Full Transcript for Huddle Up for the NFC Championship

it's all about getting pressure on Matthew Stafford. I just remember during that last game, you know, my eyes were just telling me, and then you know you look in the playoffs that the stats bear it out that he's like the lowest ranked quarterback. He had like a twenty four rating or something. Win pressured and you know, it was just weird watching him, like he was trying to just dirt the ball and get away. And I thought early, like he gave up early when he got pressured. 00:05:40 Speaker 2: And so yeah, I think that's it. 00:05:43 Speaker 10: We heard from Leonard Williams yesterday that they'd like to just beat their offensive line. You got to beat him quick, and he was talking about stunts and how it kind of takes time to get home if you have to run stunts. Maybe they you know, blitz, maybe they bring five. But to me, the whole thing is getting pressure on that guy. You mentioned pookin Nakula too. I mean, there was a there was a play I think it was in the fourth quarter, it might have been overtime where it was man man coverage on Spoon on Nikouah and he beat him, you know, and that's something you just don't see. You don't see that from you know, I'll put Spoon up against anyone one on one, and he beat him fair and square. He beat Josh Joe on a little stop route. It wasn't a long gain or anything, but it was like he was the stronger player at that point. So yeah, pretty amazing one hundred and seventy seventh pick of the draft back in twenty twenty three, and yeah, it was uh and you know there were rumors that John Schneider really wanted that guy, but that was you know, uh. 00:06:41 Speaker 2: I think something that you know, maybe just. 00:06:43 Speaker 10: Got said, yeah exactly. 00:06:47 Speaker 3: I want to talk about the offense, Seattle's offense because it's the one thing I think is being both San Darnold's the reason that analysts across the country are a little hesitant to bet on Seattle, and yet this offense has been a little better than they've gotten credit for. 00:07:03 Speaker 4: Bump. 00:07:04 Speaker 3: I mean when I look at the Rams, yeah, they were number one in total offense for the season, number one in the past, Matthew Stafford an MVP front runner, number one in points per game, But I mean Seattle's three. I know that you know, Sam Donald's best game was like against Washington, and that you saw the offense, the passing offense cool a little bit after JSN got off to such a hot start. But I feel like the way the offense is being looked at is as a non impactful thing unless they make a mistake, rather than something that could help drive this team to a win. 00:07:38 Speaker 11: I think teams are looking at this offense as like this not very explosive. And I think when because Sam Donald has slowed down a little bit in the second half as far as explosive th rows and plays, so is jas in a little bit, they tend to think, all right, well, this offense isn't capable. 00:07:53 Speaker 9: But I think that this offense is just matured a bit. 00:07:56 Speaker 11: Now you don't have to depend on Sam Donald hitting JSN for sixty fifty yard every game. You can run the football thirty thirty five times and slow this game down and make the easier throws underneath throws and put together eight, nine, ten, eleven play drives. 00:08:08 Speaker 9: I think people are so just in love. 00:08:11 Speaker 11: With the fireworks and the bombs down the field that you lose appreciation for a offense that just marched down the field and is efficient on third downs and a fishing on first downs and gets a tight end involved here, gets another receiver involved there. I think it's the maturation of the offense. I think the explosive offense was young. It was fun. The knees didn't hurt, and then you get old, your knees start to hurt a bit. Your backsides are personal. You know, it's very personal. It's very personal. Schedule, you start to you start to do different things to get yourself going. That's the way I see it, and I can appreciate it because their high percentage plays, like throwing the football down the field sixty yards is not a high percentage play, and I like where they're at. 00:08:54 Speaker 7: All. 00:08:55 Speaker 4: Right, well, woman, what's Sam's job on Sunday? 00:08:57 Speaker 2: Take care of the ball? 00:08:58 Speaker 10: I mean, that's that's obvious, I think, and that's the case for every quarterback. But yeah, I mean I think I don't think he needs to be spectacular, but you know what, that throw he made the JSN in the corner was spectacular And that was kind of a flashback to the first what nine games is it Week nine when we played the Commanders, where he was making all of those tight window throws and so he can make that throw if he has to so and if it's there. 00:09:23 Speaker 2: Now, that wasn't like a long bomb or anything. 00:09:26 Speaker 10: But if you look at like moy here was sent me a video and he's like, look at where JSN is when he releases that ball. It's amazing what he's able to do. He can be a pinpoint passer if he needs to be so. But yeah, I mean, I think the obvious answer is that Sam needs to take care of the ball and not just him. 00:09:45 Speaker 2: You know K nine as well. 00:09:46 Speaker 3: Yeah, not a bomb, but certainly a dart. Yeah, dart was good enough there. Four and seven. All right, we have some player yess joining us. Kobe Bryant is gonna hop on first, and then we're gonna hear from Jake Bobo. Then you're gonna hear from the head coach part of his press conference, some of our favorite voices joining us. 00:10:02 Speaker 4: An hour two, This is the Huddle. 00:10:04 Speaker 1: Back to the Huddle only on the home of the Seahawks, Seattle Sports. 00:10:09 Speaker 3: Seahawks getting ready for a showdown number three against the Rams. We've seen two different versions of this defense, two different versions of wins. In both games, the team that out gained the other lost. And I hear a lot of confidence from Rams fans. Understandably their

team is spectacular, but I hear a lot of confidence from Rams fans heading into this one because of what happened in Week sixteen. 00:10:32 Speaker 4: Kind of overlooking that in week eleven. 00:10:35 Speaker 3: Seattle was a couple feet I like the way Ray Roberts says that you were three feet away from sweeping them, but you were a couple yards away from being able to make that game winning field goal despite throwing four interceptions. I mean, Seattle out gained the Rams almost across the board. These are teams that have really given each other headaches, and both wins were kind of I don't think it was lucky per se, but could have gone the other way for either team. 00:11:00 Speaker 10: The first game was the what if game because there was a touchdown by Canine that got called back because of a holding penalty. There was I don't know, Bomp, how how much more air did Sam have to put under that ball to Shaheed? I mean it was just barely tipped away. Looked like maybe two or three inches more. And then the best punt I've ever seen in my life for going up going out of bounds, you know, not hitting. They probably missed the pylon by like three inches four inches, so that gives you twenty yards. I mean, there there are so many things in that in that game that yeah, just just bounced the Rams way. 00:11:39 Speaker 3: And then the same way they feel about that two point conversion. 00:11:42 Speaker 10: Yeah exactly, So yeah, I don't uh, yeah, the backwards one, right. 00:11:46 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:11:47 Speaker 10: I heard somebody the other day call it controversial, and I'm like, I thought we put that one to bed. 00:11:52 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it was. Terry McCauley came out and said, absolutely wrong. I'm not a Seahawks fan. 00:11:57 Speaker 10: I don't care about your team this this ball went back backwards. 00:12:00 Speaker 2: The whistle doesn't matter. 00:12:02 Speaker 10: So yeah, I mean, I'm surprised if people are still keeping that one alive. 00:12:06 Speaker 3: But then it's irrelevant if they hit a field goal late, right, like, it was not something that ended the game and gave Seattle to Winsattle. 00:12:13 Speaker 4: Excuse me. 00:12:14 Speaker 3: Yeah, they missed a field goal after that, and then Seattle drove down the field to score. 00:12:18 Speaker 4: So I don't know. 00:12:19 Speaker 3: Sometimes I'm like, well, I don't know. I kind of think a missed field goal hurt Seattle after the first one. 00:12:23 Speaker 4: And it hurt you after this one. 00:12:25 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:12:25 Speaker 3: So it's uh, it's super super tight, and I think a lot of people feel like this is the super Bowl. We are seeing the two best teams in the league that no matter what happens, the second best or one of the best teams in the league is not going to advance. Let's hope though, that the one that does is the Seattle Seahawks. Kobe Bryant joining us right now to help us preview this game. Kobe, when we were joined by Chenna last week, we asked him, Hey, how do you feel facing the forty nine ers again? He was like, we were excited, We were looking forward to it. When we found out it would be San Francisco, we couldn't wait. We hate these guys. How did you feel when you found thought it would be the Rams? 00:13:02 Speaker 12: Obviously I was excited to, you know, just to be able to have this opportunity to play against those guys and you know, go out and execute. 00:13:08 Speaker 10: Tell us about Pooka Nakua and how much I'm assuming what we used to have extra meeting guy. You know, he's one of those guys that is just as special. What makes him so good? 00:13:18 Speaker 12: Yeah, definitely, just you know, him catching the ball the yards after he catching the ball as well too. He's just a dominant receiver. So any different spectives we've seen. 00:13:27 Speaker 11: I just like watching y'all confidence grow, like all throughout the year and right now it seems like it's just added an all time high. 00:13:34 Speaker 9: Why do you mean numbers don't lie? Record don't lie. 00:13:37 Speaker 11: But why do you guys internally feel this way with step into each game? 00:13:41 Speaker 12: Just like you said, it's like the confidence man, each and every every week we go out, you know, believe in our technique, believe in our coaching, and go out and dominate. 00:13:48 Speaker 3: Is there speaking of dominating someone on this defense that you know you feel like, man, even he doesn't get enough credit. Like every single person out there is a baller. We all know that, Like Leonard Williams is a baller. We all know Ernest Jones is gonna get his too. But is there someone out there a teammate where you're like, man, this guy's spectacular and just doesn't get the credit. 00:14:08 Speaker 12: I can't think of one person like you said that we're all honestly. Yeah, so I fight the whole defense honestly. 00:14:14 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll go with Byron Murphy. 00:14:16 Speaker 10: Yeah yeah, I mean I felt like he got screwed as far as the Pro Bowl and all that. You look at that guy and what he does, Man, that's incredible. Is there somebody that you look at on film? I guess I'm thinking Spoon, but somebody that is shit. We interviewed him yesterday. He interviews fast too. He's constantly going. I feel like at the end of the day he must just like shut down and go to sleep, and. 00:14:38 Speaker 2: That's what he is throughout the day. Yeah. 00:14:40 Speaker 10: Yeah, but I mean when you watch that guy play it, I mean I think it it's kind of like peer pressure. It's like, hey, I better run as fast as this guy, and it just seems like that's that's something that he brings. 00:14:51 Speaker 12: Yeah, just me coming back last week, I definitely told myself, like, I gotta try to play fast in the spoon. You know, it's challenge for short, but you know he brings the best out of all of us. 00:15:01 Speaker 11: You got to you got a while ago until you're done. But when I was done playing, you just search for that

