Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like, you should know you should check your draft stats first before you put them on your fantasy team. Or, you should definitely check the expiration date on that can of bean dip you picked up at the gas station first before you dive in.
Yeah, checking first is smart. So, check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate.
Savings vary, subject to terms, conditions, and availability. See Allstate.com for details. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Oh, do we have a double whammy? Special treat for you guys out there listening to What the Football, taking it in wherever you are. Susie and Amy with you.
And guys, we got selfish. We went for two guests this week as we lead up to the Super Bowl. Amy, I thought, let's get Marshall Falk on. Hall of Famer. Let's get him on him. We'd love to hear his thoughts on Saquon Barkley, etc. But then, Pete Carroll gets announced as the head coach of the Vegas Raiders. And I thought, Amy, let's get on Pete Carroll. Why wouldn't we have him come and sit down for his first one-on-one interview with What the Football?
I mean, so excited to have him on, Amy. What do you think he's going to do as coach of the Raiders? What kind of representation is he for this team? Well, I think he brings to the team maturity, stability, enthusiasm, energy. I like the hire.
Yeah, it's fantastic. And I think he's just the energy and he's just the discipline that they really, really need. And I can't wait to talk to him in a moment or two about what he's going to bring and who he is. But I have to tell you, as someone who covered him on his first day at USC 25 years ago, we saw him bring back a storied franchise back to life. And I think that's exactly what he has the capability of doing for the Las Vegas Raiders. I think you're right. I hope you're right. I plan to share with Pete some views that Al shared with me of Pete.
That's fantastic. I think we saw a little bit of what we're going to see ahead in Pete's first press conference with the Raiders. For those of you who did not see it, we're going to play it for you right now. And it's starring a little, it's starring a certain running back that might remind you of the glory days in Seattle. We do want to fill our stadium up with our guys.
I know that we have a good draw for people from out of town. There you go. There you go. Pete, you got a surprise, wasn't it? Oh no, look at this. Were you up there all the time?
You just hide. You didn't hear me yelling at you? No, I didn't.
You didn't hear me yelling at you? Oh yeah. Marshawn Lynch making his way down to the press conference to surprise his coach. I think that was fantastic. Well, I'm covered in goosebumps watching that.
And I've seen it a zillion times and I'm still covered in goosebumps. And the fact that Marshawn was there speaks volumes. It speaks volumes about Pete. It speaks volumes about Marshawn.
I love it. Yeah, total harbinger of things to come, I think. Because you're going to see that what Pete Carroll does more than anything else with his players is he creates a sense of loyalty and family. You saw that in Seattle. Like I said, you saw that at USC.
And I think that's exactly what he will do in Las Vegas. So we'll catch up with the coach as well as Marshall Faulk. And we look ahead to the Super Bowl.
Because I think it's an opportune time to start breaking things down ahead of time. Brett Musburger will be our guest as the final guest before the Super Bowl. So we get to kind of play with that a bit today. Sorry, next week. But right now we're going to spend some time with Pete and also breaking down that Kansas City defense that has been so successful at reining in so many of these running backs.
And what can they do with Saquon Barkley? And you know I'm going to say something right now that may result in you throwing something at my head. So if you're listening to this podcast and you hear a thunk, it's because Susie threw something at me. That Pete carved time out today when he was just, just named the head coach is a testament to his respect for you and his appreciation for having worked with you all those years. I will tell you from having been on the inside of an organization. Coaches don't do this the moment after they're hired. And that he is doing this with us is a loud, loud statement about his respect for the woman you are. Well maybe he's just a big fan of What the Football. Okay, that too. Okay, that too. I mean, come on. Really people, get with it.
Join the club. And as promised, Pete Carroll joins us now on What the Football. Pete, it's selfishly so good to see you because we've only known you for 30 years when I covered you the first day of your job at USC.
So, you know, this feels like natural. Like you owe me this interview, right? I do owe you this interview. You've been so kind to me over the years. So you made this very special effort here and I want you to note that special effort, but only for you. Duly noted counsel. Yeah, really, really appreciate it.
Let's go. What were these talks like, especially with Tom Brady getting ready for this gig? It's really been, it's really been extraordinary. It's been, it's not, Tom is an amazing person. The other people that have been assembled to be part of this ownership club and for the club, they're just rock stars. And so it's just been one kind of highlight after another and it's been really, really enthralling. And it's hard to imagine how that is when you're talking to NFL club owners, how could they be.
But these guys are rock stars. And so Tom is certainly that and so consistent, you know, because he has such a strong, deep conviction and belief that it just keeps coming through. And so you know who you're dealing with, which is always really important for functioning well. Tell me about this experience and the time that you had away, Pete, and what kind of perspective it gave you coming back to the game now. It has been, it's been incredible. You know, I had one other year, the year after New England, where I sat out and decided not to go back, you know, for the reasons don't matter. And that is where I designed the philosophy that led me to the next stop was USC.
And the approach and the philosophy that came through the really the self-discovery that took place has been the foundation of everything that has meant, you know, the success that we've had. And so this year I was curious, what was it going to be like, you know, man. I had so much opportunity and freedom of brain time to just conjure and recreate and reevaluate. It just happened again. This has been an extraordinary time frame. And the only way you can do it is to stop doing it. You know, when you're in the middle of it, you can't get it done. So I'm just, I have so many things that I want to adjust right now to things we've done in the past. So that's a good thing. And that's what staying curious gets you.
And we've accomplished that, I think, this time around. Yeah, before I follow up with the so many things, because I want to know what the so many things are, I was just thinking, Amy, as I'm sitting here listening, you know, when I met you at USC, you inherited a quarterback in Carson Palmer that was rattled by Paul Hackett's playbook. And just, you know, seemingly was overwhelmed. You turn them around, you made them into a Heisman Trophy winner and achieved incredible success there. And, you know, it's interesting how you're walking into this Raiders organization.
