Drue Tranquill, Los Angeles Chargers Linebacker

So my biggest fear is there's going to be sneaks in the toilet. We're all afraid of that one strange thing. I'm Larry Mullins, the host of a new short 10-minute podcast called Your Weirdest Fears. We unpack where these fears come from. A rat climbed into my toilet.

And learn how to manage them. Listen and subscribe to Your Weirdest Fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Throughout the 60s and 70s, cops hunted down key figures of the Dixie Mafia, including its enigmatic ringleader, Kirksey Nix. I'm interested in making money.

I'm not interested in hurting people. Fifteen years into Kirksey's life sentence, the Dixie Mafia was practically folklore, but that would soon change. I'm Jed Lipinski. This is Gone South, a documentary podcast from C-13 Originals, a Cadence 13 studio. Season two, the Dixie Mafia, available now on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.

radio. Drew, appreciate you doing this again. Congratulations on the win and how you've been.

I'm doing fantastic. I felt when watching that game last night that that was your guys' best performance of the year. Did you guys get that sense that that was the best win the Chargers had this season?

It certainly felt like that, Zach. We seemed like we were clicking on all cylinders defensively. I mean, we had a ton of key guys out. When you just look at the guys across the defensive front, four of our five starters missing.

Arguably our best defensive player, Derwin James, is out. And we just had a ton of young guys step in and we were clicking. The rush was going. Four-man games were working. And in the back end, we were all over them. You mentioned those past deflections. We had guys, you know, deflecting the ball throughout the entirety of the game and really challenged them, I think, in the middle of the deep part of the field. I think that's what won us the ballgame. And you never know how physical you're allowed to be and how it's going to get called. But I saw a really physical defense last night, Drew. It was physical and I think Sante said it well after the game. It's like our game plan was to get just to get in their face and to challenge them.

When you look at the speed they have, a lot of people will play soft and just try and let them catch it and not beat them explosively. I thought we really challenged them. Really, I felt like outside of that fluke fumble that Tyreek picked up and took to the house and then the one where Michael Davis was in an incredible position, played really good defense outside and just unfortunately tripped up.

If he doesn't trip up, he probably picks off the pass outside of those two plays. I felt like really we put a roof over those two guys when you talk about Jalen and Tyreek and the speed they have and did a nice job on them. What was the biggest point of emphasis leading into that game and what you guys needed to do defensively? Well, I think we knew missing four out of five guys up front, we knew we had to win a lot of scrimmage.

We knew we were going to have a lot of guys in there who hadn't played together. So just the continuity of winning a line of scrimmage up front and then we knew we had to put a roof over 10 and 17. When their offense is clicking, it's when those guys are able to hit explosive passes, who is able to get it and push it down the field. We knew we had to contain them in the explosive plays category and then we knew we had to try and turn them over. I think more than anything, we had the forced fumble that ultimately led to a touchdown for them. But I think more than anything, our offense did a really good job of not turning the ball over and capitalizing on their possession. So it was just complimentary football across the board.

Drew Tranquil here with us from Los Angeles Chargers. You've mentioned the injuries a few times. I know injuries are never excused and it's unfortunately the reality of this sport. But with how many injuries you guys have suffered this year, does it feel like it's been holding back this team from reaching their full potential? Well, whenever you're missing starters, you lack continuity. And I think in any NFL season, it's 17 games into the playoffs and it's all about building, creating continuity and kind of building momentum. And you see it every year, teams that come out of the gate hot, win a ton of ball games and then fall off and sometimes don't even make the playoffs. We want to be one of those teams that's kind of building momentum and peaking at the right time. And I really felt like last night was a step in the right direction.

But when you're out guys and you're rotating guys in and playing with guys who you haven't necessarily played with, there's a certain level of continuity and comfortability that comes with playing with guys, you know, developing that time under task. And we've certainly lacked that this year, but we're a resilient bunch and we're keeping ourselves in it. When like last night, when you look at what this team could accomplish down this stretch, you think it's obviously Drew Tranquil's step in the right direction, but where do you think, where do you envision this team is heading to in the final month of the season? Well, we believe we're a playoff contender and last night was a step in the right direction.

You look at Miami, they still got to go to Buffalo. And so that's going to be huge having that head to head mark over them, head down the stretch. When you look at the chiefs who are in a really good position to take the AFC West, we got to take care of business these last four games. And nothing's given, everything's going to be earned and we're hoping to get a few key guys back and continue to get healthy and play our best football heading into December here. But last night certainly felt like maybe that spark to get us heading in that right direction.

We got a tough task with Tennessee coming in this week and it's going to be a tough last four games for us heading down the stretch here. You being in that locker room and understanding the pulse of the locker room, obviously you needed the win last night, but did you guys needed that win more so just for a little bit of a confidence boost to some of the misfortunes you've had this year? I don't know that we were in it for a confidence boost.

