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Speaker 1: All right, guys, Before we get started today, a big

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Speaker 1: thank you to our partner, Microsoft Surface, celebrating ten years

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Speaker 1: of partnership with the NFL as the official laptop, tablet,

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Speaker 1: and sideline technology provider for the LA Chargers. Microsoft Surface

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Speaker 1: provides players and coaches with the tools to succeed both

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Speaker 1: on and off the field every day. Learn more about

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Speaker 1: Surface at surface dot com and welcome into the Final

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Speaker 1: Drive where the Chargers escape with a twenty seventeen win

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Speaker 1: in Atlanta over the Falcons as always, joined by Haley

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Speaker 1: Elwood and Eric Smith. And Eric, you know what, you

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Speaker 1: came up to me before the game in the press box.

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Speaker 1: You said the game's gonna be twenty seventeen Chargers. So

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Speaker 1: I figured, right off the rep let's let's get you

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Speaker 1: your props. Dude. I appreciate it. Yeah, I kind of

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Speaker 1: knew it wasn't gonna be like overly high scoring, just

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Speaker 1: because like the Falcons offense, while like they obviously like

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Speaker 1: to run the ball. Also, they're not gonna put up,

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Speaker 1: you know, fifty, and we're not gonna put up fifty

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Speaker 1: considering who we have playing and who's out and all that. Though,

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Speaker 1: YE had figured to kind of be a grinded out game,

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Speaker 1: and I guess I got lucky on that one. There

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Speaker 1: you go. Chargers improved the five and three. So much

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Speaker 1: to discuss in this game, from the Austin no touchdown

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Speaker 1: to the double fumble. I think Haley just coined that.

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Speaker 1: I mean, that was something we'll get into that, But

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Speaker 1: I think the lead of this game was guys stepping

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Speaker 1: up in the absence of starters and Pro Bowlers. Frankly, Keenan, Allen,

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Speaker 1: Mike Williams died in this game. Joshua Palmer eight for

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Speaker 1: one oh six. He had that twenty two yard reception

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Speaker 1: to set up the game winner from Cameron Dicker and Haley,

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Speaker 1: you're the perfect person to talk about Joshua. You spent

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Speaker 1: like a few days in Canada with them. You kind

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Speaker 1: of know what he's gone through this offseason. After the game,

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Speaker 1: he was so happy, you could tell. I think he

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Speaker 1: was happy for himself, obviously, but I think he was

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Speaker 1: happy in that he could chow Keenan what he did

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Speaker 1: right on his own and help this team win a

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Speaker 1: ball game. There is one of the best parts I

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Speaker 1: think of our jobs is getting to know these guys,

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Speaker 1: and one of my favorite things that I do here

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Speaker 1: is that homecoming series where we go to a player's

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Speaker 1: college or high school, or hometown or home country. In

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Speaker 1: the case of Joshua Palmer, when we went to Canada,

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Speaker 1: and I'm gonna start hearing that I'm gonna circle back

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Speaker 1: to the Keenan thing at the end, because he has

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Speaker 1: this drive to be great and it has been something

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Speaker 1: that has been said in him since he was a teenager.

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Speaker 1: Because at fifteen, he made a decision to leave Canada

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Speaker 1: to come to the US to better his future football career.

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Speaker 1: He bet on himself. And I think when you kind

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Speaker 1: of stop and take a step back and you think

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Speaker 1: how much any of us at fifteen, or how many

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Speaker 1: fifteen year olds do we know, have that much self

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Speaker 1: confidence and self assurance in themselves that they know, hey,

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Speaker 1: I gotta make this move. I have to uproot my life,

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Speaker 1: I have to change, you know, basically uproot myself with

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Speaker 1: my family in order to make this better for me.

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Speaker 1: And it worked out. And I think going back to

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Speaker 1: Canada with him for the few days, we spend a

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Speaker 1: lot of time together and visiting his Canadian high school

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Speaker 1: that he was at and talking to his coaches. They

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Speaker 1: all knew they all knew that he was sort of

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Speaker 1: destined for something bigger, and when it came to transferring,

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Speaker 1: none of them was really surprised in terms of the

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Speaker 1: fact that he had to leave Saint Rock up in

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Speaker 1: aside of Brampton, I think in order to eventually transfer

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Speaker 1: to Saint Thomas Aquinas we know, the story is first

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Speaker 1: Roup comes against Asante, they end up being drafted to

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Speaker 1: the same team together. But he just has this drive

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Speaker 1: to be great because he has treated football like a

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Speaker 1: job since he was a teenager, and he attacks it.

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Speaker 1: We've seen him after practice, whether it's camp or during

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Speaker 1: the regular season. He will stay after and just grind

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Speaker 1: and go through his like post practice routine because he

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Speaker 1: just cares so much. I remember talking to Chris Batty,

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Speaker 1: the Charger's wide receivers coach, after last year, after last season,

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Speaker 1: and he said, sometimes we had to tell him, hey,

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Speaker 1: it's okay, like rain it in a little bit, It's okay,

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Speaker 1: it's just you know, week ten, like it's fine. But

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Speaker 1: the same thing happened in camp. I go to sit

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Speaker 1: down with him for an interview and he is the

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Speaker 1: last guy out there on that field. And circling back

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Speaker 1: to Keenan he has been in I use this term

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Speaker 1: in the best possible way, obsessed with studying film of

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Speaker 1: him this offseason, and he's openly talked about it, and

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Speaker 1: he's openly talked about being in Keenan's ear and asking

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Speaker 1: him questions about plays from you know, ten years ago

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Speaker 1: that Keenan had during his rookie year, and you saw

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Speaker 1: it yesterday, and you saw him step up and specifically

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Speaker 1: at the end, like you mentioned it, that final twenty

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Speaker 1: two yard game in order to set up the game

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Speaker 1: winner winning field goal. Excuse me, there is just sort

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Speaker 1: of this like proud moment that he needed to be

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Speaker 1: the guy, and he was the guy. And I think

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Speaker 1: we talked in the locker room on Friday about the

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Speaker 1: Giants game last year when Keenan was out because of COVID,

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Speaker 1: and how that game was sort of a bit of

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Speaker 1: like a coming out party for him and a bit

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Speaker 1: of a confidence booster. And he told me, I don't

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Speaker 1: really look at that game, but I do look at

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Speaker 1: it from a confidence perspective that it gave me the

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Speaker 1: confidence to know that I can play in this league.

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Speaker 1: And he is such an easy guy to root for,

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Speaker 1: and I just thought, like the Keaton stuff at the

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Speaker 1: end was just so sweet and like I said, he

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Speaker 1: is just and we know because we've heard him talk

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Speaker 1: about it, been studying and watching film and doing all

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Speaker 1: this and as I mentioned, he needed to step up

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Speaker 1: and he did and it was just it was so

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Speaker 1: great to see in that moment. It really was, And

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Speaker 1: that's it's great context to just give everybody a snapshot

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Speaker 1: into how much these guys care and you know, when

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Speaker 1: you're called upon, you know, like on Saturday, Um, he

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Speaker 1: I talked to him before we got on the plane

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Speaker 1: and he praised Keenan and Mike for getting him ready

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Speaker 1: for you know, coach coach Lombardi and coach Dale and

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Speaker 1: coach Bade getting him ready. But he also said exactly

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Speaker 1: what you said, Haley. He's been preparing for this his

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Speaker 1: entire life. And it was just I think it was

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Speaker 1: such a joy. Like DeAndre Carter uh kind of photo

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Speaker 1: bombed him. Larry Rouci at the end of the game

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Speaker 1: on the field said he is him. He is him.

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Speaker 1: So it was fun. It was fun to just see

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Speaker 1: all that hard work payoff, if only for a day.

