Full Transcript for Big Red Rage: New Quarterback, New Opportunities For Cardinals Against Rams

at the Rams right now, they're sitting there, Raheem Morris and company, and there's, well, he's with the Niners right now, but you're sitting there and Shula and company, right, for the Rams, and they're saying, okay, 85 does not beat us. If it takes double, triple teams, that has to be the Rams' defensive strategy on Sunday, right? 00:05:52 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's no doubt about it. I think it's a situation where they're going to be hyper-focused on Trey McBride. That's not going to surprise anybody. They might just go ahead and play man cover on everybody else. But Trey McBride is not going to see a play. I don't think he'll see a play where he's not doubled, and rightfully so. I mean, of course you're going to do that. If you are Chris Shula, who is the defensive coordinator for the Rams, you are going to make sure you either got an in-and-out situation on Trey McBride or you've got a high-low situation. Many times some teams will go ahead and just play man. They'll play thumbs. They put their thumbs up and they say, we got this guy in man coverage. I'm going to cover him in man. And then they'll always play a safety over the top of him as well, just in case. They're not going to let Trey McBride beat him, to your point, Bully. And, man, this means also, too, you have to change your game plan. You have to think about your game plan for Carson Beck. You have to protect him. You don't want him getting beat up. You don't want him to miss any games going forward. So what are you going to do? You've got to put him in a balanced offense. And, Paulie, if that means running into the pile, sometimes that's what you have to do, run into the pile. Even if you know you're not going to gain a lot of yards, even if you're getting your face beat in at the line of scrimmage, you just have to keep him in a balanced three-dimensional offense. 00:07:19 Speaker 4: By the way, there's another Stanford guy who, to me, is a low-key key to the game, and that would be Elijah Higgins. We mentioned Simi Fejoko, and he's going to get a lot of time at receiver, but the former Stanford receiver and current tight end, too, might be receiving weapon, too, in this game. Elijah Higgins, we'll see exactly how he's utilized, because guess what? There's more than one player that went on the IR with a season-ending injury. The other one would be Gardner Minshew with a torn UCL, according to reports, and he needs surgery on the elbow. So guess what? Carson Beck? He is going to be the starter, as we've said, and here's what the head coach, Michael LaFleur, said he'll be watching. 00:08:00 Speaker 6: I'm more just looking forward to just watching him go operate, go play each play as its own, like I said, learn, grow, grow within a game, grow within a series. Like I've said multiple times, I know this isn't too big for him, and I feel like I've said that about a few guys, said that about Jaden at tackle, where it's not too big for him, and then go have some fun, man. 00:08:23 Speaker 8: Go let it sling. 00:08:25 Speaker 4: First pick of the third round, 65th overall. His career win-loss record as a starting quarterback in college, 37-6. Although he spent two years behind Stetson Bennett when the Georgia Bulldogs were winning national championships. So he's done both. He's been the man. He's been holding the clipboard. Here's Carson Beck on what he wants to show in his first NFL start. 00:08:48 Speaker 9: I think for me the biggest thing is Again, go out, have fun, give relentless effort, exude confidence, and really just try to make everybody around me better. I think that's the biggest thing for me as I go out there. Obviously, I haven't played football in a while. The last time I got the opportunity to go out on a football field was our first preseason game. So I'm really excited for the opportunity. I'm really looking forward to it. And it's going to be a lot of fun. 00:09:14 Speaker 4: And again, Devin Duvernay coming up. We'll ask him all about the quarterback. Wolf, what did we see in that Hall of Fame game? The last time we saw Carson back, what did you see that can translate to the regular season? 00:09:26 Speaker 1: Yeah, Paulie, you know what? Decision-making. He made great decisions in that game. that preseason game. I was absolutely blown away by his ability to make decisions. Paul, sometimes a good decision, throw the ball away. Sometimes a good decision is to pull the ball down and run. Sometimes a good decision is extend the play, go extend the play. It's just good decisions and not putting the ball in harm's way, not putting the ball in jeopardy. That's what I'm going to be looking for. It though, when you listen to Carson and he said he wants to have fun. You know, have fun. And he talked about that and he talked about confidence as well in there. Pauly, the way you're going to have fun and have confidence, I think, for Carson Beck, is go in and command the huddle. Step into the huddle, command the huddle. Go up and have command of what it is you're trying to do offensively. Now that doesn't mean go out and be perfect. That doesn't mean go out and execute to a point where, oh my goodness, he's making every right decision once again. I'm just talking about go out and know what it is that you're doing, Paul. And then, once again, don't put the ball in jeopardy. That's how he's going to have fun And that's how he's going to gain confidence. That will allow him to do that. 00:10:46 Speaker 8: And you know what? 00:10:47 Speaker 4: He's had that success at the college level. He played 16 games last year as a college kid because Miami, the U, went all the way to the national championship game. He cited maybe his favorite game in college to date was the win in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium, the semifinal win against Ole Miss where he was the offensive MVP. So he has the confidence of excelling on that field in that stadium. He has a confidence of throwing it downfield into tight windows, not only in