And Amy, you say this all the time, is in such bad need of leadership at the top and having like, you know, an adult in the room. So how do you apply that same way that you turn the USC organization around the way you turn the Seahawks organization around? How will you apply that here?
Well, it is very similar. And I'm hoping that will the commonality of the challenge will bring out the best in us. You're one of the few people in your business that brings up the Carson Palmer story. That's an amazing story that is at the start and the heart of really the unveiling of how we did things and how we dealt with people and how to turn things around. Because Carson was really struggling back in that time. And he, it took us a year. And then by the second year, he won the Heisman. He was the first guy in the draft picked, you know, and he was always worthy of that physically. He was capable, but it hadn't come to fruition for him. And so all of that, what it took to get that done was not, it wasn't just Carson. It was building the team around him and creating the balance that really good teams have that you can count on and they take care of the football. And they, you know, use the clock well and they run the football and they have the fourth quarter to show off that running game to finish games off with consistency and all the things that helps the quarterback be successful is here it is again.
You have to do that again. And we don't know who the quarterback is right now. We'll figure that out. But it's going to come from the same source of creating a really good team around that position. Everybody thinks it's just that guy.
It isn't. In my mind, it's the whole thing. You have to create the support system that allows you to be really uncommonly consistent. Pete, I concur with everything you just shared. Now, I don't know if anyone has ever shared this with you, so I shall. I can't wait for this moment.
No, I think you will. Al respected you. Al liked you.
And I know that because he told me that. And now you are the leader of an organization. You are the leader of Raider Nation. So would you like to share a message with the Raider fans who I shall forever love?
Well, yeah, I'm challenging them. You know, OK, they've done a great job creating an iconic followship. And it's been extraordinarily obvious that there's something about the Raider following that makes them unique, just like Al wanted it. That's exactly how he wanted it to be way back in the day.
He dreamed this, he imaged it, and then he created it. Well, it's time to step to the next level, just as we're here to do the exact same thing we need them to. When this stadium accepts our football team from the word go, we need them to be on and be a factor to help us win. If they want to win like they do, well, help us in every way. Fill that place up with our guys, not sharing it with other people. And make it rock us as it can possibly be and all of the build up, be part of it and contribute in a way that I think is tangible. When we went to USC, you know, they had never had sold out seasons.
Well, we had, I think, five in a row at one time or something like that. You can change, you can shift the emphasis of the following and create an advantage that you didn't have before. Well, let's go. So we love them. We're dedicating our effort and everything we do to make them feel proud and support us in a way that we know will contribute to the winning. So I don't mind challenging them. I know they'll take the challenge. They're tough and they're hard and they want to be part of something great. And that's what we're going to try to do here.
And I will hope, I'm sorry, I will hope for you that they embrace you and support you and encourage you the way they did for me because it was tremendously meaningful throughout my career. It still is. Yeah, no kidding. You mentioned so many things that you want to affect, obviously, at the quarterback position that's got to be at the top. So what are your plans and might there be any chance of a Russell Wilson reunion? Right now, Suze, it's so early. I mean, we're just in the midst of just trying to find the puzzle pieces, not even putting them together yet. So I really, I can't, I can't even say. I mean, guys are still, if your agency hasn't come yet, that's the first competitive opportunity that will occur.
And then the draft is coming. We'll have that opportunity to do things. I can't tell you right now.
I mean, I could, I could guess, but it would just be a guess. So but I promise you, if you're a real competitor, you're not letting options get away from you. So we're going to consider every option as a possibility and we're going to go after it very aggressively with intent and hopefully with a sense and a feeling that people want to be part of this thing. So well, make sure you let Amy and me know first. Will you please. Oh, we're always going to be first. Yeah, of course. We're first in line. I thought I'm all paid up now. No, no, no, no, no.
B, you should know me better than that. That's, that's for this week. I don't know if you remember this.
I'm sure you do. I told Amy, you remember when you came to NFL Network to go check out Richard's show or something like that? And then Ken Norton was walking in. You're like, hey, Ken, meet me in the parking lot.
And then two seconds later, you'd hired him away from total access and he became the linebackers coach at USA. Remember that? When we went out to that parking lot right there, I held on to him.
I said, hang in here. Now we got something to talk about. That's exactly right. You probably the only person on the planet that knew that that even took place. It made me think, Amy, Marshawn Lynch, when he went into your press conference the other day and he started screaming Raider Nation in the back. Could we possibly see Marshawn Lynch on the sidelines as a coach?
Am I going to break any stories here? Well, I don't know that. I don't know that he'll be as a coach. He may be on the sidelines. I'm sure he's going to be with us. He'll be with us a lot. He is so excited about this happening. We've talked on the phone a number of times late, late at night when he calls me, you know, and I see that. I see that Oakland number coming in.
I know exactly what's happening. Here we go. But to be here, think about that. He made a special effort to be here and he said, I'm going to be there. I said, no, you're not going to make it.
You won't do that. And sure enough, he was the guy that yelled in the background. I made the joke that it was Mark Davis, but it was Marshawn, you know, and we were hugging it up, having a blast. He's been a tremendous relationship in my life, in my life, and he's an unforgettable individual in presence. You know, as good a football player as he was, he's an even better person. He's remarkable.
And then not everybody knows that. I mean, you know, not everybody realizes about him because he puts up such a hard image and a hard veneer about he's a softies. We've got a wonderful heart. He cares so much about where he came from and his family and the people he played with.
He was so valuable in the locker room with our team, you know, and everybody think, well, he didn't say anything and he wasn't part of it. I always used to say, listen to the things he's not saying. And there's a story there. He doesn't have to say anything to tell you. It's right there for you if you want to write about it.