adrilline rush that you get playing ball. 00:15:09 Speaker 9: There's nothing like it. 00:15:09 Speaker 11: Right And for some reason, I was supposed to sit in the press box, but something to me to go to the booth where Wyman is because the windows are open and you can hear the crowd and stuff and dudes. 00:15:19 Speaker 9: Dudes taking that thing to the house. Very first played. 00:15:21 Speaker 11: That was the hype as I've been since I got done playing. I can't imagine what I was like for y'all on the sideline. 00:15:26 Speaker 12: It was exciting, man, just to see him do that first play the game. I don't think I've ever been a part of something like that, so it was exciting. I had to like calm back down, you know everything. You had to go back out there too, So it was exciting. 00:15:37 Speaker 3: Could you feel the groundshake? Tom Brady on the call was saying, like, this is the loudest I've heard anything? 00:15:44 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think I did. Honestly. 00:15:46 Speaker 12: It was just so crazy during the time, Like, I'm just experiencing everything at that point. 00:15:49 Speaker 10: So what are some of the like, I mean, you can't if you're standing right next to somebody, you can't hear him right when it's not loud. You guys got a pretty I would think extensive, you know, hand signals and things like that. But also, you know, how much of it is that this team is so connected. That's the thing we hear about Mike McDonald that he, you know, gets you guys together, so you know, the punner and the offensive lineman, and it just seems like everybody is connected. 00:16:14 Speaker 2: How much does that help? It helps a lot. 00:16:16 Speaker 12: Everybody be on the same page, just like you said, the hand signals and just knowing what to expect when we go out there and we definitely appreciate the crowd. 00:16:22 Speaker 2: Sure, this is this. 00:16:24 Speaker 11: Video going around of Mike McDonald's first meeting with you guys at twenty twenty four talking about like magic. This January is the conference championship game, and it's crazy to see you guys here and really live what he was talking. 00:16:35 Speaker 9: About in twenty twenty four. 00:16:37 Speaker 11: What is it about the process to get here that highlights who Mike McDonald is as a head coach? 00:16:43 Speaker 12: Just like just trusting in his plan from day one. We knew that it wasn't gonna happen overnight. You know, just keep building, keep building each and every year. We still have a lot of more work to put in. Honestly, we're not done yet. 00:16:53 Speaker 3: You guys have this really interesting distinction. You finishes the best scoring defense in the league, and I think the vast majority of people think the best defense league. But you have this really interesting kind of series against Matthew Stafford where you both have like one of his worst games of the season and then one of his best at least passing yards. Right, you guys want shut down fourth quarter? 00:17:16 Speaker 4: We remember that. 00:17:16 Speaker 3: But I guess I'm trying to ask without you putting yourself in a bad spot if there are things that you guys are working on, maybe specifically coming from that game, because most of what are here when it comes to fears are like what about Matthew Stafford that second game? And it's like, well they also shut them down the first time. So is it revisiting week eleven? Is it trying to tweak things from week sixteen? 00:17:34 Speaker 12: I mean just being ourselves, just going out there playing our ball, not doing anything that we haven't done all year, and you know we'll get the job done. 00:17:42 Speaker 10: Anything this year that you have developed, you know you're drafted in twenty twenty two, but like every year, do you learn something new? And what did you learn this year coming into the season and you know you're putting to work out there. 00:17:56 Speaker 12: Well, honestly, this is my first like true year coming in and being like a full time starter, So that was like something that I was excited about. 00:18:03 Speaker 2: And just knowing that safety is my. 00:18:04 Speaker 12: Position too, because you know, going getting drafted as a corner, playing nickel and playing all those positions was definitely difficult. But just being a safety, communicating and ought tomately being a leader too. 00:18:14 Speaker 9: What do you like most about playing safety. 00:18:17 Speaker 2: Getting the ball. 00:18:17 Speaker 12: Honestly, it's exciting, you know, I feel like a corner you can get the ball kind of. But Safety you just see a lot more and able to you know, showcase my freelance a little bit. 00:18:26 Speaker 3: Yeah, uh will let you call your shot with this one and you can say yourself. But if one of you guys are to get the ball, maybe get a nice little pick of Matthew Stafford, who feels in your mind your candidate to be like I think I think this guy will come down with the pick. 00:18:43 Speaker 4: You can also name yourself, of course. 00:18:45 Speaker 2: I mean I was gonna go on myself. 00:18:47 Speaker 4: That's what I should know. It's a player of mentality. Well me, first of. 00:18:50 Speaker 2: All, yeah, I have to I have to long overdue. 00:18:53 Speaker 10: So well last year you had you had the pick and then like it wasn't like it was too the moment was too big because you were able to do the Markshawn Lank across the goal line. 00:19:02 Speaker 12: Yeah, for sure, that was exciting and I was a moment I'll never forget too. I'm not doing it again. 00:19:06 Speaker 3: Though, So okay, well now we need you to do that so that I can replay that kut over and over. 00:19:10 Speaker 4: It's just a nice little thing for me here. 00:19:12 Speaker 3: So if you could, if you could do that, that'd be fantastic. 00:19:15 Speaker 9: Great. 00:19:15 Speaker 4: Thank you. 00:19:16 Speaker 3: He is Kobe Bryant kind enough to join us. Thank you, Kobe Jake Bobo joining us. 00:19:20 Speaker 1: Next back to

the huddle, only on the home of the Seahawks, Seattle. 00:19:24 Speaker 3: Sports guys, let's talk about the Seahawks offense against the Rams. We already know they're going to be without Charbonne Bump. I'll start with you. You still feel great, not just about Walker, but you have liked what you've seen from him over the last four weeks. 00:19:39 Speaker 4: And there's a couple of things you've noticed. 00:19:41 Speaker 9: Yeah, I like where K nine is. 00:19:44 Speaker 11: The dance between him and the offensive line is looking real good. It's like dancing with the stars in the final rounds. You know, all the stars are out. Guys with no rhythm are gone. Now that the coordination is there, That's what I see. He's emmis Smith and dance with the stars right now, and he just understands when to cut back and how to give the run a chance at this point and being okay with three to four yards. 00:20:07 Speaker 9: I was telling my son Dave, he was like man sharpenay, we need a big one. 00:20:11 Speaker 11: I go, all right, So the football god said, I'll give you four yards every down. 00:20:15 Speaker 2: Are you gonna take it? He goes, no, I want big ones. 00:20:17 Speaker 9: I go We'll do the maths son. 00:20:18 Speaker 11: Four yards every down, You're never going to see a fourth down, You're gonna get the first down. And it kind of changed the way he was thinking. Goes, okay, well, look at runs like that. Give four yards, three to four yards every down. Eventually the big one's going to go with. You're setting yourself up for second and third down. And that's what I see from Canine right now. He understands that he's falling forward and not always looking for the big one. 00:20:37 Speaker 10: Some of the runs in the middle of the line. And remember he had the carry for seventeen yards that started off with people booing because it was third and sixteen, and you know, and then down in San Francisco that last game of the year, he was just and really, I mean the blocking has gotten way better. I mean, Sundell has looked fantas and but you know, just his ability to to kind of weave in between in the middle of the line. You got like this that takes some stones to run, you know, full speed up into the box where there's just a bunch of you know, fire breathing dragons trying to kill you. 00:21:15 Speaker 2: And that's the that's the thing about. 00:21:17 Speaker 10: But you know, I really am I'm really disappointed that Charbon is not going to be able to play, just because it's been such a good one too. But I'm like, with K nine, if we can just get you just got two more games and you gotta BUYE week coming up, So if you can just get through these two healthy, I think you know, the way he's been running lately is different. 00:21:37 Speaker 3: Who not named ken Walker and not named Json taking him off the table can make an impact in this one or do you think like he poses potentially a real opportunity. 00:21:46 Speaker 10: I'd say a J Barner. Barner is you know he had that post corner against the Rams where he shook the guy to the ground and basically you know, stretched out and yeah, caught it. Just a beautiful pass. So yeah, I'm gonna go with a j Uh. No, I'm gonna change it. I'm gonna go with Jake Bob Bobo. 00:22:05 Speaker 3: Let's Bob, great answer, Jake Bobo joining us right now in this one, I'm going to ask you a similar question that we just asked your teammate Kobe Bryant. We know that with the forty nine ers there is a clear rivalry a couple, particularly defensive players like happy to see San Francisco great? Yeah, Uh, the Rams are a very very good team. I think that you guys can get this done. But I'm wondering how you guys felt when you saw them sink a field goal and advance past the Bears. I mean, what was your thought to, like, we're playing another team a third time. 00:22:38 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know. 00:22:39 Speaker 13: I think there's some there's familiarity there which makes things both easier and harder. I think when the defense knows your scheme real well, obviously we know what they want to do on defense, so schematically it kind of can go both ways. 00:22:55 Speaker 2: I don't like it was weird. 00:22:57 Speaker 13: Mike said this watching that game in Chicago on Sunday or whenever it was, and almost like you wanted kind of the Rams to win so you can see him again. You want Chicago to win. You know, you're rooting for a team that you don't like, no matter a lot. Yeah, but I don't know, man, I'm happy to see him again. I think it'll be a great game. Obviously, a challenge for us all over the field. So yeah, I was happy about it. 00:23:21 Speaker 2: We're just talking about K nine and the run game and everything. 00:23:24 Speaker 10: You guys, receivers have been so instrumental in that. Man, you must take a lot of a lot of pride in that because I always, you know, you look at you know, a lot of receivers are in mismatched type of blocking situations and it's just all about one two man. 00:23:37 Speaker 2: You guys. You guys are getting it done. 00:23:39 Speaker 13: Yeah, I mean it's awesome kind of how our room is has developed over the course of the year, obviously led by Coop up top and some of the stuff he does in the Run game. So he kind of just sets the tone by example. To be honest with you, we saw what he did in camp, and so it was kind of like, you know, all right, if our top dog him and Jacks Jack sticks his head in there sometimes. So to see Coop do that camp, I think kind of set the tone for the rest of the year, like this is who we're going to be as a room. Obviously, you want to get your hands on the ball and catch passes, but we knew in Kobyak as soon as he he came in, Cle stressed the importance to the receivers in the run game. So with this group, it's easy to buy into that. A bunch of great dudes in the room just want to win ball games, and that showed on the tape. 00:24:21 Speaker 10: It seems like you guys just you love helping out your teammates. I

mean, you gotta, you know, and especially when you're making a play so someone else can make a play. I mean, you can take a lot. It seems like the culture is you guys take a lot of pride. 00:24:36 Speaker 9: One of the things I love about football it's starting stop. 00:24:39 Speaker 11: You know, like basketball, it flows, hockey, it flows. 00:24:42 Speaker 9: Like this, real situational stuff. 00:24:44 Speaker 11: And third and ten, you're in the huddle, you get the play call, you line up, you see the defense where you're thinking. I mean, obviously you run every route to get open and to make the play, But what was the situation did you feel like, all right, this is my this this ball is probably gonna come to me. 00:24:58 Speaker 9: Are you just running your route to get open? 00:25:00 Speaker 13: Just run to get open? I mean, Sammy's kind of got a choice. I think on that one double slants to go pick either side, and yeah, I was lucky to get a win versus press and happy you look my way. So I mean, it wasn't necessarily like, oh I'm the first read here, we gotta win. You're trying to win matchups, you know, whenever you're the fourth read, first read, whatever. So yeah, I was happy to get open, happy to catch the ball and contribute. 00:25:25 Speaker 2: A big play. Appreciate it. 00:25:26 Speaker 3: Speaking of big plays, Shaheed with a ninety five yard pickoff return, I say, I know you do special teams work, so this isn't as funny, but it's part of you like, well, that's cool, in another part like how dare you? 00:25:37 Speaker 14: How dare you. 00:25:39 Speaker 4: Stop it? Stop it their ten yard line? You know me, let me get a shot? 00:25:44 Speaker 13: Yes, no question. I figure no man to see him. 00:25:49 Speaker 2: You know. 00:25:50 Speaker 13: I feel like at this point the offense is almost like, all right, if he doesn't put it in here, you know, we'll be surprised. If he doesn't give us a good start field position, will be surprised. So that's how we like it. On the kickoff return unit, put the pressure on us. 00:26:04 Speaker 9: Have you ever seen the kicker try to slide tackle? Actually, that was crazy in my at. 00:26:10 Speaker 13: U c l A my senior year. We we we played Washington and our kick returner broke one in. The kicker was successful in a in a slide tackle trip and we got a fifteen yard penalty. So I have seen that before. 00:26:22 Speaker 10: Yeah, after that happened, I said, I'm gonna start making fun of kickers again. 00:26:26 Speaker 4: I got them to such a good place. 00:26:29 Speaker 2: You're not part of it, Jack, not part of it. Yeah. 00:26:32 Speaker 10: The special teams man, I mean I don't I don't see utter special team muted around the league. I mean, you guys have done it. I mean it tell us about Jay Harbaugh and how he is. He's just made it radically. 00:26:45 Speaker 13: It's like it's cool to be on special teams well, and it's cool to be put in position where you know you're going to be successful. So we had

that thing, I mean, schemed up to a t, and he knows, like, dude, if they're gonna play it like this, we're gonna go here. It's are gonna do this, We're gonna go here. And I've never really been around a special teams coach that has the game plan dialed up. Usually it's, uh, let's not lose the game like, let's just you know, do our job, make our players get the offense, defense, whatever field position, and he attacks. I think, like a hundred dude, he's hunting scheme, he's hunting what they are doing and and and it's it's been really cool to be a part of. 00:27:23 Speaker 11: I would imagine the install for like kick returners different now because you played when you know it's just line them up, run down, wrap around. You know, like it's a it's a bit more complicated. 00:27:34 Speaker 13: I would assume, yes, we've got so many different schemes, whether whatever unit is, kickoff return, and so you're kind of you come in on Tuesday and you're like, we got ten schemes. 00:27:51 Speaker 2: Dialed up here. 00:27:53 Speaker 13: And then on Sunday or Saturday night, whatever it was, you pop on You're like, all right, Jane knows what he's doing. 00:27:59 Speaker 4: Deal, do you feel bad investment here? 00:28:00 Speaker 3: So sincere, I mean, I'm not putting you in the spot to say anything bad about the Rams, but I think the Seahawks have the most cap invested in special teams of any team in the right least. So when I think when coaches here say no, we care about special teams, it's a really important phase they mean it three phases, like we invest there and they back it up with money and shyeracks. 00:28:19 Speaker 4: It up with contracts. 00:28:20 Speaker 3: Do you feel that in the building and with the preparation and with the chemistry. 00:28:25 Speaker 2: Yes and no. 00:28:25 Speaker 13: I mean because we've got a bunch of guys on teams that are also contributed on offensive defense. So you know, I don't know. I mean, the Rams are doing just fine, you know, going with their their style. It seems like, I don't know, it's just kind of the style of ball we play, and we definitely take pride in it. 00:28:42 Speaker 10: You may not want to divulge this, but what was number two I'm not saying out on the field. 00:28:48 Speaker 13: No easy, Yeah, for for sure. Listen, good player. Gotta give him Flowers a good player. 00:28:53 Speaker 2: But I thought you did a good job of presiraining yourself. I appreciate it. 00:28:56 Speaker 13: If i'd have known what because I was sitting there earlier in the game. Oh oh, man. 00:29:01 Speaker 2: I saw that. That's yeah. I was sitting there going. 00:29:07 Speaker 3: Maybe woman can get a non radio friendly answer off air. Yeah, we're going to hear from the head coach coming up next. 00:29:16 Speaker 1: This This is the huddle every Thursday from noon to two. 00:29:20 Speaker 6: On Seattle Sports. 00:29:21 Speaker 3: Right now, Mike McDonald speaking the reporters at Seahawks headquarters. 00:29:25 Speaker 4: Let's

take a listen. 00:29:26 Speaker 5: I'm sure got a lot of great injury questions. 00:29:30 Speaker 2: Go ahead. 00:29:32 Speaker 5: Yeah, Charles is good. Uh, you know, we'll see how today goes. But we're optimistic for the game. But uh, just working through working through his foot. 00:29:42 Speaker 2: So how did Sam look yesterday? 00:29:44 Speaker 5: Uh? 00:29:44 Speaker 2: Good? Good? 00:29:45 Speaker 5: In terms of the plan, We're still still on the plan. 00:29:49 Speaker 2: So uh. 00:29:51 Speaker 5: I wasn't part of the offensive walkthrough just now, but they said it went really well and feeling good a picture. 00:29:57 Speaker 2: Who needs to have his. 00:29:58 Speaker 12: Arm and shave. 00:30:00 Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm not sure if that. I don't know if I know the right answer to that. I mean, if he feels better than he did going into the game, and he showed that he could throw that, and so you'd like him to get some throws before Sunday. 00:30:18 Speaker 2: What's going on with Mary Kape? 00:30:20 Speaker 5: Yeah, Mariy what was it again? 00:30:24 Speaker 2: Knee? Your ankle? 00:30:26 Speaker 1: Uh? 00:30:26 Speaker 5: Yeah, just uh knee from the game. But it's not I mean kind of go day by day right now and how it's going him him and Josh for that matter. 00:30:35 Speaker 2: It's just. 00:30:37 Speaker 5: How it goes going into into Sunday day to day. Yeah, if they're. 00:30:42 Speaker 15: Able to go for some reasons, is logan next time you start looking at gray at let's tackle all how that work. 00:30:49 Speaker 5: We have a plan for it, you know, I don't really want to say what we do, but we have a plan for it. 00:30:58 Speaker 16: When you when you look at the mentioned yesterday, like explosives or how you get all the points that the Rams had in the last game when you look at I think it was like ten or something. 00:31:06 Speaker 6: Was there any theme there of how they got all those that you noticed? 00:31:10 Speaker 5: Well, let me clarify it's it's not like exclusive to that game. I mean, that's a that's kind of a that's kind of the normal recipe for not playing very good defense is given up explosive plays. 00:31:21 Speaker 2: So, uh, yeah, they. 00:31:24 Speaker 5: Did some good things where I mean, Stafford made some great throws, you know, and and you know, you got a we can play the better, you know, I mean, and and uh in the run game, I felt like it's probably more leaky yardages than explosives, like that they ate some explosive runs in the in the first game. And then you know, there's just things that we need to be better aware of and be in a better positioned to play those plays without kind of getting at all the details, but uh, better execution by us will help, and then better planned by us and let's go play ball. 00:32:01 Speaker 17: Like Kobe back in the lineup for you last week, what'd you kind of think his game stepping in there after the time he was out. 00:32:08 Speaker 5: Yeah, well it didn't feel like he had been out in terms of how sharp he played. So he's doing a great job. He's playing fast, got energy, affected the ball, take some great shots at the ball. So it's great to have him back, Jackson. 00:32:22 Speaker 15: His demeanor hasn't really changed, even if it's a game where he's not making a bunch of catches or get a stats whatever. How do you how do you see that? I mean, is it just literally his demeanor hasn't changed, or like the way you see his effort on the field and things like that. 00:32:33 Speaker 5: I just think that's who he is, which is probably easy for him to be that way because that's just the type of guy he is, type of player, So it's kind of like a non issue. You know, it's out there trying to do what he can to help us win. Like I said this before, you know that one of our best strategies to win the game is to get Jacks the ball. Sometimes it doesn't work out the way we want or the ball doesn't find him and used to got to keep chipping away at it, you know, make some adjustments maybe, you know, put him in different spots, kind of get to you know, more down the line and game plan wise. But this is who he is, so it's kind of a non issue for us. 00:33:08 Speaker 16: Jake Bobo mentioned after the game Cooper cups run blocking. I think he's joking to call it like Cooper's run blocking school or something. When you have a receiver who's accomplished everything he has, Super Bowl, MVP, Player of the Year, all that, Yeah, it could be that focused on blocking and passing that on to younger receiver. 00:33:23 Speaker 2: What does that do for a team? 00:33:24 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean again, he's a forced multiplier for us, especially in the receiver room. It's like it's like his his expertise of the game is just it's fascinating me because he did It's like great teachers can make these comp all these different things like very simple. So he's very like, there's a really great way to explain these things to our guys, and a guy like me can understand, you know where that's not really my thing, you know, and so I can I can imagine what how that would help guys that actually can do that type of stuff, And so it's exciting, you know, it makes it make it really come to life for those guys. 00:33:59 Speaker 18: Has there been anybody else he coached that has kind of been like that, like a veteran guy who has that understandings? 00:34:04 Speaker 13: Interesting? 00:34:06 Speaker 5: I think I think Eric Weddle was kind of ahead of his time just in terms of seeing like the whole game. You know, he would he would just be telling guys like in real time how to play plays because he knew it was it was just and at that point in my career I wasn't. I didn't like, I didn't know a lot of that stuff. So in my mind, how the heck does this guy know all this stuff that's about to happen. But he was very similar to Coops glowingly. 00:34:30 Speaker 2: These guys talking about his impact in the room. 00:34:31 Speaker 19: Though, how impressed have you been by

Cooper just with his availability after a few injury played years and his correction is still but he can still do at this stage of his career. 00:34:40 Speaker 5: Well, I mean, are you surprised that the guy has putting himself in position to play great football, not one bit. I mean we've had a plan for him, you know, like I think probably early in his career, like the amount of workload that he would put in on a daily basis, it's all good. The amount of workload he put in on a daily basis, you know, I think that might be might have taken a toll on him, but he's been really smart on you know, Sam and the guys have done a great job of managing his reps. And when he's been out there, he's going, you know, one hundred miles an hour. So I'm not surprised. 00:35:13 Speaker 15: You've talked, you've talked about John and his impact that he did actually win the award today for. 00:35:17 Speaker 5: For example, Dave told me that's awesome. Yeah, congrats, it's great. 00:35:20 Speaker 15: All deserve Yeah, just I guess thoughts in general and just kind of the jobs John. 00:35:26 Speaker 5: Well, I mean, name the thing that we've done. Name name a thing that we've done since we've walked in the door two years ago and especially this year, and uh, we've gotten great returns to me in terms of just act like action items. But I think I think i've talked about this at length before, but to me, it's like the leadership he's probably needs to get talked about more with him, and on how on how he operates daily, you know, and how he treats everybody in the environment that we've been able to create around here is just I think that's helped our development of our people. You know, that's helped guys take the next steps in their career. And you can kind of go down the list of coaches, personnel players that have taken another step in their career and if you know, you kind of trace it all the way back. It's like, well, John's got a lot of responsibility in that so and I'm sure if you was standing right here, he'd be the first to think all of our personnel staff, you know, just everybody being bought in the same thing. And that's the type of guy is So I'm really happy one he deserves it. 00:36:25 Speaker 18: What do you remember about your first interactions with John? I don't think you guys had really crossed paths before the interviews. 00:36:31 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, you know, I had. 00:36:33 Speaker 5: We had an interview at the hotel. Sit at the hotel, I got a text if you wanted a coffee, I used to live right there, so I knew where he was hopped across the street and it was like we known each other forever. It's pretty cool. So but that that's how that's that's how he is, you know, like he has this ability to put you at ease and kind of take the edge off and you know, let you relax and feel like you can be yourself. And you know that's it's not an easy quality to do it, because I'm sure I don't do that. 00:37:05 Speaker 14: What were your first five minute impression of him when you sat down with him? 00:37:09 Speaker 2: What's what stood out do you right away? 00:37:12 Speaker 5: I think I think that was it. I mean we took a you know, we were walking back, so we got to spend some time him and I and he was explaining like really like the thought behind how the process went, who was part of it, what the thinking was, kind of giving me the the whole deal on just where they're, where they were coming from, and just to hear them about to talk about like our people. It was just really cool, you know, like talking about no like Nolan I think just got promoted, so he's fired up about that. I remembered him talking about Nolan become the assistant GM, you know, the other people like you know, Jody's excitement of the whole whole thing. So part of the course you can really set, really set the tongue. 00:37:51 Speaker 13: You Uh, obviously you're getting a lot of attention for the vision video that got sat yesterday, and you're somebody who just wants to stay. 00:37:58 Speaker 2: In the now all the time. Visioning is future. 00:38:01 Speaker 13: So yeah, what was that process like for you to kind. 00:38:03 Speaker 12: Of look ahead and did that vision go beyond the NFC Championship. 00:38:09 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:38:09 Speaker 9: I think. 00:38:13 Speaker 5: The goal of what I was trying to portray to the guys was the feeling of what we're trying to create of that it is about us, and it's about our connectedness, and it's about what we're what we're striving to become as a football team. 00:38:27 Speaker 2: You know. 00:38:28 Speaker 5: The NFC Championship was really just context of you know, where we could go. Of course, you know, of course we there's more goals to be had, but that was really that was really. 00:38:38 Speaker 2: The thought behind it. 00:38:41 Speaker 5: Yeah, I think it's I think it's that simple, but it's good to good to have visualization like that's a powerful tool and I'm glad it worked. 00:38:50 Speaker 17: If it is seun lived in eleve in personnel for so long as a coach, and then the three tight end thing has been such a big thing about what they're doing this year. How how have you seen that particular piece the thirteen kind of a for them as the season's gone along with how they've done it and where they're where they're using it. 00:39:03 Speaker 5: And deploying it, well, I think I think this is a great example of how they've like of how they evolved from year to year. You know, you can kind of take several things over the last you know, I don't know, three to five years from kind of when it's just when they've been making these playoff runs and they're a team that evolves and adapts and grows throughout the season. I think that's why they've been able to make these runs. And so this is an example of that. I don't want to put words in their mouth, but they got great tight ends and you know, they found something that was a weapon for him, you know, and they've been able to kind of

activate it. And it's not like they're running the same stuff and you know that has evolved as well over the courses over the course of the year. So which is the same thing they did when they're an eleven and they still do that in eleven. So yeah, I think. But it's a great It's an easy example to see how they operate and makes you, you know, you definitely respect how they do it. 00:39:57 Speaker 3: That was the latest from Seahawks head coach Mike McDonald, a head of conference championship on Sunday. Let's take a closer look at the Rams our opponent preview with Sarah Barshop. 00:40:04 Speaker 6: Next, this is the huddle, the handoff, inside the showy. 00:40:08 Speaker 4: Nights, He's gonna go Touchdown. 00:40:13 Speaker 1: Exclusively on Seattle Sports on seven to ten, Seattle Sports on YouTube, and the Seattle Sports App with hosts Michael Bumpus, Stacey. 00:40:21 Speaker 2: Rosk and Dave Why. 00:40:25 Speaker 1: Time to go inside the Huddle. 00:40:27 Speaker 3: Hoddle Time an opponent preview with ESPN NFL Nation reporter Sarah barr Shop joining us right now. 00:40:34 Speaker 4: Sarah, how's it going. It's great. 00:40:37 Speaker 20: It's been a great week. 00:40:39 Speaker 3: Yes, I mean we're watching. I mean, these were the two best teams all season long. Have thoroughly enjoyed both contests. The Thursday night one obviously with an electric finish. Unfortunately not a win for the Rams, but one that captivated the rest of the NFL. I wanted to actually talk about the two games the Rams played to get here. Tell us about LA's path through these two contests, both of which were very close. 00:41:06 Speaker 20: Yeah, I mean two road games in two actually pretty loud stadiums, Like I don't know that I expected going into Carolina that it would be such a loud environment, but really the fans were into it. Obviously the same in Chicago last week, and they were both come back or you know, the Rams team has had to come back so much this year, and earlier in the year they weren't. They lost some games, obviously that game in Seattle, but also against the Eagles, against the forty nine ers, and in those two games, what stands out is kind of that they did come back, and Sean McVay said he's impressed by the fight. And I think that's probably what stands out to me is that I think early in the season, when players are saying, you know, we lost these games, now we're becoming callous, like we're not going to let it happen again. I think it's one thing to say that, I think it's another thing to do it. And what the Rams have shown in these last two games that they are capable of coming back in winning those games. 00:42:04 Speaker 10: Sarah tell us about Pukakua and just the kind of person that he is and the kind of teammate that he is. I mean, I can imagine that. You know, he's inspiring to almost even offensive linemen. I mean, the way that he battles and how physical he is. Tell us a little bit about him. 00:42:23 Speaker 20: You know, It's funny you ask players about him and that one of the first things they bring up is his blocking and that physicality you mentioned, and just that he is just as happy to block on a long Jordan winning him catch and run as he is for it to be himself, you know, making that catch. And players talk about how his attitude is just infectious, and I think you see that on the field. You see it. We've seen him miked up a couple of times and you can see that as his teammates feed off his energy and then obviously a very productive football player too. And so he's in this third season and I think I was actually asking some players and coaches about it last week, just about the growth they've seen, and DeVante Adams was saying, you know, it was cool because he wanted to learn from me, and he was like, and I'm learning just as much from Puka as he is from me. But it's cool to come in and find that relationship with a player who was very good. And he said, you know, like he doesn't have to be humbled because he's had a lot of success, but he still is. 00:43:25 Speaker 11: How was the Davante Adams look since he's been back from hamshring. 00:43:29 Speaker 20: Yeah, he's talked about how he's kind of had to get off a little bit of the rush just because of the time he missed. I think it was interesting to me that I think he had his first catch came in the fourth quarter on Sunday against the Bears, and after the game, Sean McVay and Matthew staffordabi we both talked about like wanting to get him more involved, but he said, you know, like it's the more I've played, the more comfortable I've gotten back out there. But I'm sure like a hamstring injury, he's probably not one hundred percent. I imagine that this point of the year, not many players are, but I think especially dealing with a hamstring injury late in the season, he's still working back. But I know that a couple players have pointed out this week the difference that, yes, they lost in Seattle in Week sixteen, but they didn't have a DeVante Adams out there. 00:44:16 Speaker 3: Hey, I wanted to ask a couple of injury questions ahead of this one. I know Young is one that you guys are watching, just the latest on him and then anything else that people kind of have an eye on. 00:44:29 Speaker 20: Yeah, he won't practice again today, but Sean McVay has and I actually asked Sean today, I said, is it the same knee he's been kind of dealing with all year because he's been on the injury report as rest quite often, and he said, yeah, same injury. He's been taking the mental reps. But we're just trying to be smart with it, like he expects him to be good to go. I know in Chicago I saw him like limping a little bit on the sideline, but then as soon as the play started he's going full sense. So it sounds like something they're managing and they expect him to play, but he won't practice again today. And then Quinton Lake, who was dealing with an illness, Sean mcfa say, yesterday hit a little bit of a bug he will practice today,

and I know Sean said he was hoping that it was a short term thing, and it sounds like it will be because he'll be back. 00:45:09 Speaker 14: Out there today. 00:45:10 Speaker 10: Hey, sir, tell me about Nate Landman fascinating to me. I think he was a good player in Atlanta. He's become a great player and you know, seventeen starts this year and obviously in the playoffs. You know, knocks down passes, He's a master at knocking the ball out. What does he meant to that defense? And was it kind of a surprise. What is it about that scheme or whatever that brought out the best of his abilities? 00:45:37 Speaker 19: Yeah? 00:45:38 Speaker 20: I think to me, the most telling part was that he got here in March and in August he was voted as team captain. And when that happened, I mean, I imagine you don't feel a lot of first year team captains. And I talked to some players about it, his teammates and he said, and they were kind of like, he communicates. He is so willing to he said. They said, on the field, obviously he's wearing the green dot, and they it's kind of that energy we talked about with Tuca, like they feel it. They're obviously the big thing is kind of been the pet up punch. He's one teammate told me like, he's just all over the field. You look at him. And and I think also with Clinton Lake missing time this year, I think Landman stepped up a little bit more to even more of that leadership role on the defense. So part of that, I think is we saw him all trading came working on that punch out. He had a lot of success early in the season. But I think it's the way he communicates that so quickly endeared him to his teammates. And we've seen a lot of success obviously on the field too. 00:46:39 Speaker 11: Hey, both our quarterbacks seem to be banged up, right. You got Sam Doronod with an old leakue, he played through it. Matthew Stafford with a finger injury, he played through it. What's the status of Matthew Stafford? And how do you feel like he loves playing that cold? 00:46:54 Speaker 20: He said, he's good to go. I mean he kind of he was asked about it after the game, like was your finger affecting some of the and he said no, I mean he kind of said, like I just didn't play very well at times. In that game, so I'm sure the cold did not help. The snow did not help. I think we saw for multiple players kind of how that snow in the weather in Chicago affected them. But he says he's good to go, and I also believe that even if he was not one hundred percent or wasn't good to go, he would not tell us and say that all was good. So you never know with him. 00:47:26 Speaker 3: The Rams are an amazing team and this isn't meant to be a slide, but quite a few points given up. I'm not watching every single one of their snaps. Is there something that's lost when it comes to, you know, why the defense or why the team has given up more points than they're probably comfortable with. Maybe something that like I'm not seeing. 00:47:45 Speaker 20: I think it was the injury of Quinton Lake because that's about when it was. He got hurt in that first Seattle game, and that's when I think we saw a shift in the defense. I think they really missed him, even in the run game. I think he is such a difference maker in that secondary and on that defense, and now he's come back. He played in the first playoff game, But I imagine that that is something that they are continuing to work on. I mean the pass rush. I don't believe Taylor Williams was sacked once. Obviously they were getting some pressure on him, but I think missing Lake kind of set the defense back, and I think a key I'm sure, as you guys know, is the pass rush being able to get to Sam Darnold. This week. 00:48:28 Speaker 3: She has ESPN Sarah Boshop kind enough to join us and help us preview this one. 00:48:32 Speaker 20: Thanks so much, Sarah, Thank you have a good one. 00:48:36 Speaker 4: Voice of the Seahawks, Stave Rabel coming here right. 00:48:37 Speaker 1: Next back to the huddle only on the home of the Seahawks, Seattle Sports. 00:48:44 Speaker 3: See Rabel joining us now, Raves, I actually before we look ahead to the Rams, I. 00:48:48 Speaker 4: Want to look back at that last game. 00:48:50 Speaker 3: Unfortunately I couldn't make it in person, but everyone has told me that the Rashid shiheid returned touchdown was maybe the loudest they've heard the stadium in years and years and years. What was it like on that and what was that environment like? 00:49:02 Speaker 14: Well, the environment was spectacular as you would expect it to be. You know, we have the headsets on, so we we were kind of buffered from hearing the full blast of the of the fans, but even through the headsets, you know, it's it's difficult for me to even hear the call. I'm not I'm not sure I even got any of the names right because I couldn't hear myself talking. 00:49:23 Speaker 2: But it was. 00:49:25 Speaker 14: It was pretty remarkable, and it's just kind of what we expect, especially this time of year. And it's why all the players to a person have said this week that, yeah, I mean, being at home is just such a huge advantage, and especially in a game against you know, a team that you know very well, like the Rams. 00:49:43 Speaker 10: How do you survive your co host making grunning noises in the background and it's still able to make a call. 00:49:49 Speaker 2: It's it's pretty amazing. 00:49:50 Speaker 14: Just I just ignore it, like everything else. My broadcast partner says, I just try to ignore what what he says or grunt and we just move on. And that's probably the best way. 00:50:02 Speaker 2: All right, Raybell, what do you think about this? This? 00:50:05 Speaker 10: Uh, that's enough. I shouldn't have qued you up for that. What do you think about this matchup? I mean, you look at you know, the we gave them four opportunities inside our own fifty in the first game, and then you know, the last one inexplicably, and then we don't talk a lot about this is that the

