WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:08.640 Inside the Numbers with Ryan Michael Eric Delala here on Broncos Country tonight alongside Nick 2 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:13.759 Ferguson. Ryan, thank you so much for joining us here a Pro Football 3 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:18.120 Hall of Fame contributor. Are things going doing well? Eric? Nick? 4 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:21.160 How are you guys doing tonight? Things are good? Things are good? 5 00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:27.199 Right. I want to start us off here with probably maybe the number one 6 00:00:27.440 --> 00:00:32.359 cause for concern when you watch the twenty twenty three Denver Broncos from the quarterback 7 00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:37.840 position, which was turnovers and taking sacks. I know you've kind of taken 8 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:42.479 a look at what the Broncos struggled with their last year, and I'm wondering, 9 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:46.320 where can the Broncos and how can the Broncos get those numbers down. 10 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:49.560 I know it's important to Sean Payton, I know it's important to Broncos Country 11 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:53.560 for sure. It is then, you know, for the folks who have 12 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:56.719 been listening to my spot on the show over the past few months, I've 13 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:00.679 really been a one eighty since the NFL Draft, and I went from being 14 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:04.519 as pessimistic as anybody you'll find to being as optimistic as anybody he'll find in 15 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:08.760 Denver, because I really think that the way we approached free agency in the 16 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:15.280 draft was to work with the deficiencies that we have in hand. We're in 17 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:19.079 salary cap hell, we didn't have a lot of draft picks, and what 18 00:01:19.159 --> 00:01:23.319 we did with the opportunities we were afforded is we were looking to channel weaknesses 19 00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:26.079 and the strength. And one of the biggest ones we talked about a lot 20 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:30.879 last year with sack percentage. Russell Wilson. For as much as I defend 21 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:34.319 him as having had a much better season than a lot of folks give him 22 00:01:34.359 --> 00:01:38.000 credit, certainly sack percentage has not just last year, but always been the 23 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:42.519 greatest weakness of his game. So he finished last year ranked twenty seventh in 24 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:48.319 sack percentage. He went down nine point one percent of his dropbacks. That's 25 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:52.239 awful. And when you factor into net yards per attempt, which factors in 26 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:56.439 sacks along with yards per attend he finished twenty third in the league five point 27 00:01:56.519 --> 00:02:00.760 seven to two. That's just above Aid and O'Connell twenty fourth five point five 28 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:04.920 to seven. Not where you want to be. So what does Sean Payton 29 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:08.599 do. He gets the antithesis of what Russell Wilson was in the pocket in 30 00:02:08.680 --> 00:02:15.599 the form of Bonnicks bon Nicks, and last season, with four hundred and 31 00:02:15.639 --> 00:02:20.680 seventy attempts, he was sacked only five times. At one point one percent. 32 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:24.360 Sack percentage was far and away the best mark of any quarterback taken in 33 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:30.319 the top fifteen over the last ten years. And so since Sean Payton's system 34 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:34.759 is predicated upon efficiency, having a quarterback who has that sense of awareness in 35 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:38.439 the pocket is going to make a tremendous difference. So I'm very excited about 36 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:40.639 that move. It's down the office side of the ball. Before you joined 37 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:46.199 us, Eric and I was talking about the Broncos running back room and how 38 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:50.159 competitive is going to be in training camp. But we know, whether you're 39 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:53.960 a veteran or you are a rookie quarterback, your best friend is a run 40 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:58.439 game. So how is it that this run game could it help out not 41 00:02:58.599 --> 00:03:02.759 just Sean Payton as well? Absolutely, I mean, and that was really 42 00:03:02.759 --> 00:03:07.159 the brain better of what you guys did so well during your time Nick with 43 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:12.159 the team under Mike Shanahan. So right now we're looking at a Broncos backfield 44 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.319 that last year, excluding Russell Wilson's work on the ground, rushed for only 45 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:21.039 five touchdowns in the seventeen games. So you bring in Audrick Estimate, a 46 00:03:21.080 --> 00:03:25.759 guy who produced eight tuon rushing touchdowns last year, and he got particularly strong 47 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:30.199 as the season went on, scoring eleven touchdowns in his final five games of 48 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:36.000 college football. Again, it is if Sean Payton looked directly at our deficiencies 49 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:38.759 someone asked him, what are you going to do about it? We pick 50 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:43.439 up Audric Estimate. I'm very excited about what that