to be as far as the way they're playing. Obviously, record wise, you'd love to have ten wins or whatnot, but the way they've been going through this process has been fun to watch.
Yeah, you know, and you hear about like Jaron Reed is a g that's not gotten a lot of love, but you know, I think it was a pro football focus saying or something that you know is some sort of eighty four percent win raid or something like that, and then.
You know, you see what. I don't know.
I thought it was as spectacular as the pick sixth on the play where Big Cat tackles James Connor for a like a one yard game or it was no gain, but he just takes like he was like a bouncer in a bar, just throwing people out of the club.
You know, he throws the center, he throws.
The guard, he does a swim move, tackles the guy, in the backfield. I mean, I think their offensive line is probably looking that going. And you got Jaron Reid and you got the rookie Byron Murphy.
I mean, who do you a double team?
Yeah, and so you know that's that's a huge challenge for them. And you know they got a they got a pretty decent running game.
So it'll it'll be interesting to see how that plays out.
I feel like that's where the whole game is going to play out, as our D line against their O line and running game.
Yeah, Brady Russell on his way over right now, so we'll get a couple of minutes to talk to Brady about you know, how this offense feels. The confidence level after a really really big game against the Arizona Cardinals. Dropping thirty points is no easy feat in the NFL, and yet Brady, you guys were able to do that against the Cardinals. How do you feel after that game? What was that game like?
That game was fun. It felt like we kind of finally put together everything and we showed glimpses on either side of the ball and had good games, but we hadn't had one or it felt complete, like we weren't making mistakes and not playing our best ball.
So I think my favorite play was the touchdown. Sharbon, I had the one yard touchdown because there was four of you guys out there, look like four tight ends like that fourteen personnel, and you had a great block, and you know, I just I love the way everybody just kind of bodied somebody up. It was a beautiful thing to watch, especially that sort of pulling guard type of thing. I mean that offense. It looks like it's fun to run.
Yes, sir, absolutely, that was a real creative play for sure. On Coach Grubs part putting it in and then I was pumped he kept it in because it didn't go great and practice the first couple.
Of times you r in it.
But uh, it's like coach, I promise I'll make it right in the game.
Don't worry about it.
And sure enough he called it on Sunday and called her number and we made it happen and put it together.
So that was fun, all right.
I travel a lot and I'm in airports and what I like to do is have like a glass of whiskey and then its people watch at the airport. I love watching, right, and then I do the same thing in the press box. I have binoculars and I'm zooming in. You got a couple of whiskey up there. You're trying to get me in trouble with No, I'm just wonder missing out in the press box.
Yeah, I got you.
But then Stacey text me, she goes, you see Brady Russell on the sideline right now, And I think it was a game that you weren't suited and you were just so enthusiastic going at like cheering your teammates. Is that a big part of your personality, That's who you've been since you've been a little one, just enthusiastic type of dude.
Absolutely.
Yeah, I think a big part of my game that helps me and makes me, I don't know, successful on a team is like I think I genuinely care about seeing other guy's success more than I really care about seeing my own and celebrating their wins and like how excited they are. Yeah, I love being a part of that.
That's awesome.
We pointed it out on her, not to call you out in a bad way, but we were like, it's so cool to see the energy because look, there was a loll that this team had and this has happened in any team we've covered, right, Like if you tell at a certain point like oh man, we're really struggling, like you fear, And this happens with bad teams, not good teams. Bad teams can start to fall apart. People on the sideline that aren't participating get annoyed, and maybe people are quiet, maybe people are checked out, And so it was cool to see like, not only are they improving and winning, but there's still a ton of energy. It doesn't matter if they're down, Like it's a good culture. Does it feel like a good good culture?
Yeah?
Absolutely, It's something that's really encouraging from my past back at college, Like I was on a part of some bad teams, so you might be the only person on the sideline that has that kind of energy, But now I can feel it from so many other people being in such a good culture like this, and from the coaches and from everybody in the organization. You just feel like the excitement. Even after our skid and we're sitting there I think it was four and five, there wasn't like a soul in the building. It didn't believe we weren't going to turn it around and still make a run.
So you you had a great preseason. You're kind of the hero of the preseason. You did pretty much everything. And are you the backup holder?
Is that right? Yes, sir?
Yeah, So, I mean you've you've kind of made you made yourself irreplaceable. And you also go out for pregame with no shirt on, right, Yes, We asked you about that and you said there's no amount of cold that will keep you from from out there from practicing without your your shirt on?
Is that right? Yes, sir?
Okay, You're gonna hold me accountable.
And when we go to Chicago, yep.
I'm I'm gonna take all the credit for you going to full back, okay, because when you made the team, I said, Brady Russell is the type of dude that can play full back and play tight end. He'll play linebacker for you, run down with special teams. Like just your body type in the way that you play, I see just playing multiple positions. Is that how you were in high school? You just played everything? And did you do a little bit of that in college as well?
High school I mostly just played d line everywhere from about three tech to rushing off the edge, and when I was getting recruited. It was some school said three tech, some said strong side, five tech, like a bigger guy, a bigger defensive end, like one school wanted me to be over three hundred pounds. And then Colorado said I could walk on it outside back or tied end. So that I thought I was a good pass rusher. I'm sure everybody in high school probably thinks they are. But I took that and ran with it. And I did start off with both positions, but really didn't do anything on defense. But that's what something I pride myself onnest being able to just kind of do literally anything on the field.
That's how you play a long time in this league.
Exactly great skill, great mindset to have. He is Brady Russell. Thank you for joining us.
Absolutely thanks for having me.
You are listening to The Huddle is.
The Huddle presented by Hunt Services and Pacific Lamping Supply every Thursday from noon to two on Seattle Sports.
You're listening to Battle with Dave Wyman, Michael Bumpus, and Stacy Ross speaking. Now it's quarterbacks, you know Smith, Let's take a listen.
When you went back and we looked at the film, what really was the catalyst for the Run Game that we saw on Sunday.
Uh.
