00:00It's finally here. Atlanta! I can't wait. We are Dukes and Bell! We start off every day and every hour
00:09by saying,
00:10Hey, man! I'm talking about training camp. And I hope you feel the same way.
00:15Look, it's been a long time coming, and the expectations last year were very high, and they should have been.
00:21Going into year two, we felt good. Picks was going to come on. All the things. Think back to how
00:27you felt.
00:28And then the season played out the way it did because, in my opinion, Mike, coaching.
00:34Now, I would tell you coaching lost us four games. Of course, we went on that losing streak.
00:39Kicking game lost us games. But you can put that all behind you.
00:43And I asked the question today about, is there enough talent on this team to at least get to the
00:49playoffs?
00:49I believe there is. But what has fundamentally changed is, Mike, the outlook of what you think about this coaching
00:56staff.
00:56And look, I know they haven't won a game. I know that there are people out here who are listening
01:00to us right now and going,
01:01Man, Stefanski ain't done nothing. Not yet.
01:04But I do feel more confident than I did moving into this situation the last two times with Arthur Smith,
01:10who we really didn't know a whole lot about. Nice guy. Love him.
01:14Raga came back. Mike was against it the entire time, saying,
01:18I just didn't like the hire. It didn't feel like we were going to take the next step.
01:22And we didn't. So now you go get a guy who brings more experience, Mike,
01:27and I feel like certainly more structure. Because that is part of this discussion.
01:32So as we get into camp tomorrow and we'll be there live, guys, we'll do the show from 2 to
01:366 at Hooters.
01:37I'm excited. But you, on the other hand, you're being cautiously optimistic about where you're at right now.
01:43Yeah. Now last year, by the way, strength of schedule was 20th out of the 32 teams in the NFL.
01:48This year, our strength of schedule projected to be 20th of the 32 teams in the NFL,
01:51based on winning percentage from last year.
01:53But we look at it and we see a team like the Chiefs and the Lions,
01:56and even though they didn't make the playoffs, they're still the Chiefs and the Lions,
01:59in addition to going to Pittsburgh.
02:01Pittsburgh did make the playoffs and got skunked by the Texans.
02:03But we've got to go up against Lamar Jackson.
02:06You've got all these, okay, that's not an easy out.
02:09Going to take on Joe Burrow over Madrid. Hello.
02:11You know, you better be dialed in for that one.
02:13So I'm just trying to be realistic here.
02:16And again, we don't know what's going on with the quarterback situation.
02:19We'll get clarity on it tomorrow.
02:20I didn't think I'd be talking about the quarterback battle of Trevor Simeon and Jack Strand.
02:24Stay tuned on that.
02:25But I know you've been saying, when are we going to get the word on Michael Pennix Jr.?
02:29And when everybody else, and you've heard it yesterday, of course,
02:31we brought up Mahomes and Daniel Jones said he's good to go,
02:34which made us say, okay, so, and you brought up the question,
02:37why maybe did the Falcons handle it this way?
02:39Why did they just let us know back in, you know, June or May?
02:42That, you know, hey, guys, maybe just temper your expectations for Michael Pennix Jr.
02:46Unless they felt maybe Michael can literally do the things he said he was going to do
02:50and be ready.
02:51Yes.
02:51And be ahead of whatever that schedule was.
02:54Yeah.
02:54Tomorrow, that's the big question that needs to be answered.
02:56I mean, there will be others.
02:58Because this is our first Kevin Stefanski camp.
03:00And so, you know, but I feel like, Mike, they have a handle on things
03:03and they know what they're doing.
03:04But that is the one that everybody's kind of waiting on.
03:07And if it's no, he's not going to be ready, my whole thing with this has just been
03:11you could have gotten ahead of it.
03:13And all the things that are going to be said and, oh, crap, the Falcons now,
03:18what are they going to do?
03:19All of that would have been out there already.
03:20And we would have been dealing with it and at least feeling like, okay,
03:24we have a handle on stuff.
03:26I just feel like waiting was not the best answer, but those decisions are not mine.
03:30I just want, as a fan, and I think you feel the same way, what's going on?
03:34That's all we want to know.
03:35And we're not saying, we're not crowning one guy over the other.
03:39All we're saying is what's going on.
03:40And that, Mike, helps us understand where this team might be headed.
03:43Right, because all those matchups we've talked about, you know, when you break down,
03:46you know, when you're going up against Green Bay, you know,
03:49when you're taking on the Bears and the 49ers, you know, I just mentioned,
03:52you know, that's, you want to know what your quarterback situation is going to be.
03:56Defensively, we've talked a lot today about, you know, Caden Ellis
03:58and how are they going to replace him.
