Latest / Sea Hawkers Podcast: for Seattle Seahawks fans / What If?... Fleury Flourishes In Week 1

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What If?... Fleury Flourishes In Week 1 · Sea Hawkers Podcast: for Seattle Seahawks fans

0:09
Clinton: Welcome in, welcome in, welcome friends to the newest edition
0:13
of Sea Hawkers What If, the most unique preview show in the multiverse.
0:18
I'm Clinton Bonner.
0:19
I am joined by the one, the only, the great Brandan Schulze.
0:22
This would not be, it could not be, we could not traverse the
0:25
Sea Hawkers multiverse without the protector of that multiverse, Mr.
0:29
Phil Lydick.
0:30
Boys, I am getting on a- this is the day before the day before.
0:34
I'm on a plane early AM tomorrow.
0:36
Yes.
0:36
I will see some of you later.
0:38
It is Seahawks football.
0:40
We're running it forward.
0:42
Brandan, how are you doing the day before the day before?
0:45
Brandan: I'm great.
0:45
I'm ready to go.
0:46
Let's, I gotta get on the road.
0:48
I still gotta get packed, but, we're gonna be watching Seahawks
0:52
football in just a couple of days.
0:54
NFL season is here, boys.
0:57
Clinton: I cannot wait.
0:58
Mr.
0:58
Phil, how are you feeling about it all?
1:00
And we'll get into the theme.
1:01
For those that don't know What If, it's a preview show.
1:04
We don't know what Phil's gonna come out, at us with a theme.
1:06
The questions all answered live.
1:08
We're live right now.
1:09
But first and foremost, Phil, how are you feeling as we enter this
1:13
2026 NFL season as champions?
1:16
Because it's not the Rams, Phil, it's actually the Seahawks.
1:19
Phil: Pretty tough to feel better than feeling like we
1:22
just won the championship and our winning streak continues.
1:25
Trying to make it, what, 11 or 12 in a row here?
1:27
Yes.
1:27
Two in a row against the Patriots.
1:29
We will talk about the theme shortly, but real football in two days.
1:33
And yes, we get to start it off up here in the Northwest, waiting.
1:39
The game two actually doesn't start until the next day on the other side
1:43
of the world with who everybody's already pre-crowned, and we wanna
1:46
make sure the pre-crowned people, don't have the big week.
1:49
So I guess there's a lot to look forward to.
1:51
I guess a bunch of you are headed out to the game.
1:53
That'll be exciting.
1:55
Brandan and Adam will be driving through, my area.
1:58
I wish I was headed there with you, but I'll, I'll still be watching.
2:01
I'm looking forward to it.
2:01
Brandan: Well, there's still time to pick you up, Phil, on the way.
2:03
You know, I got a, I got a seat.
2:05
Clinton: We can hitch.
2:06
Yeah, we can hitch like Marty McFly style, right, on a hoverboard.
2:08
That's how I see it happening, boys.
2:09
So, I
2:10
Phil: am coaching a high school game right before our, the Seahawk game starts
2:14
so there will be no leaving for me.
2:15
Clinton: Gotcha.
2:16
All right.
2:16
Well, hey, we all have commitments.
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I understand.
2:18
So, hey, it's gonna be a ton of fun.
2:19
If you're watching this live or you're watching the replay later, it's all good.
2:22
Happy Labor Day.
2:23
It's a Monday.
2:24
Happy Labor Day Monday to y'all.
2:26
We don't usually go live on a Monday.
2:27
well, not for, not for a preview show, but the NFL decided to have
2:31
a game on Wednesday, so here we are nonetheless making it happen for you.
2:34
So what you can do for us is hit that like, hit that subscribe, pass
2:37
us on to 12 twephs, because we think we have a lot of fun out here, and
2:41
y'all seem to appreciate it.
2:42
So, Mr.
2:43
Phil, why don't we get into it a bit.
2:46
Where do you wanna take us first as we start to talk about this
2:50
first matchup verse the Patriots?
2:52
What do we gotta remember first so we could, you know…
2:54
What do we gotta think about for the next game?
2:56
Is there something to look back on that might, may give us some
2:59
indications or, or at least maybe good for- warm, fuzzy memories, Phil?
3:03
Phil: Yes.
3:03
Starting next week, we will do something called Previous with The Protector that we
3:06
always do, or the Previously portion where we look back and consider our current
3:11
opponent, who they played last week, but this time who our current opponent
3:15
played last time that it mattered was actually Super Bowl LX- And there are
3:20
some changes as we're running it forward, but there's some similarities in some of
3:24
the rosters, some of the coaching, and we'll talk about some of the differences
3:27
there when we get to the theme.
3:28
But last time you might remember that the Patriots played a real meaningful game.
3:32
They lost to a team 29 to 13.
3:34
Mm-hmm.
3:34
They, didn't have a great time.
3:37
The overall yards were similar, but yards don't matter.
3:39
Domination matters.
3:41
We crushed them in the turnover batter three to zip.
3:43
The sacks were just unbelievable.
3:46
Obviously pressure's beyond that.
3:48
We sacked them six times.
3:49
They only sacked us once.
3:50
It didn't really matter 'cause we were dominating in the ground game, 141
3:55
141 yards on the ground, nine rushing first downs while they only had two.
4:00
Hmm.
4:00
Which resulted in us, dominating the time of possession by nearly
4:04
seven minutes of football.
4:06
It was all around fun for us.
4:08
The score could have been even bigger if we had capitalized, if
4:11
Gonzo hadn't gotten our way a couple times down toward the red zone.
4:15
you guys have any other memories that you wanna shout out before we
4:18
head into this game in two days?
4:21
Brandan: I have quite a few memories, but I also- Mm
4:24
feel like maybe those memories are gonna come up as we, Okay… go
4:27
through our questions, Phil.
4:28
Phil: Yeah.
4:29
How about you, Clinton?
4:30
Clinton: I mean, it's, it's cemented to my, my soul forever just watching
4:35
Riley Mills run through the face of now- Yeah… center Jared Wilson.
4:39
So, you know, I- and I have an inkling we might be thinking about
4:42
that, or talking about our defensive, defensive line group- Yeah
4:45
as we run it forward.
4:47
Phil: One of those six sacks.
4:49
Well, let's run it forward.
4:50
Let's run into our theme.
4:51
I tipped off that the clue was our theme would have something to
4:55
do with a important- Mm… new character, and so we're gonna talk
4:59
about what if Fleury flourishes?
5:00
We have a- That's right… brand new offensive coordinator.
5:04
there'll be a couple questions involving Mr.
5:06
Fleury.
5:06
But thinking of flourishing, all the categories have something to do with what
5:10
flourishing is or what flourishing is not.
5:12
We have renewal.
5:14
We have mayday.
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you know, that's not a…
5:17
That's a happy thing, but it's not a good thing sometimes when you say mayday.
5:21
Mm-hmm.
5:21
But it's a nice thing when you bring the little flowers by your neighbor
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when you're a little kid, bang on the door, hit, hit the button
5:27
and run, and they have flowers.
5:29
Abundant, you know, you have abundance, for, flourishing.
5:33
Green gone brown, that's not a good thing.
5:35
You have a wonderful green yard, and then it goes brown.
5:38
Maybe Adam doesn't mind, but most of us-… don't like that.
5:41
vitality- Well, he
5:42
Brandan: refers to it as going gold, so, you know, I, I suppose it's
5:45
just your perspective on that one.
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Phil: Yes.
5:47
That, that could be true, so we'll have to figure out what that means
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when we get to that category.
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Vitality, you know, flourishing has to do with vitality.
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And then barren, things aren't flourishing when they're bla- when they're barren.
5:58
We ended the season with y'all tying, I think, on the predictions, 'cause
6:02
somehow Brandan brought Adam all the way back to a tie, if I remember correctly.
6:05
Clinton: Yeah
6:06
Phil: that's right.
6:07
But we alternate back and forth on who gets to start.
6:10
We always start with the man with the earliest letter and the
6:14
godfather of the Sea Hawkers Network.
6:17
Brandan gets to go first on the very first game.
6:21
Which category will we go to, Brandan?
6:23
Brandan: All right.
6:24
I am most fascinated, one, by your graphic of-… Mr.
6:28
Brian Fleury there on the screen.
6:30
but the, the topic and the, the, category that
6:35
fascinates me the most is mayday.
6:38
Phil: Mayday.
6:39
Mayday is happy when you bring flowers to your neighbor.
6:42
It's not happy if your name is Drake Maye playing the Seahawks.
6:45
Mayday, mayday.
6:46
What if our Hawks pass rush produces another alarming pocket for Mr.
6:52
Drake Maye?
6:53
Do you expect this, Brandan?
6:55
And how might Mr.
6:56
McDaniels try to counter our awesome pass rush so there'll be less maydays?
7:04
Brandan: I think the one thing that…
7:07
Gosh, I wish he had this answer, right?
7:09
or I bet he wishes he had this answer, for the Super Bowl.
7:12
So I have to expect that Josh McDaniels has been thinking about this the entire
7:17
off-season- Yeah… because it's not like we lost many guys on the defensive line.
7:22
Boye Mafe is the one guy who comes to mind, and they've, they've found
7:26
an additional pass rusher to, to come in and, take that spot.
