Herm Edwards, Former Jets & Chiefs Head Coach

I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch.

He is bad vibes. We talk to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was 25 when I actually got my tongue split.

I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. I'm Larry Mullins, host of the podcast Your Weirdest Fears, the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop. I am so scared of the Grinch. He is bad vibes. We talk to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man. I was 25 when I actually got my tongue split.

I have one tattoo that covers my entire body. Listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from. A different situation for the Bengals. The prior week they played in Buffalo obviously and the weather had something to do with the pass rush and the fact that Cincinnati was making six yards on first down. So it never got into a game where Burroughs had to go back and hold the football. They ran the ball well, got rid of the ball.

It never was in harm's way. way in Kansas City was a different outcome and you're right Chris Jones dominated the game and I thought they did a nice job of moving him around not only because he's an inside player but it ties the movement it at the end and at the end of the game he got the sack to close the game out. With the high ankle sprain that Mahomes had were you surprised how at times he looked like he was just an absolute robot on the field? No there was some concern during the week I can remember being in studio and people were saying well he I wonder if he's gonna play I said are you kidding me he's gonna play.

Not only did he play he played really good I mean for a guy that couldn't move and then obviously the last play he moved well but I thought he did a nice job in the pocket of just playing football and being under control and you know that's where the baseball comes in he doesn't have to use his legs as much as some guys but his arm talent goes without being fed. I remember it's here with us so alright let's get to the officials what did you think of the officials in the AFC title game? I've always said this thing about officials they never have a home game so wherever they're at regardless of what happens how it turns out for that team that they walk into the stadium to that's the home team it's never good if you leave them in a bad way but there were some calls obviously you you scratch your head especially with the electronics they have now where they can actually go down you know stop it from playing I mean the Philadelphia deal was was one that was interesting you know they didn't have a good shot at it and Billy did a nice job of getting back on the ball and obviously scored on that on that series of plays. I think a lot of people in the Eagles game with that play that you're talking about with Devante Smith they see Devante Smith basically imploring the team to get up to the line to spike the ball a lot of people saying that should have been enough for Kyle Shanahan to just throw the flag when you see a play on the other team telling his guys let's go let's go let's go does that make you more inclined as a coach to throw the flag? And you have that tendency to do that but but sometimes you know sometimes the players aren't quite sure either and so you know you're hoping you get something from the boost from those guys that have the eyes down there cuz sometimes where you at as the head coach you can't see it all that could be a far side of the field could be way away from you so you're hoping you get a picture of it but that was indication it ended up being a scoring drive for those guys.

I remember it's here with us getting back to the officiating the AFC title game when when you look at that third and nine hole play where then the play plays out then they said it was it was called dead I've never seen anything like that. You would hope the officials would just get over the ball and don't allow the play to start I mean that's the best way to solve it and you know I was in that league for a long time and I think anytime you're the head official if you have any concern the best thing for you to do is just go in there stop play and let and just that's what you do and for some reason they didn't do that. What would you say the young man Joseph Osi who had the late hit it was clearly a foul to me but he's 22 years old what what advice would you give him as his coach? Look I think that's it they have a great football team and I thought those players some are more angry obviously an emotion always spills out when a guy gets a penalty in that situation but I thought the team rallied around him and you know he's gonna have to live with that and that's and that's the hard deal because the thing you do know about the championship games is that it's final I mean if you walk out of those stadiums and you lost your season has ended no different than in the regular season when you don't make the playoffs your season has ended and when you get into those games a championship game you're one win away from going to a Super Bowl and you never know if you're gonna get back. With the Burrowhead comments that they had if you were a coach you tell your guys to knock that off like does that play a factor in the game? You know that's a part of the you know gamesmanship I think that's always been involved in sports you know I grew up a Muhammad Ali fan okay you're talking to the wrong guy and I played corner right?

