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Speaker 1: Welcome to One Bill's like the laser beam version of

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Speaker 1: our daily show One Bills Live, where we wedge in

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Speaker 1: all the Bills we can and about forty minutes coming up.

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Speaker 1: Can the Bills defense return to its top five status?

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Speaker 1: In twenty twenty one, nfl UK's Neil Reynold stopped by

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Speaker 1: to discussed his plans to take in a Bills game

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Speaker 1: in Orchard Park this season, and we ask our one

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Speaker 1: burning question, snap the ball at a Steve Taster who

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Speaker 1: has been all over our fields. Kind of unique. He

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Speaker 1: was kind of a dual role players for you, Steve,

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Speaker 1: Steve a blimp. We're not even in the stratosphere of normalcy.

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Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us here on One Bills like Chris

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Speaker 1: Brown and Steve Taster with you as always, Steve. Last

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Speaker 1: season a year of unprecedented success for Buffalo's offense over

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Speaker 1: five hundred points, school Josh Allen setting single season passing records,

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Speaker 1: the rookie kicker Tyler Bass even set a mark for

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Speaker 1: most single season points. But what about the defense? After

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Speaker 1: two straight seasons as a top five unit, they finished

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Speaker 1: fourteenth in total defense in twenty twenty seventeenth against the run,

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Speaker 1: thirteenth against the past sixteenth in points allowed, not terrible,

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Speaker 1: but a step back from where they had been. So now,

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Speaker 1: with most of the offseason decisions made by the Bill's

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Speaker 1: front office, is Buffalo's defense capable of returning to top

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Speaker 1: five status in twenty twenty one. I think they are,

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Speaker 1: no question about it. But they're gonna have They gotta

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Speaker 1: play better, but I think one of the things that

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Speaker 1: will help them, as it will most defenses across the league.

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Speaker 1: As you saw it as well as I did last year,

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Speaker 1: across the league, offenses got off to fast starts almost universally,

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Speaker 1: That points towards an offseason that wasn't quite as productive.

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Speaker 1: We had the pandemic offseason, no pad practices, no contact,

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Speaker 1: no preseason games. Defensive didn't get a chance to practice tackling,

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Speaker 1: let alone do it live in full speed. So I

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Speaker 1: think that showed itself early in the season. I think

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Speaker 1: a lot of teams struggled to catch up with that.

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Speaker 1: I don't think that'll be the case this year. Plus

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Speaker 1: last year as well, the defensive front for Buffalo had

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Speaker 1: a lot of new guys in a Vernon Butler, Mario

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Speaker 1: Addison and others. They lost Shack Lawson and Jordan Phillips

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Speaker 1: from the year before. Harrison Phillips was back on the

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Speaker 1: field for them. He had been quite right, wasn't quite right?

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Speaker 1: Now once again there's gonna be a big shuffle upfront.

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Speaker 1: Trent Murphy gone, Greg russou In, Boogie Basham in, Starlow

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Speaker 1: to La opting back in. Certainly, you'd like to think

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Speaker 1: those guys are gonna be upgrades from what the production

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Speaker 1: they had a year ago. The two rookies Basham and

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Speaker 1: Russo probably question marks, but certainly more gifted than the

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Speaker 1: guys they lost. And also Starlow to La is a

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Speaker 1: question mark as well, but he seems to be by

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Speaker 1: all reports ready to come back. I can ready to

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Speaker 1: resume his role former first round draft pick, big, big

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Speaker 1: time down inside and defensive lineman. Perhaps he can elevate

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Speaker 1: the play of the guys down inside and on the end.

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Speaker 1: I think they're gonna get a lot more production out

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Speaker 1: of Greg Russo and Boogie Bashman they did Trent Murphy

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Speaker 1: a year ago and the others. So yeah, I think

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Speaker 1: there's every reason to think that with a better preseason,

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Speaker 1: even with new guys into the fold, they're going to

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Speaker 1: come out and play a little bit better offensive or defensively,

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Speaker 1: and we'll see, and I think it all boils. I

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Speaker 1: think it'll be better against the rush early on because

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Speaker 1: of the added physicality of their preseason, But I also

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Speaker 1: think it comes down to how much better is the

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Speaker 1: pass rush going to be? And that's that's the real

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Speaker 1: question that we don't know yet. And I agree with

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Speaker 1: you one hundred percent that the scales were tilted in

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Speaker 1: favor of the offense coming through the pandemic with all

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Speaker 1: that was lost in the off season for defenders in particular.

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Speaker 1: I know we talked to Micah Hyde about this, and

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Speaker 1: he was talking about how without a preseason, without any

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Speaker 1: pads on in training camp, because they had the ramp

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Speaker 1: up training camp, if you remember, they didn't tackle anybody

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Speaker 1: at full speed until Week one. And that's an adjustment

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Speaker 1: that you can't make, even a veteran player to adjust

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Speaker 1: to that level of speed and then tackle in a

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Speaker 1: fundamentally sound way. And that was a league wide issue,

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Speaker 1: not to mention the fact that offenses did not have

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Speaker 1: to deal with crowd noise in any way, shape or form.

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Speaker 1: So yes, the dack was stacked against defenses in an

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Speaker 1: untold way that we had ever seen before, and it

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Speaker 1: hurt the Bills along with a whole lot of other teams.

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Speaker 1: You look at where they may have slipped the most,

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Speaker 1: and you know, fighting the run was, you know, something

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Speaker 1: they haven't been terribly good at ever. I think they

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Speaker 1: were near the top ten in run defense the year prior,

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Speaker 1: but they've been a top five pass defense each of

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Speaker 1: the past two years prior to twenty twenty. And that

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Speaker 1: went away. And yes, it was probably due in part

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Speaker 1: to their pass rush or lack thereof, And there were

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Speaker 1: a lot of moving parts up front to the point

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Speaker 1: where they had to scale back that rotation. If you

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Speaker 1: remember with Leslie Frasier scaling it back and saying, I

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Speaker 1: got to play my most effective guys a little bit

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Speaker 1: more often here because this rotation is just flat out

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Speaker 1: not working. One of the thing too, they were playing

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Speaker 1: with an offense on their own team that was scoring

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Speaker 1: five hundred points, as we said, and they were they

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Speaker 1: faced a lot more desperate offense as a year ago.

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Speaker 1: Who hey, you know, there's good players around the league.

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Speaker 1: So when the team comes out desperate and they've got

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Speaker 1: some players, they're going to make some hey against even

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Speaker 1: a good defense. Because the Bills offense was putting the

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Speaker 1: pressure on them to air it out a little bit

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Speaker 1: more than they perhaps would have when Josh was completing

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Speaker 1: fifty eight percent of his passes instead of sixty nine

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Speaker 1: percent of the past. And in fairness to the Bills defense,

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Speaker 1: they did find their footing in the second half of

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Speaker 1: the season last year. I think in four of their

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Speaker 1: last six games they gave up less than twenty points.