will do to help alleviate 51 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:46.360 some of that pressure on bo Nick's particularly in red zone situation. I'd like 52 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:51.400 to see what that dynamic is going to look like this year between Estimate, 53 00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:55.000 between some of the additions at the wide receiver position, how much does this 54 00:03:55.159 --> 00:04:01.000 look to you like Sean Payton's type of guy on offense, and how much 55 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:06.879 improvement. Granted that there could be a rookie quarterback, a quarterback who is 56 00:04:06.919 --> 00:04:11.680 new to the system, or a quarterback with just two starts in the system, 57 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:15.479 so granted that there might be some growing pains there, but when you 58 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:18.519 look at the additions, how much more is it realistic to expect out of 59 00:04:18.519 --> 00:04:23.560 this Sean payn offense compared to what we saw last year? Well, I 60 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:27.040 think that what we're going to see. It's going to be tough to replicate 61 00:04:27.079 --> 00:04:30.240 what Russell Wilson did well. So you're looking at a guy in Russe Wilson 62 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:33.399 who finished eighth in the league last year in passer rating, number one in 63 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:39.480 the AFC in touchdown past percentage. I don't expect, realistically bon Nicks to 64 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:43.279 match those strengths. But what I think we're going to see here's the antithesis 65 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:46.639 of Russell Wilson. I've been calling bon Nicks Drew Brees light, and I 66 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:50.360 consider that a high compliment given how highly I think of Drew Brees. You're 67 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:54.199 going to see efficiency. You're going to see sack of winness. You're going 68 00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:57.959 to see god willing, a high completion percentage. You're going to see a 69 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:01.839 guy who's been incredibly efficient at avoiding turnovers and producing touchdowns. He led all 70 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:05.800 of college football with fifty one total touchdowns last year. So I think what 71 00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:11.160 we're going to see is hopefully something that might be similar in terms of points 72 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:15.079 produced and totally as an offense. Hopefully we're going to produce more getting some 73 00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:17.519 touchdowns on the ground, But the success that Bonnicks is going to have, 74 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:21.399 it might look similar in the box score in terms of points scored. He's 75 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:25.839 going to be getting it done very differently. And I think laying down the 76 00:05:25.879 --> 00:05:29.519 bricks of that foundation for Sean Payton's system and running it the way that he 77 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:32.279 wants to run it is going to show greater games in year two for bon 78 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:36.120 Knicks Troy Franklin than the rest of the guys. Speaking of system, what 79 00:05:36.199 --> 00:05:41.360 would that system look like? And the reason I asked because when anytime we 80 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:46.879 talk about Sean Payton in offense, it automatically goes back to New Orleans in 81 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:49.839 his time with Drew Brees, and we know that when you spending a lot 82 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:56.040 of time with any guy in any system, things kind of flow a different 83 00:05:56.079 --> 00:06:00.800 way. But now we're talking about Zach Wilson, Bo Nicks and even Jared 84 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:04.920 Stidham, you know, being in this particular system, and neither guy I 85 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:09.040 would say this, we don't really know what they actually can be in this 86 00:06:09.160 --> 00:06:13.720 system. So what are you predicting that we could see with the new additions 87 00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:17.639 offensively? You know, I don't think realistically Zach Wilson is going to see 88 00:06:17.639 --> 00:06:20.839 the field. He might see some preseason action, and you know, as 89 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:26.160 as Bennett mentioned, last week. There's no guarantee that Bonnicks will be TV 90 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:29.720 one week one, although that's certainly what I'm going to be pulling for, 91 00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:31.920 because, in my view, Jared said him, even if he play as 92 00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:35.319 well as going to be a short term solution at best, his ceiling is 93 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:40.600 far lower than Bonnicks's ceiling is. I think our goal for this year, 94 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:43.519 we'd like to win the Super Bowl, right, We'd like to knock off 95 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:46.680 Kansas City. We did it last year last year's rosters, so never see 96 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:51.319 never. But the goal was more about laying down bricks to build that foundation 97 00:06:51.480 --> 00:06:56.079 for the future. And I think that if we produce something similar in the 98 00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:00.240 wing column and perhaps score a bit more points and prevent more points, sure 99 00:07:00.279 --> 00:07:03.480 we might not win the Super Bowl this year, but we might find ourselves 100 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:09.160 in really good position for twenty twenty five and beyond. Ryan curious, but 101 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:13.240 before we jump over to the defensive side of the ball, and here you 102 00:07:13.240 --> 00:07:16.879 can choose a guy on defense if you'd like. But wondering one edition from 103 00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:24.079 this offseason that from a statistical standpoint in terms of addressing a weakness then really 104 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:28.240 stands out to you as Hey, here's the guy that maybe fans haven't thought 105 00:07:28.360 --> 00:07:34.079 enough about when they think about Like you mentioned that the Broncos weren't big spenders 106 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:38.600 like they were a year ago, but still made some moves in free agency. 