But remember all the trouble we had at the Super Bowl, I think, was the last time that happened. But anyway, very special and I love him and I love that he's so excited about what's going on. And he does so much, as you noted, he does so much for the community and he does it the best way. He does it quietly. He doesn't let people know how much he does and he does a magnificent amount. He really does. He's a monster and doing great work.
Listen, I'm watching the clock carefully for you. I'm going to say thank you so much for your time. And look, we wish you nothing but the greatest of success. Obviously, nobody loves the Raiders more than Amy Trask. But, you know, look, the energy that you bring, I was so lucky to get to cover you for so many years at USC.
We just wish you the best of luck and have fun with this opportunity because nobody deserves it more than you do. I love the hire and Al would have loved the hire, too. Oh, that warms my heart. He is an amazing guy to have grown up under and watched his program.
He just made something out of nothing. It was amazing. Amy, nice to talk to you. Nice to see you.
Nice to see you as well. Thank you, Pete. I think we're going to have to send him somewhat the football gear to decorate that office of his. I believe you got pulled into a conference room in the middle of meetings. He gave us a little 10-minute window, which is fantastic because he's not talking to anybody else today on this. And then he's hopping back into more meetings. What do you think he's doing up there day one, Amy? Oh, well, they're interviewing for coaching positions.
They're interviewing for other positions throughout the organization. He's contacting players. He is doing a lot and it is just a whirlwind of activity. So, again, the fact that he cut this time out is just tremendous. I guarantee you one guy who is 100% on board with this was Max Crosby because he's exactly Max Crosby's kind of coach. He'll be out there running with the guys, out there working out with the guys, pushing them. And no one's going to care about what number's on Pete Carroll's back because he's going to be out there proving every day that he's one of those guys. And there were some terrific, terrific pictures and there was great video of Pete and Max at the facility when Pete was announced. Yeah, I mean, it's just I think it's just like a perfect hire. Heads up, it's still free.
Convinced you saw Bigfoot, even if your friends don't believe you. That has absolutely nothing to do with taxes, but you better believe it's still absolutely free. Just download and do your own taxes in the TurboTax app by February 18th. All tax forms, all 100% free. Now this is taxes. See if you qualify in the TurboTax app. Excludes TurboTax Live.
Must start and file in app by February 18th. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like you should know you should check your draft stats first before you put them on your fantasy team. Or you should definitely check the expiration date on that can of bean dip you picked up at the gas station first before you dive in.
Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate.
Savings vary, subject to terms, conditions and availability. See Allstate.com for details. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Let's just transition for a second to looking ahead at the interview with Marshall Falk that's coming up shortly. We're going to talk to him about Saquon Barkley and about his role in Philadelphia. And also we're going to talk to him about a woman named Tanya Jones. I don't know if you know she is, but she is Saquon Barkley's mom.
She was stopped by O.J. Spivey of the Philly Tribune. And he asked her a couple of questions about Saquon and his transition to Philadelphia. Well, his time at Philly, just for him, for the family. How has that been for you guys since he's came here?
It's been great, great for him to finally be somewhere where he's able to showcase his talent without talking about him, without this, without that, running back. They don't deserve this, they don't deserve that. OK, now we see. All right, Tanya.
All right. Shout out to my mom. I hear you as a mom. I hear you, Tanya. And you are throwing some shade at JoShane. And I'm telling you right now, I'm there for it and I like it. Let me tell you something.
I know you and in a situation with a microphone in your mouth, if you had the opportunity to stand up for one of your children, watch out. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And I love that she did that in every sense of the word. She, she, she threw some shade at JoShane and she let him know what time it was. And it's time for her little boy to go out there and play in his first ever Super Bowl.
That is so sick and that is so insane. And by the way, if I'm that GM, I don't know where I'm hiding on Super Bowl Sunday. That's a good point.
It really is. Well, you know, we're going to ask Marshall Falk about that momentarily, because very few people know what it feels like to play in a Super Bowl and forget about playing in a second Super Bowl. And also, let's face it, like there's a lot of similarities to what we're seeing on the field between how Saquon Barkley plays and Marshall Falk does as well. And as promised, Marshall Falk joins us here on What the Football. Thanks again for answering my call, Marshall.
Anytime. You already know. Tell me your advice for Saquon Barkley as he looks at his first Super Bowl. I mean, does he need it? Maybe from you. Maybe from you.
There's there's there's not there's not much to say if if I'm reaching out to him, literally. One of the things that that that really struck me in the first Super Bowl that I played in and it took some getting used to. And it's super weird because normally when you play NFL games, you're either home or you're away. Being in this neutral site, it's like you either feed off the emotions of the fans when you make them clap or when you sit them down. And it takes some getting used to that.
I mean, I remember it was it was just it was it was difficult. Like you play what happened in your cheers and boos. It's like, what?
What is this? So if I told if there was something I could tell him, because I don't think as far as the actual game goes on watching him in these playoff games and how prepared his readiness and what he's been able to do. And I think he has one of the best offensive lines, not just in the game, but they ever played a game. I mean, what they're doing is just unbelievable. And it's funny. I was like I was just thinking I was like. You know, if I was chasing Kelsey, I'd probably be wondering, man, was I any good? Right.
I think about that all the time. It's unbelievable to see what they're like. You've got a Hall of Fame caliber guy and Jason Kelsey and what they're doing without it. It's like, man, unbelievable that that offensive line coach is. Man, it's impressive, but this kid, he has it like he has all the talents and he's just he's ready for the moments. All right, Marshall, Suzy asked you what you'd advise Saquon.
I'm going to reverse that. What advice would you give the Kansas City defense facing that offensive line and that running back? You know, I love what I'm seeing from Kansas City and just how well they play and the fact that. Yep, we talk about Patrick Mahomes and all of this stuff, but this defense has literally been the reason why this team is in the position that they're in this year.
