WEEK 1 IS HERE! Tony Dungy & Rodney Harrison preview Eagles vs. Packers from Brazil | Takeoff

Tony Dungy [Music] hey everybody Welcome to takeoff with John Clark presented by Rivers Casino and we say olola hola hola Tony dunie from NBC and Sunday Night Football and of course football night in America is joining us our special guest the Super Bowl winning head coach and welcome to Brazil this is big for NBC the whole week basically it really is and you don't get a chance all the time to take part in first and to be the first uh regular season game broadcast from South America is going to be great uh tremendous atmosphere and and also to see what this 2024 season is going to bring yeah now of course you were up at Eagles practice in Philly you got to sit down with Nick serani and he has frequently said he's asked you for advice on things what are you getting as far as a vibe from Nick serani and this eagle steam it was really a great atmosphere I saw nothing but fast-paced activity good team chemistry team spirit uh some of the older guys Darius Slay told me it's a different different vibe totally than last year and I think they feel like they have something to prove but coach serani is very very happy with the installation of the new offense and new defense some of the young guys they're expecting big things from and everybody was energized by the doson trade uh feeling like hey we got another weapon yeah we got squin in the off season but this gives us one more piece that people have to worry about it's interesting because the Eagles are basically going to unveil a new offense and a new defense Friday night and you don't usually see that from playoff teams this this is a team that was in the Super Bowl two years ago was in the playoffs last year but it is going to be different and I'm I'm frankly kind of excited to see what that's going to look like so Jaylen Herz looked incredible at Jalen Hurts impressive camp training camp in this new kellmore offense there's a lot more motion there's a lot more going on are you surprised about how well Jaylen adapted to this new offense I I think it's great and we still have to see it now in the game but uh that is one of the things I talked to Coach serani about uh one of the blessings I thought Peyton Manning had he was in the same offense for 13 years and just built on it and grew Jaylen played well in this offense now he's got new terminology some new plays but he seems to have embraced it he likes the challenge and I think everybody took a little step back to get it together and to know what Coach Moore was saying but now they they like it and uh I think we're going to see some exciting elements and I tell you this is a really exciting game to start with eagles and Packers this could be a preview of a big playoff game uh who do you give the edge to as far as H the roster of talent that these teams have you know I I think the Eagles have more veteran Talent on hand Green Bay's talent in a lot of cases is younger Green Bay came on at the end of last year so they've got that momentum going for them and that belief that they can win uh but the one thing they have they've got the same offense in place they've got a new defense Philly's got two new elements so that could be a little Advantage for Green Bay uh especially on opening day so you being a Eagles addition of Saquon Barkley former defensive guy in the NFL when you see this offense that the Eagles have and then you add saquan Barkley to this offense how special can it be I think it has a chance to be really special I I thought Philadelphia got away from their Roots last year to me they're a Powerhouse running dominate the line of scrimmage team on offense that's what they had been they got away from that people were trying to take the line of scrimmage away Blitz well this year you got to come in playing them thinking we've got to stop Barkley and we've got to stop this quarterback from running so that's going to take seven eight guys and I'll probably do that and take my chances with those receivers well now you really want to put corners on AJ Brown and Devonte and now Jan doson and just say I'm going to live with that and take my chances you may have to because you got to stop Barkley before anything I I just feel like the mentality of this team now is hey we're going to run the ball down your throat if you can't stop it uh good luck to you and you know saquin in those years with the Giants sometimes he was all they had and that was the focus of the defense and with that offensive line that was shaky with the Giants he didn't get a whole lot of room but you see these running backs to come here through Philadelphia they're getting all that yards before contact what do you think Squan can do in this off I think he's got to be licking his chops you say I've got a very very good offensive line so they're going to create some holes people can't chase me down because they've got to respect the quarterback um we run Zone reads and somebody's got to honor jayen so I'm going to have some downhill running opportunities and I just think he could Nick Sirianni growth have a lights out year this year and you got to catch up with Nick ser as I said and Nick has been very open this offseason about he needed to change a couple things with his leadership and one of them was not go crazy on the officials and he's got to dial it back do you sense some growth from Nick I do and we we talked about that um I was not one of those guys who went crazy on the officials my thought was if I go up to you and say he John you might have missed that call and I don't want to tell you anything but maybe that could CA some of these guys their job maybe cost me my job and then walk away the official is going to think about that a lot more than if you hey you missed that call and and I think Nick kind of realizes that from talking to some of the officials and being around that yeah there's times when you get upset and you you demonstrate that but if you keep your PO Poise and get across the message to your team it doesn't matter that that was a bad call but we'll overcome it I think that's the message you want to send I think that's what he realizes and and your great experience as a the head coach Nick serani has given up play calling to Shane styken before the Super Bowl year and now he has basically turned over the entire offense to Kell Moore what does that say about him and can it be a success where he's basically a CEO leader of a head coach that it's a different way to do things and not a lot of offensive coaches do that uh that's very typical for a defensive coach that's what I did when I became a head coach I'm going to run everything I'm going to oversee everything I'm going to have a defensive coord coordinator and an offensive coordinator and you do feel like you can be a better leader and a better head coach I think Nick has come to that conclusion and said you know what I've got a guy I have confidence in I'll still oversee the offense I know what's going on but the minute by minute play calling and and running the meetings that's going to be someone else I'm going to be the head coach and I I think it's going to help now obviously last year the Eagles were 10 in one they were rolling now some would say okay they won some games maybe they shouldn't but you saw a team that in my opinion was broken how important is it the relationships between the coaches and the players and how much do you think that can affect a team maybe we saw that last year with the Eagles collapse it it does affect you um I go back to my time in Indianapolis we had seven teams uh all good teams all playoff teams one team won the Super Bowl it wasn't the most talented it was the team that was the most together the most unified and had everything going in One Direction that's what you want to create as a head coach I think that's what was missing in the Eagles at the end of the year I I saw them in that playoff game it wasn't the same team as the beginning of the year uh but to a man uh the guys I talked to last Thursday said we we're getting that back we're getting that that feeling back of being there for each other and obviously Jason Kelce departure they're missing some Leaders with Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox gone uh Jordan Milada it seems has stepped up on offense but as far as Jason Kelsey making all the calls on the line of scrimmage Jaylen Herz is now going to do that how do you think he'll do in that role he'll do well but that is is going to be different and that's something that's going to take some getting used to you don't lose great leadership like Kelsey and Cox and just say oh well someone else will pick up the slack they will but that that's going to be a missing element early on how that's going to play out who's going to step up when do you have to do that all of that is is growth and jaylen's going to be much better in that regard uh cam Jurgens will be good he'll take over some of those things but it's going to be different and it it's you know that's not something that uh you should say oh well we'll get that that's easy it's not easy do you think as far as this Eagles team with the new coaches do you think if there were going to be some Growing Pains or it being a process do you think that would be on defense uh it could be defense or offense I think it'll be early and I think they'll go through it I was a little surprised that the starters didn't play a little bit more in the preseason just to get some of those wrinkles out just the communication between Jaylen and Kell Moore on the sideline and what's going on uh hearing that voice in your in your headset uh defense darus slay told me he's very excited about what coach fangio has brought accountability uh rules different things he feels like they're going to be much better but again that's got to play out you got some young defensive backs especially that they'll be counting on uh those guys have to listen and hear and be able to hear the calls and get things from the the veteran players there'll be some Growing Pains early these first couple of games that's why I'm really anxious to to see this opening night and and you being a Super Bowl winning head coach and coming from the defensive side of the ball a lot of the time uh Vic fangio you you've probably watched his defenses forever what is it that makes his defense so unique he has the ability to scheme and put people in in the right positions he does a lot of things he's very demanding coach so I think that that will be good um everybody's going to have to get used to his style and and how he is but I think they're going to play great defense every place he's been uh there's been good defense so uh will it be week one uh I think this defense is going to be better in week eight than they are in week one and it's interesting because you talked about some youth the Eagles are one of the top five youngest rosters now so defensively Eagles youth you see young guys at every level and key positions position and not only at defensive line but now you got linebackers it looks like Deon white is out definitely so you're going to have see thee Dean step in there with Zack Bon and we see Vic likes to Blitz those linebackers and create that that issue for the offensive line how effective do you think that'll be well for a young guy that is it's easier hey send me I'm going through this Gap and I'm going 100 miles an hour on the snap as opposed to I've got to sit there and read and if this happens I do this so I think he will turn those linebackers loose let them be uh effective impact in the game what I want to see is the young secondary guys quinan Mitchell uh Cooper dein how do they fit in and how do they adapt to this new system and you're being thrown into the fire week one Jordan love I mean was Jordan love the best quarterback in the NFL for the second half of the regular season last year you look at the December and the playoffs and he was super effective we had them uh against Kansas City in a night game and he duel Patrick Mahomes that night and got those young receivers going made plays went to Dallas and won a playoff game on the road which Welly that's that's hard for young quarterbacks so uh I think they're rolling and again we're talking about building off of that it just hey Jordan you got this much of it but now same system same receivers we're going to grow they're they're going to be better and and quinan Mitchell it seems like he's going to get a lot of time he's going to grow up real quick facing Jordan love he will and I think we're going to see a bunch of three wide receiver sets from Green Bay and that'll be extra defensive backs on the field and again uh you used to start the seasons thinking hey we've got to stop the run when I was a player and a coach in the NFL and in this day and age you got to shut that quarterback down you got to stop the top-notch receivers that's why they got quinan and he'll be out there fast and furious very early so if you were to rank the teams in the NFC on paper going into this season where do you think the Eagles are with the NFC I I think they're a top five team for sure uh you'd have to start with San Francisco now that they're getting all their pieces back I was a little worried Trent Williams is he going to be there is a going to be there but they've got their Weaponry back San Francisco is going to be tough but Philly i' I'd say is the best team on paper in the NFC East uh you look at the South I I think Tampa Bay Atlanta's going to be better uh that's going to be a dog fight and the North uh Green Bay Detroit so I I'd say yeah that they're definitely in that hunt and so if Philly wins and I put them ahead of Green Bay now they're in top threes and you know it's interesting because as I said you getting the time with Nick sirani it's kind of a fascinating situation for him because he led his team to the Super Bowl in his second year he's been to the playoffs his first three years in the NFL and yet he has handed over the Reigns in a way with the offense and of course the defense but then you've even got this noise that if he doesn't perform this year you got Bill bellich waiting in the wngs you you went through that as a coach I went through that in Tampa how do you handle that well you you block it out because your your pressure is to get your team to be the best they can be and to try to win a Super Bowl so that's all you're thinking you're not thinking what does the media say what do the fans say what's the talk on the street um if if something happens in that regard he'll be the most shocked guy in the world uh I I just don't happen to buy into that how many franchises have a coach that takes their team to the playoffs the first three years and takes him to a Super Bowl it just doesn't happen that much so to to think anything but hey let's build this thing and keep it going that's what Eagles fans should be thinking and I think they're in good hands and there's always going to be noise right always noise always noise if you react to the noise you're you're not doing your job by the way uh for for Sunday Night Football and football night in America uh you look at a lot of players and some people are thinking Jaylen Carter this year they he could be in the running for defensive player of the year and we saw him wreck some games now towards the end of the year it seems like everybody fell off but what do you what do you think we could see from Jaylen Carter this year I Outlook on Jalen Carter think you could see a step up with Fletcher not being there uh I I think that will help him Elevate and say I'm going to have to be the guy to make some plays in in certain situations I think a lot depend depends on the offense uh I've had some great defensive players under me Chris dolman joh Randall Dwight Frey and Derek Thomas those guys stats get better when the offense scores points and you're ahead when you're ahead in the fourth quarter defensive lineman light up and that's when you make plays so let that offense do what it can do and uh play like that 10 and one start and I think you could see Jaylen Carter make a lot of plays and get get a lot of noise surrounding him as Defensive Player of the Year well and and really I think he is the key to the defense because he's going to require double teams a lot and that may free up your pass rushers because I do have one concern Tony seeing Hassan reic leave and Josh sweat tailed off at the end of the year are they going to get enough of a pass rush with the young Bryce Huff in there now Bryce Huff is a good rusher I think people are going to be surprised to see what he can do but also you have to look at Vic fanio he creates Russ and yeah it's easy if you're a defensive coach and you got two or three guys that you say hey we just rush four guys and they can do it but if that's not the case Vic knows how to create rush so I don't think that's going to be a problem interesting and and the the linebackers when they're blitzing how much does that affect an offensive lineman and and their protection schemes and then does that open it up for somebody else well what happens is the the offensive side of the ball they say they bring a lot of people they do different things yeah we've got to be on point but number one thing in this game quarterbacks got to get the ball out fast we can do our job perfectly but we don't want them to get hit so make sure you're getting the ball out fast well that helps the DBS if I know the ball is coming out my partner Rodney Harrison he said he benefited from that for a long time sitting back there I can go on the quarterback's first look because I know that ball is coming out uh when the defensive backs start to understand that put the whole system together that's when they're going to be good all right well we're looking forward to this Eagles Packers game a lot of green here in Brazil they may not be ready for it but a lot of