The OTP | Indianapolis Recap, Rookie Growth & Coach McCoy Interview

The OTP | Indianapolis Recap, Rookie Growth & Coach McCoy Interview

[Music] I’m Taylor Zarzer and this is the OTP. Sorry about your Missouri Tigers. I appreciate it. It was I mean it was a good game. I text Jim Wyatt, told him good game, friend. Congratulations, whatever. But it was a hell of a game. It was really fun to watch. With a backup quarterback, you came inches shy of continuing the game. But, uh, quite an atmosphere and congratulations to, uh, the Vanderbilt Commodores on the west side of Nashville for their excellent start to the season. Anchor down. Uh, w Titans and Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday. Second straight week that the Titans got off to a pretty good start, I would say, offensively moving the ball. Very competitive. Had a chance to make it a one-sore game right before halftime, but just couldn’t do it for 60 minutes. And I know Coach McCoy will talk about that. and trying to turn pockets of good play into a complete game of good play. That’s coming up. I bet you have a lot of good Indianapolis stories for us, either combine or uh Titans at Colts related. I have many Indianapolis stories. So, I lived there for a year when I worked for the Colts right before I came here. Um then we we travel up there obviously once a year. um spend anywhere from three days to five days to a week in Indianapolis for the combine depending on the weather. We have been snowed in there before. Um ice storms uh kept us there. One year we were waiting for Jaylen Ramsay and he was um he the Titans were supposed to pick him early early first overall in the draft and it was this big deal and it was very exciting and this was before we traded away the first overall pick. We’re supposed to pick up Jaylen Ramsay. Whoa, big deal. And so we were like, well, we’ve got to get an interview with this guy. Like we’ve got to find a way to to talk to him. He’s a local kid. He’s from Nashville. Like this perfect. So, we waited and waited and waited and waited and the ice starts falling outside and we waited and waited and we were like, “We’re not leaving this spot until he walks by.” 5 hours go by. It’s icing outside like everything is covered in ice. We’re watching cars just like because we’re at Lucas Oil Stadium at the time and we’re watching cars like slide off the road in front of us. We’re like, “That’s probably not great, but we’ve got to wait for Jaylen Ramsey.” Eventually, someone from NFL PR like get the league office comes out and goes, “Oh yeah, he’s not doing media.” And we had waited long enough that we were trapped. We couldn’t leave. Oh my gosh. So, we got we got some bonus innings in uh Indianapolis for the combine that year. But, oh yeah, I mean, tons of stories. Are you a St. Elmo’s fan? I am a St. Elmo’s fan. um love to go with coach Mack because he will buy shrimp cocktail not only for me but for everybody at the table whether they want it or not. Doesn’t care how however many people are at the table is however many shrimp cocktails he’s getting. That’s the kind of guy because he will eat it and I will eat it. And so between the two like when we’d go with a party of like six there’d be at least two or three people who wouldn’t eat it. So Mac and I just shovel it all into a pile and then he and I divvy up the shrimps and it’s spoiler alert real spicy if you’ve never been. Cocktail sauce is really spicy. That’s correct. Dave McInness is the only human in the world that I’ve ever seen put Tabasco sauce on the horseradish sauce. I was going to say because that’s really at St. Elmo’s the great steakhouse in Indianapolis is what we’re talking about by the way. Um, that is the most popular spot in Indianapolis and pretty touristy. I’m sure Indianapolis people would say you guys are We’ve got a bunch of other great restaurants. I’m sure they do, right? Um, but it’s very horsery. It is horseradish heavy. Yes, horseradish heavy. So, if that’s not something you enjoy, you would not like this. But, it is really tasty. You just have to take it in small bites because it makes your whole face hurt. Unless you’re Dave McInness, in which case it does nothing to your system. You don’t even feel it. He just eats it like it’s soup and puts tobasco on. Isn’t that funny? It’s crazy. The man’s got an iron just stomach. I wonder if it clears his sinuses like it does for you and me, you know? I don’t know. I don’t know what he feels and what he doesn’t, but it can’t be much. Well, I had a lot of fun with the Titans radio team all weekend, right? You guys were everywhere. We were we did that crazy Texas Mississippi State game on Saturday with that crazy come from behind win for Texas over Mississippi State. I’m