the Hall of Fame game, but in practice, getting all the reps. His QB won this week. In fact, when we come back, I'll give you a little more evidence of his confidence and why I do have great expectations on Sunday. Some of what I heard in the locker room moments ago, talking to some of the receivers about the rookie quarterback who's about to make his regular season debut. debut hey check out the Cardinals team shop for all the latest gear including rivalry merchandise hats jerseys and more go to azcardinals.com slash shop azcardinals.com slash shop again Devin Duvernay coming up a little bit later we continue it's the big red rage getting ready to beat LA on Sunday. 00:12:01 Speaker 7: Carson Beck, quick set, pump fake, now he's going to go deep, far sideline, got a man who's got to step, and he's across the 40, Jalen Brooks jumps up and signals first down, how about Beck, baiting the corner with a head and shoulder fake, and then delivering a strike, back to the air, deep shot on first down, all the way down to. 00:12:20 Speaker 4: The 10-yard line. 00:12:22 Speaker 7: A 50-yard strike on first down and 10. 00:12:25 Speaker 10: Unbelievable throw by Carson Beck, being able to sit in the pocket. 00:12:29 Speaker 7: Throwing the fade into the end zone. Simi Fajoko, the catch. Toe taps the sideline. Cardinals touchdown. How about that? Carson Beck put it right on the money. The accuracy, the anticipation. 00:12:41 Speaker 10: Another masterful drive by Carson Beck. Throws the fade ball. Perfect ball. Go up in high point and make a play. Fajoko with a great touchdown. 00:12:51 Speaker 7: You know it's August, you know it's the preseason. What's that guy's name with A.Q. Shipley there in the booth? How about it, Carson Beck? 00:12:58 Speaker 4: And we mentioned the box score and how a lot of the names are very similar to here against the Rams going into this game in November from the Reggie Virgils and the Simi-Fei Hokos and the Bam Knights. By the way, that's where the gimme-simme really started. The moniker right there was in that Hall of Fame game. Welcome back into the Big Red Rage. We're moments away from talking with Devin Duvernay, another big name when it comes to the receiving game. Paul Calvisi, Ron Wolfley, and Carson Beck, who we have not seen in a game situation since the Hall of Fame game, the debut preseason game of the NFL. Not long after that, Wolf, it was on that Sunday practice at Cardinals camp. He threw the no-look touchdown pass. 00:13:41 Speaker 1: Yes. 00:13:42 Speaker 7: And I bring that up because I went around the locker room and I asked, okay, was that a one-off? 00:13:51 Speaker 4: And Guy said, absolutely not. He throws a lot of no-looks in practice. It is part of his repertoire. that he knows all the safeties, the DBs, linebackers, are just keen on his eyes. And he's sort of like a point guard, throwing the no-looks with regularity, whether it's a Steve Nash, a Chris Paul, Magic Johnson from our era, whoever it is. I mean, Carson Beck specializes in these no-looks. So I have a prediction. I think we're going to see at least one on Sunday against the Rams. 00:14:25 Speaker 3: I really do. 00:14:26 Speaker 1: Paulie, you know what? If that happens, it will be very ironic, won't it? Isn't it ironic? Because Matthew Stafford will be on the other side of the field. Great point. Are you kidding me? Matthew Stafford is the guy, to me, that really invented. Well, he didn't invent it, but he really promoted the no-look pass. And it's something that he has really gotten down to almost perfection for the most part. But yeah, you know what? Will we see that from Carson Beck? I don't know, Paulie, but it does seem like he's got an awful lot of confidence going into this game. 00:15:02 Speaker 4: All right, speaking of, remember his comment earlier this year where he said the last time he was really nervous for a football game was Pop Warner. So here he is on the importance of being confident. 00:15:12 Speaker 9: I think the coolest thing about confidence is that confidence is a choice. It makes everyone else around you better as well. It exudes confidence into them when you're showing that you're confident. And when you can choose that, You just got to go out there and execute. You got to go out there, do your thing, and you got to go out there and be confident and have swag, have moxie, you know, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of anything going on around you, regardless of maybe what happened the play before, maybe thinking about what's going to happen the next play. You got to be in the present moment, and that's really all you can do in control. 00:15:41 Speaker 4: Quote, confidence is a choice. I'm not sure we've heard that before, Ron Wolfling. 00:15:48 Speaker 1: Honestly, I have not heard that before. Now, Paulie, I just want to make this clear. Maybe Carson Beck is talking about, yeah, going in, you know what, the first time I'm going to start, this is going to be my first start. Confidence is a choice. It is. You're going to be confident in what you know. You're going to be confident in the time you've put in throughout the week, your game preparation. You're going to be confident doing that. I think that part of it, going into the first time you're going to play, I think that really is a choice. After that, for the most part, I think it's a situation where you're going to be confident if you do well. I don't know what people might think about you if you walk around like you're all super confident when you're not doing well. Do you know what I mean? Sure. That could rub some teammates the wrong way, but I don't think he's talking about that specifically. Being confident is good. I talk about it all the time, man. You want good things to happen to you. You want to see yourself being successful so that you can become confident. Because being confident will definitely take you through years of being in the desert, metaphorically speaking. 00:16:58