Yeah, I gotta say hats off to the Beig because up front, you know, it starts starts with those guys. I thought, you know, just when you watch the film, like I thought, they did a tremendous job at finishing. You know, you see a bunch of guys pushing the pile. You see guys running down field getting you know, getting extra blocks, and I think, you know, when you look at the Run Game, you think about the big splash plays, but you know a lot of times those unsung heroes and you know those unsung plays are just the little things, you know, just give an extra effort. And I thought that was that was great from the guys, and uh, you know, it's something we've been building on and we look forward to continuing.
Do you think the Run Game is turned the corner? A.
It's always a work in progress, you know, It's it's something that we always got to work on, and you know, turning the corner Like I said, Man, I don't really get into that much. I just think we believe in our guys. We got the right guys, we got the right system. It's all about execution for us, and when we go out there and we execute the right way, things usually work out well for us. So yeah, I think we're moving into the right direction. But again, it's all about what you do.
On Sunday, it looked like you checked into the fifty one yard touchdown to Charbonade at the line.
Qbs are usually known for passing.
Curious how much pride you take in and those kinds of checks to run in.
Yeah, yeah, I actually didn't check that one. That was That was a design call by Grub right there. So I gotta give Grub the credit for that one. He saw something from up top. I guess he saw a blitz or something weak and got to that look. But yeah, I mean we we do have the ability to get to those checks, and we have done that throughout the course of the season, you know, and whether it's a run check or you know, just getting the right pass protection or you know, figuring out that they're in zero coverage and we can get you know, a way to attack those guys. You know, I take a lot of pride in that.
You know.
I feel as though I'm the coach on the field. You know, I'm up, I'm out there you know, going heads up with not only the defensive guys but the decordinator and just trying to get my guys into the best looks. But I also have have Grub who's right there with me, and he does a great job at doing the same thing.
Mike McDonald was talking yesterday about some of the ways teams are defending.
DK and how much attention he gets.
How have you seen k kind of respond to the games where it's hard to get him the ball and the things he's doing other than catching the football to help you get us.
Yeah, you know, it goes back to when he was a rookie. We both got here at the same time, and I had been around the league for a while seeing a bunch of receivers, and you know, I told him, Man, if they don't cloud you, you're the ex. If they don't w you know, you're not reaching your full potential. When sure enough, man, he's he's right there. I mean, no team that we faced is just gonna leave him one on one. And you know, I think it's it's, you know, a gift and the curse because you want to throw them the ball as much as you can. You want to get him the ball, but you also realize that you can't force it, and so when defensive defenses are loading up and they're putting two and three guys on the backside for him, it just creates more numbers to the front side for us. And so we're always gonna take advantage of the right you know, matchups. And DK has done a great job at blocking down Phiel, being a leader in the huddle, just doing all the little things that he's always done. But you know, he's understanding man, like you know, he's drawing so much attention that it's opening up things for other guys and him being the selfless player that he is, the selfless person that he is.
You know, he enjoys that.
You know, he enjoys the facts that the entire offense can benefit from having a star X receiver like him. So I think he's done a tremendous job. We still got to find ways to get him involved. But you know, if they're going to just load up the coverage, then you know we got to do the right thing there.
You mentioned blocking.
Can he tell his daddles an offensive lineman the.
Way he blocks down Bill, Oh, for sure.
I mean, just his entire mentality is like one of those linemen man, Like he's a fearless competitor.
He's as tough as his get as it gets.
He's tough as nails and blocking down field. Man, those guys don't want to see him out there. Man, they're run they're running away from him and trying to avoid them as much as they can. And uh, you know that's that speaks to who he is and how he's raised.
When you watch film and just watch football for fun, do you see any other teams using uh, like the pre staff shifting the way that you guys do.
Not, not not as much as we do, you know. And I can't say as to why they don't or why they do or why we do. I think that's just a part of grubs system. He's done that when he when he was at Udub, he was doing that last year, and uh, he's brought that to us and I think it's it's definitely a tremendous help for us. You know, you do get a lot of answers. You know, you can see some things out there when you shift, and you know, just try to figure out what the defense is in or how are they reacting to certain things? And it helps us a bunch, but you know, we do expect teams to try and counter that. We've already had some of that, and uh, again it just goes out to you know, the quarterbacks now got the final final answer, and uh, I think I do an okay job at getting us to the right place, but I just got to continue to see it and get and continue to put us in the right position.
So the Cherbonnay touchdown was that? Was that?
The was that the play call the whole way like you guys were supposed to start off.
And I can't tell you all, like you know what I mean, I mean everybody listening, you know, maybe all we'll talk about it, but yeah, we we got things that we can get to.
You know, you guys are here in December, one one game lead in the in the division, We got the whole nation watching on Sunday night against a really good Packers team.
Just the enormity of this game. How how big is this to you?
Yeah, it's a it's a very big game for us because it's the next game. We've been saying that the entire year, and that's not going to change. You know, we we we understand what's at stake. We understand that. You know, you want to have meaningful games late in December. You want to have your crowd. You know, these great fans that we have, you know they're cheering and have something to be excited for.
Uh, in these meaningful games.
As you said, and like I said, we just got to take it one day, one game at a time. You know, we can't put more emphasis on it that needs to be.
It's a very big game.
We know it's at stake, but it's just the next game, and so we got to make sure that we approach it the right way and take a step by step.
A lot of people have mentioned the idea of being in playoff mode since since by a week Hearst Jones actually called it death zone, it's kind of caught on among fans to label the defense like the death zone.
Do you like that?
I like that name.
I like that name right there. I think it, Uh, it fits them well, suits them.
Well.
You know, I've been in playoff mode my whole life. So nothing's gonna change for me. I every day is you know, I live and die.
But what you got to know of Scott Huff since he since he came.
On, I love coach huff Man. I think he's he's done such a tremendous job with that room. You know, you just think about all the guys who have been in and out of the lineup. You know, he's got veteran guys, he's got young guys, you know, from all over the place, and he's getting each and every one of those guys, you know, prepared to go out there and be their best selves. And that's really what you you know, want from a coach. And I think, you know, outstanding human being first and foremost, but just the way that he coaches, the way they can he can connect with the guys, and then the way that he pushes the guys. You know, everyone doesn't get to see how stern he is and how how how honored he is with these guys, but you know he's right there and they respect him, and I think that's a big thing.
But huff has brought a lot.
To this offense, a lot to this team, and shoot, I can't wait to see, you know where it goes.