7:31
So, I, I have to expect that the pass rush is going to continue to be there.
7:38
I mean, it's not like, you know, i- in the off-season Will
7:43
Campbell's arms, grew any longer.
7:45
He's still going to be facing off against Derick Hall and
7:49
and trying to hold him off.
7:51
So, if I were Josh McDaniels I, I think with…
7:56
I, I would, I would try a heavier dose of Rhamondre, Rhamondre Stevenson
8:03
because, well, the, the unfortunate thing for the Patriots is that Tre'Veyon
8:07
Henderson is likely not going to play.
8:11
He's been injured.
8:11
Mm.
8:12
And so whether or not you can get him involved, I, I don't think running him
8:16
up the middle is the answer, so, trying to pitch him outside, trying
8:21
to get him, involved in a short passing game outside, hopefully
8:25
for, well, for McDaniels-
8:28
with the idea of hoping to- Yeah… to open up the middle a little bit and
8:31
take a little bit of pressure off of Maye.
8:33
I, I think it's just those, little outside passes to- Okay… Stevenson
8:38
that I, I think he's going to try and, and counter that pass rush with that.
8:43
Phil: Yeah, we pressured them inside and out.
8:45
Clinton, remind us which New England running back is better
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at helping out in pass pro?
8:50
Clinton: I think Rhamondre by a, by a country mile.
8:53
Yes.
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Tre- Hen- Tre- Tre'Veyon's not, he's not a kind of an all-around back at
8:56
this point, and he's still not healthy.
8:58
Definitely the, the game breaker, but I, I mean, I think if you had to
9:01
tell me which one you w- rather have on your team, I'd take Stevenson.
9:04
That's, that's just me.
9:05
you know, onto what McDaniels can do, their, their makeup is
9:09
very, very different, right?
9:10
Mm-hmm.
9:10
So it can, it can help them get the ball out faster.
9:13
I'll go back to something Brandan scoffed at the other day.
9:16
Now they have a really good fullback.
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I mean, Reggie Gilliam is an excellent, excellent fullback coming from Buffalo.
9:20
Very good.
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Changes the game.
9:22
Now they have a better guard.
9:23
They move, with, you know, Tuck Tucker.
9:26
Now let's see if he can come back and play as he, as he did when he was healthy
9:30
with the Jets, and that's not a easy place to play, but he was still a good guard.
9:35
you know, and they moved Wilson into to center, et cetera, et cetera.
9:38
So- There are things there, and of course they've added a
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lot of weaponry on the outside.
9:43
The big thing that, that McDaniels, that it's like overtly stated what
9:47
they're going to try and do in general is be a lot more quick-paced.
9:52
The Patriots were, I think the, they, they ran the third lowest volume of
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plays totally last year, and a lot of that was just pace in, in the
10:02
huddle, and then changing at the line.
10:04
And I think, from McDaniels' own words, they really wanna
10:07
increase that pace a lot.
10:09
Yeah.
10:09
So to lean into what Brandan was saying too, when you increase that pace, you're
10:13
really, I think, asking your quarterback to also take what's there more often
10:17
and that was one of the criticisms coming down the stretch with May.
10:20
They played tough teams.
10:21
They played the Texans, they played the Broncos, they played
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they played the Seahawks.
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Very tough defenses.
10:26
He got sacked 21 times, throughout the, throughout the playoffs.
10:30
Phil: Yeah.
10:30
Clinton: All that being said, guys, y- May wasn't very good in the playoffs.
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He just wasn't.
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They almost got ousted by the Broncos, which Stidham should've
10:38
should've lost that game.
10:39
so all that being said, McDaniels is going to try and change this.
10:43
I think we're gonna see it come out in more, more pacing, and quicker
10:46
faster plays, to alleviate this.
10:49
We have our own challenges, and we'll, I'm sure we'll get to them with who
10:52
is in and who's out for Seattle.
10:53
We still don't know.
10:55
But, our defensive tackles and our edge group versus that
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line, give me that all day.
11:00
Sure.
11:00
But they're gonna go to more quick game, Phil.
11:02
Phil: And pacing and hurrying up the offense can help if you're
11:06
not facing someone like Nick Emmanwori.
11:08
But we don't know if they're gonna be facing the versatile Mr.
11:12
Emmanwori, so that could be a massive factor in particular with this game the way New
11:18
England likes to play, right Brandan?
11:20
Yeah.
11:20
Brandan: It, it could be a factor.
11:22
It could also be that if they do try and run the ball more, if Tyrice Knight
11:26
is out there, and, and they start doing, more with three linebackers
11:31
instead of having Emmanwori out there.
11:33
It, it, it could end up playing to a neutral, right?
11:37
Phil: Yeah.
11:38
It'd be curious to see what happens there, but it was awesome to see
11:41
Nick go out there for practice, and a little video of that happening
11:44
yesterday, in full pads, so if- Mm-hmm.
11:47
I, I imagine they'll wanna have him on a snap count if he plays, but, that's
11:52
that's a huge, huge, huge determiner.
11:54
Clinton, you have five choices on the board.
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Where are we going next?
11:57
Clinton: Well, I like a lot of them, but I think a- abundance
12:00
and the idea of abundance-
12:01
Phil: Yes
12:02
… Clinton: I'm attracted to that idea, so let's go.
12:04
Phil: Okay.
12:05
Let's see what I…
12:06
Thinking of abundance, Clinton, where else could go?
12:08
It's a plethora.
12:09
Brandan, it's a plethora.
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A whole plethora of pass catchers, and what we mean by plethora is all
12:14
different types, sizes, positions.
12:16
What if you tell us whom you hope to see bloom as we think about Fleury
12:20
flourishing, whom do you hope to see bloom in particular against
12:25
this New England defense, Clinton?
12:27
Clinton: Yeah, so this is not even who I hope to see bloom.
12:30
This is who's gonna have a great game.
12:31
Okay.
12:32
And his name's, his name's Cooper Kupp.
12:33
Oh, all right.
12:33
And it's not because he had a great off-season and he's, you know, a darling
12:36
and he's a coach, and he catches five balls somehow behind his back in, in
12:40
that latest video, which is just…
12:42
I don't think it's AI.
12:42
If someone…
12:43
T- tell, tell us, please, is that AI?
12:44
It looked, it looked amazing, but if you didn't see that video yet
12:47
just go search Cooper Kupp balls and hopefully you find the right video.
12:51
It's awesome.
12:51
But yeah, it's amazing.
12:52
But
12:53
Phil: That could go wrong, though, the way you said that, Clinton
12:56
Clinton: but- I, that, that's why- Yeah
12:57
I said I hope you find the right video.
12:58
Yeah, yeah.
12:58
But here's the thing with Cooper Kupp and, and why it's really more about
13:02
New England than it is Cooper Kupp.
13:03
Cooper Kupp is skilled.
13:04
He knows how to get open.
13:05
he does get good yak.
13:07
Adam, looking at you on that one.
13:08
But with all those things, they're gonna do what they can to
13:11
eliminate JSN and do the brackets.
13:13
He'll still get his, and we, you know, with Barner, Arroyo, we think we'll get
13:17
some balls distributed that way as well.
13:19
We don't know what's happening with Christian Gonzalez.
13:21
I, guys, I was painting all day, so I don't know if there was any more news.
13:24
So if there's, like, news that Gonzo is absolutely playing
13:27
please stop me in my tracks.
13:28
Tell me right now that he's playing.
13:30
But you got some other players that are a little, little long in the
13:34
tooth, and I just think that Cooper Kupp is going to exploit this team.
13:37
And if Tory Horton's not playing, that's the other piece of it, too.
13:40
It's like, if Horton was there, I would be talking about the
13:42
complement of these dudes.
13:43
Well- He's
13:44
Phil: practicing in pads, too, though
13:45
… Clinton: we, we'll see.
13:46
If Horton plays, great, but I still expect Kupp to go, you know, I don't know.
13:51
It's not a huge, huge game, but maybe four or five receptions.
13:53
He's only predicted to get two and a half.
13:55
So I think he's gonna have a very sizable game, do what he does naturally, and this
14:00
is not a great line, linebacking core.
14:02
This is not a great edge group with the, with the, Patriots
14:06
And it's, and if Gonzo's not there, it's a fine-ish secondary.
14:12
So all that screams to me a savvy veteran, knows how to get open, and
14:16
find extra yards, and catch the ball.
14:19
That's Cooper Kupp.
14:19
And
14:20
Phil: Kupp does get the YAC, and he had the longest
14:22
play for Seahawks last year.
14:23
It was probably slower than Leo's-… thick six, but I mean, he
14:28
he just finds a way to keep going.
14:30
He catches the ball, he's not going right down.
14:32
You're gonna have to tackle him.
14:33
It's gonna take you a little bit of time, and if you don't bring everything
14:36
you got, he's gonna keep going.
14:38
So that, it is fascinating how he gets a, how he gets the YAC.
14:41
Brandan, how about you?
14:42
Who's gonna bloom?
14:43
Who's gonna flourish in, amongst Darnold's pass catchers?
14:47
Brandan: Oh, boy.