sorry to Titans Radio’s Kevin Maloney, our statistician who’s a Mississippi State alum and he was standing next to me and he was like, “This is what we do. We blow these games.” Uh Jeff Simmons, Jeff Simmons on the plane ride home grabbed me and he’s like, “Come on, man. How did this happen?” Uh he was pretty disappointed by it as well. But um lots of stories to tell in the car ride to Starkville and back to Nashville and then to Indianapolis. Jim Wyatt jumped into the car uh on the way and came with us. Uh but I will since we’re giving shoutouts to restaurants, I don’t know why you ever would be, but if you ever do go near Starkville, Mississippi, who knows? Anony’s Steakhouse in West Point, Mississippi. We’ve always raved about this place. Our SEC crew has. But Rhett was there. And Rhett, I mean, Rhett was borderline emotional. Rhett Ryan of Titans Radio. Oh, yeah. And he was like this. He had the Cajun ribeye. Rhett loves a good meal now. Yeah. It was It was terrific. So, we ate well. That sounds good. All weekend long. Well, no matter where we were in many different cities, including in Indianapolis. And one other thought that I have before we get to the actual competition on the field is that Lucas Oil Stadium, great place. They hosted the Super Bowl, National Championship, Final Four. As we’re going to some of these places like Allegant Stadium in Las Vegas, or to uh State Farm Stadium, the house that Mack built in Glendale, Arizona, Titans victory there earlier this season, or to Lucas Oil Stadium. My mind keeps thinking about New Nissan Stadium. Yes. And I’m thinking, you know, on a dreary day like we’re having right now, it’s going to be pretty nice to be in there. Like, I know that they can open up Lucas Oil Stadium if they want to. I I’m pretty excited about being indoors, I have to say. Well, okay. So, here’s the thing. They have the ability to open that stadium. Yes. A It’s always broken. Like, always broken. Is that right? Cuz it takes 11 minutes, they say. Uh-huh. And it’s But you don’t believe them? Well, no. I believe them cuz I’ve seen them do it, but the mechanism always it’ll like it breaks a lot. So then there’s also the the part of it that’s like the competitive advantage part of it where like one time it was really really cold and so the outside and so they decided to open the roof because maybe maybe that would give them an advantage but they’re used to playing inside and we’re used to playing outside, right? That didn’t work and it didn’t work and they ended up freezing out the refs. The refs were cold. They didn’t have anything to wear. the Colts didn’t have anything to give them because they were trying to find their own benchwarmers because they didn’t know it was going to be open. But like, so the whole thing just becomes a circus most of the time. Um, so I’m glad that the new Nissan Stadium is going to have a consistent roof. We know what to expect. We know what it’s going to be and you can just focus on what you’re doing on the field and not worrying about the elements. Yeah, I’m with you. I’m really pumped about it. And I think about all the big events. I’ve actually attended some of those big events at at Lucas Oil Stadium, including the final four. I was there when um Wisconsin beat Kentucky in the final four. Kentucky was 38 and0, Amy. It was one of the best teams ever. 200 I’m going to say 15. Okay. And sounds good. And uh Kentucky lost in the semi-final in the final four to Wisconsin. And um that was probably a Kentucky heavy crowd given the proximity to Kentucky. Yeah. Wow. Anyway, um been to been to some final four games in there, Super Bowls and national championships in there. It’s just going to be great to have all of that here in Nashville. The city is built for big events. I will say Indianapolis never moved the combine. You guys know I feel this way. But like it’s the city is built for big events. It’s so walkable. It’s so easy to get everywhere. The infrastructure is there. Kind of like here. Yeah. It’s so easy. And you know where is easy slash better? Nashville, Tennessee. That’s I We have a pedestrian bridge to do to all of to all everything to all of those things that you just referenced and more. So very walkable, very easy, very delightful. And look, um what’s happening on the field is hard to go through. It is. Um I I I continue to say the excitement and the enthusiasm we have for all these young guys is real. and and all of the onfield uh time on task as coach Mack says all of the time on task that Cam Ward, Chim DK, Elio Manor, Gunner Helm, Kevin Winston that those guys are getting, all these first year players are getting is going to be really pay off in the future. Helm first professional touchdown. Kevin Winston really