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Speaker 1: And we'll know that, you know, he'll keep it going, um,

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Speaker 1: and he'll have to against San Francisco in Kansas City, Eric,

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Speaker 1: and you know, I guess we can we can kind

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Speaker 1: of pivot to just Eric, your thoughts in this game

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Speaker 1: and what you saw. The first quarters have been not

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Speaker 1: good for the Chargers these last four weeks, but the

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Speaker 1: second quarters have been excellent. It's it's it's kind of

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Speaker 1: a weird thing where they start slow, they kind of

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Speaker 1: get their footing in the second quarter, and then who

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Speaker 1: knows what happens in the second half. Yeah, what's weird.

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Speaker 1: So that's like four games in a row. Now, if

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Speaker 1: we go back to Cleveland, where the first quarter it's

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Speaker 1: just been awful for the Chargers, I think you posted it.

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Speaker 1: I think it's what fifty one to three in the

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Speaker 1: last four quarters the Chargers have been outscored. Honestly, I

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Speaker 1: can't believe it's fifty one to three. Yet they've won three, right, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: that's like, on one hand, right, like, you have to

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Speaker 1: give the Chargers credit for coming back from that because

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Speaker 1: like they've certainly shown you know, poise and toughness in

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Speaker 1: doing that. But on the other hand, at some point

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Speaker 1: you're gonna have to get a lead early at some

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Speaker 1: point because it's gonna burn you you know, down the road,

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Speaker 1: they're gonna be teams that aren't gonna let you come

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Speaker 1: back from being down ten nothing or fourteen nothing, you know.

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Speaker 1: And I actually, you know, with part of a media

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Speaker 1: scrum that after Drew Tranquil yesterday about that, and he

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Speaker 1: was like, oh, ten nothing. We we like that, you know,

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Speaker 1: we kind of like the challenge. He said it jokingly obviously,

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Speaker 1: but um, he said it kind of he couldn't really

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Speaker 1: pinpoint why why it is of why they're not starting

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Speaker 1: strong in the first quarter. He said, it's not good.

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Speaker 1: We're not ready to play, like he said, the team

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Speaker 1: is ready to go, you know, from the opening kickoff.

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Speaker 1: He just kind of Drew said, it's almost something different

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Speaker 1: every week. Um, you know, and I haven't looked at

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Speaker 1: it that deep, you know, I just kind of look

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Speaker 1: at the overall big picture. I know, yesterday it was

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Speaker 1: that forty four yard run on the opening drive. It

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Speaker 1: really just kind of got the Chargers kind of hitting

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Speaker 1: the mouth right away. But to their credit, they responded,

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Speaker 1: I think my overall takeaway is that the team is

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Speaker 1: finding ways to win right now when so many guys

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Speaker 1: are banged up, and that need to be commended because

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Speaker 1: I know people are frustrated. I'll say that fans, even

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Speaker 1: with the win, fans are still very frustrated because with

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Speaker 1: the high expectation to the team coming into the year,

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Speaker 1: fans to kind of expect them to win every game

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Speaker 1: right now. I guess they did enter in the year,

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Speaker 1: and that's fine, But that's that's not that's not how

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Speaker 1: the NFL works. I think I know that, and you

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Speaker 1: two know that for as long as we've been around.

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Speaker 1: But the Chargers are five and three, Like that's not

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Speaker 1: just solid record through eight games, considering who they they've lost,

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Speaker 1: and they're not two and six right Like, this could

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Speaker 1: easily have gone off the rails after week two or

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Speaker 1: Week three, especially week three, that Jacksonville game, It could

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Speaker 1: have easily gone off the rails, you know, And but

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Speaker 1: they're finding ways to win. I think that we need

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Speaker 1: to give them some credit for that. Is it pretty? No?

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Speaker 1: But what team is pretty right now? Like I can't

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Speaker 1: really think other than Philly, and Philly had to kind

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Speaker 1: of grind it out against euston the other night. Like,

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Speaker 1: no one like double digit win. They're just hard to

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Speaker 1: come by. I know we all want them. I feel

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Speaker 1: like we they had every week on this podcast, but

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Speaker 1: just find a way to win, be happy with it,

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Speaker 1: and move on to the next week, because that's going

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Speaker 1: to be tough again next week in San Francisco. Haley,

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Speaker 1: I'll pivot to you. I'll think you you'll agree with this.

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Speaker 1: I think last year they were winning a different way, right,

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Speaker 1: they were winning pretty through the air, high scoring games,

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Speaker 1: coming back late, scoring thirty and forty points. They've had

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Speaker 1: so many injuries this year, and to Eric's point, the

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Speaker 1: entire NFL is weird. Like when you when you see

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Speaker 1: that Bucks Rams game and you think Tom Brady and

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Speaker 1: Mike Evans and Cooper Cup and Matthew Stafford, high flying

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Speaker 1: offensive defending Super Bowl Chaps. That was one of the

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Speaker 1: worst offensive games of the week, you know, And this

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Speaker 1: is this has been a theme throughout this twenty twenty

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Speaker 1: two NFL season, where there's not a lot of pretty

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Speaker 1: football being played. So five and three, I think most

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Speaker 1: Chargers fans, if you look at this schedule, you take it.

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Speaker 1: But I think it's the way that they're winning that

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Speaker 1: I think maybe a little bit jarring to fans because

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Speaker 1: they're not accustomed to seeing the offense play this way.

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Speaker 1: Even with all these guys being out. Yeah, I think, um,

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Speaker 1: I think sometimes we when we look at this current

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Speaker 1: four game stretch that they've been on. These last four games.

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Speaker 1: You have the Cleveland game, which has the infamous fourth

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Speaker 1: down call where the Browns missed the field goal and

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Speaker 1: you go, oh, okay, we escaped with a win. There

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Speaker 1: you have the Denver game, which was just ugly and

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Speaker 1: every which way and again shout out to Dean Leonard

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Speaker 1: and just see her at the end there for vaking

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Speaker 1: the biggest heads up play that you possibly could make

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Speaker 1: in order too, because I and we were I was

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Speaker 1: expecting to tie in that one. And then you have yesterday.

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Speaker 1: And but I will say this, and Jim Trotter wrote

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Speaker 1: a great and article for NFL dot com about the

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Speaker 1: misfortunes that have played the Chargers over the years, in

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Speaker 1: sort of the final drives in Christie and I have

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Speaker 1: been doing this podcast for a few years now, and

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Speaker 1: in recent history it's those kind of ghosts have come

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Speaker 1: back to haunt them as well. And yesterday felt different.

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Speaker 1: And I will say I almost had that kind of

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Speaker 1: confidence that when the offense got the ball back with

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Speaker 1: like four a little over four minutes to go, I

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Speaker 1: felt like this is a good position. I think they

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Speaker 1: can go down the field and make it happen, even

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Speaker 1: despite not having Mike, not having Keenan, Justin looked a

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Speaker 1: lot more like himself yesterday and I think they talked

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Speaker 1: about that after the game. He started to sort of

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Speaker 1: look more like the Justin Herbert pre rib cartilage that

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Speaker 1: we're used to seeing. But it's it is the way,

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Speaker 1: and you know, I go back to the Seattle game

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Speaker 1: a couple weeks ago where we're debriefing on this podcast,

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Speaker 1: and I said, I was going to ask Brandon Steely

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Speaker 1: what is the identity of this team because I just

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Speaker 1: don't know what it is? And I asked him on

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Speaker 1: that presser and he said, we're a work in progress.