14:48
Since this is, th- this is couched as what I hope to see bloom
14:52
against New England, guys, I'm going with JSN here because- Okay.
14:56
Mm… I, I hope, I hope Christian Gonzalez plays because I have to imagine
15:02
that a dude who's been sitting out of practice, because he's trying to get
15:07
his contract, he doesn't wanna get hurt in practice while he's waiting for his new
15:10
deal, I hope he plays because I have to imagine there's an element of rust there.
15:17
And what we saw, JSN, he was targeted 10 times in the Super
15:22
Bowl, and then you remember he, he had a little bit of an injury.
15:25
He had to go out.
15:26
He only caught four passes in the- Mm-hmm… Super Bowl.
15:28
And if you combine what we could see with early season, healthy, rust-free
15:35
JSN going up against a potentially rusty Christian Gonzalez who, oh, he's
15:40
sitting out for a contract, and if we see Jaxon Smith-Njigba torch the heck
15:46
out of him in week one, oh my gosh, that would feel so, so good, guys.
15:51
Phil: Mm, I love that.
15:51
I love that.
15:52
Gentlemen, there were so many options on the board, and you
15:54
guys went straight up chalk.
15:55
You went with our two, our, our guys that caught the most balls last year.
15:59
So- I had
16:00
Brandan: a reason to go
16:01
Phil: chalk
16:01
Brandan: Phil.
16:01
Phil: Yeah.
16:02
Yeah.
16:02
Commenters, tell us if that was awesome or if that was boring 'cause I can't decide.
16:05
It was it awesome that you picked the two-… or that you didn't go, like, somewhere
16:09
over there in the nooks and the crannies, you just went for the obvious choices?
16:13
But that'd be great.
16:14
Let's get started out with the guys that should dominate in the first game.
16:18
We have four choices remaining.
16:21
Abundance is gone now, along with Mayday.
16:24
Brandan, where are we going?
16:25
Brandan: I'm back at it.
16:27
How about green gone brown?
16:29
Phil: Green gone brown.
16:31
Mm.
16:32
Okay.
16:32
So this is one that might be, while we know there's some things that have gone-
16:37
Oh… maybe toward our advantage, that have been differences since the Super
16:39
Bowl, this is one that could be going potentially in the Pats' advantage.
16:44
So Brandan, what if AJ and the pass catchers create challenges
16:48
for our slightly different DB room?
16:51
We shut them down, made it hard for them to find anything open in the Super Bowl.
16:55
What impact do you expect to sprout up from the changes, I'm talking about our
17:00
DBs and their pass catchers, in this game?
17:04
Brandan: I think the biggest challenge that I look at from RDBs, it, it, it
17:08
would be that AJ Brown difference because I th- it, it's going to be difficult.
17:14
I think that's an easy mismatch to look at, for, you know, what they, that
17:20
that challenge that they could bring.
17:22
And, I think that, y- you probably wanna have a healthy dose
17:28
of Spoon on AJ just because, again, it's, it's our dude who got paid in
17:32
the off-season against the guy that they expect to be their number one.
17:36
I'd, I'd want that match up, the, the one-on-one match up between Spoon
17:40
and AJ Brown, and that's, unfortunately, I think that's gonna end up taking
17:45
that's, blitz potential away from Spoon, and, and, you know, we
17:50
saw that- Yeah… that was one of the most memorable plays, right?
17:53
Sure.
17:53
It was awesome.
17:53
From when Spoon came in, he got the, the, the pass deflection.
17:58
It wasn't a fumble, even though it should've been a fumble
18:01
but, right into the arms of Uchenna Nwosu for the touchdown.
18:04
And so I, I think that something like that could end up taking that potential away.
18:10
And, and so that, I think, puts us at a l- slight disadvantage
18:15
of, of having that in the bag.
18:16
Mm.
18:16
May- maybe we see it once or twice, but I think that if they come out
18:20
early going with AJ and trying to get him involved, it, it could
18:25
take that out of the bag for Mike.
18:27
Phil: Interesting.
18:28
Yeah, I don't…
18:28
I'm not sure what I think of the AJ versus Spoon match up.
18:31
I generally think I like Spoon against anyone, but they are s- they're
18:34
a little different kind of guys.
18:36
How about you, Clinton?
18:36
what kind of challenges do you expect to sprout up from the
18:39
differences of our backfield and their pass catchers since last- Yeah
18:43
since Super Bowl?
18:44
Clinton: For sure, and, and since yesterday, right?
18:46
'Cause right now, again, I, again, I was painting all day, guys, so tell me
18:50
if there's any, any Tyreek Hill news that I've missed from today, but he
18:54
pops up with a hamstring injury- Nothing yet… what, just yesterday, right?
18:56
So no news just yet.
18:57
You have to
18:57
Brandan: realize, Clinton, it's still morning time on the West Coast
19:00
so they're- It- We're not getting any news until this afternoon.
19:02
Clinton: But in Australia, they're a full day ahead as Mi- as Shanahan
19:05
said in making fun of the Rams.
19:06
Actually, I kind of love that thing.
19:08
So good job.
19:09
I, I hate to say good job at Shanahan, but good job to Shanahan.
19:10
I mean
19:11
Phil: Shanahan's been getting points from the 12s all
19:13
the way since the Super Bowl.
19:14
Like, he was
19:15
Clinton: He's, he's hating on the Rams too.
19:17
Everybody hates the Rams- Yeah… which I love.
19:18
Okay, so but the, there is a question here.
19:20
So, look, I love w- I will preface this with a s- a small preamble and say
19:25
I love playing the Patriots week one.
19:27
It has nothing to do with the Super Bowl.
19:29
Okay.
19:29
That's cool.
19:30
It has everything to do that the, that the Patriots put their chips
19:34
into changing their offense.
19:36
And for the most part, they lost, they lost some players on the edge on, on
19:39
defense, and they lost a linebacker, and they're, you know, have some replacements
19:42
that they'll try to try out there.
19:44
All good.
19:45
with that- the, they really put their chips into the offense.
19:49
I love nothing more than playing what is essentially a brand new offense.
19:53
Yeah.
19:53
It's a comp- it's a complicated offense.
19:55
McDaniels does a lot of different things, asks a lot of receivers to
19:59
kinda notice what's happening that the defense gives them, and then
20:02
you know, make choice, choices there.
20:04
So I love that kinda haywire-ness.
20:06
So do I- Mm-hmm… expect a turnover or two because the
20:09
communication's not great yet?
20:10
I actually do.
20:11
So I love the timing of when we're getting the Patriots.
20:14
on the other side of it, look, I think A.J.
20:17
Brown's, he's still a stud.
20:18
He's still a really good wide receiver.
20:20
Yeah.
20:20
So give him the flowers.
20:21
But Romeo Doubs is, is a legit two, and what it does down the line, it
20:26
takes Pop Douglas, who is, you know, he's, he's a, just a slot guy, but
20:31
he's a good slot guy, but it makes him a legitimate three slot guy.
20:35
So full complement of, of kind of what, what a wide receiver room should
20:38
actually look like in modern NFL, and I think that just gets, if we're missing
20:42
Okada, and we're missing Emmanwori, and we gotta put Spoon out on A.J.-
20:48
As, as Brandan was saying, I think it creates little opportunities and
20:51
vacuums that they could exploit things with Hunter Henry and Pop Douglas a
20:55
little bit, which also kinda complement or go, hand-in-hand with getting
21:00
the ball out mo- more quickly, like we talked about in the first answer.
21:03
So that's where I'd, I'd see the Patriots really trying to make some hay.
21:07
It's dinking and dunking.
21:09
It's not the, the over-the-top shots, but that dinking and dunking can add up.
21:13
You could chew clock, you could extend drives, you can get first
21:16
downs, and, they did not do that in the Super Bowl whatsoever.
21:20
So I would look for that change, Phil.
21:22
Phil: Are you more concerned, Brandan, with their upgrades
21:26
or our potential lack of, what we had in the Super Bowl?
21:31
Brandan: I, I think it's probably more of the lack of what we have in the
21:33
Super Bowl because that Nick Emmanwori piece is- Yeah… is big for me.
21:37
Mm-hmm.
21:38
if Ty Okada is unable to go with his mystery hamstring injury that popped
21:43
up this week, you know, that makes a difference because then you're not only
21:47
going down from Coby Bryant to Ty Okada, you know, it's, it's Ty Okada to whoever
21:53
is the, the next guy up behind Ty.
21:55
And, I, I didn't necessarily wanna find out who that is, but
21:59
it's possible that we might- may find out who that is and
22:04
come- Much quicker than we all
22:05
Phil: wanted.
22:05
Clinton: Yes.
22:05
Yeah.
22:06
Steak and beer bell, baby.
22:07
Come on down.
22:07
Brandan: Yeah.
22:08
D'Anthony Bell being back is handy.
22:10
I, I just can't imagine that…
22:13
And that's what has me a little bit more worried about the Okoda injury because
22:17
do you allow, do you chance D'Anthony Bell leaving if Ty Okada is the, Hmm
22:24
i- is injured a week ago when they're doing roster cuts?
22:27
Yeah.
22:27
I, I don't know if they do.
