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Speaker 1: Twenty six minutes after five o'clock. This is ESPN fifteen thirty.

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Speaker 1: We need to bring in somebody smart. Sean Saya fits

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Speaker 1: the bill Suomer Sports Suomer sports dot com. By the way,

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Speaker 1: Soomer's su M. E. R. And one of the authors

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Speaker 1: of the Stats and Scheme newsletter, which shows up in

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Speaker 1: your inbox multiple times per week. It'll make you a

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Speaker 1: smarter football fan at this At this stage, Sean, I

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Speaker 1: like being smarter right now. I feel like I'm more

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Speaker 1: concerned about my mental health watching this team's defense. How

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Speaker 1: are you well, I'm doing well.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, maybe a little bit better than ever watching that

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Speaker 2: film again, really really tough on the defense. But me personally,

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Speaker 2: you know, I guess I'm doing okay. Things are flying

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Speaker 2: well for for our guy Joe blackho out there.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, does the scheme exit? I know I've asked you

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Speaker 1: this before. Does does the scheme exist that you could

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Speaker 1: use with this collection of defensive players? You know?

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Speaker 2: But I always think like, if I am a talent

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Speaker 2: deficient team on defense, I want to lean into variants

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Speaker 2: like I just want to get guys going downhill as

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Speaker 2: fast as they can.

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Speaker 3: I want to blitz a lot.

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Speaker 2: I want to just cause chaos because you know, when

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Speaker 2: you have Bobsley Brow healthy, you're looking at this as saying,

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Speaker 2: we just need like one.

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Speaker 3: Or two takeaways.

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Speaker 2: We're gonna win this game because we're going to score

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Speaker 2: so much on offense. I mean, you score thirty eight points,

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Speaker 2: you just need like a turnover here or there to

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Speaker 2: be able to win the game. So to me, that's

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Speaker 2: what I think about leaning into just because yeah, I mean,

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Speaker 2: I'm watching these clips and I'm looking at guys's going

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Speaker 2: on direction or people not being able to read the

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Speaker 2: play correctly, and it's really tough, Like you're you're right

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Speaker 2: in that there's not like all at a certain point, there.

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Speaker 3: Is kind of a limit just on what coaches can

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Speaker 3: kind of do.

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Speaker 2: But at the same time, those guys get paid a

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Speaker 2: heck of a lot of money to do the job.

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Speaker 3: So to me, it's like, lean into variance.

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Speaker 2: Let's try and steal one out there, because especially in

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Speaker 2: a game where you're just scoring points in points, you

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Speaker 2: just got to get like a few stops here and

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Speaker 2: there to end up with a win.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, like folks say, well, you know, they

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Speaker 1: should blitz more, they should send more pressure after the quarterback. Okay, well,

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Speaker 1: I mean, look at some of the guys back there

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Speaker 1: that you're leaving on an island, or don't put more

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Speaker 1: pressure on the quarterback. You gotta be better in coverage. Well,

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Speaker 1: it's like the same collection of the DJ Turner's played well,

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Speaker 1: but it's like the same collection of dbs from last year.

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Speaker 1: I feel bad for Al Golden in his first year

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Speaker 1: because I don't have an answer, and I don't know.

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Speaker 1: It really feels like the ultimate pick your poison conundrum

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Speaker 1: for him.

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Speaker 2: Right absolutely, And like I look at defenses across the

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Speaker 2: league and I think, like, well, what is your weakest point,

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Speaker 2: right that's where teams really want to attack, And so

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Speaker 2: the Bengals, unfortunately, you kind of have some choices.

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Speaker 3: Like I think about, for example.

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Speaker 2: Like the Commander's defense, like they'll try and play main coverage,

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Speaker 2: but those at beat one on one, they'll try and

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Speaker 2: play zone coverage and they'll bust coverage, and like you said,

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Speaker 2: then at a certain point, it's like, all right, well,

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Speaker 2: like whatever you say, you know you're you're going to

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Speaker 2: either directly and you're still kind of hitting a brick wall.

