In our exclusive interview, the former Rams and Falcons star discusses the best running backs in the NFL, Jeremiyah Love's rookie season and Marvin Harrison Jr's trade to Houston.
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What are your thoughts on the Los Angeles Rams’ start to the season?
When you look at the first loss against the San Francisco 49ers, I think the travel made it hard.
Then they had a tough, close loss on the road against the Denver Broncos, who were one win away from a Super Bowl appearance last season. They just had another tough loss against the Buffalo Bills. That one was frustrating because they were at home at SoFi Stadium but again, they were only a couple of plays away against a really good team.
I haven’t had a conversation with the head coach or GM, but from me knowing the organization, I would say they’re still content with where they currently are. If they can beat the 49ers in December, I think they will be okay with going 1-1 against them.
From those losses against the 49ers, Broncos, and Bills you can see there are some things to clean up, but it is a long season.
On the positive side, the Rams are battle tested and their two best players on defense have not even played together yet.
This team is built for the long haul. They’ll want to stay within striking distance of winning the division, and if the 49ers keep winning, it will give the Rams added motivation.
There’s still so much football left to play. They have to play the 49ers again and the Seattle Seahawks twice. So, the division won’t be claimed until we get to December and January.
How excited are you to watch both Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald line up on the same defense?
Oh, I can’t wait to see what kind of havoc they create.
I’m actually really interested to see what offensive coordinators try to come up with scheme-wise to protect their quarterback against both of them. Even if you double both guys, you’re outnumbered elsewhere on the line.
I do believe this is all a chess match because the Rams haven’t shown everything they have on defense yet. They’ll wait until Donald and Garrett are both healthy and on the field before showing all the things they’ve been cooking up.
Regarding the Rams’ offense, a lot of the talk is always about guys like Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams and Puka Nacua. However, how helpful is it for the Rams to have a one-two punch like Kyren Williams and Blake Corum?
I think it’s a luxury to have a one-two punch like that because both guys really deserve to touch the ball a lot more than they do. But this is very beneficial for the Rams because they’re not bigger running backs like I was, so rotating them limits the wear and tear they receive during the season. This means there’s a better chance both will be fresh and healthy for the postseason.
They’re both great in space. They both run draws and screens really well, and they have a nose for the end zone near the goal line.
As smaller running backs, they don’t have a problem getting skinny and getting through the hole. For a guy like me to get skinny, it would have meant me turning sideways.
When you have Adams and the threat of his fades on the outside, it means defenses can’t load the box too, and that makes it easier to make big plays on the ground.
Overall, they have a very potent offense and a potentially very dangerous defense. They just can’t allow the 49ers to create a four- or five-game lead on them.
How do you assess Kevin Stefanski’s start as Atlanta Falcons head coach?
Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens was a tough loss. It was unfortunate that they let that game slip away from them.
But I think Coach Stefanski has shown why he is proven in this league and why he is a two-time NFL Coach of the Year. In the NFC South, there’s only really him and Coach Todd Bowles in Tampa who are proven to get teams into the playoffs and win games when they need to.
I believe in Coach Stefanski schematically. I also believe in his leadership because he retained Jeff Ulbrich as defensive coordinator. I think that’s why the defense has been gelling and playing so well.
The offense under Stefanski and Tommy Rees has already shown a lot of growth, and I think they can only improve as Stefanski gets to know his weapons better. Once that happens, the offense will be rolling, and they’ll be a more complete team.
Based on his start, Stefanski was a great hire. I think the front office feels like they have their long-term head coach.
What do you love about Bijan Robinson’s game? Where does he rank among active running backs?
He’s so talented that he’s good enough to wear the number seven in Atlanta. That’s a tough number because Michael Vick wore it. Only Younghoe Koo and now Robinson have worn that number since Vick. That’s not a number most people run to because of how iconic it was when Vick wore it.