So stay at home. They have to tackle the football. You can't just try to tackle Saquon. You've got to attack the football as well. Make him conscious about not just breaking long runs, but the minute that you get a running back thinking about protecting the football, he's not as good of a runner.
It's just that's that's just facts. It's like blitzing the quarterback when you blitz a quarterback. If you get to him, he's worried about the blitz.
Outside of that, that's all you can do. But as I'm saying this, I know that Steve Spagnuolo is like this dude is a savant. Like he is going to have something different to show Philadelphia and present something different. And it might not you might not see it in the first half. You might not see it in the third quarter. But in the fourth quarter, whatever he has to do to get Mahomes the ball back or like he did against Josh Allen, everybody was like, oh, we want to see Josh Allen with the ball at the end of the game to win the game.
And you did. But you got to see the greatness of Steve Spagnuolo as a defensive coordinator. And we also saw the emotionality of Chris Jones on the field to just in tears knowing he was going back to the Super Bowl. And since Amy brought up that great point about how well they play on the line, I immediately thought of him just because he's such the captain of the line and how he plays is so spectacular. So what's it like in your brain as you look at a guy like that on the line and you look at Saquon and you look at how this is really a battle of these two lines with a guy like him that can run?
So how do you measure this up? Those interior three offensive linemen for the Philadelphia Eagles, they've been great. And, you know, they handled Jalen Carter and company pretty, pretty decent. But Chris Jones, he's a different beast.
Like, I mean, I and I know you normally you've heard this. Oh, he could play up and down the line. He literally can play every position on the line. And if they ran the thirty four, he can line up outside, stand up and rush. That's that's how talented and how awesome he is.
And what I love is, you know, guys were taping, they were gloves and stuff like this, too. He's out there. He's a throwback player. He just goes out there and causes havoc. He's going to be in the mix when the play has to be made.
That's that's just it. I love I love what he brings to this defensive line and think about think about what they lost. You know, they lost at linebacker, what they lost in the secondary. They let a lot of guys go. I mean, they made it was it was it was it Sneed?
Was it Sneed? They had to make a decision this year between who they paid here, Sneed, and they decided to keep him. And what a great decision. Well, and you guys wisely brought up the line of scrimmage. And that's where most games are won or lost.
Chris Jones, love him, love him, love him. But you know what? Philadelphia has to worry about George Karloff just as well. And it's math. It's 11 on 11. And if you're going to double George, Chris is going to be open. And if you're going to double Chris, George is going to be open.
And that could be trouble. And I agree with you entirely, Marshall. Spags is just tremendous.
Yeah. But for whatever reason, Kansas City, they find a way when you have, like, rushers, Patrick Mahomes has like a nap for buying extra time. He deals with the pressure very well. I think the only game that I saw, I think it was the Super Bowl when when Brady beat him against Tampa. And he was playing with some those tackles probably were, you know, second, third on the depth chart kind of guys, I believe.
And if I'm misspeaking, you know, I'll take that back. But he got his butt kicked in that game. That's the only time I've ever seen the pressure consistently bother him and affect him. For whatever reason, it just does not affect him.
I don't know why. You want to weigh in on the controversy about whether or not Mahomes gets favoritism out there? I think I think I think the face, the faces of the NFL. That's how that's how you get treated. I mean, let's let's not pretend like all of the rules that they made that they put in to protect the quarterback because to not have the quarterbacks. I mean, that's that's a that's a that's a bad part. Like if we lost one of these quarterbacks in the Super Bowl, I mean, that's an awful game.
Like literally all the commercials, like people stop, they'll stop watching. It just doesn't happen. So, yes, I think all quarterbacks get favoritism.
Yes, if you're like in the top three, four or five, you're really getting favoritism. Because I think up until this year, we had no idea who the backup quarterbacks were. But the Kansas City Chiefs, because I think he played in week week 18, I think he played the last game of the season.
And I still can't call his name, but I think he won. I think they lost. They lost that game. They lost the last game of the season because they thought they threw the game.
And somebody was mad that Kansas City didn't put their starters. But anyway, it's yes. Yes. And you know what? Deservedly, he should he should get preferential treatment. You know, because I heard Julian Edelman on Rich's show earlier saying that it was he called it bologna instead of bullshit, which I thought was very classy on television. But, you know, he said that favoritism is ridiculous and didn't happen to Tom Brady. And I was like, well, yeah, it did. And I'm OK with it, by the way. Like, yeah, it did. And oh, by the way, maybe you're right.
Maybe it's because these guys have earned it as opposed to it just being thrown out there. Now, don't forget, I have a kid at home who hates anything that has to do with the Chiefs because he hates Taylor Swift. I have a kid who's obsessed with Taylor Swift. So we have a lot of this stuff going on at home. Right. But let's face it. Right. This is not about Cooper's like the Chiefs win the Super Bowl because the NFL wants Taylor Swift to be on TV. I'm like, no, no, no. Maybe.
Maybe. But also because they want to see Patrick Mahomes and they want to see Travis Kelce and they want to see Worthy and they want to see a bunch of these guys. But they earn the right to be there year in and year out, which is why we start throwing out the D word of dynasty. Dynasty.
Go ahead. Not just show. Not just a show. I was just going to say dynasty versus parody was something that, you know, the 30 years I sat in NFL owners meetings, that was a topic at a lot of meetings. There were you know, the goal of the NFL is parody that fans believe any given day their team can win any given game and any given season they can win at all. There were a few owners in the room who believed in dynasties, who wanted dynasties. And I remember at one point, Al saying something to me about, you know, dynasties are OK. And I said, well, then if you want a dynasty, go be a dynasty. Here's the thing. We have parity in our league.
Let's let's be clear. The Washington commanders being in the position that they're in. So it's parody.
It's there. What happens is you have these generational guys. Patriots, there was parody, but they had Tom Brady. You know, when you have these guys and Patrick Mahomes is that now these guys that that they live it and they are going to be accountable, like you can count on them and they're not going to lose the game for you.