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Speaker 1: And I think at week seven eight, at that time,

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Speaker 1: that's not what you want to hear as a fan

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Speaker 1: because you want to know, like, hey, we're this power

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Speaker 1: run team or were this you know, throw it down

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Speaker 1: the field type of team, or were this tough regged

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Speaker 1: defense team. And that is a phrase that they use

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Speaker 1: a lot. But I think when you count and take

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Speaker 1: into account all the different players that have been missing,

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Speaker 1: that have been having to come back having gone out,

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Speaker 1: you know, they lose Austin Johnson and Trey Pipkins for

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Speaker 1: periods of time yesterday, they are kind of a work

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Speaker 1: in progress and they've had to sort of like figure

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Speaker 1: it out on the fly. And to me, you want

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Speaker 1: to be on the winning side of figuring it out.

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Speaker 1: Not every game is going to go your way. You know.

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Speaker 1: I think when you look in these holes and Eric

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Speaker 1: you were mentioned in it, sometimes it is too hard

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Speaker 1: to come back, and I think we saw that in

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Speaker 1: Seattle a bit, like they tried to kind of surmount

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Speaker 1: to come back and then it just got away from them.

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Speaker 1: But if you're a work in progress and you're figuring

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Speaker 1: it out, you're figuring out wins right now, You're figuring

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Speaker 1: out how to win. And this is a game that

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Speaker 1: I think going into it, they should have beat the

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Speaker 1: Falcons and it came close at the end, and then

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Speaker 1: the double fumble happened and that was just bananas. On

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Speaker 1: top of you mentioned the Austin touchdown no dutchdown, that

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Speaker 1: was also bananas. But to me, it is a different

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Speaker 1: type of way, and I think the fan, I think

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Speaker 1: fans are just sort of having to We're all sort

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Speaker 1: of having to learn that, right because you know, Also,

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Speaker 1: I'm going to go back to this offseason. We talk

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Speaker 1: about football one oh one last year and now it's

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Speaker 1: football two oh two. Well, we're not really seeing sort

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Speaker 1: of the evolution of what you know last year was

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Speaker 1: to what it could be this year, given the fact

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Speaker 1: that there are so many guys out. Guys have been injured.

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Speaker 1: Herbert himself his dealt with an injury throughout the year.

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Speaker 1: But you're finding all turn kit of ways and it's

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Speaker 1: good to be on the winning side of those, right,

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Speaker 1: Like that's what you want. You want to come out

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Speaker 1: of here and we want to do this podcast and

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Speaker 1: talk about the wins. And this is one of those

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Speaker 1: games that it wasn't pretty, but we're doing it today absolutely. Eric.

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Speaker 1: One other thing that Palmer said after the game is

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Speaker 1: that you know, he had he had a drop that

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Speaker 1: led to an interception. Gerald Everett had a big drop

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Speaker 1: to start the second half. But he talked about resiliency

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Speaker 1: and being able to bounce back and not you know,

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Speaker 1: basically letting that get the team down. And they've been

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Speaker 1: really resilient. I will say that I think this has

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Speaker 1: been a really resilient bunch. I wrote down at like

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Speaker 1: four plays and I'm gonna give Eric the choice. He

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Speaker 1: can talk about whatever play wants to talk about, all right.

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Speaker 1: The Khalil Mack bullyball, ripping it out of Drake London's hands.

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Speaker 1: The Austin Ekeler touchdown that wasn't a touchdown. The Derwin

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Speaker 1: James like monster sack on Marcus Mariota that I think

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Speaker 1: like woke up everybody. Um. And then the double fumble.

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Speaker 1: All right, it's like jeopardy. You you pick what you

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Speaker 1: want to talk about, Eric, It's like and then then

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Speaker 1: then hail you can take you can take the next

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Speaker 1: pick a little draft. I like it. Yeah, I'll go,

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Speaker 1: uh the clear number one pick here, five star prospect.

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Speaker 1: The double fumble, Um, that was the crazy because you're

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Speaker 1: you're we might never see that again. I mean, if

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Speaker 1: we do, it's gonna be a long time, um man.

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Speaker 1: Where the gambit of emotions, right, the gambit of emotions

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Speaker 1: from fans watching this going oh my god, Austin fumbled

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Speaker 1: to oh my god, the other the facton is fumbled

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Speaker 1: to did we did we recovered? Was it a fumble

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Speaker 1: in the first place? There was like confusion, Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 1: it was. It was wild. It was wild. Um. So

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Speaker 1: I think the play happens right, and you and your

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Speaker 1: initial thoughts, you think Austin is down, and you're like, okay,

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Speaker 1: well even if even if this guy, you know, this

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Speaker 1: Falcon Falcon guy at returning the fumble. In my head,

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Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, I think he was down, But then

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Speaker 1: I'm like, well if he wasn't, like you know, he's

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Speaker 1: getting close to midfield, like there's only forty five seconds left,

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Speaker 1: like field goal range for Atlanta within the dude just

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Speaker 1: drops the ball like nobody, nobody touched him. Drew tried

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Speaker 1: to give credit to Trey McKitty yesterday about how Trey

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Speaker 1: knocked it loose, and I said, no, like, the dude

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Speaker 1: just dropped it, Drew said. He but in to his credit,

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Speaker 1: Drew said, the guy looked like he had never carried

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Speaker 1: a football in his life, which he probably he probably had,

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Speaker 1: So then he drops it and then Matt Feiler, bless

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Speaker 1: him for hustling, falls on it, and so then I'm like, Okay,

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Speaker 1: it's either our ball where Filer had has it, or

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Speaker 1: it's our ball back where Austin would have been ruled down.

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Speaker 1: So I'm like, o hey, we're fine. We're fine, even

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Speaker 1: even though they're like reviewing it. Either way, it's our ball.

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Speaker 1: It's just a difference of is it fourth and one

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Speaker 1: because I think would have been a little bit short. Um,

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Speaker 1: is that fourth and one and we got to try

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Speaker 1: a field goal? Or are we back at the forty

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Speaker 1: three with whatever it was like thirty seconds left? Um?

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Speaker 1: So either way, I felt good about it. For the

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Speaker 1: craziness that happened. I felt fine because there was gonna

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Speaker 1: be our ball regardless. It's just a difference of what

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Speaker 1: like twenty twenty five yards. And then when Justin hit

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Speaker 1: Palmer for twenty two yards and gets it literally right

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Speaker 1: back where we were, I thought, fine, you know, a

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Speaker 1: weir in a weird way, it was like the best

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Speaker 1: case scenario because you chew all the clock up at

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Speaker 1: that point, right, you make it lant to use their

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Speaker 1: final time out, Palmer got out of bounds, Austin runs

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Speaker 1: Atlanta final time out, run it down, kick or now

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Speaker 1: they didn't call it anyway, you kick kick the game

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Speaker 1: winning field goal. Game over. Um. Yeah, that was like

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Speaker 1: the lead of my five takeaway. That was like definitely

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Speaker 1: the buzz um in the locker room after the game

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Speaker 1: with Coach Daily's press conference, like it just people texting

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Speaker 1: me like what the hell is going on? Like, yeah,

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Speaker 1: it was the easy number one pick, the double fumble.

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Speaker 1: You know, it may have been an easy number one pick,

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Speaker 1: but there was still so much craziness, Haley that I

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Speaker 1: don't know where you're gonna go. The Khalil mack Uh

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Speaker 1: strip that I always compared to, like, I like it

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Speaker 1: to like college basketball where you like trying to rip

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Speaker 1: the ball out of hands and it's like a jump

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Speaker 1: ball and and then like it gets physical at the

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Speaker 1: end and then like the one guy just rips it

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Speaker 1: out of your hands. You know, that's kind of what

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Speaker 1: Khalil did, And that is that is where I'm gonna go.