defense gave up more yards in than in franchise history. How do you think this one plays out in your mind? 00:50:29 Speaker 14: Well, they're they're so evenly matched, these two teams, and they know each other so well. I think it's going to come down, of course. I think I said this before the San Francisco playoff game. It usually comes down to one or two plays. Well, against San Francisco it came down to about five or six scoring plays, which is the one the ones that we made and they didn't. But I think it really will come down to just a couple of plays. And oftentimes, yes, it could be a huge play. It could be a big touchdown reception by JSN or a big run by Canine. But it could also be you know, a Stafford getting away from from a possible sack and letting it fly and Pookin Nakua grabs it between two defenders and takes off for forty yards in a touchdown. I mean again that it's why we play him. I think that we have obviously, I believe we have the better team all the way around. Offense, defense, special teams, but that doesn't always mean you're going to win the game. I think being at home is really going to help. But Matthew Stafford, he's thrown for three hundred yards or more in six of his eight road playoff games, so it doesn't seem to matter where he's playing. What matters is can we get pressure on him and get him off his spot and disrupt his timing. That's what's going to make a difference in this. 00:51:46 Speaker 9: Game, Raves. 00:51:48 Speaker 11: This defense obviously has been playing at just a super high level, and the Rams offense is still there, but not the offense that we saw maybe later on in the season. What do you thinks that to be the key for this defense? Is it the same all as every week? Does d Line calls some chaos or do you see something else? 00:52:07 Speaker 2: No? 00:52:07 Speaker 14: I think that's going to be the biggest part of it. I also think, you know, in the secondary, we gave up some big plays that we just shouldn't have given up. I heard you breaking down the video of a couple of those receptions, especially by Puka Nakua in that last game, and you know we had guys that were right there in the neighborhood. But they just misplayed the ball and they were not quite in the right position and the ball was thrown very well. I go back to what I know Leo said yesterday, and that is you got to get pressure. Find a way to get some pressure, manufacture it somehow, or just overpower the guys up front for the Rams to get pressure on Matthew Stafford because he is not brock perty. He is not going to scramble out of trouble, run a lot throw on the run. He's going to try to get that ball out of his hands quickly, and that makes it more difficult on your defense when he's throwing the ball so quick. So you got to find a way to disrupt that timing somewhere, whether it's in the back end or in the front end. But I think our defense can do that, and I think ultimately they will. 00:53:11 Speaker 3: JSN nominated for AP Offensive Player of the Year. Congratulations to him. Excluding him from this possible answer, though, Rapes, is there a Seahawks player a weapon on offense that you think, you know what, He's got a chance to have a good game. I like him in a couple of these matchups. 00:53:27 Speaker 14: Well, Canine is probably my top pick there. He has the way he's come on here toward the end of the season in the last half a dozen games. He ran really well against the Rams the second time we played him. He really seems to have gotten into a rhythm with his offensive line. And you know, give them about half the credit too, because they're making some just some terrific blocks near the line of scrimmage. Tight ends and wide receivers are blocking in the second level and third level. But K nine has really shown to be one of those guys that I think he can put the team kind of on his back at times when he's running the ball. Three touchdowns against the Niners. If he can have even remotely that kind of game against the Rams, I think, you know, we do pretty well. And that doesn't always mean scoring a lot of points, but if he can run the ball successfully, it means the ball is in your hands for a longer period of time and it's not in Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense's hands. So controlling that time of possession, running the football and pushing that Rams defense around a little bit, I think that will go a long way. But yeah, my second choice would be knin the way he's playing lately. 00:54:38 Speaker 2: Rapes. 00:54:38 Speaker 10: You know, you were a receiver and we just had Jake Bobo in here and just we were talking about the blocking that's that's come from the receivers. 00:54:46 Speaker 2: It's been phenomenal. 00:54:47 Speaker 10: And I think over the last few few games, the sort of you know, themes on the field on defense, the open field tackling has been just spot on. But then the blocking downfield, man, I mean that a receiver, I mean, you're not the biggest guys in the world, but the want to it has been very impressive. It seems like they're they're really coming on in that category. 00:55:10 Speaker 14: Yeah. Absolutely, And you know it's not like you have to knock guys on their back. You don't have to just knock them out of the ballpark, just getting in their way. You know, the way our running backs run, the way the plays are designed, if you just shield them off for a half a step K nine or whomever is going to be running in K nine instead when he takes a break there there's room to run there. When a tight end catches the tight end screen, if it's Barner or whomever catches the tight end screen and turns up field, all you got to do is screen somebody off for a half a step, but it's you're right, Dave, it's that one two to get there in the position to do that. And you know, we've been lucky around here with the Seahawks. I mean, I can go all the way back to the days of Largent. I mean, he was a terrific blocker. Sam McCollum was an excellent

blocker as a receiver, and you can just work your way all way through the years, Kate. The guys have been really really effective in blocking, and so now the guys outside Cooper Cup one of the best blocking receivers in the league right now. All of them are doing their jobs tight ends as well. You you've got to keep that up. You know. One of the things that we haven't really talked about. I don't think you and I haven't talked about much. This is the third road game now in a row, playoff lives for the Rams. That's really difficult to come in here. They know how loud it's going to be, they know all those things. It's tough to go on the road three straight weeks and win football games. I'm not saying they can't do it because it's a football game. Anything can happen, but I think it's I think our guys are set. That's why you play all those games, That's why you win all the games you did so you can host these playoffs. And I think that's gonna set well for our guys. 00:56:54 Speaker 3: Boys of the Seahawks. Steve rabeil hear them on the call Sunday. Thanks Rapes. 00:56:57 Speaker 14: Hey, I throw one more thing in, Yes, has your has your broadcast partner mentioned anything today of interest? 00:57:07 Speaker 2: What? 00:57:08 Speaker 9: Just football analysis raves? 00:57:09 Speaker 2: You know, That's what I'm here to do. 00:57:10 Speaker 14: Yeah, Okay, Well, I rolled Bump last night to inform him that he is going to be inducted into the Pacific Northwest Football Hall of Fame. 00:57:20 Speaker 4: Let's god that man kick down the door and told us this. 00:57:28 Speaker 2: Thanks. 00:57:28 Speaker 9: I appreciate that. That was a fun phone call. 00:57:30 Speaker 2: RaSE. 00:57:30 Speaker 14: I appreciate you in his in his years with w s U and and what he had, what he has gone on to do. It was an easy choice for all of us on the committee. So I just wanted to congratulate you out there, brother, and let everybody know that this is much deserved and and let your co workers know that you're not the flacker they think you are. 00:57:50 Speaker 3: Changed my perception. No, but it's gonna be even worse now. First you're bragging about your golf game charity events. He's golfing with Reggie Bush. 00:57:58 Speaker 11: Now now this, uh, Raves, you just made my day that much more difficult. 00:58:03 Speaker 14: Raves, Well, congratulations friend, you deserve it. 00:58:08 Speaker 2: Appreciate you. Okay, awesome, man, very very cool. 00:58:12 Speaker 3: We'll talk about it more during the break. I gotta get us out of here. We're going in the trenches with Ray Roberts. 00:58:16 Speaker 1: Next, back to the huddle only on the home of the Seahawks, Seattle Sports. 00:58:22 Speaker 3: Going in the trenches with Ray Roberts joining us. 00:58:25 Speaker 4: Now, Big Ray, how's it going. 00:58:27 Speaker 2: It's going great? 00:58:28 Speaker 4: How you guys doing fantastic? 00:58:31 Speaker 3: And this team is looking good, although they did lose a key member heading into this game, Zach Sharbonay out for the season. 00:58:37 Speaker 2: Uh. 00:58:38 Speaker 3: I wanted to start with the run game in particular kind of who I don't want to say, picks up the slack. But what becomes your approach without Sharbonay? How does it change things? And do you still expect big games from Walker? Oh? 00:58:54 Speaker 19: I still think that Kenneth Walker is kind of on fire right now. I think he's found his rhythm, he's found the great connectedness to the offensive line. He's getting downhill really fast, and I do think that they can use him in other fashions, like in the screen game, in the passing game, so he doesn't have to run between the tackles the entire time to have an impact on the game. If they can find other ways to get him out in space to use his skill set, then I think that can all set the loss of charbon Ay, because you know, George Lani does a good job of, you know, getting some of those leaky yards running between the tackles. He has the ability to make people miss and run through tackles, kind of like a poor man charbon A. So I think they should be fine. I really do think that the biggest change in our run game in the last you know, three to four weeks is that I think the offensive line decided and realized that they can play the same type of physical football that our defensive line plays, and they've gained confidence in it. You can see in the way they come off the ball, like the great Label may have like the quickest first step of any guard in the league. Sometimes he gets off the ball so fast I feel like he's false starting, but he's not. He's just ready to go. You can see the energy in him. Even Bradford, even though he has this place where he does his thing, the dude is still playing really good football, being really dominant in the run game. 01:00:18 Speaker 3: Uh. 01:00:18 Speaker 19: You know, Jones did a good job while he was in there. Charles Cross has been a good run blocker all year, and Big Game is always like a tone setter. So to me, this is gonna be I was thinking about it today. This is like blubber Laying and Rocky. It's like the Thriller in Manila. 01:00:35 Speaker 3: You know what I'm saying. 01:00:36 Speaker 19: It is like the Brawl for it All. It's the Battle in Seattle. This is gonna This. 01:00:39 Speaker 2: Is what. 01:00:41 Speaker 9: White for your life. 01:00:45 Speaker 19: This is like, it's cool that all the little, short skilled guys are gonna be doing their things, But this game is gonna be won in the trenches. Whoever dominates the trenches will win this football game on. 01:00:57 Speaker 9: Both sides of the football. 01:00:58 Speaker 4: Not the short skilled guy I think he was. 01:01:01 Speaker 2: He was aiming at you bon. 01:01:05 Speaker 19: About five seven on a good day. 01:01:06 Speaker 9: Hey, I know my lane up top when y'all done fighting? 01:01:14 Speaker 10: Hey, Ray, Uh, who do you think is the player on the offensive line that's improved the most. I