And if they have a chance, they're going to win it. Like you have to take the game from Patrick Mahomes. There's no there's no him giving it to you. You have to take the game from him. And when you have that, you then can start to create dynasties. Here's the thing.
Here's how we know that this team has that there's parity in the league. Look at the money that's spent on the wide receivers, the people we asked to throw the ball to. You got an old guy and Travis Kelsey. We call him old guy. He was just washed up.
They were calling him the old guy. He had two receivers that nobody else wanted. Hopkins and Juju. And there are two burner guys. One was hurt and the other one was struggling to fit into the normal parts of the offense. That's all he wanted to do was run go route. Both of their tackles are suspect.
One people think jumps off like ball starts every time. That team is not a dynasty in the in the classic cases of if you look at the talent on the Pittsburgh Steelers back when they had their dynasty or what the Dallas Cowboys did in the 90s, those were dynasties that were built because the agency didn't allow it. Or you spent a lot of money or you some team decided that they wanted Herschel Walker and they sold the farm. I mean, it just doesn't happen like that anymore with that collection of talent. What is being done by the Kansas City Chiefs is unheard of.
These are different bodies, different people that they can rely on and depend on. I think this will be his second group of tackles that he's won a Super Bowl with. I mean, it's unbelievable what what the Chiefs have been able to do. And in this league where parity is what it's all about with the salary cap and everything else.
Yeah, he did have a bunch of injuries at the O-line there, too. So then what is it, Marshall? Is this a dynasty in disguise?
What brings us all together? Is it the no, it's Patrick Mahomes. This is Patrick Mahomes. This is coaching. And this is the front office.
This is the alignment of the three of them. And here's what we never we never hear an argument about Andy Reid wanting a player and the front office not wanting a guy. You never come out of Kansas City, never, never the case when they want a decision had to be made about who are we going to keep? Is it going to be Chris Jones?
I think whether Jerry Sneed like they make these decisions and they just they just keep it moving. It's no problem when it was like we got a receiver that don't want to be here. Tyreek Hill. OK, well, let's get let's trade him. Let's let him go.
No problem. Like it will win without him. And I will tell you, I was when I was like, oh, my God, he's in his office. There's no way that there's a way, actually, two ways like this would be the second Super Bowl that they win without Tyreek Hill. And Tyreek's now, he gets a little unhappy.
He's not used to not winning. I think you really learn a lot about who these players are, Marshall, when they bitch and moan and complain and they want all this stuff and suddenly they leave and life goes on without them, you know? Well, and Marshall, I'm interested to know what you think about. You know what?
You can you can plead the fifth. You don't have to answer. You mentioned Tyreek and Susie. You just mentioned you learn a lot about players.
My experience in the league. Wide receivers are prima donnas agree or disagree of any position on the team. That was always the position that was the prima donna position. Agree or disagree or plead the fifth. I agree.
I agree with you. But there's two guys that I play with that that were not at the position. And I'm Marvin Harrison. He never, ever right or bitch to get the ball. And Isaac Bruce was probably an ultimate team player. He was OK with Tori Hope coming in as a rookie. Well, Rick roll playing with Oz.
I came all Isaac wanted to do was win. And by the way, I will note something. I agree with Stephen A. Smith, who shared this with us on what the football. He was with us not for a lot of years, but we had Jerry Rice and Jerry was the antithesis of a prima donna. Well, we see this all the time. It's like A-list celebrities aren't assholes. It's the B in the C-list celebrities that are assholes.
You know what I mean? Like if you're that famous, like Tom Hanks is not an asshole. I could name a lot of D-listers who were just total assholes. Right. The same thing as wide receivers.
Yeah, pretty much. We also talk about the running back position with you all the time and about these GMs who don't value the running back position. And, you know, Saquon's mom, she popped the Giants GM right in the nose, basically saying you didn't value my kid and now you're paying for it.
And I'm sure that must have been music to your ears as well. Yeah, I'm going to keep my comments about the Giants general manager and what he literally went on hard knocks and did and yet was able to retain a job. Boy, that right there. That is that is unbelievable. And that's that's that's like I thought you I thought you could only get away with that if you were a politician. But obviously, even general managers can get away with it. But the reality is this here. I just think that in today's game, the general managers and the guys that do the scouting, they're just looking for the easy route.
You know, they need they need to make the easier decision. Man, Saquon. Here's here's my thing. I understand this New York Giants GM and front office. If we give this guy this money and he's been hurt a lot and he had to keep playing one full season in totality without without missing a game.
How do you do it? Well, we got to let it go be somebody else's problem. You can't let it be the Eagles problem in your division. I could not let that happen. And I understand what they did, but not for the reason why they did it.
Not for for believing in Daniel Jones, only enough to make that to have Daniel Jones be standing on the sidelines during the playoff game that the Minnesota Vikings are playing. It's just unbelievable. Like you messed up on both sides with both guys and you just you just can't do that. You just can't do it. Evaluate the players, give them a grade and and know that if you give us a chance, we can perform for you. Ask Derek. Ask the Baltimore Ravens with Derek Henry. And there's a bunch of other guys out there, too.
You just got to put us in position and put the right pieces around us. Well, and the two points you made as to Saquon and to Daniel, those are interlinked. They are intertwined. One of a quarterback's best, best, best friends is the running game, because the better the running game, the more the passing game is open. I'm not telling you a damn thing. You don't know, Marshall, you did this.
The more that the defense has to focus on a running game, the more open receivers are. It goes together. But you know what? For a moment, let's just give a shout out to Saquon's mom. Way to defend your son. That was absolute mom perfection.
Yes. And you know what? She she she defended him because because they offended him. They literally offended him by by not respecting the talent.
