For Happy half Hour.

Hello friends, and welcome to a very special edition of the Happy half Hour.

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So anyway, at some point we should talk about the football because that's what Deep Betty's paying us to do here, right.

You enjoyed Dee Betty at the football game, that's or before the football game at the tailgate.

Good tailgate action.

So and you do get to tailgate this weekend at home here Bank of America Stadium on Sunday at one o'clock against the hated Atlanta Falcons.

I guess they're hated pretty much everybody is the hated whenever the Carolina Panthers are playing them at this point.

But the last time we saw these guys, things worked out pretty well.

All of a sudden, you know, everything was working out.

Everything that Carolina Panthers tried was turning up and you know, you win in overtime on a Miles Sanders' touchdown.

But Bryce Young had, oh, by the way, the best day of his professional life.

Yeah, threw for three touchdowns, ran for two more that I think they ran for one hundred and fifty five yards behind, oh by the way, a line that featured Chandler's violet right guarden Cade Mays at center.

Everything old is new again.

But yeah, as you might imagine, getting Bryce Young on that topic didn't yield much the other day.

Because Bryce is not a six ahead.

He's not a big look back guy, no matter how good the thing is, he's looking back at.

So what's interesting too about this this game being this early in the season.

Obviously, I mean, it's a divisional game.

You want to win your division game.

But that game last season was a Week eighteen game.

This is week three as far as the football calendar is concerned.

It has not been that long since these two teams faced each other.

But I think you could argue also to still very very different teams in that amount of time, and have bulked up their defense and their pass rush a lot.

At this offseason, Panthers looked to do the same.

You know, Michael Pennix and Bryce s Young gave us a quarterback shootout last time they played each other.

Is that gonna happen again this year?

What have they done differently?

I'm excited.

I'm excited to see what it looks like because, like you said, last two times, last time these two teams faced each other, they gave us a show.

Yeah, and you may or may not remember me saying this last January, but I was like, I could watch this game twice a year for the next five years.

Yeah, no problem, whatsoever.

So entertaining football is entertaining.

It was a huge offensive like shootout.

Like we said, it went to overtime.

It was what forty four to thirty eight final.

But there were some really good defensive stops in that game too.

Mike Jackson had an interception that set Bryce Shung up for a really easy touchdown.

And so what does that look like this year?

You know, what does the defense look like this year too?

Is what I want to see.

That was a long wall to say that.

Well, I mean literally, when we say the Falcons changed things up on defense, they didn't even send their offensive coaches to Indianapolis for the combine, and they were like, y'all, good, we got this, we got this, don't worry about y'all.

Stay at home and work on place for Michael pennoxby John Robinson, because that's.

Where we need you to be.

But they revamped that thing.

They go out and draft Jalen Walker in the first round, trade next year's first so they can get back up and get James Pierce from Tennessee.

You know that was a statement of intent.

If you were curious what the Falcons meant to do this offseason, that ought have told you.

So it's gonna be interesting.

They've got veterans around there, Leonard Floyd.

He's a trusted agent of Raheem Morris and you know, one of those old heads that the young team needs there.

He's kind of like there a Sean Robinson in a lot of ways.

And so gonna be a different defense on both sides of the ball, really, because one of the things hubs looking up the other day.

The Carolina Panthers, as you might remember, weren't exactly healthy or deep on defense at this time last year when they were playing the Falcons.

There were thirteen dudes who took a snap in the defensive front seven, I mean the secondary back.

I mean, you know, Mike Jack and those guys, they're back.

That's all well and good.

But in the defensive front seven, thirteen dudes took snaps for the Carolina Panthers that day.

How many of them do you think are still in the roster?

Well, I'm looking straight at your sheet so I can cheat.

That's right.

Four.

And also because you did your homework.

I mean she's an avid reader of Panthers dot Com as well as a contributor to it, so she knows all these things already, as you should too.

But yeah, I mean only four dudes.

Dj Wanta, Mayshawn Robinson, Jaden Crummendy, and of course Thomas Kombe, the special teams player extraordinaire snuck in there for a snap during the end of that game.

But not a lot of carryover, and that's on purpose.

I mean, they went out, We've talked about it this offseason.

You go out and spend all that money on the first day of free agency on Bobby Brown, Tershaun Wharton, you know, Christian Roseboom, Trayvon Merrick, and it's just.

You realize the intent.

Pat Jones was also part of that mix on the first day of free agency.

