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Speaker 1: Dirty Birds. What's up? And welcome to another edition of

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Speaker 1: Falcons Final Whistle presented by Zaxby's I'm your host Will

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Speaker 1: mcfatt and I'm joined by Tory mclaney. We are here

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Speaker 1: Friday after Thanksgiving. It was I hope everybody had a

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Speaker 1: great holiday. Tory, you grew up with a with a

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Speaker 1: football coach. I did. Did you guys play a lot

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Speaker 1: of football on Thanksgiving? Was that a family traditional?

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Speaker 2: No, we watched a lot of football on Thanksgiving? Yeah,

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Speaker 2: like we weren't really a It was more of a oh,

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Speaker 2: we're too stuff to even move. My mamma made the

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Speaker 2: best chicken and dressing turkey and dressing whatever in dressing,

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Speaker 2: and that would put you down and so like a

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Speaker 2: big nap, Yeah, huge nap, huge, just kind of laying

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Speaker 2: there watching football. Honestly, That's kind of all I wanted.

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Speaker 1: Is the dressing your favorite food for things, dressing person

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Speaker 1: you're not well, it's nothing, dressing, doesn't matter what you

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Speaker 1: call it.

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Speaker 2: Well, like my memo, like it was. My sister is

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Speaker 2: making it for the first time this year since my

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Speaker 2: mama was no longer with us, and so we will

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Speaker 2: see how it turns out.

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Speaker 1: I'm very big shoes to.

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Speaker 2: Fill, big shoes to feel. We will see how it

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Speaker 2: goes TBD TVD because we're technically recording this before Thanksgiving,

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Speaker 2: we are.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I've been like all day thinking are we in

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Speaker 1: the past, the present, or the future? Clearly now I

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Speaker 1: have no idea, We're just lost in time. Yeah. But

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Speaker 1: the Falcons are back in action after their bye week,

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Speaker 1: and so, you know, just off the top, I want

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Speaker 1: to quickly touch on the Chargers matchup and kind of

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Speaker 1: what the Falcons approach has been over the bye week.

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Speaker 1: But then the majority of this podcast, we're going to

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Speaker 1: do a special edition of the Mailbox here on the pod.

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Speaker 1: We felt like given the holiday nature, the truncated week,

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Speaker 1: the bye week, all of that stuff, it was probably

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Speaker 1: just best to check in with the fans, yeah, see

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Speaker 1: where their heads are at, provide some context on all

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Speaker 1: of the stuff that's been going on. But let's touch

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Speaker 1: on the bye week first. What do you have you

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Speaker 1: learned the bye week mentality was for the coaching staff

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Speaker 1: and the players.

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Speaker 2: I think it really was to get away and to

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Speaker 2: do things on your own individually. I think a lot

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Speaker 2: of guys went back home, spent time with their families,

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Speaker 2: same thing with coaches. I think the coaches spent their

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Speaker 2: the early days of their bye week going through film,

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Speaker 2: doing all the self scattering and everything like that. And

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Speaker 2: Rahiem Morris talked about, you know, having conversations not in

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Speaker 2: person because he really he said, I really want people

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Speaker 2: to get away for a minute. And I understand that

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Speaker 2: because I know I needed to get away for a minute.

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Speaker 2: So I think that that was a piece of it.

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Speaker 2: But it was also at the exact same time understanding.

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Speaker 2: And it was Kirk Cousins who said this up in

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Speaker 2: Denver before the bye we have this is a team

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Speaker 2: that has to ask themselves the tough questions and more importantly,

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Speaker 2: they have to find answers because the last two games

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Speaker 2: that we have seen this team play is not what

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Speaker 2: I feel is indicative of their potential in who they are.

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Speaker 2: So how do you right the ship a little bit

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Speaker 2: and how do you get back on track because let's

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Speaker 2: be honest, this season, as much as we probably looked

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Speaker 2: at the back half of this season after the bye week,

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Speaker 2: is kind of like, oh, you can mark a win

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Speaker 2: for the Falcons here, here, here, and here, That's not

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Speaker 2: the case any longer. The Vikings, the kommand heck, even

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Speaker 2: the Carolina Panthers took the Chiefs to the very end,

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Speaker 2: the very bitter end. There. If the Falcons show up

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Speaker 2: and play against these teams that they face in the

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Speaker 2: second half the season after the bye week the way

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Speaker 2: that they did against Denver, the way that they did

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Speaker 2: against the Saints the second time, it's going to be

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Speaker 2: a very very tough post byeek run. And so it's

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Speaker 2: making sure that you used the bye week appropriately to

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Speaker 2: fix what needed to be fixed. And there are some

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Speaker 2: things that we talked about, like what are realistic fixes

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Speaker 2: for this team? And that's another part is like there

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Speaker 2: are certain things that I do think are realistic fixes.