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Speaker 1: And if this defense is going to get up less

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Speaker 1: than twenty points a week, they're gonna win probably about

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Speaker 1: eighty five to ninety percent of their games with this

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Speaker 1: passing offense. Now, Buffalo added, as you mentioned, Steve most

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Speaker 1: frequently at the defensive end position. In terms of offseason acquisitions,

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Speaker 1: their top two draft choices, along with free agent fa

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Speaker 1: Obada and the resigning of Matt Milana. We also know,

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Speaker 1: as you talked about star La tu Lala opting back

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Speaker 1: in after his opt out year, what area of the

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Speaker 1: defense do we believe will make the biggest difference to

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Speaker 1: help boost effectiveness on the field. I think it's going

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Speaker 1: to be their run game defense, Starlot lay At Oliver

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Speaker 1: in there together, or whoever the case may be. I

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Speaker 1: think they're gonna play the run better, and when they

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Speaker 1: do it, it's going to lead to more third and eight,

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Speaker 1: third and nines. Their defensive secondary is as good as

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Speaker 1: any in the league. I mean, I think everybody's really

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Speaker 1: happy with that. Even we've been talking all offseason about

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Speaker 1: a CB to a corner a second cornerback. Levi Wallace

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Speaker 1: is a veteran player who's been around the block and

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Speaker 1: has taken on all comers. And while he is not

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Speaker 1: as good as Dadavious White, he's good. They haven't been

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Speaker 1: able to find better, right, and they've got some guys

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Speaker 1: in there to give him competition to keep the fire

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Speaker 1: lit under him as well. So I think their secondary

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Speaker 1: is going to hold up really well. And if you

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Speaker 1: give them third and eight and third and nine pluses

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Speaker 1: because of your run defense on early downs, yeah, they're

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Speaker 1: they're going to be fine. Their their pass defense will

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Speaker 1: follow suit, and you know it's hard for a team

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Speaker 1: to convert that all day as or as often as

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Speaker 1: it looks like the Bills may be able to put

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Speaker 1: their team ending. But I tend to agree with you

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Speaker 1: that the pass rush really has to come to play

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Speaker 1: every single week because if this offense continues to be

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Speaker 1: as productive and effective as it has been in the

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Speaker 1: past calendar year. They're going to be playing with a

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Speaker 1: lot of leads, and that means your opponent is going

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Speaker 1: to be throwing it even more so if your pass

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Speaker 1: rush is not where they feel it needs to be.

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Speaker 1: And clearly, with the acquisitions that they made in the

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Speaker 1: draft and free agency, they knew a grade or at

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Speaker 1: least depth at that position was necessary. It's it's gotta deliver.

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Speaker 1: It really has to deliver. Knowing these other teams are

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Speaker 1: going to be throwing a lot to climb back into

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Speaker 1: games against a Bill's offense that more often than Knot's

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Speaker 1: going to hang thirty one. Clearly, the Bill's defense is

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Speaker 1: going to get a chance to rush the passer a

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Speaker 1: lot because this offense is not going anywhere. Their offensive

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Speaker 1: line maybe a tick better than it was a year ago,

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Speaker 1: when you know they could keep Josh pretty clean, and

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Speaker 1: if they didn't, Josh was putting the defense put a

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Speaker 1: lot of stress on defenses by running around. They're going

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Speaker 1: to score points on this offense. So this defense is

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Speaker 1: going to get a chance to reciprocate and rush the

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Speaker 1: passer on their side of it. And how good they

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Speaker 1: do that really is the hinge is to how good

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Speaker 1: they're going to be playing. Yeah, the schedule is a

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Speaker 1: little bit more favorable this year, so I would tend

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Speaker 1: to agree with you. I think the top five finish

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Speaker 1: in overall defense is a possibility. It's gonna be very

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Speaker 1: interesting to see if they can get top five pass defense,

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Speaker 1: knowing if the offense does, but it's supposed to do,

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Speaker 1: how much rowing they're gonna see just by pure volume,

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Speaker 1: they may not be able to finish as a top

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Speaker 1: top five pass defense because they're gonna see balls in

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Speaker 1: the air every single week time. Now, though, for the

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Speaker 1: numbers game, where I'm gonna quiz Steve on a number

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Speaker 1: of defensive stats for the Bills from last season. So

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Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen and twenty nineteen, Steve, the Bills finished

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Speaker 1: fourth in number of twenty plus yard pass plays given up,

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Speaker 1: allowing thirty four and thirty six. Now, that's when they

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Speaker 1: finished as a top five pass defense in each of

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Speaker 1: those two years. So where did the Bills rank in

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Speaker 1: twenty plus yard pass plays allowed in twenty twenty or

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Speaker 1: do you think they ranked? I'll bet you they ranked.

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Speaker 1: You know, the number one thing in Leslie Fraser's defense

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Speaker 1: is do not let anybody get behind you. I'll bet

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Speaker 1: you they ranked twelve or above. So you're saying twelve, Yeah, okay,

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Speaker 1: they eighth. Actually they gave up I was right. I

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Speaker 1: come on twelfth or above better. If you don't get

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Speaker 1: to pick a range, pick a ranking. U. They finished

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Speaker 1: eighth last year. They gave up forty four plays of

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Speaker 1: twenty yards or more. And there's a good chance this

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Speaker 1: number goes up because they're playing seventeen games, so we

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Speaker 1: shouldn't forget that either. But eighth isn't bad. It's pretty

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Speaker 1: good considered, Yes, better than the top third of the league. US. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's excellent. It's better than I thought it was that. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: but it is. That speaks to me. It speaks at

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Speaker 1: the secondary, not the pass run. Yes, and if the

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Speaker 1: pass rush is better, hopefully that helps the secondary keep

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Speaker 1: that number right at a in a low range. In

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Speaker 1: twenty eighteen and twenty nineteen, the Bills defense ranked twenty

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Speaker 1: six and twelfth in sacks. Where did they rank in

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Speaker 1: sacks in twenty twenty fourteen? You're close. They ranked sixteen

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Speaker 1: sixteen in sacks. Last year they had thirty eight. So

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Speaker 1: the funny thing is they ranked twelfth in twenty nineteen,

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Speaker 1: and I think they had forty four. They slipped to

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Speaker 1: sixteenth this past year with just thirty eight sexs. And

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Speaker 1: I tend to agree with you, Steve. All the shuffling upfront,

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Speaker 1: new faces and new places, and it was Jefferson, Addison

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Speaker 1: and Butler and no preseason and no preseason right, and

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Speaker 1: aj Fpenesse for that, Matt, that's right, So all that change,

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Speaker 1: it took time to fit it all together, last one, Steve.

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Speaker 1: In twenty eighteen and twenty nineteen, the Bills defense ranked

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Speaker 1: seventh and ninth in interceptions with sixteen and fourteen in

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Speaker 1: those two years, respectively. Where did the Bills rank in

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Speaker 1: interceptions in twenty twenty I'm gonna say twenty eight they

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Speaker 1: ranked seventh seventh in interceptions with fifteen. Now this is

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Speaker 1: not total takes, right, purely just interceptions. Yeah, seventh in

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Speaker 1: the league with fifteenth. So they're right in between those

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Speaker 1: numbers there, averaging one a game. Yeah, almost one a game. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: But that's surprising, isn't it. Like people are people are saying, oh,

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Speaker 1: the defense was down last year, eighth in big plays allowed,

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Speaker 1: sixteenth in sacks, seventh in interception. So it's not a

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Speaker 1: back end problem. It's a front end problem, and that's

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Speaker 1: why I think we've seen them address, you know, the

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Speaker 1: defensive front as much as we have this offseason. All right,

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Speaker 1: well done, Steve. Time now for our featured guest. It's

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Speaker 1: NFL UK writer and analyst Neil Reynolds joining us. Neil

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Speaker 1: talks about how far he sees the bills going in

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Speaker 1: the AFC this year, his son's chance to play quarterback

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Speaker 1: at the college level in Canada, and the NFL staging

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Speaker 1: of regular season games potentially in Germany. Here's Neil, the

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Speaker 1: NFL reporter based in the UK, Sky Sports studio, host

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Speaker 1: and host of the Inside the Huddle podcast and the

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Speaker 1: Neil Reynolds Podcast. Yes, you guessed it, it is Neil

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Speaker 1: Reynolds joining us here on the show. Neil, how is it?