I think nowadays though because social media and everything is out there you know everything you say is really talked about it and a lot of these players that's what they do they can't walk 10 yards without their phone in their hand they're all reading it but I think at the end you got to go play you know words are great but you got to back them up that's what I always say if you're gonna say it back it up. Her memories I thought it was funny how much the Kansas City players heard the the Cincinnati mayor with what he was saying before the game. Well I think look we can say that motivated them I think 0-3 motivated me more yeah you know they played this three team three times and they've been beat by these guys and I just think they got tired of hearing that noise because they're an excellent football team and obviously it was a big win for them. When you look at Sirianni with the Eagles that was the hire two years ago he was crushed right after his introductory press conference and now he's laughing in the Super Bowl it reminds me a lot like Doug Peterson because I was in Philly when Doug was hired and he that was not a popular hire. Well you know and look I played there and he has won the favor of the fans and he that personality fits there he's done a remarkable job especially with the quarterback I mean the quarterback has really transferred transferred you know his game to a different level when you think about his ability to throw the ball now we knew he was a good athlete a good runner but his accuracy down the field getting AJ Brown helped as well and you know a couple of other guys and I just think this football team is going to be around for a while. And you got to give credit to Howie Roseman because how many times that guy has counted out I don't think I've ever seen a GM like have an offseason where he doesn't miss whether it was Reddick, AJ Brown, CJ Gardner-Johnson even in season they got Linval Joseph in the Domic and Sue.

Yeah they've done a great job of really collecting players and understand that I think the key is you know what type of team are you trying to build and I do know this and this just goes back to my days when I entered there as a rookie in 1977 the one things the Philadelphia fan wants to see out of their teams regardless of what team you play for any sport in the city of Philadelphia you better play hard and you better be tough if you do those things those fans will respect you and in football especially you better play defense if you're a Philadelphia Eagle. What would you have said her member to your team at halftime if you were the coach of the 49ers just with the injuries we already know they were out the two quarterbacks and they lose Purdy and then Johnson gets knocked out of the game and they have to go back to Purdy. Well obviously they're down one score and and it's not hard for players to figure out you know you got to win this thing now defensively and we got to win it with special teams and our saying was always this as a coach if they can't score they can't win and they played as hard as they could play that 49er team and you know it's a shame that a game of that magnitude it ended up like that you know but but here again you gotta take your hat off to them and well our prayers got to go out to Purdy because it's a lot worse than we anticipated obviously he's gonna have surgery he could be out for six months so now all of a sudden the quarterback carousel in San Francisco starts the guy they had obviously they had high aspirations got hurt Jimmy Garoppolo is looking for a place obviously and then there's the Captain America Tom Brady did he go back home there's to be a lot of talk about quarterbacks in San Francisco. And it's crazy how quickly that changes because headed into that game it was okay Brock Purdy's gonna be the starter now you're right I do think this opens back up the door for Tom Brady.

Oh there's no doubt I mean you can imagine we'll be talking about it on the worldwide leading we already started today I was on television today it's like here we go you know it never stops and that's what's so great about the sport of football as you know it's year-round now so we'll have something to talk about. I remember it's here with us I know going up against your old team and it's many years removed it's never easy but for Andy Reid not that you need any extra motivation it's the Super Bowl everything goes out the window but that's a pretty neat storyline with Andy Reid who was Mr. Eagle now with the Chiefs he's Mr. Chief and he's going up against his old squad. Yeah it's a lot of fun and I and I was fortunate enough to be a head coach in that league as well and when it gets teams that obviously that I coached that you know what when they were played it was Philadelphia the Jets we played those guys a couple times probably the greatest thing for me is when we played the Eagles you know generally when the old team when the visiting team comes into the stadium and they introduced the players they booed right and so I knew I got their respect because when they when they said my name the crowd didn't boo he actually clapped and I said that's that's interesting even the players notices they coach they didn't boo you I said well you know been there ten years I did some things right for him so I guess they're still okay with that. Yeah after that play at the Meadowlands I don't think you ever gonna get booed in Philadelphia coach.

