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Eagles Entertainment Welcome

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Eagles Everywhere, or to the Eagles Insider Podcast presented

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by Lincoln Financial Group. Eagles

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Insider Dave Spidero in Arizona.

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It's Friday. I've spent the whole

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week out here, and g I'm so ready for this football

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game on Sunday. It's the Eagles

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and the Chiefs super Bowl fifty seven.

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But of course you knew that you're

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ready for it, aren't you. I hope you've enjoyed

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all week the daily Eagles Insider podcasts,

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really enjoyed bringing him to you. And now this is our

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final one of the week and the final one

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of this twenty twenty two season as

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the Eagles now put the finishing

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touches on their preparation for Sunday

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and the Kansas City Chiefs and

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a huge, huge challenge.

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So without further ado, I've got a bunch

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of interviews lined up here. I want to

0:53

get to them and I want you to kind of

0:55

feel like you're in the action. It's been just

0:57

a ton of media all week. That

0:59

media ended on Thursday, and now Friday

1:02

and then Saturday Sunday, Eagles

1:04

all focused in, locked in, ready

1:07

to play their best game of the Year, and

1:09

I feel it. I just feel the Eagles will

1:11

play a great game. I just feel it as

1:13

I felt against the Giants,

1:16

against the Niners. I feel the same way

1:19

against the Kansas City Chiefs, but

1:22

certainly tons of respect for Kansas

1:24

City. Fourteen and three in the regular

1:26

season to playoff wins, number

1:28

one ranked offense in the league, a

1:31

defense that gets to the quarterback, that takes

1:33

the football away. It is going to be a

1:35

classic Super Bowl. So let's get to it.

1:38

First up in a conversation,

1:41

an interview, a chat with Eagles

1:43

defensive coordinator Jonathan

1:45

Gannon Andy

1:47

Reid, Like, you know, we obviously know him from Philly.

1:50

What makes him such a great play caller?

1:53

And it's such a difficult guy

1:54

to strategize against. Innovative

1:57

and willing to adapt to his people. He's

2:00

not stuck in one scheme. He's

2:02

not stuck in this is the plays that he

2:04

loves. He's not stuck in. Hey,

2:06

this is what I you know, this

2:09

is what people say we should do to how to win

2:11

games. That's what I would say.

2:13

He's innovative and adaptive, so

2:16

he constantly changes. He's ahead

2:18

of the curve on a lot of things, and

2:21

he's one of the best that he puts

2:23

his guys in position and uses them

2:25

accordingly to their skill sets where

2:28

they can have success and win a lot of one on

2:30

ones. And I mean that's what

2:32

he's done over his whole career, is what he's doing

2:34

now. So does that mean that you expect

2:36

Sunday to see things

2:39

that you've just not seen at all from him?

2:41

I'm sure, yeah, absolutely. I mean there's

2:43

every game you turn on and he's doing something new,

2:45

So we got to be prepared for all

2:48

that. But you feel like your defense

2:50

has done a great job adapting throughout the season,

2:52

right, Yeah, that's one of our staples is

2:54

adaptability. So we know that

2:56

we're going to have to adapt in game, and we got

2:59

to be ready to make a just same game in

3:01

real time and and ultimately execute

3:04

those the plan and those adjustments

3:06

to have a chance. I went back and I went

3:08

game by game of your two seasons against

3:10

tight ends, and you know, the numbers

3:12

are really impressive with the way you've

3:15

shut down and contained tight ends. What

3:18

do you do so well against tight ends? I

3:21

don't know if it's tight ends, I think just in

3:23

general, you know, with with any

3:26

position. Hey, this is how this guy

3:28

is quote unquote making his money and with

3:31

these certain coverages or you

3:33

know, certain guys are going to be on this

3:36

guy. You know, it could be all

3:38

of our guys in the back end. We got to have a

3:40

plan for what they like to do. And

3:43

you know that's that comes down from film study

3:45

and tape study and studying

3:48

the player is. You know how he runs

3:50

routes, his releases, what he does

3:52

at the catch point, how they fit him

3:54

into schematics. You know, you got

3:56

to know all that you know and and have it basically,

3:59

have a plan for every

4:01

guy that's out there when they're aligned

4:03

and deployed in different spots, what they like

4:05

to do with them, so you can have a little bit of anticipation

4:08

or what's coming, because if you don't

4:10

have any anticipation what's coming, you're playing

4:12

behind the eight ball. And our guys

4:14

are that's what comes down. They're smart guys

4:17

and they do a good job of that. So in general,

4:19

and what's coming with Travis Kelsey,

4:21

everything, I mean everything

4:23

you know he can. He's a first, second,

4:26

third level guy. He's got run after catch,

4:28

he's explosive, he's got ball skills, you

4:30

know, he's got a huge catch radius and he's he's

4:32

very intelligent. And

4:35

what I mean by that is is just because a

4:37

route says, Andy draws up a route and says, hey,

4:39

this is what you should run. If he sees the coverage

4:41

tilted a certain way, he'll adjust

4:43

his route. And so he'll

4:45

adjust real time his route by what

4:48

the coverage is saying and find

4:50

spots, you know, or break away

4:52

different leverages. So in the quarterbacks on

4:54

the same page with them. So we just got to do a

4:56

really good job on him. So how does the Eagles defense

4:59

win on Sunday? Don't

5:02

get the ball thrown over our head and take it away.