Getting the ball down the field to your playmakers could be a challenge given kind of the ball hockey nature of the Packers.
What do you have to be aware of against that secondary.
Yeah, like you said, they got some ballhawking guys. They got you know, one of their safeties I think leads the league or is tired for league league and interceptions, McKinney. And he's been a you know, perennial pro bowler. He's been a great player throughout his career. You know, I think he's a really good safety back there.
So eyes on him where he is.
Jay is supposed to be playing, I'm guessing. And again he's been a perennial pro bowler, you know, a top corner in this league. So he's he's often making plays on the ball. You know, those guys are really, you know, trying to hunt hunt picks, man, They're trying to, you know, find ways to you know, get turnovers for their team. And you know, for us, man, it's always gonna be the emphasis taking care of the ball. That's first and foremost, you know. But we want to be aggressive. We want to stay aggressive as well and take our shots.
Does that change that the shots you're willing to take?
Not at all?
You guys have faced a tin of zone. Talk about that for a while.
You checked the ball down more in this last game than you have other games this season.
You guys got a lot of yards out of that.
Curious talk about what what checking down can mean against own defenses and why support utilize that.
I mean, it's the power of completions, you know. I guess checking it down has become like a frowned upon thing. I hope not. You know, it's about football. It's about executing plays and moving the chains and whether I'm you know, throwing it down the field, throwing it underneath intermediate, just trying to do the right thing out there. So if they're gonna try and you know, play a bunch of shell coverages and cover two and you know they're gonna bail and play quarters, then the underneath stuff is gonna be.
There and we're gonna take it.
We got guys who can catch and run, and so you know, it's all all about making the right decision no matter what the defense is doing. We've got you know, we've got to have answers for it, and I've got to make.
The right decisions and put the ball in the hands of the playmakers.
Why playoff about your whole life?
Man born in Miami, Florida, shoot man, young black man in this world come on simple.
You know, pocket awareness and then the pressure awareness in the pocket because you can't have any sacks lasting year r and so how do you balance that when there's a lot of pressure and then when there's not pressure.
For me, Yeah, it just comes down to, like I said, making the right decision, throwing the ball on time, in rhythm. Again, the guys up front doing a tremendous job of protecting me. I thought that's first and foremost. I thought they did a great job at that. And then you know when there is you know, guys around me just making sure that.
I'm getting the ball out.
You know, I had an intentional grounding that you know, I'll continue to say I don't think that was intentional grounding, but you know, trying to get the ball out, you know, not take sacks, not take negative plays, you.
Know, keep us on schedule. That's the main thing.
And it starts up front with protection those guys, but it's also a big part of it. It's me getting the ball out and then you know, using my legs if I have to go out and stam, we'll get a couple of yards, get a first down, maybe a touchdown. You know, some good stuff.
We are going in the trenches with Ray Roberts next.
This is the Hoddle.
Every Thursday from you to ch.
The huddle.
You are listening to the Dottle and we are going in the trenches with Ray Roberts joining us right now and Ray, I am going to start with the offensive line. Was this the best game you've seen from them so far this year?
Yeah, I would have to say so. You know, there were some things that they were doing that they had some success with, like going back to like the San Francisco game, especially some of the double teams on some of the split zone stuff they were running, and a lot of the pin and pull stuff. A big part of it are some of the double teams, and so they were able to kind of pull all the other pieces together in this game. And so when they took advantage of those teams, move people off the line of scrimmage and found room for Charbonay to games and yards. But yeah, by far the best, the best game I think they put together completely.
What do you like about the style of Zach Charbonay? Just his it seems like he's got great patience, Ray, He lets those those blocks set up.
But what do you see.
From him well.
I think with how they talk about they want to play football and how they want to show up as a football team, he kind of fits their style, uh you know better, Like he's a physical downhill more of a straight line runner, even though he's shown that he can make people miss as well, but he's mostly you know, a straight ahead, you know, I'm going to run over whoever's in front of me type of runner. And it just matched really well with the with the blocking game that was being successful on Sunday. I think that's kind of what they want to do. And it's not like really a knock on Canine. It's more of a of a celebration of charbon Ay because he just kind of things fit, you know, Like I think if those holes were the same with K nine, he would have gone made some of the same yardage. I think where the difference is is when the plays broke down and K nine wants to make a playout of it, sometimes it's a home run and then but sometimes it's a minus two or three or four yards. And so in the running game last week, I think and there's only one negative yard play. I think it was a negative one yard rush, and so that's always better than starting at second in twelve or thirteen versus second in seven or eight.
Big Ray, it's early. It's only two games with this offensive line. I've been on two days before and thought that she was the one and then ended up uping the one.
So you know, two games in, is this the combo? What are you feeling?
Well, you know, I'm always I'm like the Missouri State man. You got to show me, and so it was good. They've kind of pulled some things together. Now they have to prove that they can expand on that be consistent with that. I'm sure there's some other passes and different types of runs that they can use off of those formations and off of some of that, some of the pen and pull action stuff. So it'll be interesting to see where to go with that, because now it's on film and people are going to start trying to figure out how to defend it and recognizing formations and all this other kind of stuff, so to make it a little bit more difficult. But I like that they that they found something that they believe in, which is which is another big thing, is that they believe in that style of football, and and now they've shown proof to themselves that they can do it, and so it'll be interesting to see how they go from here forward.
Kind Of taking a step back and looking at Ryan Grubb in his offense as a whole. He was facing some criticism Ray and and I know you and all of us were hearing it when this offense, particularly with the run, wasn't doing much of anything. Again, really liked what I saw against the Cardinals. But how have you seen him kind of grow as a play caller this year? What do you like?
Well, I think it's Coach McDonald said it earlier, like, even on the defensive side, right, even though there were times where it didn't look like they were showing progress and stopping to run, they were still working at trying to find the thing to stop the run. And so and so there may have been he always said, manners, some little wins. We're really close, and you go like, man, I just don't see it, and then all of a sudden it happened, you know, And so I think they've been doing the same thing with the running game, you know, just trying to find the tweaks and the right plays and the right running back combination, the right offensive line, you know, a combination who can do what and how well can they do it? So I think that it's been that type of process. The problem is that, you know, obviously the season goes on and you don't see the progress, and your fans or you know, follow the team, you get a little bit frustrated thing and that maybe they're not working at it, or you're asking them to do what they can't do, or all these different things. And really they've just been in their lab trying to figure it all out. And even you know, giving a Huff a little bit of credit too, because I was I heard that he was even on the sideline drawing up plays on the paper, making like little adjustments to the place as a game was going so real time, so they were they have really been in their lab trying to figure this whole thing out, and it came together for them on Sunday.
