Speaker 1: So your expectations have been high, Nick, and now we
Speaker 1: are excited to bring on somebody who knows what those
Speaker 1: defensive expectations are all about. Inside linebacker Alex Singleton. Alex,
Speaker 1: thanks for joining us.
Speaker 2: Yep, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1: Alex. Just can you start off, let's before we get
Speaker 1: to the game on Sunday. That joint practice on Friday
Speaker 1: against the Packers, you guys have that two minute situation
Speaker 1: there at the end, two reps basically for the first
Speaker 1: team defense stop Jordan Love and the Packers offense both times.
Speaker 1: What sort of confidence boost is that for this defense
Speaker 1: when you can match up against a team that went
Speaker 1: to the playoffs last year and have that kind of
Speaker 1: success against him.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a huge confidence boost. And I think it's
Speaker 2: just you know, I think you know, Sean, you know,
Speaker 2: focuses so much on situational football. You know, if you
Speaker 2: can you know, you win the two minute girls before
Speaker 2: the half and then the end of the game, it
Speaker 2: swings the game in so many ways because you know,
Speaker 2: you can you know, score twice at half of the
Speaker 2: offense scoring and then obviously the end of the game,
Speaker 2: and every NFL game really comes down to that. So
Speaker 2: to be able to do that again that obviously that quarterback.
Speaker 2: You know, it's a huge boast of confidence, especially with
Speaker 2: you know, we're still you know really you know, honing
Speaker 2: in on what we want to be able to do
Speaker 2: this year.
Speaker 3: Now, a lot of young faces on that defense this
Speaker 3: year as you guys you go into your second year.
Speaker 3: One guy I've been impressed with is Jonah Ellis. I
Speaker 3: mean you on the field with him every single day
Speaker 3: and you've had two games to watch him from a
Speaker 3: preseason standpoint, what have you seen about him that excites
Speaker 3: you as a teammate.
Speaker 2: And he's a football player. I mean you can tell that.
Speaker 2: It's like in his jeans. You know, obviously his dad played.
Speaker 2: You know, he's got two brothers in the NFL. And
Speaker 2: it's just how he plays the game. You know, he's
Speaker 2: a he's a smart, calm guy and you know, just
Speaker 2: like that. You know, he's kind of been around the game,
Speaker 2: so it's not it doesn't seem too big for him.
Speaker 2: You know, he's a smart player, knows what to do. Yeah,
Speaker 2: he's fun to watch. I actually today you know, he
Speaker 2: was he was tired this morning and I was like, hey,
Speaker 2: well you're tired. He's like, oh these games. I was like,
Speaker 2: it's funny one more than it doesn't count that we
Speaker 2: really start and he could just you could tell his
Speaker 2: guys like, oh man, this is this is a long season.
Speaker 2: So uh yeah, no, he's great.
Speaker 1: Though, Alex. You talked I think in the spring about
Speaker 1: the need to start fast and how much faster you
Speaker 1: thought guys were playing under Vance in year two. How
Speaker 1: is that translated to the field, And I guess how
Speaker 1: much confidence you have that when you get to week
Speaker 1: one in Seattle that it can be a faster start.
Speaker 1: And like you said, maybe the defense has to play
Speaker 1: a leading role early, especially if it's a young guy
Speaker 1: in bo that's that's in their quarterback.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think, you know, defensively, you know,
Speaker 2: you know, Sunday this week, you know, was great. I thought,
Speaker 2: you know, we played really well, but there was still
Speaker 2: a ton of mistakes. To go back and watch today
Speaker 2: and just go, hey, you know, we can we can
Speaker 2: shut a team out of this caliber. Yeah, they didn't
Speaker 2: play the starters, but you know it was their you know,
Speaker 2: their scheme and all that stuff, and to go, hey,
Speaker 2: you know if the first, second, third, you know, fourth
Speaker 2: guys that can go out there and all run the
Speaker 2: same thing and see that. You know, playing physical, playing
Speaker 2: fast does cover up mistakes. But at the end of
Speaker 2: the day, like, hey, if we can clear up these
Speaker 2: small things here, small things there, and also add the
Speaker 2: physicality of the speed that we're playing with right now,
Speaker 2: you know, every day, just kind of building on that,
Speaker 2: it could be huge and yeah, to you know, be
Speaker 2: able to start the season the way we want to,
Speaker 2: you know, you know, as much as it is obviously
Speaker 2: one team to be able to you know, be a
Speaker 2: defense that can give the ball back to the offense
Speaker 2: and give them as many opportunities as we can instead
Speaker 2: of playing from behind the a ball on defense, it
Speaker 2: makes a big difference to this team now.
