Can you just tell me about that process and development of the quarterback? 'Cause all anybody says is, "Well, it's McCarthy just taking care of these guys." What does that mean exactly?

Well, I, I would, I, I wouldn't say that.

That's, that's kind...

Those are kind words.

I mean, first and foremost, if we go back to the draft process, you know, when we drafted Drew, we, you know, we felt like we were getting a first round pick.

Uh, when, when...

You know, just the value that, you know, our, you know, personnel department had on him, you know, coming out of his junior year and just, you sit there and listen to all the reports and, and just as, as you talked about, the timeline of his career and, you know, what happened his senior year, he had the injury and so forth.

What are you guys working on with your communication, the game day operations? Do you guys take this as a, like a big opportunity to work on all the little things that we may not see?

How would you judge practice, and what are your thoughts on the first day of pads here with the Pittsburgh Steelers as you as their head coach?

Uh, I would say overall, um, you know, it looked like our first day in pads.

Um, you know, well, you know, first team period, you know, we didn't have a good start there offensively with the, you know, the pre-snap penalty and the ball on the ground.

But I, I mean, to be honest with you, uh, it, it usually goes something like this or close to this, you know, and it's first time in pads, you know, the pad level and, you know, just the pace of the practice.

Yeah, so we, we have work to do, and that's why we have vi-

Uh, has it been like picking up like the old days, offense and everything, or how has it been between you two?

Uh, definitely, I mean, it, it, it definitely was like picking up where you left off.

But, you know, a lot of it is just, um, you know, no- no nomenclature and terminology change and just getting in tune with that.

shelf, mate, because

I read it.

Yeah, Baptism of Fire.

I mean, Frank was the guy that Hereford sent over to help create Delta Force in America.

And that's actually where he became this kind of peaceful warrior and started listening to the words of Yeshua, or commonly known as Jesus, who I think... was a great force for peace in the world but of course his message has been weaponized and turned into this religion and like all these religions that came out of the original Abrahamic faith they've been weaponized not to be a light unto the world but in actually just to become Trojan horses really and just killing machines and so I think people And understanding the original Abrahamic faith will get a better understanding of what's going on in the Middle East and how we're not really living that life, because the original Abrahamic faith was meant for all nations of the world.

And sadly, it didn't quite work.

so you know faith aside i i think you know that's that's really what i'm trying to do so and and you've just made the first donation to the peace power parade which you i think you've put up the the go fund me and um so that's really what we're doing so i'm i'm working with um there's a lot of peace and conflict resolution going on in africa as well so hopefully i'm going to be meeting up with some of those in ghana and in uganda and a few other places and um And I'm going to get back into flying and skydiving.

I won't take offense.

So how will you continue to coexist with that? Would CHSN be a part of that? What's-- What would that business arrangement look like if that were to come to pass?

Little bit of a cliche here.

Anybody that tells you they know what this is gonna look like in two years is-- they're guessing.

They don't know.

We don't know.

There's a lot of talk where the larger markets would be probably the last ones in on some kind of league-wide alliance.

I don't know that to be a fact, but I know that some of the networks are healthier financially than others, of course.

So what is the biggest piece of advice or pieces of advice that you are giving some of these people when they're calling?

Do you have a pinch yourself moment every now and then, Mike?

Oh, definitely, all the time.

I mean, it's been surreal, you know, since the, really since the interview, um, then the press conference, and, and, and to look out your office window and, you know, see your neighborhood across the river.

So, um, you know, the drive into work is, you know, on the streets that I grew up on.

So personally, it's just been incredible.

But, you know, it's year one, uh, loving the grind of it, you know, putting together a staff and putting together the playbooks and, you know, all the, all the stuff that, you know, football coaches, we love to do.

It's been incredible having the players here the last two and a half weeks.

Uh, what do you like about him? What does he bring to the equation for you?

What has been your mentality as you address the building on what the expectations are, and how do you kinda get to that?

Well, I think it's, uh, you know, this is my third time doing it, so, um, yeah, I think through experience, y- you, you definitely, when you walk in there, there, you know, there's, there's so much greatness, uh, just as you come up the steps every day, and I think you just gotta be in tune with that.

You know, to have the opportunity to work in Green Bay with an incredible history and tradition, the same in Dallas.

Um, y- you have to, you know, you gotta embrace it, uh, but also you gotta make it your own.

You know, you gotta build your, you gotta build your program.

Um, so w- you know, working with, you know, Art Rooney, Dan Rooney, and then Omar, we've just, have really just gone step by step and, uh, looked at everything.