22:30
They
22:30
Phil: must've had a handshake agreement or they didn't know this or-
22:33
Clinton: Or
22:33
Phil: it's literally- We're not gonna play one safety.
22:35
There's, there's
22:35
Brandan: no- Didn't he go and sign with somebody else like some
22:37
of the other guys, and, and we're like, "Whoa, wait a second"?
22:40
Clinton: I thought so, too, but I'm just happy he's back.
22:42
But, but I, but to your point, though- Yeah… I think Brandan
22:44
is like you wouldn't take that risk if, if this injury existed.
22:48
So is it, like, is it legit brand new?
22:50
It popped up yesterday, so is it new?
22:52
And the answer is we don't know.
22:55
We won't know prob- probably till maybe later today or even tomorrow.
22:58
Phil: I mean, Love is awesome, but he's not gonna be
23:00
the only safety on the field.
23:01
We're not gonna just be rolling three linebackers all the time, so-
23:05
Clinton: Correct, correct
23:05
… Phil: yeah, and if Nick's-- I think Nick's gonna play, just how much he's
23:08
gonna play, I don't think- Interesting… I don't think Mike has any expectation
23:12
of playing him the entire game.
23:14
I
23:15
Clinton: I
23:15
Brandan: think that- Hmm.
23:15
I, I don't expect- You know, and if we are rolling three linebackers, then
23:18
I mean, that's, that's what would have me concerned about what Clinton
23:21
brought up, and then you're talking about Pop Douglas being more involved
23:24
and then there's the mismatch that way.
23:26
I, I have to imagine that they wouldn't, you know, if they're
23:29
going heavy 11 with, we aren't gonna see a ton of Tyrice Knight.
23:32
Clinton: Yeah.
23:33
Yeah.
23:33
That's in- that, that'll be really interesting.
23:35
I mean, the Patriots ran 11 a lot last year, and again
23:38
Brandan: that comp- And they didn't want to in the Super Bowl either.
23:40
I know, I know.
23:40
They, they said that that was very much dependent on the score
23:43
is why they ended up going- Yeah… heavy on 11 personnel.
23:47
Clinton: Yeah.
23:47
Phil: Yeah.
23:47
interesting.
23:48
Like a- We're gonna have a s- we're gonna have another safety out there, and if it's
23:50
not Ty, it's gonna be somebody that Mike probably wasn't hoping we'd have to see
23:54
this quick, so- Well, Clinton, you're up.
23:57
Renewal, vitality, or barren?
23:59
Clinton: Hmm.
24:00
Well, one of those things.
24:01
I'll go renewal.
24:02
Let's go with renewal.
24:03
Phil: Renewal.
24:04
Okay, another change.
24:05
Clinton: Spring has sprung.
24:06
Phil: Yes, another change.
24:07
In the fall.
24:08
Guess I crossed it off early.
24:09
What if our freshly planted running back- Vibe out… can quickly get
24:13
ingrained into Fleury's offense?
24:16
Are there things you need to see from the run game in week one, Clinton?
24:21
Clinton: Oh, I'm so…
24:22
Brandan, I think, I, I don't, I know you, you can't win by making choices
24:26
but I feel like I won, I won the week.
24:27
I wanted this, I wanted this one first.
24:29
I knew, even though we don't know, I knew we'd get a Jahmyr Price question.
24:33
I'm just so happy that I, I get the first crack at this.
24:36
All right.
24:37
This is, I'm gonna just ch- massage the words a little bit because the
24:40
word need there is not working for me.
24:43
Okay.
24:43
But the word, like, things you need to see.
24:45
The, I'm gonna change it to a, a ver- a want and an- Okay, that's fine… and
24:48
an exploitation that I think we can take advantage of with the Patriots.
24:51
Look, Dre'Mont Jones is their big add.
24:54
Harold Landry's on the pup.
24:56
This is not a…
24:57
Their defensive tackles, they're f- they're okay.
24:59
They're okay.
25:00
It's worse than they were in the Super Bowl- Yeah… and their
25:03
edge group is not that good.
25:04
So-
25:04
Phil: Yes, I have a question that does, does especially deal
25:07
with their edge group for sure
25:08
Clinton: Okay, cool.
25:09
So I, I'll leave that part of it, you know, what they can manifest, like
25:12
alone, but, a back like Jahmyr Price, like what do I think he is special at?
25:17
This is with watching some college tape and just listening, right?
25:20
We're all fans here and listening to beat reporters and, and seeing what we can see.
25:25
I think his vision, his contact balance, and his ability to make those cuts kind of
25:30
upstream, so like a little kind of counter S-type things, but start stretching
25:35
it wide and then do that jump cut or that one cut back against the grain.
25:40
I am just so looking forward to some over pursuits by edge
25:43
groups from the Patriots- Mm-hmm.
25:45
Yeah… and watching Jahmyr Price get around…
25:48
Not, I'm not talking like a sweep that he gets around the edge.
25:50
Hopefully that happens, you know, a couple times anyway because we block it well.
25:53
That's just like student body left, cool, cool, cool.
25:56
Let's block that well, and let's seal it, and let's see him go do his thing.
26:00
I'm talking about where he starts left, puts on the brakes- Heads it
26:03
back right or left, if you will, and gets around the edge group
26:06
'cause their edge is not that good.
26:08
Yeah.
26:08
And we're doing a good job sealing those blocks and giving the opportunities there.
26:13
So that's my biggest thing, Phil.
26:15
I think we're going to see that, 'cause I think it's one of his best skills is
26:18
is his ability to notice and make a very quick judgment that, oh man, if I cut
26:24
this back now, you know, being, being precise with that, that he's got the
26:29
ability to, to break some things to the outside, and that, those become- Mm-hmm
26:32
chunk plays.
26:32
Those are your 12-plus yarders, and they break the soul, just
26:37
like it did in the Super Bowl.
26:38
Yeah.
26:38
They break the soul of what is actually a pretty good defense.
26:41
So that is what I'm most keen to see, Mr.
26:44
Phil.
26:44
Phil: I think it's still almost a need, because when you put seeds in
26:47
the garden, after a few days, you kinda need to see them starting to sprout up.
26:51
So maybe you don't see a dominant version of that, but there needs to be
26:54
some evidence of that against this def- against this defense of all places.
26:59
Fleury needs to be taking advantage, and we should see some
27:04
of- Price getting, getting there.
27:06
I, I'll be a little bit concerned if we see none of that in, even
27:09
if though it's the first game Oh
27:09
Clinton: I agree.
27:10
I, no, I agree.
27:11
Like I, that-
27:14
Yeah I like the way you kind of framed it So it's kind of the need.
27:14
Well, for sure, like you could take it there and say the green
27:16
shoots are an absolute need.
27:17
I'm going beyond that, and I expect him to have a pretty darn good game.
27:21
And by the way, so does Vegas.
27:23
Vegas has him as the, the highest po- highest running back in terms
27:26
of most yards they expect from any individual running back.
27:30
It's Price.
27:31
He hasn't touched the football yet in the pros, so that's kinda cool.
27:34
Phil: How about you, Brandan?
27:35
the run game overall, are there some things you need to see, from
27:39
Fleury's offense in the run game here?
27:41
Brandan: Yeah, first I have to kind of bag on Clinton a little bit for-
27:44
… massaging the question and being a politician and taking the word need out-
27:48
so it could fit into his narrative.
27:49
But that's fine.
27:50
I'm gonna honor the question that Phil produced, and talk about the thing
27:53
that I need to see from Brian Fleury, and that is I need to see enough of a
27:58
commitment to the run game- Okay, yeah… that it sets up play action passing.
28:03
Because the, I have this, lingering from when we attended the
28:07
game last season, week one- Oh, yeah
28:09
and there was, no play action passing against the San Francisco 49ers.
28:15
Horrible.
28:15
And that was Cl- Kubiak, and, and we got to see, so little of it.
28:20
Now, he did come around.
28:21
Mm-hmm.
28:22
But I think it's very important that we need to see that setting
28:26
up play action passing right away, week one against this Patriots team.
28:31
Phil: That was criminal.
28:32
Clinton: I love that.
28:32
I have to hop in real quick.
28:34
Brandan, I might have picked the right question.
28:36
You had the better answer, so you won anyway.
28:38
That's great, but it was something I wrote down previously.
28:41
I'll be quick with it, but when, when Macdonald did not like Grubb, it, it
28:46
was evident, and he was gone, right?
28:48
And then there was one week with Kubiak not being under center
28:52
not using play action, and they just never went back to it again.
28:56
The part that I could, like, take a lot of solace in is I really think that Fleury
29:02
and, you know, Fleury was on the other sidelines with the 49ers during that
29:05
s- that very game we're talking about.
29:07
I can guarantee you Macdonald and Fleury talked, Fleury talked about that game.
29:11
Oh
29:11
Phil: yeah.
29:12
Clinton: And they were like, "N- no.
29:14
I don't care that it's your first game.
29:15
We're not starting that way."
29:17
And it's less about Fleury.
29:18
It's everything to do about Mike Macdonald.
29:20
Phil: Yeah.
29:21
Brandan: Yeah, the Charlie the unicorn in chat saying, "I will guarantee
29:24
play action passing in week one."
29:26
Clinton: I like it.