making an impact on defense for the first time in his brief NFL career. Yeah, Jim DK wild. I mean, this guy, not just a specialist. Yeah, he’s awesome on on offense in El Iowa Manor. Caught multiple catches in all eight games he’s played. Those are real. Those are real things. Cam Ward, all the all the experience that he’s getting out there on the field is real. But you do, Amy, you want you really for those kids and for everybody on the team, you want them to experience winning because I think while you’re developing and you’re getting all these reps, winning is important, too. And I know Coach McCoy is going to talk about that here in just a moment. Yeah, it it’s an interesting place where the Titans find themselves right now because you have to think about the construction of this roster a little bit, the way it’s built, and a lot of it is by no fault of anybody. It’s just the circumstances that we’re in right now. Tremendous amount of rookie players. Rookie players, the people who this time last year were finishing up their college seasons who are now the starters on this team. Typically on a roster, you see a couple rookies who start maybe, but mostly it’s veteran players who have, you know, done this before. Um, and the veteran players on this team right now, the guys who you’re really leaning on to make an impact are dealing with some pretty real injuries right now. That’s just the the reality of the situation. So, the people filling in for those are more young players, more people who weren’t with this team three months ago, let alone a year or two ago. So, there’s just so much new on the field representing the Tennessee Titans right now. It is just a statement of fact. It’s not an excuse. It’s not it’s not anything. That’s just that’s where the team is right now. Young players, people who are new to this system, new to what’s going on here, and a new person in that head coaching role, all trying to figure it out together. And sometimes it’s tough. Sometimes it’s tough. It is. And and you’re right, it’s not an excuse, but it is. It’s part of the story. Part of the story is Jeffrey Simmons didn’t play in the game against the Indianapolis Colts. He’s playing at the highest level of anyone that’s lining up against an offense in the National Football League. Ardan Key is one of the best, if not the best pass rushers the Titans have. He didn’t play. Y in the secondarily Jarius Sneed did not play and you had injuries in the game too to that uh to that group. So that is that’s a part of it. Calvin Ridley is banged up. Calvin, just as an example, Calvin Ridley, Jeff Simmons, and Ardan Key all really, really want to get back on the football field. They are all locked into the game on Sunday. Very much want to get out there and be part of the competition in the future, whether it’s against the Chargers or at some other point in November. But yeah, that is that’s a that’s a real part of what the Titans are experiencing right now. We’ll talk to Coach McCoy more about that in just a moment. But first, let’s hear the Pinnacle moment of the game. That’s Pinnacle Bank, the official bank of your Tennessee Titans. Sign up for Titans Banking exclusively at Pinnacle. Visit titansbanking.com. Member FDIC. Guess what we get to do, Amy? What? Stay in Nashville all of November. Isn’t that so nice? Really, really exciting. There’s no place like home. Do you know that like and I I should tell you this more often when I first came into this building and since I’ve come into this building, you have been so good to me and I’m very thankful for you. But you had this great you have it right now, but you had this great smile on your face. You were so welcoming and you asked me about all the things I was excited about in doing this job and coming here. One of them as the schedule came out was being in Nashville in November. November is here. Yes. And I I really did like I had this on a marker on my calendar like circled the whole month in like red. There’s four games that in five weeks that the Titans play and the Titans are not leaving Nashville. That’s a wonderful thing. And I and look, I really really want the Titans to win. Uh I want them to win for their fans. I want them to win for the for themselves. But um it is it’s wonderful. You also want to sleep in your own bed. I very much want to sleep in my own bed. Yes. I know you do, too. Yes, very much so. Yes. All right. Well, uh, coming up next, Coach McCoy is going to join us. Mike McCoy, the interim head coach of the Titans, a little bit later on in the program. 