5:05

Let's stay on the defensive side of the football

5:08

and talk with somebody you may not know.

5:10

The name may ring familiar. Jeremiah

5:12

Washburn, son of former Eagles defensive

5:14

coordinator Jim Washburn. Jeremiah

5:16

is responsible for the edge of the

5:19

Eagles defense outside

5:21

linebackers, edge rushers, defensive

5:23

ends. Well, they have keyed this defense,

5:26

which led the NFL in quarterback sacks all

5:28

season. Jeremiah Washburn very

5:31

interesting perspective on

5:33

the game, on the defense and on Eddie

5:35

Reid. What do

5:37

you know about the Super Bowl that that you didn't

5:39

know before you got here. I just

5:41

think the logistics of it all, it's it's

5:45

it's an impressive undertaking

5:47

for you know, the teams

5:50

and for the organizing committees. It's

5:52

amazing. I mean the detail that they

5:54

they have and you

5:58

know, just just a little things you

6:00

know that that you notice are really impressive.

6:03

The success that that you've had rushing the quarterback

6:06

there's you're in the really just the way that everybody on the

6:08

edges played. I mean, how much pride you taking that? Quite

6:11

a bit. We're We're happy for the guys. Um,

6:14

it's it's a it's a good group and they've really

6:16

committed to to rushing

6:18

together and it's paid off. I mean quite

6:20

a few really really good individual

6:23

seasons, some career highs for guys, and

6:25

so, uh, it's been exciting for those

6:27

guys. What does Andy Reido so well?

6:29

We we know, we know him well. Um, he's always

6:31

gonna have a a great he's gonna have

6:33

a team ready to go. Um. What have you seen from

6:35

Casey? Yeah, I mean you

6:37

know what we've seen from coach read for over the years.

6:40

Um, very detailed offense. UM,

6:43

very well thought out, fundamentally sound,

6:46

um, all the superlatives. I mean, you

6:48

do see it on tape and it's, Um, it's

6:51

amazing what he's able to do year after year

6:53

with different players and kind of adapting

6:55

things over the years. Amazing coach.

6:57

How does he use his running backs? How

7:00

does he not use his running backs? I mean they do

7:02

everything. And God, they've got a great

7:05

group, um, all of

7:07

them. You know, it's kind of basking robins. They can

7:09

kind of do something a little different, and so

7:12

he uses those guys in a variety

7:15

of roles and they really embrace it too. Like

7:17

it's a it's a tough group of runners. It's

7:20

it's one of the better groups they've had in years. But

7:23

they also get the ball to them in the in the past game.

7:25

And I mean, having been around Andy for

7:27

so long, I guess you got to be prepared

7:29

for everything. I mean, there's there's a reason

7:31

when I was in Detroit on offense, we called it Westbrook

7:33

strain. I mean it was I mean, you

7:35

named it after Brian Westbrook. Um, but Gal

7:38

coach rees. I mean, you feel like he's done that forever.

7:41

Patrick Mahomes, have you seen him at all get frustrated

7:43

or flustered or taken out of his game.

7:46

Not really, no, um, I

7:48

mean you'll see him. He gets hited on occasion,

7:51

but I mean their offensive

7:53

lines number one in all the pass pro metrics

7:55

for a reason. You know, he doesn't really get hit

7:57

very often. And they do a great job or acting

8:00

him as a group, and he protects himself with his

8:02

decision making and mobility.

8:05

Now we go to the offensive side of the ball,

8:07

offensive coordinator Shane Steike and who

8:10

all along has wanted a versatile attack,

8:12

one that can win any number

8:14

of ways, and Eagles have absolutely

8:17

had that this season. You want to load

8:19

up the box and try to stop the run, well, Eagles

8:21

will throw the football on you. You want to give the Eagles

8:23

some running opportunities, they will trample

8:25

you in the run game. That's exactly

8:28

how I started the conversation with Stike and

8:31

hearkening back to a conversation we

8:33

had back in preseason. I

8:36

remember when we spoken in

8:38

preseason, you said that the goal was to

8:40

be a pick your poison offense.

8:43

Do you feel like you've accomplished that? Yeah?

8:45

I think you know, weekend and week out, we

8:48

try to do a good job of putting

8:50

our guys in position, and those guys do a heck of

8:52

a job, you know, offensive line, receivers,

8:54

tight ends, going out and executing.

8:56

And I think it's you know, special

8:59

that we're able to do you know, run

9:02

it when we need to run it, and throw it we need to throw it, which

9:04

is awesome and that dictates how the game's going and

9:06

how it's going to play out. But credit to

9:08

the guys putting in the work every single week to get to

9:10

where we're at. Is it kind of the way did

9:12

you visualize this? This is kind of the way you hoped

9:14

it would go this season? Yeah, you know, I think

9:17

you know, you kind of find out about your team, you know, probably

9:19

about midway through it. Obviously in training

9:21

camp. You know, we knew we had a ton of talent, but you got to

9:23

go execute on the field, and you know, we get into

9:25

you know, week six, seven and eight, and and

9:28

you kind of think, hey, we got a chance to do something really

9:30

really special this year, and

9:32

and you know, we made to the super Bowl and now we got

9:34

to go finish it. Are you answering a lot of questions that are

9:37

about how you will deal with what the Chiefs

9:39

do rather than how do you think the chiefs

9:41

are gonna handle what you guys do? Yeah?

9:43

I think it's a little bit of both, to be honest. You know, we

9:46

know they're gonna probably throw some things at us that you know

9:48

we haven't seen on tape, or probably Spags has done

9:50

it, you know in his past, you know, shoot ten

9:52

years ago or whatever it is. I don't know, but we

9:54

got to be ready to adjust for whatever they bring and just

9:56

go execute our plan. What does Spags do

9:59

a lot? He's he's aggressive,

10:01

um, you know, but he also knows, you

10:03

know, how to put his guys in position to make plays.

10:06

Um, he's a good He's got a good field as a play caller.

10:08

When to be aggressive, when to not be Um,

10:11

he's does a really good job. How's the energy been this

10:13

week? Chane? It's awesome. Guys are fired up.

10:15

Practice has been great, Meetings have been great, Guys are

10:18

locked in. So what are you looking for from

10:20

from Jalen on Sunday? Keep doing what

10:22

he's been doing all year? Just go execute the

10:24

plan? Uh, stay calm, collective like

10:26

he has been, and I know he will be uh

10:28

and he'll be ready to go. Is that ever a concern with

10:30

this group that they try to do something that they're

10:32

not trying to be somebody that they're not. No, I don't

10:34

think so. I think guys understand that, you

10:36

know, we got a lot of guys around everybody,

10:39

you know that can make plays offensively

10:41

and defensively. Just go execute at high

10:44

level like we've been doing. And then for you, Shane, it's not

10:46

just another game. Um, how do you think, how

10:48

do you imagine it's going to be for you leading

10:50

up to the game, started the game. Well, I'm gonna have my same

10:52

routine that I've been doing. Absolutely,

10:54

I got to have my same routine. I'm not gonna get out of my routine.

10:57

I know there's a lot of stuff that's going on, you know,

10:59

media and all that stuff, But when

11:01

it comes Sunday, I'm gonna have my

11:03

same routine, pregame routine. And then finally

11:06

the Chiefs looks Chris Jones, it's Clark

11:08

upfront. They go, can you tell tell tell me a little

11:10

bit about them and why they're so good. Well, I think

11:12

you know, Jones is an explosive football

11:14

player. You know he can wreck the game. Um, you

11:16

know he's been doing it. You know, for the last however

11:19

many years, it's been Um, he's really

11:21

good, Uh, Pat rush and the passer. UH.

11:23

And then Clark obviously has been playing for a long

11:25

time too, and both those guys can rush the passer.

11:28

So we gotta be really good up front protecting

11:31

uh. And we'll go from there. All

11:33

right, Now, let's get into some of the players here, beginning

11:36

on the offensive side of the ball lane. Johnson,

11:39

very technical right tackle,

11:41

talks about Kansas City's defense

11:44

and what they do so well and the challenge

11:46

ahead for the Philadelphia Eagles offense

11:49

on Sunday. You've

11:51

always been really good at kind of being really analytical

11:53

and breaking down schemes. And you know, we're

11:56

familiar with what Spags does from his Jim

11:58

Johnson, what does Kansas do you do?

12:00

Like when you watch them, they bring the threat of

12:02

the thread of pressure or is it always

12:04

a thread of pressure? I mean he's always started pressure,

12:06

but uh, sometimes they don't have to send pressure

12:08

because they're they're dominated with the front four

12:10

they have down when you can dominate with the four guys, and they'll

12:13

have to do exotic blitzes. That's what they're doing

12:15

a lot. They're they're they're winning their one on one battles

12:17

and uh, you know, some day they get gash in the

12:19

run game, they will um you know,

12:22

getting a tight front, they will getting

12:24

five down, they'll make it difficult for you.

12:26

So you know, we played against this this guy

12:28

Steve a lot throughout the years. He's very

12:30

smart. He's always had some good success around us. So

12:33

you know, going in, we just want to be good at what we're

12:35

what we've been good at, which is running the football, and they're

12:37

throwing it when we need to. Like you know,

12:39

I feel like every game has been different some you know, we

12:41

we go through there all day. Sometimes we're more

12:43

balanced, and sometimes we take over with a run

12:46

game. So yeah, man, they'll do different

12:48

stuff. But a lot of times, you know they're they're winning

12:50

with their front four. Who causes trouble upfront?