And, um, you know, a lot of things you, you'd, you wanna keep and build off what they've done in the past, but then there's a, there's a new way.

Dallas.

I mean, I guess everywhere you're at, there's high expectation, but how do you kind of regulate the expectation outside the building while trying to figure out what you're trying to do inside the building?

Yeah, I mean, I, I think it's just like anything.

You, you know, you have to be aware, and, and obviously we got- we have a great, you know, PR department here with, with Burt, and, um, so I mean, you have the responsibility to, you know, make sure you're, you know, deli- delivering the message of, of the direction of the football team.

Uh, but it's, it's my responsible- responsibility to show up here every day and win, and, and that's just the way I've always gone about it, about it, 'cause, you know, this is a, you know, 12-month month job that you have to...

You know, y- there's always something to do.

There's always a video to watch.

There's always a conversation to have.

But has there been any more dialogue with that? Has it strictly been kind of just about Will and Mason, 'cause they are definitely on the roster, or have you actually been able to reach out and, uh, kind of have a initial back and forth with Aaron?

Do you think that's 'cause defenses are catching up to the modern offense? Do you think that's why that is? Do you think defense are getting better, or do you think defensive players are getting better? Why do you think defenses are maybe getting better across the board?

board?Oh, I, I think it definitely have caught up without question.

Yeah, I think the biggest thing that I've seen is, you know, these rule changes and, and who adapts to them, you know, the quickest.

And, you know, I could remember, uh, you know, when they'd taken the helmet out of the game, and, and just the way it was, you know, officiated.

You know, it was so hard to play safety in our game.

I'm not ...

yet there's a point that you're wondering if, you know, some of these guys were, were really gonna be able to play.

We'd rather have that number one overall pick for Mendoza." How do you kinda handle that as a coach, and how do you kinda have to respond to what the front office tells you what they wanna see as well?

Okay, so the whole area's getting hit, obviously that area the most, but yes, they did categorize it as a hurricane which is obviously very, um, detrimental to a football game that is potentially happening in the middle of it, uh, Coach?

Yeah, definitely.

No, definitely.

W- Wind to me is the biggest factor, uh, in, in preparing for a football game.

I mean r- rain, snow, you know, heat, but I, I've always felt wind, you know, factors more than anything.

You know, it'll change, it'll ch- always changed my mindset and, and changed the way I looked at the game.

So I, I think A, being a home team, you know, you know, being an outdoor team, you know, I, I think those two, th- those things factor.

They're gonna eat whatever massive cap hit it takes and he'll be gone." If you are the head coach or the quarterbacks coach or the play caller, like, how do you digest that whole situation? And also, when- when Tua does get another opportunity, because he was the fifth pick, do you think teams are gonna view him as a starter, or is he gonna have to be kind of a reclamation project and be a backup for a few years here?

(laughs)

So and so he, it's, uh, in his colorful words, but, and I always thought that was a really good, you know, 360 view- viewpoint of the league, and I've always looked at it that way.

And I think if you, as, you know, everybody gears up in the offseason, we go into training camp and, uh, and I, and I'm sure you guys talked about this on the show.

Uh, I mean, I don't know how many teams you probably thought were Super Bowl contenders this year.

I think number's bigger, probably 10 to 12, and then there's a, then there is probably that second group is probably 12 to 14, and then you have another, you know, eight, six to eight down there at the bottom that they're just have so many challenges they, they can't overcome.

And, and I think that's really how the league has gone of, of, of particularly late.

And I think these division games at the end have been very helpful.

Do you think that those coaches, whe- whether it be Harbaugh, Tomlin, or Andy Reid, have a sense of the end is close as far as those particular locations? Or do you think, um, they don't even hear that, they don't feel that, uh, they, they're just staying the course? Like, what was your experience with that in Green Bay, and what do you think they're going through right now?

Smart.

I think it's gonna be a hell of a football game.

I've always had great respect, and I think AJ attested this, I mean, back, even back in the, you know, in the early 2000, Detroit is a very difficult place to play.

I think they're an outstanding football team.

Um, you know, Dallas is healthier.

Um, you know, this is a big road win.

They, they, they need this road win.

Can you, can you explain check-with-me to people that don't know? I think a lot of people, uh, don't really know what that means exactly.

Okay.

And if you look at the playoff football games, over 90% of those games are gonna come down to the last series.

So, that's the reality of winning a championship in the National Football League.

So, how do you train the most important position on the field with the quarterback? You...