29:26
Thanks, Charlie.
29:27
Phil: Yeah.
29:27
We don't just need to.
29:28
We know we're gonna see it.
29:30
Brandan, two choices.
29:31
You're gonna leave Clinton with one of them.
29:33
We have vitality or barren.
29:34
You going positive or negative here?
29:36
Brandan: I wanna leave, Clinton and the entire show with vitality
29:40
at the end, so I'm taking barren.
29:42
Oh, that's
29:42
Clinton: that's nice.
29:43
Phil: Okay.
29:43
Barren, it sounds negative, but it's actually super
29:46
positive for us, in my opinion.
29:48
Here we go Brandan, what if Lucas and Cross have it easy this week
29:53
against this weak Edge group?
29:57
How should Fleury take advantage of their dominance?
30:01
In other words, instead of just letting Cross and Lucas kick back and, grill
30:05
steaks and block with one hand against this putrid, pathetic worst Edge group
30:09
I've ever seen come into a season, how should Fleury really, really take
30:14
advantage of their- incapability to do anything against Lucas and Cross.
30:19
Brandan: Yeah, I think the, there's a couple easy answers to this one.
30:24
I would like to see, just some, some movement of Sam Darnold outside
30:29
of the pocket because- Okay… one, one of the things that I, I…
30:34
It's probably my biggest concern coming into this game is you have
30:39
those interior defenders.
30:41
You have Christian Barmore, you have Milton Williams.
30:43
Yeah.
30:43
I think Barmore might be dealing with an injury, but
30:47
Clinton: He, he is, but I think it, maybe he's expected to play again.
30:49
Yeah.
30:49
Chad can tell us, but I saw that too, Brandan.
30:51
Brandan: But, those two guys up the middle are the guys that
30:55
I have my biggest concerns about.
30:57
And yeah, I, I know that we're bringing back our entire
31:00
offensive line from last year.
31:02
Yes.
31:02
But still, it's the difference of a couple interior defenders who have
31:07
had, you know, entire off-season to get healthy who are, you know, haven't been.
31:12
I, those are big dudes who, you know, by the Super Bowl, like, they've gone
31:15
through a whole full season and- Mm.
31:18
Yeah… I, I just w- worry about- So did ours, though
31:22
those dominance of the guys- Right… in the interior, so.
31:24
what's that, Phil?
31:25
Phil: I said, so did our interior defenders, and they did-
31:27
Yeah… okay in the Super Bowl.
31:28
Brandan: They did okay in the Super Bowl, but I think that just
31:32
going into this game with the plan of, oh, they did okay in the Super
31:35
Bowl so they're gonna be fine-
31:36
Phil: Mm
31:36
Brandan: I, I think I wanna get, Sam Darnold outside
31:40
and on the move a little bit.
31:42
you know, and, and play action would set that up, right?
31:45
To where he's-
31:46
Phil: Yes
31:46
… Brandan: going from play action and then rolling out, and then getting
31:49
him more on the edges to where I, I think that they can have that kind of dominance.
31:54
Phil: Yeah, and some tight end boots, some boots to tight ends- Mm
31:56
'cause they're not gonna need to help much against this.
31:59
By the way, Clinton, before your question, if I was a Patriots fan, do
32:02
you know how infuriated I'd be right now?
32:04
You have this really good team that was a win away from being champs
32:08
and what does your personnel group do about your biggest weakness?
32:11
Like, almost bupkis.
32:13
You bring in a journeyman dude and you're, you're terrible at edge.
32:16
How do you expect to succeed with that kind of preparation for a season?
32:21
Anyway, that's- Yeah… that's my beef.
32:23
If I was, if I sadly had to be a Patriots fan, that's how I'd be feeling right now.
32:27
Brandan: Well, they did bring in Harold Landry, so like
32:29
the, but then he's injured, so.
32:31
Phil: That's true.
32:32
You're right.
32:32
Brandan: You're right.
32:33
You know, they, they did something, it's just w- not, you
32:36
know, Dre'Mont Jones is not it.
32:38
Phil: Yeah, that's, that's right.
32:39
Okay, Clinton, how about the real question here?
32:41
Yeah… how do you think Fleury should take advantage of our big
32:44
strength against them here on offense?
32:46
Clinton: Yeah, for sure, and I do expect the Patriots to blitz a good amount
32:50
because, and I, I think it was, I think it was Charlie the Unicorn saying
32:53
about this too, because of the lack of edge and the lack of depth they have
32:58
and pressure that they'll likely get.
33:00
But in, what I'd like to see is in scenarios where it might seem like
33:04
more run, scenarios, where we have, condensed formations
33:07
when Coach, Derek was on talking about the ace formation, two tight
33:11
ends and two wide receivers, but all, all of it kind of really condensed.
33:15
What I'd love to see is trust Abe and, and, Ch- trust
33:18
Charles to handle their business.
33:20
Typically, if you have tremendous edges, what do you have to do?
33:23
You put a fullback in, keep them back.
33:25
You chip with your tight ends.
33:26
Yep.
33:27
Or a cup Bobo style receiver really does a number before then maybe they leak out.
33:32
So if I'm looking at that And with the concoction that can
33:37
be, what is the kind of spell?
33:38
It's like, well, if they can just do more damage than the two anchors, Lucas
33:43
and Cross, and just win their one-on-ones, what about some early down Arroyo?
33:49
Some early down- Yeah, yep… early down stuff to Barner over the middle.
33:53
That, again, the play action stuff, and then, and we're getting chunk plays.
33:56
Or, when we, when we do believe they're gonna be teeing off, maybe
34:01
they're blitzing early down, and we're hitting them with, with the right s- the
34:04
a s- a screen at the right time, guys.
34:06
And it's less about, oh, we have to stay home and be, like, a max protect team.
34:11
That should not be the case.
34:13
That's right.
34:13
So if we don't, if we don't have to be in this kind of max protect
34:15
mindset, well, then how do we get our playmakers more involved?
34:19
But, but again, the Patriots are not stupid.
34:22
They, they're gonna be…
34:22
You can't be third and eight when you're trying that.
34:24
So the more, quote-unquote, obvious time to try that stuff
34:28
might be a second and two- Yeah
34:30
or a first and 10.
34:31
And if Sam could get a couple of play action, just zings, 15, 20 yards down the
34:37
seams early first quarter- Yeah… first 20 minutes, guys, I think we'll be seeing
34:42
it, and that'll be a delight to see.
34:43
So that would be, that'd be kind of the, the thing that would prove, hey
34:47
they're doing exactly that, Phil.
34:49
Phil: Yes.
34:49
I think there's a chance for our offense to have just a absolute
34:52
awesome game because of this joke show they have on the edge.
34:57
I mean, Fleury should be able to absolutely- You
34:59
Clinton: are, you are not a fan of their, of their, edges there, Phil.
35:02
I, I like that.
35:02
Phil: Well, is there anything worse that you've seen?
35:05
I mean, I, bad teams have better edge groups than this one.
35:08
I mean, like you said, I, I was, I was- I mean, the
35:10
Brandan: Falcons are pretty bad.
35:11
Clinton: Well, they have to do, they got a guy in jail and a guy that just got, what
35:15
you know, banged up for the year, right?
35:16
So they have their reasons for being…
35:18
Falcons had, what, the third-most sacks last year, and
35:21
now they just got decimated.
35:23
So anyway, this is enough Falcon stock.
35:25
Phil: Yeah, the danger I think for Fleury would be this is such a great
35:28
advantage to pass over the opportunity to force the run game down their throat
35:34
anyway because he needs to get that established and not just say, "Boy, I
35:38
could just cook all day with Sam only having to worry about up the gut."
35:41
It'd be so tempting to do with the pass catchers we have and with their inability
35:46
to really do much without blitzing.
35:48
It could be a fun game, but he needs to…
35:51
And then you mentioned earlier, Clinton, let's get some of that
35:53
outside zone, take advantage there.
35:55
why not?
35:56
Yeah.
35:56
We have one category left, so you don't have to choose it
35:58
Clinton, but you get to go first.
35:59
On vitality, this is a good way to end I think, 'cause
36:01
y'all are gonna be at this game.
36:04
Clinton, what if our Hawks get extra juice from dropping
36:07
another champ banner in Lumen?
36:09
I was there to get to see them against the Packers, and we were juiced up.
36:13
Mm-hmm.
36:13
if Earl hadn't dropped that punt, I mean, I can't think
36:15
of much else that, that…
36:16
We just pretty much dominated all the way around.
36:18
But there was a lot of juice coming out, and, and people were experiencing it.
36:22
Mm.
36:22
Extra juice from the banner drop, do you expect vibes to impact this
36:26
game in some kind of way, Clinton?
36:28
Clinton: No, not vibes.
36:29
Okay.
36:29
but that, but that's okay.
36:31
And then there's some…
36:32
It's, it's a Wednesday.
36:33
It's just gonna f- it's gonna feel a little- Sure… off.
36:35
It's just gonna…
36:36
And it, and people aren't, I don't, you know, you're, you're
36:38
mentally getting ready for it.
36:40
Now, this year you don't have a, in Seattle, PNW, you don't
36:44
have, you don't have the Mariners kind of contending with attention.