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Speaker 2: There are other things that may be like pass rash

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Speaker 2: not realistic to change the whole scope of what you're

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Speaker 2: doing in the span of a bye week.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, if it was that easy, they would have done it.

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Speaker 2: They would have done it right.

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Speaker 1: There are no magic fixes things sometimes, and yeah, that

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Speaker 1: that's what can be difficult and tricky. But I think

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Speaker 1: that what Raheem said on Monday about kind of the

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Speaker 1: approach and how they went about it, and it seemed

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Speaker 1: like each position coach, whether that's you know, the lead

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Speaker 1: coach or maybe the assistant coaches were involved as well,

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Speaker 1: took a look at their individual units kind of came

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Speaker 1: up with their own solutions. It wasn't this whole collaborative.

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Speaker 1: Everybody get in a room, let's talk through everything. It's

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Speaker 1: you're the expert of your group. Go in, figure out

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Speaker 1: the fine tuning tweaks that you want to make. And

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Speaker 1: then they gave them the kind of freedom I think,

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Speaker 1: to look outside of their specific areas and weigh in on, Okay,

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Speaker 1: here's how maybe the running backs and the offensive line

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Speaker 1: worked together, and so we think that, hey, Dwayne Ladford,

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Speaker 1: if you guys are starting doing this, then maybe we

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Speaker 1: can accomplish some of that. So I liked how there

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Speaker 1: was a little bit of freedom but also collaboration. Individually.

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Speaker 1: It felt met Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Well, what's interesting too is that I felt like it

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Speaker 2: was a lot The bye week was used for a

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Speaker 2: lot of coaching work, yes, maybe not necessarily player work.

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Speaker 2: Because of something that I asked Raheem Morris before we

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Speaker 2: even went on the bye week the monday after the

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Speaker 2: Denver loss, I said how because he was I was

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Speaker 2: asking like, how you prioritize things? You have all these

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Speaker 2: things you want to do, and he was like, well,

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Speaker 2: you have buckets and you have different things that you're doing,

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Speaker 2: and he gave this like super long spiel and I

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Speaker 2: was like, it feels like you're drinking water out of

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Speaker 2: a fire hid And I was like, how do you

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Speaker 2: transfer that everything, all of your learnings, everything that you

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Speaker 2: want to change or do or improve upon, and talk

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Speaker 2: to your players in a way that they're not overwhelmed

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Speaker 2: right in a bye week? And he goes, you don't

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Speaker 2: talk to players, which I found very intriguing because they're

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Speaker 2: the ones that are executing. They're the ones that are

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Speaker 2: out making the game plan come to life, and there

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Speaker 2: has been a lack of execution in the last couple

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Speaker 2: of weeks. So I think it was very interesting to

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Speaker 2: see Raheem's strategy of we're going to get right as

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Speaker 2: a coaching staff and then we'll bring the players into

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Speaker 2: the fold when we need to. But I also think

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Speaker 2: it's this way that Raheem coaches as well where I

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Speaker 2: think he's very He always talks about like the why

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Speaker 2: and like how we win this game? Like that's always

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Speaker 2: what he says, is.

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Speaker 1: Like how how the team game matchup?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, not necessarily like big picture here's what we need

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Speaker 2: to do and what we need to change and all

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Speaker 2: these kind of things. It's very formulaic and that it's

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Speaker 2: truly I hate saying this because it's such a freaking cliche,

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Speaker 2: but like he's only looking at the next game.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, well on a Cincinnati right, Just the mentality. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's It's interesting though, because the bye week gives you

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Speaker 1: that chance to take the bigger picture look and to

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Speaker 1: see things in a you know, a broader sample size.

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Speaker 1: And one of those key takeaways for them was the

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Speaker 1: play action passing, you know, maybe hasn't been where they

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Speaker 1: wanted to be. The Falcons are last in the league.

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Speaker 1: Eight percent of their offensive plays have been related to

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Speaker 1: play action. Raheem said, you know, Kirk Cousins throughout his career,

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Speaker 1: that's something that historically he has done well, and so

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Speaker 1: that is probably something we will see the team lean

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Speaker 1: on a little bit more, maybe after the bye week.

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Speaker 1: You wrote a great piece on this on Monday. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: of course, go read it, go check it out a

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Speaker 1: Landfalcons dot com. But what what did you kind of

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Speaker 1: learn from that conversation?

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Speaker 2: Yeah? So, I mean I can't take full credit because

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Speaker 2: I feel like will spend a lot of time also

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Speaker 2: helping us figure out what the numbers actually were with

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Speaker 2: how much the Falcons were utilizing play action and everything

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Speaker 2: like that. They're at eight percent over the first eleven

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Speaker 2: weeks of the season or first eleven games of the season,

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Speaker 2: and that is, like you said, dead last in the league.

