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Ike Reese tells JP and BMitch what he expects from the Eagles in the first game of the season against the Commanders.
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00:00We are excited to jump on the Rude Guest Hotline.
00:02Welcome in our friend, Ike Reese from WIP in Philadelphia.
00:06Ike, you remember that song?
00:08Oh my goodness.
00:10JP.
00:11I didn't play it, dude.
00:13Big bro, you really did that?
00:15Hey, I don't control music, man.
00:19I was sitting here, I wasn't even in the studio,
00:21and I just heard the song, and then I heard JP make that comment.
00:25Ryan went hard right there, man.
00:27Well, listen, the one thing I do remember during my playing days
00:32and coming down to FedEx Field, I believe at that time the Redskins,
00:38they were the only team with like a brass band in the crowd, right?
00:43I think they were the only NFL team with an actual band in the crowd,
00:47so I remember that.
00:49Don't tell anybody, but I actually thought that was kind of cool.
00:52I mean, you know, it gives you kind of a college feel.
00:55It gives you the college feel.
00:56Oh, yeah.
00:57Ike, before we get into Sunday's game, obviously, you know,
01:00there's a lot of moving parts ahead of this matchup.
01:02What have you thought of the first two games, Wednesday night in Seattle
01:06and then last night in freaking Australia?
01:10Okay, so let me just give you my quick thing with the NFL early in the season.
01:16You don't know what you're going to get.
01:18You really don't.
01:20I think all four of those teams are very good football teams,
01:23and they'll probably all four be in the playoffs at the end of the season.
01:28But it wasn't the best-looking football the first two games of the year,
01:33and part of that is how preseason is approached.
01:36Nobody tackles anymore.
01:39Nobody plays in the preseason anymore.
01:42So, this is their real first football action for those guys that were out there
01:47playing since last January or December, whenever the season ended for whomever it ended for.
01:54So, I'm not surprised at it.
01:56This is where the NFL has been trending.
01:58Again, I think all four of those teams are very good football teams
02:02and probably should be in the postseason.
02:04But the play does not surprise me that it was uninspiring.
02:08So, I mean, I would have liked for New England to win against Seattle
02:12because we're NFC teams, and I'd rather have an AFC team than an NFC team win.
02:17And then last night's game, I picked San Francisco going into that game.
02:23For whatever reason, and B. Mitchell tells you, J.P.,
02:26you know, styles make fights in the NFL as well, just like it does in boxing.
02:30And just some teams are better matched up against you than other teams are.
02:34And the 49ers, for whatever reason, match up very well against the Rams.
02:40And Kyle Shanahan has had Sean McVay's number throughout their coaching tenure,
02:46despite most of the time it looks like Sean McVay has probably had more talent
02:50on his side of the football.
02:51So, yeah, I wasn't surprised by that game last night.
02:54And see, I agree with all that totally.
02:56But then again, you don't help him out by saying, okay,
02:59we're going to fly over the day before the game.
03:02Yeah.
03:02I mean, when you look at that matchup, Kyle has the advantage.
03:08And then you decide to give him another advantage?
03:11That made no sense to me.
03:12Yeah, that was silly.
03:13That was – I don't know who ultimately presented that to Sean McVay.
03:19He signed off on it as the head coach.
03:21But the idea that coming over there, what, 24, 28 hours before the game,
03:27flying that far, thinking that's going to somehow give you an advantage over a team
03:32that's been there, that's acclimated to the time zone over there and the sleep patterns.
03:38It looked like the Rams had just showed up to the game the day before.
03:42I mean, to Australia the day before.
03:44I mean, that's really what it looked like.
03:46And I was waiting on that game to happen just to see whose method of madness was proven to be
03:54actually right.
03:55And it was clearly Kyle Shanahan in the 49ers.
03:59I don't know what the Rams were thinking, man.
04:02What was that, 28 hours before they played?
04:05Yeah, man, you can't fly that far.
04:07We don't even like flying to the West Coast less than 24 hours before the game, let alone Australia.
04:13So, yeah, I don't know what the Rams were thinking there.
04:16Yeah, it was a little crazy.
04:17What did you think, going back to Wednesday, of Drake May in that game?
04:24Well, I actually like Drake May as a quarterback, right?
04:27And I understand the question marks are there.
04:30You know, last year they had the easiest schedule in the league.
04:33I get all of that.
04:35I understand that.
04:35This isn't college football, though.
04:37This is the NFL.
04:38So, even when you have the easiest, somebody has the easiest schedule every year in the league.
