The OTP | Mike McCoy’s Impact & Titans Finding Their Identity

The OTP | Mike McCoy’s Impact & Titans Finding Their Identity

[Music] I’m Taylor Zarzer and this is the OTP. Yes, our guy Will Bowling, the pinnacle sideline reporter for the road, Will Bowling, he uh he is he was a little busy today, but he will uh he will be with us in Indianapolis. Don’t you worry. Oh, I I never worry. I know Will show up every time. Pinnacle Sideline reporter for home games is Amy Wells. Yes. And Amy was upset with me earlier this year when I talked about the air conditioned booth that Coach Mack and Rhett and I were in and how hot it was on the field at Nissan Stadium. It’s not that hot. He said he said it’s not that hot. It’s a pretty nice day. It was 3,000 degrees. It was the hottest of days. Well, I bring it up because it was uh very they’re very different conditions. It was Sunday lovely. Well, from a temperature standpoint, it was lovely. From a wind speed perspective, it was a little tricky. Um, the wind was a major factor in the game. And, you know, we knew that it was going to be a windy day. We knew there was some weather that had moved through the night before and so there was going to be some lingering effects of that. Even knew that there were going to be highish wind gusts. I think 30 35ish is kind of what some of those gusts were. Miles per hour that is. I I mean it wasn’t like horrible, but it really made an impact on the football field. There were things flying. There was there was stuff moving around. Um I felt so bad for our guys, uh Joey Slyan, Johnny Hecker. their nets that they practice kicking into on the sidelines kept blowing a skew and I I felt bad because they get all lined up and you know kickers and punters they have very precise things that they go through and they get all lined up and all situated and then they go to kick it and the net would just go I was like oh guys I’m so sorry. I didn’t volunteer to stand on it because I didn’t want to get whapped just in case. But uh I did I did feel for them. Yes, frustrating. It was a one club wind as we like to say in golf. Maybe a two club wind. Um where if you were into the wind, you would need more club. If you were downwind, you would need less club. But and the team that went downwind uh really had a huge advantage in the game moving from left to right as you listened on your radio dial. That was um something that was a things for sure during the game. And yeah, there was one kick that Joey Sly had that started at the really at the right hash and went out of bounds. Like it blew the wind blew it so far that it went from the right hash to all the way out of bounds, which was kind of crazy. But yeah, that was a big part of the game. If you watch the Texas A&M Arkansas game on Saturday, you know that that game was delayed by two hours because of hail and high winds. And I thought and I thought, “Oh gosh, that’s coming to Nashville.” We didn’t get it nearly as uh severely as the people the great people in Arkansas did. Yeah. Or the people in Cleveland. Uh the Browns blew out the Dolphins with higher winds up there on the water in Ohio. But um the wind up there is crazy. Cleveland specifically because it comes off that lake and it gets in the bowl and it just goes in a circle. Yeah. And we’re going there on December the 7th which is a lovely time of year. Well, and I was talk I was talking to Will Bowling about that because so far as a sideline reporter for the Tennessee Titans, he has been predominantly indoors, but the weather has been lovely everywhere else. It’s been hot, but not too bad. Um, a little bit of rain to start the season, right? Or was that in the preseason where it was kind of No, we did. We had a couple of minute weather delay in Denver. In Denver. Yeah. So, a little bit of rain, but overall it hasn’t been terrible for him. And he was like, “Well, you know, I mean, we are going to Cleveland and that might be chilly.” And I was like, “Might be chilly.” It’s not the air temperature, it is the wind in Cleveland because it whips through there and it goes in a circle and Taylor will come down and say, “Hey, which way is the wind going?” And the answer is every every way and it’s cold because it blows right across the lake, freezes, and then hits you in the face. Did you have u the right amount of clothes? I did for this guy. You did? Okay. God bless. So Rhett Brian is our um weather afficionado. Yes. But he also does a really good job of breaking that down into Amy, here’s what you need to wear. Yes. And I really appreciate that about him. And I think it’s because over the years I’ve shown up inappropriately dressed for the weather conditions so many times that he’s like, “Listen, this is what you need to put on.” And so he said, “A