They did that on purpose, and what you saw the first two weeks is actually a pretty remarkably improved product for the Carolina Panthers.

Yeah, I mean getting inside the numbers a little bit what you've seen.

In the last couple of weeks.

Obviously, the Jacksonville game got sideways right there on the other side of the weather lay with the big seventy one yard run, but other than that, they've played pretty sound defense.

Last week against the Arizona Cardinals was great run defense as far as I'm concerned.

I mean, one explosive run by Kyler Murray, big thirty yard scramble, but other than that, fifty two yards on the ground to a team that's got James Connor on it.

That's very different than what we were talking about that time last year when you saw the Cards.

Anytime you can hold Kyler Murray and James Connor and crew, because there were a couple of people that got carries to eighty two yards total, you're walking out of there with a good day, a good performance to build all of you know, do they narrow that down even more this week, or does Bejon come out and do what Bejeon does.

We'll have to see.

The key is going to be to kind of get back there and affect Michael Pennix.

That's always the key, but especially a guy that this will only be his sixth start in the NFL, so he's still relatively raw.

He is incredibly talented.

That is where he can he can hurt you is he doesn't run a lot, but when he does, he makes it count.

He's willing to stand back there and deliver.

He's got a great arm, but he is still learning defenses.

He's learning how to read defenses.

Is that where you can take advantage of it, you would hope so if you're the Panthers in azio Eva And then also going back to the other side of it, because I looked it up because I felt like they were pretty high up there.

The Falcons are fifth in the NFL and sacks with their pass rush.

They have seven sacks so far through two games.

That's a pretty good little average already.

That's that's what three and a half are making me do math.

Three and a half sacks a game.

That's a nice little average.

Hashtag girl math hashtag Cassidy.

DJ Wantum probably wishes that he had gotten credited with a couple more so the Panthers could be higher on this list.

But yeah, Caler Murray called a runner, so DJ want Them didn't get those sacks, he got those tackles for loss.

Yeah, but yes, a stronger team on both sides of the ball.

Are the Panthers stronger as well?

We'll find out.

Yep, that's right, And you know it's interesting.

I mean it's I think a lot of focus obviously going to be on the offensive line this week, because you put forty percent of your starting line on injured reserve on the same day in Rob Hunt and Austin Corbett.

Not great, Bob.

But the good news is these are known commodities.

These are guys Cade Mays and Chandlers of Allah who've been in this program for three and four years, who know all the guys they're playing with, so there is a degree of comfort.

I was cracking up yesterday in the locker room talking to these dudes about it, because you know, you ask him about the football stuff and they'll say the football stuff.

But I started asking all the other guys on the line, and then each of them about fun facts about things, things you might not know about cade May's things you might not know about Chandler Zavalla and watching the rest of the offensive line go to work on poor chan was it was.

It almost felt unfair.

It was it was something less than bullying because we.

Would never do that here.

But this is a supportive workplace.

But Chandler Zavla, in case you didn't know, is the son of a celebrity chef.

His dad was on Chopped.

He did not know that.

Yeah, he's one chopped like six times.

He's gone up against Bobby Flay on TV.

I mean, did he beat Bobby Flay?

I don't know that he beat Bobby.

It's hard.

Bobby Flay wins like ninety percent of the time on that.

Shotty Play is really good at the cooking, as it turns out, so but apparently so is Demetrio's Zavala, and Chandler is apparently a pretty good cook, except he never cooks for them.

He wouldn't be so upset as like go link to Bobby Flay's house and him being like, Okay, we're gonna order takeout.

That's right, we're ordering.

We're ordering tick out.

Tonight we've got bow Jangles on the way being door dashed here.

And as much as you like Bojangles, yeah, it's like the letdown.

But uh, Caid was very offended by that.

Cad was hurt.

I would be too.

He said, you know, Chandler's been here three years and so far I'm over for two on Thanksgiving invites.

I don't know.

Maybe this year, maybe this year will be the year.

Caid felt so hurt.

I kind of laughed.

Corbett walked by and saw what was going on, and he said, it's just selfish behavior, that's all it is.

So horro Chan Chan gets picked on.

Chan gets picked on a little bit.

But Chandler's Avila is a kind soul who will do nearly anything.

It's like Chan, you want to try this schnitzel for German food video, Oh yeah, I'll do that.

You want to put on later.

Hose and go to Germany?

Announce stretcher.

Come on, hey, we got goats in the yard.