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Speaker 1: How's the weather over there on that side of the

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Speaker 1: pond this time of year? You know what? Actually, it's

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Speaker 1: beautiful and I'm sat in a car because I was

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Speaker 1: doing some filming today, so you've kind of caught me

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Speaker 1: on my way home. I've got the windows done up

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Speaker 1: so there's no traffic. It's about eighty two and sunny,

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Speaker 1: which we don't normally get here. So yeah, yeah, if

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Speaker 1: my head, if my head gets a little bit shinier

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Speaker 1: than usual, well it always gets shiny. But you'll forgive

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Speaker 1: me because I'm absolutely boiling. Well I can I can

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Speaker 1: totally relate. So I'm shining up there as well. In

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Speaker 1: the UK. Do you know what a cicada is? Is

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Speaker 1: that cricket? Yeah? Yeah, it's a huge like a locus.

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Speaker 1: You know, you're not played with those, and you can do.

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Speaker 1: You've got to get halfway. You've got to get halfway

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Speaker 1: through France before you'll start to hear then, O kay

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Speaker 1: of course, yeah, okay, good. Well, we're dealing with it

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Speaker 1: overrun in the mid Atlantic region and they're showing up

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Speaker 1: on radar. There's so many, thousands of them, it's crazy.

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Speaker 1: It's like the end of days down in Virginia. And

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Speaker 1: they had Ryan Fitzpatrick with a cicada in his beat

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Speaker 1: lodged in his beard at practice today. They're all over

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Speaker 1: honestly the stuff that man has had in his beard

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Speaker 1: over the years, baby carrots, all sorts, and getting ready

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Speaker 1: to have you on the show today. We've heard that

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Speaker 1: you may be crossing the pond to come over to

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Speaker 1: three or four games here in the States and be

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Speaker 1: here in person. I am yes. I'm going to be

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Speaker 1: working with a travel company in the UK to bring

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Speaker 1: a group of fans over for some games. Obviously, I

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Speaker 1: normally watched from the comfort of a studio or a

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Speaker 1: press box. I can't be there on Sundays because of

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Speaker 1: our Sky Sports shows, but I'm going to come for

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Speaker 1: a couple of Monday night game and a Thursday night game.

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Speaker 1: So I'm going to be in Buffalo in the stands

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Speaker 1: in December against the Patriots on Monday Night Football, and

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Speaker 1: then in Minneapolis for the Steelers and Vikings. I've always

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Speaker 1: looked at these games that are played in Buffalo in

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Speaker 1: December and I sit in a nice, warm, cozy studio

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Speaker 1: and I always say that's football weather, that's great. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: let it snow. I don't really mean it when I've

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Speaker 1: actually got to sit there and do it. Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 1: you know, September is a much nicer month of the

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Speaker 1: year to come and if you're not into the cold weather,

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Speaker 1: but you're gonna come to the Patriot game, I am yes.

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Speaker 1: So I'm very excited. I'm very excited about the Bills. Obviously,

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Speaker 1: I'm playing to the home crowd here but I'm very

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Speaker 1: excited about the Bills this season. Anyway, I really want

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Speaker 1: to see Josh Allen in the flesh. I would think,

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Speaker 1: you know, there's a fan in me. He's so exciting,

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Speaker 1: so I can't wait for Actually, yeah, that should be good. Um,

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Speaker 1: of course, watch Neil comes here and we'll get like

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Speaker 1: some kind of fifty five degree fahrenheit reprieve and uh,

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Speaker 1: you know he'll be here in like a like a

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Speaker 1: windbreaker watching the game in December. We'll get those wacky

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Speaker 1: weather dus. Sometimes we also understand before we get into

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Speaker 1: the Bills a little bit more here, Neil, that you've

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Speaker 1: got someone in your family that is going to be

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Speaker 1: playing football at the collegiate level. North of the border

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Speaker 1: from US quite a bit. I think Arta was about

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Speaker 1: what seven eight hours from US more than that. But

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Speaker 1: you've got your boy he's going to be playing at

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Speaker 1: the next level here. George Reynolds, Yeah, yeah, there is.

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Speaker 1: My son, Georgie is at the NFL Academy. He's got

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Speaker 1: scholarship to go to the University of Ottawa. He's already

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Speaker 1: been talking with your new British defensive lineman fa At Bardo.

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Speaker 1: Fas invited him down to a Bills game. So it

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Speaker 1: might be quite a drive to Buffalo, but probably a

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Speaker 1: short flight. So I think I think George will be

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Speaker 1: checking out a Buffalo Bills game at some point anyway.

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Speaker 1: But he's worked very hard for it. He's a very

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Speaker 1: unbiased of course by here from people that he's a

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Speaker 1: very good quarterback, you know. Chris Simms tells me that,

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Speaker 1: Kirt Warner tells me that. So, yeah, he's got a

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Speaker 1: shot to get over to that side of the pond,

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Speaker 1: which doesn't happen very often for British or European quarterbacks.

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Speaker 1: He's got a chance to put some put some game

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Speaker 1: film on tape and see where his journey goes next.

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Speaker 1: But yeah, really excited about the chance to play in Ottawa.

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Speaker 1: And there are usually there are usually a handful of

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Speaker 1: players every year, you know, they get drafted out of Canada.

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Speaker 1: Um that, you know, get a shot in the NFL

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Speaker 1: to at least make a roster. I know that. Um

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Speaker 1: he also had sorry I was just gonna say he had.

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Speaker 1: He actually had from from Tom Lemming, Tom Lemming's high

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Speaker 1: school magazine. He had a three star rating last year.

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Speaker 1: So you know, we've looked at a lot of three

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Speaker 1: star quarterbacks that were in America. They got sort of

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Speaker 1: sixteen or seventeen D one offers I think with COVID

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Speaker 1: and with the fact that George is British, Um, those

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Speaker 1: kind of offers didn't materialize. That's not to say that

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Speaker 1: Ottawa isn't a great experience and a great school. It is,

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Speaker 1: and the coaching staff up there are excellent. You know,

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Speaker 1: the coach is an ex CFL head coach. They've got

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Speaker 1: packers assistance that are on the staff. So yeah, George

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Speaker 1: has got he got quite a good rating and I

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Speaker 1: think he's got a chance to go and prove himself

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Speaker 1: on that side of the pond. I mean, Steve played

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Speaker 1: with Canadian players here on the bill, tim Tindale, right,

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Speaker 1: was Timmy Tindale was here? Yeah, they're and they're player

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Speaker 1: Canadian players that come down constantly. Um. Yeah, there's there's

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Speaker 1: no Doug Flutie the whole nine yards all. There's a

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Speaker 1: ton of guys, you know, Joe Cap all those guys

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Speaker 1: that played up there over the course of the of

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Speaker 1: the air. But even the collegiate kids up there, they'll

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Speaker 1: come down and play. I mean a Keem Hicks I

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Speaker 1: think was he was playing up in Canada. I want

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Speaker 1: to see he played Regina or somewhere um out west

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Speaker 1: in Western Canada so they get looks. I mean, all

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Speaker 1: he needs is an opportunity and then off you go.

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Speaker 1: We've been asking our listeners today and you you'll have

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Speaker 1: an over you're a big picture guy with the NF,

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Speaker 1: with the podcast and over the course of the all

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Speaker 1: the big transactions. I want to take one team or

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Speaker 1: anything but one transaction or one acquisition, whether it be

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Speaker 1: a new head coach or a new player draft pick.

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Speaker 1: Which one of those? And we've asked our listeners to

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Speaker 1: chime in as well, which one do you think is

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Speaker 1: going to make the biggest impact this season? For which

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Speaker 1: every team made that one single transaction? Do you have

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Speaker 1: any pop out of the long list of transactions that

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Speaker 1: happened every off season. Yeah, I'm gonna cheat. I'm going

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Speaker 1: to go with one that's really old in the off

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Speaker 1: season and one that's really new. I think Julio Jones

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Speaker 1: going to Tennessee changes changes their offense. You know, how

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Speaker 1: do you load up to stop Derek Henry when you've

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Speaker 1: got AJ Brown and Julio Jones. Now, if it's if

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Speaker 1: it's the Julio that was last year. You're probably still

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Speaker 1: going to roll the dice. Even if he missed seven

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Speaker 1: games with a hamstring injury, he still had close to

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Speaker 1: eight hundred yards receiving the six years before that averaging

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Speaker 1: fifteen hundred yards per season. This is a Hall of Fame, man.