04:41Like, if you're going 1 through 32.
04:44But it's the National Football League.
04:46So, I'm not going to discredit what they did last year.
04:50But his play in this game, plus the postseason, certainly validates everyone who has questions about him as a quarterback.
05:02Again, going up against Seattle's defense, that's not a nothing defense there.
05:07That's arguably the best defense in football on the road.
05:11But he had throws available to him.
05:13That's the whole issue.
05:14Just like in the Super Bowl, there were times where he had guys open and he didn't hit them.
05:19He didn't hit guys last night when there were opportunities there.
05:24And, listen, I think they're still going to be a good football team.
05:27But, listen, the thing about playing that position, you're going to get questioned every week based on your performance.
05:33Like, the quarterback is going to get questioned every week unless you have enough good things in your resume already.
05:39Patrick Mahomes, guys like that where they don't question you.
05:42We got a quarterback here.
05:44Believe me.
05:44They question him every week when he does it.
05:47He's won a Super Bowl and there's two of them.
05:50So, that's just the nature of the beast with that position.
05:54It really is.
05:55Now, let's get to that position.
05:58Let's talk ahead of this game kind of what you are expecting.
06:03Like, I – you can tell me where you disagree.
06:05I do not think Washington is going to be able to run the ball very well against Philly.
06:10Do you agree with that?
06:12Well, I certainly hope not.
06:17Yeah.
06:18The defense is the strength of this team.
06:21And it starts up front with those two defensive tackles and Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter.
06:28So, those guys controlling the line of scrimmage and letting those linebackers sort of flow.
06:33That's where your run game or defending the run game starts.
06:36And I'm not – I don't want to discredit what Washington has going on there.
06:41But the Eagles clearly should have the advantage in that department.
06:44So, yeah, I would think it would be – it should be difficult for Washington to establish a run game.
06:50But I'll say this again.
06:51It's the first game of the season.
06:54Yeah, and these guys have not tackled yet.
06:56So, it takes a while.
06:58Be meant to tell you, you can't get ready to play football without playing football.
07:03You have to actually play to get ready for these games.
07:07So, anything is possible in these opening weeks.
07:10It's always why I never go overboard about the first couple weeks of the season.
07:15Because –
07:16You don't know.
07:17You just want to get out of there with a win.
07:19It may not look pretty, but you want to get out of there with a win.
07:22So, that's a long way to answering your question.
07:24That should favor the Eagles and what they have on defense.
07:28See, like I always say – I talk about it all the time, Mike.
07:31Like, when I played, I wanted to know if I was ready when week one came.
07:36Yeah.
07:36And even, like, when I got up there, I was in my 11th year.
07:38I didn't practice like I was an 11-year guy.
07:40I practiced like I was a dude trying to make the team.
07:42I wanted to know if I could push it.
07:44Like, you love contact.
07:46Yeah.
07:46And that's why I love you.
07:48You know what I mean?
07:48Like, you were a running back, but you had that linebacker mentality.
07:55You had that sort of personality.
07:57Yep.
07:57It was.
07:58And you were fearless.
08:00And you were fearless back there as a returner.
08:04And, like, that was your personality.
08:07And that's how you came into the league.
08:09That's why you should be in the Hall of Fame.
08:11Like, I totally get exactly what you're saying.
08:14But, B, you know, these guys today, man, it's less contact the better, I guess.
08:20I don't get it.
08:21But that's what I'm saying.
08:22Like, I understand what the rules are.
08:25I understand how coaches put stuff together.
08:28But you as an individual know when you're ready and when you're not.
08:34And if there are players who allow a coach and rules to make them not get to their absolute best,
08:41that's their problem.
08:42But the guys that understand, you know, we'll lift weights in there with the guys in a weight room.
08:48But if I didn't get enough, I went somewhere else and lift some weights again.
08:52I would get the stuff in practice.
08:53If I didn't get enough, I wouldn't ran somewhere else.
08:56This is your profession.
08:58You don't let somebody else dictate your profession to you.
09:01To your point, B, Mitch, I'll tell you this.
09:04Being out there at several practices this year and watching the Eagles running backs
09:08and led by Saquon Barkley.
09:10Now, these aren't live periods when they have on four pads and everything.
09:15But you can tell when somebody's looking for contact.
09:18They want that contact.
09:20And that's what Saquon Barkley has sort of led that.
09:23So, I think I totally agree with you.
09:26And for guys that are going to have to be hit a lot, like a running back or what have
09:30you,
09:31you need to have that feeling of what it feels to hear those pads pop, bounce off a tackler, or
09:37what have you.