Speaker 4: Well, look, I think it's preferable to have a rookie quarterback with a ton of confidence when you consider a couple of things. One, the Cardinals offense has been saddled with a brutal injury rate. Seven players on offense on IR right now. The league average is less than one-third of that. And then you have the fact you're going against the Rams defense that really found its footing here with the return. 00:17:21 Speaker 8: Of Miles Garrett. 00:17:21 Speaker 4: We'll get into that a little bit more. Here's Mike LaFleur on getting his rookie quarterback ready for the Ram tough team. 00:17:28 Speaker 6: He was mature when he got here. I think Miami and Georgia, I think he was in two really good environments, two really good cultures to prep him for these kind of moments, whether it be in college and then getting in the NFL. So he's been a pro since he's been here. He puts in the exact amount of work that he needs. 00:17:46 Speaker 3: And then from a. 00:17:46 Speaker 6: Physical standpoint, he'll obviously get 100% of the reps. 00:17:49 Speaker 4: Here's my other prediction. In addition to a no-look, he's going to go downfield. He will not be captain check down. He will not. I mean, everyone I talk to, they say he's very aggressive. He's trying to go to the second and third level with regularity. He has the arm talent and the stature. To get that ball downfield, his arm is probably stronger than it was a year ago at the U when he was coming off his own UCL injury. And even Mario Cristobal talked about his arm wasn't even 100% recovered when he led the Canes all the way to the National Championship game. So I fully expect him to get out there and to sling it. That's the word I keep hearing from the Cardinals locker room. He's going to sling it. 00:18:31 Speaker 1: Yeah, Paulie, you know what? I hope that is definitely going to be the case. I would just say sling it with accuracy and caution. 00:18:37 Speaker 4: And anticipation. 00:18:39 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. You know, only from the standpoint, once again, that you know I'm big on the defensive quarterback rating, and the Rams are number seven in the National Football League in terms of their defensive quarterback rating. Their secondary has been really, really good. Now, I know Trent McDuffie is questionable as to whether or not he's going to play. I don't know. If that's going to be the case, I know that that would be a big loss for the Rams, but there's no doubt about it. Their pass rush is getting so much better now that Myles Garrett is coming back. Their pass rush is alive, and that's one of the reasons why they're so good defensively as well, especially in that secondary. So he's going to have to be careful. He's up against a real opponent here in terms of the Rams' pass defense. In fact, that's better. than the rush defense. So we'll see how it goes for Carson. But more than anything else, Paul, I just want to see, is he making the right decision as to where he's going? Because that will tell you he's seeing the field. 00:19:42 Speaker 4: One of the most important things to hear the players say it in that connection between a receiver and quarterback is that chemistry, right? The banked reps. Well, if you look at the guys that are going to be on the field, it's a lot of the same receivers who have been running scout team with Carson Beck through the regular season. Guys like Simi Fejoko and Devin Duvernay, who we'll talk to momentarily, and then Reggie Virgil. In fact, he was asked, all right, what is Carson Beck like behind the scenes? 00:20:08 Speaker 11: His personality is way bigger than what he shows. Me and him, we be having so much fun. He's such a pro. We know how to switch it off, switch it on. He tells me we're going to meet, we're going to watch film. He'll call me and we'll be watching film. We'll be on our iPads and he'll show me this. Just that little stuff he does. He's played a lot of football and he's one of those guys that work really hard outside of it. 00:20:34 Speaker 8: It's interesting. 00:20:35 Speaker 4: Mike LaFleur, Nathaniel Hackett earlier today, all talking about what a grinder he is. He really does watch a lot of film, all ball. You know, they joke they had to kick him out of the building. And I remember having a conversation in his locker. It was in September and just chopping it up. And I was asking Carson Beck just about, okay, making the transition to the NFL and the disguise coverages, because that seems to be the popular opinion. That is the biggest challenge for a rookie quarterback. All the disguises pre-snap is much different than post-snap. And he said, you know what? You can study all you want, but At some point, you've got to make a decision. You've got to make a decision quickly. And you've just got to come back to the fundamentals of playing quarterback and where your eyes are going. You're not going to be able to study every look they're going to present you. So you just have that innate ability to be a decision maker. And that was something you said earlier, right, Wolf? You liked his decision making in that Hall of Fame game. 00:21:25 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's no doubt, Paulie. He made excellent decisions. I went back and I think there was one decision that he made of all the reps that he was in that game. where I said, man, I don't think that was the right decision. I kid you not. It was that spot on by Carson Beck. But I just want to go to Reggie Virgil right now. Paulie, this guy, I like this kid a lot. I really, listen, he's had nine targets, okay, but he's only got three receptions. But all three of those receptions have gone for first downs. Okay, so I'm going to read into this. I love his size. If you watch him, This is a kid that I think has a future in the National Football League, and I'm very, very interested to see how Carson Beck views Reggie Virgil and whether or not he starts targeting him, if there's going to be any type of chemistry between him.