12:53

Jones, Frank Clark, dunlap

12:56

Um, George the rookie, all

12:59

those guys. What they do.

13:01

They run a lot of good games. A lot of times they're running

13:03

me stut, which is the defensive end

13:06

crashing down the tackle,

13:08

looping, and they'll they'll usually do that

13:10

when they have a three technique, but they're

13:12

starting to do it now when they have like a two eye so very

13:15

like a weird alignment from them running those games.

13:17

So they're very crafty what they do. Not only they're talented,

13:19

but they're very crafty what they do. And the key to defeating

13:22

that communication communications is about

13:24

set lines. You can't get a whole

13:26

lot of distance. The guard can't get a whole lot of distance

13:28

from the center because the defense is one

13:30

areas. They want room to be able to

13:32

penetrate the same way with a guard of the tackle,

13:35

you can't. You got to be very cautious of your set lines,

13:37

how much distance you're getting between the

13:39

guard and the tackle. In

13:41

a similar vein the inside of

13:44

the Eagles offensive line has a huge challenge.

13:46

So I sat down with pro bowler

13:48

Landing Dickerson to discuss

13:51

that matchup. Landing,

13:54

what makes Kansas City so good up front? You

13:56

know, I think the Kansas City has been you

13:59

know, as a defensive hole

14:01

and upfront they've been good. They have a lot of

14:03

experience, a lot of really good players

14:05

on their line, a lot of a good scheme. Uh,

14:07

they're well coached, you know, I think all

14:09

around there, you know, the best

14:12

unit that we're gonna play up

14:14

into this point and makes sense because they've

14:16

made it to the Super Bowl. So um,

14:18

you know, they got a lot of good players and

14:22

you know, really they're just a fundamentally sound

14:24

team and they executed a high level Chris

14:26

Jones. Um, they move

14:28

them around a lot like they right. They what makes

14:31

him so effective? Uh? You know,

14:33

I think looking from a scheme

14:35

standpoint, you know, being

14:38

I think one of the better pass rushers

14:41

in the NFL. Him being

14:43

able to move around and you

14:45

know, attack different areas

14:48

of you know, the offense, offensive line,

14:50

whoever it may be, and

14:52

trying to you know, get those one on one

14:54

matchups. I think any good defensive

14:57

scheme is gonna you know, do what they

14:59

can to it, you know, one on one

15:01

with their you know, best pass

15:03

rusher. So um, yeah,

15:06

I think that they do a good job of moving him

15:08

around trying to find where they can get that

15:10

and you know, it can make

15:12

it difficult to playing around. What's

15:14

it been like just growing with this

15:16

group and building all season and having success

15:18

that you've had. Uh, it's it's been

15:21

a great experience to be in the room

15:23

with you know, guys like Jason

15:25

Lane, Isaac and you know,

15:27

just the experience and knowledge that

15:30

they have and the ability that the way

15:32

they've been able to kind of, you know, bring

15:34

me along and teach me and

15:36

you know, educate me on you know,

15:38

every aspect of this game. Um.

15:41

Yeah, I'm really grateful that I've been

15:43

able to, you know, spend the last

15:45

two seasons with these guys, I mean, finally landing.

15:48

I remember when we did the podcast, you were kind of like,

15:50

whether it was playing possum or not, you

15:52

were talking about you didn't really feel like you were playing your

15:55

best football. Yet you're a Pro Bowl offensive

15:57

lineman. First of all, how congratulations

15:59

the Pro Bowl. How did that make you feel? And did

16:03

you get progressively better during the season or

16:05

are you just somebody who's never satisfied honestly

16:09

that I really could care less about a Pro Bowl. I'd

16:14

much rather be in this situation here in

16:16

Phoenix at the Super Bowl than a

16:18

Pro Bowl. So you

16:21

don't want to talk about yourself too, you. I

16:23

mean, I think that I've

16:25

done a fair job of trying to evaluate

16:28

things that you know, I've been deficient

16:31

in throughout the year and fixing those. But I

16:33

still think that there's a lot of things to work on

16:36

and a lot of growth to happen. One

16:39

of the X factors in this game, no question about

16:41

it, will be running back Kenny Gainwell.

16:43

He's been outstanding in this postseason

16:46

one hundred twelve yards touchdown

16:48

against the Giants, big game against

16:51

the forty nine ers. Veagles have run for seven

16:53

touchdowns on the ground

16:56

in those two playoff wins. Kenny

16:58

Gainwell, second year player, He

17:00

and Miles Sanders and Boston Scott

17:02

a devastating one two three combination.