light jacket and some layers.” And so that’s what I did. And I felt great. It was a great start to the game. It was great to be home as well. It had been a long time, three weeks on the road. It’s nice to be home. Obviously, after the Colts game, the Titans will be home throughout the month of November, which is rather unique. Rep was telling me it’s been a decade since we’ve had a a situation like that. Um, and it did it started really well for the Titans where you kick a field goal in the first drive. Uh, the Titans scored a touchdown after that and had a 10-3 lead on New England. Had the lead late in the second quarter as well. So, let’s just stop right there with all the good parts. Uh you that was you know with the with interim coach Mike McCoy and Bo Hardigree calling the plays and Nick Colts as the offensive coordinator. They really wanted to get Cam Ward into a rhythm and they did it. They did a great job and they did a great job of establishing what they wanted to do early and really um making a splash right away, which the Titans hadn’t been able to do yet this season. come out, get off to a fast start, move the ball down the field, score some points. They did that. They wanted to simplify things and really highlight what Cam Ward does well and really highlight what this offense is able to do well. And I think they did that as well. So, there’s progress in that. The first quarter, quarter and a half really shown the signs of what we’re trying to see in this offense. And so for that I think we should be um optimistic. I think we should feel excited about that. The frustrating part is that it didn’t continue for the rest of the game. And that is now the place to start. And it’s okay. We know we can do this. We have an idea of what works for this team. It’s continuing to do that throughout all four quarters. When you bring Helman’s creamy buffalo chicken dip to the watch party, you can cheer too loud or block the TV or be a couch coach and no one will eject you from the game. That’s a hail Mayo. Helman’s the official mayo of the Tennessee Titans. This summer, SeatGeek has your ticket to the best live concerts in Nashville at Nissan Stadium. SeatGeek makes it easy to catch worldconquering tours and high wattage performances from your favorite artists all summer long. SeatGeek has the best seat. Your seat for an unforgettable summer. From rock royalty to rap superstars, R&B to country. Find it all on SeatGeek, the official ticketing partner of Nissan Stadium. It’s your summer. Make it count. SeatGeek. Hey Titans fans, with a Kroger Boost membership, you’ll score big with double fuel points, free delivery, and lots more. Go to kroger.com/boost for details. Kroger, the official ger of the Tennessee Titans. Tighten up. If if you’re coaching a team, if you’re on a team, it does no good to mention injuries. You you have to deal with what you have. If you’re the rest of the world, though, injuries matter. I think that it’s it’s fair and it’s objective and it’s necessary to mention that the Tennessee Titans have a significant amount of injuries that have factored into the way that the team is playing. It’s not an excuse, it’s context. It’s it is context. I mean, Calvin Ridley, who by everybody’s measure would be the top target the Tennessee Titans had going into the season, has been banged up this year. and he’s been un he was unable to play in the last couple of games. That’s a big deal. Uh on top of that on defense, when you lose Jeffrey Simmons, who very well could be the NFL defensive player of the year at this point, leaves the game in the first quarter. That is a significant blow. Ardan Key was starting to affect the quarterback. had a couple of sacks, Amy, before he was injured a couple of weeks ago. He’s not out there on the field right now. Again, those are significant injuries to the Tennessee Titans, and especially the Simmons injury, I think, played a big role in the way the Patriots were able to be effective on offense. Look, Drake May is an outstanding quarterback. Uh, I wish him well, uh, especially given my background in Charlotte and where he’s from in Charlotte. I wish he didn’t have success against the Titans, but he can have success against other teams. Uh he had a heck of a day, but I think part of the reason why he had a heck of a day is because he was able to escape the pocket and use his legs and he ran right where number 98 would have been. Yeah. And uh Jeffrey Simmons, of course, everything he does on the field, he makes such an impact in the defensive effort overall. I mean, the guy is everywhere. He’s in people’s face. He’s playing out of his mind right now. So, there’s all of that. There’s the on the- field stuff. There’s also the leadership part of Jeffrey Simmons. And when your