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Speaker 2: So I definitely feel a little bit for Al Golden

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Speaker 2: in this situation. Because either situation like either solution you

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Speaker 2: go to, you're it's not like this super super plus situation,

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Speaker 2: Like you can't just feel great about listen, you can't

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Speaker 2: feel great about playing man covered, you can't feel great

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Speaker 2: about playing zone coverage. So then you're just deciding, like, well,

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Speaker 2: what is the variants that we want to lean into

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Speaker 2: for this game to just try and feel something.

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Speaker 3: For a win?

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Speaker 1: Is there anything you've seen other teams do that if

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Speaker 1: you're out golden and go, you know what, I'll steal that.

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Speaker 2: I think, like, I like when I think of defense

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Speaker 2: is overall like this whole kind of Ravens Tree of

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Speaker 2: defense where it's like we're only gonna rush for We're

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Speaker 2: gonna play zone coverage behind it, We're gonna blitz the

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Speaker 2: linebackers from the second level of bunch like that. That

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Speaker 2: is probably my preferred message of playing defense in twenty

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Speaker 2: twenty five. It does, you know, keep your guys out

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Speaker 2: there in situation where even your zone coverage it becomes

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Speaker 2: a long one. So I never want to say, oh,

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Speaker 2: there's nothing you can try to just give up, like

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Speaker 2: it's always going to be a kind of a game

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Speaker 2: to game basis. I'd love to see you know, if

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Speaker 2: you want to get your defensive line going, maybe it's

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Speaker 2: you know, you're getting more stunts overall. I just have

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Speaker 2: guys twisting back and forth, like literally just trying kind

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Speaker 2: of anything because it feels like at this point you

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Speaker 2: kind of you kind of.

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Speaker 3: Do have to just try anything to make it work here.

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Speaker 1: I think like the next step they're going to take

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Speaker 1: is just see if the referees notice that they sneak

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Speaker 1: a twelfth guy onto the field. I think that's what

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Speaker 1: I think that's where things are right now. Sean.

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Speaker 2: Look, I mean, you gotta try something, right I'm never

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Speaker 2: telling someone to not try.

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Speaker 1: Just just see if they they don't know how to count,

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Speaker 1: Sean side. As with us the TETs and scheme newsletters,

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Speaker 1: they have been offensively I'll be positive you're they're becoming

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Speaker 1: a good running team. What's changed, No, thank you.

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Speaker 2: The run game has been so fun to watch. That

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Speaker 2: has been really really good. I think it was like

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Speaker 2: it was like one hundred and eighty yards against the

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Speaker 2: gest where you know, our guys Sam J. Pierre and

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Speaker 2: they're able to get almost one hundred yards there and

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Speaker 2: a touchdown able to create after contact, you know, running

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Speaker 2: through Tassels or really.

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Speaker 3: Really positive there.

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Speaker 2: So I felt like take Carris played a good game

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Speaker 2: here too. Where we don't talk about the offensive line

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Speaker 2: in a positive way a whole lot when we get

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Speaker 2: to talk every week, but you know, you get some

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Speaker 2: movement up front, and yeah, like that is something that

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Speaker 2: you can really kind of build your team around in

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Speaker 2: a way if you're able to run at that level always.

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Speaker 2: Now do I think the defense is the best run

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Speaker 2: defense in the NFL? I do not personally, but I

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Speaker 2: do think it's just something that we've seen now multiple

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Speaker 2: weeks that oh, the running game is actually working, like

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Speaker 2: things are moving in the right direction. You can feel

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Speaker 2: pretty positive about that. Just the way that things are

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Speaker 2: going up front.

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Speaker 3: I really like that where you get you can.

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Speaker 2: Get attacking schemes, you can get skins already moving in

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Speaker 2: the outside, where things on Peter Ryan's touchdown, where you

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Speaker 2: have two tight ends on the field, but the defense

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Speaker 2: wants to play with nickel personnel, five defensive backs, those

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Speaker 2: light bodies. Hey, we can take advantage of you when

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Speaker 2: you're doing that, where the Bangals haven't always been able

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Speaker 2: to do that. So in exciting development in Bengal, and

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Speaker 2: I would say is that run game.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm trying. I want to be excited about it

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Speaker 1: having a hard time. They play the Bears this week.