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Speaker 1: And I preface it by saying it didn't turn into anything,

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Speaker 1: right because a couple of plays later, Atlanta gets the

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Speaker 1: ball back off an interception. But um, we're talking about

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Speaker 1: this before the podcast and before we started taping it,

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Speaker 1: and a similar thing happened we mentioned in a Vikings

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Speaker 1: Bears game just a few weeks ago, and I remember

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Speaker 1: watching the highlights and going, I didn't know you could

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Speaker 1: just do that. I didn't know that, Like the play

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Speaker 1: wasn't necessarily blown dead, you know, you think of like

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Speaker 1: when a running back sort of like going, going, going,

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Speaker 1: and then they just like push it, you know, blow

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Speaker 1: it dead as he's being pushed forward and all of that.

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Speaker 1: But that was, as Brandon Staley said, that's why you

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Speaker 1: go when you get Khalil Mack. That is why you

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Speaker 1: make the move and you go and get a guy

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Speaker 1: like that. And that is the ultimate difference between a

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Speaker 1: nine year veteran in this league and a rookie in

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Speaker 1: this league. Like, if you just want to talk about

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Speaker 1: the idyllic sort of version of what years in this

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Speaker 1: league look like a crude on a field, it's that

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Speaker 1: because he literally went over and said, thanks, this is

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Speaker 1: mine and I'm gonna go seeya goodbye. And it was

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Speaker 1: just like I remember my husband was with me and

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Speaker 1: he was getting ready to go to work and he

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Speaker 1: looks at the TV and he goes, oh my god,

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Speaker 1: like they have to win now, because how do you

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Speaker 1: not after sort of like a momentum kind of changer

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Speaker 1: like that, And it really did. You know, again, it

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Speaker 1: sucks because a couple of days later later, I got

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Speaker 1: it right back and they ended up scoring a touchdown

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Speaker 1: off of that off that turnover eventually, but in the moment.

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Speaker 1: It was just so freaking cool and it's the only

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Speaker 1: way I can kind of describe it. And I think

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Speaker 1: as we have also gotten to know Khalil Mack and

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Speaker 1: when he was first traded to the Chargers and I

405
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Speaker 1: was reaching out to counterparts on the Raiders and on

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Speaker 1: the Bears, you know, what is he like just to

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Speaker 1: kind of, you know, figure out how to how to

408
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Speaker 1: get to know him. They all said, he is so quiet,

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Speaker 1: he is smooth. He is just kind of like the

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Speaker 1: coolest dude because he just sort of keeps it like

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Speaker 1: at an even level. And we've you know, seen him

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Speaker 1: in press conferences and have gotten to know him, and

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Speaker 1: I would think we would all sit on this call

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Speaker 1: and on this podcast and say that that is the case.

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Speaker 1: But he freaking turns it on on that field, and

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Speaker 1: it goes back. I go back to that press conference

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Speaker 1: during camp where he's like, Yeah, you want to know

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Speaker 1: how hungry I am. I'll show you. I'll show you.

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Speaker 1: And he showed it yesterday on that part. Drake Lindon

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Speaker 1: found out how hungry. Yeah this season, Yeah, the austin

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Speaker 1: Ere touchdown that was not a touchdown. I almost I

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Speaker 1: put it in the same categories the Khalil Mack thing

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Speaker 1: because there were legit two to three seconds after the

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Speaker 1: play happens where you're wondering what just happened, right, Like

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Speaker 1: everyone stops and Austin keeps running, and you know, the

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Speaker 1: replay was really really close in terms of the elbow

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Speaker 1: going down. I guess they got it right. But Eric

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Speaker 1: I thought that that was a touchdown based off like

429
00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:34,320
Speaker 1: the very first replay and just the heads up played

430
00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:36,880
Speaker 1: by Austin, and you know he did have that fumble,

431
00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:39,959
Speaker 1: but Austin played a heck of a game. You know,

432
00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:44,400
Speaker 1: it was gonna be hard to out rush Atlanta, and

433
00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,320
Speaker 1: you know the charges didn't come close. But Austin such

434
00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:51,919
Speaker 1: a threat in both the running game in the passing game. Yeah.

435
00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,520
Speaker 1: So he had a rushing touchdown and retheaving tuckdown yesterday.

436
00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:58,280
Speaker 1: I think that's a fourth time he'd done that this year,

437
00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,080
Speaker 1: tenth in his career. So he had he's turned it on,

438
00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:04,720
Speaker 1: like he had a slow start to the year. Um,

439
00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,320
Speaker 1: and yeah he's up to what's he up to ten

440
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:11,960
Speaker 1: touchdowns in the last five game, I think, yeah, something

441
00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,840
Speaker 1: like that. He's red hot. Um. But you know he

442
00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:19,359
Speaker 1: was actually like he took an interesting approach in the

443
00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,639
Speaker 1: locker room afterday, he would really he would pretty bummed

444
00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,720
Speaker 1: out honestly after the game. He was happy that we won,

445
00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:28,439
Speaker 1: for sure, but he knows that that fumble could have

446
00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:31,960
Speaker 1: cost him the game if because it was rule to fumble,

447
00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:36,840
Speaker 1: and if the Falcon guy doesn't fumble, who to say

448
00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,040
Speaker 1: Atlanta can't get in position and kick the field goal.

449
00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:41,359
Speaker 1: And he knows that. And he was pretty pretty like

450
00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:46,120
Speaker 1: downtrodden honestly, you know, and was pretty hard on himself. Um.

451
00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:48,520
Speaker 1: You know, I thought he would maybe be joking around

452
00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,560
Speaker 1: about the play or like, you know, happy to get

453
00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:54,560
Speaker 1: the win, and he was happy, but like, yeah, he

454
00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:57,320
Speaker 1: was pretty bummed. Um. But I kind of like that

455
00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,679
Speaker 1: because I like that accountability from him. A captain and

456
00:24:00,720 --> 00:24:02,879
Speaker 1: a leader. You know, he wasn't just like, oh, you know,

457
00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:04,639
Speaker 1: we got to win, let's just like move on. Like

458
00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:09,040
Speaker 1: he holds himself accountable, he holds a teammates accountable. Um. Yeah,

459
00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:11,399
Speaker 1: he'd really turned it on. I thought he was. I

460
00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,760
Speaker 1: thought it was a touchdown, um, you know, because he

461
00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:19,040
Speaker 1: technically his need never did hit the ground his elbow

462
00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:25,479
Speaker 1: I guess technically did um pretty pretty pretty bang bang play. Um.

463
00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:28,000
Speaker 1: But Yeah, I thought. I thought the run game overall

464
00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:33,720
Speaker 1: was solid, like other than the Cleveland, the Cleveland game

465
00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:36,280
Speaker 1: where you know, we ran for two hundred yards, that

466
00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:38,879
Speaker 1: that can't be the expectation for this run defense, for

467
00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:42,480
Speaker 1: this run offense. Um, you know, try to get through

468
00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:45,400
Speaker 1: one hundred yards, try to keep it balanced and kind

469
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:49,240
Speaker 1: of go from there. Yeah. Finally, before we get to

470
00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:52,960
Speaker 1: to San Francisco and Kansas City, Hilly, I just want

471
00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:56,280
Speaker 1: to talk about Dartwin James Uh. He said that the

472
00:24:56,400 --> 00:25:00,120
Speaker 1: Drew trank will sack the possession before kind of got

473
00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,840
Speaker 1: the momentum in the Charger's favor. But that sack on

474
00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:09,240
Speaker 1: Mariota was lethal. And and there's another play and I'm

475
00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:13,240
Speaker 1: sure Charges fans remember this. He hit the rookie Tyson

476
00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:17,120
Speaker 1: Algier and he almost kind of like helicoptered like Algier did,

477
00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:19,800
Speaker 1: and it was just like he got up and played

478
00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:23,520
Speaker 1: it off. Okay, it wasn't quite like the Travis Kelsey

479
00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:27,840
Speaker 1: play in Week two, but Darwin makes it apparent that

480
00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:32,480
Speaker 1: he's there right. And I just I feel like his

481
00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:36,040
Speaker 1: energy and we say it every week, but his energy,