leader goes down, the guy who’s the heart and soul not only of the defense, but kind of of this team right now, he has been galvanizing this entire group. And when he goes down, the whole team feels that void. And it’s not that there aren’t other leaders who are able to step up. Please don’t think I’m saying that because that’s not at all true. But what I am saying is that when a big leader goes down, you feel that void. when Jeffrey Simmons was in the tent and he he kind of went in and then came out and tried a couple things and then went back in and the team doctors were working on him a little bit more and then he came back out was trying different things. There were probably three different players who like went in to see if he was okay, see what was going on, come talk to him and you don’t see that all the time. A lot of guys go in there and it’s just them dealing with whatever it is. That to me tells you a lot about what Jeffrey Simmons means to this team. And so the fact that his players were looking, not his players, but his teammates were looking for him, other players were looking for him. Um, and then after the half, he came back out in street clothes, but was still on the sidelines, was still interacting with people, was talking to guys, was still a part of it. But I mean, so frustrating for him. A game that, you know, he wanted to play in, you know, he wanted to have a part in that. it meant something to him and to just not be able to be on the field contributing in the way that he wants to I know is frustrating for him and I think it was a little deflating for the team as a whole. Yeah, it’s a big bummer not to have 98 out there on the field and get better Big Jeff, we need you out there. Certainly pulling for him. He has had an incredible start to the season. Coming up, Titans interim head coach Mike McCoy joins us. But first, the pinnacle moment of the game. That was a fun one to relive, Amy. One of the most exciting moments that we’ve had at Nissan Stadium so far this season. Jim DK has just been amazing. I mean, in every way. I mean, fourth round draft pick. He went from Wisconsin to the Florida Gator last year. He goes from the Florida Gator to the fourth round. And you know, you’re wondering what are you going to get from a fourth round pick? You’re going to get the best return specialist so far in the National Football League. He’s been just extraordinary in special teams and now he’s turning into a first team wide receiver for the Titans. Yep. He’s the guy who is the quintessential like, h maybe we’ll get a good special teams player. That would be that would fill a hole. That would be a great need. That would be awesome if our fourth round draft pick turns out to be a contributor on special teams. Great. Uh, okay. He’s phenomenal on special teams. What an amazing returner he is. Okay, let’s give him some more responsibility. Okay, let’s see what else he can do. He is the perfect example of a guy who is just kept earning it and earning it and answering when his number is called every single time. And so now to see him get more reps as a part of the offense, get more experience, get some targets, get a touchdown, and every time he just keeps showing up. I mean, that’s I that’s a success when it comes to drafting a guy. Yeah. And so the fact that he is a rookie and that he is forming the kind of chemistry that he has with uh Cam Ward is great. Cam was like, “Yeah, guy’s just kind of always there. When I need him to be there, he’s there.” And that’s exactly what you want in a receiver. Um, same thing with Elio Manor. He is just there. Yeah. And he’s reliable and he’s consistent and he’s a rookie. So, there is so much upside. And that just brings me so much joy because for years Titans fans have been waiting for dynamic, consistent wide receivers, and it looks like we have two. And they’re rookies. Yes. Oh, what a dream. And you have Gunnar Helm as a rookie, too, as a tight end. So, you got three options as rookies that are catching the ball from rookie Cam Ward. So, the future is bright certainly for the Titans. Speaking of rookies, it was great to see Kevin Winston play some defense for the first time in the National Football League, third round draft pick, who injured his knee at Penn State last year, and has really worked hard to get back onto the field. It was great to see him. He’s played some special teams the last couple of weeks, but he was out there on defense. Great to see big number 93, Tovandre Sweat T. Sweat back out on the field and with a sack in the game. He was in the back field. The big man’s back against the Patriots sacking Drake May. So that was great. And Joey Sly after a calf injury that he sustained before he made the game-winning kick in Arizona, he was back