I think we believed in each other. I think more than anything, maybe a confidence boost is when you're missing some of your key guys. There's just a belief factor that comes when you have your key guys in there. And I felt like even though we didn't have those guys, the belief was there last night. There was something magical about it. When we brought it up in the huddle right there before the game started, I was just looking in the guy's eyes and the message was, man, all it starts with a little belief, a little belief in the heart, man. And we could do something special here tonight. And we really took advantage of that opportunity.

And I think it's certainly a confidence booster if you want to put it that way. I think it shows that, you know, even when we didn't have our best guys, we could go beat a really quality team, a team that's going to be there in the playoffs, I'm a really high powered offense. And even though we didn't have our best guys, man, we were able to come out with the W, which is the most important.

Drew Tranquil here with us. Was the defensive performance at all surprising? Because you look back at the numbers and you even said it, other than the fluke play with Tyreek and then the trip up on the long touchdown by Tyreek as well, that offense for Miami, which has been high octane all throughout the year, was able to really generate nothing last night. Yeah, like I was saying earlier, our defensive backs, our pass for us working together, they really put the pressure on. You know, you see Kyle Vianoye hit that incredible move on armstead.

Morgan Fox got home. Sante Samuel, Michael Davis, Jafir Taylor, Alohi Gilman, Nasir Adderley, all these guys in the secondary for us really held up and did a nice job. And I thought we just tackled well, played physical. Outside of a few, you know, scrambles by two, I thought we did really well in the run game. Um, they had a couple of runs that kind of leaked on us a little bit, but other than that, we, you know, we played really well against the run, which is something we've been struggling with, you know, missing guys and, and lacking that continuity. So I thought just overall, I was really proud of the way we played on defense.

I think we had him 55 yards in the first half. Um, and you know, whenever a team gets, you know, punched in the mouth like that, they're going to come out in the second half with some stuff. And, and I thought we did a great job of absorbing, you know, the corrections they made at halftime and, and being able to shut them out there in the, in the third and fourth quarter to win the ball game. Yeah. You take the win, however it comes, and I'm sure it doesn't matter on the scoreboard, Drew Tranquil, but when I say 23 to 17 was the final score, it didn't seem like it was that close.

It didn't. We talk about those, those couple fluke plays. It's like, man, we, we rake it right out of the guy's arms and there's a scramble for the ball.

And next thing you know, it's like you blink and Tyreke's in the end zone. It's like, my goodness, I got it so fast, but it's like, you know, when we're getting three and outs and we're, and we're really putting a roof over the coverage and, uh, playing well in the run game, it doesn't feel like they have anything going. And it was those two explosive plays that really put points on the board for them. You know, if anything, I thought their defense really came out in the second half and gave them a chance to stay in that ball game.

Um, I thought Justin was electric all night. I thought our run game got going at times and, you know, I thought they came out and really challenged our offense there in the second half to try and create possessions for Tua and those guys to get going. But, um, they're a tough, they're a tough club and they're going to be there at the end.

Um, and I'm just really excited for our club, our organization. We've been through a lot this year and, and to get that win last night in prime time really meant a lot to a lot of people. I picked you guys to win, but with the record being seven and six and going and you guys were six and six, you know, the saying same old chargers are going to keep on popping on up. And then when the Tyree cap held play happens, it's like, Oh, that only happens to the chargers.

How do you kind of fight that stigma when people all throughout the year are saying, all right, whenever we think the charges are going to be really good, they're not as good as we think they're going to be. Well, Zach, I appreciate you picking us, man. Cause nobody else picked us.

Uh, first right pick I got probably all year. Let's go, Hey, we, we just got to control what we can control. You know, history is what it is. Um, and, and we want to create change here and we believe we have the guys, the coaches, um, and the people in place to do that. Um, and so we just got to keep playing good football, um, keep creating that momentum, that confidence, that belief here, heading down the stretch.

Um, and I think we're going to be able to do something special. I know last night is the chargers against the dolphins, but us in the media, we talk about it as Justin Herbert going up against Tua Tunga Vailoa. A lot of things were said leading into that game.

Was that game a little bit extra personal for you guys in the locker room? Where how some people were dissing your quarterback and Justin Herbert, man. I don't know what's up with Emmanuel Ocho, man.

He's a great guy, but social media quarterback, this guy's thrown for more yards and three seasons than any other quarterback in NFL history. So he, uh, I'm glad he went out and had a superstar performance. We said, Justin, we're going to need you to play your best ball tonight.

And he went out there and did that with everything on the line. I mean, you just can't say enough about what he does for our club and what he brings to our organization. It seems like the entire locker room is aware of what Emmanuel Ocho said with the social media quarterback.