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Speaker 2: But what's more is that there is a huge discrepancy

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Speaker 2: from eight percent to the Commanders at number one with

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Speaker 2: twenty two percent. And what's interesting is Kirk Cousins, historically,

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Speaker 2: since True Media has been I guess calculating play action

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Speaker 2: percentage usage, he's been closer to that twenty twenty one,

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Speaker 2: twenty two percent of play action, pass and play using

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Speaker 2: play action, and for it to be eight percent team

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Speaker 2: wide in twenty twenty four. I think that's something that

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Speaker 2: even Raheem Morris said on Monday coming out of the

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Speaker 2: bye he was like, that was something immediately we saw

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Speaker 2: that and we knew we need to do more of

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Speaker 2: and he was like, it's not like we haven't had

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Speaker 2: it in the game plan. I think that was something

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Speaker 2: also to make sure that people understands it's not like

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Speaker 2: they didn't have play action day.

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Speaker 1: They've heard of play action, they have heard.

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Speaker 2: Of play action. They've used it at times, not a lot,

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Speaker 2: they've used it at times, and he was like, but

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Speaker 2: what we were doing with our run game or what

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Speaker 2: we were doing with our past game. Again, it goes

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Speaker 2: back to like individual I think matchups and what they're

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Speaker 2: doing in one week, not maybe over the span of four.

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Speaker 1: Or five weeks. Yea. And also if you look at

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Speaker 1: like the Broncos game and the Seattle game, right those

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Speaker 1: are ones where in the fourth quarter, you've got Michael

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Speaker 1: Pennox in there, you've got some of your backups. So

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Speaker 1: the numbers those weeks for play action are way down

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Speaker 1: kind of because of the way the game unfold exactly.

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Speaker 2: So that's but it's interesting because that was something that

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Speaker 2: Rahiem wasn't very forthcoming with, like a lot of things

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Speaker 2: that like a lot of the learnings or a lot

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Speaker 2: of the things that they want to change or improve

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Speaker 2: upon or anything like that. But that was the one

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Speaker 2: thing that he was very specific about. He's very specific

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Speaker 2: about the Falcons needing to rely on it, needing to

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Speaker 2: go to it more, We're needing to use it. One

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Speaker 2: because of the way this league is right now, and

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Speaker 2: two because of again Kirk cousins history in it and

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Speaker 2: his success in it in using it.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, let's really quickly touch on the Chargers, right. I

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Speaker 1: think we'll truncate this a little bit for the sake

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Speaker 1: of time. But when you look at the Chargers kind

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Speaker 1: of how what first off has your attention with them

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Speaker 1: as a team, and then what do you think the

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Speaker 1: Falcons kind of best plan of attack against them could be.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so a lot of what I have been looking

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Speaker 2: at in this matchup has to do with the defense,

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Speaker 2: the Falcons defense specifically, because Justin Herbert is a guy

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Speaker 2: who has thrown I believe, one interception in eleven games. One.

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Speaker 2: He's not someone who's making a lot of mistakes. He

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Speaker 2: has the capabilities, the arm strength, the talent, and the

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Speaker 2: skill set to make this defense pay if they are

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Speaker 2: not moving in a him off of his spot. If

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Speaker 2: he has all day and all the time in the

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Speaker 2: world to throw the ball downfield, he's going to connect

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Speaker 2: with his receivers. There's only so much a secondary can do.

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Speaker 2: If a quarterback at this level with the skill set

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Speaker 2: of someone like Justin, there's only so much that they

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Speaker 2: can do well.

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Speaker 1: There was a play against Cincinnati. Sorry to catch you

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Speaker 1: off where it was like the tight end basically was

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Speaker 1: just running a seam route and he's in triple coverage.

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Speaker 1: He's like it was almost like the Darnel Mooney touchdown

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Speaker 1: against Tampa that first time, where Kurt kind of throws

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Speaker 1: it up and he's like surrounded by three guys but

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Speaker 1: still comes down with the ball. That's where you know

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Speaker 1: Justin Herbert again, since he fit it right in between

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Speaker 1: the linebacker at the corner and the safety. If you've

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Speaker 1: got a quarterback that can do that, to your point,

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Speaker 1: there's only so much you can.