Yeah that was that was one that was I was in the right place at the right time obviously. So the Kelcey storyline too you got Travis Kelcey and Jason Kelcey I can't even imagine what that family's going through. What did the parents do when they go to the game? The mother has a split jersey. Yeah I mean this is amazing you put one one core I've opened it they're gonna win regardless right it was almost a situation I was in when the 49ers obviously played the you know the Philadelphia Eagles I was a little bit torn in the fact that John Lynch is the GM and we're really close I mean he's the godfather of my son and we're the godfather of one of his most girls so that was a hard game for me too to watch.

Yeah the hardball is too going back to a few years ago. Yeah it's just it's hard you know and it's just that that's what makes the game so great you know there's a lot of storylines to people that are connected to people and like you said Andy's going back to Philly and did a remarkable job there I can remember Andy when I was my first first time with the Chiefs with Marty Schottenheimer and Bill Kauer and Tony Dungy and and Bruce Arians you know Andy was just getting into it he was at Missouri he was well as an assistant coach over there. Wrap it up with her members what's your first thought on this game two weeks out? Oh this is going to be something you know I think that the last time the Chiefs played a defense like Philadelphia was against the 49ers and I actually my family we went to that game I saw it live now obviously it didn't turn out good for the 49ers that day but but the Eagles better beware that this chief team they get on a roll they get going and I think the key is you got to take Kelcey out of the mix I mean he's the guy he is always the guy around the ball always in the red zone Mahones and him have some chemistry together but this Eagle team is pretty good guys I mean they got a good football team. You being the former coach of the Jets how realistic do you think it is that they trade for Rodgers this offseason? That would be interesting another Green Bay quarterback coming to the Jets right I mean they have a playoff defense there's no doubt about that I know this the coach you know he wants to be similar to the 49ers on offense he wants to run it he wants to you know do that and I just think if they get a quarterback a veteran guy they're gonna be set they're gonna be a hard out. They got to get someone because that defense you're right that is a playoff caliber really good defense you know how that works if your defense is showing up each and every week with the offenses and that's how you lose the locker room as a coach. Well it becomes hard it just becomes hard you know when you when you can't score and but the problem is when you're turning the ball over you know that that's even more that even becomes more of a problem because now you put the defense in a bad way so I just think they'll find a solution and they've got a good football team but you know that AFC has a lot of great quarterbacks young ones too it's gonna be fun to watch these guys develop over the next couple years. Do you think the situation is fixable in New York with Zach Wilson or is that ship already sailed? You know I'm not there all we hear is things I don't know how to the locker room feels about the guy and this is where Coach Salas is gonna have to really talk to some of those veteran guys and say look you know how do you guys really feel about this guy the guy is young there's a lot of pressure on him and I think that conversation needs to be had I think he's had it already and it would be interesting here now going forward what they do at that position. Herm we appreciate the time good to catch up with you thank you. My pleasure thank you. The listening you love is on the free Odyssey app your trusted local radio stations coverage of your favorite teams live news from your hometown and millions of podcasts on demand best of all you can completely customize your listening experience follow topics you care about like leagues and teams pause or rewind your local sports and news and add shows to your queue to catch up later there's a lot to listen to so get started and download the free Odyssey app today the listening you love is on the free Odyssey app your trusted local radio stations coverage of your favorite teams live news from your hometown and millions of podcasts on demand best of all you can completely customize your listening experience follow topics you care about like leagues and teams pause or rewind your local sports and news and add shows to your queue to catch up later there's a lot to listen to so get started and download the free Odyssey app today I'm Larry Mullins host of the podcast your weirdest fears the show that explores the odd things that make your heart stop I am so scared of the Grinch he is bad vibe we talked to everyone from therapists to exterminators to lizard man I was 25 when I actually got my tongue split I have one tattoo that covers my entire body listen and subscribe on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts from