The Ryen Russillo Podcast
A Super Bowl Deep Dive Preview With Tim Hasselbeck. Plus, Jim Harbaugh on Year One With the Chargers and What Makes Him a Great Coach.
Wed, 05 Feb 2025
Russillo is joined by Tim Hasselbeck to share his pick for Super Bowl LIX, why playing against these defensive coordinators is so difficult, and what both teams need to do to start the game strong (0:50). Then, Jim Harbaugh comes on to break down the Chargers' year one turnaround, describe what it was like transitioning from a player to a coach, and explain the emotion of his Super Bowl loss (32:21). Finally, Life Advice with Ceruti and Kyle (57:32)! How do I handle my girlfriend and mom not liking each other? Check us out on YouTube for exclusive clips, livestreams, and more at https://www.youtube.com/@RyenRussilloPodcast. The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Host: Ryen Russillo Guests: Tim Hasselbeck and Jim Harbaugh Producers: Steve Ceruti, Kyle Crichton, and Mike Wargon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What insights does Tim Hasselbeck share about the Super Bowl matchup?
Excited about today's show. All right, here's how we did it. We got Jim Harbaugh. He's moving product, but he's also talking football. We're going to talk about his path and why he set out on a very definitive plan at five or six years old. I want to talk Super Bowl matchup. This Doncic trade leaked into Super Bowl week. That doesn't happen.
Let's talk matchups, stuff we should be looking for going up against these two different defensive coordinators with friend of the show, Tim Hasselbeck. Life advice, there is no open because we're all waiting on this Durant thing. So if something happens this day, you're going to get a little bonus monologue.
If it doesn't, we'll just have it maybe Thursday, maybe roll it into Friday's full episode. So that is the plan as of today. Good time to catch up with a guy I really enjoyed spending some time with, Tim Hasselbeck, ESPN, across the street from Bristol headquarters, getting ready to drop knowledge on everybody. So he's going to hang out with us for a little bit. Good to see you, man.
Good to see you, man. It's good to be back on. I feel like this is like a routine, like very, very late in the season. Like you exhausted all guests possible throughout the regular season and playoffs. And I was like, shoot, Superbowl week. It's kind of long. Ah, Hasselbeck. And then Matthew's not available. So you're like, Oh shoot. Does anyone still have Tim's number?
And then Saruti's like, yeah, I held onto it somehow. It's good. It's 617 number. So let's reach back out. Oh my God. It's good. Let's do it.
Well, I don't understand where that's coming from because it was great joy when somebody said, hey, what about Tim? And it was just four people going, great idea. Biggest game of the year. So that's how I look at it. I think it's all positives. All right. Speaking of the biggest game of the year, I always like to do a little memory lane with you.
When Matt played, I imagine that the entire crew go up to Detroit.
um the entire crew did go to detroit and um it was cool so like yeah it's a neat opportunity obviously to play in a super bowl for anyone then be a starting quarterback in a super bowl and i was playing at the time i don't know if i've told you this story or not but i i was like you know like how can i help him like he's my brother you know like what can i do to to you know
be of a help as I, you know, he wants to prepare for the game. So I was like, Hey, look, I'm going to handle all the tickets. So you just tell me who needs to pay for tickets and who like your comp and tickets. And I'll just get as many as I can. And so like, you know, as a player you get to, and then, so I was calling around my friends in the league. So I end up, um,
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Chapter 2: What strategies does Jim Harbaugh discuss regarding his first year with the Chargers?
So where are the things that you can attack if you're Kansas City with this Philly defense that's just loaded from a personnel standpoint?
Yeah, I think the the thing that is so hard about Kansas City, because like you said it like and I would agree with you, like, you know, worthy. I think they've done a good job using worthy speed. Right. And I think they will continue to do that. Right. And then I think Kelsey's ability to just find open space like that's still there. Right. Like that'll be a big factor.
I think the part for me that's really like the brilliance of Andy. is, like, go to the championship game, and you're like, wait a second, Juju Smith-Schuster just had a 37-yard catch? Like, did people have to get reminded, like, wait, he's still there? Like, McCole Hardman got the touchdown in the Super Bowl. You know what I mean?
Like, you're like, wait, I thought he was with... No, the Jets got rid of him, and then Andy brought him back in. And, like, you know, he just... I just, or like, think about like the championship game. Okay. It's like, gotta have it, you know, um, seal the game situation. You're like, Oh yeah, of course. Like P Ryan out of the backfield. Like, of course, like that's where everyone was going.
Right. Like I do think there's something with Andy and I think it's the way that he coaches that, um, there are guys that have like roles and some of them just like minuscule roles, but like, they all kind of have the confidence because of how he coaches that like, yeah, in any situation, like we could rely on you, we could depend on you. So like, look, I don't know if it's,
you know, a tight end or if it's a back out of the backfield or what it is. But I think that he does such a good job of coaching of, look, you don't have to force it to this guy. Like, obviously we have stuff scripted for certain players, but it doesn't mean the ball has to go there. And so like, look, maybe it is Juju. Maybe it is Xavier Worthy.
Like it was MVS late in the Superbowl, you know, last time, right? Like, It was Rasheed Rice as they were making their playoff run a year ago. It is other guys. I think that's something he does a great job of coaching. I think Patrick does a good job of playing that way. So I don't know if it's about a matchup.
I think it's more just about, all right, wherever the ball should go, let the coverage dictate that's where it goes.