17:05

Here's some one on one time with Eagles running back

17:07

Kenneth Kingwell. Kenny,

17:10

how how's the weekend for you? On the week have

17:12

been going good? Um, getting

17:14

back into them, getting back into the groove or practice

17:16

you know. Um we have like a couple of days

17:19

off, but getting back into the groove, practice in getting

17:22

getting a chance to watch it, get a little more film, um,

17:24

you know, and it's just been going good for me? Has

17:27

this it all been eye opening? Overwhelming?

17:30

What do you expected it to be? With all these reporters,

17:32

same questions. Yeah,

17:34

it's it's exactly how I expected

17:37

it being, you know, And it's

17:39

it's real life, Like it's real life,

17:41

and like you can't you can't like you know, miss

17:43

it, you know, and we made it to this point just

17:45

for it, just for this, you know what I'm saying. And

17:49

and my my number one thing is the man,

17:51

I'm excited to be here. And I just

17:54

I just wish now, I wish I wish

17:56

it was game day. But you know, these days like

17:58

this, you know, it gets it yet exciting

18:00

when you know we we got to this point, we

18:02

like one of the best in the world. So

18:04

like, man, we expected this, all

18:07

right. So you've been a huge part of things here in the postseason

18:09

all the way through, but certainly in the postseason. Why

18:12

well, um, I feel like our coaches. I

18:15

feel like our coaches is really really

18:17

trusting me, you know, and they give me an opportunity

18:20

to go out there and let my tenants

18:22

sign. So you know, I

18:24

would imagine there's a bit of you've been the guy through

18:27

college, like, because you learn a lot about

18:29

yourself being patient these for these two years.

18:31

Oh yeah, for so and um

18:34

that just that's just my number one thing that I

18:36

had worked on since last

18:38

year, you know, just being patient. And

18:40

I talked to a lot of my people about being patient

18:43

and like being patient and

18:45

it will work out. For you know, just wait your turn

18:47

will turn happened to be ready and

18:50

just explode when when it's when there's no time

18:52

to go out there and sign. How would you describe your

18:55

running style? My work of stylead

18:57

is is slippery, um I say,

18:59

um, A little patient and

19:02

justice bloseness. You know it's

19:04

interesting, You're like people are describing you now it's

19:06

the next factor kind of guy, like, how does it make

19:08

you feel? I have no feeling. I'm

19:10

gonna go ahead there and do what I had to do Easton every day

19:12

and they show my talent. Are you playing

19:14

your best football right now? Kenny? Have you played in your career?

19:17

Not at all? I have way

19:19

way more to to show.

19:21

Well, where do you have room to grow? I have

19:23

the room to grow running the ball, breaking

19:26

tagles outside, kissing the ball more. You know,

19:28

it's just everywhere. You never

19:30

done. You know, you've never done growing, You never done

19:33

seeing new things. So I have a

19:35

way a lot more more room to grow. But

19:37

the word in the NFL is you have to be ready

19:40

for your opportunity that when you get it, you take advantage

19:42

of it. You feel you've done that? Yeah, yeah for

19:44

so and you feel I mean you must

19:46

be very proud about doing that. Oh yeah, I'm very

19:48

proud about myself and I know

19:50

I still have a lot of more to do, but I'm

19:53

just ready to finish. Finish these guys out,

19:55

you know, and Jed Brent super Bowl? Back to feeling and

19:57

Ben Mississippi? What are you seeing in Kansas City's

19:59

teeth? Um? I see a lot

20:01

of I see a lot of strength on the D line. I see a

20:03

lot of strength. And they they secondary day

20:05

on linebackers they are very they'd very tough

20:08

in them and in the back end too,

20:10

so new guys they very tough in front.

20:12

I feel like this offense is a pick your poison kind

20:15

of offense. You want to win. You want to

20:17

give us the run game, We'll take the run game. We'll give us pass

20:19

game, We'll take the basket. You feel that way too, Yeah,

20:21

So what what what is it about? I mean,

20:23

you know this group running you and Miles

20:26

in Boston and Trade everybody seems to work well

20:28

together. Why is that? Yeah? Could we feed off

20:30

each other energy? And like we

20:33

we worked on the end practice. So like if

20:35

if what you worked on and what you get?

20:37

You know, so we work on trying to be the best

20:39

group. We say it each and every day. We in practice

20:42

to be the best group on the field, and

20:44

we show that on Sundays. Have you visualized

20:46

yet what it's going to be like for you on

20:48

Sunday? I haven't, but I

20:51

visualized holding up the trophy at then. And

20:54

if you really want to go deep

20:56

into it, who could possibly be an

20:59

X factor? Well? Players dream

21:01

just like we do, and so

21:04

I'm thinking, well, maybe hoping.

21:06

I love the kid and he's got that great

21:08

mullet, and gosh darn, I'd love to see him score touchdown.