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Speaker 1: This is now. You've got not one number one receiver

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Speaker 1: in A. J. Brown, but you've got two. What an

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Speaker 1: opportunity for Bryan Tannehill. You know, he was kind of

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Speaker 1: just there in Miami with not huge amounts of talent

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Speaker 1: around him. Now he gets the chance to to work

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Speaker 1: with Derek Henry in the backfield, Julio Jones and A. J. Brown.

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Speaker 1: So that that would be the most recent one. And

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Speaker 1: I will go back to right at the start, which

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Speaker 1: actually before the Super Bowl even and I think Matthew

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Speaker 1: Stafford to the Rams is going to be fascinating. I

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Speaker 1: think we saw Sean McVay kind of fall out of

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Speaker 1: love and doubt Jared Garth, and I think, what can

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Speaker 1: Sean McVay dial up with that real true gunslinger, which

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Speaker 1: I think is what Matthew Stafford is. I think Matthew

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Speaker 1: Stafford doesn't get nearly the attention he deserves, so I

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Speaker 1: think he can really change the RAMS. That one, to

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Speaker 1: me is really exciting. It's a good yeah. And the

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Speaker 1: NFC work competitive well yeah and yeah, and for our listeners,

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Speaker 1: we were keeping it to the AFC, but we went

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Speaker 1: league wide with Neil here, so he had a little

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Speaker 1: bit more to chuse from and that's why he was

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Speaker 1: able to pick Stafford with the RAMS. We also talked

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Speaker 1: about Corrison Wentz m We know there's some doubt as

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Speaker 1: to whether he can recapture the magic that almost made

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Speaker 1: him an MVP just four years ago as his team

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Speaker 1: went to the Super Bowl. But what do you what

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Speaker 1: do you think about his chances of recapturing the magic

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Speaker 1: so to speak with his former OC and Frank Reich

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Speaker 1: in India, I mean, it's the best landing spot. I

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Speaker 1: think it's absolutely the best landing spot for Wentz. The

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Speaker 1: line is a world away from what he had to

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Speaker 1: go through in Philadelphia the last couple of years. But

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Speaker 1: you know, not everything was on that offensive line. You know,

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Speaker 1: some of it was on Carson Wentz as well. Yes,

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Speaker 1: it's a great situation to be with Frank Reich. It's

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Speaker 1: a great offensive line, it's a good running game. I

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Speaker 1: just I mean, I was writing my season preview magazine

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Speaker 1: a couple of days ago, and I did the Indiana

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Speaker 1: Plis Colts, and I think he was one of the

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Speaker 1: worst quarterbacks in the NFL statistically last year. Throwing from

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Speaker 1: a clean pocket. That's going to worry me. So I

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Speaker 1: think everything's there. We all saw what was there in

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Speaker 1: two seventeen pre injury, even late in two and nineteen

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Speaker 1: when he kind of carried that team to the playoffs.

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Speaker 1: So they've been flashes and it's a good situation. It's

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Speaker 1: one of those now for me where you just got

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Speaker 1: shown me, you know, and I think show the league,

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Speaker 1: and so I'm hopeful, but I'm not convinced. Yeah, And

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Speaker 1: that's I think you echo a lot of stain. There's

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Speaker 1: just too many question marks for people to jump on

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Speaker 1: board with Carson Wentz being a savior of a team.

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Speaker 1: I think the thing that intrigues me about the Carson

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Speaker 1: Wentz situation in Indianapolis is that Indianapolis has a fully

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Speaker 1: formed roster and it won't be as though Carson Wentz

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Speaker 1: has to be I'm Patrick Mahomes for the Chiefs and

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Speaker 1: carry the team, or Russell Wilson for the Seahawks and

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Speaker 1: carry the team. He can find his legs before they

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Speaker 1: really depend on him to do anything special because of

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Speaker 1: the quality of the players around him and their defense. Yeah,

429
00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:56,760
Speaker 1: I think that's I think that's absolutely true. The defense

430
00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,119
Speaker 1: makes the difference, doesn't it. And I think when we

431
00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:01,960
Speaker 1: look at what he was working with at the back

432
00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,920
Speaker 1: end of two thousand and nineteen, you know, there were

433
00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:08,159
Speaker 1: most of those guys were coming off the practice squad,

434
00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:11,000
Speaker 1: so it's you know, of course the talent level is

435
00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,560
Speaker 1: going to help, but yeah, I wrote this is what

436
00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:16,800
Speaker 1: he kind of comes in with some damage. You know,

437
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,840
Speaker 1: it's a little bit shell shocked. He's a little bit tarnished,

438
00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:22,600
Speaker 1: and we're all kind of just sitting back and waiting

439
00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,240
Speaker 1: to be convinced. And he must be aware of that.

440
00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,119
Speaker 1: You know, he knows what life in the in the

441
00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:31,240
Speaker 1: league is like for a quarterback. So yeah, it's a

442
00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:33,960
Speaker 1: it's a big test for him because and pressure as well,

443
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,760
Speaker 1: because really, if you look at it, it's a team

444
00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,679
Speaker 1: that's ready, you know. I know from talking to a

445
00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:43,159
Speaker 1: couple of people that were close to the Bills, they

446
00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,280
Speaker 1: said that Colts gave the Bills all they could handle.

447
00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:47,000
Speaker 1: They were one of the toughest teams the Bills faced

448
00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:48,919
Speaker 1: last year when they met in the playoffs. So this

449
00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:52,000
Speaker 1: Colts teams not far away. Yeah, they have a very

450
00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,560
Speaker 1: complete rister. So yes, if Wentz can catch fire, they

451
00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:58,359
Speaker 1: could be onto something. We know that the International Series returns,

452
00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:01,640
Speaker 1: so you'll get to watch some games up closing personal

453
00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,920
Speaker 1: at Tottenham Stadium in October this year. But I'm sure

454
00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,680
Speaker 1: you saw the Associated Press report that just came out

455
00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:13,320
Speaker 1: today about the NFL wanting to hold games in Germany

456
00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:19,680
Speaker 1: and they are launching the process to identify a partner city. Now,

457
00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:22,199
Speaker 1: Steve and I are old enough, and I'm sure you

458
00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,800
Speaker 1: are neil to remember the days of NFL Europe when

459
00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:30,000
Speaker 1: Germany had two teams in Frankfurt and Berlin. Would you

460
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,480
Speaker 1: put those two cities as the front runners or do

461
00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:38,720
Speaker 1: you think there are other strong contenders in Germany. I

462
00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:45,720
Speaker 1: think there's a few. I think when you look at Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Munich, Berlin. Yeah,

463
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:47,720
Speaker 1: I think it's going to be a very competitive process.

464
00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:50,119
Speaker 1: And NFL Europe was very popular in Germany. It was

465
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:52,359
Speaker 1: for me, it was some of the best nights I

466
00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,159
Speaker 1: ever had covering this sport. Well guy used to go

467
00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:57,000
Speaker 1: to a game every weekend when I was working for

468
00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:00,320
Speaker 1: NFL UK. I'm working for NFL Europe. Side fly on

469
00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:03,440
Speaker 1: a Saturday morning, watch a game, fly back on a Sunday.