107 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:43.079 Who's maybe the under the radar edition that fans should know ahead a week 108 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:46.160 one. Well, for me, I've been consistent in saying that Malcolm Roach 109 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:50.360 is my favorite free agent signing, and since the tackles don't traditionally get a 110 00:07:50.360 --> 00:07:54.759 lot of love. But if you look at where we finished last year in 111 00:07:54.839 --> 00:07:58.279 terms of rising yards per carry surrendered, we were dead last. We gave 112 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:03.040 up five yards per carry And to just put into context just how bad that 113 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:07.759 number is. The distance between thirty second and thirty first. Giving up four 114 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:11.759 point seven yards per carryus equal to the distance between thirty first and twenty second. 115 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:16.480 It's a gargantling gap. So sure the outlier massacre in Miami giving up 116 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:18.680 three hundred and fifty yards on the ground was a big part of it. 117 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:22.240 If you look at Malcolm Roach, and he's a guy who Pro Football Focus 118 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:28.079 had ranked number one in the NFL amongst interior defensive linemen and runstop rate at 119 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:31.320 seventeen point four percent in the same flast, year finished tied for fourth and 120 00:08:31.399 --> 00:08:35.919 rushing touchdowns allowed, they only gave up ten. They finished eighth and rushing 121 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:39.879 the XP, which is an efficiency metric per Pro Football Reference. So he's 122 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:43.320 really the perfect edition in terms of addressing that weakness on the defensive side of 123 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:50.120 the ball. Now, obviously this past offseason, the loss of Justin Simmons, 124 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:56.399 you know, from an emotional standpoint and what he means to the team 125 00:08:56.519 --> 00:09:01.679 from a community standpoint. Fans are still going through that. But now there 126 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:05.440 are new players who are going to be inserted into the lineup where they're going 127 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:09.559 to be as to carry that low and even take it to a whole different 128 00:09:09.639 --> 00:09:13.480 level. How do you think Vance Joseph in his second year can actually help 129 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:18.039 those guys play better in the back end. It's stillosuming for me to talk 130 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:22.480 about losing Justin Simmons because he's not the kind of all player that you're going 131 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:26.919 to replace very easily, if at all. But I love the pickup of 132 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:30.360 Jonah Ellis. I think that we're going to turn our defense into strengths through 133 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:35.360 different areas. So we obviously need to generate pressure in terms of sacking the 134 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:39.559 quarterback, and he's a guy who last year finished seventeen college football in total 135 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:43.759 sacks with twelve, which was second amongst all players taken in the NFL Draft. 136 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:46.200 I think that we're going to see the Singer shutdown corner in terms of 137 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:50.279 what Patser can can do well. And I believe one made the point a 138 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:52.120 few weeks ago. When you're looking at Chris abram Strain, he's a guy 139 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:56.919 who's more of an aggressive defensive back who might be able to take some chances 140 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:00.559 and beat some people into throwing some picks. He finished tenth in the nation 141 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:05.279 and passes defended last year. So I don't see any route to replacing Justin 142 00:10:05.320 --> 00:10:09.799 Simmons with the collection of talent that we've assembled through free and became the draft. 143 00:10:09.879 --> 00:10:13.480 Least be hopeful that in Kris Joseph's second year we're going to be a 144 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:16.320 lot more efficient on the defensive side of the ball. Well, I do 145 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:18.639 want to jump back to the defensive line, just for one second second. 146 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:24.159 In my mind, it all starts there. How underrated? Maybe I know 147 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:28.360 Draft weekend gets crazy a lot going on, but to get a guy like 148 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:33.120 John Franklin Myers, just curious your thoughts on him. Angel Blaxon I mean 149 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:37.399 that wasn't like Malcolm Roach was the only guy They really made a concerted effort 150 00:10:37.639 --> 00:10:43.080 to get better along that defensive front. How much of a difference in your 151 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:50.840 mind does a good defensive line make for both the linebacking corps and the secondary. 