482
00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:40,000
Speaker 1: the way he plays football, I think it keeps his

483
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:43,960
Speaker 1: teammates believing that they can win a game. I think

484
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,840
Speaker 1: it does. And I think I'm gonna say this in

485
00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:50,640
Speaker 1: like the most loving way possible. I think with all

486
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:53,640
Speaker 1: the players that have been missing this year and all

487
00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:56,760
Speaker 1: the guys that we talk about getting injured, sometimes we

488
00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:01,720
Speaker 1: forget that he's been healthy this higher season and he's

489
00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:06,239
Speaker 1: certainly made an impact in games, and we you know,

490
00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:09,560
Speaker 1: he has had such a tough go in this league

491
00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:11,960
Speaker 1: in terms of facing adversity and dealing with injuries and

492
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:16,040
Speaker 1: everything of that sort. But the fact that he is healthy,

493
00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:20,320
Speaker 1: he has made these these plays like it almost does

494
00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:22,359
Speaker 1: feel like at least one a week now that you

495
00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:24,160
Speaker 1: just kind of they almost kind of take your breath

496
00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:26,639
Speaker 1: away and you're like, heck, yeah, that's why. You know,

497
00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,080
Speaker 1: he was an All Pro as rookie season, That's why

498
00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:31,000
Speaker 1: this team drafted him where they did. That's why they

499
00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,359
Speaker 1: gave him the extension that they did, you know, just

500
00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:39,400
Speaker 1: a few months ago. And he does he in many

501
00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:41,760
Speaker 1: many ways is the heart and soul of this defense

502
00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:43,840
Speaker 1: and in many ways sometimes the heart and soul of

503
00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:46,920
Speaker 1: the team. And as we have gotten to know him,

504
00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,840
Speaker 1: he's still very young, but there is a presence about

505
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:56,000
Speaker 1: him that absolutely gets guys on the train, gets guys

506
00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:59,760
Speaker 1: on board because when we talk about players who care,

507
00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:04,399
Speaker 1: Derwin James freaking cares and you were never going to

508
00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:07,960
Speaker 1: see quit in that guy or a loss of fight

509
00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:11,720
Speaker 1: in that guy because of who he is. And I think,

510
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,520
Speaker 1: you know, again, I think when you're dealing with someone

511
00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:18,359
Speaker 1: who is now sort of healthy and kind of bringing

512
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,800
Speaker 1: this group along and sort of helping bring this group along,

513
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,919
Speaker 1: you know, it was interesting. Staley was asked on Friday

514
00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,800
Speaker 1: about why he's not calling the defensive plays anymore. I

515
00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:29,600
Speaker 1: believe that has now been passed over to Drew Tranquill,

516
00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:32,640
Speaker 1: and Staley said, we really decided a couple weeks ago

517
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:34,960
Speaker 1: to try to help him help j C. Jackson, like

518
00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,879
Speaker 1: take some of the responsibility off Drwin in order to

519
00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:42,440
Speaker 1: kind of guide JC along. Now, granted, we know there's

520
00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:45,600
Speaker 1: no JC Jackson on the field anymore, but in a way,

521
00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,720
Speaker 1: it's sort of is like maybe he's kind of playing

522
00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:50,680
Speaker 1: a little bit more free because he doesn't have the

523
00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:53,159
Speaker 1: responsibilities and it was dang good at it. That is

524
00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:55,520
Speaker 1: not anything to take away from from what he did

525
00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,359
Speaker 1: last year or anything of that sort, but you're sort

526
00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:00,760
Speaker 1: of seeing like a you know, maybe it's just a

527
00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:04,240
Speaker 1: more freer kind of vibe and sort of Derwin James

528
00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:06,359
Speaker 1: to kind of go out there and make these plays

529
00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:09,520
Speaker 1: and get these done. But he is just He's another

530
00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:11,480
Speaker 1: kind of one of those guys like a Palmer, who

531
00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,720
Speaker 1: is just he works so hard and for those of

532
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:16,440
Speaker 1: us who have been around him to know what he's

533
00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:18,280
Speaker 1: gone through and seeing what he's gone through and all

534
00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,439
Speaker 1: the adversity that he's faced, but to have him healthy

535
00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,399
Speaker 1: out on the field making the plays that he's making,

536
00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:27,800
Speaker 1: and like we said, bringing these guys along too in

537
00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:31,280
Speaker 1: order to sort of be that rallying force. It's awesome

538
00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:34,920
Speaker 1: and he is awesome and you definitely saw that yesterday

539
00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,640
Speaker 1: and they are going to need that as the season continues, because,

540
00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:40,640
Speaker 1: as you mentioned it, there's a couple of games now

541
00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,520
Speaker 1: where this gets a little trickier than maybe what we

542
00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:47,040
Speaker 1: sort of anticipated earlier in the year, no question about it.

543
00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:49,120
Speaker 1: Let's take a quick break and we'll get to San

544
00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:53,360
Speaker 1: Francisco and then Kansas City in two weeks. All right, guy,

545
00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:55,520
Speaker 1: So we've talked about it. The Chargers are five and three,

546
00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:59,200
Speaker 1: and it's one thing I think to beat the Texans

547
00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:04,800
Speaker 1: in browns and this Falcons team. Now it gets real

548
00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:09,880
Speaker 1: Sunday night football in San Francisco, coming off a bye.

549
00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,440
Speaker 1: They appear to be getting healthy at the right time.

550
00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:19,200
Speaker 1: Christian McCaffrey is now entrenched there and is a problem.

551
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,120
Speaker 1: He had three touchdowns against the Rams a couple of

552
00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:25,160
Speaker 1: weeks ago, three different ways. We'll get to Kansas City

553
00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,440
Speaker 1: too in a couple of weeks because that's that could

554
00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,000
Speaker 1: be a very pivotal game as well. But let's start

555
00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:33,400
Speaker 1: with with what's in front of the Chargers. Um, Eric,

556
00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,000
Speaker 1: your thoughts on this forty nine Ers team? A team

557
00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:38,840
Speaker 1: you don't see. It's not like you see this team

558
00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:42,440
Speaker 1: every year. Um. They have a really good defense. They

559
00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:45,680
Speaker 1: got beat pretty soundly against the Chiefs a few weeks ago.

560
00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:49,280
Speaker 1: But at the same time, it seems like they're they're

561
00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:52,000
Speaker 1: starting to figure things out. Yeah. They also guy beat

562
00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:54,480
Speaker 1: pretty soundly by this Atlanta team about a month or

563
00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:58,840
Speaker 1: so ago. But I think similar to us, they've they've

564
00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,040
Speaker 1: been pretty banged up to you know, they've had some injuries. Um,

565
00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,480
Speaker 1: but they have plenty of talent. I mean McCaffrey coming

566
00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:08,680
Speaker 1: in that that run game and that that run scheme.

567
00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:10,880
Speaker 1: So you said you're not really familiar with them. I

568
00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:14,440
Speaker 1: kind of have more a better idea, I guess, being

569
00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:17,480
Speaker 1: from the NFC in recent years. Um, and like the

570
00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:21,600
Speaker 1: Shanahan Kubiak's system and all that, that's kind of what

571
00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:24,800
Speaker 1: the person brant in recent years. Um. When it's on,

572
00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:27,920
Speaker 1: it's really tough to defend. And Kyle Shanahan has a

573
00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:34,880
Speaker 1: great job with motions and and trickery, I guess, Um,

574
00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:39,000
Speaker 1: Like I guarantee you this week we will hear Charger

575
00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:41,480
Speaker 1: defenders talk about their eyes and how they have to

576
00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,760
Speaker 1: be sound with their eyes because the forty niners are

577
00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:47,200
Speaker 1: gonna run all sorts of motion and stuff to try

578
00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,920
Speaker 1: to confuse them at the line. So yeah, I have

579
00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,320
Speaker 1: two I have two things for this game. One, stop

580
00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:55,760
Speaker 1: the run game, because that the story every week for

581
00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:58,280
Speaker 1: the Charger defense, it is always going to be their

582
00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:03,200
Speaker 1: number one priority, especially against kind of a potent forty

583
00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:05,880
Speaker 1: nine ers attack that you know, they have a pretty

584
00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:08,520
Speaker 1: good offensive line. They have a good scheme that they

585
00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:11,520
Speaker 1: don't have a lot of talent with with McCaffrey. Um.