kicking 50 yarders into that wind doing it. So, look, I know that Titans fans want a better result on Sunday. We all do. But I really appreciate the culture and the fight of this football team, and I do believe they’re going to be great moments in 2025 because of it. I agree. I totally agree. Um, a person who I would like to mention who didn’t get mentioned was Cedric Gray. Um, because his level of frustration by it, it was some play. I mean, I don’t even remember when it was, but the the defense was coming off the field. It was late in the game. Defense was coming off the field and he was so frustrated. There was a moment that he just it was all the emotions he was feeling just came out and I thought, “This guy cares. Like, this guy’s passionate about this. This guy wants to make an impact.” Like those are things you don’t usually see that from rookie players, especially at this point in the season. It’s still fresh enough. It’s still new enough. You’re still kind of trying to figure things out. This guy’s ready to rock and roll. And I mean, he’s what, a second year player. That’s great. As a tarheel dad. Yeah. I am real proud of Cedric Gray. Secondyear player out of the University of North Carolina. and watching him in college, Amy, this is the way he cared and the way he played and the effort he played with 50 tackles in the last four games. And he said something after the game that I really appreciated. He said, “It’s not our turn right now.” He said, “But we’re going to fight like crazy out there. We’re going to go through this stuff right now, and it’s going to make it even sweeter when it is our turn.” He’s right. I love that. Yeah, he’s he’s right. He’s got the right perspective. he’s got the right understanding of like what this is and what it takes. Playing in the National Football League is really hard. Yeah. Like that’s the reality. Winning games is really hard. And for him to have that perspective and understanding that this is really hard. We have to keep going. We have to keep pushing through the hard. But then it gets really good. That’s like that’s the right place. That’s where you want guys to be right now. Yes, it is. And uh we appreciate Pinnacle Bank. For our Pinnacle moment of the game, the official bank of your Tennessee Titans. You can sign up for Titans Banking exclusively at Pinnacle. Visit titansbanking.com. Member FDIC. Amy Wells, by the way, will be the only person in this city not cheering for the Vanderbilt Commodores during College Game Day in their game on straight up. Sorry, Vandy. on Saturday as her Missouri Tigers are coming to break everybody’s hearts. It’s a big game. It’s a big game and I am 9% sorry. Um, are you going? Really? I don’t know. I would like to. I hope so. I hope I’m going. I don’t know how you distinguish yourself because everybody wears the same colors with Missou and Vandy, but Okay. Vi is more of like a like a gold like a like a like a metallic gold. Our gold is more of like a yellow gold. That’s true. Yeah. And mine says tigers real big across the fight the front of it. That’s how you Yeah. like wear tiger colors and figure it out. Um, we spell at each other most most schools do that. Yeah, exactly. But um, no, really it’s been really fun to watch Vanderbilt. It’s been really fun to cheer for them this season and I I mean you you can’t beat what they’ve been able to pull off this the end of last season and all through this season. It’s been incredible to watch, but not this week. Any other week I’m like, “Yeah, Vy’s doing great. What an awesome story. This has been so much fun. Wow, what great football.” This week it is on. Clark Lee is a big Titans fan, but Amy will be pulling against him. Yeah, this weekend. This week, we’ll talk to Vanderbilt’s own Jim Wyatt coming up a little bit later on. Pulling against Jim Wyatt in Monday Night Titans. But up next, interim head coach Mike McCoy joins us on Monday Night Titans here on Titans Radio. Home is at the forefront of all we do. It’s why we’re so committed to caring for the places and spaces in which we work and live. Ashley, the official furniture provider of the Tennessee Titans. Genesis is the first and only official jeweler of the Titans, having earned that title since 2006. Titans players, coaches, and fans trust Genesis for the absolute best in selection, quality, customer service, and of course, value. For diamonds, engagement rings, designer fashion jewelry, and the largest selection of luxury pre-owned Rolexes in Tennessee, Genesis is the handsdown winner. Genesis Diamonds in Green Hills and Cool Springs, the official jeweler of the Tennessee Titans. Little Caesars is the official pizza partner of your Tennessee Titans. Download the Little Caesars app and get your favorites delivered today. Delivery