04:00And is that going to be a really open competition?
04:03A number of guys, whether it's Harris or Jalen Walker, will be battling for, you know,
04:07but, you know, I love the back side.
04:10I'm looking forward to seeing Avion Terrell.
04:11I mean, we have high expectations for him.
04:13He's a different athlete than AJ, but how does he fit in the mix in that secondary?
04:18Well, you know, we were talking about the rookies reporting earlier, right?
04:21And would you guys agree right now, just not based on where he was drafted,
04:26sometimes that matters, but because of the lack of explosiveness,
04:30we didn't have Zachariah Branch, most important rookie?
04:33Heck yeah, for me he is.
04:35I mean, I'm just blown away that he lasted to the third round.
04:39They were able to get him there.
04:40Sure, sure.
04:40You know, and that's going to be, I just think with Stefanski, it just seems,
04:44you know, like I said, I'm not going to hype anything, but it seems like a good fit.
04:48Okay.
04:48It seems like it's tailor-made for the kind of offense he runs.
04:50And that's not taking anything away from A.V.,
04:52but A.V. steps into a situation where there's lots of experience back there,
04:56even his brother, right?
04:58And two of the best safeties in the league.
05:00It's a different situation.
05:02Zach comes in, Zachariah Branch comes in, we need him to be a dude immediately,
05:05and I think there's pressure there.
05:07So from a rookie standpoint, when you look at the vets, guys,
05:09all of a sudden you're looking at a team now.
05:11A few years ago, Mike and I were talking about, man, you know, young Drake, young Pitts.
05:16These guys are vets now.
05:17They've been in the league over three years, man.
05:19Average NFL career doesn't last that long.
05:21So you talk about guys coming back, having real experience.
05:25We've got a bunch of veteran guys, and I'm not even talking about the old heads,
05:28the old Gs like a Jake Matthews.
05:30I'm just saying even a Bergeron.
05:32Now who knows who's been through it, Mike?
05:34Right.
05:34And if not the best guard in the league, you guys tell me who.
05:38I mean, you know, we've got some guys that all of a sudden now you're going, vet, vet, vet.
05:45We've got leadership.
05:46But do we have guidance from the head coach that sets the tone?
05:52Yeah, I think you do.
05:53I don't want to bag on Raheem Morris.
05:55He made it too easy at times last year.
05:56I just thought, you know, the way the season presented, every season's got its own challenges.
06:01I mean, maybe they just weren't equipped for the Kirk Cousins soap opera two years ago,
06:04and there's no way to do that better.
06:05I don't know.
06:05I think there's a few ways you could have done that better.
06:07Last year, you know, it just devolved into situations.
06:11You know, when you don't have enough guys on the field, and that's also part of Ulbricht's resume,
06:15you know, that's a problem.
06:17You know, when you're challenging plays, you have no chance of winning, you're losing a timeout.
06:20I mean, just dumb little things.
06:22You know, game management, we spent a lot of time on last year.
06:25It's not the coach, the quarterback's fault that you couldn't find a kicker.
06:28That was on the general manager.
06:29Kerry Fontenot should have had a better kicker in there to compete with Young Way Koo.
06:32He didn't, and then Young Way Koo gets cut after his first week of choking.
06:36And then we go through this cavalcade of guys that are just dudes that are bouncing around.
06:39That's the worst place to be in, Carl.
06:41You're bringing guys in the journeyman kickers.
06:43Now we went out and they addressed it, and they got the best kicker money could buy as a free
06:46agent in Nick Volk.
06:47He's no spring chicken, but he's rock solid.
06:49No, he said it today because they were asking him 19 years in the league.
06:52Look, he's not coming in with butterflies.
06:54He's been here, done that.
06:56But ask about his leg strength.
06:57I mean, it depends on the day.
06:59But he had a 58-yarder last year.
07:00But here's the deal.
07:01We're not going to need a 58-yarder every game.
07:03Know what I need, Mike?
07:03That 35-yarder to win games.
07:07Usually that's the kick.
07:08Not missing an extra point, which cost you.
07:10Was that the Patriots game, Danny, the extra point cost?
07:12I lose track.
07:13You know, the first game of the season was Tampa Bay where the field goal would have put us to
07:16overtime.
07:16You know, earlier in the show, we were stumbled onto something because we were talking about the rotation defensively
07:21because Vita Vea is not happy with his contract, and it's really hard to see.
07:25You know, first off, our general manager, Ian Cunningham, giving up resources for a 31-year-old,
07:30even though he's one of the top defensive tackles, right, in Vita Vea.
07:33Oh, yeah.