586
00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:13,560
Speaker 1: And two yeah, just the defense. Um, they have a

587
00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:17,360
Speaker 1: lot of talent on that defense, especially that defensive line.

588
00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:22,080
Speaker 1: Obviously we know Nick Boss over there. Um, how how

589
00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:26,320
Speaker 1: can the Chargers offensive line hold up? Um? And I

590
00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:30,600
Speaker 1: think Hayley monumented Trey So Trey Pipkin, it didn't look

591
00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:32,920
Speaker 1: good yesterday in the fourth quarter. You know, he looks

592
00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:37,280
Speaker 1: like he kind of maybe rereagradated his knee injury. Um,

593
00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:39,840
Speaker 1: you know, if Door and Norton got to start, you know,

594
00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:42,560
Speaker 1: sort of patch it together and do the best you can.

595
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,600
Speaker 1: But um, yeah, two things for me, how how pretty

596
00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:48,720
Speaker 1: much the trenches? Really? How can the Chargers stop the run?

597
00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:51,760
Speaker 1: And how can there how can our old line hold

598
00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:56,880
Speaker 1: up again? A pretty good uh San Francisco front seven? Yeah, Hayley,

599
00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:59,560
Speaker 1: we know all about this Shanahan running scheme. And you

600
00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,040
Speaker 1: know who else knows about it is Anthony Lynn, who's

601
00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,680
Speaker 1: the assistant head coach and running backs coach who now

602
00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:08,360
Speaker 1: has Christian McCaffrey as one of his players. And you know,

603
00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:14,880
Speaker 1: coach Lynn played under Mike Shanahan and he knows that

604
00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:17,479
Speaker 1: thing like the back of his hand. This will be

605
00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:20,480
Speaker 1: a challenge, you know, And I think maybe in some

606
00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:25,520
Speaker 1: ways playing Cleveland who has some of those influences, and

607
00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:28,760
Speaker 1: you know Atlanta doesn't Atlanta and Arthur Smith and the

608
00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:30,560
Speaker 1: way they do things with the quarterback is a little

609
00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:32,680
Speaker 1: bit different than what they do with Jimmy g in

610
00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:36,680
Speaker 1: San Francisco, But stopping McCaffrey, as Eric said, um and

611
00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:40,840
Speaker 1: Deebo frankly, that's going to be priority one in one

612
00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:43,280
Speaker 1: A yeah, And I think Debo missed that game against

613
00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:45,040
Speaker 1: the Rams and the Niners are coming off a bye

614
00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:48,320
Speaker 1: and I think it was a hamstring and Lord knows,

615
00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,360
Speaker 1: we never know how long those are going to take.

616
00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:53,560
Speaker 1: But I think regardless with the fact that they beat

617
00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:56,560
Speaker 1: the Rams thirty one fourteen a couple weeks ago without

618
00:32:56,640 --> 00:33:00,480
Speaker 1: him doesn't matter because McCaffrey stepped in seemed Lesley at

619
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:02,640
Speaker 1: the Triple Crown game, which I think the last guy

620
00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:05,840
Speaker 1: to do it was Ladany and Tomlinson to throw catch

621
00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,960
Speaker 1: and h and rush for touchdowns. Um. You know, I

622
00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:14,200
Speaker 1: I stuck on Sunday Night Football after the game just

623
00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:18,120
Speaker 1: to see Chris Collinsworth and Mike Tariko talk about this game,

624
00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:20,360
Speaker 1: and that was all they talked about. All they talked

625
00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,400
Speaker 1: about was the Chargers need to stop the run because

626
00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:25,160
Speaker 1: they haven't done a great job of it. And oh,

627
00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:27,160
Speaker 1: by the way, all they're going to see our runs

628
00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,040
Speaker 1: next week with this Niners team and so that is

629
00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:33,560
Speaker 1: just obviously top of mind. I mean, they gave up

630
00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:37,960
Speaker 1: two oh one to the Falcons yesterday and you have

631
00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:40,840
Speaker 1: to grind it out, and I think this is going

632
00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:43,280
Speaker 1: to be kind of one of those grindout games. I

633
00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:46,400
Speaker 1: think they are. I saw this morning like a seven

634
00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:50,680
Speaker 1: point underdog at this point. And even though yeah, even

635
00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:52,400
Speaker 1: though they're five and three and the Niners or four

636
00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:54,560
Speaker 1: and four, it's in their plays, it's primetime and all

637
00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:57,360
Speaker 1: of that. Um, I think you are right though, that

638
00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,080
Speaker 1: these teams are kind of figuring things out at the

639
00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,360
Speaker 1: right way. Look, the Niners had a quarterback change they

640
00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:04,880
Speaker 1: didn't anticipate. Jimmy g was not supposed to be their

641
00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:08,279
Speaker 1: guy at the beginning of the year, and so I

642
00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:10,520
Speaker 1: just think that kind of when you factor all of that,

643
00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:13,680
Speaker 1: it'll be a really interesting game. That Anthony Lynn caveat

644
00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:17,359
Speaker 1: is very interesting to me as well. But but you know, really,

645
00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:19,160
Speaker 1: I forgot to mention this in my question. I want

646
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,840
Speaker 1: you to talk about this too. Yeah, it's possible Jason

647
00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:26,040
Speaker 1: Varette could be back. I think his IR window opened

648
00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:29,720
Speaker 1: up and he could make his season debut against the Chargers.

649
00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:32,920
Speaker 1: Wouldn't that be amazing, Like, wouldn't that be incredible. And

650
00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:34,520
Speaker 1: I'm going to talk about one more guy that doesn't

651
00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,000
Speaker 1: have a Charger's connection but has a Sandy connection with me,

652
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,719
Speaker 1: and that's Fred Warner, who I covered when he was

653
00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,800
Speaker 1: in high school at Mission Hills in San Marcos. And

654
00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:48,040
Speaker 1: he is by far the most successful like high school

655
00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:51,600
Speaker 1: football player when when I was briefly covering college recruiting

656
00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,479
Speaker 1: and all of that that I covered and has gone

657
00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:57,520
Speaker 1: on by far the most successful. Royce Freeman, for a minute,

658
00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:01,200
Speaker 1: caught some fire, but it was definitely him. But you

659
00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:03,560
Speaker 1: think of Nick Bosa, you think of Fred Warner, you

660
00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:05,720
Speaker 1: think of these guys that are just gonna get after

661
00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,719
Speaker 1: it defensively, and it's gonna be it's gonna be kind

662
00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:11,480
Speaker 1: of a I think it's kind of gonna be a

663
00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:14,200
Speaker 1: tough game. I don't anticipate again maybe like a super

664
00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:16,120
Speaker 1: high scoring game. I think they are going to really

665
00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:18,080
Speaker 1: have to crack, you know, sort of clamp down and

666
00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:21,400
Speaker 1: crack down and really sort of just be sound in

667
00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:25,520
Speaker 1: what it is that they do. Because the NFC West

668
00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:27,680
Speaker 1: with the Niners and well, I mean the Seahawks are

669
00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:31,760
Speaker 1: leading that right now, but you look at the NFC

670
00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,080
Speaker 1: West as a whole the Niners are in second place

671
00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:36,279
Speaker 1: right now in four and four, and I don't think again,

672
00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:38,440
Speaker 1: I've said this about a few teams that the Chargers

673
00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:41,560
Speaker 1: have faced this year. They're a team that's not gonna

674
00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:44,919
Speaker 1: just sort of lay down and call it at Week nine.