fees apply. Now, back to the OTP. Welcome to the show, coach. Great to be here. Thanks for having me. Thank you. Good to have you. I know that you were awfully pleased with how your team started the game on Sunday against New England Patriots. Yeah, that’s the the way we’d love to play for four quarters and that that’s the big challenge now. As you saw how we came out, we started fast, uh did some great things as a football team, played complimentary football in all three phases, and we got to continue to do that and play it play more consistently in the second half. I think a lot of us um that aren’t on the field, that aren’t coaching or playing, we see an injury and we think, gosh, what kind of impact that has. You can’t really ever go there, can you? You just have to coach the next play with the next player. It it’s going to be the next play uh next manup mentality. It and it might be when you say next man up, it might be by committee. There might be certain guys you got to rotate more. Uh you lose certain players, it’s tough to replace them, but you got to someone’s got to step up and and do their job. We all have jobs to do. So, we got to do as coaches, whether you adjust what you’re call play calling, scheme you’re running, whatever it is, you you got to adjust to what the players do best. And it certainly seems like the attitude of the team is right. It’s the kind of attitude you’d want to compete with. No doubt. They’ve worked extremely hard. The last week’s preparation was outstanding. Um, you know, the attitude, the approach, uh, you saw the way we were game day. Uh, we just got to clean up, you know, some things. you know, we we let that game get away with us the end of the half, the beginning of the second half, and unfortunately, uh, it was a really close game. They pulled away a little bit, and we we’ve just got to execute better in those situations and and, you know, and play four quarters of good football. In your 20 plus years of experience in the National Football League as a head coach, as a coordinator, as a position coach, is this team as young as we think it is, which it can be a great thing obviously for the future, but as you’re watching this team compete, you’re you’re relying on a lot of young guys out there, it seems. Well, you know, the great thing about our young players that we drafted is that they love the game of football. And you know, everyone wanted to talk about Cam and the offseason program and how he was in the facility all the time and how he was here early, he stayed late. Well, the other rookies were with him and some other players have gravitated into those meetings after practice. You know, we finish at 4:45, whatever it is, you go by, you walk by the receiver room and there’s a bunch of guys sitting in there and but that’s the way this rookie class has been since the day they got here. They love the game. They want to do everything they can. And I think, you know, give our personnel department a lot of credit for the type of players. You know, you’re trying to build a culture here when you bring new people in. Uh, and so I’m I’m very pleased with the way they’ve developed and, you know, you talk about the growth of the team um from a week- toeek basis, how they’re doing. Um, you know, because it they’re they’re all rookies, you know, and there’s a learning curve. They go through some quicker than others. And it’s just a matter of, you know, getting the confidence and and you saw some players and it’s week to week, too. you see different players uh because the game plan’s always different or what the defense does, they take certain things away, but you saw Jim’s touchdown things like it’s just great to see. But that goes back to his college days when you see him in college. He ran that route, that same route week in and week out. So, uh it’s it’s been on the call sheet and we dialed it up this week. So, it was great to see him do that. Did it at Wisconsin and at the University of Florida and now after being a fourth round draft pick in the NFL, he’s doing it for the Tennessee Titans. Before this last week, you and I really had one significant interaction and it was on a practice field in Tampa Bay, Florida. Um, we were standing with John Gruden who was watching practice with us and we were watching with the man that he was calling Johnny Cash, Dave McInness, Coach Mack, who’s always wear dressed in black. And uh, John Gruden asked you about, he said, “Hey, coach, who’s this 17 over here? I like this 17.” You know, you know how he always is. and and you immediately said, “This guy’s going to make an impact for us.” This was back in early August when you were saying this. And you said in special teams, he’s a hard worker. He has the right attitude. I mean, Jim