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Speaker 1: Ben Johnson is in his first year as the head coach.

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Speaker 1: Where where has he had the most immediate impact with

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Speaker 1: Caleb Williams and.

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Speaker 3: Company the Bears overall?

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Speaker 2: There, I will say their under center play action game

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Speaker 2: is positive, like absolutely, that is something where Ben Johnson

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Speaker 2: comes in, you know, that's what he wants to bring in.

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Speaker 2: It is a really really good situation. I think that

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Speaker 2: Johnson has helped the connection between Caleb Williams and Romadounze

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Speaker 2: out there. It still feels like there are a lot

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Speaker 2: of just kind of like operational type issues with this

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Speaker 2: offense overall. I think the run game was able to

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Speaker 2: get going two weeks prior to this game, but the

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Speaker 2: Ravens defense that has had a lot of struggles against

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Speaker 2: the run, they were able to kind of handle the

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Speaker 2: Bears run game a little bit. So from the offensive

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Speaker 2: end of the ball, I would I would definitely call

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Speaker 2: it uneven where I think Caleb still has a bunch

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Speaker 2: of things to prove and then you know, the Bears

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Speaker 2: defense does not particularly scare me in this matchup.

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Speaker 1: All right, I hope I feel better next Tuesday. Sean.

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Speaker 1: You can hear the despair in my voice.

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Speaker 3: It's a tough fun. All I want is for you

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Speaker 3: to be happy.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, well it's it's uh. The Bengals aren't helping, but

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Speaker 1: Suomer sports does. Let's talk about the sumer Brain feature,

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Speaker 1: which is very very cool for folks who haven't used

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Speaker 1: it yet. What what'll they get?

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Speaker 2: Thanks so much Sooomer sports dot Com slash Stoomer Brain.

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Speaker 2: There really any sat question you have? Type it in

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Speaker 2: and I will say it might be this week, it

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Speaker 2: might be next week. We're gonna have fantasy pumps in

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Speaker 2: there so you can ask for your fantasy football questions there.

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Speaker 2: We're still hammering things out, cleaning it up.

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Speaker 3: But you want to look at.

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Speaker 2: Hey, well what do the Bear do on third downs

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Speaker 2: against outside runs?

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Speaker 1: Good?

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Speaker 2: And check that and you're gonna be able to get

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Speaker 2: a lot of good information for free with schumer Brain.

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Speaker 1: And the stats in Schame newsletter, which shows up in

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Speaker 1: your inbox multiple times per week. What is it?

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Speaker 3: Yes, it's a lot of fun to do.

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Speaker 2: It's an advanced game for you and readuse for every

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Speaker 2: single game across the entire year. And we've also been

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Speaker 2: adding in some fun topics done you know, the rise

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Speaker 2: of two tight end looks. This week we're going to

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Speaker 2: do a lot of teams that you have a lot

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Speaker 2: of fun running out of under center looks, particularly on

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Speaker 2: fourth down. Also adding a sixth offensive lineman to the field,

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Speaker 2: something that you'll see teams do now. So a lot

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Speaker 2: of data, a lot of a lot of film, a

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Speaker 2: lot of staff, a lot of talking about the good

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Speaker 2: stuff going on in the NFL.

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Speaker 1: Well, the good stuff going on in the NFL is

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Speaker 1: not happening here, Sean, but awesome to have you.

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Speaker 2: Nonetheless, thanks so much more, looking forward to talking next week.

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Speaker 1: That's our guy, Sean Saya Stats and Scheme newsletter. Sign

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Speaker 1: up for because it's great. Check out suomer sports dot com.

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Speaker 1: We are late. We'll hear from Scott Sanderfield. His team's good,

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Speaker 1: the best, the best football coach in Cincinnati. Do we

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Speaker 1: can we do that yet? I don't know. I think

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Speaker 1: there is something about his program that not a lot

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Speaker 1: of folks wanted to acknowledge two years ago. But I

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Speaker 1: think now that the team is playing well, we'll go

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Speaker 1: ahead and acknowledge it. Make that makes sense when we

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Speaker 1: come back on ESPN fifteen thirty.

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Speaker 1: Orlives Are Service of Chelsea Show