You want to do some yoga?

Yeah, sure, come on, let's do that.

So Chandler will do anything and go along with it.

But those guys were having a little fun with him.

I do think there is something to be said for that chemistry.

I mean, something to be said for that level of comfort with dudes.

You're really only gonna make fun of people you either know well, deserve it, or like And I think two of those three things apply here at least.

So, you know, just seeing those guys being willing to raz each other a little bit, have a little fun.

They know the situation in front of them, They are well aware that the Carolina Panthers row into and everybody's kind of looking at them and pointing at this point.

But to still be able to have a little fun, to be loose enough to joke with each other, I think that means something.

It's not everything, but it's not nothing either.

For sure.

And to your point on to build on that too, Like you can kind of change the narrative a little bit this weekend along the offensive line, for Bryce, for the defense, this is a chance to kind of change it because I think a lot of what is getting pointed to and said is still relative to what's happened the past two years, three years, four years.

If you look at the oh and two start, like, like just in these two games, it is a different OH and two than last year's ozho and two oh yea.

And so it's if you're if you're like, I'm trying a good thing.

I don't work in words.

I can't think of the word I'm trying to look for.

You didn't sneak into that deep eddy, did you?

I told you we don't do it in public.

Anyways, If you look individually at just these oh and two games, then there is a different narrative that to be told than if you were looking at the past two or three years.

And so can you start to define that and narrow that this weekend?

Yeah, no doubt.

And it's going to be interesting to see.

I mean that offense they've talked about over and over.

You got to start faster.

You can't turn it over and get in those big early holes because then you get out of phase.

I mean, I almost feel bad for Cuba en Rico because they've got thirty five carries between them in two games.

How many per game?

Is that quick?

Seventeen and a half?

Look at you, so proud girl, math No, you're great at this as long as we're dividing by two, and that's just not enough carries in a game.

Seventeen and a half carries is a good half for the Dave Canal's Carolina Panthers if they're where they want to be.

So there was a lot of talk this week about getting those guys back in face, staying on the front foot, because that's when everything's better.

I mean, when you think back to last year when the offense was making so many strides, it was when Chuba was getting those dirty yards, keeping chains moving, you know, just getting in that Chewba Hubbard rhythm.

He is not the most explosive back in the NFL.

He's not the biggest back in the NFL, but man, that dude loves a good four yard run on third and three, and he had a bunch of them last year.

So I think being able to keep those chains moving, stay in control of the phase of the game you want to be in, I think is going to be critical for him this week.

Yeah, that can change the whole game.

You know, you don't start in an early death.

Then you can actually be balanced, you can have a balanced attack.

Do we see that?

Do we see Rico get more involved?

If that's the case as well, because right now he's kind of been exclusively like a third down guy, you know, just unless it's been a series, so it does that get Trevor et in and they're more just to kind of give them a spell.

I don't know.

I think a score early or at the very least, don't let them get on top of you early, and then we'll start to see what Dave actually wants to do with this running attack.

Yeah, that's right, it's going to be I just think it's critical.

I think you've got to get those guys involved just to buy time, if nothing else, because those early depthsits have come so early the last couple of weeks.

I mean, just breathe a little bit, get a first down punt if you need to, don't turn it over.

Stay.

You've got to build confidence a little bit at a time.

That's why people always joke about the wisdom of John Fox.

But the man said, a punt is not a bad play.

Yeah, and if you go three plays and punt on your first series, that's not necessarily disaster because there's gonna be seven or eight series after that when you've got opportunities to do stuff.

It's a lot worse to make a mistake with the ball early on, because that's how you get in some of those early deficits.

You know, Steve Spurry are famously punted on third down one time because he was so tired of seeing what the offense did, he just pulled him off the field.

I love that he was like.

He's like, I just had to get rid of it.

I couldn't watch him another play.

He was trying to save time so he could get to a golf course anyway.

Anyway, but big weekend, I mean home opener here at Bank of America Stadium.

It's good to be home, friend finally.

More than anything else.

I mean nothing against our dear friends in Jacksonville and Arizona, where I have many deer friends, but it's good to be home.

It's good to not get on that airplane.

It's good to be back in front of familiar faces here Bank of America Stadium and just settle in a little bit.

I think that's going to be big for this team as well.

So come on out to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday.

Black helmets, Yeah, very excited.

How about that Black helmets are back.

This is one of their best looks.

Dudes love wearing the black helmets.

Wear them.