Robinson is a special talent. When you look at the top running backs right now, he’s top three at a minimum. Jahmyr Gibbs and the reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III are also in the mix. Those are some bona fide All-Pro guys.
What makes Bijan really special is his feet, his eyes, and his quickness. His level to get to max speed within 10 yards is phenomenal, and he separates really fast.
When you’re talking about a gap scheme offense or you’re talking about letting a guy run with his eyes, you have to be able to have the feet and vision to do that, as well as the acceleration. He possesses all three.
Then he’s a nightmare matchup, too. You’ve seen at times this season the Falcons have had both Robinsons on the field. Bijan is sometimes isolated or out wide, and Brian Robinson Jr. is in the backfield. It shows how creative Bijan allows Stefanski and Rees to get.
When you have this caliber of back, sometimes coaches don’t want to give them a huge workload in order to preserve them as the season goes on. But Bijan can do it because he’s such a special back.
Are there any past running back Robinson reminds you of?
We’ve seen a great deal of talent over the years. It’s not an exact match, but he reminds me of a legendary running back I shared a backfield with. His name is Marshall Faulk.
They have a very similar style of play, and they’re built similarly as well. They both have the ability to make defenders look very foolish.
Bijan isn’t quite a Hall of Famer yet like Faulk, but he possesses the talent to be.
After a rough start to the season, the New England Patriots and Drake Maye seem to be finding form. What have you made of Maye’s start and early struggles? You’ve also worked with Josh McDaniels at both the Rams and the Patriots. How valuable is he to the team and Maye?
The thing about football is that after a couple of years of film, everybody on the defensive side knows what you like, what you don’t like, and what you do well.
I think that was a big reason behind Maye’s struggles recently. Teams had a lot more tape on him after he played his first full season as a starter.
Also, the Patriots are playing a much tougher schedule than the one they played last season. So, they’re out here trying to make sure last season wasn’t a fluke, while playing much tougher teams who have a full year of film study on them.
On top of that, it’s a tough league. Look at their losses. They had to travel cross-country to play the Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch, and they lost on the road to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who look impressive this year.
Now they’ve had their bounce-back games in back-to-back weeks against the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders. These games show that Drake Maye still has all the attributes you want in your starting quarterback.
I know Josh McDaniels well. He deserves a lot of credit, too. He’s gone back to the basics. He probably held some things back and went back to the things that Drake does really well.
Then he’ll eventually spoon feed in some other things that maybe they’re not ready for right now. I think you’ll see him open the playbook up a little more for Maye again when A. J. Brown is back.
In 2015, you and the Patriots came up just short in the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos. If the Patriots weren’t so banged up that season, do you think the season would have ended differently?
Firstly, if LeGarrette Blount hadn’t gone down, I would never have had the opportunity to play for the Patriots, but that’s the NFL.
We were banged up, but I believe you still have to take care of games you’re supposed to win. This is why I actually believe that the two losses in Weeks 16 and 17 cost us the most, particularly the Week 17 game in Miami. If we win one of these games, we get home-field advantage, and I believe we beat the Broncos in Foxborough.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get it done, which meant Denver became the one seed and we had to go on the road.
During your time with the Patriots, Brian Flores was on the defensive coaching staff. Flores is currently impressing as defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. Does he deserve another head coaching role soon, and do you think his current case against the NFL is complicating issues?
I was disappointed at the end of last season. There were 10 opportunities, 10 available spots. He wasn’t given a shot even though I believe he was very deserving of one.
Year in and year out, he’s always had a top defense, even as a head coach.
He even had a winning record against his old boss, Bill Belichick, during his time as Miami Dolphins head coach.
Those things tell us that he knows the game of football, and he knows how to coach it. A fan base deserves a man like that. A young locker room deserves that too because you only have a short window in the NFL. So, if you can have a great mind like that as your leader, you have a better chance of getting the most out of your career.
It’s unfortunate that he has a fight in the courtroom against the NFL. I know both sides will have a team of lawyers, but hopefully they can work it out and come to a conclusion.