152 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:54.240 It's going to make everybody's life easier, so you know, stopping the 153 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:58.600 run is going to be king. Malcolm Roach certainly plugged that point of developing 154 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:03.039 pressure off the edge. It's going to allow our linebackers to be able to 155 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:07.440 scan the field and be able to adjust to the surrounding circumstances in a way 156 00:11:07.480 --> 00:11:11.799 that enables them to play at their best if the dvs have a chance to 157 00:11:11.879 --> 00:11:16.440 breathe and have a chance to be able to catch a posing quarterback out of 158 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:20.559 position because we're getting pressure to quarterbacks. Finally, this year, it's not 159 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:24.759 going to be the twenty fifteen Broncos, but it really is of the mold 160 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:30.639 of building that. Bully and I like everything that we've done. To be 161 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:33.440 honest, with the resources that we had, the money we had to spend, 162 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:35.120 I don't think we could have done much of a better job in creating 163 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:41.080 and seeing the draft. Brian so much about the NFL is about the offensive 164 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:46.440 side of the ball. And I have to ask you, like, like, 165 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:50.320 I played with Rod Smith and he was a very underrated guy. Do 166 00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:56.039 you have any fun facts about Rod Smith himself and what he was able to 167 00:11:56.039 --> 00:12:01.399 accomplish in his time as a Bronco? I do. Not only is Rod 168 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:05.039 Smith one of the most underrated Broncos of all time, he's one of the 169 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:09.879 most underrated wide receivers of all time. An undrafted guy, a guy who 170 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:13.399 proves how far you can come with hard work and just got given talent and 171 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:18.360 ability. So here's a stat for you. From nineteen ninety seven through two 172 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:22.000 thousand and five, so we're talking a nine year stretch, almost a full 173 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:28.320 decade sample size, he produced ten thousand, eight hundred and forty yards from 174 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:33.159 scrimmage. So if you adjust that to a seventeen game season, he would 175 00:12:33.159 --> 00:12:37.399 have averaged one thousand, three hundred and seven yards per year every year for 176 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:41.879 nearly a full decade. That is Hall of Fame numbers for a guy we 177 00:12:43.080 --> 00:12:46.399 certainly haven't gotten anywhere close to that degree of recognition one of my all time 178 00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:50.360 favorite Broncos. All right, well, Steve, that water is with us 179 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:54.159 Earlier he's gone, so he can't hear you say nice things now. But 180 00:12:54.759 --> 00:12:56.080 I want to know what you got on Steve the Smiling Assassin. You've got 181 00:12:56.120 --> 00:13:00.639 some good stuff on Rod. You anything on Steve over there? You know. 182 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:03.559 I think when it comes to dvs, a lot of their greatness isn't 183 00:13:03.559 --> 00:13:07.840 necessarily reflected in the box score because you want to throw away from those guys 184 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:13.080 and stee aatt Waters resume in Denver is very similar, in my view to 185 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:16.879 Barry sanators resume on the running back position in Detroit in the sense that every 186 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:22.000 year had a very very high ceiling. So from nineteen eighty nine through nineteen 187 00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:26.840 ninety eight, all of his years in Denver, every single season he either 188 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:31.159 won an AFC Championship, was named to a Pro Bowl, was named All 189 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:35.159 Pro, or he won a Super Bowl. So his rookie year AFC champions 190 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:39.440 the Bronco was to the number one scoring defense in the league. He finished 191 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:43.960 second place in voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year nineteen ninety He made the 192 00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:46.799 Pro Bowl ninety one through ninety two Pro Bowl and the first team All Pro 193 00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:52.720 selection ninety three for ninety five Pro Bowl. Every single year ninety six Pro 194 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:56.960 Bowl and a second team All Pro selection nineteen ninety seven, won is for 195 00:13:56.120 --> 00:13:58.879 Super Bowl nineteen ninety eight. Back to the Pro Bowl, and one another. 196 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:05.360 That's a Barry Sanders resume on the defensive side, including some rings. 197 00:14:05.559 --> 00:14:11.000 Incredible resume. You know, that's very interesting because you absolutely right, Ryan, 198 00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:16.360 defensive guys we never really get that much love because it's all about the 199 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:20.639 offensive guys, how many points that they can score. But listen, I 200 00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:24.559 mean, if it's not for defense, a lot of teams wouldn't have championships. 