And thank God they just didn't. I'm glad they didn't sign him and then trade him, because then he wouldn't have got a chance to go to a contender and getting a chance to go to a contender. Like, I remember when I remember when I got traded.
It's funny. And we always talk about this. And I love Bill Polian. He's in the Hall of Fame. And, you know, we we we kick this can down the road. But Bill Polian didn't send me to the St. Louis Rams to win. You know, he wasn't doing me any favors. You know, they drafted Edger and James and Ed turned out and had a hell of a career, worked, worked, worked really well for them.
He's in the Hall of Fame as well. But I want you to know, when teams let you go, they're not hoping for the best for you. That's right. Let's let's be honest. It's not that's not the case, because that general manager, he's worried about his job. He's worried about how people see see him and what he does. Yeah, it's a business.
I mean, he's not your friend. It's a business. Yeah.
Yeah. And they're making decisions on what's best. And listen, when you draft, when you let a guy go and you draft a guy, you're hoping the guy that you bring in does well and the guy goes elsewhere and maybe do OK. You're not wishing bad on him, but you're not like, oh, I want him to be the league.
I want him to win the Super Bowl one year and be the league MVP next year. You're not saying that because it says something about your your ability to evaluate. You think the Giants I mean, how do you think this GM survived? Because clearly it touched a nerve with you watching him on hard knocks the way he was.
You know, it's just we all make mistakes and is a big one. I felt like it was I felt like if you get rid of the if you get rid of the general manager, then you've got to get rid of the head coach. And I don't think it was able for I think I think they was a heck of a coach. He was just given he was given a bad, a bad bag of goods to win with. And it just it just didn't work. You can't take your best player away and expect you to win. You know, it just it wasn't his fault. So why not give them both another year? And if it doesn't work, you clean house next year.
That's all right. And this year it was going to be super hard with all these teams. I mean, you really didn't have your pick of a head coach. The head coaches got to pick where they wanted to go. I mean, that's it's it's unbelievable that that you get to do that. Like the head coach got to get to tell a team, oh, yeah, I'm not going to take a visit there because of instability.
I never heard of that. But so many jobs were available. I think next year probably won't be as many jobs available. And if it doesn't work, then the Giants will get to clean house and do what's best. But the GM, he made a mistake, man. And hopefully, hopefully he will. He will go on record and relieve himself by saying, hey, yes, I made a mistake because he was he was pounding his chest.
And he was too proud of the decision that he made and how he went about it. You know, it just it was like he was just talking about a guy who was, you know, at the end of his career. And this kid is in his prime. He's in his prime. Do you recognize any of yourself in him or vice versa?
Without a doubt. I just, you know, I look at him and I see a lot of, you know, from the perspective of being a threat anywhere on the football field in the running game and the passing game and making sure that people account for you at all times when you're on the field. You know, that's what that's what Saquon does best.
I just think I love the fact that, you know, they brought some pressures and he stuck his nose in there and made some key blocks and stuff like that. But the things that don't look sexy, you know, when they start that line of scrimmage and Jalen had to drop dimes, you know, whether he lined up as a receiver and was accountable or in the back for making blocks, it is good to see an all purpose back, you know, playing any play. He's playing a lot of downs. You know, I get on a lot of guys for subbing out and he has a damn good backup, but he's playing a lot of downs because he understand and the playoffs. There's not as many downs. So a check down could sometimes be a very important play and you want to be in there for it. You know, you talked about players.
You mentioned account for them on the field. We used to call those where are they players? Where are they players? When you go up to the line of scrimmage and you have to say, where is he? Where is he? Where is he?
Because you have to account for him. And that's what we used to say to our defense. Who are the where are they players? Your word account for them is far more eloquent than my where are they players. But you know, one other thing about Saquon, we talk a lot about team players and that's sometimes an overused expression. It certainly is not with him for all the reasons that you just mentioned, Marshall. And I was so impressed during the season when the coach said to him, should we put you back in?
You have a chance to break another record. And he said, no, let some of the younger guys play. And that really hit me because we talk so much about team players. That's a team player.
Yeah. And he led the league in carries, too. I mean, it's not like he's just a team player and he looks it. He's showing up on paper. And I think that's what you're saying, Marshall, is that this guy is not afraid to take the rock. No, he's not. He's not. I heard something the other day.
He was I think he was on the pivot with with with Ryan Clark and the guys. And he said, you know, I was on a one year deal with the giant and I just didn't have the security to play with the with the with the freedoms that I play with now. And that security is important. You know, it's like when you look at all these other sports, they got these guaranteed contracts and they get to play with security.
And the most violent sport, you got a guy playing on the one year deal with no security or asking him to put it all on the line and listening to him say that I hadn't thought about it from that perspective. And what we're seeing, we're just seeing his best effort. And I'm not saying he didn't give his best effort when he was with the Giants. I'm saying they didn't give him they didn't give him an opportunity to give his best effort.
They didn't best position him to be his best. And the Eagles have. Yeah.
Yeah, they have. Welcome to AutoZone. What are you working on today? So you've got an oil change coming up. We can help you save on the right oil for your vehicle. Right now, get five quarts of Castrol Edge Full Synthetic or Castrol Edge Full Synthetic High Mileage Motor Oil with an STP extended life oil filter for just thirty five ninety nine.
Visit one of our six thousand stores or order from AutoZone dot com for same day store pickup or next day delivery. Restrictions apply. Let's talk sleep number people in the NFL. There is no margin for error.
One mistake can change the outcome of a game or as you can tell right around these times, an entire season. So you got to be on your game. Science proves quality sleep can help you boost your reaction time, recovery time and overall athletic performance. As the official sleep and wellness partner of the NFL, sleep numbers. Mission is to provide players with data and insights to optimize their sleep for the ultimate competitive edge.