DK came to play professional football and immediately got better and now you can count on him on the field. you know, it goes back to his want to like all like I mentioned all those guys earlier, but uh you Jim wants to go out there and he’s been this way and you can see, you know, a lot of times uh you when they first start, they play a little slow and you can see when they start to learn the system and they develop a better understanding of what they want to do, you know, the position flexibility. You always want to tell receivers and skilled guys, learn the concepts of the plays and not just one spot. Now, some guys, you know, they they stay in one spot more often than not, but when you understand the whole scheme of things and you can play fast, you you instantly saw, you know, the speed and the tempo at what he was playing was changing, you know, from week to week. And that’s the way he’s played, you know, in the return game, he’s been outstanding. And then it’s just, you know, receivers are tough because it’s, you know, he’s not the only guy, you know, the return game, he’s the guy kept getting it. Uh but in the passing game on offense there’s week to week things change but he he’s definitely made the most of every opportunity he’s got. Alec I Manor has multiple catches in all seven games that he’s played in in the National Football League. How about that? It’s outstanding. Another guy who out loves the game of football. All his hard work uh has paid off. Um you know and I’ll say the one thing about these receivers too and our running backs is the way they block. You know, running back’s obvious in protection. Uh TP is probably the best chipper on the edge in the league. The way he blocks and Taj stepped up, did a great job. Um Taj, excuse me. Um and they just it’s it’s outstanding to watch. You love seeing that. But the receivers outside coming down and blocking linebackers, uh things like that. It’s been it’s been outstanding. You have Cam Ward at quarterback getting off to a hot start in this game with those young receivers. had all five of his starting offensive line that he was expected to have going into the season in front of him. You mentioned Spears and Pard. The more and more reps all of these guys get together, you would think the it’s going to yield a good result. Yeah, it’s 11 guys doing their job together. It doesn’t matter what phase it is. It’s it’s it’s 11 guys doing their job together and and great things will happen. Uh but if you have one breakdown, you never know where it’s going to be. It could be a protection up front. It could be a route. It could be a route depth, a route technique. Uh anything on defense. There’s a number of things that can come up. So, it’s just a matter of, you know, minimizing. I mean, listen, we’re all going to make some mistakes. As a play caller, uh, you know, there’s going to be some plays you always come you want back. That’s that’s that’s the game of football. But as players, hey, listen, there there’s a lot of talent out there. You’re going to get beat on one-on-one matchups, but it’s just a matter of doing your job the right way and giving your team the best chance to be successful. That’s the most important thing. Yeah. The New England Patriots last year, coach, went four and 13 and now this year they’re off to a 5-2 start. Drake May, their quarterback, is obviously playing at an elite level. I mentioned what they did last year because in many ch in many cases, you have to go through those growing pains with a rookie quarterback. How’s our rookie quarterback coming along? Well, he’s getting better and you know, the first half of the game, he played the game the way we really want him to and uh but he he but he’s working extremely hard and it’s tough. Uh there there’s been some great quarterbacks in this league that are Hall of Famers or going to be Hall of Famers uh that that early on in their career. There was the bumps and bruises they took. Uh it’s it’s part of the game. There’s so many things uh when you play certain teams, they want to do so many things that confuse you and there’s game plans that happen from week to week. You make some changes and that the most important thing is you try to figure out what what your players do best and go out there. But I really like the way we started as an offense and the way Cam moved the ball up and down the field early on in the game and we we got to be, you know, we got to do better in the second half. His eagerness and willingness to learn is something that you’ve referenced a number of times. And as you’re going through all of that, that’s the most important thing, right? Is your ability to look at what what went on, good and bad, and be willing to do the work to change it. Oh, yeah. In order to