00:00Morning, everybody. Jeremy and Joe. Happy Tuesday.
00:03We talk on Tuesdays with Billsgaard, Austin Corbett. He joins us on the Western Hotline.
00:08Austin, good morning. I'll start with the same thing I started with Conor McGovern on Monday,
00:13which was we thought that was a weird game, and we wanted to get players' thoughts on it.
00:19Did you feel like the Baltimore game had a lot to it that was pretty weird?
00:24Absolutely. I think a tale of two halves for sure.
00:30You know, get in there and move the ball well.
00:34You get in the red zone and turnovers and don't come up on turnover on downs.
00:41Then you look up and you still score 36 points.
00:43It's just like, how did this happen?
00:45Yeah. Along the way, we saw you out there in a couple spots that maybe you have some packages for,
00:51whether it's goal line packages, things like that.
00:54But there was an announcing of you eligible.
00:57A few times.
00:58You're lined up in the backfield, so you had a little bit more to do this game.
01:02Yeah, absolutely.
01:03And, you know, before the first touchdown, you know, we thought Khalil scored there on the sideline,
01:10so I'm running out for field goal.
01:12And, you know, I'm telling the White Hat, like, hey, Alex coming over to report for field goal.
01:16He goes, no, he's not.
01:18Like, he's getting hooked off the field right now.
01:19I'm like, oh, well, I guess I'll go play guard here.
01:22And, you know, he got the sneak there for the touchdown for Josh,
01:26and Alec was able to get it back up and just be a dog and battle through that.
01:31And then, you know, find myself, like you said, in the backfield.
01:34And so now I'm, you know, just standing ready at a moment's notice.
01:38Okay.
01:38You're in there on the sneak just for the touchdown or the one also right before that?
01:42Both the third and fourth down.
01:44Alec was getting taped up.
01:45Both.
01:45Okay.
01:45I'm sure you were not in a position to see Roquan Smith ripping at Josh Allen's helmet, right?
01:49You're probably at the bottom of the pile.
01:51Correct.
01:52Did not see that that last year.
01:54How different is it when you're out there as six offensive linemen?
01:57The Bills did that a lot, I know, a couple of years ago.
02:00And Jackson Hawes' presence, I know that's gone away a little bit.
02:03But for you, like, how different is your responsibility versus just playing guard or center?
02:10And is it even easier?
02:12Like, I imagine when you're blocking, you're probably not blocking linemen as often.
02:17But how different is it?
02:19Yeah, I mean, from a, you know, just schematic standpoint, you're always, you know, you always
02:25got those jumbo personnels just for, you know, scheme-wise and game plan against certain
02:30teams.
02:31How do they play them?
02:32You know, match-ups, stuff like that.
02:33And then, really, it's just understanding, like, you know, you got to be ready to be
02:38that tight end at any point.
02:40With, you know, the chaos of the game, if, you know, you get down, then you got to get
02:45ready to throw it in there.
02:45But it's still a lot of similar techniques being used out there.
02:49It's all about hand placement and getting off the ball.
02:52It's a little different, you know, when you're the center guard and quarterback's voice is
02:56right there.
02:57You really got to lock in at the tight end.
02:59You know, it's sound is definitely further away in a lot of environments.
03:02Yeah, I was going to ask further about that.
03:04Like, the sound's further away if you're further down the line.
03:06How about, is it the two-point play, one of the plays you're in the backfield lined up
03:10and, you know, you kind of go into a protection mode.
03:13Is it, as a lineman, if you are in the backfield and it's a running play, do you kind of
03:18get
03:18to be a little bit of a running back?
03:20Like, you're looking, you're using your vision, you're finding the spot, you're finding the
03:24seal you need if, in fact, James Cook's coming behind you?
03:28Correct.
03:28It's the same thing of, it's no different than if you're a guard pulling, right?
03:33Yeah.
03:33When you get pulled, that's when you get up in space, when you got to be able to read
03:36down blocks, kick outs, and you have to be able to give that back that course because
03:40you know he's following you.
03:41And so, it's kind of the same thing coming out of backfield for protection.
03:44You know, you got to read your down blocks, read, you know, the front, and definitely a
03:48different perspective in, you know, a few years off the ball, you get to see a lot
03:52more, a lot easier than if you're down at center and hang on the ball, trying to evaluate
03:55the defense for sure.