This is something that I want to see. It's fascinating to me, especially when you're talking about The very first game that Carson Beck is going to be out there. This is, I mean, this is all we're going to have. A one game sample size in a regular season game. And you better believe, Paulie, there's going to be a lot of people trying to connect dots. And you're not going to be able to do that just after one week. 00:22:46 Speaker 4: You hope he throws dots is what you're hoping at this point. And your point about Reggie Virgil, I agree with you. You know, the 4'5, 7'40, he ran in getting ready for the draft. You know, a lot of people dismiss that. 00:22:59 Speaker 1: He's faster than that, Paul. 00:23:01 Speaker 4: Yeah, his game speed is a lot faster than a 4'5, 7, running in shorts on some track somewhere. And with his size, a legit 6'3, you stand him next to the locker room, he's a tall dude. And yes, he has that ability to make those big catches. We have seen that. He's really competitive. He's good on special teams. He's physical. So between Simi Fajoko, Reggie Virgil, and our guest here on the Big Red Rage, Devin Duvernay, along with Trey McBride, the leading pass catcher in the NFL and the world's best tight end, Elijah Higgins. Okay, is that going to be enough in terms of receiving targets? 00:23:38 Speaker 2: Yes. 00:23:39 Speaker 4: And then you have a running game, knock on wood, Bam Knight returns. He wasn't wearing the non-contact jersey earlier today. Hopefully that bodes well. We'll see. Cardinals tickets, don't miss them. Go to azcardinals.com slash ticks, T-I-X. Devin Duvernay is next on the Big Red Rage. 00:24:01 Speaker 2: He'll receive the kickoff from the two, moving right to left, across the 20, past the 25, past the 30. It's Devin Duvernay weaving over the left side from the five-yard line. Here's Duvernay, past the 20, has a hole, 30, down the sideline, 40, and then the kicker knocks him out at the 46-yard line, Devin Duvernay. With a nice return for Arizona. Play action fake. Minshew rolling right, tossing. Duvernay has the catch at the 30. Turning up field, 35. Pushed out of bounds near sideline. First catch in 20-26 on a first down. And a pretty good gain of seven. 00:24:32 Speaker 4: A couple of catches each of the last two weeks. We'll get to that in a minute. Let's go earlier in the play call there from the great J.P. Shadrick. Upon further review, are we sure that the kicker knocked him out of bounds or... Did the return man knock the kicker out of bounds and out of the game? Devin Duvernay is our guest on the Big Red Rage. 00:24:53 Speaker 3: All the very. 00:24:53 Speaker 4: Best to 156-pound Blake Grupe, the kicker for the Rams who had the misfortune of meeting you. I had a couple of buddies. Devin, text me. Paul, that's what you'd look like. Paulie Pencilmack coming off trying to make a tackle in an NFL game. 00:25:08 Speaker 1: Oh, man. 00:25:09 Speaker 4: Welcome to the show. 00:25:10 Speaker 8: Thanks for having me. 00:25:11 Speaker 4: How'd that look on film, by the way, when you went back and watched that return in particular? 00:25:16 Speaker 8: I mean, yeah, I mean, everything everyone saw is what it was. And just I mean, just I mean, I'm fortunate for him. I mean, obviously, but, you know, just playing the game, trying to play the game the right way, play hard. 00:25:29 Speaker 4: I tell people, all right, you want to play in the NFL? Um, here's what we're going to do. We're going to stick you at the goal line. We're going to kick you the ball and then 10 of the biggest, fastest dudes on the planet. 00:25:39 Speaker 3: Okay. 00:25:39 Speaker 4: They're going to go seek and destroy. They're going to be like attack drones coming after you. I mean, it's a heck of a way to make a living. I, I'm always fascinated by, by what you do. Tell us, just tell us about it and what's that like, and do you need to be fearless to do the job you do as a return man? 00:25:56 Speaker 8: Yeah, I think a hundred percent you need to be fearless. I think, um, it's one of the most, I think kick and punt return is one of the most underrated, you know, positions in the NFL. I don't think it gets enough credit for just the skill set and then the mentality you have to have, like, and then from, you know, catching the ball, catching the, you know, the different spins and rotations and then trusting, you know, trusting your blockers, trusting the holes and just being ready to, you know, to hit, you know, any given hole at any given moment and then, you know, the physical part of it, like, you know, it's really, you know, avoiding hits, you know, you're pretty much usually always going to get hit and, you know, there's, there's not small guys usually running down on kickoff and, you know, punt. So, but yeah, man, I think it's, it, there is some fearlessness you have to have. Um, but you know, it's, it's fun, you know, I've been doing it for a while now. I enjoy it. Um, you know, I, you know, I love that aspect of the game and, you know, I, you know, just achieve, uh, you know, aspire to continue to be making plays. 00:26:57 Speaker 4: And you've done a really good job at it. Two-time pro bowler, Devin Duvernay, former first team all pro. Were you like a daredevil as a kid? Like, did you take your BMX bike and like jump park cars and stuff like that? 00:27:08 Speaker 8: No, I wouldn't say that to that extreme, but I definitely do have a little adrenaline junkie in me. I'd like to say, I'd like to say, but yeah, definitely, definitely like like that. 00:27:18 Speaker 4: What do you see when you you secure the ball and you're looking upfield is it sort of like the matrix everything's slow motion because we see chaos what do you see. 00:27:28 Speaker 8: I mean that's a that's a good question i mean don't necessarily see chaos um you know been doing long enough to kind of know where to look and you know where people are going to go how you know the kickoff team is going to play