think, to me, what I've seen out of Sundell lately, I think is is something special. But you tell me who's who's gotten better is the season's gone along. 01:01:31 Speaker 19: Well, I'll tell you that Sundell has surprised me the most because he's not the biggest dude. He doesn't look like he's the strongest guy, but he's a super athletic dude. He can get out and pull, you know, from the center position like you know, back in the day that was kind of unheard of. I think Kevin mcwie was like one of the first sinners that kind of made that commonplace where the fender would actually pull and lead to running back around the corner. That's it's really hard to do and uh and Sundell has been able to do that, and the way he has explosion off the ball, like he may have to fight a little bit to sustained blocks because of the size, but he gets off the ball really quickly and he gets up to the second level really well. And so I don't know if he's the most improved guy, but he's a guy that has surprised me. 01:02:12 Speaker 2: The most. I didn't. 01:02:12 Speaker 19: I didn't think that he was going to bring that type of stuff to the table. I thought that maybe Oldu had like a little bit of an advantage when it came to like strengths and stuff. But Sundell had the athletic piece of it, and they found a really good way to utilize him. And it's athleticism to make it work in this offense. And so the way he's been able to play with to play next to Bradford, and the way he's been able to do these combination blocks with a really athletic sable, I think it's just been the way those three have kind of progressed together has been probably the most improvement. 01:02:49 Speaker 9: Ay Big Ray. 01:02:52 Speaker 11: I know you mentioned at times like sometimes the tight ends is getting away right, You're like, man, just go the other side and let me do my thing. But the way Aj Barner and Eric svatdevan Lock has been really impressive, how they helped these tackles in this run. 01:03:04 Speaker 19: Game, because like in this outside zone stretch zone, even on the inside zone Bill there's two places where it can fall apart really fast. One is in the those guard center guard spots. If you don't have good push in the middle. It kind of distorts like a lot of different things, and so the running back has to run horizontally versus kind of attacking the line of scrimmage. And then the other part is out on the edge. If a tight end can't take over a double team or slide up to the second level, then you're basically gonna have one guy free all the time. And so in my career, you know, I played with Farrell Edmonds when he was here and Seattle just doue to six seven sixty eight and about two hundred and sixty pounds, and I just knew every now and again, I'm like, you got him, because I'm just going to go up to the linebacker. You're good over here, and he's like, yeah, I got it, you know, And so you just knew that you'd't have to worry about it. And set in Detroit, I played this

guy, David Sloan, was a big, strong type in a great blocker, and so it just made all of that stuff about capturing the edge, you know, being able to get to the second level for the offensive tackle to kind of really create those lanes for the running back to run in. Having a tight end that is efficient at blocking. It don't have to be super dominant and pancaking everybody, even though these guys get that too, But having guys that can do that, it just it's like, I don't want to say their extra offensive lineman. It's just another weapon along the offensive line that can help you secure those lanes for the running back to find to gain yards. 01:04:32 Speaker 3: I was listening to a preview for this game where one of the hosts said, you know, obviously Seattle's defense is absolutely amazing and that's going to be the single biggest challenge for the Rams. And he said, but to be honest, like I felt better about Chicago's. 01:04:45 Speaker 4: Offense than I do Seattle's. 01:04:46 Speaker 3: Do you think Seattle's offense is being a little disrespected coming into this one? 01:04:51 Speaker 19: I think so. I think, especially when it comes to like Sam Donald and what he brings to the table is like the goalpost is always moving like he you know, he it was a quarterback that we're keeping quarterback wins and losses. He's a quarterback that beat the forty nine ers. He's a quarterback that led the comeback or was part of the come back against the Rams, and everyone still feels like he hasn't won the big game yet those are those are humongous games, you know. And then I think offensively, they just think I think people think that JSN is the only explosiveness that we have on offense. And then I don't think they're really buying into the running game yet. But I've used it as this example time and time and time again that when the Coats won the Super Bowl, it was because the running game got just got on fire right at the end of the season and they rushed for one hundred and twenty one hundred and thirty yards a game for the rest of the playoffs into the Super Bowl. And so I think even though this offensive line has played you know, a beat up forty nine ers team, maybe some other teams that weren't the best against the run, but it allowed them to find their confidence and what they're doing. You know, sometimes you just need a get right game, and I think they had They've had a couple of get right games where they Okay, this is what it feels like. This is how you know this this block is supposed to work. This is how they running back attacks this lane. This is you know, uh, you know, when a running back knows that the lane is going to be there for him to run through. It's a different approach to it. You're not trying to wait to see what's going to happen. You're really attacking it. And I think Kanaan is really attacking the line of scrimmage because the offensive line is really attaching, attacking the assignments. And I don't think people are like really completely bought into that yet. And then obviously I don't. I don't think anybody's brought into Sam quite yet because they just keep you know, they keep changing moving the goal post on it. 01:06:33 Speaker 3: I think you hit the nail on the head, big Ray. He is Big Ray Roberts. 01:06:36 Speaker 4: Thanks Ray, Thanks y Yes, sir. 01:06:39 Speaker 19: Man, I'm like I've been waiting for like I don't know, like the last two weeks because I missed last week's game. I wasn't able to be in the stadium. And I'm just so I think I must have texted and that's about five times already, like hey Sunday here yet, Like I'm just like, bop, I'm going to beat it to the stadium for the second time all in the last I'm going to be I'm gonna be the first one there you guys are gonna have to be waiting. Oh man, this is rain gonna make it no time. I'm gonna be up in that thing ready to go. Bro Cauz. This is like one of those you know in boxing sometimes at the end of the fight when you have two great fighters and they just point to the middle of the ring and they just stand there and go blow to blow to blow. That's what this fight. This is what this is gonna be. This is not gonna be a game where one team gets to warm up to the fight. You better come already ready to fight. You know what I'm saying. Like this one, no jabs, no soft blows. These are haymakers from the beginning to the end. And I really do think that the Seahawk is gonna walk out victorious. 01:07:34 Speaker 3: All right, listeners, Seahawks fans, you already know where to find that energy. Three hours before kickoff for the pregame show, three hours after Big Big Ray Roberts obviously on with Michael Bumpus. 01:07:44 Speaker 4: Thanks Ray, Ray. 01:07:46 Speaker 19: All right, you guys have a good one. 01:07:48 Speaker 2: See yeah, don't get in raised way. He's fired up this weekend. 01:07:52 Speaker 4: I think he's ready to go. He's ready to go. John Boyle joins us. 01:07:56 Speaker 1: Next back to the Huddle only on the home of the Seahawks Sports. 01:08:03 Speaker 3: Boyle. John Boyle Seahawk's dot com joining us right now, Boyle, I was just telling you off air that I had a lot more nerves for Seattle for this game heading into it. 01:08:12 Speaker 4: Not only is it. 01:08:13 Speaker 3: Just higher stakes, you know, bigger stage, conference championship game, but it's a great team. They've really just fought each other and in a back and forth battle over the season. 01:08:25 Speaker 4: I think two points in a yard or something like that separates the two. 01:08:28 Speaker 3: So because of that, I've been listening to a lot of content ahead of this one, and I'm listened to one this morning, and one of the hosts was saying, you know, I just I believe more in the Rams offense. Frankly, I believed more in Chicago's offense than I do in Seattle's. And I didn't like wholeheartedly disagree. The Rams offense statistically was better this season than Seattle's was, but I also feel like Seattle's offense has

