Speaker 1: Welcome to the twenty twenty regular season, and welcome officially
Speaker 1: to season two of Playmakers. I'm your host, Haley Elwood.
Speaker 1: If you're returning as a listener, thank you so much
Speaker 1: for coming back. If you're new, welcome, so excited to
Speaker 1: be back. Season one was pretty much everything I could
Speaker 1: have envisioned an more and it's gonna be hard to
Speaker 1: talk with season two, but my first guest of the year,
Speaker 1: she'll probably do that. She'll do a really good job
Speaker 1: at that. Please welcome in Chargers Radio sideline reporter, friend
Speaker 1: of the show, which I can say now, and one
Speaker 1: of my favorite people, Shannon Farren. Shannon, how are you?
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, we're doing this? Are we doing this?
Speaker 1: We're doing this? So excited. I really thought I spent
Speaker 1: the whole summer not to get excited about football season
Speaker 1: as a defense mechanism, thinking like, there's no way we're
Speaker 1: gonna be able to pull this off, there's no way
Speaker 1: the league's going to figure it out, We're gonna have
Speaker 1: no football until the spring. And now it's happening, and
Speaker 1: I couldn't be more excited. We need this. Yeah, I mean,
Speaker 1: that's the thing. You and I are huge NFL fans,
Speaker 1: football fans, despite the jobs that we have, but just
Speaker 1: how good is it to kind of get back to
Speaker 1: this Although it feels though, even though I've been out
Speaker 1: of training camp, like it's kind of just falling out
Speaker 1: of the sky and it's here. It's gonna be odd
Speaker 1: not having a preseason, you know. We talk about it
Speaker 1: every year. The players talk about the ridiculousness of having
Speaker 1: four preseason games and you think about the injuries and
Speaker 1: the loss is there. Historically, it's just not worth it.
Speaker 1: It's not worth it, you know. Yeah, fans complain about
Speaker 1: it too because they've got to pay the full ticket
Speaker 1: price for those games that mean nothing. Well, you ask
Speaker 1: for it. We're going to have it this year. So
Speaker 1: Week one is really going to be telling I guess
Speaker 1: to say the least, Yeah, we'll get to Chargers football
Speaker 1: and what we'll see on the field in a little bit,
Speaker 1: but just to kind of start to me. I don't
Speaker 1: know if bittersweet is the right word, but what I
Speaker 1: will say, as exciting as it is to get to football,
Speaker 1: roles are very different this year. Your role, my role.
Speaker 1: A lot of people who are used to covering football,
Speaker 1: reporting on football, the landscapes change for twenty twenty, obviously
Speaker 1: for good reason to keep everyone safe. For you personally
Speaker 1: as the charger sideline reporter, big picture, what does twenty
Speaker 1: twenty happen store for you in terms of how you're
Speaker 1: going to be covering this team on Sundays? You know
Speaker 1: what I think I'm going to find out as it
Speaker 1: happened there, you go, sure what's going to happen. I
Speaker 1: do know I'm going to be an according to off
Speaker 1: air Yea at the stadium. I don't know if it'll
Speaker 1: be on the sideline. You know, we've seen with the
Speaker 1: Dodgers and a lot of Rizzo. She's up in a
Speaker 1: suite by herself looking at monitors. I'm not sure where
Speaker 1: we're going to be at the stadium. But it's going
Speaker 1: to be not the same as roving the sideline and
Speaker 1: getting all the inside into what's going on with the
Speaker 1: game and changes in how they're going to attack their opponent.
Speaker 1: Sometimes you get to be privy to the discussions between
Speaker 1: coaches and their player groups, and that's not going to happen.
Speaker 1: So it really changes the entire role of sideline reporter. Obviously,
Speaker 1: like you know, we have our storylines heading into each week,
Speaker 1: what happened in practice, who's out for the week, who's
Speaker 1: going to have to step up. All of those things
Speaker 1: will remain the same. But in terms of getting injury
Speaker 1: updates and being able to run over to the action
Speaker 1: and see exactly what happened and how somebody is doing,
Speaker 1: it's going to be completely different. But like you said,
Speaker 1: we get to be in the arena, you know, we
Speaker 1: get to be there, which is saying something away. Games
Speaker 1: will be different because we're not traveling with the team.
Speaker 1: I will be in a studio in Burbank watching the
Speaker 1: monitor like all of the fans will again with the
Speaker 1: same kind of storylines. But I've been able to give
Speaker 1: you that live action report. You mentioned the storylines, But
Speaker 1: obviously you're not getting sweat on, you're not getting cursed out.
Speaker 1: You can't hear things from the distance anymore, from the
Speaker 1: short distance that you used to have. How else are
Speaker 1: you maybe sort of changing your approach to how you're
Speaker 1: covering this season or is it really just going to
Speaker 1: kind of be You're thrown into the fire and you're
Speaker 1: going to sort of figure it out from there. I
Speaker 1: think it'll be more preparation. I think I'll dig more
Speaker 1: into those storylines and player profiles and things like that,
Speaker 1: interesting things about these guys that maybe you don't know
Speaker 1: about that I can bring to you as opposed to
Speaker 1: doing those injury updates and things that I'd normally jump
Speaker 1: in the broadcast with. So I'm just going to try
Speaker 1: and be more prepared heading into each week in terms
Speaker 1: of the insight and the in depth stuff that we
Speaker 1: share with all the fans. Now you mention it, you're
Speaker 1: not traveling, I will not be on the road this year.
Speaker 1: One of our favorite things to do a lot of
Speaker 1: people's favorite things to do when they go on the road, though,
Speaker 1: is try the food of the city that they're at
Speaker 1: that's native to the city that they're at. You would
Speaker 1: post it on Instagram, some skyline chili ingredients, and so
Speaker 1: I have to ask number one, have you made it yet?
Speaker 1: And number two is this going to continue? Because I
Speaker 1: feel like I need this content. I mean, we got
Speaker 1: New Orleans on the docket this year. There's a lot
Speaker 1: of good stuff you could make from home with that.
Speaker 1: Oh oh yeah, I mean, hand me my jumbalaya and
Speaker 1: my gumbo. I'm ready to go with my catfish. Poe boy.
Speaker 1: I'm all for New Orleans. Hey, listen, we're not going
Speaker 1: to miss out on this, all right. I Am going
Speaker 1: to order food from and I've got a great Cajun
Speaker 1: food place in Carson Atle Arrows by the way or
Speaker 1: Darrow's New Orleans. Girl, I think it's called now but
Speaker 1: in saying Cajun food if you're into it. But yes,
Speaker 1: I just got the high line chili order delivered by
Speaker 1: Amazon today. And I just left a bag with a
Speaker 1: couple of cans and some crackers for Matt money Smith
Speaker 1: in his studio down the hall, so that we don't
Speaker 1: miss out on the road treats that we usually have.
Speaker 1: That's what we do, you know. So I'm gonna try
Speaker 1: and keep that tradition alive. Unfortunately, I know that you
Speaker 1: know this about me. No brought left behind. I have
Speaker 1: brought worse in every stadium. And that is really the
Speaker 1: heartbreaker of the season that I'm gonna have to miss
Speaker 1: out on that. Yeah, the stadium meats are put on
Speaker 1: pause for twenty twenty, that's for sure. That is the
Speaker 1: line of day. Yeah, you're welcome for that. I do
Speaker 1: have to say, I love though that you're getting money involved,
Speaker 1: you know, DJ by Proxy Food aside in terms of
Speaker 1: your relationship with those two in that working relationship, How
Speaker 1: good is it to have that rapport that you've established
Speaker 1: over these last couple of years when even though you're
Speaker 1: not next to them on game days on the road,
Speaker 1: you're going to be in different places. Well, and I
Speaker 1: think that you just hit the nail on the head
Speaker 1: because we're traveling together and you and I know this,
Speaker 1: like our bond is so strong because we're throw kind
Speaker 1: of cities in the dead of winter, sometimes in snowstorms
Speaker 1: where we have to look out for each other and
Speaker 1: sometimes we're dumb and we when I mean me, We're
Speaker 1: heels to Denver in December in a snowstorm and you know,
Speaker 1: I might I might fall down on the runway and
Speaker 1: you're always there to pick me up. So it's like
Speaker 1: those kinds of experiences really create solid friendships. And DJ
Speaker 1: and Matt it's no different, you know. One of them
Speaker 1: our favorite things to do. My favorite things to do
Speaker 1: is go to a new stadium or we haven't been,
Speaker 1: or we haven't been in a while, haven't been in
Speaker 1: a season or two or three, and figure out how
Speaker 1: to get to the press box because it is a
Speaker 1: situation to get to the broadcast boos and press boxes,
Speaker 1: because every stadium it's different. Neverthe can come in from
Speaker 1: a mile away on the opposite end of the stadium
Speaker 1: like a Jerry's world, and it's an adventure. It is
Speaker 1: a fact finding mission and it really does bring you
Speaker 1: closer together, especially when it's like, you know, six am
Speaker 1: Pacific time. Yep. How excited are you to work a
Speaker 1: game from Sofi Stadium in week two? I should say,
Speaker 1: which is the home opener? I am so excited that
Speaker 1: stadium is so beautiful. I just meant in Jerry's world,
Speaker 1: this thing is so much more beautiful. I mean it
Speaker 1: really does look futuristic, like something that's not in twenty
Speaker 1: twenty or twenty twenty one or whenever everyone ever to
Speaker 1: see it. But it's gorgeous. I've heard that everything is
Speaker 1: top of the line. I thought that there's a Champagne
Speaker 1: are there that I wouldn't be able to go to
Speaker 1: because I'd be working, But that's exciting for fans. I
Speaker 1: think there's a Sequila bar two. There are a lot
Speaker 1: of fun things that you and I will probably not
Speaker 1: be partaking in our jobs on game day, but for
Speaker 1: the fan, great experience, absolutely that place at the oculus alone, though,
Speaker 1: Giants strain is just gorgeous and you can see the
Speaker 1: players how much they love it. All Right, so let's
Speaker 1: get to this Chargers team on the field. Have to
Speaker 1: start a quarterback different Philip Rivers no longer here, Tyrod
Speaker 1: Taylor taking the reins. We know about his familiarity with
Speaker 1: Anthony Lynn. You saw him last year in the preseason.
Speaker 1: What are your impressions of him and what he'll be
Speaker 1: able to do in command of this offense? Absolutely solid,
Speaker 1: a great leader. I had spoken to him for the
Speaker 1: first time interviewing him last preseason, and I was struck
Speaker 1: by Wow, this is a guy who's got a lot
Speaker 1: of patience to be in a backup role because he
Speaker 1: has all the tools to be QB one. I think
Speaker 1: that the strength of the offensive line has improved, especially
Speaker 1: on the right side. I mean, I'm really excited to
Speaker 1: see how explosive that Tyro Taylor could be. Yeah, So
Speaker 1: he's got a great weapon in Keenan Allen, who recently
Speaker 1: got a contract extension. Why is he able to produce
Speaker 1: at such a high level to make him truly one
Speaker 1: of the best wide receivers in this league? It's the
Speaker 1: route running. You're not going to find anybody that questions
Speaker 1: that he's the best route runner in the NFL. Also,
Speaker 1: as your wide receiver coach will tell you he blocks yes,
Speaker 1: so that's always helpful. And he has been so fun.
Speaker 1: Haley during this camp is watching Iron sharp and iron
Speaker 1: you know, with Chris Harris and Keenan Allen. And you've
Speaker 1: seen these guys go up against each other in the
Speaker 1: AFC West for years, years, and now you see him
Speaker 1: in practice and you can just tell there's like there's
Speaker 1: still that animosity a little bit, and they love it
Speaker 1: and they're feeding off of it and they're just making
Speaker 1: each other better. And you bring up a good point
Speaker 1: with Keenan Allen too, I mean time and timing. He
Speaker 1: puts up those numbers, you know, And I'm so happy
Speaker 1: that he was able to come to a deal, that
Speaker 1: Tom Sealsco and Dean Spanus were able to come to
Speaker 1: the table and let him know how valued he is.
Speaker 1: And I think with Keenan and Joey and Melvin all
Speaker 1: feeling valued by the team, that is going to go
Speaker 1: a long way settling everyone down in their position and
Speaker 1: making them want it even more. I think totally and
Speaker 1: here's another guy, Austin Eckler. He got a contract new
Speaker 1: contract this offseason. You have had really a front row
Speaker 1: seat to his career from when he started out as
Speaker 1: an undrafted free agent to getting a spot on the
Speaker 1: fifty three thanks to that preseason game in San Francisco,
Speaker 1: to where he is today. He's the guy now. You
Speaker 1: know he's leading this running back stable. But what do
Speaker 1: you make of that unit with him? Justin Jackson, Joshua
Speaker 1: Kelly who they drafted out in UCLA. Kelly's been absolutely
Speaker 1: fun to watch at camp as Justin as he just
Speaker 1: stay healthy, He's a lot of a lot of fun too.
Speaker 1: We saw what he could do back in Pittsburgh a
Speaker 1: couple of seasons ago. And Austin Eckler, I'll tell you,
Speaker 1: I mean you said that Priesason game in San Francisco.
Speaker 1: I's got chills thinking about it because it was one
Speaker 1: of those games where he stood out and he wanted
Speaker 1: it so bad, and he stood out on special teams
Speaker 1: and that's what you have to do to make the roster.
Speaker 1: And I remember standing on the sidelines and I had
Speaker 1: done a bunch of background on him. I thought that
Speaker 1: maybe he might have a big game because it was
Speaker 1: one of the last ones and they were trying to
Speaker 1: figure out who was going to make that roster. And
Speaker 1: I remember talking to Matt and d Hardwick, who was
Speaker 1: the analyst at the time, about how this was a
Speaker 1: kid who grew up with a stepdad who was unforgiving
Speaker 1: and he would plant miles of fences and work sun
Speaker 1: up to sundown, and how this work ethic has been
Speaker 1: engraved in him for his whole life, and just watching
Speaker 1: that then comparing it to Jerry Rice who said that,
Speaker 1: you know, his father was a bricklayer and he used
Speaker 1: to catch bricks and being a forty nine ers analogy
Speaker 1: kind of thing too, and being so happy for him.
Speaker 1: And I'll tell you, no one is harder on themselves
Speaker 1: than Austin Ecker. If he makes a mistake, god forbid
Speaker 1: he fumbles, he is so hard on himself. So I'm
Speaker 1: really excited to see how he's going to be as
Speaker 1: the featured back. We are already seeing him take more
Speaker 1: of a leadership role in the locker room and in
Speaker 1: that running back room, so I'm stoked. I'm excited to
Speaker 1: see what he can do. And also don't sleep on
Speaker 1: him in terms of receiving yards be totally. I think
Speaker 1: he was just behind Christian McCaffrey in the league when
Speaker 1: it comes to that number last year. Now, moving to
Speaker 1: the defense, and fortunately we can't talk about the Chargers
Speaker 1: defense without talking about the loss of Durwin James. However,
Speaker 1: I'm not going to call it a silver lining, but
Speaker 1: is there a benefit that this team has gone through
Speaker 1: a period of time knowing what their defense is like
Speaker 1: without him given his injury in twenty nineteen, But now
Speaker 1: he even has some more playmakers that can probably compensate
Speaker 1: for that loss. Yeah. Well, I mean because of Derwin
Speaker 1: James's talent and his ability to be a chess piece
Speaker 1: that you can move around, the guys who've had to
Speaker 1: step up have kind of had to assume those roles,
Speaker 1: you know, you look at Desmond King for example. So yeah,
Speaker 1: I mean, I guess we know how to play without him,
Speaker 1: but gosh, it would have been so great to have
Speaker 1: him back. You know, He's just so much fun to watch,
Speaker 1: and like Gus Bradley said, usually it's the next man
Speaker 1: up mentality, but with Derwin James, he's just irreplaceable. That said,
Speaker 1: the secondary is deep, it is strong, and I think
Speaker 1: it's going. I think they're going to be fine, especially
Speaker 1: now that you have that beefed up linebacker core, which
Speaker 1: should help out the situation as well. I think we're good.
Speaker 1: That's good. I appreciate your confidence. Can you tell how
Speaker 1: excited I am? I mean, I can totally tell. It's
Speaker 1: perviating one hundred percent. You mentioned him earlier, Chris Harris Junior.
Speaker 1: They added another big guy up front, Linvall Joseph. He
Speaker 1: has been called every superlative in the book for his
Speaker 1: size and his strength from his teammates this year. What
Speaker 1: do adding those pieces in free agency do for a
Speaker 1: defense like this, which was already pretty good. Well, I
Speaker 1: think it's great, especially getting somebody from a rival in
Speaker 1: the AFC West named Chris Harris. And I also think
Speaker 1: it's great to have a mobile home parked on your
Speaker 1: defensive fun. There you go, that's one of them hurt right.
Speaker 1: Another thing that I kind of wanted to get to
Speaker 1: with you. You've seen these guys up front, you've seen
Speaker 1: maybe the new pieces from AFAR, But who are you
Speaker 1: sort of looking forward to to watching in twenty twenty.
Speaker 1: I think I think I'm excited to see what goes
Speaker 1: on at the quarterback position. I'm excited to see how
Speaker 1: that changes the playbook because those are two different quarterbacks obviously,
Speaker 1: Philip Rivers and Tyrod Taylor. So I'm interested to see
Speaker 1: what Shane and Anthony put into motion with this with
Speaker 1: a mobile quarterback like that. I'm also excited to see what,
Speaker 1: like you mentioned, Austin Eckler is going to do with
Speaker 1: more tipages. And I'm excited to see Mike Williams again.
Speaker 1: I say that every season. I feel like we haven't
Speaker 1: seen him at one hundred and ten percent yet. And
Speaker 1: I know he's dealing with an injury and we'll see
Speaker 1: how he goes a day to day week to week.
Speaker 1: But gosh, when Mike Williams is healthy and is on,
Speaker 1: get out your highlight reel, get out ESPN's top ten,
Speaker 1: because that is incredible to behold him come down. You know,
Speaker 1: they call him fifty fifty catches, but with him, it's
Speaker 1: more like eighty twenty and eighty percent. He's going to
Speaker 1: come down with that. Yeah, and get out your fantasy
Speaker 1: rosters too, because you're sticking him in your lineup for sure. Yeah.
Speaker 1: And then lastly, Shannon expectations obviously twenty nineteen didn't go
Speaker 1: as planned for this team, But what do you expect
Speaker 1: out of them in twenty twenty. I'm still really disappointed
Speaker 1: about last season. I mean that was a heartbreaker. I'm
Speaker 1: five wins with that team. Give me a break, like
Speaker 1: what happened there, you know, especially after the season and before,
Speaker 1: and I'll just never forget the way that that team
Speaker 1: was able to shut down Baltimore and I think it
Speaker 1: really were the injuries that got a hold of us
Speaker 1: going into New England. But last year just weren't firing
Speaker 1: on all cylinders there. So I think that this year
Speaker 1: and again this year is going to be so different.
Speaker 1: It's going to be something we haven't seen before. And
Speaker 1: how will COVID play a role? Will there be certain
Speaker 1: weeks where certain teams or are out. I don't know,
Speaker 1: but I think looking at the schedule, a lot of
Speaker 1: people are saying eight and eight. I'm thinking I'm thinking
Speaker 1: nine wins. We'll take it. It's week one. Anything can
Speaker 1: happen at this point. We look forward to it. I
Speaker 1: look forward to seeing you albeit it from a distance.
Speaker 1: Week two US wave from the press box you can.
Speaker 1: I'll try to find you in your zone wherever you are.
Speaker 1: But It is so good to see you, even if
Speaker 1: it's virtually Shannon, thank you so much for coming on.
Speaker 1: We really appreciate it. Always good to see your face.
Speaker 1: Haley