675
00:35:45,040 --> 00:35:48,239
Speaker 1: Like they made it to the NFC Championship Game last year,

676
00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:50,600
Speaker 1: nearly made it to the Super Bowl. They want, you know,

677
00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:53,120
Speaker 1: they have high aspirations. So I think it's gonna be

678
00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:56,000
Speaker 1: fun primetime, another primetime game. We get a Sunday night

679
00:35:56,040 --> 00:36:00,600
Speaker 1: game with that cruise, so uh, looking forward to it.

680
00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:02,800
Speaker 1: But again, I just thought it was so funny watching

681
00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:05,319
Speaker 1: the end of Sunday Night Football and that's all they

682
00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,800
Speaker 1: did was talk about the run game and just you

683
00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,200
Speaker 1: gotta crack down, you need and I and look, I

684
00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:13,359
Speaker 1: don't know and again and week what is it gonna

685
00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:15,799
Speaker 1: be ten? You know how you sort of dig deep,

686
00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:18,800
Speaker 1: but you gotta and you gotta find a way. Yeah

687
00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:23,839
Speaker 1: you do, you know it? Independent of the run game, Eric,

688
00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:27,960
Speaker 1: The Niners did practice with the Chargers last year, and

689
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,160
Speaker 1: one of the best reps I think I've ever seen

690
00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:33,680
Speaker 1: on a practice field was was George Kittle and Derwin James. Hey,

691
00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:38,680
Speaker 1: I'm sure, you remember, I think Kittle got one on

692
00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:42,120
Speaker 1: Derwin to start the scrimmage, and I think Derwin ended

693
00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:45,560
Speaker 1: it picking off Jimmy g who was throwing the ball

694
00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:47,920
Speaker 1: to Kittle, and it was just man, it was It

695
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:49,960
Speaker 1: just was like, man, this is all pro on all

696
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:54,080
Speaker 1: pro and that's another guy. Like I knew the Chargers

697
00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:56,400
Speaker 1: had to stop that Falcon's running game. They didn't do

698
00:36:56,600 --> 00:36:58,319
Speaker 1: a great job of it. They found a way to win,

699
00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:00,520
Speaker 1: but I was like, you know what, you can't Also,

700
00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:02,799
Speaker 1: you can't forget about Kyle Pitts, and Kyle Pitts didn't

701
00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:05,759
Speaker 1: do much, but you can't forget about George Kittle and

702
00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:08,880
Speaker 1: Derwin James. Yeah, he's gonna have to. He's gonna have

703
00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:10,279
Speaker 1: to be on his peas and Cubs in terms of

704
00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:13,879
Speaker 1: stopping the run and debot. But but George Kittle, he's

705
00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:15,839
Speaker 1: a player too, and if he gets loose, that could

706
00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:18,799
Speaker 1: be a problem for the Charges. Oh for sure. For sure.

707
00:37:19,239 --> 00:37:22,040
Speaker 1: I wasn't here last year for that joint practice, but

708
00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:23,560
Speaker 1: I heard about it. I heard about it when I

709
00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:27,360
Speaker 1: got here. Now, the Durwin Kittle match up, which just

710
00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:30,360
Speaker 1: like a legendary thing. Um, I'll have to act durwhen

711
00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:32,799
Speaker 1: about it this week, I'm sure bunt up to say

712
00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:36,399
Speaker 1: about it. Um, Yeah, because he you know, Debo can

713
00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:39,200
Speaker 1: do it, you know, run or path um, and the

714
00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:43,560
Speaker 1: Niners also have Brandon Ayuk as well on the outside.

715
00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:46,520
Speaker 1: But yeah, Kittle, Kittle the threat, especially for Jimmy g Right,

716
00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:49,080
Speaker 1: who doesn't you know, throw the ball forty fifty yard

717
00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:52,439
Speaker 1: down the field all the time. So yeah, where where

718
00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:55,279
Speaker 1: Durwin lined up and and who he's up against this

719
00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:58,440
Speaker 1: week is gonna be pretty pretty fascinating to watch. Um,

720
00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:00,360
Speaker 1: you know, could they're gonna kind of knee him up

721
00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:03,279
Speaker 1: in the box to stop the run. But he's got

722
00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:05,799
Speaker 1: have to maybe have you know, one or one or

723
00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:08,560
Speaker 1: two eyes on Kittle a while to kind of try

724
00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:13,920
Speaker 1: to slow him down. Haley, let's just briefly touch on

725
00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:17,400
Speaker 1: the Chiefs in two weeks, because you know, you got

726
00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:19,920
Speaker 1: the Niners first. That's why that's a problem in it

727
00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:23,520
Speaker 1: of itself. But the Chiefs have the Jags this week, um,

728
00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:25,600
Speaker 1: and then they come to Sofi Stadium in a couple

729
00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:29,279
Speaker 1: of weeks. So really just maybe encapsulating this two game

730
00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:34,160
Speaker 1: stretch how important this is. You have, um, two teams

731
00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:41,160
Speaker 1: who went to the AFC Championship or a FC and

732
00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:44,560
Speaker 1: NFC Championship in back to back weeks. I think I

733
00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:47,000
Speaker 1: said that right, NFC Championship for the Niners and then

734
00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:50,080
Speaker 1: AFC Championship for the Chiefs. So I mean, this is

735
00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:53,400
Speaker 1: a huge test for this Chargers team. You're five and three. Um,

736
00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:59,480
Speaker 1: if you could somehow get one, maybe two, then we're

737
00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:02,560
Speaker 1: talking about something completely different now. But I think this

738
00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:05,239
Speaker 1: is something that Chargers fans want to see. They want

739
00:39:05,239 --> 00:39:09,520
Speaker 1: to see this team beat a really good, high end team,

740
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:11,680
Speaker 1: and you have an opportunity in each of these next

741
00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:14,880
Speaker 1: two weeks. Yeah, you absolutely do. And I think the

742
00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:17,200
Speaker 1: way that that Sunday night game between the Titans and

743
00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:21,200
Speaker 1: the Chiefs was sort of trending on Sunday it almost

744
00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:24,000
Speaker 1: fell at times like the Titans very much controlled a

745
00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:26,480
Speaker 1: lot of that game and went into it just playing

746
00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:28,840
Speaker 1: the Chiefs really really tough, and there were people going to, uh, oh,

747
00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,080
Speaker 1: the Chiefs and Chargers are going to be tied at

748
00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:32,880
Speaker 1: five and three at the end of this, right, of

749
00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:37,600
Speaker 1: course not Andrew Mason, who covers the Broncos, had tweeted

750
00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:40,680
Speaker 1: the outcome just feels inevitable, like a high tieder sunset

751
00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:44,200
Speaker 1: you know exactly what's when it's coming. Yeah, of course.

752
00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:48,560
Speaker 1: So let's look ahead really quick. The Chargers play the

753
00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:52,399
Speaker 1: Niners this week, and the Chiefs play the Jaguars. All right,

754
00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:56,720
Speaker 1: then you get to week eleven and the two teams

755
00:39:56,719 --> 00:39:59,600
Speaker 1: play each other. I thought that this matchup was so weird,

756
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,240
Speaker 1: and I know we talked about this at the beginning

757
00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:04,720
Speaker 1: of the year, because this is wrapped up in Week eleven.