03:56Is it, I mean, you have things, everybody has things about their jobs they like and
04:00that they don't like.
04:01Is a pull, being a guard that pulls, or being in that spot, is that, I feel like I want
04:06to say it must be more fun to do it like that.
04:10Pulling, if you're getting out on the perimeter, that's fun, right?
04:13You get out in space.
04:15I didn't know that clip of the Cardinals center, right?
04:17Yes, yes.
04:17So, he's just going to follow up where he's dribbling Caleb Downs.
04:21Right, you're out in space, it's fun, that's great.
04:24When you're pulling in there for a trap, you know, and, you know, that's when you're
04:28going to shorten your spine, and you're going to do it, and, you know, it's all about getting
04:32those few yards there when you're trapping in the middle or kicking out something on
04:35the edge.
04:38And definitely two different types of pulls, to be an athlete, or got to go be a bulldozer
04:42and open up a hole.
04:43Yeah, yeah.
04:44So, we've talked a lot about this game, Austin, the last two days, and, like, one side of
04:48the ball, Lamar goes out early, and that obviously had a massive impact on that battle for that
04:54side.
04:54For you guys going up against Baltimore's defense, you said, you end up, another one of
05:00these games where you look up and it's 36 points.
05:02There was a stretch in the middle there, where you guys were playing a little sloppy, right?
05:06A few drives where there weren't touchdowns.
05:08But how did you feel like, overall, you got there?
05:10Like, 36 points.
05:12You know, Josh got his numbers by the end.
05:14Like, at the end of the day, if you hadn't watched the game, you might have just thought
05:16the Bills, your offense was just great all day.
05:20I think it's a huge part of the defense giving us the ball, right?
05:24And being able to capitalize on some of those turnovers from them and field position battles
05:29that they were able to put us in good positions for, to where it's like, you know, we're turning
05:33the ball over, defense goes, gets the stops, and I don't even know how many three and outs
05:37that the defense forced.
05:38So, it was kind of, it was big on the defense to be able to keep giving us the ball
05:42and giving
05:43us those opportunities.
05:44Because, I mean, just silly drops, silly fumbles, you know, the tipped interception, just like
05:50all these things that just kept stacking up.
05:52But, I mean, absolutely credit to the defense for going out there and just, you know, putting
05:57the work on and getting us the ball immediately back.
06:00Oh, yeah, to your point.
06:01They had eight drives in the first half, and the longest was two minutes and 13 seconds.
06:05Yeah.
06:06That's pretty good.
06:06And I was, right, and it kind of looked up of, you know, as we were working out yesterday,
06:12you know, all the sports medicine guys, you know, these guys got like 90 plays yesterday,
06:1685 plays, and it was just like, it didn't even feel like that much.
06:19Like, yeah, we did have the ball that much.
06:22And so, it was just a weird one to all around.
06:25Austin, for Brian Flores and the Vikings this week, you know, the reputation is tons of blitzes.
06:32It'll be a Monday night game on the road against Flores.
06:34Because in a world where football is a lot of chess, and there are chess matches, and
06:39they're, you know, coaching things, is this a more intensive week for the offensive line
06:44in terms of making sure everything is in order going in?
06:48Yeah.
06:49I mean, it's all going to come down to communication, right?
06:51We're, you know, Connor and Josh, you know, being on that same page of pressures and, you
06:58know, where are things coming from?
06:59Um, you know, obviously, you know, Flores being with the Dolphins, like Josh has a ton
07:03of history there already with just so many matchups.
07:06Um, and it's everything, you know, he's going to line up and bring it, he'll line up and
07:11drop people out and bring the pressures and the twists off it.
07:14And so, it's just going to be all about game plan this week.
07:17So, an extra day to kind of dive into that is definitely a benefit.
07:20And, uh, I mean, you know, they're sitting in a great spot and that's goal chant.
07:25Start the game is going to be rolling.
07:27It's going to be a rocking environment.
07:28And so, it's all going to be about how fast, how crisp can we be breaking the huddle, give
07:32ourselves enough time on the play clock to be able to pick things up and to play fast
07:36and get that communication out.
07:39They are blitzing 30% more than any other team in the league.