21:11

How about Jack Stole as a long shot of

21:13

long shots? Long shot

21:15

of long shots of long shots X

21:18

factor? It certainly came up in our

21:20

conversation Jack Stole Eagles tight

21:22

end one on one here on the Eagles Insider

21:24

podcast preson anybody Lincoln Financial Group. All

21:28

right, Jack, what's the what's the funniest

21:30

thing if you can name it, what's the funniest thing that's happened

21:32

to you this week? Gosh, you know, the

21:34

funniest thing is just listening to some of these questions we had

21:36

on media day so far. You know, there's some there's

21:39

some out there questions so, you know, just sitting there

21:41

observing to listen to the you know what some of our teammates

21:43

are getting asked. It's absolutely hilarious.

21:45

So yeah, that's probably the craziest thing to me.

21:48

Do you do you understand how it can be a distraction? Oh?

21:51

Absolutely. I think anyone who starts

21:53

focusing on, you know, building their brand

21:55

or doing anything like that with the media here and makes

21:57

that their main attention, it is very easy to become distraction

22:00

action and you know, even more subtly if you're paying

22:02

it more attention to stuff like that versus

22:04

a game plan. So absolutely I see it. But

22:06

I think our coaching staffs done a great job of keeping

22:08

us familiar with, you know, our day to

22:10

day in a normal week. So I

22:13

think I think we'll be all right. You know, I know a lot of

22:15

guys are locked in, you know, just getting

22:17

excited to go see what happens. I'll Sunday. Everybody's

22:19

looking for an X factor. Have you had

22:21

a dream that it could be you? Oh,

22:24

I think everyone has that dream. But listen,

22:26

at the end of the day, I'm gonna do what I did all year. I'm gonna

22:28

master my role. Whatever I'm asking to do. I'll

22:30

go out there and master And if it's just blocking all game,

22:33

I'll do that. If it's catching a couple of balls, I'll do that.

22:35

If it's just going out there making plays on special

22:37

teams, I'll do that. So you know, to me,

22:39

it's just making the most of whatever opportunities

22:42

are out there, regardless of what they are. This

22:44

is a game of tight ends. Travis is in the spotlight,

22:47

Dallas is in the spotlight. What do you make of

22:50

Travis Kelsey? What when you watch him? If

22:52

you've spent much time watching him? What makes them so

22:54

good? You know, that's the thing. I

22:56

was lucky enough to go to tight End You with Dallas

22:58

and Tyreel last year, and

23:01

the biggest thing for him is you know, when

23:03

you're on tape, you're like, man, this guy's this guy's

23:05

really good. What's what puts him over

23:07

the edge? And just watching him run routes at tight End

23:09

you it's just a fluidity he has

23:11

when he runs routes. It's DB's

23:13

not knowing where he's gonna go, and you

23:16

know he's he's one of the best route runners in this game

23:18

at you know, watching him is awesome and you

23:20

know He's been unbelievable, dude. You know, just

23:23

like just like Jason, you Travis is is

23:25

great dude. You know, it takes anyone under his wing willing

23:27

to talk to anyone. So listen, I got all

23:29

the respect in the world for him. I wish him the best,

23:31

but uh, you know, it's it's

23:34

one of those heals. It's fun. It's fun just seeing him. Are

23:36

the Eagles loose? Checks? Is this a loose

23:38

team? Oh yeah, I would

23:40

say loose but focused

23:42

in a weird way. I know that sounds crazy, but

23:45

you know, I think throughout the year we did a good

23:47

job of walwarre game playing and going

23:49

around, messing around, having a good time and locking

23:52

in when we need to. So I think we got a

23:54

good team where we know when to lock in when

23:56

we need to, and we know when it's time to, you

23:58

know, go play spade with a couple of guys

24:00

in the locker room, have a good time, chirp, do stuff

24:02

like that. So I think we're we're

24:04

loose, but focus. Tell me about what the

24:06

Chiefs two defensively? What impresses you about them?

24:09

Gosh, I mean, if you just look at the stout

24:11

line, I mean it's pretty obvious what they do and they they're

24:13

an unbelievable squad. There's

24:15

a reason they got the record they do. And so

24:18

I mean, listen, they're they're gonna be tough guys to block.

24:20

We're gonna have our hands full all day passing

24:22

game, same thing. So you know,

24:24

it's it's gonna be exciting just to just

24:27

to go out there, good on good, and go ball out.

24:29

Listen. I got all the respect in the world for them, obviously,

24:31

they like I said earlier,

24:33

you see how many Wednes they gout. There's a reason. So

24:36

listen, I'm just excited to go out there, good on good

24:38

and put on a show Sunday. How do you how

24:40

do you not let the moment become too

24:42

big for you when the game starts,

24:45

when you see all the lights and you just feel

24:47

the enormity of the Super Bowl. You

24:49

know, we we've all been playing football for a long

24:51

time. I think you know, they would definitely be butterflies.