They have to be able to throw the ball from the pocket.

And, uh, you know, um, I could hear, you know, Paul Hack, my old mentor, he'd always, you know, tell us as young coaches, you know, that were working with the quarterbacks, "You can't be spending so much time on the run game and the protection 'cause these guys get paid to throw the football.

At the end of the day, they gotta be able to pick the ball up and go win the game at the end of the game." So, the, the hardest thing for a young quarterback, in my opinion, is the, is the drop back game.

Is that also accurate to say?

What are your thoughts on this current New England Patriots team, and does it remind you of the last Patriots team or kind of how do you view this particular squad?

Oh, yeah, definitely.

I don't think you could...

You know, the simila- similarities are, are d- definitely just jump out at you, for sure.

Uh, you know, to be sitting there at eight- 8-2, super impressive, you know.

I think the, you know, giving credit to, you know, Mike Vrabel and, and, and also the personnel department there, you know.

They, they got young guys that are playing, you know, right now, and playing at a high level.

Can't be getting that.

It was.

...

I would say second half adjustments.

I, I, I've never been, you know, one to say, "Hey, let's get in there at halftime and get this adj-..." I mean, 'cause it's really, from the coach's perspective, it's going on the whole, the whole game.

I mean, if, you, you know, if your coaches aren't...

If your communication network is not, you know, go- you know, flowing through the whole course of the game, then yeah, there's some- there's something wrong there.

Halftime really gives you a chance to go down and, and show some pictures as a group, get, do more group talking, and things like that, and addressing kinda...

I guess, is there a reason for this? Is this a time of year? Like, why do you think we did see so many blowouts?

I mean, we've already heard Jerry mention it, and it's kind of been floating around, like, are they going to be buyers at the trade deadline, thinking that they actually might be able to kind of make some noise, uh, down the stretch and going into the playoffs?

Yeah, I mean, clearly staying out of the homer mindset here, I mean, we've talked about this since the draft.

I, I think this is an, an ascending football team.

I think they did the right things during the off-season.

You know, they, you know, as far as going through, you know, veteran free agency, um, you know, the draft.

In my experience of being a head coach is the biggest improvement in your football team comes from the players that are already there.

And they got an excellent locker room and an excellent group of core players, and they're young.

When it comes to NFL reffing crews, why do you think some crews have a different feel for the game? Do you think that is, you know, kind of depending on the teams? Do you think that's depending on the weather? Like, why do you think that refs, uh, kind of decide and go about s- games kind of differently on a week to week basis when fans like myself just kind of see it as like, hey, whether it's a 1:00 game, whether it's, whether it's a prime time game, whether it's Wednesday afternoon football, like, the game needs to be called the exact same no matter what?

Is that something as a coaching staff that you guys talk about leading into the season? Like, playing on depth? Like, how do you handle that because you know at some point you're gonna deal with the old injury bug? You just hope it's not to certain areas of your team, but how is that something that some teams find a way to work through and other teams seem to really struggle?

Uh, big believer in trust your t- you know, trust your tradition, trust your experiences.

AJ, 2010 is, is something I reference all the time as a head coach.

You know, 77 players to win a Super Bowl, uh, when you're able to keep, you know, you, you break down to the 53 man roster at the end of training camp and keeping 68 players in the building, every single one of those guys is so important to the journey, uh, because, you know, you think about it, we had 68 when we started the season but ... or it's, I think it might have been 65 back then.

Uh, it took 77 players, so 12 guys came from outside the building to contribute to a Super Bowl victory.

So, uh, it ... and now you have 17 games, so I think it's even more prominent.

You have to, you have to develop your younger players.

Oh, yeah.

if not, how close were you, or have you ever been to some, uh, maybe punching, pushing, or maybe getting in a fight with a player on the sidelines?

Um, I, you know, I, I would say, you know, uh, you know, today is, today is definitely different.

You know, I, I think that's just definitely an experience that leaves a dent on both sides of it, you know.

And, and I think, you know, 'cause I always go back to when, you know, when I came in the league in the '90s.

You know, we all, you know, remember as young coaches when you got your ass ripped by Marty Schottenheimer.

You, you really weren't, you know, initiated into the league until, until Marty, you know, christened you that way.

But, you know, it's, you know, it's something that, uh, you know, probably it's where it happened, wh- you know, how does it happen, and, and it, I, and I just think it's, it's, it's a different day.

... say this is?

What do coaches know by week five? Like, what do you think coaches are thinking at this point as we're done with the first quarter of the season, and now we're trying to navigate the rest here, Coach?