Hey, Ray, when you look at the D line, I mean, it's obvious that Big Cat certainly stands out and you know, making lots of plays, But is there somebody on that that defensive line that you think is maybe an unsung hero, that somebody you wouldn't want to have to block? You know that that's having a that's having a good, a good season so far.
Well, I think like it would have to be a combination of people because I think Hankins, I think Murphy and Robertson Harris, I think all of those dudes are doing great. They're almost at the place where Big Cat was, where they were doing like really good work, but they didn't quite have the stats to go with it yet. And then all of a sudden, Bigcat broke through and started getting the stats and the sacks and tackles and all that. I feel like those three players are in that scene pre breakout stage because they're doing a lot of the dirty work. They're holding up gaps, they're splitting double teams there, they're setting edges, they're doing all the different they're getting pressure. You know, Hankins got a sack off of pressure by Mafe the U in the game. So they're all I think they're all doing like the unsung stuff, you know. And it's like when you know you're not to coach together and you said, you know, some guys have to be traffic cops. Sometimes it doesn't mean the traffic cop isn't valuable because you've got to have that person directing people to where you want them to go. And so they're doing a good job of, as you used to say, turning them back to the bad people. And uh and so those bad people are making plays. Those linebackers and big Cat you know, with a spoon, they're all in the position to make these plays. And so I think those three dudes have been unsung just because they do the dirty work that doesn't always show up in the stat book.
Man, that would have been fun to coaches you and Wyman. We got to run that back. Man, I'm gonna take over school. Let's get the band together. Let's go. Hey, you talk about the traffic cop.
And I love that analogy that you you got from from Wyman, because you you need those guys just to do their job.
To enhance other people's jobs. Right is there? How does that? How does that show up on the offensive line?
Well, it shows up on the offensive line, I think, like, uh so when my left when I played in Detroit, my left guard was this guy named Mike Compton, and uh like there were certain times like and this comes with like the loan plan together and creating that chemistry that's just certain blocks where like I'm gonna have a hard time, and and he kind of knows what those blocks are and so he's able to kind of give a hand or you know, have his body in a position to where the defender maybe thinks he can't get the inside rush or what have you. But then I also noted, like on double teams, like he may not be able to move a person as as effectively as he needs to move them, So I know I have to give him a little bit more uh help on uh you know, double team before I slide up to the to the linebacker what have you. So it's like little things like that where you're kind of been the unsuwn dude or if you're if you're O loup and uh and and the rookie is having a hard time in the pass rush, but you get freed up to give the defender ripshot, you know what I'm saying, Like you're doing You're doing the dirty work to slow them pass rush down, you know, and it helps It helps the it helps the guards. So that's why I always look to see when linemen are freed up if they're looking for work. If you're not looking for work, you're just trying to get the plus on the grade.
And I like dudes that.
Look for work and sometimes that helps your teammate and the block that they have to.
Do that that's just a good mentality to have too, right, Like, has there ever been anyone you've played with where you were like, man, like, you don't have the right mentality for this.
Yeah, I mean, like honestly, like I hate I'm not trying to call anybody out or whatever, but like a lot of times like and and I'll say, in my experience, some of the backup linemen we've had like days, whether it's Seattle or Detroit, Uh, they always have this. You always have this feeling that they think they can do it better. And then and they get in the game and they go like, oh crap, that's warren' sapp right there, and then it becomes a totally different ballgame, you know, like like that kind of thing. And so then all of a sudden, those folks get locked in on just doing their assignment so they don't get a negative, but they're not doing all the extra little things because they're afraid to piss Warren's hap off or something, you know what I'm saying. So like sometimes it shows up like that, you gotta go like, come on, dog like, we're listening together, bro like fight, let's let's let's fight. Warren sapp together all right.
He is Ray Roberts.
Ray never felt bad about pissing off and they watch. That was his key.
He is Ray Roberts. We go in the trenches with Ray for the huddle every single Thursday. Thanks, Ray, have a good one.
He's right, you guys have a good one.
Thief.
All right, boys, So the Seahawks Steve Rabel joins us next.
This he's the huddle every Thursday from noon to two.
On Seattle Sports.
You are listening to the huddle joining us now. The voice of the Seahawks, Steve Rabel, raids, how's it going, guys?
It's going well? How about you?
Pretty good? Coming off a win, coming off dropping thirty points on the Cardinals, getting that series sweep, and again strengthening that hold on first place in the NFC West. But Rabes, I am a little bit nervous. I'm gonna be honest, because I know that back to back come the Packers and Vikings, and that Seattle has the toughest remaining schedule of all NFC West teams. How important is a win in one of these next two.
Well, I mean, I think if you talk to Mike or anybody on the team, and I think the rest of us as well, would say they're all important, everyone, and especially the next one, which is Green Bay. None of them are going to be easy. The biggest surprise to me is the strength of that NFC North this year. At least three of the four teams. I don't know how you keep any of them out of it, but one way is to let's beat the Packers starting this Sunday. But yeah, it's not easy. It's a tough end of the season schedule. At least we have those two teams, Green Bay and Minnesota here and then we finish on the road. We go to Chicago obviously, and then to Los Angeles, and it all could come down to the to the Rams game down in at Sofar. So, yeah, every one of them is important, and the only one you can really worry about is the one that's directly ahead of you, and that's Sunday night.
So I'm trying to remember a bigger, more pleasant surprise that we've gotten from this team other than them running the ball the other day. I mean, it just it looked like there was just no way that was going to happen based on, you know, what had been going on and last time, and man, it was I don't know, I'm trying to think of a time that I was more pleasantly surprised watching this team.