green and look forward to seeing Tony dunie on Sunday Night Football of course football night in America Thursday Friday Sunday Sunday you're busy this week a lot of freaking fower miles great weekend but we're going to have fun yeah all right and we will wait for your pick then I know you're not going to give it to us right now yet you got to tune in tune in and it's going to be on NBC 10 in Philly Thursday Friday and Sunday night thanks a lot Tony thank you John always good to be with you appreciate the Eagles season open is upon us now finally and you're invited to the birds take Brazil pregame party you can meet NBC Sports Philadelphia experts for a live Q&A and it's all about the Eagles season opener celebrate with special guests and giveaways we'll see you at the birds take Brazil pregame party September 6 presented by Toyota the official Automotive partner of the NFL hey celebrity Cook Steve Marano is bringing his Italian American Cooking back home to Philly where it started enjoy Marano's Prime at Rivers Casino and Steve's Famous meatballs with Sunday gravy Prime stakes and more so make reservations for Marano's Prime on Open Table I've been to the one in Fort Lauderdale I'm glad it's back in Village Rodney Harrison all right we just did a line change coming in Rodney Harrison of course from football night in America Sunday Night Football and of course he won two Super Bowls we don't even need to say who you won one of them against we'll keep that quiet and you had a couple interceptions I believe against Donovan McNab and the Eagles yeah Chicago friend of mine and but always had love and respect for the Eagles yeah well this is cool because you're bringing the whole production down to Brazil and you've got Thursday Night Football you're going to be in here Friday night and then you got Sunday night still to do but there's a lot of football how amazing is this matchup Eagles Packers to start off the season it's unbelievable I mean you have really a TA of two different teams the way they finished last year the Eagles struggled the Green Bay Packers have a bunch of young guys they caught on fire and really got hot during out throughout the playoffs and now this year you think about what they've done they've added Josh Jacobs and um the Green Bay Packers added Josh Jacobs so that's going to really open up their offense um I think it's going to really affect those young wide receivers another year in Matt lefl a system I think they're going to be tough to beat so this is interesting because Vic fangio legendary defensive coach this is kind of a young defense now you've got young players at each level and then the secondary for the Eagles they've got some young players this is this is being thrown into the fire well we got a first start with Jaylen Carter up up top up front because he is an absolute stud and I just think that you know being under Vic is going to really Elevate him and really take him to the next level um and of course Bryce huff and those guys pass rush but to me you know I look at the secondary and it really gets me excited because you have a veteran like Darius Slay you add another very U veteran and Chanty Gardner Johnson and you add two of the most talented guys in the draft at defensive back Cooper dein and Quan Mitchell you add those guys and you play them and I love the fact that you play young guys early because it builds confidence and now it BS it builds depth on your team so I'm really excited I think this secondary eventually could be the strength of their def defense wow that's saying a lot now Vic fangio loves the versatility and you've got quinan Mitchell who played outside corner in college and now okay he's he's in the slot and he seems to be able to pick it up how important is that versatility he can go in and out see I when I grew up it wasn't about are you a left corner are you outside corner are you a right corner it's about can you play all the different positions in the secondary and playing of course under Bill bich I had to play safety I had to play linebacker I had to play some nickel so you play all over the field but this this whole new concept of just only being able to play one position I don't like it and que Mitch he's so good he can play anywhere on the football field and CJ Gardner Johnson returning to oh he's a dog he is a dog and he's going to bring personality he's going to bring energy he's going to bring physicality you go out in free agency and you get a guy like this that is a playmaker a guy that can get that secondary going and I'm going to tell you another guy that I have a lot of respect for Reed blankin chip this is a guy he's smart of of course they got big names in that secondary but I think he holds everything down interesting and and CJ Garner Johnson was with the Eagles when they went to the Super Bowl I couldn't believe that they let him go why well they didn't want to pay him well I I think they wanted to pay him at the market value and he wanted some more but it's it's it's a shame because he he almost had to leave at that point to sa face like I can't come back on a one-year deal to the Eagles so then he went to the Lions but him coming back does that bring some toughness and Swagger back to the defensive maybe was whacking towards the end of last year it brings personality absolutely because I mean this guy he's a tough guy um smart plays extremely hard plays with a lot of emotion a lot of energy and I think his impact is going to be huge I mean you start talking about Darius Slay and all these different guys back there they have to be a close-knit group they have to come together and I think CJ can bring them together so obviously you've had incredible success as a defensive player in your career should be a Hall of Famer pro bowler and you're the only defensive back in NFL history with 30 and 30 30 interceptions and 30 sacks so when you see a new defense you say there's there's good talent but how long does it take to get used to a new