or try to get around blocks but yeah not necessarily chaos it is kind of kind of a little slower you know uh You know, I try to pace myself, like my speed and like, you know, my eyes. And then, you know, when I see it and just hit it, then, you know, kind of turn it on. But definitely took some getting used to with the, you know, a whole new rule with a couple, two, three years ago. But, but man, yeah, like I said, it's fun. 00:28:02 Speaker 3: It's fun. It's fun. 00:28:03 Speaker 8: It's a great part of the game. 00:28:04 Speaker 2: And, you know, I love it. 00:28:05 Speaker 4: Because you won a Texas 6A high school state championship in the 100 meter. 00:28:10 Speaker 1: Yes. 00:28:12 Speaker 6: How much? 00:28:13 Speaker 4: Is returning punts and kicks than just flat-out insane speed? 00:28:18 Speaker 8: Yeah, it's way more than just speed. You've got to have vision. You contact balance. You've got to know. You've really got to understand the scheme, more so kickoff return-wise, understanding the scheme and where the hole may be or where your blockers are setting up at and what leverage they're going to have because that ultimately determines where I'm going to end up going. 00:28:43 Speaker 4: Devin Duvernay is our guest. By the way, what is the pressure like? 10.27 in the 100 meters. What is that pressure like and how does that compare to the NFL? 00:28:52 Speaker 8: Man, back then when I ran that, I was just, you know, just a kid just running, just trying to win, man. I wasn't really thinking too much about it. It was, you know, yeah, track, man. Yeah, the state meet. Yeah, I was just, man, I was just out there having fun running. 00:29:06 Speaker 4: Speaking of running. We had a debate. Were you the emergency running back in Dallas? When the running back room was down to Tyler Algier, were you the emergency guy, knock on wood? 00:29:16 Speaker 8: I mean, come to find out after the fact, I guess I was. But it's funny because James Conner, he came up to me and was joking with me. He was like, hey, get ready. You're the emergency back. We both just kind of busted out laughing. And then come to find out after the game, I guess I actually was. 00:29:31 Speaker 4: By the way, I nominated Yelda Froholt. After he had 15 miles per hour, Yelda Froholt, the starting center, I'm like, give him the ball. I mean, look at him running downfield in space. Oh my goodness. 00:29:40 Speaker 8: All right. 00:29:40 Speaker 4: So, look, we know, I presume you're looking forward to some reps as receiver. Not the circumstances you want, obviously, with this incomprehensible amount of injuries. But how ready are you? And how do you see your role effective this week? 00:29:57 Speaker 8: Yeah, no, for sure. 00:29:58 Speaker 2: For sure. 00:29:58 Speaker 1: Ready. 00:29:58 Speaker 8: You know, always ready. You know, coaches always tell the guys, you know, everyone, every single player is one play away. And, you know, you got to truly believe that and take that in your preparation. And, you know, I'm prepared. You know, Mike, you know, Tony, they do a great job of making sure everyone's prepared on the same page, knows what we're doing. And and yeah, I mean, just taking it from there, you know, I'm ready. The whole room's ready. And, you know, we're excited for the opportunity. 00:30:22 Speaker 4: What can you guys do as a receiver group to help a rookie quarterback in his debut in the league and Carson back? 00:30:28 Speaker 8: Yeah, just be in the right spots. You know, we hear the play call, line up fast and just be in the right spots. Don't make up our own stuff. Just play what we hear, play what we see. And yeah, be in the right spot. That's the biggest thing, you know, coach preaches, just, you know, be in the right spots and, you know, we'll be right. And yeah, just taking it from there. 00:30:49 Speaker 4: Devin Duvernay, our guest in the Big Red Rage. How much does it help that You guys have gotten a lot of reps. There are guys like Simi and Reggie Virgil have gotten a lot of reps with Carson back. Does that have the potential to translate on game day? 00:31:01 Speaker 8: Definitely, I would think so. You know, I mean, yeah, I mean, you hit it on the head. Like, we definitely had a bunch of reps with him, you know, throughout training camp and throughout the season so far. So, I mean, he's excited. We're all excited. We're excited for him. He has a big opportunity. We all have a big opportunity, and we look forward to, you know, making the most of it and, you know, just going out there competing like we know how to do and, you know, having fun. 00:31:22 Speaker 4: When you're in the huddle, can you tell if a quarterback has things under control? 