470
00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:06,960
Speaker 1: It's fantastic. The fans deserve it, they deserve a game,

471
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,320
Speaker 1: and I don't think it's going to take away from

472
00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:11,480
Speaker 1: what we have in London. I don't think it should

473
00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:15,959
Speaker 1: scare any British fans at all. It will be when

474
00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:20,160
Speaker 1: it happens in Germany. One heck of a party, one

475
00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,399
Speaker 1: giant kind of step for the NFL internationally, and just

476
00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,040
Speaker 1: you know, I feel like our games in the UK

477
00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:28,639
Speaker 1: are safe and I almost wonder and this is just

478
00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:31,480
Speaker 1: me playing fantasy football. I don't control the budgets. I

479
00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,480
Speaker 1: wonder if we'll ever see the the international games becoming

480
00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:39,720
Speaker 1: like Formula one. Yeah, we're in Brazil, then we're in France,

481
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,720
Speaker 1: We're in Germany. There's two games in London. You know,

482
00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:44,480
Speaker 1: I think. I think it's going to be great to

483
00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:48,160
Speaker 1: just keep expanding the game. I don't know which city

484
00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:49,760
Speaker 1: will be favorite, but I know there'll be a lot

485
00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:52,439
Speaker 1: of cities in the mix. In Germany because they have

486
00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:55,280
Speaker 1: a really passionate fan base and the numbers when you

487
00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,760
Speaker 1: look at all the kind of metrics and TV viewing

488
00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:00,840
Speaker 1: figures fans support, it's all right, they're the same as

489
00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,160
Speaker 1: the UK, So you know it's going to take off

490
00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:05,440
Speaker 1: in Germany as soon as they get this game. How

491
00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,840
Speaker 1: much do you think stadiums play a role in deciding

492
00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:11,840
Speaker 1: the partner city. Obviously these cities are all going to

493
00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:16,040
Speaker 1: send in their RFPs and as we understand it, based

494
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:19,560
Speaker 1: on the AP report, the NFL hired London based the

495
00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:24,879
Speaker 1: sports consultancy to to you know, handle the requests for proposals. Um,

496
00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,680
Speaker 1: I'm wondering how much the stadium part of it is

497
00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:32,960
Speaker 1: a factor in that, you know, stadium accessibility and conformability

498
00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:37,280
Speaker 1: to the NFL game. Yeah, I mean there are only

499
00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,840
Speaker 1: a few, they're only handful of stadium in the UK

500
00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,840
Speaker 1: that can actually fit the full length field and the

501
00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,919
Speaker 1: end zones. So that's it's the length of the field

502
00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:48,560
Speaker 1: that's the issue. Absolutely, it's going to play a part

503
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:52,160
Speaker 1: the NFL. See what they've got now with Wembley Stadium

504
00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,320
Speaker 1: and to a greater extend, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a Premier

505
00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:01,040
Speaker 1: League team purpose built an NFL stadium to get these games,

506
00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:05,920
Speaker 1: and it's beautiful. It's amazing Tottenham hotspurst stadiums. So these

507
00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,200
Speaker 1: you guys know you're right there, Steve, You'll know you've played.

508
00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:11,560
Speaker 1: You're a creature of habit. You want to know everything's

509
00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:15,800
Speaker 1: there for you. Coaches are anal about what they have

510
00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:22,640
Speaker 1: for their players, So stadiums, infrastructure, logistics, they're they're everything.

511
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:25,720
Speaker 1: They're everything to get in these games. Now. Obviously fan

512
00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,320
Speaker 1: growth is a huge part of it, but you're not

513
00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:31,119
Speaker 1: going to get teams over unless they're really happy with

514
00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,280
Speaker 1: where they're playing when they come overseas, and they're happy

515
00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,480
Speaker 1: with the practice facilities all of that. So it will

516
00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,480
Speaker 1: be a major major factor. One of the things that

517
00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,720
Speaker 1: you've been familiar with the pathways player for European players

518
00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,879
Speaker 1: to come to Buffalo, and Buffalo now has two, not

519
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,639
Speaker 1: only Christian Wade, who's still waiting on the practice squad

520
00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:51,320
Speaker 1: perhaps to get a chance to play for the Bills,

521
00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:54,600
Speaker 1: and also fa Obada, who is now a free agent

522
00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:58,320
Speaker 1: acquisition by Buffalo. That's got to kind of warm your

523
00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,680
Speaker 1: heart to see both of those guys. As you said,

524
00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,720
Speaker 1: they've been in touch with your son George about coming

525
00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:06,760
Speaker 1: down from Arnawa to see your game. It's got to

526
00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:10,440
Speaker 1: be kind of give you a warm feeling about European

527
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:14,480
Speaker 1: players having a place particularly here in Buffalo. Yeah, I

528
00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,080
Speaker 1: love it, and you know, I'll be rooting for the

529
00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:18,560
Speaker 1: Bills every time they step on the field. Those two guys,

530
00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:22,440
Speaker 1: and you know, it's just tremendous. They came in different ways.

531
00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,280
Speaker 1: That's what's so interesting to me. You could have, you know,

532
00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,360
Speaker 1: hopefully someone like George or other kids that come through

533
00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:32,959
Speaker 1: the NFL academy going the college route into the NFL

534
00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:37,320
Speaker 1: or into professional football. You've got Christian Wade, who came

535
00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:41,000
Speaker 1: from another sport, so he was a you know, professional

536
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:44,560
Speaker 1: athlete in another sport, gave up a lucrative career in

537
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,760
Speaker 1: rugby to try his hand at NFL. And you've got

538
00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:52,400
Speaker 1: fa who played five games of amateur football. And trust me, fellas,

539
00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:57,080
Speaker 1: it is like park football. It was. It's amateur as

540
00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:01,760
Speaker 1: amateur can be. And he played five games of American

541
00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:04,520
Speaker 1: football before being spotted by the Dallas Cowboys. And then

542
00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:09,360
Speaker 1: he's been on this journey. So I think, because both

543
00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:11,040
Speaker 1: of them have been around it for a little while

544
00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:13,760
Speaker 1: now all we shouldn't, but we do get are we

545
00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,040
Speaker 1: know Christian Wade's on the Buffalo Bills. We know FA's

546
00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,560
Speaker 1: in the NFL. It's amazing that these guys are in

547
00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,120
Speaker 1: the NFL considering what they've done. And I think Fa

548
00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:24,560
Speaker 1: is going to be I think he's going to be

549
00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:28,200
Speaker 1: really successful. He's made a lot of plays for Carolina

550
00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:30,600
Speaker 1: last year. You know, he sacked some of the quarterbacks

551
00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:31,840
Speaker 1: he sacked. I don't if you guys have got a

552
00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:33,680
Speaker 1: chance to speak to him yet, but you know he sacked,

553
00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,160
Speaker 1: he sacked Tom Brady, sacked Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan. You know,

554
00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:39,640
Speaker 1: it was a who's who of quarterbacks last year for Fa.

555
00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:42,680
Speaker 1: He can play along the line as well. It's really exciting.

556
00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:47,520
Speaker 1: I'm going to use a direct quote from you concerning

557
00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:51,600
Speaker 1: the Bills. Quote, I fancy the Bills to Tapple Casey

558
00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:54,560
Speaker 1: and the AFC and they could win the whole darn thing.

559
00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:58,959
Speaker 1: End quote. Why are you so bullish on the Bills

560
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:03,040
Speaker 1: finally tappling the Chiefs? Yeah? That is that's from my

561
00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,200
Speaker 1: season preview magazine, the Gridiron Annual, which comes out in July.

562
00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:10,200
Speaker 1: That the Bills led by nine last year in Arrowhead.