be great in this game, you got to love the game. You can’t just go out there and wing it. You got to love it. And you know, there’s so much preparation that goes into every Sunday. And you’ve got to be prepared the right way. That that’s the number one. You got to love coming in, watching the tape, you know, doing all the film study, looking at the game plan, talking to your coaching staff, you know, figuring out, okay, how are we attacking this team? What are we doing? And then and then most importantly, learn from your mistakes. You’re going to make some mistakes. Big deal. Move on. next play mentality, you know, just chalk that one up. Okay, if this happens again, uh because you’re always striving for perfection, but it’s tough to play a perfect game. Defensively, Cedric Gray has 50 tackles in the last four games. He’s a secondyear player out of the University of North Carolina. In some ways, he really feels like more of a rookie because he didn’t get a ton of reps last year, but this guy has played like a veteran this season. Well, you you talked about all those other players about loving the game. Sad loves to play the game. You see the way he practices out there. Uh he’s got the smile on his face having a good time flying around. You just really love the way that he plays downhill. When he sees a crease and he knows he’s supposed to be somewhere, he goes there in a hurry. Uh and he’s going to hit you. So, you just love what he’s doing and you love his want to. Uh but I but I think it goes to show you all the hard work he’s put into it. Uh and the work with his staff and what they’ve done with him. So, we’re very pleased with the way he’s playing. directly in front of him. You had your big, I guess you would call him a noseguard, at least in some defensive schemes, to Vandre Sweat in the back field with a sack against the Patriots. Love to see it. It’s great to have him back out there. You know, he he batt he worked extremely hard to get back out there. Uh and he did a nice job for us. So, just look for him to even get better this week. Now, special teams wise, coach, in a couple of years in New Nissan Stadium, we’re not going to have to worry about a front coming through as we will be indoors in New Nissan Stadium. But at least for now and for next year, that is still a factor, the elements. How big of a factor were they on Sunday? Well, it’s always different when you play outdoors and the weather’s like it was the other day. Um, when we had the ball second and six on the 27 yard line, I’ve never had so many discussions about kicking a field goal as we did, you know, back in New York, the old Giant Stadium back in the day with John Casey one day and I learned a tough or we learned a tough lesson. Uh, when John said the ball needed to be on a certain hash versus the other and you think it’s a gimme and all of a sudden there it goes. We then we had to win in overtime. Uh, so I that’s always stuck in the back of the mind. So, you know, I I sat uh talked a number of times with Bones during the game about where are we, you know, what does two yards mean? Uh, you know, do we need five yards? Where where where’s the starting point? Because then you flip it, go the other direction. It’s the complete opposite. Now, it’s a benefit. So, that’s always something. And I think I can’t thank Bones enough for the great communication we had during the game. And obviously, we rely on Joey to kind of say, “Yeah, this is where we need to get.” But it it got a little interesting at times and we will make decisions during games situationally because of that. Um so it was interesting but that that’s all part of it. That’s we we go into games when it’s like that saying hey you have to have a certain plan for it. He kicked a 50 yarder into that win too. Yeah. Yeah. So did a great job. Yeah. Are you a golfer? Do you do you ever uh worry about one club more or one club less? Well I I love to play golf. Uh, but the first day, you know, when Liv was born back in the days in Calgary and then Luke was born in Charlotte and I had kids, I kind of put my clubs away, uh, because I’d much rather spend the time with my kids and my wife, uh, than going out playing golf. So, uh, I I haven’t played a lot since being in this profession. Um, I I prefer going home, even though I do love to play. My wife says I should play more, but maybe that’s what she’s telling me. Hey, you know, no, but you know, I love playing, but I’m not that good to say. Hey, my dad’s a phenomenal. My dad’s probably the best golfer uh I’ve played with back in the, you know, he’s a little older now, but back in the days, he was unbelievable golfer. So, we played a lot of golf together, and I do love playing. Joey’s a great golfer, by the way. I’ve played some with