00:31:27 Speaker 8: Oh yeah, 100%. 00:31:29 Speaker 7: 100%. 00:31:29 Speaker 8: You know, how I command the huddle, how I can talk to the guys and things like that. 00:31:33 Speaker 4: I've heard that one of the biggest challenges for any young quarterback going from college to the NFL, the disguise coverages, pre-snap, post-snap. Just give us a little football 101. What does that mean exactly? And what is the challenge for any young quarterback in this league? Yeah, I mean, defenses, you know, obviously aren't going to try to make it easy. So they're going to try to you know, pre-snap show one thing and then post-snap, you know, roll to something else just to try to, you know, confuse guys, confuse, I mean, even receivers and quarterbacks. And, yeah, I mean, obviously they know rookie at quarterback, so they're going to probably try to do it even more. But, I mean, Carson's ready. He's ready for this opportunity. He's super confident. He's been waiting on this, you know, to get his moment. And, you know, we have nothing but, you know, tremendous amount of faith in him. Yeah, you mentioned the confidence. He had a great quote with the media. He said, confidence is a choice. And you realize he played in a national championship game last year, right, in

primetime. He played 16 college games last year. I mean, the moment doesn't seem too big for him. 00:32:34 Speaker 8: No, not at all. Not at all. Yeah, he's definitely ready. And, you know, he's inspiring us, you know, with his confidence. Not that we lack it or anything, but he's just, man, he's ready. So, you know, we're ready. 00:32:46 Speaker 4: All I remember is the Hall of Fame game. We were there calling the game, right? He had an unbelievable performance. There was huge buzz among the fan base. And then that next practice on Sunday, 11-on-11, he throws a Matthew Stafford no-look touchdown pass. 00:32:58 Speaker 3: You remember that? 00:32:59 Speaker 8: Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, he's done his fair share of no-looks throughout training camp and practice. Interesting. But yeah, no, he definitely lacks no confidence, and he's ready. 00:33:09 Speaker 4: All right, so what happens if the Rams come out and double and triple team Trey McBride? That just puts more importance on the receivers trying to ball out, right? 00:33:18 Speaker 8: Yeah, for sure. 00:33:19 Speaker 4: You expect some of that? I mean, they're probably going to get more attention than ever to Trey, right? 00:33:22 Speaker 2: I mean, yeah. 00:33:23 Speaker 8: I mean, obviously, you know, Trey's, you know, he's the best in the league at what he does. And, you know, they're going to try to obviously probably try to say, you know, don't let him beat us. And, you know, we got to be ready. Me, Reggie, Simi, and we will be. 00:33:35 Speaker 3: We will be. 00:33:36 Speaker 8: We already know what to expect. We know that's a possibility. And, yeah, we'll be locked and loaded. 00:33:41 Speaker 4: Devin Duvernay, our guest. What do you know about Trey McBride now that you didn't quite realize maybe back in March when you signed? 00:33:48 Speaker 8: Skill set-wise or just anything? 00:33:50 Speaker 4: Anything about him, the player, the person, the persona? 00:33:53 Speaker 8: I would probably say getting to know him and spending time with him, especially on the ping pong table and stuff like that. He's super competitive and loves to talk his trash. He loves to talk trash. 00:34:05 Speaker 1: Yes, yes. 00:34:06 Speaker 4: I mean, Witherspoon gave it back to him last week. Apparently Nate Landman talks a good game, the middle linebacker of the Rams. He's going to bring it this week. So at least that's my understanding on there. 00:34:17 Speaker 8: Yeah, he's a great dude. 00:34:19 Speaker 1: I love Trey. 00:34:20 Speaker 8: He's super competitive and loves to talk his trash. 00:34:22 Speaker 1: Interesting. 00:34:23 Speaker 4: Well, you played for Ben Johnson last year, and now Mike LaFleur this year. A couple of young, up-and-coming, great offensive minds, play callers, so. We're all curious to see what's going to be out there and what the scheme is going to be all about and what you guys look like with Carson Beck. So, Devin, thank you for the time. 00:34:39 Speaker 1: Appreciate it. 00:34:39

Speaker 8: I appreciate you. 00:34:40 Speaker 4: There you go. Devin Duvernay, receiver, return man. We'll continue. It is the Big Red Rage, the original Thursday night football. Back to wrap up the show right after this. 00:35:00 Speaker 2: Field goal team is on. Chad Ryland five for five today. This one to win it from 43 yards on the left hash mark. 10 seconds on the clock. Both teams out of timeouts at five on the game clock. The snap comes at three, the hold, the kick is in the air, it is on the way, and the kick is good! The Cardinals win! It's a walk-off field goal for Chad Ryland. Six for six on the day. The Cardinals knock off the Rams. Final score, Cards 18, Rams 16. What a win on the road in LA. 00:35:41 Speaker 10: On the road in L.A. against the preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl. Huge win by the Cardinals. 00:35:49 Speaker 12: Fantastic. 00:35:51 Speaker 2: What a wild final five minutes of this game. 00:35:54 Speaker 1: Unbelievable. 