563
00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:15,640
Speaker 1: This is a franchise quarterback league, and the Buffalo Bills

564
00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:18,440
Speaker 1: have one of the very best in Josh Allen. They

565
00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:22,520
Speaker 1: have a defense which I think on it again, maybe

566
00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,440
Speaker 1: the numbers are misleading when you look at the stats

567
00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:26,560
Speaker 1: from last year, but look at what they did to

568
00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:31,200
Speaker 1: Baltimore in the playoffs. It's an elite defense. There's everything

569
00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:33,200
Speaker 1: you want in the passing game, you know, do you

570
00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:37,760
Speaker 1: want Stefon Diggs, Do you want Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis,

571
00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:40,320
Speaker 1: Isaiah McKenzie, all the different ways he can be used.

572
00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:45,000
Speaker 1: And on comes Emmanuel Sanders as well. So I think

573
00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:49,320
Speaker 1: it's a very very exciting team, a very complete team.

574
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:52,280
Speaker 1: Maybe Kansas City, it's hard to say. With Patrick Mahomes,

575
00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:56,000
Speaker 1: maybe they take a little step back. I mean, let's see,

576
00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:58,000
Speaker 1: we don't know there. But you know, Bills are gonna

577
00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:00,040
Speaker 1: be writing the mix. And I really do fancy and

578
00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:02,800
Speaker 1: to win it all this year. And I apologize in

579
00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:08,000
Speaker 1: advance because I'm terrible predictions. So I apologize. That's all

580
00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,160
Speaker 1: I can say. Don't take away from all that, all

581
00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:15,360
Speaker 1: that profado and confidence and apologize. Just stuck the air

582
00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,680
Speaker 1: out of the room there, Neil, Why don't do that?

583
00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:21,920
Speaker 1: Which are the AFC other AFCUS teams, the Patriots, the Dolphins,

584
00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,560
Speaker 1: the Jets, which one of those teams made the most

585
00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:27,920
Speaker 1: improvement and will be say second place that if the

586
00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:30,880
Speaker 1: Bills win it, who's going to get second place? So

587
00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:33,160
Speaker 1: I actually think it's the Dolphins, and the Dolphins have

588
00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:36,760
Speaker 1: gone reverse Miami Dolphins. So the Dolphins used to make

589
00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:40,880
Speaker 1: a big splash in free agency almost out of desperation,

590
00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:43,520
Speaker 1: and then it didn't pan out. The Dolphins were very

591
00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,680
Speaker 1: quiet in free agency and had a very good draft.

592
00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:50,480
Speaker 1: The New England Patriots, who are normally very quiet in

593
00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,040
Speaker 1: free agencies, spent record amounts of money and I don't

594
00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:56,440
Speaker 1: think it always equates to winning games, winning the off season.

595
00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:58,600
Speaker 1: So I'd say it's the Dolphins. I think the Dolphins

596
00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:01,960
Speaker 1: are building a really good roster. They had a really

597
00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:05,520
Speaker 1: good draft. My concern there is eye. It's still until

598
00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,400
Speaker 1: is in the same boat as Carson Wentz. You need

599
00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:11,800
Speaker 1: tour to show it because you know twice he was

600
00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:14,520
Speaker 1: benched for fits last year. Now he's not got fits

601
00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:16,760
Speaker 1: to ride to the rescue. That might be good for him. Actually,

602
00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:21,600
Speaker 1: So I think two is going to grow because because

603
00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:25,040
Speaker 1: they'll have better weapons around him. They've they've looked at speed.

604
00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:27,560
Speaker 1: You know, you've got Will Fuller coming over. You've got

605
00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:30,120
Speaker 1: Jalen Waddle through the draft, so we're going to know

606
00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:35,120
Speaker 1: from tour how much better he can be and whether

607
00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:38,000
Speaker 1: he can be that franchise quarterback that they've been searching for.

608
00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:41,400
Speaker 1: Frankly since Dan Marino. You know, there were flashes of it,

609
00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:45,000
Speaker 1: but he wasn't really working with great weapons. So I

610
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:48,400
Speaker 1: think Miami are going to present a challenge, but I

611
00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:50,920
Speaker 1: think this is Buffalo's division to lose. I think the

612
00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:53,680
Speaker 1: Bills really are class team. Last one for me, Neil,

613
00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:57,080
Speaker 1: because Steve and I were discussing this. The Bills don't

614
00:32:57,120 --> 00:33:01,000
Speaker 1: play the Patriots until about week fourteen or fifteen thirteen,

615
00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:03,640
Speaker 1: sorry Na, till December, if you know, since that's the

616
00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:07,040
Speaker 1: game you'll be coming up for. I'm wondering. I'm almost

617
00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:10,280
Speaker 1: guaranteeing by their point in time, we're going to see

618
00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:13,200
Speaker 1: Mac Jones on the field. When do you think he

619
00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:16,280
Speaker 1: takes over for Cam Newton, who looks like his best

620
00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:20,600
Speaker 1: days are behind him. Yeah, I think I think Bill

621
00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:23,080
Speaker 1: Belichick really likes Cam Newton, and so Cam's going to

622
00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:26,160
Speaker 1: have a chance to win that job. But you know,

623
00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:29,360
Speaker 1: I think week four, week five, if it is Cam

624
00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:31,680
Speaker 1: at all, if it's if Cam gets to start. I

625
00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:35,920
Speaker 1: think we'll we'll see that the best is behind him,

626
00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:38,000
Speaker 1: and I think there'll be a pressure to bring mac

627
00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:41,720
Speaker 1: Jones on board, especially given everything that they've invested in

628
00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,400
Speaker 1: the offensive side of the ball. So look, it could

629
00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:48,240
Speaker 1: be mac Jones from week one. They often We're seeing

630
00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:50,480
Speaker 1: this with the Chicago Bears. They're saying Andy Dalton's a

631
00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:53,080
Speaker 1: starter in week one, but if Justin Fields has a

632
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:55,080
Speaker 1: strong training camp, he's starting. It will be the same

633
00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:58,520
Speaker 1: with mac Jones. I think it'd be very interesting to

634
00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:01,200
Speaker 1: see how quickly they go to him because they like Cam.

635
00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:06,000
Speaker 1: But you know, I think Cams Cam Newton's thing last year,

636
00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:08,279
Speaker 1: well there wasn't any weapons around it. And that's true.

637
00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,239
Speaker 1: I've just said exactly the same excuse for two a

638
00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:13,799
Speaker 1: tongue of ur lower. But I also saw a lot

639
00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:16,600
Speaker 1: of passes where Cam skipped it into the dirt when

640
00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:19,000
Speaker 1: it was five or six yards in front of a receiver.

641
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:23,120
Speaker 1: So they've invested in the first round quarterback for a reason.

642
00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:26,439
Speaker 1: I think we'll see mac Jones by week four or five,

643
00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:28,680
Speaker 1: if not sooner. I would not be surprised if he

644
00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:33,799
Speaker 1: isn't the opening day starter. But again, that's this is

645
00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:35,920
Speaker 1: why I put Buffalo such a strong favorite in the

646
00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:39,359
Speaker 1: AFC East. We don't know what mac Jones will be yet.

647
00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:41,600
Speaker 1: We don't know what Tour will grow to be. We

648
00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:43,680
Speaker 1: need to wait and see. With Zach Wilson and more

649
00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:47,080
Speaker 1: around him, we know what the Buffalo Bills have. They

650
00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:51,880
Speaker 1: have an genuine MVP talent in Josh Allen. So I

651
00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:55,920
Speaker 1: know there's been years of Patriots domination in the AFC East.

652
00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:58,920
Speaker 1: So everyone's kind of st spookily looking over their shoulder

653
00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:03,880
Speaker 1: at the New England Patriots, this winning machine. But you know,

654
00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:05,799
Speaker 1: it's about what ross you've gotten now. It's about what

655
00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:07,799
Speaker 1: players you've got now, and I think the Bills are

656
00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:11,080
Speaker 1: the strongest. Neil, thanks so much. It's great seeing you again.

