00:00:00
Speaker 1: There are smart guys who talk football, but I honestly think Ross Tucker has a blast, and you can hear it every time he cracks a mic. He is on the call with Ian Eagle Sunday on CBS for Panthers at Eagles. One team coming out of a bye, the other team coming back from London after dropping its third straight. Ross also the preseason TV analyst for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is with us on the FNZ Hotline. Ross, how you been, brother? It's good to have you back.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: Kyle, I am fantastic. It is always good to hear your voice. I love how hard you're working doing this show, then doing the pregame tonight. And yeah, man, I don't know why it's worked out this way. I've been doing NFL games now for four years, but this is my first Carolina Panthers TV game. So really fired up. Two of my best friends from high school live in Charlotte. I've got a lot of respect for what the Panthers are doing, and I've known Dan Morgan for a while, so I'm really, really fired up to do this game.
00:00:57
Speaker 1: Well, I'm excited for it, too. And listen, like two years ago, you and I were on this show talking about Bryce versus C.J. Stroud and where things were going. And two years ago, Carolina went into Philly and probably should have come out of there with a win. But XL Xavier Lee get drops a ball and Philly hangs on. And two years later, Carolina is going back to Philadelphia Ross as a one and a half point favorite in this game. What do you think about that?
00:01:23
Speaker 2: Well, I think a lot's happened in the last couple of years. And I think in particular, a lot's happened so far this year. We'll see who's available for the Eagles in this game, but they are coming back from London. You know, the Panthers are coming off a bye. The Eagles on Sunday, for Panthers fans that didn't watch it that closely, they started a left guard and a center who had never played an NFL game before. Neither one of them. And they started Markel Bell, the right tackle, is a rookie. He was making his second start for the retired Lane Johnson. They did not have Shaquan Barkley or their backup running back, Tank Bixby, or their third-string running back, Will Shipley, who I believe is from the Charlotte area or North Carolina at least. Yeah, he is. So they were down their top three running backs. Devontae Smith didn't play. They were missing guys on defense. Honestly, Kyle, I said it before the games. This is not like hindsight. I really thought you could make a strong argument that it would have been one of Nick Sirianni's finest moments. as an NFL head coach and maybe his best regular season win, if they had found a way to win that game against the Jaguars. I think the Jaguars are really, really good. I have them as a top five team. So if he had been able to find a way to win that game, that would have been massive. And he was only eight seconds away. Meanwhile, on the other side, gosh, it's been fun the last couple of days. watching Bryce Young and this Panthers offense. It's really incredible. I mean, to think his first couple years, the amount of conversations we had about whether or not he was the guy, and now to see just how quickly the ball's coming out, how confidently he's playing, there's a lot of lessons there, man, a lot of lessons there about if you take a guy and you have the conviction to take him that high, Well, then let him see it through. Let him get to the other side and maximize whatever it is he can be. And I think whatever Bryce Young can be, the Panthers are going to find out by the end of this year.
00:03:38
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think, again, a big part of it has been Brad Idzik taking over play calling. You know, the things that were missing from Bryce in particular and the offense as a whole, Ross, the last couple of years have been explosive plays, right? That's a big part of it. They haven't had many explosive plays or at least not nearly enough of them. And it seemed for a long time like Dave Canales just did not want to let Bryce Young throw the ball over the middle of the field. In steps Brad Idzik, and all of a sudden Bryce isn't just leading the league in passing yardage. He's leading the league near the top of the league in chunk plays, and he is dicing up opponents over the middle of the field. How much of that do you attribute to the new play caller, and what have you noticed from him?