07:33But it's going to name, so a lot of guys were asking about it earlier.
07:36Well, if you go back and look at the rotation, if I told you the defense that gave you, you
07:40know,
07:40the second most sacks in the league, how many Falcon fans realized LaCale London and Deshaun Hand
07:45combined for nine and a half sacks last year?
07:47Probably none of them.
07:48Right.
07:48I mean, I was kind of color me whoops on that one earlier today.
07:52So there are guys they feel strongly about with what we think is a better coach,
07:56except you already talked about Bill Callahan trying to help Juwan Taylor and everybody else on that whole line.
08:00Yeah, and that's another vet, too, by the way.
08:02I mean, even though he has struggled, he's been here.
08:04I mean, he's played in the league.
08:05I mentioned Chris Listrom earlier when I was talking about the best guard in the league,
08:08because I think he is.
08:10He's been the consistent piece at guard.
08:12All these guys know what it takes.
08:14And so now, for me, Mike, and when I say leadership, I'm not talking about player-led leadership.
08:18I'm talking about the leadership at the top.
08:20404-726-0929.
08:22We're going to have a lot to talk about tomorrow.
08:23We will have guests.
08:24All of our shows will be there, morning shift.
08:27They will have Kevin Stefanski on in the 8 o'clock hour tomorrow,
08:29so make sure you tune in for that.
08:31If you miss it, we'll obviously replay it for you later in the afternoon.
08:34But Steakhouse, Andy and Randy, everybody's up there.
08:37And as Mike said, Hooters Mall of Georgia, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
08:40is where we'll broadcast from after practice.
08:42Bringing you the latest, man.
08:43And I'm feeling good.
08:46I'm not going to tell you I feel great,
08:48because I still need to see what the health situation is with Michael Penix.
08:51And I will say this.
08:53It only matters if it hampers his development of getting ready for the season.
08:58I don't think it has.
09:00Everybody said everything he's been doing on the side, he's been fine.
09:03And Mike, maybe he comes in and he's ready to do this thing.
09:06And if that's the case, then this is going to be a really interesting camp.
09:10Right.
09:10I mean, granted, I will not get overexcited, overhyped.
09:14I'm going to keep it real for the audience this year.
09:18Now, back, you know, 2018 I said that, and 2019 I said that.
09:23You did?
09:24COVID, of course, we're working from home.
09:2621, I said it 22, 22.
09:28I said it last year.
09:29You did do it last year.
09:30But not anymore.
09:32Oh, okay.
09:32Whatever I see at this camp, okay, for the next few days we're going to be there.
09:36These two or three weeks we're going to be there?
09:38Yes, three.
09:39Fair and balanced and low-key and no hype machine for me, man.
09:43All right, all right, fair enough.
09:44I'm not going to be the hype man.
09:45Even if Tua tears it up, huh?
09:46No, not happening this year, bro.
09:49Okay, all right.
09:49Because I'm, you know what?
09:50What?
09:51I feel guilty.
09:52I feel bad.
09:53I sold the fans a bill of goods.
09:55Going all the way back to Desmond Ritter.
09:58Exactly.
09:59So this year, I can't debate that.
10:01I'm going to be like day-day, measured, patient.
10:04Oh, don't say that.
10:05Keeping it real.
10:07I can't be patient when it comes to this team.
10:10I hate to say this as we get ready for camp.
10:12You guys know how in the last time we went to the playoffs, right?
10:14Like, we're talking about the playoffs.
10:17Playoffs 2017.
10:19Yep.
10:20Where were you at in 2017?
10:21Oh, don't answer that.
10:23What were you doing?
10:24How old were your kids?
10:26Have you changed jobs since?
10:28Man.
10:29Have your kids graduated?
10:30I'm being real.
10:32I was living in a high-rise, making fun of all you stiffs who go to Home Depot.
10:35Exactly.
10:36That's a long time, guys.
10:38So that's all I'm saying.
10:40Man, we've gone through it for a while.
10:42It would be nice to host a playoff game, Mike.
10:44The way you do that is you win the division.
10:46Hey.
10:47Well, guess what?
10:47We've been, safe to say, baseline, quality, consistent quarterback play.
10:53You know, 25 touchdowns, 8 or 9, 10 picks, that gets us in the playoffs any of these last
10:58three years.
10:58No, it's true.
10:59I mean, we go on a four-game win streak.
11:00It was too late last year.
11:02Right.
11:03All right, man.
11:03Tomorrow, we're all over.
11:05This is New Mike 26.
11:0726.
11:08Here we go again.
11:11Again.
11:15It's like Tom Cruise saying, I need you to trust me.
11:18One more time.
11:20Okay.
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