Bruce Smith joins Sports Illustrated from Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl 58. The former Buffalo Bill and hall of famer thinks Chris Jones will be the best defensive player on the field for Super Bowl.
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00:00 Ladies and gentlemen, I have a legend to my left.
00:04 I don't even know why they are allowing me to speak to this guy.
00:07 I have Bruce Smith. How you doing, man?
00:10 Oh, man, I'm good and appreciate the compliment.
00:13 Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Okay, let's talk about Bills football for a minute.
00:16 You know what it takes to get to a Super Bowl.
00:21 How close are the Bills to getting to a Super Bowl right now?
00:25 Like, what pieces do they need to take to...
00:28 What things do they need to change to get over the hump?
00:31 Well, we are an extremely talented team.
00:37 One of the things that really derailed our progress this year were injuries.
00:45 Yeah.
00:46 That's first and foremost.
00:49 Having said that, we got to stop with the mental errors.
00:56 The mental errors is the reason we lost this Kansas City game.
01:01 Yeah.
01:02 And unfortunately, there have been situations for the last three years
01:12 where we just have not been able to finish.
01:15 And more often than not, teams get beat because of mental errors.
01:21 Yep.
01:22 Rather than the physical part of it.
01:25 So that's the most frustrating part about this whole situation of
01:30 sitting here doing this interview instead of preparing for a football game.
01:34 Right, right, right.
01:35 Now, I know because I play ball.
01:38 What are things that you can do in practice or maybe in the meeting room
01:44 or maybe in film study that helps those players eliminate those MEs or mental errors?
01:51 Well, a lot of this has to do with the format of practices.
01:57 Ah, okay.
02:00 Okay, OG talk.
02:01 If there are no live bullets that are flying past you,
02:06 you don't know how you're going to react when it comes in game times.
02:12 And unfortunately, when live bullets are flying, you make mistakes.
02:16 Yeah.
02:18 And that's what's been so disappointing.
02:21 When you have a defensive scheme that's being called,
02:27 and for the outside guy, say for instance in my position,
02:34 my job is to make sure nobody gets outside.
02:37 Yes.
02:38 I have to contain.
02:39 Yes.
02:40 If I allow somebody to get outside, I have no help.
02:45 Yep.
02:46 So that's on me.
02:48 And while our defensive line was probably the best overall team position out of the whole year,
03:00 we had some other areas on defense that just had some mental errors.
03:06 There were a few busted coverages and so forth.
03:10 And that happens when you have injuries and you have new guys that are coming in
03:16 that are trying to play and make up for the loss of Matt Milano,
03:22 Tredavious White, and so forth.
03:25 So we've got a bright future, obviously, as long as we've got number 17.
03:32 Yeah.
03:33 Josh Allen.
03:33 Yeah.
03:34 But we have to get guys that are around him that will be disciplined enough
03:41 to make sure that we're limiting those mental errors.
03:44 So you just brought up Josh Allen, my guy.
03:48 There's a lot of people out there that do not think the Bills have surrounded him with enough talent.
03:54 Do you agree with that?
03:55 Well, I would say that the Bills did a very good job of surrounding him with talent.
04:05 I think they were slow to surrounding him with a running back.
04:10 Okay.
04:11 Okay.
04:12 That takes an extreme amount of pressure off of him when you're able to hand that ball off.
04:18 And let him tote it.
04:19 And that was where the resurgence came into play this year when Cook started playing extremely well being behind the quarterback.
04:29 Yes.
04:30 Running the ball and getting him isolated where we're able to run those flare patterns with a linebacker.
04:39 So I think we've done a good job.
04:41 And now that maturation process for him has to take place right now.
04:46 He's got to continue to get better.
04:47 Yes.
04:48 If he continues to get better, it's going to make Josh better.
04:52 It's going to make the offense better.
04:54 We've got a young tight end and a veteran tight end who played extremely well.
05:01 Offensive line played well this year.
05:05 So one of the problems that we're going to have going into this offseason is we're $43 million over the Saturday cap.
05:13 So we've got to cut some fat.
05:15 We've got to get rid of some calories.
05:18 That's a lot of fat.
05:19 You know, as a result of that, we're going to lose some guys.
05:25 This is going to be a new makeup of personnel on this football team this coming year.
05:33 And they're going to have to try and restructure some deals.
05:35 And maybe one or two guys will restructure their deal and take a little less money.
05:40 But we're going to lose some guys.
05:42 So we have to be prepared for that.
05:46 So that's it in a nutshell.
05:48 Excuse me.
05:48 That's it in a nutshell.
05:50 And I've got a great deal of faith in Bean, Brandon Bean, and Sean McDermott, that they will be able to put together an offseason
06:03 that will be productive in keeping the guys that we need to keep and bringing in some young new talent.
06:10 We've got to draft well, too.
06:11 Yep.
06:12 Because if you draft well and you get young guys that are extremely productive under their rookie salary cap, it helps the team out as a whole.
06:25 Don't you think it's so interesting being a player?
06:30 You've seen it now you're on the opposite side looking in.
06:33 Don't you still think it's interesting that a lot of these GMs or the people who make these picks still get it wrong?
06:40 With all the stuff that they do.
06:42 With the combine.
06:43 I mean, as a player, I'm sure you believe the combine ain't really showing you much because they don't show who can actually play.
06:49 Don't you think that's still like an interesting enigma that's going on?
06:53 There's got to be a better way.