So why not do it for yourself? I do it. My sleep number setting is 60. My wife's is 70. It is just 10 numbers apart. But being able to adjust your bed's firmness after working out or for recovery, it's a game changer. So why choose a sleep number smart bed so you can choose your ideal comfort on either side. And now save 50 percent on the new sleep number limited edition smart bed exclusively at a sleep number store near you. Limited time.
See store or sleep number dot com for details. Let's go back to the Super Bowl. And I know that you were a big napper before games. I want you to tell the story about your napping schedule and how that got affected at the Super Bowl, please.
Yeah, I mean, it's just I mean, with all the with with all the different. Well, the second soup, the first Super Bowl, I figured it out. You know, I was like I had it planned. The second Super Bowl was a little different because because of 9-11.
And and they threw in like. It was weird. There was a pre concert before that got in the way of my sleep schedule. Hold on. We got to set this up right. Guys, for all of you listening, Marshall was a big napper before games.
He gets so calm before games that you would take a nap in the chaos. Right. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Right. Are you saying you are you saying he took a nap in the locker room? Yes.
Yeah. In the locker room. How do you take a nap in the locker room? All of this stuff is going on.
Guys are getting ready. And I and I lay down and I just like on a bench. All this is going on. No, I'm on the floor in my locker.
I'd either sit and put my legs up or I sit in the locker and put my legs on on the stool and I'd get me a little catnap in. And in it, you know, as as AJ Brown read a book on this, like I got like that. That was like. That was my. I got in and.
The. The first Super Bowl we played in was a normal Super Bowl. The second Super Bowl we played in was right after 9-11.
And they put this U2 concert before the game. And it cut into the like my timing of when I got to the stadium. When do we go out? When do we have to come back in?
How much time we had to wait before we went out? And it really it really drove me off it like it's amazing how how we are so creatures of habits that little things like that get in the way. And I mean, I'm from New Orleans. I'm very superstitious. I just I account all things as different or get in the way of routines as a bad omen in a sense. And I'm not going to lie, I didn't have my best game, my game. So it's it's I love the I'm this person when chaos is going on. I am the most calm you're ever going to see me. I'll thrive in chaos.
It's like I'm not my best when things are the worst. Well, I'm good in chaos as well, but I suck at taking naps. So, Marshall, I would like you next time you come and visit us in studio to coach me on how to nap. OK, I kind of figure I can get you there. I can get you I can show you how to. There's there's some there's some really good there's some really good meditation podcasts and stuff to get you in the space where you can you can shut off. She can shut off the noise.
You can turn off your brain and just allow yourself to get into steep sleep state. All right. You're going to coach me up. And I love that you brought up the AJ Brown of it all, because while people were pitching and moaning, complaining, he's reading a book. I thought it was great.
Loved it. That's if you know yourself well enough to create your environment on the bench of a game so that you feel like you're a better player because of it. I'm all for it.
You know, people get on people and definitely people in in Philadelphia, they get on Sirianni. But I'm just glad that he's able to to coach his team, but yet coach individuals as well and allow players to space to be themselves. That's that's so big in the game. I believe that's Andy Reid's greatest trait. I think that what he does with his players and how he does things and how he allows them to be who they are. And if you think about over the years, whether it's Kansas City or in Philadelphia, the personalities that he that he dealt with, the different the different types of guys to have a Terrell Owens and the Deshaun Jackson. You know, it's like, wow. And then you throw the Sean McCoy in the mix as well. You know, you got those are some big personalities to manage. And and he's been able to do it. And how about this? I know I know I know we you know, we get into the the what and I just want to say this. You know, as much as we talk about Taylor Swift and the Kansas City Chiefs, she has not interrupted anything, any chemistry or anything with that team.
It has not bothered. Nobody has said we don't want her in a locker room or we don't want her in the family area or that. And there's always issues with celebrities in these spaces. And I must say that's a testament to Taylor Swift and her team for just for just going with the flow or whatever, whatever is best for Kelsey, for Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs and their organization. I think 100 percent. I think game knows game. And she knows what it takes to perform night in and night out.
I know I went to three shows. She is a beast. She is a machine. We are except for Cooper, of course, we are like her biggest fans in our house. And and by the way, Taylor, if you're listening, Cooper would be very excited to meet you.
So we're all good. But like, I know she's busy listening to what the football on a regular basis. She texts me all the time to say that was a great show with Marshall.
But, you know, look, game knows game. So right, Susie. And this, you know, I don't know if you ever heard this, Marshall, but she apparently gets on the treadmill and sings her entire set list on the treadmill like multiple times a week training for this. Like that's what I think is special about this. I have I have no problems with it because she has shown Andy Reid a tremendous amount of respect from what I've heard, from what I've heard from other people back there.
Great to all of the security people coming through. Cool with the other wives, which, by the way, you know how wives can be. And, you know, she's made maybe she maybe let me psychoanalyze. Maybe she's given Travis like a comfortable place for himself to be at the top of his game as he builds throughout leading up to the playoffs because he has gotten better as the playoffs have gone on.
Who knows if there's just some kind of symbiosis there where when you're that big, it's like we said about the A-list, B-list, C-list celebrities, when you're that big, you don't need it. Well, and if you're just a good person, you're a good person. And she appears to be a good person. Look, you mentioned her treadmill.
I said this at the time. She did a concert in Denver. Maybe she did multiple ones.
She sang for three hours, three and a half hours. No football team had better again complain about the altitude in Denver if she could do what she did for three and a half hours. Hey, Suze, I have a question for you. Did you just break news that I don't know about? You said the other wives? Or just the wives? The wives, the wives. OK, I just wanted to be clear.
You said the other wives. I was like, did I? Did I miss something? Marshall, thank you so much for joining us on this edition of What the Football. Honestly, like, you know me, I like to drop a dime.
I would have flexed if I had known something good. I really love you, Marshall. I'm just saying, when you said the other wives, I was like, you meant wives. Hold on, wait.
