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Mac & Bone Show - Jim Szoke Interview · Mac & Bone Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let's bring on a man we can trust not to
• 0:01
  Speaker 1: be drinking during the game. That would kind of be
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: frowned upon by the Panthers Radio Network folks. He is
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Jim Zoki. It's time for a view from the booth
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: on this Panther Monday. Zoki, what's going on, man? How
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: are you feeling? Hey, boys.
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: No, just a cup of coffee is what I'm on
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: right now. I love the fact I'm joining you in
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: the 9 o'clock instead of the 7 o'clock hour because
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: you've covered so much ground. You're on to Philadelphia two
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: weeks from now. We're already over the line.
• 0:28
  Speaker 3: Zoki, something always happens where you never come in for
• 0:31
  Speaker 3: that many of these moments, do you? Usually it's you're
• 0:34
  Speaker 3: in here for the down times more than the good times.
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah, 8-9 last year felt like 12-5, so yeah, definitely
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: it's an improvement each year.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: It did, and 2-2 feels, I don't know, at least
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: like 3-1, although I realize we could be 3-1 if
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: we finished the Browns game. What impressed you the most?
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: There's a lot to choose from, Zoke. In a game
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: where so many key players at key positions were out,
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: what really impressed you the most about that Panther performance?
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and you've got to give credit for the amount
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: of they had to replace during the game on top
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: of before the game as far as just the guys
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: that pulled it together. Yeah, it wasn't perfect, and I'm
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: sure we'll talk about what happened in the secondary. Defensively,
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: those were not great moments as far as keeping up
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: with that Detroit offense. But it's got to begin right
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: with a historic performance by T-Mac, second most catches, second
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: most receiving yards in the game, and just the way
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: Bryce was able to feed him and feed him, and
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: of course Bryce. getting chance of MVP. So it only
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: happens with Bryce playing the way that he did. But
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: the ball had to come out quick, obviously, with the
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: injuries on the offensive line, and they were able to
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: do that. And when Bryce had to stand in the
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: pocket and take a hit while delivering some of those throws,
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: he does that for 329 yards. But seeing that happen
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: opened up the best running game of the year with
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: Chuba Hubbard out there doing almost all of it, 122
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: yards and the two touchdowns there. So We talked all week, right,
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: that we thought against Detroit, it's going to be who
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: can outscore the other team. This is not going to
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: be a low-scoring defensive game, and they were up to
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: that challenge last night.
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: Zokster, how good of a coaching job was that last
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: night to limit Gibbs to 77 yards of total offense?
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: And also, Hutchinson didn't completely wreck shop either, so the
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: two game wreckers really were held in check for the
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: most part last night. How good of a coaching job
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: was that?
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: It was great. And again, credit because Hutchinson was getting
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: in the backfield and Bryce was being elusive. And then
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: sometimes he was blocked up. But of course, you lose
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: Monroe Freeling during the course.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: Of the game.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: So that doesn't help with that. But, you know, that
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: that's the main guy. They were second in the league
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: in quarterback sacks heading into the game. And then Jameer Gibbs,
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: I think we all agree, is not the best running back,
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: second or third, no further down the list. with, I
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: would say, him and McCaffrey. They did a really good
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: job against B. John Robinson, as we said, but Cooper
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: Rush was the quarterback that day, so you could kind
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: of really focus on him. You had to deal with
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: trying to limit Gibbs while Jared Goff's throwing for 400 yards,
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: and they did. They kept him in check in the
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: run game throughout the entire evening. So that was good
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: to see because that kept the game in check, actually
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: kept Detroit below their average. They scored 31 points the
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: first three games. keep them in check, and I thought
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: really key was holding them to field goals when they
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: were getting down in the range and so forth, not
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: giving those touchdowns up and keeping it to 26.
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: Huge.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: Four field goals they made them kick, not to mention
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: the two times in the last three drives they stopped
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: them on fourth down, including, Zoke, the hook and ladder
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: that they stopped. when apparently the coaching staff told them
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: before the play, be ready for the hook and ladder.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: They were, and they got the stop. And then Princely,
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: the Princely sack was mammoth on that last drive, Zoke.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: I mean, he very well, I know that the pass,
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: the fourth down pass, it was Lee and Ransom that
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: made the final stop. That Princely sack, that was one
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: of the biggest plays of the game, too.
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, because you set them back in the down and distance.
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: They don't have any timeouts left, and they begin that
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: drive at the 11-yard line. So you really made it
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: next to impossible for them to be able to continue
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: that drive, which they did. The one and only sack,
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: but they were getting pressure throughout the game. I mean,
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: only the one sack, but there was constant pressure, keeping
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: Jared Goff throwing it away, throwing it in the dirt.
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: He's not going to ever run out of the pocket,
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: but he is good at extending plays back there. So
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: to get that sack in that moment was huge for
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: Prince Lee. At first, Jalen Phillips had just left the
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: series or two before, so he really had to come
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: down to Princeley or someone like that making the play.
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: Zoke, how does Devin Lloyd just fundamentally change the entire
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: outlook of this defense?
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we kept talking all week about, you know, we're
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: down our corners and all this and that. That's huge.
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: But adding back in not only Devin Lloyd, but I
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: thought Nick Scott played a good game, too. But in particular,
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: to your point, Devin Lloyd coming in there, getting that
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: big tackle for loss, having– I call him the leading tackler.
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: He had nine because Caleb Evans had 11, but it's
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: because he was catching guys that caught the ball.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: So true.
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: You're bound to have 11 tackles. But Devin Lloyd is
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: such a game changer out there. And you just saw
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: me either bugging at the line and not coming or blitzing.