Yeah, it was. It was pretty remarkable, David. And as as it was happening, you know, he said, Okay, he picked up five there, and actually they you know, they run it in for a touchdown there from from a couple of yards out. A nice play call, well designed play, and then all of a sudden you start running plays where he's really and I'm talking about sharbon I obviously ripping off some big yards at a time. And then he goes what forty nine for the touch I believe it was or fifty one, I can't remember which exactly it was.
I think it was from the fifty two yard line.
Yeah, so it was, and it was it was blocked perfectly from the fifty two. It was blocked perfectly. And yeah, it's sort of like the defense. I mean, if you really start to look at it, it's guys, are it's starting the ball light bulb is starting to go on for a lot of the guys that oh, okay, now I see why we're doing this or I understand better and maybe even more importantly, because all players and all of us who have played you know, you can't be We joke about it sometimes, but you can't be dumb to play football. You have a lot of stuff that you have to know and remember and understand and adjust to and all that. But sometimes it just takes a while for the group to work together well. And it seems like they found that combination up front that works. And it started with getting aid back at time and now Lamea at guard has proven to be a pretty nice find. And so they all seem to be working well together and that I think is the key, certainly to an offensive line Braves.
I would assume naturally teams are going to try to do things to take away JSN with just the way that he's been playing over the past few weeks. And I told Stacey I was going to say a prayer for Tyler Lockett to.
Night because I feel like he's due.
It's been over thirty games since he's had one hundred yard game. I'm not asking him for that, but I think he can do it. When you look at this matchup, you think there's room for Tyler Lockett to have himself a game.
Well, I do. You can't cover them all, You can't double team everybody. I saw online, and I don't spend a lot of time online for a lot of reasons, but I saw somebody, you know, kind of an expert on football breaking down one of the catches of JSN, and more than just the catch was the formation and the use of motion, and how against Arizona, and how Dkay was alone by himself on the right side wide and yet the defense did not reset to the four receivers to the other side, including a tight end and the running back in motion, and suddenly three defenders are on DK and you can't possibly cover everybody else on the left side. And they found JFN for about an eighteen yard game. It's the kind of design that allows guys to get open, and so this offense is designed to get all those guys the ball. As Mike said the other day, it's just finding JSN right now, the ball is and that's fine. But if you double team him, if you take him away, and you're going to have to go you know, kind of a play him underneath and over the top. If you try to, you know, in and out on him. I mean it's more difficult. He's just adjusted to the ball so well. But you almost have to have a guy that's like right in under his chin strap to keep the ball away from him. And then you look. Then you look on the sale route or a deep crossing route to Tyler which he's so good at getting separation. And Gino we know can throw that ball. So I have no doubt about any of those guys don't get their catches. You take away one, somebody else is going to start making plays for you.
Hey, Rabes. One thing I love about the matchup between these two teams is that historically here at Lumenfield, these matchups have had so many surprising and shocking moments. Obviously, you have a million in five plays to choose from. In the NFC title game back in twenty fourteen, you have the Phil Mary, which is obviously you know, a talking point of its own for weeks and weeks and weeks afterwards, and you were on the call for all of these. Is there a particular call in a game, a moment in a game between the Seahawks and Packers here in Seattle where you remember kind of calling your way through it and being just stunned.
Oh yeah, without question. And that was the NFC Championship game against the Packers. It was a cold day and we fell behind. I think we threw a couple of interceptions. I mean, it was a terrible first half and actually not a very good three quarters, and it looked like, well, this is where it all ends right here.
Uh.
And then Russ started making these incredible plays. First of all, Marshawn with a couple of big runs and a touchdown run. And now suddenly you're starting to get into it and the defense is starting to be picked up by the way the offense is playing. Uh. And then then Russ makes an off balance, spinning throw for a two point conversion, and who was our tight end with the long hair? Suddenly I've gone Blanke on his name. Yes, Luke Wilson comes up with this catch. The defender was standing right there and he couldn't even believe what he was seeing. And so now you're you know, you you have this opportunity, you take the lead. They end up tying the game on a field goal. We get this ball to start the overtime, and uh, I think one one running play and then the long shot to Curse to win it. Uh. I mean that one is is just kind of indelibly etched in my mind. Making that call and knowing when you're looking at that ball in the air and you're watching Curse heading toward the south end zone two steps ahead of his defender, knowing that, hey, the Super Bowl rests on this catch, and in fact he did, and then he threw the ball into the stands. My god, go find the ball because that ball is going to be worth something to Germaine and the team. But that was such a huge moment for this franchise, and yeah, against the storied Green Bay Pockets. So yeah, you gotta love it.
Rab I said it was corny the other day, but I really loved it. The call that you had on a big Cat where he said he ran into a building the first floor was gray and the second floor was white for his jersey.
That was fantastic. I want to apologize. I called it corny, but it was really funny.
You were right the first time. It was corny. Sure, I'm not exactly sure how it came out. It just sort of happened. But that's the way a lot of that stuff happens. You know, when you got to spin out those words that bath, something sometimes comes out that you think, what the heck did I just say? And but you know, you run out of ways as saying Leonard Williams is a or it's just a very big man. All those guys are huge, and so you run out of ways to kind of make it descriptive for the radio, and that one just sort of popped out. I'm sure I'll come up with something else stupid before the season's over.
Now you've got race horse and building. Those two things perfectly describe Leonard.
Well so far. So far, Leo hasn't said that he didn't like it, because if he did, I would like immediately apologize and change everything I ever say. But I don't want to make him man, that's true.
What do you make of the ricky linebacker Raves Tyree's and I let the team in tackles last week? He seems like he's getting more and more comfortable with this defense.
Absolutely, and you know what's not to like. Dave always was the one who always told us he loved seeing that big butter Cortez in front of him. Every inside linebacker loves the play of really good defensive lineman in front, because that keeps you alive to make plays as a linebacker, to make tackles. And right now, those big guys up front, Jay Reid Murphy, he doesn't get enough credit. I mean, he does so much dirty work up there that obviously allows Leo and some of those guys to make those big plays. And Night is the same way. He's taking advantage of those opportunities. But he also and Dave is a much better describer of this than me. His ability to read and understand where the gap is, where he's supposed to be, and how to get off of a blocker, shed the blocker, and to just stand there and make the tackle and not trying to run around lineman. I just think he's done a remarkable job. And of course having Ernest Jones next to him is a big help because Ernest is smart, understands the defense, and is such an excellent player. So between those two guys, you really got something going. And I think that's those two have been the key to why the defense is playing so much better.