defense Vic fangio coming in here I think the biggest key for the those guys on defense is take to coaching you have to take to coaching Vic Fel he's going to come in and he's going to say hey this is what I want to do this is what you have to do he's going to have a set of expectations he's going to push those guys no more freelancing you got this Gap you have to stay your butt in this Gap and no excuses and that's what he brings he brings a toughness a discipline and an old school approach but I also do believe that with the new age guys that he has they they when he walks in the room they respect him because of what he's accomplished and if they listen to him if they take to coaching this defense will be really good the one question I do have is how good will they be at the linebacker position Devon white was a guy that um got benched last year didn't have best year um they bring him in here so I mean this is a guy that has a lot to prove see if he can still play at a high level he's definitely not the same linebacker that played in the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so I'm a little concerned about their linebacker situation what impresses you about a Vic fangio defense why is he so successful at that defense that he created because he knows talent and he's not afraid to get in the guy's face a veteran a young guy a allpro a future Hall of Famer and hold him accountable and I think a lot of guys in Miami last year didn't really take to his personality and the Miami defense was up and down at times they show great flashes but I think once again accountability that's what he brings all right so you have seen a lot of great football Eagles and Packers this is a great way to start the season who do you give the edge to who's got the better rosters because we obviously don't know how it's all going to come out because you got a new defensive coordinator in Green Bay you got new coordinators in Philly but who do you think has the better overall roster the better overall roster that's tough because there's a lot of talented guys the one thing that I didn't believe in with Nick s serani is not playing his starters in the preseason back when I came into the league we used to fight and Claw to try to get on the field because we wanted to get on the field to get that experience just to get our breathing down to be able to communicate with our players our teammates and just get that camaraderie and I just don't understand how do you not play any of these guys in the preseason but you expect them to go out on Friday night and play Lights Out it's just ridiculous to me all right and as a defensive guy when you look at this Eagles offense and that Talent they already have then you add saquin Barkley and Jaylen herz's ability to run tell me as a defensive back how do you defend that well first I'm celebrating because I don't have to worry about Jason Kelce that's a that's a Hall of Fame Center he retired first ballot Hall of Famer and I believe that he was their best player last year so how do you stop saquan Barkley you you have to load up the box and then you load up the box that creates a lot of one-on-one opportunities outside AJ Brown and Devonte and Dallas gard and they have weapons beautiful thing about saquan he can catch the ball out of the back field and the Eagles I I went back and I started you know Duce and Charlie Garner and those guys they've never had a running back as talented as saquan Barkley big strong fast athletic they've never had a back like that well I mean lesea McCoy but but you can't catch it power you're right total package absolutely yeah so so Jaylen hertz's healthy he looks fast he's able to run it looked like last year maybe he had some Nick he admitted that can this be one of the best or the best offense in the NFL it just it depends on Jaylen and it depends on the offensive coordinator if if he runs the offense through Jaylen they will struggle up and down if they run the offense through saquan Barkley they're going to have a lot more success you look at what the Ravens did um in the Super Bowl against Kansas City they run the ball how do you not run the football and that's your Forte and you know a lot of times you get these big games these offensive coordinators they want to make it about the quarterback or they want to make it about themselves so they come out and they start slinging the ball everywhere you have to run the football all right well said and you said Jason Kelce oh he's first ballot Hall of Famer um he was the best player on their team and when you lose a guy like that these offensive linemen they look up to Jason Kelce you know they they go out they they they hang out together they make rap videos together you know like he was a integral part of that team not only the offense but the team and when you're missing that that level of player that level of person you're going to miss that leadership in the locker room I guarantee it so maybe physically cam Jurgens is totally ready to take over but there's a lot of other things involved yeah because you have to you know call make all the calls all the adjustments he sees Jason sees things that jayen may not see and he warns the lineman I mean it's just the vast amount of experience he has 12 years in the National Football League and he's played at such a high level all right well I got to ask you before we go you you had two interceptions against Eagles in the Super Bowl when when you run into Eagles fans do they say anything to you it's all respect you know because I respect what Eagles um organization and their Super Bowl championship and just the way how we runs things um I have a lot of respect for their organization so it's no BL Bad Blood no ill will it's just respective between both of us and after you were gone the Eagles got there is finally yeah so it all worked out yeah great seeing you thank you brother check them out football night in America Sunday 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