657
00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:14,920
Speaker 1: Thanks for coming on. Thank you because actually it's been

658
00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:18,239
Speaker 1: really good for my weight because I've lost about eighteen pounds.

659
00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:20,800
Speaker 1: I can't believe it didn't leave your can't believe it

660
00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:22,919
Speaker 1: didn't run your leave your car running, or at least

661
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:25,279
Speaker 1: have the AC blowing on you. You are you are

662
00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:28,759
Speaker 1: a true pro over there. And Bob Kraft also wants

663
00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:31,560
Speaker 1: to thank you for hooking up Meek Mill and jay

664
00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:33,960
Speaker 1: Z and with that Bentley that they got him for

665
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,399
Speaker 1: his eightieth birthday. They couldn't get it in the States.

666
00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:38,400
Speaker 1: We heard you grease the wheels on that. So a

667
00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:41,279
Speaker 1: good job on a for getting him as Bentley. I'm

668
00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:43,920
Speaker 1: a man of many talents, many connections. Thanks guys, It's

669
00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:47,279
Speaker 1: always take all right, Steve. We close out this episode

670
00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:51,400
Speaker 1: with our one burning question. In the last week or so,

671
00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:56,359
Speaker 1: the Colts, Eagles, Texans, and forty nine ers have all

672
00:35:56,480 --> 00:36:00,879
Speaker 1: canceled their mandatory mini camps. The one burning question is

673
00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:04,640
Speaker 1: how much of an edge will it give those teams

674
00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:08,120
Speaker 1: that do hold mandatory mini camps going into the regular season.

675
00:36:08,239 --> 00:36:13,600
Speaker 1: Is this an infinitesimal thing at this point, No, I

676
00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:15,839
Speaker 1: don't think it is. I think it means a lot.

677
00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:19,359
Speaker 1: These guys are getting off to a faster start there.

678
00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:22,080
Speaker 1: If you don't have a mandatory mini camp, that means

679
00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:24,120
Speaker 1: there's there's that much you can't do, you can't install

680
00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:26,799
Speaker 1: that much. There's three days of installation. It's gonna give

681
00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:29,440
Speaker 1: some teams a basis for what they're looking at it

682
00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:33,000
Speaker 1: as it's also a better evaluation process because in mandatory

683
00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:34,719
Speaker 1: mini camps they can suit up and do some more

684
00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,520
Speaker 1: physical things. Yeah, still not in pads, but yes they

685
00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:39,759
Speaker 1: can do teamwork, and the teamwork and start to look

686
00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:42,320
Speaker 1: at players, and I think a couple of things happen,

687
00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,080
Speaker 1: and they attack this on all fronts, they're gonna be

688
00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:47,799
Speaker 1: able to evaluate the bottom end of their roster. So

689
00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:51,680
Speaker 1: you'll see after these mandatory mini camps a handful or

690
00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:55,240
Speaker 1: maybe more teams shuffle the bottom two or three spots

691
00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:56,880
Speaker 1: on their rosters say you know, this kid is just

692
00:36:56,920 --> 00:36:58,919
Speaker 1: not gonna make it for us. Let's get somebody else

693
00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:01,520
Speaker 1: in here. You'll see bottom of the rosters shuffling around

694
00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:04,959
Speaker 1: the league, and guys will be signed and released. You'll

695
00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:08,960
Speaker 1: also get a chance for the coaches. You'll get a

696
00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:12,440
Speaker 1: chance to see guys how well they're picking up what

697
00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:16,680
Speaker 1: they've done so far. And they'll install chunks of the

698
00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:19,839
Speaker 1: offense over every each day of the mendatory mini camp,

699
00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:21,520
Speaker 1: so they'll they'll get a chance to get the basis

700
00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:23,879
Speaker 1: of the offense in. So it gives them that much

701
00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:26,080
Speaker 1: of a headstart when they do hit the field running

702
00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:29,400
Speaker 1: in training camp. So it is something and once you

703
00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:31,319
Speaker 1: get into the regular season, maybe you look back on

704
00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:33,279
Speaker 1: and say, I don't know how much, but I think

705
00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:34,879
Speaker 1: it does give you a little bit of a head start.

706
00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:37,839
Speaker 1: So when training camp comes, your practices are a little

707
00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:40,960
Speaker 1: more efficient, your drills are a little more efficient, Your

708
00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:44,720
Speaker 1: installation goes smoother and quicker and is more effective because

709
00:37:44,800 --> 00:37:47,239
Speaker 1: they retain some of that information. So yeah, there is

710
00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:50,359
Speaker 1: something to be gained. And I think no matter what

711
00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:53,160
Speaker 1: the head coaches tell you, I think it's an absolute

712
00:37:53,400 --> 00:37:56,799
Speaker 1: reaction to the vaccination process for their players. I think

713
00:37:56,840 --> 00:38:01,400
Speaker 1: that's the reason there are abandoning it. If you're the

714
00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:05,200
Speaker 1: Tennessee Titans or the Jacksonville Jaguars, you're pretty happy right now.

715
00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:07,279
Speaker 1: There's two teams in your division, in the Colts and

716
00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:10,160
Speaker 1: the Texans, who are just scrapping mandatory minicamp. I have

717
00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:14,360
Speaker 1: to believe you feel you're getting a step ahead of them.

718
00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,960
Speaker 1: And yeah, maybe it's partly due to vaccinations. Maybe it's

719
00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:23,000
Speaker 1: partly due to coaches trying to acquiesce to the players

720
00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,799
Speaker 1: Association saying, hey, we don't want to be doing too

721
00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:28,920
Speaker 1: much in the off season, So maybe it's it's kind

722
00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:33,040
Speaker 1: of a giveback for that. The forty nine ers said

723
00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:36,800
Speaker 1: it was injuries that partly impacted the decision. They lost

724
00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:39,600
Speaker 1: wide receiver to our various more to a season ending

725
00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:42,879
Speaker 1: achilles injury and OTAs running Arounte on air, and then

726
00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:45,799
Speaker 1: they lost offensive lineman Justin School to an ACL tear

727
00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:48,319
Speaker 1: just two plays later in the same practice. So two

728
00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:52,160
Speaker 1: season ending injuries in the span of three plays. Now, Steve,

729
00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:57,680
Speaker 1: it's unfortunate, but it's football like that stuff kind of happens,

730
00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:00,840
Speaker 1: right absolutely, and there's nothing and it says they're not

731
00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:03,080
Speaker 1: gonna lose six guys on the first practice of training camp.

732
00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:05,280
Speaker 1: I mean, if that's your point, why are you practicing

733
00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:07,239
Speaker 1: at all? But I think it's an excuse for what

734
00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:09,600
Speaker 1: the real reasons exactly. And I think this as well.

735
00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:13,560
Speaker 1: If if you do have a rash of injuries, that's

736
00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:17,520
Speaker 1: why you have sports science people on your staff. What

737
00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:20,240
Speaker 1: are we doing on training camp? Are we warming up properly?

738
00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:24,120
Speaker 1: Are we are we stretching properly? Are we hydrated? What

739
00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:26,040
Speaker 1: about the recovery? Are we giving these guys enough time

740
00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:28,160
Speaker 1: to recover? Are we you know, some of these guys

741
00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:30,920
Speaker 1: get a bigger workload. What are the data on their pad?

742
00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:33,719
Speaker 1: You know, on their GPS things? Are these guys all

743
00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:36,279
Speaker 1: did they have an elevated workload the day before? All

744
00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:39,200
Speaker 1: of that stuff? You've got to dissect that and find out.