00:04:16
Speaker 2: Well, certainly everything they did the last couple years was a joint decision. and everything they've done this year is like Dave can Alice is in most of those meetings. So it's a cat is input the last couple of years and can Alice has his input certainly this year, but there's no question that they trust him more than it feels like they did previously. And maybe it was because of how he played at the end of the year late in those games. Maybe it's because of the playoff game. Maybe it's just because it's year four or whatever. But, man, I mean, it's a lot of middle of the field. And it's not afraid to go down the field. And I think, you know what's interesting? I think there was almost like a preconceived notion, and I'm not saying the Panthers felt this way, but I think other people did, that because of his size, he just couldn't see the middle of the field that great. And so it wasn't conducive to him throwing the ball in the middle of the field. I tell you what, I mean, Kyle, he's getting rid of the ball. So quick. I can't tell on a bunch of them if it's an RPO or if it's just a quick play action, but his hands are so quick. It's really fun to watch. He's really, you know, I'm not saying he's this guy at all, at all, but there's sort of a breezy and feel to when you watch the Bryce play right now, which is fascinating because that was always, Probably considered best-case scenario for him. And maybe we just say that about every short guy. I don't know. But there's definitely a Breeze-ian feel to the way he's playing right now. Oh, agreed.
00:06:07
Speaker 1: And we got Ross Tucker with us here on the FNZ Hotline. You're right. That was best-case scenario. That's what a more mobile version of Drew Breeze is, what people were hoping for. What do you think about the weapons? Because that's one thing it seems that... many in the national media have really started to pay attention to. TMAC is the reigning offensive rookie of the year. Jalen Coker just got himself a contract extension. They pick up Darren Waller late in training camp, big 6'6, 6'7, red zone target. They got a small quarterback, Ross, but the weapons on this team, they got a lot of big bodies out there. How big an advantage is that?
00:06:40
Speaker 2: Uh, it's huge, especially by the way, if you want to try to throw the ball in the middle of the field, right. You know, with bigger targets, even, um, 87 Tremaine. I like that guy. I like, I liked how they're using him doing the dirty work, inserting, blocking, you know, when they're out there, not every team is not going to have all big defensive backs. So there are times, and let's see if Coker plays or whatever, but there are times where it could be Coker, Tremaine, Waller, McMillan. I mean, one of your DBs is probably 5'10 or 5'11. And so somebody's going to be in a pretty bad spot in those situations. Other teams have done this. The Chargers did it at times. I'm trying to think of other teams that really just kind of put a basketball team out there. at wide receiver and said, OK, let's see how you match up to it. Yeah.
00:07:39
Speaker 1: Well, let's also then talk about the other side. You know, the Panthers defense, they're going to get some pieces back this week, which is great. There's still a waiting word on Jalen Phillips. Devin Lloyd's been a great pickup in free agency, but they lost their top two corners to injury against Cleveland a couple of weeks ago. and they've got to find a way to go into Philadelphia and get stops and get off the field. Looking at this Panthers defense right now and then looking at Philly's offense, how would you imagine that Dave Canales and Ajiro Avero go into Philly trying to get stops and get off the field?
00:08:11
Speaker 2: Well, so let's start with this. The Eagles have really, really struggled to run the football. So if you're the Panthers, especially with your corners out, I think you need to make them prove they can run it. I mean, I don't know if Saquon will play, but there's a pretty good chance that they'll be down to their fourth and fifth string, both of whom were on practice squad last week, and Damian Pierce and Carson Steele. Make them prove that they can actually run the ball against you, even if you have a light box. That's certainly what I would do. And then even if they do try to attack the corners, like the Lions did, I don't know if Devontae Smith will be back out there or not. I don't even know yet. I haven't seen yet if he practiced today or if he's expected to play. But they have not really been clicking all that much on offense, even throwing the ball. So I'm curious to see if the Panthers make any changes, you know, on the defensive side of the ball, maybe in the secondary. Since the Lions game, they've had a couple weeks with which to do so. But certainly... If I'm the Panthers, I'm not letting any of these guys, Cooper or Wicks or Devontae Smith, beat me over the top. You know, with all these backup offensive linemen and with the Eagles' inability to run the football. I'm making them go the long, hard way, which, by the way, is kind of what everybody wants to make teams do anyway.