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. Helmans, the official mayo of the Tennessee Titan. This summer, SeatGeek has your ticket to the best live concerts in Nashville at Nissan Stadium. SeatGeek makes it easy to catch world conquering tours and highwiders 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. Coach, we’ve been talking about this for the last couple of weeks. Getting off to a good start is critical. And once again, the team was competitive in the first half against the Colts. In fact, it felt like it was a closer game than really the score would reflect at halftime. How did you feel about the way the first 30 minutes went? Well, there’s there is the ups and downs. You know, you always look at it to see how, you know, how do you finish? And you know, we got to a certain, you know, you were down uh 7 to 17, you know, going into we had 26 26 seconds left and Cam made that amazing throw and it was, you know, and then we had the down clock situation with perfect execution of getting that, you know, possibility knowing that we get the ball to start the second half. So, uh, you know, I think there’s some really good things that we did. you know, defense got settled in and had the couple stops there at the end of the second quarter and then the offense, you know, was doing it was being efficient and, you know, Cam was doing an outstanding job. You saw some of those throws and the plays that he made and uh it was very encouraging. It it was and and crossed midfield four of the five times against the Colts at least to start the game and and then came out in the second half after not being able to make that field goal and you drive into into Colts territory. Yep. And I know the thinking is is all right, well the drive stalls, try to pin them deep. Your defense was really playing well over the course of the last few series. They were on the field pressuring Daniel Jones, but a touchback happens in the big play of the game. Yeah, unfortunately that’s one I wish I had back. You You know, I wanted to initially go for it, then we got stuffed in the run. I changed my mind and I regret that. That’s that’s one of those plays you always, you know, you you make decisions uh and it didn’t work. actually always look back and say, you know, I, you know, that that’s one that I look back, you know, after the game or even after it happened said, I should have just gone for it. Put in the players hands on offense and let Cam and those guys go make a play and get a first down. So, that’s on me. But in but the reasoning was, hey, if we can pin them inside the 10 or the five, the defense, talk about the way they were playing in that moment because that factored into your decision, you’d seen some real progress as the game had gone on from your defensive unit. Yeah, we’ve we’ve got a great punter and I thought we could pin them deep. Um, you know, once you make that decision to punt it, you can pin them deep and then get a stop and we have good field position, go down and score offensively because we were doing a nice job offensively. Uh, but unfortunately, you know, I made the wrong decision there. So, that’s on me. Draymond Jones has had a sack coach in three consecutive games. Um, you were getting some pressure on Daniel Jones before that long Taylor run happened. Yeah, they did the nice job. um some nice design uh pressures that we had getting after him uh because he’s a very efficient quarterback. You can’t just let him sit back there. He he’s doing a heck of a job. I think Shane’s done an outstanding job of, you know, putting the plans together for Daniel and him going out and executing, you know, give them credit. They they made a ton of contested catches. Yes, they did. You know, we were right there and, you know, uh Dinard’s got a certain call and it’s you think it’s wired and they go up and jump and make a big play and and that’s going to happen. That’s that’s the game in the NFL. There’s good players all around, but you know, they they made all those contested catches in tight coverage. And the ball bounced their way, too. They they made the contested catches, but one time a ball hits a a receiver and the helmet goes right into his hands, you know, on a ball where you’re thinking, “Okay, here’s a chance for a Titans to get a turnover.” That that’s that’s the game is is when it’s going your way, those things happen. And you’ve you’ve I’ve been on both ends of it. And when when you’re playing at a very high high level, guys are making plays. When those tip balls go up in the air, somehow, you know, that that’s that’s how they’re playing and that’s what they make. That’s what the good teams do. They make those plays. Let me ask you one thing about the Colts before we move on and exclusively concentrate on the Titans now and and moving forward. The team is seven and one and Daniel Jones is having the season of his career. You’re an offensive guy. I