758
00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:07,040
Speaker 1: These two teams, it's not like last year where what

759
00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:12,040
Speaker 1: was a week fifteen sixteen much later towards the back

760
00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:15,080
Speaker 1: end of the year, but in a way has a

761
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:20,120
Speaker 1: very similar tenor because they were going into that game

762
00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:22,719
Speaker 1: with very similar records, and honestly, if the Chargers ended

763
00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:25,920
Speaker 1: up winning that game, we're talking about a different potential,

764
00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:30,160
Speaker 1: you know, playoff push and possible AFC West title at

765
00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:33,360
Speaker 1: the end of the twenty twenty one season. So the

766
00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:35,560
Speaker 1: weird thing about it is that this gets wrapped up

767
00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:38,839
Speaker 1: earlier this year in Week eleven. But if you could

768
00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:42,600
Speaker 1: possibly split or like you said, or eke out two

769
00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:44,759
Speaker 1: wins over these next two and then that way you

770
00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:47,960
Speaker 1: split with the Chiefs, you were talking about something completely different,

771
00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:50,920
Speaker 1: which to call back to what Eric said, earlier in

772
00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:54,880
Speaker 1: this podcast, after Week three against the Jags seemed improbable

773
00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:59,279
Speaker 1: with two losses and all the craziness and sort of

774
00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:01,480
Speaker 1: doom and gloom that is happening. And I think that

775
00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:03,760
Speaker 1: was kind of, you know, sort of what Brandon Staley's

776
00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:06,040
Speaker 1: message was last week when he said he talked to

777
00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:09,360
Speaker 1: the team, He's like, we're four and three. We still have,

778
00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:12,359
Speaker 1: you know, so much out in front of us. We've

779
00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:14,760
Speaker 1: got to mentally be able to do it when physically

780
00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:17,040
Speaker 1: sometimes we're hampered, even though we still have to physically

781
00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:20,239
Speaker 1: do it. But this is a great test. And then

782
00:41:20,239 --> 00:41:23,040
Speaker 1: of course we'll you know, skip further on down and

783
00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:24,879
Speaker 1: you have, you know, the two back to back games

784
00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:29,160
Speaker 1: in December of the Dolphins and the Titans, which that's

785
00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:33,000
Speaker 1: another sort of just AFC nuts O clash that's probably

786
00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:36,200
Speaker 1: those are going to absolutely mean something. But I think

787
00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:39,279
Speaker 1: when you look at this this Chiefs thing, you know,

788
00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:42,279
Speaker 1: could the Jags beat the Chiefs, absolutely because they beat

789
00:41:42,320 --> 00:41:44,719
Speaker 1: the Chargers, but you know, you're probably looking at the

790
00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:49,120
Speaker 1: Chiefs going into that game. It what seven and two?

791
00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:53,040
Speaker 1: What's my math? Year seven and two? Um, and you

792
00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:55,440
Speaker 1: hope that you can beat the excuse me, beat the

793
00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:57,680
Speaker 1: Niners and then you go in with with two winning

794
00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:00,279
Speaker 1: you know, winning streets under your belt and kind of

795
00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:02,680
Speaker 1: duke it out, but should be a good one. Do

796
00:42:02,719 --> 00:42:05,320
Speaker 1: you think that gets flexed? Could that possibly get flexed

797
00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:08,479
Speaker 1: maybe into Sunday night football, that's a big game possible. Yeah,

798
00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:11,240
Speaker 1: I was. I was looking at that the schedule because

799
00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:15,600
Speaker 1: it's I think Cowboys Vikings is also on CBS. I

800
00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:18,600
Speaker 1: feel like that protected. I feel like they would want that.

801
00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:22,359
Speaker 1: I would think so. But that's that's a development, right,

802
00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:25,560
Speaker 1: to keep your eye on this week to see kind

803
00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:29,600
Speaker 1: of what happens, if anything, with that game. Chiefs Charges,

804
00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:31,560
Speaker 1: it's so far. I feel like they play it. They

805
00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,359
Speaker 1: play at night anyway, every every game, every game to night.

806
00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:36,600
Speaker 1: Every game. The Chiefs are always home and they're always

807
00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,719
Speaker 1: playing at night, like I honestly, yeah, I think the

808
00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:42,120
Speaker 1: last time they didn't play at night. It's so far,

809
00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:46,120
Speaker 1: was the game where nobody was there, right the oh yeah,

810
00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:50,160
Speaker 1: the Herbert debut, the Herbert debut, right, so man? That

811
00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:52,040
Speaker 1: could that would be crazy? Would they'd be back to

812
00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:54,439
Speaker 1: back Sunday night games for the Chargers? If if that'd

813
00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:57,920
Speaker 1: be wild happened, Stay tuned, watch stayed, stay tuned for

814
00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:01,960
Speaker 1: that one. UM. I guess the questions that we couldn't

815
00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:05,280
Speaker 1: answer on this podcast you'll get from Brandon Staley later

816
00:43:05,320 --> 00:43:08,279
Speaker 1: on Monday. In terms of injuries, the Austin Johnson thing

817
00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:12,080
Speaker 1: did not look good. Eric mentioned Trey Pipkins did not

818
00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:15,919
Speaker 1: look good and Storm went in there. But not only

819
00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:18,319
Speaker 1: those two guys, but just kind of what's going wrong

820
00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:21,879
Speaker 1: with the guys who who remain out and what that's

821
00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:26,160
Speaker 1: looking like. UM, mainly Keenan Allen. I think Mike, we're

822
00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:30,360
Speaker 1: expecting maybe a couple more weeks until we see him.

823
00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:34,200
Speaker 1: But a lot to learn from Coach Staley and his

824
00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:36,840
Speaker 1: press are on Monday. But I think we covered it

825
00:43:36,880 --> 00:43:40,799
Speaker 1: pretty good. Guys, San Francisco Sunday Night. A chance to

826
00:43:40,840 --> 00:43:44,640
Speaker 1: get to six and three, I mean, based on all

827
00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:47,960
Speaker 1: the injuries and everything that's happened through this first half, Eric,

828
00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:50,920
Speaker 1: I mean to get to six and three with the

829
00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:54,359
Speaker 1: Chiefs on deck, man, I think I think Chargers fans

830
00:43:54,360 --> 00:44:01,040
Speaker 1: would be pretty excited about that. I hope, though, I hope, though,

831
00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:06,080
Speaker 1: I definitely hope they would. Um. Yeah, like I said,

832
00:44:06,840 --> 00:44:10,000
Speaker 1: at one and two, some people thought that season was over,

833
00:44:10,719 --> 00:44:12,800
Speaker 1: you know, just because of the rash of injuries that

834
00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:16,400
Speaker 1: happened with both and Slater and Herbert was banged up.

835
00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:18,360
Speaker 1: You know, there are people on Twitter there was like

836
00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:21,719
Speaker 1: talking about the draft at one and two, you know,

837
00:44:21,800 --> 00:44:24,120
Speaker 1: and it's like, come on, at least give them a chance.

838
00:44:24,160 --> 00:44:26,960
Speaker 1: And they've rallied, you know, they've rallied. They won one

839
00:44:27,080 --> 00:44:29,800
Speaker 1: three in a row. You know, Oh, those people on Twitter,

840
00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:37,480
Speaker 1: those people on Twitter four soon exactly, yeah, four or five.

841
00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:40,160
Speaker 1: So yeah, six and three would be great. It's not

842
00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:45,560
Speaker 1: gonna be easy, but right now, nothing's easy for the charters. Yeah,

843
00:44:45,719 --> 00:44:49,680
Speaker 1: well said. All right, guys, Hey always appreciate you listening

844
00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:53,440
Speaker 1: or watching us on Mondays. For Haley ol Wood and

845
00:44:53,560 --> 00:44:56,200
Speaker 1: Eric Smith. I'm Chris Harry. This has been the final

846
00:44:56,320 --> 00:44:56,560
Speaker 1: Drive