24:53

But as soon as that ball is put on the tea, I think you go

24:56

out there and I think some of your instincts

24:58

are just gonna take over. So you know, I

25:00

haven't been able to play in a game, you know, with

25:02

this much out on the line. But listen, I'm looking

25:05

forward to it, and I'm looking forward to going out

25:07

there and just giving everything I got. And

25:09

like I said, I think instacts will just take over. So

25:11

listen. Our coaching stat's done a unbelieable job or preparing

25:14

us for moments like this, So I can't wait

25:16

for it to show on Sunday. We're

25:18

gonna finish things up on the defensive side

25:20

of the ball in the secondary.

25:23

Getting Avante Maddox back huge

25:26

for the Eagles defense in the NFC Championship

25:28

game. He comes back, great matchups

25:30

and all of a sudden, the Eagles taking the football

25:33

away three times. Maybe that's

25:35

a sign of things to come. One

25:37

on one with the Vonte Maddox, you

25:40

know you watched the Chiefs for two weeks

25:42

here what impresses you about the way they attack defenses

25:45

so they can you know, they all

25:47

work together as one. When once mahomes

25:50

No drives back and if he starts to scramble,

25:53

is almost you know, they are all moving

25:55

while he's moving and someone is

25:57

bound to get open. So you know, that's

25:59

very impressive how they work together from

26:01

their receiver and core and their tight ends

26:03

core and running backs. So no, definitely

26:05

a challenge this week. What else did they do with the running

26:07

backs? So they do a lot of motion and jets,

26:10

jet sweep and screen game and all that stuff

26:12

too. Yeah, they motion a lot,

26:15

I mean a ton of I mean almost fight every

26:17

player might get emotion and then

26:19

they're they're running backs. They do give

26:21

a lot of screens out as well, so tight end screens,

26:24

running back screens. Um, so you

26:26

got to be aware of and I'm pretty sure they

26:28

had to give us a lot of screens with r D line, you know,

26:30

try to slow them down. Do they win with

26:32

trickery or do they win with talent

26:35

and execution? We're both y.

26:38

I'll give them talent and execution. I mean they execute

26:40

will what what they do? Um, they coach very

26:42

well as you can tell um

26:45

whenever when they got good scheme and

26:47

if if they if my home starts scrambling,

26:50

it gets even better because they all work together

26:52

and start you know, running to get open.

26:54

So you know, they definitely definitely a

26:56

good team overall. And you know

26:58

it'd be a side and um sighting

27:01

game going to get their offense. How much

27:03

have you been watching Kelsey watch

27:06

them a lot. I mean, he's definitely a great

27:08

player. Um, he's he catches

27:10

a lot contested and he definitely gets

27:13

yards after the catch. So that's

27:15

someone that's his number one target. As you can tell,

27:17

Um he's looking for him when he scrambles,

27:20

and he works well with when he scrambles,

27:22

he works well getting open us. So so you

27:24

know that's one person we have to keep our eyes on for

27:26

the whole game and make sure we contain both

27:28

of them. Have all the questions this week

27:31

you've been asked been about how you can stop

27:33

the Chiefs rather than what

27:35

do you think they can do to stop what the Eagles defense

27:37

does? Yeah, all the questions really been

27:40

will we be able to do to stop them? But

27:42

you know, with us, we're gonna play our game

27:45

how we've been playing all year. Uh,

27:47

and that's you know, physical, fast

27:50

and you know attacking the ball. And you

27:52

know that's our n b our objective of going

27:54

out their own Sunday is, you know, to do

27:56

everything that we've been doing this whole season. Don't letting

27:59

nothing change it up no matter where we at or how

28:01

the week is going. If takeaways

28:03

coming bunches, how exciting. Is it that

28:06

three takeaways in the NFC Championship

28:08

game? Maybe that means more on Sunday.

28:10

Yeah, I mean takeaways is key. You

28:12

can get some takeaways, get the ball back to our offense given

28:15

more possessions to score. I mean it

28:18

hurts the team when you're going against

28:20

them and they're throwing the ball to giving

28:22

up giving takeaways. So I

28:25

mean that's the main thing is just contain the homes

28:27

and you know, Craig takeaways and that'll

28:29

lead us to a victory. And

28:32

the last one, have you have you manifested

28:34

if you visualized what Sunday will be like. I

28:37

was just taking a day by day, um you know

28:39

when when Sunday gets here, you know, that's

28:41

what my would be my time to sit there and

28:44

really see what it's like. But lately I've

28:46

been just trying to go day by day meetings, practice,

28:48

don't treatment doing all the little things I do

28:50

before any other game I play. So I want

28:52

to change up my routine. And then for lastly,

28:55

for fans who wonder what this week is like with the media,

28:57

like, how would you describe four days

29:00

of intense intense

29:02

media? I

29:05

will explain intense media this

29:07

is actually bizarre, Like

29:09

it's a lot every day, you know, it's some

29:12

millions of not millions, but a

29:14

whole lot of people coming up to you talking to you. And

29:16

now you're almost get in the same questions.