I mean wives. I got to ask, did I miss something? Wouldn't that have been hot if I could break that on What the Football? Suze, Suze, maybe I just stop you from going viral.
Like somebody probably, damn it. Thanks a lot, Marshall. Great job.
I would love to drop that dime. Are you kidding? My sources tell me. I don't know. But you know how it can be.
It can get chippy. Oh, I know. I know.
Trust me, I know. I mean, her and Patrick Mahone's wife, they're like best buds. You know what I did like, though? I did like seeing Kaitlyn Clark. And like, you know, I love the fact that, you know, I'll be honest, as we found out that Taylor Swift didn't know much about football. I don't know if she's ever, ever watched the WNBA game, but just the fact that the stardom that Kaitlyn Clark has been thrusted up in. And like a lot of responsibility that goes along with with being the face of the WNBA right now. There's no better person to like befriend and take lessons from and hang around than Taylor Swift. She is in great company. And I don't blame her. I would have been in that box too. Like, like, coach me up.
Like, show me what to do. And I got to tell you, when my Taylor saw that Taylor with Kaitlyn Clark, she was more excited about Kaitlyn Clark because her favorite T-shirt that she wears four or five times a week says, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22 with the Kaitlyn Clark on the back because, you know, she's number 22. Great song, by the way. Very catchy.
Seen it many times. You're going to sing it now? I can't sing.
It's so bad. But my point is, it is the greatest conglomeration of girl power I have ever seen in one spot. And I love it because I love Kaitlyn Clark. I'm OK by saying I love Taylor Swift.
I feel pretty good about myself. But that was such a great moment. And you're right.
I mean, we're talking about work ethic, meeting work ethic, and star power meeting star power. And two women who are arguably the biggest names in entertainment right now sharing, sharing chairs, sharing. And it looks like what's it looks like that crazy actor behind.
But I don't think it is. It looks like what's his name? It's not Jonah Hill. No, it looks like doesn't it look like Jonah Hill in the background?
It's very funny. We can go with not Jonah Hill. It's not Jonah Hill. Check out the UCLA jacket. We can go with not Jonah Hill.
It's all good. I know the UCLA. Look, who's wearing the UCLA? This is crazy. Who's wearing that jacket? Well, anyway, Taylor looks great.
Kaitlyn looks awesome. And it's game meeting game. And you're right.
There's no Yoko Ono at all with her there at all. Well, and you nailed it, Susie. You said work ethic. And the two of those women work, work, work.
And you know what? Whenever anyone asks me, you know, career advice, career advice, work hard, work as hard as you can. And when you don't think you can work any harder, find a way to work harder. Marshall, how hard is it to go back to back to Super Bowls? Like, as we look at this potential three-peat. I mean, I lived it with I lived it with Shaq and Kobe and got to do that three-peat.
And I saw what it was like. But the NBA is a far different and less violent game than the NFL. Yeah, it's extremely hard to to have a core group of guys to embrace and embody a goal and a task. With one vision, one mentality, which is win the Super Bowl, not not get MVP, not stats, not all of that. It's so hard because in the game, you want to you need to take care of your family. You need to make money. You need to have stats.
You need to do all of that stuff. And to get guys to sacrifice for the greater good, it is so hard. And what I love about Kansas City, what I love about the Chiefs, what I love about what my home does, what I love about what Chris Jones does, they're top notch guys.
They not just they're not just by hand. They embrace it like it is what it's all about. It's not about getting a sack. It's not about from a home getting league MVP. It's about did we win the damn game?
And that's it. Who's going to win? I'm just I'm not going against Patrick Mahomes.
I'm just like I've learned my lesson. This is this is starting to feel like, you know, when you're playing the New England Patriots and the effect that Brady had on the game, because at the position where you need it the most, when you have the best guy, not just like the best guy playing right now, but arguably one of, if not, you could put him in the argument, one of the best guys to ever play the position. It's just not fair. And I'm taking nothing away from Jalen Hurts and what he has accomplished getting the two two Super Bowls over the last three years. I'm just saying that guy number 15 and what he has kind of taken on and embraced, like he watched Tom dominate the league and be the reason why a lot of quarterbacks in the AFC did not win Super Bowls.
And if they did, they only got one on his watch, maybe two while he was playing. He just like right now, he's it's worse than that. He's telling he's telling Lamar. He's telling Josh Allen. He's telling Joe Burrow.
Not on my watch. Marshall, love you. Thanks for making the time. I really do adore you, Marshall. Thanks for having me, ladies. Thanks for having me. I appreciate every time you guys have me on.
All right. We'll see you next week. We appreciate you.
Thanks, babe. Well, I hope you enjoyed this double dip of what the football. It just seemed it just seemed greedy not to share it with all of you out there.
I mean, come on. When when do you get to have the experience like this, where you get to sit down with two of your favorite people at the same time in a football podcast and sit here with you? It's pretty great. So we hope that you enjoyed it.
And next week, we'll have Brent Musburger on as promised. I think a nice little Vegas nod again, two weeks in a row to a lot of Vegas for you, Princess of Darkness. By the way, nice double dip reference. I'm going to go have some ice cream. Well, thank you so much. Take care of take care of this week. Have a great ice cream for me and for all of you who watch what the football.
We appreciate the time it takes to download a podcast, especially of this length. So we do hope that you enjoyed it and drop any questions, any comments that you have, of course, unless they're horrendously misogynistic. And then I just like to kind of come back and some guy last week wrote something like chicks shouldn't talk about football, but he wrote CHIC. And I was laughing.
I was like, do they spell it right? But if you think we look chic, thanks so very much. So with that in mind, I will say thank you for taking in this edition of what the football and we will see you next week. I don't think this is an overreaction because we have no idea what we're reacting to react or overreact with us. Overreaction Monday. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. It's game over. Over.