Boys to the Sea, Steve well kind of enough to join us for the huddle. Thanks Rapes, He's.
Rased, Okay, guys, thank you all right.
Coming up next, we've been talking a lot about the offense. We've been talking a lot about the offensive line. So let's turn to one of the leaders of this offensive line. We are going to hear A Lucas's press conference coming your way on the huddle.
This this is the huddle every Thursday from noon to two on Seattle Sports and off Sharviona.
Left side has the first down of that s up.
He down the thirty the.
Twenty fifty ten five.
Touchdown Seahawks, and they are still chasing Zax Charbonay forty nine yards to paydirt, his second touchdown of the game. The Seahawks came in saying, we gotta find a way to run the ball. Holy can't fish. They do forty nine yards for another six for Charbonay and the Seahawks extend their lead twenty three to ten.
And that run game took off in part because the Seahawks offensive line had its best game of the season and andale one of its leaders, Abe Lucas, speaking with reporters, let's take a listen.
A little bit of a trick question, but you had the same starting offensive line combination for the last two games.
So is there a quantifiable measure of continuity?
Jesus some big words, I would say yes, if I'm understanding your question correctly. Now, I mean when you can get consistency, even a little bit rolling, I think it just I mean you learn about steps, put the guy next to you his footwork, like, how do you fit into that? How he fits into your playing style? You know? So it's great to have consistency going all around.
You mentioned the.
Guy next to you, what do he thought of how the last a couple of games.
Playing it does really stepped up. I mean we were in his position once. I remember my rookie year, you know, and he just keeps improving, has a good attitude about it. Just really a silent worker, just put his head down and goes to work. So happy to be playing next to him.
What about you?
How you felt in these last four games getting back as far as physically or mentally, well, everything, my legs hurt. Mentally, I'm a little tired. Who isn't, But I'm happy to be back. I'm grateful to be back playing, you know. I mean, I'm here to play, I'm here to win. So feeling good about it.
You spent a lot of.
Time with trainers, you know, rehabbing, you know, for that period of time. Talk about like what it meant for you to have people working with you like that day and day out, with what they helped you to do to get back to.
Where you are now.
I mean it was there was a lot of different things, and that stuff still goes on. Obviously, you know, you're never really one hundred percent when you play. But I mean I appreciate them and the time they took with me. It was so very long. It was very arduous. It's very painful at times, but all necessary. I really wasn't concerned about it because I kind of knew the plan coming into it, so I knew it was going to be it was gonna be a longer thing, and you know, attacked as best I could.
When it comes to.
Zach Charvionay and his style of front right, not necessarily comparing it to Ken Walker, but what do you just like about the way Zach either sees.
The game or rough I think with Ken and Zach both it's I mean, they both kind of have different styles of rushing. I would say Ken Ken is a little bit more finesse in my eyes, and I love both the way that both of them compete. In Zach Zach so hard knows kind of thudder hit or he loves contact. Now that's not to say that Ken doesn't love contact or that Zach can't be elusive as well. But I mean, I think when you have two running backs there is a good you know, interchanging in and out. And then we got guys like Kenny and the or as well in the mix. I mean, it's tough to beat and stuff to stop.
What have you gotten to know from gotten to learn about Scot Huff and the time he's.
Been What have I gotten to learn about him?
Yeah, as as you've got to know on what stands.
Out about him?
Well, he coached you, dub. That sucks.
Now.
He actually recruited me back in the day when he was at Boise, and I like, I like coach Chuff. I mean, you know, it's a little bit too early I think to tell like I mean, I don't. I don't think he's given up all the tricks of the trade just yet. But then again, it's the first year and so going in the next year and new year after that, and you're after that, you know, hopefully we'll see just continued growth with him.
Is off of the line to come out of the game. Well, the season high rushing yards and no no sacks, Just Harry Wardy, know.
The game is after the five year say that one more.
Time, just Harry Wardy. Is that kind of performance for the five to you?
And there's the stat line shows no sacks and.
Season high rushing.
I mean, it's it's great. It's kind of what we expect. I mean, I I'm gonna get too excited. I don't think. I just try to. I mean it's a game to game thing. Every front's different, Every team has different different players, different athletes. I mean, it's not just it's not just as simple as hey, just you know, go run the ball a bunch and get a bunch of yards. I mean there's different techniques and stuff you have to employ it and when it all comes together comes together, it's great.
You see your defense every day in practice. What makes them so unique.
And so special? I think, uh coach McDonald has I mean he's obviously a defensive guy, but he's he's really brought the defense together and schemed up, you know, things based on their individual strengths, and it just you know, things take a little while to get going sometimes, but they started firing on all cylinders and they have the past few weeks, and they're just going to continue to get better. So, I mean, you got guys like Jared Reid and Leonard in the middle, and then you got boy A d Hall, you know, Draymond off the edge, and then you got the secondary. Like things are really looking up for that defense, and they're just going to continue to go upward.
Chris Jones said that your guys's playoff mode is sort of like the death zone, but fans kind of like the idea of death zone for the defense.
Would you like that moniker for them?
Yeah, it's fine. I mean, if that's what they want to call it, I don't I don't care. I gotta go against them anyway.
So in an here where a lot of players, younger players are choosing to move over to the defensive side, is it supposed to be an offensive line? And I'm curious, why did you choose offensive line? Why I just stick with it.
I don't know if I actually chose it. I just realized that defensive end probably wasn't gonna work out for me because of my size, and then I had a wide frame and I put it on a bunch of weight. So there's not too many plus three hundred pounds defensive ends I think at all in the NFL or in college for that matter.
But I don't know.
It's something that just kind of lines find you, I guess in my case, and I mean it's fine. I like my position, you know, I me it was my last year of high school. I was just kind of like, okay, probably not gonna be a defensive player, probably gonna be an offensive linement, so I better get used to it.
Is there tackles or.
Right tackles or tackles in general that you watch or that you look to and you kind of.
Admire their games.
Yeah, yeah, there's a few.
I like.