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Speaker 2: Do, Yeah, especially considering the injuries that I think the

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Speaker 2: Chargers are dealing with this week, and especially at the

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Speaker 2: running back position. And I do this is a game

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Speaker 2: that if the Falcons aren't careful, Justin Herbert can pick

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Speaker 2: him apart. And this is a team that is allowing

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Speaker 2: seventy a seventy over seventy percent completion rate for opposing

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Speaker 2: quarterbacks over seventy percent. And that's not just on the secondary,

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Speaker 2: that's not just on pass rush. That's on the entire

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Speaker 2: collective unit. And I can't with someone who's is accurate

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Speaker 2: and someone who isn't making a lot of mistakes and

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Speaker 2: isn't making these errant throws like Justin is in this year.

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Speaker 2: That is the crux of the game. I can't it could.

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Speaker 2: It's one of those things that the Falcons don't show

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Speaker 2: up and play honestly, the best that we've seen them play.

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Speaker 2: He could tear them up. Yeah, and I know that's harsh,

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Speaker 2: but it's it's the god honest truth.

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Speaker 1: No, it's he's He's one of the best young quarterbacks

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Speaker 1: in the league. He has a combination of mobility that

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Speaker 1: is kind of in the middle of like a Patrick

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Speaker 1: Mahomes and a Bonnicks right like, he is savvy enough

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Speaker 1: to step up and out of the pocket and buy time,

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Speaker 1: but he keeps his eyes down the field like Patrick

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Speaker 1: Mahomes does. But then when he takes off a runs

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Speaker 1: he could pick up twenty five yards thirty yards. So

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Speaker 1: I think he's going to really stretch Atlanta's defense the

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Speaker 1: longer plays develop, which is gonna be hard to keep

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Speaker 1: containing on guys like Quinn Johnson and Lad McConkie and

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Speaker 1: players like that. And I almost expect a quick, shorter

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Speaker 1: passing game because this is a strength on strength matchup

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Speaker 1: for Atlanta's defense, which has done a really good job

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Speaker 1: of taking explosive pass plays away and they keep everything

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Speaker 1: in front. But the Chargers like to go deep. They

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Speaker 1: like to throw it along. I mean, if you look at

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Speaker 1: kind of deep passes this season, Justin Herbert is right

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Speaker 1: up there with the very best in the league and

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Speaker 1: all of that. So it is gonna be interesting to

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Speaker 1: see how Atlanta kind of a keeps the roof on

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Speaker 1: on the back end, but then has a plan for

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Speaker 1: everything underneath, because with JK. Dobbins out, they really could

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Speaker 1: turn to the short passing game as a way to

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Speaker 1: attack Atlanta and then quickly flipping on the other side,

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Speaker 1: Khalil Mack. I know he's out Week eleven, but he

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Speaker 1: has been great this season. He has kind of flipped

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Speaker 1: both sides, so he could go up against both Caleb

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Speaker 1: Gary and Jake Matthews. Derwin James always excellent. He has

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Speaker 1: played the most naps in the slot this season of

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Speaker 1: his entire career. So I think we could see a

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Speaker 1: lot of Drake London on Derwin James, which is just

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Speaker 1: like a matchup made in Heaven for me. Yeah, so

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Speaker 1: that is going to be huge. I think when you

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Speaker 1: look at like Tully tuy Pulo Tuos. He leads the

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Speaker 1: Chargers with seven sacks. Mkleil Mack has four point five.

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Speaker 1: In the our old friend Bud Dupree has five sacks

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Speaker 1: of his own. So Atlanta's offensive line protecting Kirk Cousins

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Speaker 1: is going to be huge as well. But let's go

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Speaker 1: ahead and get to the mailbox. You guys asked a

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Speaker 1: lot of great questions. Really appreciate those who submitted some

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Speaker 1: on Twitter. Really appreciate those who submitted some through the website.

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Speaker 1: If you guys want to ask Tory orr Iyer question

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Speaker 1: for any future edition of the Mailbox, please go to

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Speaker 1: Atlanta Falcons dot com. We've got a form for you

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Speaker 1: to fill out right there, and then we will address

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Speaker 1: your question. But Torri, the first one came from TJ

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Speaker 1: on Twitter.

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Speaker 2: Hi TJ. Thanks for TJ. Also, isn't it x the

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Speaker 2: artist formerly known as Twitter?

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Speaker 1: It's still Twitter.

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Speaker 2: I'm never gonna say anything other than I'm tweeting.

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Speaker 1: I'm just a first impression guy, and that's what you

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Speaker 1: will do. You on my contact book, He asks during

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Speaker 1: the bye, was there any thought on adjusting the defensive

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Speaker 1: scheme to address the pass rush and stopping the run?

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Speaker 2: Great question, TJ. And I would have to say that, yes,

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Speaker 2: you have to talk about it, like I mean, you're

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Speaker 2: not gonna just completely throw everything out the window because

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Speaker 2: there are certain things that are is working for this defense,

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Speaker 2: even though I know the last two weeks are what

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Speaker 2: they were.