06:56 I mean, for the most part, they get it right.
07:00 Yeah.
07:01 But for the most part.
07:03 And then it's up to that player and being in the right system.
07:08 Yes.
07:09 Being in the right system to get the most production out of that particular player.
07:14 But it's all about that player's mindset and his ability to understand the moment that he's in right now.
07:26 And you got to become a student of the game.
07:28 Yes.
07:29 You got to find out what makes you perform at your highest level.
07:35 What weight it is.
07:36 What your body fat needs to be.
07:39 Your conditioning.
07:41 Your strength.
07:42 I mean, there's so many factors, but the ones that are able to sustain a high level of play figure it out early.
07:51 Yeah.
07:52 And when they figure it out, it's like a light switch that went off and their careers just continue to soar.
07:59 And as a result of that, so does the team.
08:01 Yes.
08:02 Yes.
08:03 Yes.
08:03 Yes.
08:04 All right.
08:05 Let's talk a little bit Super Bowl here, but let's go to the defensive side of the ball.
08:10 I feel I personally my subjective opinion is this will be a defensive battle.
08:16 I don't disagree.
08:17 Who do you think has the better defense?
08:19 Oh, well.
08:24 Probably probably the best player on the field is Chris Jones.
08:28 Yes, sir.
08:28 Defensively.
08:29 Yes, sir.
08:31 Having said that collectively, I think the 49ers collectively has the most talent,
08:41 but you counter that with spags bags.
08:45 Nice.
08:46 No, spags spags comes up with a game plan that gets the job done.
08:53 And and what he does just as well as any if not all.
09:01 It's a game of matchups.
09:02 Yes, and he's going to put 95 on their weakest offensive lineman,
09:09 and he's going to send more than they can block.
09:13 And I think that is what's going to be one of the determining factors,
09:18 but 15 man that dude.
09:25 He in a league of his own baby.
09:27 Oh my goodness, man.
09:28 I just love watching him play.
09:30 Yeah, and then on the flip side of that, you know, you have Purdy,
09:36 which will be one of the greatest stories and in sports history being mystery irrelevant
09:42 and coming back and won in the Super Bowl.
09:43 So I'm so excited for this game.
09:46 I'm really looking forward to it.
09:48 You played in a couple of Super Bowls.
09:50 Yes, or played in for superpowers.
09:52 You said my bad on the couple my bad on the definition you played in a lot.
09:56 You played for Super Bowls.
09:59 Give me like a funny moment or a routine or something that I was like when it was Super Bowl time.
10:05 I had to do this to get ready for the game or could you not go to sleep before the game?
10:09 Could you not eat because the Super Bowl is the biggest game.
10:12 I played seven years.
10:13 I only went to the playoffs one time.
10:14 I need to sniff the Super Bowl.
10:15 You have four times.
10:17 Yeah, man it it was nothing fun about I mean nothing funny,
10:25 you know it just that whole Brotherhood man of of of of reaching the pinnacle.
10:34 Yeah with a nucleus of guys that you spent six months with day in day out.
10:45 You you you you drank you you you breathe you watched you interacted.
10:55 It was all consumed with football.
10:59 Yeah, and and execution and and understanding
11:04 or or trying to get better and figure out how we can make this thing work.
11:10 So I never could sleep.
11:12 Yeah, we used to have to take I forget the name of the medicine.
11:17 We used to take to try to relax us relax us.
11:22 But no you couldn't sleep.
11:24 He was always on edge.
11:27 But when you walk down on that field, I mean it was it was like being free.
11:33 Yeah, it was just just like this overwhelming feeling man.
11:38 It's showtime. Yeah, and it's time to have some fun.
11:42 But man, it's it's it's one of the probably the most grading greatest experience of a lifetime
11:50 other than the birth of your child.
11:52 Yes, and yeah, it's just remarkable feeling.
11:57 Okay, so we've had to we've had Dan Marino come
12:02 and talk to me about this Super Bowl M&Ms commercial no Scarlet Scarlet and come by.
12:09 We have one of the events come by that have been great.
12:11 Yeah, who you telling but talk to us about the partnership with M&Ms man,
12:16 man. Look when I got the opportunity,
12:19 I got a phone call from my marketing folks that told me that that M&Ms wanted to shoot a commercial with.
12:31 Dan Marino to and Scarlett Johansson.
12:36 I was I was pretty excited particularly for this iconic brand
12:46 and this this new creation M&Ms peanut butter.
12:52 I don't know if you had any yet. You have it.
12:54 Well, I got a I got a I got a I got a bag for you right here.
12:59 Yeah. Yeah, man. I've been eating those things all morning.
13:04 All morning long, but but it was just a great operate opportunity
13:11 and collaboration between all of us
13:15 and to be able to shoot a commercial with Dan.
13:18 I played against Dan for roughly 13 years.
13:22 I sag damn arena more times than anybody in the history of the game
13:26 and for us to be able to partner up and do a commercial after that long history of playing against one another
13:33 and now we're teaming up with M&Ms to shoot this commercial.
13:38 It's it's it's going to be a treat to watch.
13:41 Yeah, you know these guys actually use real M&M peanut butter
13:48 and went through the process of making them into diamonds to make a diamond ring.
13:57 A ring of comfort the ring of comfort. Yes, man.
14:06 Don't turn the lights out. Ladies and gentlemen, Bruce Smith.
14:11 Thank you for the time, man. Yeah, appreciate you.