36:46
So attention- No… just fully shift to, to the Seahawks, which that'll help.
36:50
Yeah.
36:50
But, but where I, but you know what I…
36:53
You mentioned Earl Thomas, which m- which to me br- that's special teams
36:57
'cause he punt, he was a punt returner for literally like one day- Yeah… and
37:00
then never again, and that's okay, Earl.
37:02
We love you anyway.
37:03
but what I do expect, and this will get the crowd fired up right away
37:10
guys, is, look, the Patriots, the back end of their roster, when it was like
37:14
cut down to 53 day, they, they changed like nine or 10 dudes out the back end.
37:19
So-
37:19
Phil: Okay
37:20
… Clinton: the, okay, yes, that's not their starting core, but guys
37:24
who- your last 10 dudes on your active roster, what do they play?
37:28
What do they actually contribute to?
37:31
Phil: Yeah.
37:32
Clinton: W- no, what's the answer?
37:33
Like, what, the last 10 dudes on the Seahawks.
37:35
So Seah- Yeah… 43 to 53, what do they play?
37:39
Special teams.
37:39
It's not offense, it's not defense, it's- Yeah
37:40
Phil: special teams.
37:41
Clinton: Yeah… special teams.
37:42
They just, they just changed out 10 dudes two weeks ago.
37:46
So the depth of this roster for the Patriots is not good.
37:50
That's right.
37:50
Otherwise you don't make a wholesale change like that.
37:52
Yeah.
37:53
So vibe wise and energy wise, man, Shaheed taking back a punt, Shaheed
37:58
taking back a, a, a long kickoff return to set something up nice and easy, a
38:02
blocked punt, a blocked field goal.
38:04
I don't know how it might come to be, guys, but a big special teams play that
38:09
ignites the crowd, I actually expect that.
38:12
Phil: I know I tried to lead you, Clinton, and obviously I failed, but-
38:16
… think about, think about this game.
38:18
Those are real dudes.
38:19
We just got done watching all this Hard Knocks, and they did not really
38:23
have the juice in the preseason.
38:24
It was quite obvious.
38:25
It just wasn't it.
38:26
But here we're gonna have, we're gonna have major rock stars there.
38:30
The fans are gonna be fired up to see the banner drop.
38:33
It's just gonna f- like, the s- NFL season is finally kicking off for real, and you
38:37
just say, "Nah, none of that matters.
38:38
Now if Shaheed-" I just don't-
38:39
Brandan: I'm so glad that that was his answer, Phil, because- I, yeah.
38:42
Nope, Brandan… the fact that he is attending this game, it makes it
38:45
all that much better because at the end, on- once this game kicks off and
38:49
once it gets going, I am expecting that look from Clinton to go- You're
38:52
Phil: gonna rub it in
38:53
Brandan: "Man, oh man, I was so wrong when I made that answer" "Because vibes
38:57
are absolutely impacting this game."
38:59
Clinton: It won't matter to the players, is what I'm saying.
39:01
It won't matter.
39:01
Oh, it's
39:02
Brandan: gonna matter.
39:02
Clinton: I, I'm gonna be fired up, 'cause I'm always fired up, and this is gonna be
39:04
Phil: the- Did you see those players?
39:06
They were not…
39:07
Like, they are real people.
39:09
I, look, I understand that.
39:09
They're not just players.
39:10
Clinton: I'm just saying if this game was taking place in Tasmania
39:12
the real players would be fired up.
39:14
Okay.
39:14
And, Okay, I got you there… that's 'cause, because they're
39:16
professionals, and Mike- And it's in person… and Mike knows…
39:18
But anyway, but Brandan, I, you may, may have just given your
39:21
answer, but, but please.
39:23
Phil: Go ahead.
39:23
Brandan: No, that is my answer because-… it's, if
39:27
you've, if you've ever had…
39:29
There, well, shoot, we've only had one time in history, right, where the
39:32
Seahawks have been Super Bowl champs and then returned home for a home
39:36
opener where they drop the banner.
39:39
And I think vibes absolutely impacted that game, too, because, the, that
39:45
opening game, after the, the win, against the Broncos the previous
39:51
season, it, it just, it felt like- It, it-
39:55
Phil: The Packers look doomed the whole time
39:57
Brandan: They look doomed the whole time, Phil.
39:58
And I, I just have that feeling that history is going to repeat itself
40:04
and it, it often does, I think, in these openers, especially when it's
40:09
a, an opener against the team that you already dominated in the Super Bowl.
40:13
Phil: That makes it different.
40:14
I, I wa- I thought somebody might go there because maybe New England's
40:17
a little juiced, they've been all off-season, to try to attempt their
40:20
revenge instead of the Packers just going in, getting ready to get boat
40:24
raced by Marshawn in the trenches.
40:26
do you think it'll affect the Patriots differently since
40:30
they get an immediate repeat?
40:32
will it…
40:33
Or is it just gonna be more strategy advantages
40:36
Brandan: since they get to- I listened to some of those Patriots
40:37
press conferences, Phil, and I feel like they, they get that sense
40:40
that they're walking into doom.
40:42
Like, I- Okay.
40:43
Phil: Right?
40:43
Brandan: Yeah.
40:44
Listening to Josh McDaniels and Taka- and, and their defensive coordinator, they…
40:49
Talk about juice.
40:50
No juice- Okay… from the, their coordinators.
40:53
Phil: Yeah.
40:54
And juice matters.
40:55
You could tell it matters to our coach, at least.
40:57
He's pretty smart, and he's like, "we need some juice here."
40:59
I know it matters when our guys don't have juice in coaching.
41:02
It's a-… big downer.
41:05
But you're saying it could've been in Tasmania, it's just that the NFL's
41:08
opening, they'd be excited no matter what.
41:10
And you're probably mostly right about that part.
41:12
I just…
41:14
I wonder if they could use some of this, some of this theater
41:19
to really crank it up that extra notch, but maybe I'm wrong.
41:23
I could be wrong.
41:24
Clinton: It's gonna be f- it'll be fun regardless, for sure.
41:26
And I do see that we got, Maximus asking what we think about, you know, NFL.
41:30
Some folks are saying two score difference.
41:32
Say, "Just hold on."
41:32
So if you're watching this, we're gonna get to our predictions in just a bit.
41:35
We wanted to- Yeah
41:35
just make sure that y'all knew that.
41:37
Two score
41:37
Phil: difference.
41:37
Clinton: Yeah.
41:38
Phil: Okay, so we already did a previously.
41:40
We've gone through all of our categories, so those are gone.
41:44
We are gonna go to our From the Flock section where they get to make wishes.
41:48
What if Super Hawks, or really it's just become things to wish.
41:51
I'm gonna do something different, and we're gonna get to Brandan and
41:53
Clinton's wish here in a moment.
41:55
This is unique.
41:55
Notice the date.
41:56
Can you guys see the date at the top there?
41:59
This is from Discord.
42:01
Yes.
42:01
At the top of the list.
42:03
Brandan, what's it say?
42:04
Brandan: Ooh, I don't see the date.
42:05
Phil: It's January- January… January 31st.
42:09
Brandan: Oh, 2026.
42:10
Phil: 26.
42:11
We had a couple amazing predictions to end off the season.
42:14
Look at this right here.
42:16
Clinton: Nice.
42:17
Phil: Notice what The Spy Who Spooned Me said.
42:20
"My wish, Seattle's D gets two turnovers and five sacks, sending
42:24
the ba- Pats back to the cold white north to shovel their dryways and
42:28
think about their transgressions."
42:30
We got three turnovers and six sacks, but that was the such a key.
42:34
Love it.
42:35
And the 12 Man Records wish for six sacks came true.
42:38
Wow.
42:38
So those are, those are little thing that happened, early on in the year that
42:41
took place, so sometimes we're smelling, some good things that take place.
42:45
Now we will get to our wishes for this particular game.
42:48
The date moves to September.
42:50
DeHooman, that's Josh.
42:52
He wishes Price has 100 plus yards and a touchdown.
42:55
Some guy named Phil Hawk, sounds like a genius.
42:58
He wants Jamai to go six for six on PATs.
43:01
That'd be a great wish to have come true.
43:03
Clinton: Mm.
43:04
Phil: I like to touch my bobo, a convincing Hawks victory and all 53
43:09
remain healthy and a Lambs-Whiners tie.
43:12
So we got three wishes there.
43:13
I would be fine with that.
43:15
J- JSN Jiggy with it, as always, a Minotaur sack and 100 plus
43:21
yards and a touchdown from my baby JSN.
43:25
We could see that.
43:26
Godzera Hawk, running backs account for 150 yards plus from scrimmage
43:31
defense with two takeaways.
43:33
Rising Hawkra, Price, The 8-Ball, as Zable calls him, rushes for over 150
43:39
yards and three touchdowns as the defense pitches a shutout against the Cheatriots.
43:43
Well, this sounds like a crushing dominant play.
43:46
Mm-hmm.
43:46
Amy, we see Jay's special teams unit look like it deserves another year.
43:51
Okay, so that means she's wishing this for the whole year.
43:54
I'm fine with that.
43:55
12 Man Records, a great time with y'all, little Flockers, in Se- Seattle
43:58
watching our Sea Hawkers raise the banner and bring home the win live.