know you have a lot of respect for Shane Stiken, their play caller and head coach. They’ve got a tail back who quite possibly could be the MVP of the league through eight games this year and Jonathan Taylor. What do you think about them as we don’t have to play them anymore? What do you think about the Colts? Well, Jonathan’s an outstanding back and what you saw he is he he may we we missed a number of tackles, but it just goes to show you how talented he is the way he runs what they’ve done. Uh but like I mentioned earlier, Shane’s done an outstanding job there of designing the system and doing what his players do best. when I said of of moving guys around, putting guys in a position. You know, you watch our game, you see a lot of the same plays that they’ve been running all year long and just making plays and you know how they counter off a certain the multiple looks they give you and just mix in all the formations, running the same plays and uh but he he’s done an outstanding job of putting those guys in a position to be successful and it all starts with the quarterback play. You know, Daniel’s very efficient in what he’s done. I know he’s a student of the game and just the way he’s gone out and executed. he’s played at a very high level and protected the ball and then of course on the defense side of the ball it’s easy to call the games and you have the two three score leads all the time. So Lou Lou’s done a great job of mixing everything. That’s what he’s always done uh of mixing things up, giving you different looks and um you know I think but Cam did a nice job of settling in yesterday and executing the system more often than not. These reps that Cam Ward is getting at quarterback. Coach Dave McGinness that’s part of our radio team calls it time on task. the the experience that he’s getting that Chim DK, Gunner, Alec, Io Manor, all these young guys that are playing their first games in the National Football League. How much does that help your development moving forward? There’s nothing like experience. You can never get enough snaps um early on in your career because you just get better and you know, the game starts to slow down at some point in time. Um, but especially at the quarterback position, there’s so many things that are thrown at you. Um, that you just got to learn and you just got to you just keep coaching them every day. Every rookie, I mean, all the whole entire team, but it’s just like the rookie players, they’re learning and you want to just get them so they can play fast. There’s so many moving parts. The speed of the game is different. um if you’re on the defensive side of the ball, just the communication of how it happens so quickly, you know, with change of formation strength and here comes a motion again coming back at you if it goes from one call to another call back to the original call. Uh so there’s you you can’t have enough reps ever as a player just to, you know, so you play you feel more comfortable and the game slows down for you. And then the other thing is too is playing with new teammates that that’s something you have to get used to. You know, you always talk about the offense and defensive lines. It’s, you know, from week to week there’s changes and some people say this team’s struggling. Well, it’s like, you know, they haven’t been working the combination blocks together or they were haven’t working the pick games together. Uh, so that that all takes time and it’s experience working together and, you know, playing together, whether you’re a veteran or a rookie, really. 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. Coach, on the Titans social handles and on the on their website on tennessytitens.com, they had Tim DK miked up against the New England Patriots. And of course, he scored his first touchdown in that game. And there was a lot of conversation going on between Chim and Ellio Manor. And going to practice each day, I’ve seen that quite a bit this season. And you just talked about developing a chemistry with your teammates, getting to know them. It it feels like that these guys really have connected, the two of them, your your rookie starting receivers that you have. Yeah, they they really have. I think the whole entire rookie class uh on offense. I’m speaking offensively because of it with Cam um and Gunner, you know, they just they spend so much time together. When we break meetings, whatever time we finish the day, you always see them in together. Uh when they came in there in the offseason program, you’d walk by certain meeting rooms, they were in there together. They spent a lot of time together. But I but I think that’s critical to anyone’s success is in a football team. It’s the culture you’re building in being together