Oh man. I love our social media team plays and jazz back and forth with it, but, um, it's crazy. He said that, I mean, some people in media, sometimes they say stuff, uh, it's headline stuff, it's catchy and, and they got a debate with one another and it creates viewership, but I think in his heart of hearts, he knows Justin's a superstar. So you tell me, you describe what type of quarterback you have in Justin Herbert. Man, he's just as steady as they come. I don't, I don't know that there's, uh, another guy I've ever played with that is able to take success and take failure the way he does. Uh, he's just super steady, never gets too high, never gets too low, loves being a part of the chargers, loves being a part of our team and, and loves just playing football with the guys. And, um, you know, you can look at athletes across history and some experience success and it gets to their head and, you know, they fall off some experience failure and they're never able to bounce back and get through it. Justin's the guy who, through my time of knowing him, which has been his entire time in the NFL, he's been nothing but steady.

And I think you're gonna continue to see greatness unfold in his career. On the way out with Drew Tranquil from the Chargers after their big victory last night up against the dolphins, you guys haven't had Joey Bosa for a while, no Derwin James last night. When those guys aren't playing, how can they still help you guys in preparation and then during the game, uh, in trying to secure a victory? Well, I mean, these are premium players we're talking about. These are guys who have a lot of experience, um, who have had a lot of success in the NFL. And so whenever you have these guys on your sideline and you have guys out there who haven't had as many reps, who don't have as much experience, they can draw from just their presence. They can draw from their leadership, from their words, from what they see.

Um, and I think more than anything, just their presence and the energy that they create and bring it. It's huge when we have those guys on the sideline and we certainly needed them there last night and they were there and it helps us get a big, big win. Before we let you run, I know it went in your guys's favor, but I have no clue and I'm sure you don't either as a defensive player had to hit the quarterback, because I don't know what Jalen Phillips did wrong when he hit Justin Herbert.

Yeah, I don't know if it's, uh, it's a full body weight thing. That was, uh, you know, as a football player, that's a bit, that's a bit unfortunate, you know, the rest are going to call what they see. Um, I thought he made a great, a great pass rush move. It was a physical tackle. Um, and how they have the rule written, man, they want to protect these 50, $60 million guys. So if you lay it with all your weight on them, they, uh, they're going to throw the, the yellow thing out of their pocket, but, um, that was certainly a big play. Uh, you hate to see it. It's a physical game.

Um, and it is what it is. We've had those moments. I think Joey's had a few called on him, but, um, that was unfortunate. The kid made a great move and a physical tackle. Um, it worked in our favor thankfully, but, um, uh, it's a tough play.

It's a tough play at the bang, bang thing. When you start to prepare for Tennessee, you know what Derrick Henry is able to do in this league. What do you think will be the biggest point of emphasis all throughout the week when you look at that Titans offense?

Well, he was, he was rolling in the first half, first Jacksonville. Um, and you know, they played well in the second half and we're able to get the W um, he's a big back. He's physical.

It gets downhill. Uh, we're going to create a wall in the run game. We're going to have to be physical at the point of attack. We can't be trying to swim, get up field, um, and Dodge blocks. We really, it's going to have to be a physical game.

We're going to have to win the ladder scrimmage if we want to chant. Um, and we can't let, we can't let him get going. Uh, when he's able to get going, um, he's a tough back to bring down.

I've got all the respect in the world for his game and what he's accomplished in his career. And I'm excited for the challenge. It's going to be a good challenge for our team. And it's another big game. Drew Tranquil once again, congratulations on the victory up against the dolphins. Good luck against Tennessee. We appreciate the time.

Hey, thanks y'all. We'll see you Zach. So my biggest fear is there's going to be sneaks in the toilet. We're all afraid of that one strange thing. I'm Larry Mullins, the host of a new short 10 minute podcast called your weirdest fears. We unpack where these fears come from.

A rat climbed into my toilet and learn how to manage them. Listen and subscribe to your weirdest fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Throughout the sixties and seventies cops hunted down key figures of the Dixie mafia, including its enigmatic ringleader, Kirksey Nix. I'm interested in making money. I'm not interested in hurting people. 15 years into Kirksey's life sentence, the Dixie mafia was practically folklore, but that would soon change. I'm Jed Lipinski.

This is Gone South, a documentary podcast from C-13 originals, a cadence 13 studio season two, the Dixie mafia available now on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. What makes your skin crawl? No matter how absurd I want to know. Tails without fur on them, such as rats or possums. I'm Larry Mullins, the host of a new podcast called your weirdest fears. You send me your fear. I'm just so weirded out about the texture and how they can just move around and flop. And then I go to the experts to learn how to overcome them. Listen and subscribe to your weirdest fears on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from.