00:09:42
Speaker 1: Yeah. Hey, I know you got to go. We'll get you out of here on this. I know you're covering the league nationally at this point. You have been for years, but you're very closely dialed into Philadelphia and what's going on up there. What's the temperature up there right now with Sirianni and Jalen and the offense? I mean, what's the general feedback or thing that's being seen? most up there about this team? I guess how discontented are they right now?
00:10:06
Speaker 2: Have you been to Philadelphia, Kyle? Are you familiar with the city? I grew up there or near there. And so, you know, they're discontented even when they're winning a lot of times. You know, there's still things to be concerned about or worried about or whatever. Certainly this week, a lot of the frustration has been on how they managed the game at the end of the game against the Jaguars. Felt like it was a very winnable game. Interestingly, a decent amount of the conversation has been around, you know, what the rest of this year should look like. Because of all their success, five straight playoffs, you know, they've won the division three times, two Super Bowls, won one. Right or wrong, the standard there is kind of Super Bowls. So there are some people after the Lane Johnson surprise retirement and after the Juergens trade, there are some people that believe that they should be very willing to be sellers at the trade deadline. and to kind of try to reset the team financially, reset from a draft choice standpoint, so that they can have a more realistic chance to make the Super Bowl next year. Basically, there are some people that think, hey, they can still win the division and have playoff games and maybe go on a run. And there are others that are already suggesting that they might be best served, to not make the playoffs in a year in which they probably are not a realistic Super Bowl contender. It's a fascinating conversation.
00:11:49
Speaker 1: Well, yeah, that's why I asked, because you're right. I get it, but I also don't get it. I don't live there. So, you know, I wasn't quite sure how upset they were this week, but it sounds like Philly Sports Radio. All right, buddy, listen, you're the best. Have a great call Sunday. We look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you for the time.
00:12:04
Speaker 2: Sounds great. Thanks, Kyle.
Speaker 1: There are smart guys who talk football, but I honestly think Ross Tucker has a blast, and you can hear it every time he cracks a mic. He is on the call with Ian Eagle Sunday on CBS for Panthers at Eagles. One team coming out of a bye, the other team coming back from London after dropping its third straight. Ross also the preseason TV analyst for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is with us on the FNZ Hotline. Ross, how you been, brother? It's good to have you back.
00:00:24
Speaker 2: Kyle, I am fantastic. It is always good to hear your voice. I love how hard you're working doing this show, then doing the pregame tonight. And yeah, man, I don't know why it's worked out this way. I've been doing NFL games now for four years, but this is my first Carolina Panthers TV game. So really fired up. Two of my best friends from high school live in Charlotte. I've got a lot of respect for what the Panthers are doing, and I've known Dan Morgan for a while, so I'm really, really fired up to do this game.
00:00:57
Speaker 1: Well, I'm excited for it, too. And listen, like two years ago, you and I were on this show talking about Bryce versus C.J. Stroud and where things were going. And two years ago, Carolina went into Philly and probably should have come out of there with a win. But XL Xavier Lee get drops a ball and Philly hangs on. And two years later, Carolina is going back to Philadelphia Ross as a one and a half point favorite in this game. What do you think about that?