I know Brian O'Neil a little bit for the Vikings. He's a great tackle. I think Penay Sewell is probably upwards to the best. Him and Lane Johnson from the Eagles. I really respect all their games. And you know it's not just right tackle. They watch left tackles too, you know. I know Gara Bulls for the Broncos. He's a beast. So there's a lot of guys and then I watch, you know, the guys on our team. I pick up stuff from Charles and Jason Peters and such.
So what are the things that you look at when you look at another tackle and that they can respect their game?
Uh?
Just efficiency technique, what they do, how they do it, their attitude, hand placement, how they fit in their scheme. You know. I mean you could pick up different little tools from everybody, you know. I mean that's kind of the beauty of it is. You don't have to stick to one sort of thing. You can just continue adding tools to your toolbox.
DK Metcals says he blocks like an offensive lineman. How would you rate his tenacity and his.
Ability to block?
I think Dka does a great job block and I I like his mentality. Kind of when he gets going, it's it's pretty hard to stop him. But uh, he I mean he's ferocious. He just you know, he's not a guy that takes takes any crap from anybody, and you know, you like that. I think he'd be a good offensive lineman if he was to play oh line, he'd have to put up kep Yeah yeah, I mean, and you know, I kind of wish I looked like him, But you know, abe, speaking of DK.
He said yesterday that, uh, Mike McDonald's defensive mind that he brings helps him understand offenses p cornerbacks in his position a little bit better. Would would you say that's the same thing I understand defense isn't meant to say, but would you say that's the same for you.
From the coach, Like as I always see Bike's mind kind of working. Yeah, I don't know what goes on in his mind. He's hard to read, but uh no, I mean he's I mean, he's a he's a savant, like genius, you know, and he like the way he kind of talks and like he's he's he's a football guy for sure, you know, and it makes I mean, I think it makes it easier on that defense, but it also as an offensive player, just listening to him talk schemes and stuff and and just rattle it off and just be like so on point and precise, it's easier for us I think his offensive players to be like, yeah, this guy knows what he's talking about and he's going to dial up the best plan for us. And you know, he obviously respects the offensive game, so it makes it that much easier to follow.
So I would agree.
You guys have been running a lot of counters and you know, you pull in on a lot of those players.
Talked about what that is like for you as a right tackle.
Do you like blocking and moving or and what does that mean physically for the defense to have to see him?
Kind of, I think you'd have to ask ask defensive players what it would mean for them to see me coming around. Some probably wouldn't care. Some, I don't know. Maybe they're freaked out. I don't know. But I mean, it's just call it all at execution type of thing. I mean, I'm not if they call more great, If they call other plays, fine, you know, I'm not really I mean, do I get the poll, Yeah, that's nice to go. If I can crack some people, that's great. But if not, there's other plays I can crack people on two, So I'm not really worried about it.
John Boyle joining us next. You're listening to the huddle.
This is the huddle every Thursday from noon to two on Seattle Sports.
You are listening to the huddle with Dave Whyman, Michael Bumpstacy Rost and joining us right now, John Boyle off Seahawks dot Com Boyle, this was an amazing game. Complimentary football thirty plus points on offense, the run game completely takes off. I'm going to start with what you saw from Zach sharpnay, because I actually started Monday's show with Bump with an apology of Like, Zach, I didn't know this was your game. I wasn't familiar with it.
You don't apologize.
I don't admit when I was wrong, but I had to admit that, like, hey, Zach, you had just speed play overall patients, everything that I just hadn't seen before.
Did any of us play surprise you? And just what did you see from his day?
Yeah?
I mean just a really good day overall. We hear from you know, whether it's Mike McDonald or Ryan gregl like we've been hearing along, like you know how much they like him. They feel like they basically have two starting haliber gap yeah backs, but you know, he just hasn't got the opportunity. He did start a couple games earlier, but one you know, we hear so often for running backs like they need kind of that get in the rhythm of the game and get enough touches, so it can be hard for the when you're the backup getting you know, maybe eight carries to really show.
What you can do.
So yeah, I mean, look, I'm not sure that I knew he could run away from guys for fifty one years touchdown like that, but I think we'd say enough to know he could be a good productive back for them.
Yeah. I was a hell of a.
Showing starting to hear about Scott Hoff a little bit their offensive line coach. Yeah, So I mean it's kind of cool. Just tell us a little bit about him and you're inn with him.
Yeah, you know, I haven't, you know, had a ton interaction, but it just seems like a you know, really chill, good dude, who's you know, young?
Still for that job.
But to me, what the best qualification I saw in him when he got hired was he worked for three different head coaches that you dub and like, to me, that's a you're a good assistant coach if new regimes come in and yeah, let's keep that guy, because usually I'm gonna bring my own guys in clean everybody out. So the fact that he kept sticking around there tells me like coaches like him and he knows what he's doing. So I think you know, he's it's hard in the NFL to you know, change parts, like they had to at right tackle earlier this season and they never got settle the right guard. So you know, it's been a little inconsistent. Now that we've had we've seen them get you know, Olu's been in there for a while after Connor Williams retired. We've seen the right side start solidify. I think we're we're seeing the line take some strides. It's nice to nice to see.
Was it a Kavon Wallace and Ardi Burns burn to practice?
Yeah?
So what does that? What does that mean we've seen on of them?
Yeah, I mean we'll see what like how quick the a there ready and be like you need them back? They're they're pretty deep in their secondary right now. You know, they've been having defensive backs in active healthy scratches on game day, So it's it's a good problem to have. You know, Look, if somebody were to get injured, you hope that didn't happen, but if somebody does, you're deeper there. But you got when you open that window, you've got three weeks to make that decision where they can practice without counting towards a fifty three men roster. But I mean Kevion Watson was a big part of their defense before he got hurt, you know, doing the the third safety stuff, and then Kobe obviously stepped up and took over starting a role. So we'll see what, you know, kevi On Wallace's role would look like when he is back. Just because the emergence of Kobe Bryant changes the equation there a little bit. But you know, it's always good to have talent and depth that you know anywhere, but especially back.
On the back end.
What position group, maybe even a side of the ball might be facing the single biggest challenge on Sunday Night.