Well, I think just like anything, you know, you've already touched on injuries.

I mean, the inju...

You know, every year you're gonna fight injuries, it's just a matter of how many, um, you know, when they... you know, when they come.

And then... and who... you know, obviously what position.

Sometimes you get overloaded and, you know, if you go right to San Francisco, I mean, it's...

they have this many this fast.

How do you see tonight going against a beat-up Niners team, at home for the Rams, division rivalry game, eight and a half points feels like a lot? Are you gonna go against your normal thoughts there, division game, or how do you kind of see it playing out this evening if you were to be picking the game?

But just as a whole, like, is there anything they can correct in a week from looking as bad as they did last week to, to maybe getting to a point where this will be a more competitive game than a lot of people anticipate?

Uh, definitely, and I think really, I think the quick turnaround helps because you know, I, I think like a lot of things.

I think September football has components that are, that, that you see each and every year.

And I know having, you know, being grateful to being coach before the CBAs and post-CBAs, you have seen a change on how you're able to train your team and some of the things you experience in September that you didn't in the old days.

So, um, I think you definitely have some of that.

And when I look at Dallas' defense, and obviously, you know, having personal, personal knowledge and-in relationship-wise to the men in that locker room, I just think you gotta look at it's, they're on their third defense in three years.

So you know, you go Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmer, and now, you know, a new coordinator.

Next.

What is it like coaching, uh, and preparing for a team when you know you're, uh, gonna be having your backup quarterback going in? And are you asking for some of your superstar players, maybe even your defense, to step up, have a big week? Or is it kind of, hey, let's keep this thing rolling, this is a train, let's just get the backup in there and, you know, continue to play?

Uh, yeah, definitely.

It's, I would say it's part of the rhythm of the season.

I mean, the 17-game season is real, um, and, you know, 16-game seasons.

I mean, to, to see quarterbacks, you know, go through a whole season, I mean, that's, that's the most important statistic for any starter, uh, any NFL, let alone the quarterback position, you know, as we all know, is the most important position.

So, yeah, when you talk about the backup quarterback position, I mean, philosophically, I think it goes back to your roster development, you know, in the old days, sometimes you like to have a, a different athletic profile to your quarterback to maybe have a change-up.

I personally always try to prefer, prefer the skillsets to be as similar as they can, um, because, you know, with the training regimens and being able to train, you know, all three quarterbacks, hopefully a fourth one, in a room is so important.

What do you think that is? Like, is it ever gonna get easier?

Defensively, what do you do against Jayden? What are you, trying to get the middle of the pocket or are you trying to keep him in pocket? We're trying to keep him in there? He's gotta-

Well, you gotta keep him in there.

You gotta keep him in there, number one.

You gotta set the edges, you know, uh, speed to power with the anchor.

But he is really good at A and B gaps.

Uh, his A, A, A and B gap escape is, you know, for a young guy, is good as I've seen.

I mean, Aaron, to me, was the best of that I've seen and, you know, he, he did it forever from 2008 all the way through.

Uh, Connor has a question for you, Mike.

What were your thoughts on it as former coach there?

Well, I mean, honestly, personally, I, I try to get as far away from football as I pos- possibly could since, uh, you know, my time ended there in Dallas and was, and I- and was able to accomplish that for the most part, as far as much of what people w- would allow me, um, in just the quality time that I- I've had with my family is, is something I've never had before.

But, I, I will say this, I, I, you know, I did have an opportunity to meet with Jerry, uh, in June before we moved back to family, moved back to Green Bay.

And, um, you know, one of the first things we talked about, just the, you know, the off-season program, you, you know, how excited he was about the draft class, and he talked about Micah.

I mean, he was, he was excited that, you know, he felt that him and Micah had a, they had a deal and, um, in his future and, you know, and he's earned that, and I think we all recognize, you know, the impact and, you know, the performance from a per- performance perspective on, you know, Micah Parsons earned his contract.

I mean, there, there's no question about that.

So, I mean, that was my position on, um, I'm gonna say early June.

(laughs)

What did ESPN buy from NFL Network?

I think they bought themselves an insurance policy, Dan.

I think when you look at the future and you see streamers like Apple coming in, it's gonna be a lot harder for NFL to get rid of ESPN or take away their Monday Night Package if they're actual equity partners together.

So I think that's one thing.

I think number two, they bought a huge selling point for their new direct to consumer platform, RedZone, NFL Network, NFL programming.

This is the beachfront property that we all want.

So I think those are the two big things.

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