not been completely carried by the defense all season. They were to start the first chunk of the year, one of the most explosive in football, So what I'm asking is, to what extent do you think that explosiveness or that potential for this offense to look great could factor into this one. 01:09:13 Speaker 21: Yeah, it's I think their offense has changed a little bit. They haven't been there. We haven't seen as much of the downfield. Yes, as the passing game, that's I mean, statistically, that's true. You know, whether you get back to that or not in this game, we'll have to see what happens. But they're also running the ball a hell of a lot better than they were early in this season. They're four straight games over one hundred and sixty yards, so I think, you know, that's a huge step up for them offensively. And look, yeah, you're right, the rams or they were number one offense statistically all year, so I get that sentiment. But guess what, the s defense is pretty damn good this year too, So yeah, I don't think you know, either team has a huge edge over the other. I think that's why they are the last two teams standing in the NFC, And I think you could find a lot of people around the league whoud say they're the best two teams left in the NFL period. So it's hard to you know, make predictions about this game because these teams are just both so good. 01:10:01 Speaker 10: What have you heard from K nine and seeing from him that you know, he just looks like a guy that just gets better every week, at least the second half of the of the season anyway. 01:10:10 Speaker 21: Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of running backs benefit from getting going in games and getting more touches. And he's been getting the ball a little more just because they're running the ball better as a whole. Now they're gonna need to lean on him even more. Zach Sharbaday unfortunately injured, but yeah, I mean, he's been a guy that has been as Mike McDonald. 01:10:25 Speaker 2: Said, he's been getting better as the year goes along. 01:10:27 Speaker 21: He had arguably his best game this season in a playoff game. So yeah, they're gonna need him again. They're, you know, they're missing their number two guys. So I think this is a great opportunity for for ken Walker to really show on a huge stage what he can do. 01:10:41 Speaker 9: Do you think the Rams will kick it to Shahi? 01:10:44 Speaker 21: I don't and not just because they probably rightly are a little would be a little worried about doing it, but also if you go back and watch them all season. Their team that seems content to boot it through the end or just kick it deep. They've kicked it deep a lot this year. I don't know the numbers for me, but especially against the Seahawks with Rashisha Heat, I think they're more willing just play defense from the thirty five yard line then take their chances all returns. 01:11:08 Speaker 3: I'm gonna ask you the boring question, but it's because a lot of fans are always curious about injury updates, particularly when we say earlier in the show, bumpinized the show and. 01:11:16 Speaker 21: All their tackles are all the tasks are so fair concern. 01:11:19 Speaker 4: Yeah, so what's the latest? 01:11:20 Speaker 21: Yeah, I mean so, Mike McDonald said today, we'll see what the injury report says. That with Charles Cross, they're optimistic he's gonna play. You know, I'm foot injuries can be the kind of things where he's able to get through it, but it's just probably gonna hurt, so they're gonna have to manage it during the week to just take some take some stress off that foot. 01:11:38 Speaker 2: But sounds like he's probably good to go. 01:11:40 Speaker 21: We'll see Josh Jones, who's been the backup, didn't play last week because of the knee. Maury Height comes in. Now he's on the injury report, so we're scoff kind of see how it shakes out with those guys. But the most important thing, it does sound like they'll have their starter out there. 01:11:52 Speaker 2: I like the phrase loose and focus. 01:11:54 Speaker 10: Yeah, and you know you've been around playoff teams here and you know it obviously ramps up. I mean, it's all be so I feel like you don't even need to talk about it. But it seems like this team, with the messaging and everything, really is just I mean, you don't see anybody that like is too excited. 01:12:11 Speaker 2: Yeah, one way or the other. 01:12:13 Speaker 10: It's I feel like that's been a message that's been very clear. 01:12:16 Speaker 2: Yeah, this team direct. 01:12:17 Speaker 21: And it's funny that the video that's been blowing up that we posted yesterday on the Seahawks channels, Mike McDonald and his very first team meeting. He talks about, you know, picture yourselves in this situation, laying out the NFC Championship game at Lumenfield, and well he uses loose. I don't think he says loose and focus together, but he says we're loose, we're focused. It's like that's been his messaging, whether he really intended to be this way since the very first day, and now it's a phrase you hear repeated from team from players all the time. 01:12:43 Speaker 2: And it does. 01:12:44 Speaker 21: I think that's it helps you get through the season and have fun and work hardboile you're doing it. But where I think it really pays off is in these really huge moments that you don't make them too big. You're like, Okay, let's go have a Thursday and have a good time and practice and have fun and get ready for a game. 01:13:00 Speaker 11: Do you think Knine will get a few more cares than typical or do you feel like they will try to distribute the carriers between the other two packs? 01:13:07 Speaker 21: And I think you'd get him a little more. I mean, we'll see what happened with George Hallane. He practiced fully yesterday, so it's a good sign. I think if he's back, you know, maybe you try to get him some touches. They'll probably either sign or elevate one or both of Vilas Jones and cam Akers. So I think the overall

workload, yeah, I would shift a little more to Ken Walker without Zach Sharbady, just because he's your he's your guy, and he's touched them all up. But you know they'll they'll get other guys involves. You're not gonna ask him to play every single down back there. 01:13:35 Speaker 3: I didn't get the impression from Mike McDonald on Monday that Sam Donald's oblique was worsened by. 01:13:41 Speaker 2: No, it sounds like it's better. 01:13:43 Speaker 21: He said, he's feeling better coming out of that game than he was, you know, last week going into it. But at the same point, they are gonna you know, you saw he was limited on the Andrew part. I'm guessing we'll see, but I'm guessing we might see him limited all week just because they don't want him ripping throws the whole time, just to let it, you know, stay calmed down and then get him to game day and see how that goes. But yeah, it sounds like he came out of it definitely not worse for the wear, and if anything, sounds like he's improving. 01:14:07 Speaker 10: Seems like Mike's handling the media stuff and all the excitement and everything really well for a young coach. And you know, I always feel kind of sorry for him because he's like, I just want to coach football. Yeah, and you know, it just seems like he's he's doing a great job with that. You can't really tell the difference between, you know, when it's like the preseason or the postseason. 01:14:30 Speaker 21: Yeah, I mean, he's got that real steady demeanor that I think it's part of his coaching style, and I think it affects the team kind of just what we're talking of, the loose and focus. 01:14:38 Speaker 2: I think that helps the team not tends out. 01:14:41 Speaker 21: He's not changing who he is this week and giving like fiery speeches and telling the guys as do or die or anything like they're just gonna go do what they've been doing. And he's his leadership style is you know, it's different than some head coaches, but it works really well for this team. 01:14:54 Speaker 9: From what you can see. 01:14:55 Speaker 11: I know it's kind of tough, but he Mike Wedell said the last time they played, he gave his defense it's too much. Does it feel like he's cutting back a bit and making things more simple? 01:15:04 Speaker 2: I know you're not. 01:15:04 Speaker 21: Yeah, I mean, I'm not nothing to dis close from practice, but yeah, just hearing Mike say that, it makes sense of like he jokes about all the time, I think there's truth behind the jokes. It's like he's a guy that's like tinkering up till game time and they're installing things on Saturday sometimes. And I think that's just the way his mind works, is he's like such a brilliant guy that he's always thinking of something new and something different, and there can be too much. Quite frankly, like, just because he can picture it in his head working doesn't necessarily mean the players can learn it, get it right, execute it. So yeah, I think we'll see what you know. And it's it's always a fun chest match because he's gonna adjust. 01:15:39 Speaker 2: But we know Sean. 01:15:40 Speaker 21: McVay is too, And that's what makes these matchups so cool, is like you got two of the very best on each side of the ball going against each other. 01:15:46 Speaker 3: On a very related note, kind of building off of that, is there something that you don't expect to happen this time around that did in Week sixteen? 01:15:53 Speaker 21: I mean, I think just limiting explosives. I just can't see this defense giving up, right. I mean, look, the Rams are really freaking good on defense or offense. They're they're gonna get some plays you're not gonna do to them. I don't think what you did to the forty nine ers and keep mad the zone for two straight games. All that, but like this, THISX defense hasn't given up a pay longer than twenty yards and three straight games rank stat that I just don't see again. The it's they're not gonna shout him out necessarily, but just not the the over and over big plays and thirty whatever points it was. 01:16:26 Speaker 2: I I just can't see that happening. To get into this defense. 01:16:29 Speaker 3: Okay, before we let you go, I was gonna make a very easy wrap up for us and our final thoughts. All you're gonna do is choose who you think will get the first touchdown for Seattle. Hopefully they find the end zone. I feel confident that they can. But who does it first will go whine and boil, bump and you can repeat. 01:16:44 Speaker 2: Okay, I'm going to Aj Barner. I think he hasn't. 01:16:48 Speaker 10: I mean he that that rowdy ran in the second game, the touchdown, great catch, great route, shakes the guy to the ground. We haven't really seen a whole bunch of like highlights, ma'am. 01:17:00 Speaker 2: So I'm gonna go with Aj. 01:17:02 Speaker 9: You can't keep him down boiled. 01:17:04 Speaker 21: I went with Cooper Cup as my pick. Last week and he said, somebody kind of X factor. So let's let's keep riding Cooper Cup. He came through last week leading receiver. Yeah, let's get him his first touchdown or first touchdown the game against his former team. 01:17:16 Speaker 4: I'm very family feud with good answer. 01:17:18 Speaker 9: Bom Kobe Bryant good An, Sir. 01:17:24 Speaker 3: I was thinking, I'm gonna say Sam Darnold keeper. Okay, Now I think it'll be a Barnyard Barnard. 01:17:31 Speaker 4: It'll be a Barnyard. 01:17:31 Speaker 3: I think they're gonna be very willing to get into the red zone so they can get another shot at trying. 01:17:36 Speaker 21: Then if they use Sam Darnland keeper can be called the oblique. 01:17:39 Speaker 4: Sneak oo oil trademarket. 01:17:42 Speaker 3: Right now, make sure you're reading more from Boil at Seahawks Dot. You'll hear Whyman on the call with Ravees, and of course, tune into the Seahawks pre and post game show hosted by Michael Bumpus. 01:17:52 Speaker 4: This has been the Huddle. 01:17:54 Speaker 1: You've been listening to The Huddle Huddle exclusively on Seattle Sports on seven, Seattle Sports on YouTube, and the Seattle Sports app. Seattle Sports, the Home of the Seahawks