07:43Like, they're at a point, Connor, where it's almost surprising when they don't blitz.
07:48I don't, I doubt that makes it any more predictable, right?
07:50Because I'm sure a lot of what they're doing is disguising who's actually coming.
07:55Correct.
07:55And they go full roll at decks, right?
07:57They're going to bring four off the left.
07:59Um, they're going to drop out an end and still bring the nickel and the will.
08:02You know, they're going to bring out, um, they'll go bring the will and the mic.
08:06They're going to bring the safety from deep.
08:07They're just going to line up seven and bring all seven at once.
08:10And, um, that's the whole key is you have to be exact, detailed,
08:17out on all the blitz protection, all the rules, how you're going to pick things up.
08:21Are we going to treat this number as a big?
08:23Are we going to treat, you know, a big number as a little just for, you know,
08:26like what are our matchups we want to be when we give the running back
08:29responsibility and protection, you know, who do we want to put him on?
08:32Um, are we going to keep a tight end, um, to get an extra man in the blocking?
08:37And so there's all these different rules and schemes and, and details.
08:40And, uh, you, we just got to be pinpoint with it.
08:44Austin Corbett on the Western hotline.
08:46Austin, one last thing we're getting, we're, it's November.
08:49We're turning the page.
08:50We're going into the, you know, the whatever middle of the season here,
08:54but closer and closer to Thanksgiving.
08:55I'm reminded of former Bill's offensive lineman, Eric Wood.
08:58The offensive lineman used to have a competition who could gain the most weight on Thanksgiving.
09:05Will there be a similar competition?
09:07Have you been in similar competitions?
09:10I have never heard of such a thing.
09:12Okay.
09:14All right.
09:14For an age, I guess.
09:16And now we're, we all got these dang fines with our weight and we got these tight windows on us.
09:22So no more of that.
09:24And, um, I'm sure.
09:27I mean, obviously we play on Thanksgiving, so.
09:28That's, that would be tough.
09:30It'll be, it'll be a good, you know, you postpone Thanksgiving a day and it'll be good eating for sure.
09:35Yeah.
09:35All right.
09:36Well, very good.
09:37But Austin, thanks for the time and, uh, best of luck this week in Minnesota.
09:41Appreciate it, fellas.
09:42Thanks so much.
09:42Bill's offensive lineman, Austin Corbett.
09:44Right?
09:44It's Eric Wood.
09:45He and Richie Incognito used to, whoever could gain, gain the most weight over Thanksgiving.
09:50Yeah.
09:52I'm trying to remember what the, there was a number that was crazy.
09:55Was it 12 pounds?
09:57No, I think it was more than that.
09:58Really?
09:59No, maybe, maybe 12, because 12 is a lot.
10:02It's a ton.
10:02Is now a good time to bring up that I've got these holiday turkey flavored potato chips that we should
10:07try?
10:08Yes.
10:09Let's go.
10:09Do it now?
10:10Well, do we want to come back?
10:11We'll do a break.
10:13I see a flavored chip that sounds a little bit wild.
10:16I'm bringing it in for us to try.
10:18I want to bet.
10:19Is there enough?
10:20The question is going to be, is there enough turkey?
10:23Will there be stuffing in there?
10:25I want to, I want to bet there's a little bit of hint of cranberry.
10:28Whoa.
10:29Cranberry.
10:30All right.
10:32Although it doesn't say that.
10:33No, it just says roasted holiday turkey.
10:35Well, on the back it says like kind of roasted turkey and gravy flavor.
10:39Ooh.
10:40Gravy flavor.
10:41Now, there were two.
10:42There were these, and there were cheddar scalloped potatoes, and I thought that's not that exotic at all.
10:47It's just cheddar.
10:48It just sounds like a cheddar potato chip, which we already do a lot.
10:50And chips are made out of potatoes, so cheddar scalloped potatoes.
10:55Right.
10:56It's not that exotic.
10:56You're not breaking ground there.
10:58No, I don't think so.
10:59That's a marketing point.
11:00Roasted holiday turkey.
11:01You've got my attention.
11:02All right.
11:03We'll get to that.
11:04Mike Florio, 915.
11:05If you're on hold, get with us.
11:06803-0550.
11:07We'll get to your calls here on WGR.