As far as his opportunity is concerned, he’s proven he deserves another shot. Hopefully, once those vacancies open up again next year, he’ll be someone who is taken seriously.
What makes Flores so good at calling defenses?
He tests offensive units on the football field. Coach Flores is going to show you a lot of things that mess with your eyes. We call that exotic.
So, when a coach has exotic defenses, you have to have rules and understand the rule basis, regardless of who is in what spot.
So, let’s say you’re a middle linebacker, but if by formation, you’re not in the middle, that means the quarterback, center, and the rest of the protection has to make sure they’re on the same page looking at the same picture and not assuming things. So, he tests the offense in so many ways.
Not only does he test the offense, but he then speeds up that test by bringing pressure on the quarterback, forcing him to make a decision that he may not want to make.
The Philadelphia Eagles are another team to have an inconsistent start to the season. Jalen Hurts’ play is always at the center of attention. What do you make of Hurts as a quarterback?
I think Jalen Hurts is a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback. He’s led his team to two Super Bowls, winning one of them. So, he understands the highs and lows of this sport. The Super Bowl is the ultimate game, and not a lot of people get to play in one. I didn’t. He did it twice.
I think he has all the attributes you want in your starting quarterback.
He is sound and steady, too. You can’t have someone who is too emotional, too up and down at the quarterback position. It just does not work.
I feel for Hurts. I think he is so underappreciated. He’s judged very harshly, given the success he has had.
I feel like he is talked about and criticized more than other quarterbacks who might have better physical attributes but don’t win at the level he wins at.
At the absolute minimum, he is a top 10 quarterback in the NFL.
What do you make of Jeremiyah Love’s start to his NFL career?
I had a chance to work with Jeremiyah Love at the combine as I was one of the running back mentors this year in Indianapolis. So, I’ve seen him up close and personal.
I love his game. Like the other top running backs in the NFL, such as Bijan Robinson, Love has good feet, and he has great acceleration. In the passing game, he also has soft hands.
He has something you can’t really put your finger on. He’s just a natural playmaker. He’s great in space.
The Cardinals need to continue to build their offense around him. Once they do, at the very least, they’ll have a solid run game that they can take on the road no matter where they go.
I expect big things from Love in his career.
Derrick Henry recently moved into 9th on the all-time rushing yards list. How good is Henry, and where does he rank in conversations against all-time backs?
Well, he still looks damn good based on his start to this season. He’s definitely an all-time running back. In fact, he’s a generational running back. When they start talking about the all-decade team of the 2020s, I’m sure he’ll be on that team.
He definitely deserves to be mentioned among the very best all-time. He’s proven that not only in terms of longevity, but because of the number of times he’s left us in awe at his highlights, from the stiff arms to the breakaway speed.
I remember when he first got to Tennessee. I don’t think they knew what to do with him in those first couple of years. Then, all of a sudden, the light came on for the Titans and him. From that moment, he hasn’t let go of the determination or the edge with which he plays.
Do you think Henry could break Emmitt Smith’s record?
As long as he is with the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson is there, I believe he has a great chance if he stays healthy.
Having that dual-threat MVP-level quarterback next to him helps his chances a lot. He has been blessed in that situation. If defenses don’t load the box because they’re afraid of Lamar throwing, that will give Henry so many opportunities to pick up big yards.
Even if defenses load the box in anticipation of the run, they’ll still only have half of their attention on Henry, and the other half will be on Lamar.
This will also help Henry’s longevity as he ages because the responsibility to pick up tough yards won’t just be on him. It will be on Jackson, too. This will give him a better chance of staying healthy and chasing Smith’s record.
What have you made of Kenneth Walker III’s start at the Kansas City Chiefs?
Fewer players have had a greater introduction to their new fanbase than Kenneth Walker III has had with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Adding Walker to that run game has definitely helped get the Chiefs’ offense going, and I think they really missed a player like Walker last season.