I am admittedly past the demographic to talk about black helmets.

I I'm an old person, but yeah, guys love it.

It looks cool.

So check that out.

Hey, speaking of throwbacks and old old, uh you went back.

We had talked about this before.

You're you're circling back and spending all your free time that you had watching ten.

Year old football.

So you were enjoying the Carolina Panthers from fifteen.

I got home last night, it was like nine o'clock and I'm like, Okay, what am I going to watch tonight?

And then I was like, oh yeah, the Week three game against the Saints from twenty fifteen.

That's right.

That was a good one to watch it.

It was.

It was a good one.

It was interesting because like when it first started and I realized what's going on?

I'm like, no, Drew Brees, no Luke Keikley, Why, Like, what are we doing in this game?

Do we?

What?

Do we watch it?

And you could tell that there was no keik Lee on that field for a good portion of it because Luke McCowan, who I have learned is Josh mccowan's brother, since he was throwing it all over the field, he was drinking and dunking, but he was also he had some big throws, like it was impressive, and he got on top of them there in that first quarter and a half.

I think it was like ten minutes left in the second quarter before Cam touched the ball for the second time.

And then once he got out there.

It is funny to go back and watch these games because you think of like, oh, that team only lost one game in the regular season, like you remember the big picture stuff, and then you go back and you watch the game play by play and you're like, he was throwing to Greg Oltsen and Greg Oltsen only and you've got your tight end out there running routes that pick up fifty two yards and it was like fifty of it was on air.

But once they hit Newton hit Olsen for like, like I said, fifty two yard or most of it was on air.

After that, the offense kind of opened up.

It was a rainy day, there were black ends on soope, so that was fun.

I did not realize that Mike Shula was the offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers in twenty fifteen, and when the announcer said that, as somebody who grew up watching football in Alabama, I got a little bit of like shell shock, Like what the same, Mike Shula, the very same.

And I have now watched two games because I missed last week and then those two games.

And skipped the Week two game against Houston when Cam Newton, Oh, by the way, just decided to do a complete summersault over the Houston Texans defensive line.

I'll go back and watch that one.

But somehow in these two games, I've seen Greg Goltsen touchdowns get pulled back for offensive PI twice, now, like it's just weird that it's happened twice.

There was a baldn't lie moment in there that was cool, like the review gave the Saints a first down on a fourth down that was a little iffy, and then that drive ended when they fumbled it and Roman Harper returned it for a little bit.

There was a random grandfathered promo in there, an old Fox show that got canceled after one season that like I still think about every now and then that I'm mad that it got canceled because it was such a good John Stamos and Patrick Brewster, it was such a good show and it only got one season, and I'm still hold Fox accountable for counseling it is.

I was cool to see him give the ball to a kid and then oh, I knew they won the game because I knew there was only one loss in that twenty fifteen regular season.

But there was a minute fifty three left.

The Saints are driving only down by five, they are into Panther's territory.

They're on like the thirty guard line, and I'm like, did I remember wrong?

Is this the game they lost?

Like?

What is what is going on?

And then Josh Norman picks it off in the end zone to end the game.

That's right, as apparently he is apt to do.

I've heard yeah, and like I legitimately yelled in the apart, I was like, oh, like like I was watching this game live and I don't want to know how it.

I don't want to spoiler alert this for you, but Josh had a number of those.

Now I'm excited to see which one.

So race yourselves for more plays by Josh Norman.

I love that when you go throw back Thursday and watch these games from fifteen, you have now learned that Jonathan Stewart's good at football.

They told him that yesterday, by the way, and You've also learned that Greg Olsen also is good at football before he was a television announcer.

So those are two salient points.

Yes, indeed, well done.

Number one you are you are on it, and we'll kind of continue.

We'll keep tabs on that over the course of the season watching those old games.

But a big one here this weekend, so come join us Sunday afternoon, one o'clock Bank of America Stadium.

Thanks to everybody in the studio, DL was able to keep his head out of our shot today.

Matt's got everything buttoned up behind the scenes.

Thank you, especially to our friends at Deep Eddie.

Don't forget you Carolina Panthers tailgate packs.

To get ready for the weekend.

Push the button in er now to enter the Deep Eddie Vodka Sweet Zips sweep Steaks.

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So make sure to take care of all that for Cassidy g Hill, for Dere and n Gant, for all our friends here in the studio for my duck friend.

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We will see you next week on the Happy half Hour.