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: I would say Detroit did a good offensive line. They
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: did a good job of picking up a lot of
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: the blitzes that were coming there, especially coming up the
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: middle width. but Devin Lloyd is the guy that makes
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: the whole thing go right now. And I thought Derek
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: Brown had his best game. He had a couple of bad.
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: He was disruptive up to watch. I think Bobby Brown
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: also had a tip pass. So they were getting the
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: hands up and getting in the face of Jared golf
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: quite a bit.
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: So I heard a rumor last night that when you
• 5:29
  Speaker 3: were getting ready for the game, Chris Collins chair slid
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: right in front of you.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: Is that true?
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah. It came like down the hallway and around the corner.
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: Cause we're not in the same booth as them, but yeah,
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: We did a real quick at an event with Mike
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: Tirico Friday night for the target breakfast folks. And I'd
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: met Mike and talked with him before, but to spend
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: that amount of time with Bo and Beth, the three
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: of us do an event with them. You know, Tirico
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: is terrific. I don't know anybody who doesn't enjoy watching
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: what Tirico does. And I know a lot of people,
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: I saw a lot of Twitter stuff, like very polarizing
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: with Chris Collinsworth. I don't know him that well, but
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: I think he does a good job. Everyone's got their
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: own taste and their own opinion, but I think Collinsworth
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: is good. I've enjoyed it. I mean, I think he's
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: been doing that. He retired from football, like, in 1999.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: He's been doing this for, like, 30-plus years. So it's
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: been terrific.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: I've always been a Collinsworth fan. It's like 92 or
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: so he started at NBC, like, doing Notre Dame games.
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: 30-plus years.
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: I've always been a Collinsworth fan when a lot of
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: people hate on him. I will say, Zoke, last night
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: he really seemed to be trying to will the Lions
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: back in the game. Now, I don't think it's anything
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: personal against the Panthers. I don't hear it. but it
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: really felt like he wanted the dramatic end. He was
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: so upset when the Lions drive fizzled out at the end.
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: He said, that's a disgusting drive. So it felt like,
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: but I just think he wanted a great finish and
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: he saw the potential for it, you know, with the
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: Panthers second.
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: Forget what I said, Collinsworth sucked.
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: I've got the dub anyway, man. It's all good. So
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: Bryce and TMAC together, man. I mean, the fact that
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: it comes with Coker and XL out, All these offensive
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: linemen out the week after TMAC is held only two catches. Like,
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: what did you think about those two dudes just going off?
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: And I love the fact that Canales let us in
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: on something after the game said that they had a
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: rough week of practice as a tandem. They were not
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: on the same page throughout the week. I guess it
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: doesn't matter. Maybe practice doesn't matter. What do you think, Zote?
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: Sometimes you play your best golf when you can't hit
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: it on the driving range. I'd rather not be happy Wednesday, Thursday,
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: and pull it together Sunday. But they're too talented not
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: to figure it out on Sunday. And you do have
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: to talk matchups, right? Denzel Ward, I go back to Cleveland,
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: seeing that defensive person, he's great. Cleveland's a much better
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: defense than what Detroit has, so we have to factor
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: that in. And again, they're minus their two safeties, just
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: like we're out of our corners, and it shows for them.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: But beyond that, you're playing an NFL team that's got
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: a very good chance of making the playoffs again this year.
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: And Detroit, again, while they're not, you know, they've got
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: it tough up front. I mean, so you're dealing with
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: a lot of pressure that not only are you dealing
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: with the secondary, but the ball has to come out quickly.
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: And Price was just dealing. I mean, the ball was
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: coming out of his hands so quickly. You know, watching
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: it on TV is one thing. When you see it
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: in person, I mean, it's like zip, zip, and it's
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: accurate and it's decisive. And when it's not there, when
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: he goes to the second play and creates something out
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: of that. But he and T-Mac, I mean, they just
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: kept feeding him and feeding him. He had 12 catches
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: coming into the game, T-Mac. He had 14 last night.
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: And they never came up with an answer in four
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: quarters as to how to stop that. So small secondary.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: So big receivers like T-Mac could have a little bit
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: of an advantage. But he's playing at a great level.
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: You saw the kind of catches he was making there.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: The relative ease in which he makes it look, which
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: only comes through the hard work that goes into making
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: it look easy. But Bryce, we talked about going into
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: his fourth year, as we said, he's incrementally gotten better
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: each year. This is like a big old leap this
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: year in year four. It's not an incremental jump. I mean,
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: he looks like a guy that's, again, not just because
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: of what the stats are, but the way you watch
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: him play and the way he's moving that offense, doing
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: it in situational football is really at the top of
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: the league right now.
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: All right, Zoke. I'm out of questions. I'm worn out
• 9:14
  Speaker 3: right now.
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: Zoke, enjoy your bye week, baby. Enjoy your bye week.
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: No Eagles questions right now. You're off the stand, Zoke,
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: this week. We'll deal with that. You got a bye
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: week trip to any exotic locations? Although you probably got
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: an ECU game.
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: What do you got going on? I'm going on vacation
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: to Greenville. We got Rice coming in this week at
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: Conference Play. I got Saturday work, but I'm off Sundays.
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: I can't watch football Sunday.
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: Zoke, will you work in if ECU wins? Will you
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: work in a cook-rice pun, or are you above that?
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: No, because I was so happy after the game last night,
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: I did an in-like-a-lion-out-like-a-lamb tweet because they lost to a Panther,
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: which sounded like a nursery rhyme from like, the third grade,
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: so I'm not above a Cook-Rice record.
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: Okay, okay. Work that in, baby. Work that in. All right, Zoke,
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: thank you for joining us, brother. Appreciate you.
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: Enjoy your Victory Monday.