29:18

He is just saying them in a different way. But I

29:21

mean, it's like I said, it's a it's a moment where that you

29:23

should enjoy. Though. I mean, I'm pretty

29:25

sure anybody else would want to be in our shoes right

29:27

now talking to the media, So if we

29:29

got this opportunity to do it, I feel like it's just

29:32

a moment that you should enjoy and just be where your

29:34

FIDIA is now. And

29:36

we finish up this Eagles Insider Podcast present

29:38

Abody Lincoln Financial Group with Marcus

29:40

Epps. Maybe the most underrated player in

29:42

this Eagles defense. A starter

29:45

since day one. He's been durable,

29:47

he's been consistent, he's been productive.

29:50

We talk a lot here about Patrick Mahomes

29:52

through the eyes of Eagles safety

29:54

Marcus Epps. How's

29:57

the week bend for you? It's been cool and nice.

30:00

I'll kind of get out here and see everything,

30:02

take everything in. Is it

30:04

difficult at all to kind

30:06

of cancel all this stuff out and understand

30:08

the task at hand. Uh

30:10

No, it hasn't been been too hard for me.

30:12

Um, you know, it's really nice to get back back

30:15

in the meeting room, back on the practice field today,

30:17

and um just kind of locked back in,

30:19

lock in on the Kansas City Chief's offense. Tell

30:21

me what you see the explosive.

30:24

I mean, we all know Andy

30:26

Reid has been a great offensive mind in

30:28

this league for a long time. Um, Mahomes

30:31

just talented, gonna be an all time great

30:33

quarterback when when his time is up, gonna

30:36

be one of the best ever. M Kelsey's

30:38

one of the best tight ends ever. They got, They got weapons

30:41

everywhere, So you know, Super

30:43

Bowl best on best, it's just gonna come down

30:45

to who executes. What does Mahomes

30:47

do so well? I'm not talking from an elusive

30:49

standpoint. I'm talking does he use his eyes really

30:51

well? Does he have that arm that really squeezes

30:54

it into tight windows? I mean, what makes him

30:56

so special? I mean everything?

30:58

Honestly, you could throw him. He's

31:02

great at creating plays with his legs. Um,

31:04

I think he did a really good job this

31:06

year, and you know, just dicing teams

31:09

up from the pocket as well. So I mean

31:11

really is everything with him Like he's a he's a generational

31:13

talent. He's throwing a couple of interceptions, though,

31:16

what have you seen teams do well against him?

31:19

Yeah, I mean we

31:21

know he trust his arm

31:22

um. You know, sometimes he'll take

31:25

risks. But you know, our focus is just you

31:27

know, we talked about takeaways all the time. We got to capitalize

31:30

on him. JJ said take

31:32

the football away and don't let the ball go over your

31:34

head. It's kind of the same message every game,

31:37

isn't it. Yeah, exactly, And that's that's

31:39

what it's kind of been. The theme for really

31:41

us as a team this week is hey, just keep

31:44

doing the same things we've been doing that have gotten us

31:46

to this point. So did your defense

31:48

you feel like you still have something to prove to people? Um?

31:53

I mean I feel like we always feel like we have something

31:55

to prove. But you know, we don't really

31:57

Uh, we don't really get into

31:59

what every buddy else is saying. You know, we just we play.

32:01

We go out there and play for each other. Marcus,

32:04

have you visualized the game yet,

32:06

your performance, how how you

32:08

will handle the

32:10

big moment. No,

32:12

I'm not really worried about that. It's you know it's book

32:14

about at the end of the day. Um, you know,

32:16

I'm just trying to lock in. I'm staying on my same

32:19

routine that I do every week in terms of film

32:21

work, recovery. You know,

32:23

I really just lock in, go and go out there and play football

32:25

and do my job to help the team win. And

32:28

that will do it for this Eagles Insider

32:30

Podcast present Nobody Lincoln Financial Group. Many

32:33

thanks all year. Of course you hear it

32:35

every episode Peter Kelly and Kiera

32:37

Mahoney and Tyler Lewis, great

32:40

job, and many more. It takes a village,

32:42

of course to build a great podcast. Thanks

32:44

to Ray Doyle for all of his production work.

32:46

Thanks the Eagles Media relationshis department

32:48

for setting up all of these interviews, and the players and

32:50

the coaches for all of their great

32:53

cooperation and giving me

32:55

so much time this year. We'll

32:58

be back when I'm

33:00

not sure. I'd love to tell you an instant a reaction podcast,

33:03

but I can't

33:05

promise that because I expect

33:07

to be celebrating crazily on

33:09

Sunday. We'll see, we'll see all goes on

33:12

Sunday. But anyway, in the meantime, thanks so

33:14

much everyone, enjoy your Super Bowl

33:16

weekend and for the second

33:18

time in five years, the Eagles ready to

33:20

bring back the Lombardi Trophy

33:23

to Philadelphia. I'm Eagles in Sidurday, Spidera,

33:25

thanks for joining everyone, have yourselves a great Eagles

33:28

Day. Fly Eagles Fly, Hey go Birds.