09:37So, I've watched guys like Tank Biggs being Saquon in practice.
09:41When they're running, even though it's not a live period, sometimes they're looking for a little contact out there.
09:46They want to run into somebody so that they can feel what it looks like, I mean, what it feels
09:52like to hit again.
09:53Yeah.
09:53So, it's not new to them.
09:55So, I think it is an individual thing where the player sort of has to make sure he gets himself
10:01ready for a game.
10:04And based on your position, because, listen, we know receivers ain't out there looking for no contact.
10:08They don't want any contact.
10:10But playing that position, they're running back.
10:12Yeah.
10:13You guys, you've got to find a way to get yourself ready to go for the regular season.
10:17Talking with Ike Reese here on the Rude Guest Hotline.
10:20You can give Ike a follow at Ike58Reese.
10:23You can listen to Ike in the afternoons on WIP, the legendary Philadelphia sports talk radio station.
10:30You can follow that at afternoons at WIP if you like.
10:34It's going to be a really interesting game.
10:37I just, nobody knows what to expect, to your point.
10:40We're getting to celebrate a football Friday.
10:42Here, it's presented by Adios Premium Can Margaritas.
10:46Say hello to some samples.
10:47Adios, DC.
10:48We do want some samples.
10:50Ike, are there some names on the Eagles that maybe aren't the big household names that we know, Carter, Davis,
10:57that maybe we should be prepared to see make a big impact on Sunday?
11:02Well, I tell you, I'm excited.
11:05I'll start on the defensive side.
11:06I'm excited.
11:07It may not be a household name for the Eagles, but if you're familiar with football, you certainly know who
11:12Rick Woolen is.
11:13Sure.
11:13We have the cornerback from Seattle that we got 6'4", long, athletic.
11:19I'm excited to see what he looks like out there in the defense.
11:24And Jahad Campbell, our first-round draft pick from a year ago, started off the season playing very well.
11:31And then when the Kobe Dean came back, his playing time sort of dwindled a little bit.
11:35But now he's in there as a full starter.
11:38So, you know, they're excited about what Jahad Campbell as a linebacker can do in this defense.
11:46Roman sideline to sideline, and Rick Woolen versus the pass.
11:50And then if I go on the offensive side of the ball, I got to go to, he's, again, you
11:56guys follow the game,
11:56so you know who I'm talking about.
11:58But he may not be a household name than everyone else.
12:00But Dontavian Wicks, who we traded for from Green Bay, he's our quote-unquote number two wide receiver.
12:09And a lot of focus has been about Smitty and can he replace A.J. as the number one wide
12:13receiver.
12:14I got no concern about that.
12:16Smitty is a baller.
12:17He's going to be fine.
12:19But when a defense decides we're not going to let Smitty beat you or beat us, the other guy has
12:25to be able to step up.
12:26And that's what Smitty was able to do while A.J. was here.
12:30Smitty, if you want to take A.J. away, then Smitty's going to get the coverage, and he's going to
12:35be able to have his day.
12:36So now if a team says we're not going to let Devontae Smith beat us, well, the other guys have
12:41to step up.
12:42And Dontavian Wicks, as the number two guy on the outside, he's the guy that I'm excited slash anxiously waiting
12:53to see go out there and play.
12:55And then we got the rookie, Makai Lemon.
12:57He's been banged up for the most part, and he hasn't practiced much.
13:01He played in the last preseason game after finally getting on the field.
13:04It'll be interesting to see what they do with him in that slot position and how they move him around.
13:09So just the guys right there, like at the Eagles, these are guys that I think the Eagles are going
13:16to need to actually, you know, play well.
13:19Because when you're game planning for a team, most teams game plan to try to keep your best player from
13:25beating them.
13:26So it's usually the other guys that have to step up and do something.
13:29You know Wicks is an old dude from Louisiana, man.
13:32A little Plaquemine in him right there, bro.
13:34Ah, I did not know that.
13:36Uh-huh.
13:36Okay.
13:37Louisiana.
13:38I bet he can't cook.
13:40I bet he can't do that seafood boy.
13:42If he's from Louisiana, he can do it.
13:45Okay.
13:47Okay.
13:48Mike, the Eagles offensive line has always been a powerful group.
13:53How was the health there?
13:54You know, some names and faces have changed over the years, but are you still expecting them to be a
14:00dominant group ahead of Saquon Barkley?
14:02I really am.
14:03And really, it's the key to the entire thing they do offensively.