00:01:23
Speaker 2: Well, I think a lot's happened in the last couple of years. And I think in particular, a lot's happened so far this year. We'll see who's available for the Eagles in this game, but they are coming back from London. You know, the Panthers are coming off a bye. The Eagles on Sunday, for Panthers fans that didn't watch it that closely, they started a left guard and a center who had never played an NFL game before. Neither one of them. And they started Markel Bell, the right tackle, is a rookie. He was making his second start for the retired Lane Johnson. They did not have Shaquan Barkley or their backup running back, Tank Bixby, or their third-string running back, Will Shipley, who I believe is from the Charlotte area or North Carolina at least. Yeah, he is. So they were down their top three running backs. Devontae Smith didn't play. They were missing guys on defense. Honestly, Kyle, I said it before the games. This is not like hindsight. I really thought you could make a strong argument that it would have been one of Nick Sirianni's finest moments. as an NFL head coach and maybe his best regular season win, if they had found a way to win that game against the Jaguars. I think the Jaguars are really, really good. I have them as a top five team. So if he had been able to find a way to win that game, that would have been massive. And he was only eight seconds away. Meanwhile, on the other side, gosh, it's been fun the last couple of days. watching Bryce Young and this Panthers offense. It's really incredible. I mean, to think his first couple years, the amount of conversations we had about whether or not he was the guy, and now to see just how quickly the ball's coming out, how confidently he's playing, there's a lot of lessons there, man, a lot of lessons there about if you take a guy and you have the conviction to take him that high, Well, then let him see it through. Let him get to the other side and maximize whatever it is he can be. And I think whatever Bryce Young can be, the Panthers are going to find out by the end of this year.
00:03:38
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think, again, a big part of it has been Brad Idzik taking over play calling. You know, the things that were missing from Bryce in particular and the offense as a whole, Ross, the last couple of years have been explosive plays, right? That's a big part of it. They haven't had many explosive plays or at least not nearly enough of them. And it seemed for a long time like Dave Canales just did not want to let Bryce Young throw the ball over the middle of the field. In steps Brad Idzik, and all of a sudden Bryce isn't just leading the league in passing yardage. He's leading the league near the top of the league in chunk plays, and he is dicing up opponents over the middle of the field. How much of that do you attribute to the new play caller, and what have you noticed from him?
00:04:16
Speaker 2: Well, certainly everything they did the last couple years was a joint decision. and everything they've done this year is like Dave can Alice is in most of those meetings. So it's a cat is input the last couple of years and can Alice has his input certainly this year, but there's no question that they trust him more than it feels like they did previously. And maybe it was because of how he played at the end of the year late in those games. Maybe it's because of the playoff game. Maybe it's just because it's year four or whatever. But, man, I mean, it's a lot of middle of the field. And it's not afraid to go down the field. And I think, you know what's interesting? I think there was almost like a preconceived notion, and I'm not saying the Panthers felt this way, but I think other people did, that because of his size, he just couldn't see the middle of the field that great. And so it wasn't conducive to him throwing the ball in the middle of the field. I tell you what, I mean, Kyle, he's getting rid of the ball. So quick. I can't tell on a bunch of them if it's an RPO or if it's just a quick play action, but his hands are so quick. It's really fun to watch. He's really, you know, I'm not saying he's this guy at all, at all, but there's sort of a breezy and feel to when you watch the Bryce play right now, which is fascinating because that was always, Probably considered best-case scenario for him. And maybe we just say that about every short guy. I don't know. But there's definitely a Breeze-ian feel to the way he's playing right now. Oh, agreed.
00:06:07
Speaker 1: And we got Ross Tucker with us here on the FNZ Hotline. You're right. That was best-case scenario. That's what a more mobile version of Drew Breeze is, what people were hoping for. What do you think about the weapons? Because that's one thing it seems that... many in the national media have really started to pay attention to. TMAC is the reigning offensive rookie of the year. Jalen Coker just got himself a contract extension. They pick up Darren Waller late in training camp, big 6'6, 6'7, red zone target. They got a small quarterback, Ross, but the weapons on this team, they got a lot of big bodies out there. How big an advantage is that?
00:06:40
Speaker 2: Uh, it's huge, especially by the way, if you want to try to throw the ball in the middle of the field, right. You know, with bigger targets, even, um, 87 Tremaine. I like that guy. I like, I liked how they're using him doing the dirty work, inserting, blocking, you know, when they're out there, not every team is not going to have all big defensive backs. So there are times, and let's see if Coker plays or whatever, but there are times where it could be Coker, Tremaine, Waller, McMillan. I mean, one of your DBs is probably 5'10 or 5'11. And so somebody's going to be in a pretty bad spot in those situations. Other teams have done this. The Chargers did it at times. I'm trying to think of other teams that really just kind of put a basketball team out there. at wide receiver and said, OK, let's see how you match up to it. Yeah.