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Speaker 1: Yep.

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Speaker 2: However, I when I look at this defense, I think

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Speaker 2: they've gotten better at stopping the run as the season

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Speaker 2: has gone on. And that's not something that's lost on me.

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Speaker 2: Despite the pass rush issues being what they are, the

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Speaker 2: inconsistencies there, I think stopping the run is actually something

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Speaker 2: that they pinpointed early they needed to fix, and I

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Speaker 2: think they've done a better job now. Is it perfect?

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Speaker 2: Absolutely not like there's.

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Speaker 1: Especially outside runs like the especially a good job on

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Speaker 1: outside runs, the interior runs.

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Speaker 2: It's exactly So I think that were there any thoughts

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Speaker 2: to adjusting the defensive scheme, Yes, But again something that

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Speaker 2: I said earlier in the podcast, It's like, I don't

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Speaker 2: think at this point in time, I believe the Falcons

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Speaker 2: are who they are and you have to play within

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Speaker 2: what your capabilities are and there's not an overnight fix

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Speaker 2: that's going to magically change any of this. As a defense,

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Speaker 2: there are certain things that maybe you can tweak here

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Speaker 2: and there, but you are who you are by this point.

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Speaker 2: You have the people that you have and at a

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Speaker 2: certain point, especially upfront, you just need guys to start winning.

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Speaker 2: And that's something that as I've kind of looked back

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Speaker 2: over the last few games particularly, it's like, no one's

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Speaker 2: really winning upfront and you're never going to be the

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Speaker 2: team that you want to be if you have a

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Speaker 2: one on one matchup and the offensive lineman's just outright yeah.

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Speaker 1: And that's where it's tough from like looking at it holistically, right,

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Speaker 1: because a lot of people would point to Rahee Morris

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Speaker 1: and Jimmy Lake and say, like, why isn't the pass

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Speaker 1: rush getting it done? You guys should be held accountable, right,

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Speaker 1: And I think they know that and they would accept that. Right.

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Speaker 1: It's on them as coaches to get the job done.

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Speaker 1: But really, one thing that I've picked up from Raheem

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Speaker 1: all year long is that the coaching role is is

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Speaker 1: a helping role. Right. The players have to get it done.

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Speaker 1: The coach is here to assist them, to put them

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Speaker 1: in the best situation, to help them problem solve and

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Speaker 1: figure out different ways to execute. But you're right, at

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Speaker 1: the end of the day. If the look is there,

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Speaker 1: you gotta win. And I do think sometimes the Falcons

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Speaker 1: have just got a tick late, right, Like Arnold Levkaty

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Speaker 1: has been there and the ball comes out and then

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Speaker 1: he gets the quarterback hit, which is tough, and he

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Speaker 1: has said he's left some on the table, but the

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Speaker 1: chances have been there, yeah, and they've made the moves.

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Speaker 1: They got Matthew jud On this offseason. At the time,

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Speaker 1: everybody was like, cool, pass rush addressed, We're good to go.

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Speaker 1: You'd like to see a little bit more from him,

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Speaker 1: You'd like to see a little bit more from Grady

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Speaker 1: down the stretch. Aks I just mentioned David Ony'm out

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Speaker 1: all these guys. So, yeah, the Falcons know they got

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Speaker 1: to get the pass rush going, but that was undoubtedly

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Speaker 1: something that they took a long look at over the

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Speaker 1: bye week.

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Speaker 2: Well it's interesting too because I think it was even

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Speaker 2: Raheem Morris said we're recording this on Wednesday. He said

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Speaker 2: today that we expect more from Matthew Judon, and Matthew

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Speaker 2: Junon wants more for himself too. It's not like they're

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Speaker 2: everybody sitting there happy, go lucky. Oh the pass rush

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Speaker 2: isn't that great? No, one's sitting there being like that.

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Speaker 2: So in another part of this, another piece of this

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Speaker 2: that I keep seeing from people, whether it be on

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Speaker 2: Twitter x whatever you want to call it, in the mailbag, whatever,

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Speaker 2: asking about like, oh, what if we do what if

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Speaker 2: the Falcons do more elaborate blitz packages, what if they're

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Speaker 2: blitzing more? And to be honest, they did early on.

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Speaker 2: They were blitzing at one of the highest rates in

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Speaker 2: the league, and they still weren't getting home. So it's

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Speaker 2: this opportunity cost versus opportunity reward. When you're blitzing, it's

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Speaker 2: like and sometimes that's a philosophy standpoint. If you're a

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Speaker 2: secondary that's trying to keep everything in front of you,

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Speaker 2: If you're having to give up something in order to

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Speaker 2: get home to the quarterback and you're not getting home,

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Speaker 2: that's gonna leave something open. So I it's a double

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Speaker 2: edged sword to a certain extent. It's like pass rush, just.