Speaker 3: Obviously, after watching Bold perform over the pass two weeks,
Speaker 3: there is a certain level of enthusiasm in this fan base.
Speaker 3: There are those who are like, well, hey, you guys
Speaker 3: putting the cart before the horse. But you're there on
Speaker 3: the field with him, You're seeing how he works. How
Speaker 3: does that work for you guys? Giving you confidence defensively
Speaker 3: knowing as though your young quarterback who was drafted in
Speaker 3: the first round is able to go down and move
Speaker 3: the ball down the field in a two minute drill
Speaker 3: or to start the game.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's impressive. Nothing seems you know, too big for him,
Speaker 2: you know it the light doesn't seem too bright, you know.
Speaker 2: You know, I was talking to him when we're in
Speaker 2: Indy and just you know, he was kind of like, man,
Speaker 2: you know, it's way you know the game, you know,
Speaker 2: in between places because in practice we go pretty high tempo.
Speaker 2: And he was like, man, it's a lot slower before
Speaker 2: the play. But then he was like damn starting to
Speaker 2: play it. You know, it turns on and so you know,
Speaker 2: you could just you could just see him chasing that
Speaker 2: kind of you know, that competitiveness, and I think, you know,
Speaker 2: he's such a gamer. I mean, you guys see him
Speaker 2: a practice compared to games, and it's just you know,
Speaker 2: it's obviously on during practice. He you know, he plays
Speaker 2: really well, but you know when the when that spotlight's on.
Speaker 2: You know, even that play last night that got called back,
Speaker 2: you know, the you know, the ball over the line
Speaker 2: of scrimmage or whatever. I mean, that's the play that
Speaker 2: you know, not a lot of guys make, not a
Speaker 2: lot of young guys, you know, keep their eyes down
Speaker 2: the field when they're moving like that. So it's exciting
Speaker 2: to see it and it's fun to.
Speaker 1: Watch that play. I feel like it was cool enough
Speaker 1: it should just count it.
Speaker 2: I agree, you know, in the preseason, they gotta let
Speaker 2: some of this stuff swift.
Speaker 1: Alex, We've asked you a lot about a number of
Speaker 1: different guys. How are how are you doing? You've got,
Speaker 1: you know, Josie moved on. Now you got a bigger
Speaker 1: leadership role this year, more responsibilities on the field. What's
Speaker 1: it been like for you as you've kind of taken
Speaker 1: this next step in your career.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been great, you know, Like I said, you know,
Speaker 2: this is the first time, you know, I've had the
Speaker 2: same decordinator two years in a row since you know,
Speaker 2: my first two years in Philly in nineteen and twenty.
Speaker 2: So it's been it's been a long time since I've had,
Speaker 2: you know, the same decordinator twice, So that one is
Speaker 2: nice to be. You know, I've come in and obviously
Speaker 2: just been in our system, you know, been able to
Speaker 2: you know, continue to grow with VJ and those guys,
Speaker 2: and yeah, and then just you know, kind of bringing
Speaker 2: the young guys along, kind of trying to you know,
Speaker 2: be that you know, obviously I think any leaders will
Speaker 2: lead by example first then by you know, just talking,
Speaker 2: and so it's you know, just leading by example, showing
Speaker 2: them that, you know, this is how I've kind of
Speaker 2: done it for, you know, as long as I've been playing,
Speaker 2: and you know, just you know, lead that way.
Speaker 3: Well, Alex, thanks for giving us some time. But before
Speaker 3: you go, I have to definitely say this as a
Speaker 3: guy that to cut my teeth and to see if so,
Speaker 3: I'm glad to see that you now finally found a
Speaker 3: home with the Broncos. And for all those people who
Speaker 3: overlook you every day, that you go out there on
Speaker 3: the field and you ball out, it makes those individuals
Speaker 3: look really poor in their evaluation of you. So I
Speaker 3: like the way you attack the game. I like your aggressiveness. Man,
Speaker 3: I wish you nothing but success this season.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I appreciate it. Thank you,