00:07:39
Speaker 1: Well, let's also then talk about the other side. You know, the Panthers defense, they're going to get some pieces back this week, which is great. There's still a waiting word on Jalen Phillips. Devin Lloyd's been a great pickup in free agency, but they lost their top two corners to injury against Cleveland a couple of weeks ago. and they've got to find a way to go into Philadelphia and get stops and get off the field. Looking at this Panthers defense right now and then looking at Philly's offense, how would you imagine that Dave Canales and Ajiro Avero go into Philly trying to get stops and get off the field?
00:08:11
Speaker 2: Well, so let's start with this. The Eagles have really, really struggled to run the football. So if you're the Panthers, especially with your corners out, I think you need to make them prove they can run it. I mean, I don't know if Saquon will play, but there's a pretty good chance that they'll be down to their fourth and fifth string, both of whom were on practice squad last week, and Damian Pierce and Carson Steele. Make them prove that they can actually run the ball against you, even if you have a light box. That's certainly what I would do. And then even if they do try to attack the corners, like the Lions did, I don't know if Devontae Smith will be back out there or not. I don't even know yet. I haven't seen yet if he practiced today or if he's expected to play. But they have not really been clicking all that much on offense, even throwing the ball. So I'm curious to see if the Panthers make any changes, you know, on the defensive side of the ball, maybe in the secondary. Since the Lions game, they've had a couple weeks with which to do so. But certainly... If I'm the Panthers, I'm not letting any of these guys, Cooper or Wicks or Devontae Smith, beat me over the top. You know, with all these backup offensive linemen and with the Eagles' inability to run the football. I'm making them go the long, hard way, which, by the way, is kind of what everybody wants to make teams do anyway.
00:09:42
Speaker 1: Yeah. Hey, I know you got to go. We'll get you out of here on this. I know you're covering the league nationally at this point. You have been for years, but you're very closely dialed into Philadelphia and what's going on up there. What's the temperature up there right now with Sirianni and Jalen and the offense? I mean, what's the general feedback or thing that's being seen? most up there about this team? I guess how discontented are they right now?
00:10:06
Speaker 2: Have you been to Philadelphia, Kyle? Are you familiar with the city? I grew up there or near there. And so, you know, they're discontented even when they're winning a lot of times. You know, there's still things to be concerned about or worried about or whatever. Certainly this week, a lot of the frustration has been on how they managed the game at the end of the game against the Jaguars. Felt like it was a very winnable game. Interestingly, a decent amount of the conversation has been around, you know, what the rest of this year should look like. Because of all their success, five straight playoffs, you know, they've won the division three times, two Super Bowls, won one. Right or wrong, the standard there is kind of Super Bowls. So there are some people after the Lane Johnson surprise retirement and after the Juergens trade, there are some people that believe that they should be very willing to be sellers at the trade deadline. and to kind of try to reset the team financially, reset from a draft choice standpoint, so that they can have a more realistic chance to make the Super Bowl next year. Basically, there are some people that think, hey, they can still win the division and have playoff games and maybe go on a run. And there are others that are already suggesting that they might be best served, to not make the playoffs in a year in which they probably are not a realistic Super Bowl contender. It's a fascinating conversation.
00:11:49
Speaker 1: Well, yeah, that's why I asked, because you're right. I get it, but I also don't get it. I don't live there. So, you know, I wasn't quite sure how upset they were this week, but it sounds like Philly Sports Radio. All right, buddy, listen, you're the best. Have a great call Sunday. We look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you for the time.
00:12:04
Speaker 2: Sounds great. Thanks, Kyle.