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Speaker 1: It's like pulling the goalie almost to the hocket. It's like, sure,

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Speaker 1: you got another man out there to try to get

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Speaker 1: a goal, but like you're leaving the back end like

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Speaker 1: over right.

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Speaker 2: You have to give up something to do that. And

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Speaker 2: I don't know if the Falcons are in the position

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Speaker 2: right now to be able to do that, because I

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Speaker 2: know a lot of people were asking why didn't they

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Speaker 2: blitz b Nicks more? Rookie quarterback Bonix was really good

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Speaker 2: when under pressure.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and Denver's offensive line is really.

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Speaker 2: Good at protecting Bonicks and had been for the few

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Speaker 2: weeks leading up to that game. So it's all. I mean,

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Speaker 2: it's all again going back to the point that we're

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Speaker 2: making earlier. The longer that I kind of view this

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Speaker 2: coaching staff, the more I view them as very like

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Speaker 2: we're doing game specific things and what we think is

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Speaker 2: going to work within certain games.

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Speaker 1: Absolutely, all right, Kevin submitted this one on the website,

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Speaker 1: so appreciate it. Kevin Uh, He says, without giving anything

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Speaker 1: detailed away, have the coaches been keeping an even sharper

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Speaker 1: eye on second teamers and practice squad guys who may

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Speaker 1: earn more playing time down the stretch and a possible

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Speaker 1: starting not or two. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: This is a great question and one that I answered

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Speaker 2: a little bit in Tuesday's mail bag. But I think

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Speaker 2: it's honestly what I said was, I don't necessarily think

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Speaker 2: I think this is a great question, and it's a

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Speaker 2: question that should be asked. But I think the Falcons

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Speaker 2: where they are now in terms of getting people back

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Speaker 2: from injuries, and you're looking at more starters from the

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Speaker 2: beginning of the year getting back involved less than I

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Speaker 2: think you're looking at second teamers and practice squad guys

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Speaker 2: like you're getting.

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Speaker 1: I think you've seen, like all you've seen, You've seen

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Speaker 1: every guy in the secondary that they Harris, You've seen,

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Speaker 1: Kevin King, You've seen, Yeah.

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Speaker 2: All like Natron Brooks, like you've seen. You've seen a

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Speaker 2: lot of these guys. Like So I think that to

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Speaker 2: the question, it's less about, oh, who are the coaches

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Speaker 2: keeping a sharper eye on, It's like, who are the

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Speaker 2: coaches waiting to get back? Drew Dolmen is expected to

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Speaker 2: be a part of the starting lineup again this Sunday,

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Speaker 2: first time since Week three. Ryannozl, who's a second teamer,

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Speaker 2: has been I think doing a pretty You've been solid,

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Speaker 2: pretty dang good job in that position. In the wake

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Speaker 2: of Drew Dalmend's angle injury. You potentially can get Nate Lamman,

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Speaker 2: Troy Anderson, j D. Bertrand hopefully you hope that you're

433
00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,840
Speaker 2: inside linebacker group the one that we have been talking

434
00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:31,119
Speaker 2: about for majority of training camp and the preseason about

435
00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:33,840
Speaker 2: being one of the most like interesting groups. You have

436
00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:34,919
Speaker 2: not had them full strength.

437
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:36,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, the mix and match group has not been out

438
00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:37,640
Speaker 1: there to mix a match.

439
00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:39,199
Speaker 2: No, you can't do that. So if you can get

440
00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:41,080
Speaker 2: those guys healthy, what does that look like? But I

441
00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:43,560
Speaker 2: do think to just to kind of put a name

442
00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:46,680
Speaker 2: out there, I do think that Kevin King is somebody

443
00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:50,560
Speaker 2: who the expectation for me was that we were going

444
00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:52,280
Speaker 2: to I mean, he was going to play that entire

445
00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:54,920
Speaker 2: Denver game, gets hurt in that very first series, gets

446
00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,080
Speaker 2: a concussion, I think if he comes back within this

447
00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:59,840
Speaker 2: week or next week, according to how things shake out

448
00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,600
Speaker 2: with d Alford, who's still working through a hamstring injury.

449
00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:04,879
Speaker 2: There are some guys in the secondary who are working

450
00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:08,360
Speaker 2: through some things. So Mike cues like, so I think

451
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:12,960
Speaker 2: like Clark Phillips, Kevin King, Natron Brooks, like those guys

452
00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,080
Speaker 2: in the secondary, I think you could still see a

453
00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:17,640
Speaker 2: little bit more of them going into the next couple

454
00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:19,040
Speaker 2: weeks if injuries linger.