201 00:14:26.039 --> 00:14:30.480 So that whole phrase of defense wins championships, it's true. And you 202 00:14:30.600 --> 00:14:33.840 just laid it out based on the stats about I mean, our great Steve 203 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:39.919 Atwater. I want to know if Ryan has my high school stats somewhere. 204 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:45.960 I think I had like three interceptions. Got that on the max preps or 205 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:50.720 something. Give me a week. We'll go inside the numbers, go inside 206 00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:56.639 the numbers of Eric Delava. There's another Broncos defensive back that we wanted to 207 00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:58.559 leave to the end of the segment. This was Ben's pick, so we're 208 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:01.519 trying to it as a surprise and I'm going to go with Nick Kurdson, 209 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:07.080 and so you know, We often see quarterbacks credited with wins and losses, 210 00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:09.639 and we always say they get a little bit too much credit when they win, 211 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:11.399 a little bit too much blame when they lose. So if we're going 212 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:15.559 to look at wins and losses for individual players, I'm gonna use you Nick 213 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:18.799 as an example. From two thousand threety to two thousand and sixteen games that 214 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:24.360 you played in the Broncos finished thirty nine and sixteen. That's the seventy point 215 00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:31.440 nine percent winning percentage. You finish top ten in points per game surrendered every 216 00:15:31.559 --> 00:15:37.120 single season, and two against Peyton Manning, two against Drew Brees, three 217 00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:41.519 against Tom Brady, including his first ever postseason defeat. So how do you 218 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:45.519 feel about those numbers? You know? Way, when you put it that 219 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:48.759 way, I'm like, man, it only frustrates me more that I wasn't 220 00:15:48.799 --> 00:15:56.600 voted to the Pro Bowl. But I'll say this is that hearing those numbers 221 00:15:56.600 --> 00:16:00.360 and playing on those teams, it wasn't just one person. And that's the 222 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:04.039 one thing I loved about playing on our defense. There were multiple people from 223 00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:08.759 week to week that were counted on to make plays, and that's how our 224 00:16:08.840 --> 00:16:14.159 defense was galvanized. If I'm not mistaken. One of those years we led, 225 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:17.399 I think we were in tops in the league as far as teams against 226 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:21.159 the rush, And for me, that was something that you know, both 227 00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:25.480 John and myself and Al Wilson and Ian Gole. I mean, we took 228 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:27.440 the heart. We wanted to make sure that at the end of any game, 229 00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:32.879 whether we want to loss, that opposing team had an opportunity to definitely 230 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:37.440 fill us. So I have to thank Ben for putting me in that mix 231 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:41.279 too as well. I think it's also worth noting that that it's not just 232 00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:45.679 what you did statistically, but it's who you competed against. So during the 233 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:48.720 time that you played, I always say the two thousand and three to two 234 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:52.720 thousand and five Broncos one of my favorite runs ever. You were competing against 235 00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:56.039 Peyton Manning at the peak of his power, Drew Brees, Tom Brady Ladini, 236 00:16:56.080 --> 00:17:02.279 and Tomlinton Police Holmes. You weren't going and Division three teams out there. 237 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:04.160 You were going against some of the greatest players to have ever played the 238 00:17:04.200 --> 00:17:07.839 game. And to pick up not just one, but multiple wins against guys 239 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:12.279 with those kinds of resumes, it's truly remarkable to testament to the team Coach 240 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:17.440 Sanahan put together and all of you guys collectively were able to achieve the team. 241 00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:22.799 Well, Nick is just sobbing in here now and he's just overjoyed. 242 00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:26.200 I did think he was going to say that when you said it gives me 243 00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:27.119 regrets we didn't. I thought you were going to say, win the super 244 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:30.359 Bowl, but you went for the Pro Bowl. We went for the individual 245 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:33.079 honor there. Nick, that's okay because that one I don't want to do 246 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:37.359 that because that still hurts. Okay, it's I try not to bring it 247 00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:42.319 up. I mean, Eric, I'm sorry, you know what. He's 248 00:17:42.359 --> 00:17:45.319 walking out, he's walking sobbing. He was happy, Now he's sad. 249 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:49.359 Ryan, we appreciate you, we appreciate you joining us. I got to 250 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:51.960 go make sure that Nick's okay.