I love the Juju reminder because the first big play, You go, oh. Then he added another one. And you're like, this guy hasn't had two catches or more than two catches in a game since October. And I know there's probably some people that think I'm being dismissive of what Xavier Worthy is. And I think he stresses the defense out, especially with how creative they get him going.
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Chapter 3: How does Jim Harbaugh compare coaching at different levels?
Yeah. I think that, um, you know, like, like the history of like house bags was trained was Jim Johnson when he was the Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator, right? Like an amazing job of like zone pressures and, um,
Like that's like I was in Philadelphia when Jim Johnson was there, like and when you would practice against that defense, like the thing that Andy would do is Andy would just be like, we're going to go into empty. Because when you're an empty, like it kind of makes you declare it. Right.
Like it kind of makes you be like, all right, show me what you're doing, because like now it's harder for you to disguise it because like. Like we've got everybody spread out of the backfield. And so you kind of got to like show your hand a little bit. And so if you think back to that Buffalo play, they start an empty. Right. And like you hear Josh talk about it after the game.
He's like he goes through his first cadence. So they're in empty. He goes through his cadence. He's like, all right, I think I, like, I think I got it. Like I, you know what I mean? Like we've defined it by formation using a double cadence. Like, I think I got it. Okay. So like, you know, clear, secure, like, like come back into the backfield. Like now we're going to run the play.
Chapter 4: What are the key factors for success in the Super Bowl according to the guests?
Like, okay, here we go. And then you're like, Oh, my God. No, it's coming from there now. You know what I mean? So that's Josh Allen, who's actually really good pre-snap. They've schemed it up. Now, I think the thing I would say is this. What's the difference? Why doesn't everyone do it? Why can't other teams bring pressures?
I think it's the disguise and holding the disguise and the ability to teach your players, like we're holding the disguise and we're not giving it away by, Hey, safety, you know, you're a little bit, you know, you're two yards outside the hash, like just trust it and stay on the hash. So the quarterback's not alerted that that corner's coming. I think it's the little details of the disguise that,
That makes SPAC so good. And then, you know, this is something I hadn't heard the quote, but Van Pelt said it to me as we just were watching games. Like, I guess Kirk Cousins said, you know, what makes SPAC special is it's like the right call at the right time. Right. Like if you're just crazy, just spraying pressures, like eventually, like you're going to get caught, like engashed.
And I think Spag's got a really good, you know, does a good job of like, hadn't seen it all game, maybe didn't even see it in a five game breakdown. And all of a sudden, in like the most gotta have it moment, you know, you're like, wait a second, you just, you just called a pressure that you haven't repped a million times in a game. Like, that's crazy, but you did it and you did a good job of it.
Okay, so what's different about what Mahomes is facing in Fangio's approach?
Yeah, I think the difference with Fangio is, like, Fangio's kind of like, hey, man, I've been doing this a long time. Like, I don't really care. Like, you might get it whenever and wherever. Like, I do think, like, no, listen, I don't think that's actually what's going on in his brain. But, like, there are times I'm like, dude, it might be. You know what I mean?
Yeah.
You know, like I think there's, I like, I do think there's like some truth to that with like younger coordinators and stuff where you're like, Oh, you don't want to get a reputation to be a certain way. Like, I think for him, like he's got a big menu. He's I think he's got smart players. He's got a really good defensive line. And I think that he's just like randomly aggressive and he's,
I think that's one of those things where it's just like antennas have to be up the whole time. For some teams, it's like, all right, I'm good, I'm good. Third down, all right, antennas up. I think when you play Philadelphia, it's kind of like you got to have it at all times.
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Chapter 5: How does Jim Harbaugh reflect on his Super Bowl loss?
Chapter 6: What life advice do the hosts provide towards the end of the episode?
And I think Spag's got a really good, you know, does a good job of like, hadn't seen it all game, maybe didn't even see it in a five game breakdown. And all of a sudden, in like the most gotta have it moment, you know, you're like, wait a second, you just, you just called a pressure that you haven't repped a million times in a game. Like, that's crazy, but you did it and you did a good job of it.
Okay, so what's different about what Mahomes is facing in Fangio's approach?
Yeah, I think the difference with Fangio is, like, Fangio's kind of like, hey, man, I've been doing this a long time. Like, I don't really care. Like, you might get it whenever and wherever. Like, I do think, like, no, listen, I don't think that's actually what's going on in his brain. But, like, there are times I'm like, dude, it might be. You know what I mean?
Yeah.
You know, like I think there's, I like, I do think there's like some truth to that with like younger coordinators and stuff where you're like, Oh, you don't want to get a reputation to be a certain way. Like, I think for him, like he's got a big menu. He's I think he's got smart players. He's got a really good defensive line. And I think that he's just like randomly aggressive and he's,
I think that's one of those things where it's just like antennas have to be up the whole time. For some teams, it's like, all right, I'm good, I'm good. Third down, all right, antennas up. I think when you play Philadelphia, it's kind of like you got to have it at all times.
Is a spy a waste of a defender?
I think in this game it is. Like with these quarterbacks, it is. Um, and I say like for a couple of reasons, like when you play Kansas city, like they run so many crossers, right. They're good at it. Like it's been a staple of like West coast offenses for a long time. Well, one of the ways you defend crossers is like you beat them up or you cut them with guys, you know, that have leverage. Um,
So like, if you've got a guy that's just standing there, like staring at the quarterback, like, like that's a problem. Right. And then Mahomes doesn't always escape to run. And then I think a similar thing with like Hertz, like, all right. So if you're going to spy him, like you better, you better be forcing them a certain way. And then the guy spying was better, better be able to run with them.
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