455
00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:21,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a great point. And then I would say

456
00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:22,960
Speaker 1: for kind of the front seven, a few guys that

457
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,880
Speaker 1: I've noticed who have been getting some reps in there recently.

458
00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,160
Speaker 1: I mentioned Deimone Harris earlier. I think he's been kind

459
00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,320
Speaker 1: of effective when he's been in there at times, getting

460
00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:33,160
Speaker 1: some pressure on the quarterback. But then I've also noticed

461
00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:36,200
Speaker 1: D'Angelo Malone getting some snaps on defense. Of course he's

462
00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:39,399
Speaker 1: like a core a special teams player, but he started

463
00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:40,800
Speaker 1: getting in the mix a little bit there as well.

464
00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:43,239
Speaker 1: And then Khalleid Kareem, whose practice squad guy has been

465
00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:45,160
Speaker 1: elevated a couple of times. I've noticed him in there.

466
00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:49,040
Speaker 1: So they're doing stuff, they are looking at at everything

467
00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:50,800
Speaker 1: they can. I do think that part of it is

468
00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:54,040
Speaker 1: matchup related to your point. So yeah, like if there

469
00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:58,880
Speaker 1: were any magic answers again, like you would have already there, Yes,

470
00:21:58,920 --> 00:21:59,960
Speaker 1: they would be putting him out there.

471
00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,320
Speaker 2: You would have already taken that pill and been like,

472
00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:05,000
Speaker 2: we're good. Like I also think just to throw out

473
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:09,200
Speaker 2: like ruc Roro coming back from injury potentially relatively soon,

474
00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,560
Speaker 2: I would think. And then Brandon Dorles, I know he

475
00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:17,400
Speaker 2: had his first reps last week and we'll see, we'll

476
00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,960
Speaker 2: see how that goes and continues to see if he's

477
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,040
Speaker 2: still active going into this weekend as well.

478
00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,479
Speaker 1: And That's where I do think you really miss the

479
00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:26,560
Speaker 1: presence of Brayln Trice. I know he was a rookie,

480
00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:28,520
Speaker 1: but we saw it in training camp, we saw in

481
00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:31,840
Speaker 1: the preseason like there were expectations for him for this season.

482
00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,080
Speaker 1: He was going to have a role, and I think

483
00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,720
Speaker 1: his absence all years has been kind of felt for

484
00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,840
Speaker 1: that defense. All right, last one we've got for the

485
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:40,400
Speaker 1: mail back.

486
00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:40,880
Speaker 2: I Love.

487
00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:45,800
Speaker 1: This question comes from William Love your name. He asks,

488
00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:48,880
Speaker 1: if there was a redraft of the twenty twenty four draft,

489
00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:52,280
Speaker 1: knowing then what we know now, do you think the

490
00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:54,840
Speaker 1: Falcons would have drafted an edge rusher and how are

491
00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:56,440
Speaker 1: the top edg rushers doing so?

492
00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:58,520
Speaker 2: Some of the top I'll start second, some of the

493
00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,639
Speaker 2: top ed dressers are doing very well, like someone like

494
00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:05,040
Speaker 2: Jared Verse is playing very very well for the Rams

495
00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:08,600
Speaker 2: right now. If you go back and you I answered

496
00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:10,440
Speaker 2: this question in the mailbag as well, So go back

497
00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:12,920
Speaker 2: and look at that answer. And I actually did break

498
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:17,679
Speaker 2: down guys like Leatu Latu, Jared Vers, even Chop Robinson

499
00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,440
Speaker 2: and what they've been doing with their respective teams. Now

500
00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:25,399
Speaker 2: to answer the first question of redraft, this is so

501
00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:32,480
Speaker 2: hard because I understood the strategy I understood what Terry

502
00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:35,600
Speaker 2: Fontnau and that front office and coaching staff what they

503
00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:38,479
Speaker 2: wanted to do. I think when you look at it

504
00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:41,800
Speaker 2: and how quarterbacks fell all being taken in the first

505
00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:46,359
Speaker 2: twelve picks of the first round, Okay, it makes sense

506
00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:48,560
Speaker 2: why you would if you feel a certain type of

507
00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:53,080
Speaker 2: conviction about a quarterback. Sure, But then I think we're

508
00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:57,720
Speaker 2: seeing the repercussions of potentially not going after a dresser

509
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,720
Speaker 2: as maybe as four fully as you would want. But

510
00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,199
Speaker 2: the thing is is, I think they did try. You know,

511
00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:08,600
Speaker 2: it's been reported numerous times that this team, this front

512
00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:12,280
Speaker 2: office was calling every team from nine to thirty two

513
00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:14,680
Speaker 2: to get back into the first round of the draft

514
00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,560
Speaker 2: in order to potentially take an ED rusher. Now, if

515
00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:20,879
Speaker 2: they could have gotten in the middleing ten through fifteen,

516
00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:24,080
Speaker 2: where some good ed drushers first came off the board,

517
00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:28,040
Speaker 2: we feel very differently about this draft class. I guarantee

518
00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:30,720
Speaker 2: if you take Michael Pennock's junior number eight overall and

519
00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,160
Speaker 2: then you take let's just say, Jared Versu at number fifteen,

520
00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:36,680
Speaker 2: you feel very different about this draft class. For the Falcons.