44:04
Car Car, 100-yard game for, not Canine, she crossed it out, and Price.
44:08
That's what she always wishes for.
44:10
Start our rushing game strong.
44:11
Two new ones.
44:12
Oh, no.
44:13
Our second and third cornerbacks show out, at least one pick from
44:16
a cornerback not named Spoon.
44:18
Hmm.
44:18
Bunny, sorry Aussie 12s, but sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.
44:23
Bunny wishes Australia sinks into the sea, taking-
44:26
the Lambs and Whiners with it.
44:27
Man, this is violent here today.
44:30
Brandan: I, I could, I'll plus-one that wish.
44:32
Phil: Okay.
44:33
It's all play around violent.
44:35
Nate Shirts wishes that Spoon gets a pick and a sack.
44:39
What stands out to you on these, Clinton?
44:41
Clinton: Oh, lots of Price love, right?
44:43
So I think that's the thing that stands out- Yeah
44:44
is that there's lots of- I think a- as a collective organization, a desire
44:50
to take a deep breath and be like, "Hey, K9 at 14 million, just we…"
44:55
It was, even if you wanna argue, 'cause I still could- Yeah… that, you
44:59
you could have retained the guy, but hey, we spent the first round pick, and
45:02
if we see Price look the part and feel the part and do the thing, I think
45:07
there'll be a big, like, "Phew, okay- Yeah
45:09
we got, we got another guy that could be, be really a, a, a Super Bowl MVP-type
45:14
dude," which obviously K9 was for us.
45:16
Phil: And Brandan, when you go to Lumen, are you gonna make sure
45:18
you stop in at the little Flock or Wishing Well that you see there in
45:21
the- Oh, do we have a-… in the
45:22
Brandan: graphic?
45:23
Yeah.
45:23
Is this…
45:24
When did we get that installed?
45:25
That's nice… which, which corner of the stadium is that exactly?
45:28
I mean, we got the- It must have
45:28
Phil: been something they put in.
45:30
Yeah.
45:30
It must have been something they, you know
45:31
Clinton: obviously featured- That's like a Harry Potter thing.
45:33
You have to walk through a brick wall and it's there, though.
45:35
It's there.
45:35
Don't worry.
45:35
It's, it's
45:36
Phil: really- That-
45:36
Clinton: It's
45:36
Brandan: very real I'm, I'm gonna be going to look for it, Phil- Yes
45:38
… because, yeah, it, it is, yeah.
45:40
I love that thing.
45:40
It's great.
45:40
That was very, a very nice addition to this off-season.
45:45
Phil: That's awesome.
45:45
They even
45:45
Brandan: spelled wish with all the- And look, I am kidding about Australia.
45:47
I, I, I love our Australian Flock.
45:49
Phil: Yes.
45:50
Thank you.
45:50
Of course.
45:50
It was nice they put all the little periods in between the
45:53
wishes, like they totally got what the, what it was all about.
45:55
Maybe it was our new owners that realized how important these wishes are.
45:58
Brandan, which
45:59
Brandan: one of these- They were, they were listening to past episodes
46:00
of What If the entire off-season.
46:02
They're like, "You know what?
46:03
In, in honor of Mr.
46:04
Phil and the Protector, th- this wishing well will be installed."
46:07
Phil: I love it.
46:08
Okay.
46:09
Brandan, did you have a wish here that w- that yous- thought
46:12
stood out besides Bunny's?
46:13
Brandan: Jason Myers, clearly.
46:16
Like- Mm… it, I just wanna see him perfect, in, in
46:20
week one, day one of the season.
46:22
Phil: Okay.
46:22
That's it.
46:23
That, that would be, that would, help us all breathe a
46:26
little bit easier, would it not?
46:28
Okay, we are gonna go to y'all's wishes.
46:30
Brandan goes first because it's week one, game one.
46:34
Brandan, I'm gonna write it down, your what if SuperHawk for game one.
46:38
Brandan: Yeah.
46:38
I'm tempted to go with the Jason Myers one after seeing that, but, the
46:41
one that I had planned to talk about was, our, our linebacker, Tyrese
46:46
Knight, with the expectation that Nick Emmanwori, even if he plays
46:51
I think it would be reduced snaps.
46:53
But, I think having Tyrice Knight out there, and the way that he, he showed
46:57
out in the pre-season has me a little bit hyped for Tyrice Knight, who, probably
47:03
not a huge contribution in the Super Bowl, if I am remembering back correctly.
47:09
And, and so I'm gonna go, four tackles for Tyrice Knight and him to
47:15
kick off the season, on the, on the plus side of the ledger for tackles.
47:20
Phil: All right.
47:21
I think, was it Mookie that was kinda- Getting you excited about Knight for this
47:26
game or has this been all on your own?
47:28
Brandan: No, this was all since seeing him w- that, game one and, yeah, it
47:32
was only one tackle that he had playing against the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
47:37
So I, just seeing him in the preseason and then the way that they, they
47:42
they're like, "Okay, we're good on Knight.
47:44
We don't need to see him anymore throughout the preseason."
47:46
Yeah, for sure.
47:47
That was the thing that kind of got me a little bit excited that maybe
47:50
they had some big plans for Tyrese Knight- Yeah… come week one.
47:54
Phil: Maybe a little pass rushing would be cool too.
47:56
Clinton, how about you?
47:57
Yeah.
47:57
Your what if super hawk for week one.
47:59
Clinton: Yeah, for sure.
48:00
And we got some great contributions live here as well.
48:02
This one from Charlie's Cool saying, Arroyo, you know, six catches, 80
48:05
yards, that'd be a monster day for him.
48:07
look, I'm gonna start where, I'm gonna finish where I started.
48:10
I think Cooper Kupp has, has a nice day.
48:13
And so let's quantify that a little bit.
48:15
I'm not, and I'm not saying it's a whatever year that was, 1900
48:19
yard Cooper Kupp day, but what I'm saying is 40 yards and a touchdown.
48:24
40 plus yards receiving and a touchdown for Mr.
48:27
Cooper Kupp, and that'll be a very, very healthy day.
48:31
I, I, how many, h- however many receptions, maybe three, four
48:34
five, something like that, but big contribution But maybe a big key
48:40
third down throw in there too- Yeah
48:41
guys.
48:42
But, yeah, just Kupp to have, Kupp to just keep on doing Kupp
48:45
things and being super, super useful for this team, because he sure is.
48:50
Phil: Yeah.
48:50
And even if he doesn't get stats, he's always useful in all the
48:53
tips he gives everybody, for sure.
48:55
so Clinton has Kupp for 40 yards and a touchdown.
48:58
Brandan's going for Tyrese Knight, at least four tackles.
49:00
Now we're gonna predict the score.
49:02
People have been looking forward to this moment.
49:04
Brandan is usually right, so, but we're still gonna have you go first.
49:07
What's gonna happen, Brandan?
49:09
Brandan: All right.
49:09
I am going…
49:12
My, my thought with this is that the defense this off-season has been
49:17
thinking about, they got into the fourth quarter with a shutout.
49:22
Mm.
49:22
They weren't able to close it out.
49:24
I don't necessarily think that they'll be able to, to pull off a shutout
49:27
week one- Yeah… but I, I think they're gonna try awfully hard.
49:32
And so I think they go under on the score from last year, and, I
49:38
think the Seahawks go a little bit under, so I'm gonna go 27 to 10
49:42
for our Seahawks in week one.
49:44
Phil: 27-10 in two nights.
49:46
You guys'll be there to see it.
49:47
Clinton, what are you looking, what are you expecting here
49:50
for this week one match up?
49:52
Clinton: Yeah, and that's the exact right word.
49:54
so it, when, when you do nail it, I'm gonna, I'm gonna call it out.
49:57
Or when I don't change it, Phil, I'll call it out.
49:59
So what I expect, it goes back to what I said earlier, is like, "Hey, look, Kubiak
50:05
week one," and Mike witnessed that and Fleury witnessed that, and they're, and
50:09
I'm telling you that Mike is like, "We are not starting the season like that, Fleury.
50:13
We're not doing it."
50:14
So I actually expect a pretty good offensive, you know, smoothness
50:19
to this team- Mm… out of the gate.
50:21
Doesn't mean first quarter- Yeah… first drive, but I mean it feels right by
50:25
halftime and, and it continues throughout the game, and we put the game away.
50:29
I think we put up 30.
50:31
I think the Patriots hang in a little bit, but 30 to 17, and we
50:36
win this ballgame, and we walk out of there being like- Dudes, ladies
50:40
gentlemen, we look darn good again.
50:42
And the, and that Fleury offense, Phil, to maybe land the
50:46
plane here, it flourishes.
50:48
Phil: It flourishes.
50:48
I like that a lot.
50:49
Yes, you guys both have us winning by at least two.
50:52
Brandan has us winning by three scores.
50:54
It seemed like a lot more when you said 30- Why, why
50:55
Brandan: you gotta be so negative, Clinton?
50:57
Yeah.
50:57
Why, why are
50:59
Clinton: we only winning by 13?