I believe that missing the playoffs last year was a blessing in disguise for the Chiefs, though. They’ve played a lot of football because they’ve made deep runs in the playoffs almost every year of the last decade. So, they were playing high-level, competitive football damn near year-round.
So, for them to have a full offseason, it’s allowed them to kind of reset themselves. Those veteran guys managed to get a good four or five months’ break. They didn’t need a rebuild. They just needed a reboot, and that break gave them a chance to do that.
And when you look at their start to the season, unfortunately for the AFC West and the rest of the AFC, it looks like the road might go through Kansas City again.
There’s a lot of debate surrounding Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon wearing a headset on the sidelines and listening to coaches during games. What do you think about this practice?
Her late father, Jim Irsay, had great admiration for the franchise, and I’m sure he passed that down. I just believe she’s trying to do the best possible job in evaluating the coaches and the team.
I think they are desperate to be competitive again. If you don’t know about something, the best way to learn is to fully immerse yourself, and I believe that is what she is doing.
I don’t think there are too many conversations going on between her and the coaches. She’s mainly just listening, which makes her better positioned to make evaluations as she thinks about the future of the franchise. She wants to know where the blame should go if things go wrong. That’s how I read it.
I know it definitely doesn’t affect the players during a game. I don’t think it should affect coaches either if she is just listening in, but I suppose that depends on the coach’s personality.
Ultimately, though, she’s the boss, and you have to understand who you work for.
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is currently the front-runner to win the Heisman Trophy. How good can he be in the NFL?
Jeremiah Smith is special. I’ve watched a lot of college football and a lot of Ohio State, and the kid is a freak. He is dominant on the football field.
We all know where they want to go with the ball schematically, and they’re still getting him the ball.
He’s going to have a very lengthy and successful NFL career, not only because of his physical attributes, but because of the coaching that he’s receiving and what he sees day-to-day.
At Ohio State, there are two guys on the defensive coaching staff in Matt Patricia and Josh Boyer who have been NFL coordinators. Smith gets challenged by these guys daily in training camps and practices. He’ll be seeing NFL-level defenses every day and practicing against them.
He also has an offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith who has been a coordinator and head coach in the NFL. Smith will be installing plays from his NFL coaching days into the game plan. So, Smith is already getting NFL-level lessons right now at the collegiate level.
He’s great. He’s the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. He might even run away with it given how he is playing.
He is going to make an NFL team very happy after they draft him next year.
After struggling in Arizona, former Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is heading to the Houston Texans. What did you make of this move?
I believe it’s really good for Marvin Harrison Jr. to get a fresh start. I think he really needed that.
We all saw how good he can be in college, and I think he will have a much better chance of showing that talent in Houston. The familiarity that he has with C. J. Stroud from their Ohio State days will help him hit the ground running in Houston.
For Houston, this was definitely a need, too. Their passing offense has looked okay, but they’ve had injury issues at the receiver position. They also need someone outside of Nico Collins who can consistently make big plays for Stroud. Harrison Jr. can definitely do that.
He can help take the Texans’ offense to the next level.
Who is on your Mount Rushmore of running backs?
I’m old-school. So, I have to put Jim Brown in. Not only was he a dominant player on the football field, but he did a lot for the civil rights movement. So, he has to be on there.
Walter Payton also makes it. He was the reason I wore the number 34 before my NFL career. I have great admiration for Walter. They named the Man of the Year award after him, so that tells you his legacy stands outside the sport as well.
You have to have Emmitt Smith in any Mount Rushmore situation relating to running backs because he is the all-time leading rusher.
For the last spot, it’s hard because there are so many backs I love, but I would go with Barry Sanders.
His playing style could not be further to mine, and that’s probably why I admire him so much. Barry is the only running back to run for 2,000-yard seasons in both college football and the NFL. His highlights never get old.
I’ve been in a room with Barry before and it’s almost like being in a room with Michael Jackson. He turns heads and commands all the attention.