00:35:55 Speaker 3: How much happier are we in the booth today? 00:35:57 Speaker 13: Let's go. 00:35:57 Speaker 7: Come on. 00:36:00 Speaker 4: It was palpable. 00:36:02 Speaker 3: Oh my goodness. 00:36:03 Speaker 4: AQ, JP, and a big dub is what that was. Beat LA, and then some. Just find a way. Whether it's a half dozen field goals, doesn't matter. Cardinals got the win. Here's the thing. The Rams have not lost since the Cardinals earned that upset win at SoFi Stadium. It is the Big Red Rage. Paul Calvisi, Ron Wolfley, thanks again. Devin Duvernay for joining us. Really fascinating guy, right? He's a big-time star, Texas high school, 100-meter quarterback. State champion. Dude has, I mean, he is a burner in terms of the speed. He's going to have a big role in terms of the receiving. I mean, he played for Ben Johnson last year. He's playing for Mike LaFleur this year. He's been to two Pro Bowls as a return man. I loved his philosophy there on being a return guy. So look, everyone's going to have to bring it this week. Wolf, you talk about the Rams. Where do you start? What stands out to you the most? What do you think has Mike LaFleur's attention the most at this point going into the rematch against his former guy, Sean McVay? 00:37:04 Speaker 1: I think he's probably going to be looking at the offense and he's going to be looking at Matthew Stafford as well. Just knowing the respect that he has for Matthew Stafford and how closely he has worked Matthew Stafford that's going to be really interesting to me to see what Nick Rollis does the type of approach because would you say Pauly that Nick Rollis is leaning on Mike LaFleur in regard to what their strategy might be in attacking Matthew Stafford in this offense I would say. 00:37:35 Speaker 4: Yes yes I mean if you want a special consultant oh I don't know how about a guy who spent three years as Sean McVay's offensive coordinator. 00:37:42 Speaker 1: Yes exactly so I'm looking at that right there and You know, defensively, how will the Arizona

Cardinals go after him? When you flip it over and you look at the other side, man, immediately, it's Miles Garrett and Aaron Donald. It is Miles Garrett and Aaron Donald, and the fact that Miles Garrett coming off three sacks, here we go. The Rams have been number 27 overall in the league in sacks per attempt. They haven't been great at getting at the quarterback, but, man, right now I can... With Miles Garrett back, that number's going to change quickly going up with each passing week. 00:38:18 Speaker 4: All right, here's a bit of NFL knowledge I found. The only players in NFL history to have more three-sack games. Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Derek Thomas, all Hall of Famers, and John Abraham, the one-time Arizona Cardinal. The only players. 00:38:35 Speaker 1: Are you kidding me? 00:38:36 Speaker 4: So it just shows you the ability... just the remarkable generational talent of a miles garrett who had the three sacks and a force fumble and oh by the way they're using them like the green bay packers used micah parsons last year they're lining them up and having to mug the a gaps they're using them all over the front seven here's trey mcbride and having to get ready for the rams with miles garrett. 00:39:00 Speaker 12: Yeah he's pretty good football player and uh there's no question about that they move them all over the place um But we got to be aware of where he is with Aaron Donald, with him. Their whole defensive line is really good. So we have to come ready to play. We have to bring it. And we definitely got to know where 95 is because he can wreck a game quickly. 00:39:21 Speaker 8: So we can't let that happen. 00:39:23 Speaker 4: Yeah, Myles Garrett, first game after the knee surgery from earlier in the year. He definitely looked like himself. And when Aaron Donnell and Miles Garrett were on the field together in this last game for the Rams, the pressure rate was 44%. 00:39:36 Speaker 1: I don't know why I'm laughing. 00:39:37 Speaker 6: I know. 00:39:38 Speaker 4: It's like gallows humor. You're like, oh boy. And then, Wolf, maybe the other huge key to the game that we're not talking enough about, if Yelda Froholt is still in concussion protocol come Sunday and not eligible to play. And Hayden Connor is your starting center. Look, we all love Hayden, but he's really inexperienced as opposed to a veteran, one of the best and one of the better centers in the league in Yelda Frohold. 00:40:03 Speaker 1: Yeah, especially too, Paulie, because again, this defensive line, this front seven, especially with Miles Garrett healthy and ready to go, is really, really good, man. This is going to be difficult. You Look for your center, of course, to add a little bit of stability to Carson Beck. And that center quarterback combination, man, it's been around for a long, long time. But anytime, Paul, you let another man take a snap from you, you know what? You're going to go ahead and you're going to build that relationship with those two guys. And that's exactly what I want to see Carson Beck the rest of the way. get all the opportunities with Yelda Froholt as his center because I think Yelda is the perfect guy for that. I think he's a great communicator on the line of scrimmage. He gets everybody lined up. He's going to be able to turn protections. He's going to call out the mic. He's going to do a lot of things, make a lot of calls on the line of scrimmage, and he's got to be in sync with Carson Beck, and Carson Beck also has to be in sync in the protections that he's going to call, but You look at that defensive line, man. You look at Miles Garrett. You look at Byron Young, Paul. 00:41:13 Speaker 8: Yep. 00:41:14 Speaker 3: Braden Fisk. 00:41:15 Speaker 1: Braden Fisk, Paul. I mean, we're talking about a defensive line that is totally legit, and that to me is the reason why you've got to come up with a game plan. Even if you're down by a couple of possessions, you've got to try to remain as balanced as you possibly can because if you ever come one-dimensional against the L.A. Rams, Carson Beck's going to be in trouble. 