Boy, I mean, I think it's got to be just your whole defensive front with that run game. Yeah, I mean, we seen what Josh Jacobs can do up close to that twenty twenty two game with the Raiders. Really good back, really good running attack. They block it well, they've got you know, it's a good balanced offense where you can't just totally focus on one thing because they can beat you with the other. If you know, they've got a great quarterback, good weapons, and they can also run the heck out of the ball. So yeah, I think just good tests for you know, they've been playing the run really well for over a month now and.
This will be a great test for it.
So there anything about Mike McDonald that you've seen kind of develop as the year has gone on. I mean, he became a father. Maybe that affected him a little.
Bit and probably been a week.
But yeah, but I mean as far as the things that he says, you can kind of see him sort of figuring things out, and yeah.
You know, I don't know if it's what he's saying. I mean in terms of what he says, I would say probably the press conferences. He probably feels more comfortable if you just like watch him interact with the media. Not that he was like uncomfortable, but just it's different being a head coach versus the coordinator talks the media once a week versus the head coaches out there all the time. But I don't think it's anything he's saying. I think it's just worth seeing the results on the field of like, not just him, a whole coaching staff that was new. Almost all of them are new to each other, hardly any of them work together, so I think we're just seeing them sort of figure it out on the fly and figure out what they want to do.
Yeah, we can see what Grub is doing, we see what McDonald is doing. Even ad what's Leslie been like during this whole thing.
I mean, he's just kind of that guy behind the scenes who's really the person that Mike can lean on for everything. Really, I mean, if you just watch practice, Like, he's a defensive guy, so that's his background. He's been a coordinator and a defensive coach for most of his career, so he spends a lot of time with their day and with Mike McDonald, But behind the scenes, I think it's really just he is a great resource for Mike McDonald, just as someone who's been through it all that Mike so much. This is new for Mike McDonald's the head coach, so he's just got something he can really kind of pick his brain and get feedback from.
Woman. You would already mentioned the turnover differential, how much that had shifted for Seattle. We've also seen Gino clean up a few of those interceptions. There have still been some costly ones, but I feel like been taking care of the football and that's been key. What have you seen It feels silly to say development from Geno. But what have you seen change with Gino over this stretch of wins that they've had.
Yeah, you know you mentioned taking care of the ball and the turnovers last couple weeks ago. I keep going back to, like, if you actually break down all his interceptions this year, so many of those haven't really been his fault anyway, So I don't I don't look at it like, oh, he was turnover pro now he's not. I just think in general, you're going to turn the ball over less his fault or not when you're not having to pass forty times a game, and that's you know where, especially a game like last week where you're running the ball and even the Jets game where you know, it was a different it was a weird game because all.
The special team stuff in the first half.
But in general, when you're playing good defense and getting teams off the field and not playing from behind, then all of a sudden, Geno Smith isn't having to do everything and that eliminates chances for some of those turnovers.
WELLI one of the guys that's like the most chill personality has got to be Tyrese Knight. For a young guy who you know, he's got a big responsibility. It wasn't like, you know, he came in here and they were thinking, Okay, this guy's going to start and but yeah, he's just slowly starting to unravel who he is as a person. Things like that. You what have you noticed from Tyrese?
Yeah, it's just kind of the growth you would hope to see from a rookie. Where he played some early and he did this alid job filming when he had to play. I think it was week two, week three, But yeah, it just looks like a player keeps getting more comfortable. He and Ernest Jones are kind of learning how to play together, and that's looking really good. I just I mean, I love the physicality both of them bring really good night. I mean, there are a couple of plays in that game where he just like he was smacking dude. Yeah, it's uh, you know, it's what you want from a linebacker guy who's physical. I mean, it's cool to just seem to get some pass breakups because you don't necessarily think of him as like a pass defense guy, but he's making some plays in the passing game as well.
Well, there's some things I'm not supposed to like, but I do like the smell of gasoline, Like you're not supposed to like that, but for some reason, I like.
It burning gasoline or just like you know when you're at the.
Gas station, bum out there huffing the gas.
I mean, I'm not doing all that.
I think this is actually a really common thing. We had a couple of people and the.
Action jerseys, like I'm not supposed to like those like those. How do you feel about the Action greens?
I'm like kind of the rare. I feel like it's so divisive. I feel like I'm in the minority and that I don't have a real strong opinion either way. Like they're okay, They're not my favorite of their jerseys for sure, but you know, I'm not one of these people's like, oh there are atrocious, don't ever wear them, burn them? And I know the people it's their favorite jerseys, So I will say I do like it better with the blue pants they're doing all green Curtis, Yeah, I like, like, I like the green on blue instead of all green.
So Bumpus and I are wearing ours on game day.
Oh yeah, we're gonna wear you're wearing I'll do it if you do it, I'll wear I have a green hat that someone gave me. Well, doesn't count. Doesn't count. You gotta have a shirt or pants.
You guys, this is really good radio.
I'm not I'm not a pro like you guys, but planning your.
Wardrobes together, I'm trying to pin him down, right, that's what I'm doing.
All Right, We're going to go over the last time. I don't know forty five seconds or so here, So let's go over for all three of you. A key to a win? I mean, this is gonna be a tough one. The Packers are a very good team. They are coming off a near win over the Lions Detroit, winning on a last second field goal. So Seayhawks have to play a good game. We know that, But what key do they need to win? Bump? I'll start with you and with.
John Win versus Man. Green Bay loves to play man receivers. I love as a receiver.
I love.
I used to love when you're mann ub like, let's go get it's me and you, let's go.
So win versus man Wneman have the turnover ratio once again? Go to how about minus two? I'll take two.
That's what they got last week and they're plus nine, so they got a ways to go and you can see why they're so successful in Green Bay. But yeah, I'll take a positive turnover ratio oil final word.
I was like in turnovers too, But since he said that.
I'm going to go.
It's the hard part about going.
Just lim limit the damage in the run game because we've seen this defense. When they can get teams into these passing situations, that's where Mike McDonald's defense really shows up. So stop the run, get them, you know, get after him with the pass rush.
Action Greens in primetime Seahawks taken on the Packers Sunday Night Football on NBC. Michael bump Is s Dave Wyman. Make sure you're checking out Boilsworkshawks dot com. This has been the huddle