because there’s the adversity you face during the year or in the skilled position, the communication on how you want to do things. You know, I always tell Camas, listen, we’re coaching, but you guys are playing, so if there’s ever anything you see, you got to make sure that you can be upfront and honest with these guys and and you know, hey, this is how we want to do it. Um, but you just you just see those it’s great to see those two guys um Chim and Ell just the way they work together and the way they communicate in and out of the huddle the way they are in practice because that’s what it’s all about. It’s the relationships you build and everything and you know when guys get older and they walk away from the game. It’s not just the game that they miss, but it’s all the relationships. It’s the fun you have in the locker room, the road trips, uh you know, your families become one. You know, it it’s it’s an unbelievable profession, not just for the game, but the friendships that you build for a lifetime. It it’s well said and it’s it’s honestly it’s the best part of the fellowship, the the friendships that you have in the National Football League. Coach, I I know that developing these guys, creating a culture is really important to you, but I also know winning is important to you. How much do you want that for these guys as the season continues? That’s all you That’s all you want. You want These guys work so hard. They really do. And that’s what I said after the game. I, you know, I told these guys, you know, I can’t ask anything else from them during the week the week. I mean, they practiced their tails off. I mean, the tempo we go when we pick it up, what they’ve done, um, you know, really from the first day I got here, watching these guys work back in, you know, the offseason program training camp, uh, they’ve given it all they’ve got. And you know, you see the time that they’re in the meeting rooms, the questions they ask, the detail, you know, the way they want to be coached hard. You know, you see all those things and you know that they they fight through injuries. You know, it’s just unfortunate we haven’t played our best football on Sunday yet and we got to do a better job of that. And it’s and we got to coach better, too. So, we’re all in this thing together. Uh but you just want so bad for the players for them to, you know, there’s nothing like a locker room after winning regardless what the score is. it if they work so hard, they deserve to win. So that that’s what we got to do moving forward. We got to find a way to get that win and so everyone gets what they deserve. I’ve covered your teams from afar and now getting to know you and working with you, I I can see that when there’s an injury, you have to have the attitude with your coaching staff and with your players that it’s next man up. We can’t dwell on that injury. But if you’re talking to the outside world, coach, and you’re just looking at this objectively, is it fair to say the Titans have had a significant amount of injuries so far this season? Well, everyone has injuries through the year. That that’s the league. Um, you look at all across the league, there’s a number of teams are missing players. Um, we’re missing some great players. We really are. Um, but I always look at there, hey, no one’s going to feel sorry for us on Sundays. We got to go out and play. And the one message I always have the team, it’s an opportunity for somebody else to step up. I mean, Jeff is one of the best players in the entire National Football League. And you see it week in and week out. The way he plays, the way he practices, you just don’t replace him, you know. But it’s a great example for other players to look at and say, “This is this is what it’s this is what it looks like to be a great player in the NFL. when you turn the tape on, look how he look how he plays. Look how he practices, right? You know, look at who’s on the sideline cheering guys on and, you know, complimenting the offensive guys. It’s it’s him. He’s there. He’s a true pro. He knows how to do it. And that that’s what you feel for those veteran players that work so hard. That’s why you want to win so bad for these guys is they just work so hard and it’s just but you just can’t replace those guys. It’s it’s it’s an opportunity for guys to step up and guys have a job to do. So, they got to we get, you know, we got to get those as coaches, we got to get those players ready, the next man up mentality, and that’s our job. Last thing I want to do with you, coach, is talk about the Chargers, which you know quite a bit about with your history. As someone that used to live in Charlotte, like you, I got to know John Fox quite well. Foxy, if you’re listening, I think