00:41:41 Speaker 4: And hoping Bam Knight goes. So which running back tandem will have the more productive game? Will it be Kyron Williams and Blake Corum of the Rams? Will it be Tyler Algier and Bam Knight of the Cardinals? I'll throw this out there. You're looking for rays of hope in this one, and good news. Matthew Stafford has already thrown more picks this season than he did all of last season. Nine versus eight. And without Puka Nakua, since the Rams drafted him in 2023, Matthew Stafford is a 500 quarterback without Puka Nakua. So we'll see. But still, you got to defend that L.A. offense. And here's Nick Ross, the Cardinals defensive coordinator. on defending the Rams without their top two receivers, Pukunuku and Devontae Adams. 00:42:23 Speaker 13: Going into that first game, you know, even though they had their two top receivers, they wanted to pound the football. So that was an emphasis that first game, still an emphasis right now. We know they got two good backs, two good offensive line. But, you know, their personnel is a little bit different. And you talk about that and what that can mean. But they still have a Hall of Fame quarterback back there. So it's not to say that you're just going to abandon everything in terms of coverage just to stop the run, but they are a really good running operation. 00:42:53 Speaker 4: And they do have their starting left tackle back in this game, Aleric Jackson. Remember, he missed the first game, Cardinals victory 18-16 earlier this year. 00:43:01 Speaker 1: And you've got to remember, Pauly, as well, this is one thing that the Rams do really, really well. Their sacks per attempt, they're number three. Now, I just want to say this quickly. It takes an offensive line to protect a quarterback. It takes wide receivers as well to run the right routes. It takes a team to protect a quarterback. Yet at the same time, a quarterback like Matthew Stafford, who has seen everything under the sun, Pauly, he's going to go through his progressions quickly, as I said earlier on the broadcast, and he's going to get the ball out. That's one of the reasons why they're number three in pressure rate allowed in the National Football League as well. They don't give up. a lot of pressure on Matthew Stafford, and it's because he does get the ball out so quickly. Yep, no doubt. 00:43:48 Speaker 4: He's one of those veteran guys. He can react, read and react so quickly. It can get really frustrating for pass rushers because that ball is out in a hurry. However, his numbers went under pressure. He's like any other quarterback. 00:44:02 Speaker 1: He's going to throw it. 00:44:03 Speaker 4: He's very pedestrian. If you can get to him and put pressure on him, hit him, harass him, guess what? He is a totally different quarterback. Give me a quick word on the trade deadline, Wolf, because a lot of people expected the Cardinals' defense to be quite different, minus maybe a Josh Sweat and a Buda Baker. How surprised were you that they were not traded by the deadline this week? 00:44:25 Speaker 1: I was absolutely shocked, Paul. I really was. I just want to say this quickly. Maybe... They wanted to send a bit of a message to Carson back. You know what? We're just not going to abandon, and we're just not going to give guys away. We're going to give you the opportunity to play with NFL players and then see what you're capable of. 00:44:44 Speaker 4: Yeah, and when you have two guys who have been, you know, so decorated and so productive, and you have six home games left, right? I mean, there's still a lot at stake in different ways for this team, and you're right. This defense has been totally different coming off the Lions game. And if they continue to evolve, keep you in the game, we'll see what Carson Beck can show the world. Hey, Jim Almohandro, thank you. Cody Fincher, Max Brown, Farron Wolfley, I'm Paul Calvisi. Special thanks to Devin Duvernay. This has been the Big Red Rage. 00:45:18 Speaker 3: You've been listening to the Big Red Rage. 00:45:22 Speaker 8: There's a fumble. 00:45:23 Speaker 2: Cardinals say they have it, and they do have it. 00:45:26 Speaker 5: The Rage is brought to you by the Arizona Cardinals mobile app. Visit azcardinals.com slash app. 00:45:34 Speaker 1: We're going to see a little Big Red Rage football right here. 00:45:37 Speaker 4: Touchdown. 00:45:38 Speaker 2: Touchdown, Cardinals. 00:45:39 Speaker 4: Trey McBride. 00:45:41 Speaker 1: He's unbelievable. 00:45:42 Speaker 5: This has been an exclusive presentation of the Arizona Cardinals Football Club.