him, and um and I know he’s probably thinking about those elements uh as he was making those field goals. And and again, like you said, when you’re outdoors, that is a big factor. your coach, your family was at the game, weren’t they? They were. They really enjoyed it. Great experience. Uh great environment. So, they had a good time. But they’re they’re my number one supporters that they’ll be at majority of the games when they can. Um my daughter’s working full-time now for Philadelphia Insurance. So, you know, she’s got a she’s got to, you know, she’s works full-time, so when she can get out here, she will. Or if she get on the road, go to certain road games, things like that. Uh and then Luke’s finishing up school at San Diego State and living in San Diego. So, but he’s out here all the time. and my wife loves going to the game. So, it was fun. We It was a great a good time. I know how close you are to them and how much they mean to you. And when you go through a wild week like you did last week, a big transitional period, having them to lean on as you go through this the rest of the season is vital. Well, no doubt. And the great thing is everyone talks about uh me doing this before so is my wife. So, you know, from a family perspective, uh, you know, of communicating with all the wives and families and things like that, and, you know, we’re here to help them also. Uh, it’s not just the coaches, but it’s the wives and families because we all have kids and certain things like that. So, we’ve done this together before. So, I’m very fortunate because I couldn’t I wouldn’t be able to do this without my family. Mike, last thing I want to reference are the three words you’re sharing with your team. if you would share that with our audience and why you’ve chosen those three words. Yeah. Well, we talked about playing, you know, when we play the game and we prepare, do everything, it’s it’s hard, tough, and together. Um, and we want to go out there and play extremely hard, fly around, uh, be and be known for the style, the way we’re going to play and and and work, you know, you can also throw work hard in there, you know, put all the time in, uh, to prepare so you go out there and be successful. And then when you talk about tough, it’s mentally and physically tough because there there’s a, you know, the mental part of this game is critical. You, you know, your mind’s a powerful thing. Um, and you want to go out there and, and you know, there’s going to be some adversity, but how how do you respond? And, and you know, how do you learn from adversity? And you know, it’s it’s not this is a this is a tough profession to be in for everybody involved. So, you just got to go out there with the right mindset doing certain things and obviously um the the physical part that speaks for itself about how you want to play. Um but you just want to work extremely hard. Uh be tough and then the most important thing is is togetherness. You know, sticking together through the ups and downs, you know, supporting each other, not just in the good times, but the tough times of, you know, hey, there there’s going to someone’s going to make a mistake at some point in time. Wrap your arm around them, encourage them. But we’re everybody in this organization, we’re all in this together and it’s critical we look at that and say, you know, hey, how do we help each other out and stick together and great things will happen. We’re fortunate to have you and your family here, coach. It’s great to be here. It’s an honor and privilege to be here. We’re going to have a great week. Let’s go. Let’s go up and get the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Best of luck this week, coach. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Thank you for having me. I’m Taylor Zarser. This has been the OTP.

Amie Wells and Taylor Zarzour break down how Interim Head Coach Mike McCoy is leading the Titans through transition — from fast starts and young player development to finding four quarters of consistency. Plus, exclusive insight from McCoy himself, Cedric Gray’s defensive emergence, and a look at the locker room culture that’s shaping Tennessee’s future.

00:00 – 06:07 Breaking down McCoy’s early impact on the Titans
06:08 – 08:02 Offense finding rhythm under new leadership
08:03 – 12:13 Injuries, adversity, and what it means for team chemistry
12:14 – 17:22 Young players and rookies stepping up
19:56 – 23:32 Mike McCoy joins Monday Night Titans
23:33 – 27:21 Developing the offense and building consistency
27:22 – 30:23 Defensive highlights & special teams stepping up
30:24 – 33:13 Locker room culture, family, and team mindset
33:14 – 35:43 Closing thoughts and McCoy’s message to the team

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