745
00:39:39,280 --> 00:39:40,920
Speaker 1: But this, you know, running a route on air and

746
00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:46,439
Speaker 1: blowing your knee out. You rarely see it, but it happens.

747
00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:50,680
Speaker 1: That's what happened to Teddy Bridgewater. It was non contact. Yeah,

748
00:39:50,719 --> 00:39:52,239
Speaker 1: stuck his foot in the ground at the top of

749
00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:54,960
Speaker 1: his drop. And Deshaun Watson his rookie year in Houston,

750
00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:57,080
Speaker 1: did the exact same thing. Stuck his foot in the

751
00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:00,839
Speaker 1: ground planet and it gave out. It happened. If you're

752
00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:04,319
Speaker 1: gonna there's no way you can use that as an

753
00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:09,160
Speaker 1: excuse to not practice. Yeah. So the underlying reasons I

754
00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:11,839
Speaker 1: think are obvious to all of us as we watch

755
00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:14,799
Speaker 1: this offseason progress. They're trying to get to levels of

756
00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:18,080
Speaker 1: vaccination and where they have protocols that can be lifted

757
00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:20,120
Speaker 1: where we can go in and do business as usual.

758
00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:22,480
Speaker 1: I think some teams are just not willing, perhaps some

759
00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:24,960
Speaker 1: ownership groups are just not willing to spend the money

760
00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:26,839
Speaker 1: on the protocols and this and that and the other

761
00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:29,440
Speaker 1: and jump through all the fiery hoops you have to

762
00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:32,479
Speaker 1: to do these mini camps. When you're not you haven't

763
00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:36,680
Speaker 1: reached HERD immunity. For the Texans, it's probably a little

764
00:40:36,719 --> 00:40:40,400
Speaker 1: bit different. There are some that believe it's an extension

765
00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:43,360
Speaker 1: of an olive branch to Deshaun Watson because by canceling

766
00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:48,640
Speaker 1: mandatory minicamp, they eliminate their ability to find Watson for

767
00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:52,520
Speaker 1: not showing up in the amount of ninety three thousand dollars,

768
00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:54,920
Speaker 1: something that he would have incurred by not showing up,

769
00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:58,239
Speaker 1: and he was firmly expected to be a holdout. But

770
00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:01,600
Speaker 1: how strange do you find the Colts and Eagles decisions

771
00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:04,560
Speaker 1: knowing there are two quarterbacks in those situations that either

772
00:41:04,640 --> 00:41:08,920
Speaker 1: have to recapture their form Carson Wentz or develop in

773
00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:12,400
Speaker 1: Jalen Hurts, and not to mention the fact Nick Sirianni

774
00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:15,239
Speaker 1: is a first year head coach. How strange did those

775
00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:21,520
Speaker 1: two strike you? Very? I think I think there's things

776
00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:24,560
Speaker 1: going on here with some of these clubs that you know,

777
00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:29,879
Speaker 1: there's either a huge expense incurred or the level of

778
00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:32,719
Speaker 1: protocols that they have to jump through to make these

779
00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:36,120
Speaker 1: mandatory mini camps happen, and they still haven't reached the

780
00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:38,759
Speaker 1: threshold of what they want to do. Maybe some of

781
00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:41,960
Speaker 1: the coaching staffs aren't vaccinated and refused to get vaccinated,

782
00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:44,440
Speaker 1: or what have you. Certainly we know that some of

783
00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:48,120
Speaker 1: the players have voiced their concerns over the vaccine. I

784
00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:51,600
Speaker 1: think it's a reaction to that, and instead of going

785
00:41:51,719 --> 00:41:55,000
Speaker 1: through and having to fight through the protocols just to

786
00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:58,799
Speaker 1: get in you know, the base, the foundation of your

787
00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:02,440
Speaker 1: offense or defense, and just get to know everybody's name,

788
00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:04,520
Speaker 1: get them on the field. Instead of going through all

789
00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:08,000
Speaker 1: of that to do it, they'll just rework the first

790
00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:10,040
Speaker 1: couple of days of their training camp when it starts,

791
00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:14,000
Speaker 1: and go from there. I think the protocols I think

792
00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:16,520
Speaker 1: some of these guys are I think it's COVID exhaustion,

793
00:42:17,440 --> 00:42:20,239
Speaker 1: you know what I mean. Maybe, but I think it's

794
00:42:20,239 --> 00:42:25,360
Speaker 1: whether it's inadvertent or an acquiescence to the Players Association,

795
00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:29,080
Speaker 1: You've opened the door to have them come forward and say, well,

796
00:42:29,120 --> 00:42:32,960
Speaker 1: you had half a handful of teams canceled mandatory minicamp.

797
00:42:32,960 --> 00:42:34,960
Speaker 1: Clearly they don't think it's necessary, so we don't want

798
00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:37,799
Speaker 1: to do it going forward, and that could very well

799
00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:40,800
Speaker 1: be a future negotiation between the league and the Players

800
00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:44,040
Speaker 1: Association that maybe some of these coaches hadn't even given

801
00:42:44,080 --> 00:42:46,799
Speaker 1: thought to. I don't know. It's hard to really say,

802
00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:50,239
Speaker 1: but you've got almost a handful of teams now, and

803
00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:52,960
Speaker 1: you know, San Francisco. They're talking about it being injuries.

804
00:42:52,960 --> 00:42:55,080
Speaker 1: I know, I read that Trey Lance is supposed to

805
00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:57,880
Speaker 1: hang around even though there's no mandatory minicamp, but the

806
00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:01,479
Speaker 1: development for that guy over those three days, he's gonna

807
00:43:01,480 --> 00:43:05,200
Speaker 1: miss some valuable time without teammates in mini camp. So yeah,

808
00:43:05,239 --> 00:43:06,719
Speaker 1: they can. I mean, these guys can hang around and

809
00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:08,279
Speaker 1: work out in the building. They just can't go out

810
00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:13,000
Speaker 1: on the field with coaches. That's basically the the caveat

811
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:15,560
Speaker 1: to them hanging around, just not just playing football in

812
00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:18,080
Speaker 1: the yard all day every day with the coaches and

813
00:43:18,080 --> 00:43:19,879
Speaker 1: players and all the guys who want to show up

814
00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:22,960
Speaker 1: can show up. Well, they can be here in the building,

815
00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:24,840
Speaker 1: but by rule, the coaches can't go out there and

816
00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:26,960
Speaker 1: you know, have a script and haven't run through plays

817
00:43:26,960 --> 00:43:29,239
Speaker 1: and stuff, so that's all off the table. They can

818
00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:32,440
Speaker 1: come over here and do their own thing, but only

819
00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:34,759
Speaker 1: in training. They can't be coached, and they can't play

820
00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:36,799
Speaker 1: go out and play football seven on seven, that kind

821
00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:39,279
Speaker 1: of thing. And that's While there is some value to that,

822
00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:42,560
Speaker 1: it's not like a mini kame not the same. So

823
00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:45,319
Speaker 1: whether these decisions have a big impact in setting these

824
00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:47,719
Speaker 1: teams back remains to be seen. But what it does

825
00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:50,200
Speaker 1: do is give more AMMO to the players who want

826
00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:54,000
Speaker 1: more time off this time of year. That'll do it

827
00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:57,120
Speaker 1: for this edition of One Bill's Life. Please subscribe on

828
00:43:57,160 --> 00:43:59,799
Speaker 1: whatever platform you'll listen to so you know when we've

829
00:43:59,800 --> 00:44:03,000
Speaker 1: got some fresh content for you. And remember, whenever there

830
00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:05,880
Speaker 1: isn't enough time for a One Bill's Live, there is

831
00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:09,120
Speaker 1: always enough time for One Bill's Life. For Steve task Around,

832
00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:22,080
Speaker 1: Chris Brown, We'll see you next time. Everybody