14:08I know we brought in Sean Marion, and everybody gets excited about what the possibilities could be, throwing the football
14:14and designing plays, you know, that sort of thing.
14:16But, honestly, this offense is predicated on the running game and starting with the running game.
14:24And that starts with the guys up front.
14:26And we've had a pretty good training camp.
14:29Everybody made it out of training camp healthy.
14:32You know, they got a little bit of a rallying cry or point with Lane Johnson potentially being his final
14:39year.
14:40So, they got that going for them on the offensive line, where I think they want to get back to
14:45being what they were in 2024 and 2023.
14:48Last year was a little bit of a step back for them.
14:51Because of injuries, I think Lane missed like eight games, eight or nine games last year, Lane Johnson did.
14:56So, the offensive line was never really in sync.
15:00And I think this year, so far, all reports have been good.
15:05Again, everybody's healthy.
15:07And even more so, just through the preseason, they've developed some depth.
15:11So, there's some young guys who are backups to those guys that if something were to happen down the road,
15:17you feel a lot better this year than we did last year with the offensive line.
15:22But that's where it's going to start at.
15:23I think this team is a run-first football team that has to put the ball in Saquon's hands and
15:29rely on that offensive line to run.
15:31And they'll make plays in a passing game, but don't get away from your meat and potatoes.
15:36And that's running the football.
15:37For sure.
15:38Well, Washington better try and limit that.
15:40Yeah, man.
15:40Because he's had a lot of success.
15:42Last one for me.
15:42I know he's a volatile human, it seems, and Philadelphia is a volatile place.
15:49But Nick Sirianni's record and accomplishments are inimpeachable.
15:54I mean, dude's been great as a head coach.
15:56What is the pressure on Sirianni?
16:00What is the temperature there?
16:03You know, right now, everything's good.
16:05And I'm a Nick Sirianni supporter.
16:08I think Coach has done a great job.
16:12He doesn't get credit because he's not labeled one of these sort of offensive geniuses that you get with the
16:18Sean McVeighs and the Kyle Shanahan's.
16:21And, you know, obviously Coach Reed, who's the godfather of it all offensively when it comes to design and plays.
16:27But it doesn't mean Nick, A, doesn't know offense and what works in this league.
16:32But more importantly, B, getting the attention of his players and getting them to follow his message and follow his
16:41philosophy and stay together.
16:44Like, that's been the most impressive thing Coach Sirianni has done during his time here.
16:49Because it's not easy coaching or playing quarterback in Philadelphia.
16:53It just isn't.
16:54You better have thick skin.
16:56Because even when you're winning, they're going to question you.
16:59But I think Coach has done an outstanding job.
17:04And I don't know if he'll ever get the credit.
17:06And I would have to imagine he's human.
17:09Probably bothers him some, but he does a great job of not ever letting anybody know that.
17:14But he's human.
17:15And for a guy who's had the type of success he's had, when he was basically a no-name coach
17:22when he first came in, you hadn't heard of him and no one knew what he could do.
17:26Two Super Bowls, a Super Bowl win, five straight playoff appearances, back-to-back division titles, three out of five
17:34years they've won a division.
17:36I don't know.
17:38I don't know what else you could ask for.
17:40I mean, I'm pretty happy with him.
17:42And for people who may be critical of him, again, I don't know what you're looking for.
17:48But I feel the same way about the quarterback, too.
17:50So, I'm like, I'm good with it.
17:53I'm good with it.
17:54I think there's a lot to like.
17:56Like, I mean, the fact that Eagles fans can have all the success of the last 10, 15 years.
18:01I mean, hell, really going all the way back to Andy.
18:03Hell yeah.
18:03And still be mad about stuff is a uniquely Philly thing.
18:07Ike, we really appreciate you.
18:09I can't believe we winning.
18:11I'm going to take that as a compliment, actually.
18:13That's actually a compliment.
18:14Dude, I mean it as a compliment.
18:16As backhanded as it may sound.
18:19I can't wait to see you on Sunday.
18:21Thank you very much for making time for us.
18:23And I hope you get to enjoy some of the weekend.
18:26All right, brother.
18:27It's always appreciated.
18:28Can't wait to see you on Sunday, man.
18:29Enjoy everything until 4.30 on Sunday.
18:32You know that's right.
18:34See you later.
18:35All right, bro.
18:36Take care, fellas.
18:37All right, man.
18:38The great Ike Reese.
18:39Give him a follow at Ike58Reese.
18:41You can listen to him on Afternoons and WIP Sports in Philadelphia.
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