you owe me a few dollars on the golf course, and I’m not kidding. Um, and you uh, of course, had a lot of fun working with him, with the Panthers, and a number of other staff members. You went to Denver with Foxy as well for a couple of years before you became the head coach of the Chargers. Take us back to when you got a call from the Spanos family to become the head coach of what are now the Los Angeles Chargers then the San Diego Chargers. Well, unfortunately, uh, we just lost a playoff game to Baltimore. You know, we we’re the number one seed in Denver and unfortunately um we didn’t win that game, the divisional playoff game and got beat. um that you know, give them credit. Uh we got beat by a good football team and uh we were sitting in the parking lot afterwards and all of a sudden uh my phone rang and it was my agent and I’m going okay and I talked to him for a second and he said that the Chargers uh wanted to talk to me and so I had to quickly tell my wife and my family and everybody else that was in the parking lot I had to go. I didn’t tell anyone why and we drove off and kind of talked to my agent and figured out a plan. um you know and so a couple days later cuz I wanted to make sure I go back to the exit meetings uh in Denver first before I flew out and so I did that and then I flew out to uh San Diego and met the Chargers and became the head coach. But what a what an honor and privilege it was to work with such a great organization. Uh my wife, my family and I, we owe so much to the Spanos family uh for the opportunity they gave us. Uh what what a great place to be. Uh, we still have our house in San Diego now. And I’m obvious I’m a Northern California kid. So, uh, we love San Diego. Uh, we loved everything about it. We had a, it was an unbelievable organization. So many great players. I go on and on. Uh, the list of great players we had there. Um, but just the be the ability to coach, you know, Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, Eric Wed, Nick Hart, I mean, I go on, like I said, uh, a number of great players. Uh, you know, we’re going to face Keenan Allen this week. We drafted Keenan Allen. Uh, so it’s it’s just it was a special place. Um, you know, Ed Magcguire, uh, Tom Tlesco was the GM, Jeannie Bon, uh, there’s like I mean, it’s just an unbelievable place and I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to leave their to lead their organization. So, each each challenge is different in the NFL. Coach, what do you think of this addition of the Chargers? Well, they’re very talented. Um, they’ve got a great coaching staff. Uh, funny thing is, uh, coach I I he was I coached him in Carolina, his last team, Jim Harbaugh. That’s right. Yeah. Way back in the day. So, he came there at the end, you know, for a little bit of time there in Carolina. So, it’s a well coached staff. When I my first uh job, I had their offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, uh, was on the offensive staff in Carolina with George Seafford. So, they’ve got a great staff and, you know, they’ve got a phenomenal quarterback. You know, he’s one of the best in the business. Uh Keenan Allen has been a star in this league for a long time. So they’re very talented. Uh they got a good defense, very well coached. So we got to go and play our best game this week. I hope you have a great week of practice, coach, as you get ready for that game coming up on Sunday. Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert, and the Chargers here at 10:00 Pacific time. Maybe they’re a little tired as it’ll be noon central here in Nashville. Coach, thank you very much. We appreciate it. I’m Taylor Zarser. This has been the OTP. [Music]

The OTP crew breaks down the Titans’ trip to Indianapolis — Interim Head Coach Mike McCoy joins the show to discuss the Colts game, rookie development, and what’s next for the Titans as they prepare for the Chargers. Subscribe for more Titans content and weekly OTP episodes!

00:00 – 00:55 — Intro
00:55 – 03:05 — Indianapolis Memories & Combine Stories
03:05 – 05:35 — Saint Elmo’s Shrimp Cocktail Tradition
05:35 – 06:00 — Road Trips & Mississippi Eats
06:00 – 08:53 — Lucas Oil Stadium & Nissan Stadium Talk
08:53 – 10:09 — Rookies Rising: Titans’ Young Core
10:09 – 13:05 — Growing Pains & Injury Impact
13:05 – 15:09 — Home in Nashville: November Stretch
15:09 – 20:00 — Coach McCoy Joins the OTP
20:00 – 23:00 — Colts Recap & Decision Review
23:00 – 25:09 — Rookie Chemistry & Locker Room Bonds
25:09 – 27:44 — Winning Culture & Team Adversity
27:44 – 28:45 — Overcoming Injuries & Next-Man-Up
28:45 – 30:19 — McCoy on His Chargers Days
30:19 – 31:17 — Facing the Chargers & Final Thoughts

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