50:59
Because at some point we're gonna put some other dudes in, 'cause we're up 30
51:02
to 10, and they're gonna score a stupid late touchdown, and I'm not gonna care.
51:07
Phil: And then on your score, Clinton, Myers does make that
51:09
field goal, and Brandan, who wanted Myers to make it, missed it.
51:12
It just seemed like 30 was a lot more than 27 that I looked at, and it's like it's
51:16
just really a difference of a ball hooking one way or the other is all that is.
51:20
But 30 versus 27 is, is
51:23
Clinton: somehow sounds like more.
51:24
Well, o- one little fun point though, like if you're getting to
51:26
30 most naturally, you're talking three touchdowns, three field goals.
51:29
That's the most natural way to 30.
51:31
Yeah.
51:32
I would like that day, 'cause I, I'm a little worried about Jason
51:36
Myers, and I would love for him to go three for three as we, you know
51:39
Brandan: get- I don't know.
51:40
W- opening, safety for the two points and then four straight
51:44
touchdowns is a nice way to 32.
51:45
Clinton: I- I'll take it.
51:46
Any way we get there I do like that.
51:48
And by the way, if that happens, the crowd will, the vibes will be
51:50
right, Brandan, and you would've won.
51:53
Phil: Clinton is b- Clinton gets the negative award out of this
51:56
particular show for some reason today.
51:57
He-
51:58
Clinton: Great.
51:58
I'll take it.
51:59
I don't care.
51:59
I'm gonna be there.
52:00
I'm gonna be so ha- I'm so happy.
52:01
We, oh, so, I, we had our Yukon reunion show this Saturday, so
52:04
like mentally I practiced for it.
52:06
My band plays.
52:07
We played, like, 30-something songs.
52:09
Packed out.
52:09
There was a, a pub crawl.
52:11
I don't know, a couple hundred people there.
52:13
It was awesome.
52:13
And like 40 or 50 people that I graduated with, also there.
52:18
Beautiful time.
52:19
But I had to get through that, guys.
52:20
And then, my wife's opening a fitness studio, so I'm down
52:23
there painting the studio.
52:24
And like now I'm…
52:26
And Brandan, I'm actually, Phil, I'm actually like this, this was
52:29
like my, "Holy crap, I get on a plane tomorrow morning- Yeah
52:32
and I get to go to Seattle as a 48-year-old man child.
52:36
I get to go cheer for my NFL team from Connecticut to Seattle."
52:39
And the gratefulness is, is, is…
52:43
it's abundant, Phil, to
52:44
Phil: Okay
52:44
… Clinton: harken back.
52:45
Yeah.
52:45
Phil: That kind of painting totally switched my thinking.
52:47
My girls are way into artistic painting.
52:49
They go outside, play music.
52:51
And the whole time you've been talking about, "I've been painting,"
52:53
I'm thinking, "Oh, that's cool.
52:54
Clinton on his day off, he's out
52:55
Clinton: painting."
52:56
A building.
52:56
I'm painting a building is what- Yes… yeah.
52:58
Phil: So you're not Bob Ross-ing it.
53:00
You're actually, you know- Yeah… doing that other kind of painting.
53:03
Brandan: Correct.
53:03
You could Bob Ross the building a little bit though.
53:05
Yeah.
53:05
Mm-hmm.
53:05
Be kind of fun too.
53:06
Clinton: I, I- Hey, I wanted to bring this up… tru- trust me, there's
53:07
hap- there's happy little mistakes everywhere on that building, Brandan.
53:10
Okay.
53:10
I'll tell you that, man.
53:11
Tell you that much.
53:12
Brandan: The, the Charlie the Unicorn brought up something that I, I think is…
53:16
it, it could be a factor.
53:18
Really?
53:18
The Diana Russini factor.
53:20
And I, I don't know if it will be, but Albert Breer teased the, that there
53:27
may be news coming with regard to Russini that, we, we may not have
53:32
heard between Vrabel and, and her.
53:35
So-
53:35
Phil: Oh, my
53:36
… Brandan: would
53:36
Phil: would- They're gonna just put it out that night, right?
53:38
Brandan: Would they put it out Tuesday night in a similar way that they put
53:43
out the Patriots orchestrated the, that, for the news about S- the Seahawks
53:48
being sold ahead of the Super Bowl?
53:51
Would that be retribution if, Oh, yeah… if something like
53:54
that were to- The October surprise
53:55
Phil: for football.
53:56
Clinton: Yeah.
53:57
Yeah.
53:58
Throw this, throw this directly in the bin of it does not
54:00
matter,… for, for me.
54:02
And, and, we do not care.
54:04
That's yeah… I'm done with that story, guys.
54:07
I mean, like if there's more to it, I guess so be it.
54:10
But I, I just like, you know, I, I don't care about it much.
54:14
Do you, Brandan?
54:15
Do you, do you think there's some juicy- I don't care about
54:16
Brandan: it.
54:16
I'm just saying that, like with the Charlie the Unicorn saying that his spidey
54:21
sense is saying that something drops- I gotcha… before the game, I, I have- I
54:24
Clinton: don't doubt that.
54:25
I don't doubt that.
54:25
Brandan: I have a little bit of that spidey sense too.
54:27
I don't know if it matters, but- Yeah… well, I mean, it doesn't
54:30
matter to me personally, but it, it may, it may have an impact, right, on…
54:36
And w- and we're, we're talking about vibes in this game.
54:38
How, how could that impact the vibes of the locker room of the Patriots
54:41
if it's something that's pretty big?
54:44
Phil: Yeah.
54:44
Well, I think Mike McCready's gonna play the anthem, and then he's gonna
54:47
sign the guitar and go hand it, hand it to Diana Russini,… over there
54:51
on the sideline to kick off the game.
54:53
That's, that's kinda what I think's gonna happen
54:57
Clinton: Man, well, fired up.
54:58
I cannot wait.
54:59
The whole thing's gonna be great, and then, what, you got McCready
55:01
doing the national anthem, right?
55:02
And then he's joining Soundgarden and the new formed Soundgarden for
55:05
halftime, so I'm excited for all that.
55:07
The vibes are gonna be immaculate, Brandan, for sure.
55:09
Yeah
55:09
Phil: no, I can't wait.
55:11
You guys better not drink much.
55:11
You're gonna have to hold all your pee for this one.
55:13
Clinton: I know, right?
55:14
There is no halftime.
55:14
There's only, only Soundgarden.
55:16
I love it.
55:17
Brandan: I, I love the fact that, we do have, n- I don't love the
55:21
fact that it's Soundgarden without Chris Cornell, because I, I, the one time that
55:25
I've seen Soundgarden play live was at the opener, that S- Last time we
55:30
Phil: won
55:31
… Brandan: the last time we won- Mm-hmm… when they opened, Pharrell.
55:34
he played, the, Soundgarden played right before Pharrell-
55:37
Yeah… in that north parking lot.
55:40
And man, oh man, I, I am a huge fan of Soundgarden and Chris Cornell, and so
55:44
I, I'm glad that they found a way to get the rest of those guys involved
55:48
and, and then the, the singer, who's, Yeah, she's got pipes.
55:52
Clinton: She
55:52
Brandan: can really
55:52
Phil: sing.
55:52
Well, if McCready's there and Soundgarden's there- Mm-hmm… why
55:56
doesn't Eddie make a surprise- Eddie Van there… and they just do Hunger Strike?
55:59
Clinton: Do a little Hunger Strike.
56:00
Yeah.
56:00
I don't mind it.
56:01
I don't mind it.
56:01
I like that mixup.
56:01
I wouldn't mind it either.
56:02
Yeah
56:04
Phil: I like that, though.
56:04
Nobody
56:04
Clinton: would mind it, probably, yeah.
56:04
I like that.
56:05
That'd be fun.
56:07
Brandan: Well, it's gonna be a fun time.
56:09
I can't wait to, to, yeah, I'm what?
56:12
We're almost 24 hours away from seeing each other in
56:15
in, live in person, Clinton.
56:17
Clinton: I know, I know.
56:18
I'm, it's gonna be fantastic, guys.
56:19
It's, hey, it's why we do all this, and then, and you know
56:22
very often you're like, "Oh, that was the longest off season ever."
56:24
I don't know, m- my life has been zipping, and I, and it's good.
56:28
Not this one.
56:28
I feel this went pretty quick, I guess, because when you win the
56:30
Super Bowl, guys, and by the way, the Rams didn't win the Super Bowl.
56:33
We actually won the Super Bowl, but watch 60 Minutes tonight for some garbage.
56:37
But you know, when you win the Super Bowl and the draft is like, it just
56:40
hits you right away because you have very little time to prepare for the
56:43
draft, and the summer's zooming by, and kids are off in college, and
56:46
Brandan, you're going to France, and Phil, you're doing everything you do.
56:49
Man, it goes fast, but what a frigging joy it is to be Seahawks fans, part of this
56:55
part of this, 12s, Flockers, and we get to run it forward starting on Wednesday night
57:00
because we are the champions, my friends.
57:03
Brandan: And I think with that-
57:05
Clinton: There's only one thing left to say.
57:06
Phil: Go Hawks
57:08
Clinton: Go Hawks.
57:09
Go
57:09
Phil: Hawks.
57:09
Keep it green.