521
00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,399
Speaker 2: I think so so for me. I almost wish the

522
00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,240
Speaker 2: strategy now knowing what we know now, which is a

523
00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:45,239
Speaker 2: big piece of this. Knowing what we know now, I

524
00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:48,520
Speaker 2: wish the Falcons would have switched the priority.

525
00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,119
Speaker 1: But I think we knew them, Like I know, I

526
00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:54,520
Speaker 1: think it was easy to see something like this coming

527
00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:58,800
Speaker 1: because of that opportunity cost right, and we knew at

528
00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:01,320
Speaker 1: the time, Hey, all right, you invested in Kirk, why

529
00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:03,720
Speaker 1: not then surround him with all of the pieces to

530
00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,520
Speaker 1: go make that run in the fall. And that is

531
00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:08,959
Speaker 1: the read. That's what takes courage about what the Falcon's

532
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:13,119
Speaker 1: decision to go draft Michael Pennox instead. And I I

533
00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:16,159
Speaker 1: have long believed that, like this is a decision as

534
00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,000
Speaker 1: long as Michael Penix becomes the player that Atlanta expects

535
00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,280
Speaker 1: him to be. And he looked really good out there

536
00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,919
Speaker 1: against Denver. For that passed the Casey Washington and no

537
00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,240
Speaker 1: one completed but thing of beauty.

538
00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:28,480
Speaker 2: It was completed until Casey Washington.

539
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:30,680
Speaker 1: I knocked out. Yeah it was it was a catch

540
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:34,919
Speaker 1: and then it was a catch. But I this is

541
00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,120
Speaker 1: going to be a move that is probably as bad

542
00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:40,040
Speaker 1: as it's going to be right after it's made, because

543
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:41,919
Speaker 1: I think a lot of people's immediate reaction is what

544
00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,560
Speaker 1: we're talking about why didn't you go get Leatsu Latsu?

545
00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:46,119
Speaker 1: Why didn't you go get Jared versus you got a

546
00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,600
Speaker 1: quarterback you just you just signed one, why'd you do that?

547
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:53,080
Speaker 1: But as the future progresses in four years, if Michael

548
00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:55,160
Speaker 1: Penix is playing the way that we just talked about

549
00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:57,280
Speaker 1: Justin Herbert playing, who cares?

550
00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,439
Speaker 2: Also, I'll add something else to If Matthew Judon is

551
00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:05,440
Speaker 2: producing the way that you assumed going into the season,

552
00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,119
Speaker 2: the way you expected him to produce coming off of

553
00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,800
Speaker 2: gosh two years before his injury, where he's having double

554
00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:15,280
Speaker 2: digit sacks, if it's that guy that you send a

555
00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:19,720
Speaker 2: third round pick to New England for, We're not having

556
00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:23,360
Speaker 2: this conversation. We're not talking about drafting, potentially drafting an

557
00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:27,760
Speaker 2: a Edgdresher over Michael Pennock's at number eight overall. At

558
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:30,240
Speaker 2: the end of the day, I kind of do think

559
00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,879
Speaker 2: it's like they tried, they tried.

560
00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:34,840
Speaker 1: To fix pass. It's like, what's the intents versus what's

561
00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,600
Speaker 1: the the result. Exactly the intent, whether it was to

562
00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:39,680
Speaker 1: trade back into the first round, they knew what they needed.

563
00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:41,440
Speaker 1: If you're trying to make the moves to go get

564
00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,400
Speaker 1: it and you're getting blocked Hey, it's a competitive league.

565
00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:45,280
Speaker 1: Everybody else has.

566
00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,159
Speaker 2: You're gonna win, you're gonna lose some. And that's the

567
00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:50,080
Speaker 2: thing is like the Matthew Judon trade, right when it

568
00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:53,280
Speaker 2: first happened, that was like Terry font was hailed as like, oh,

569
00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:56,400
Speaker 2: like he fleeced the Patriots, like Terry Cook, like led

570
00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,240
Speaker 2: Terry Cook, the memes and everything. So it's like, the

571
00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:02,560
Speaker 2: feeling that you had in that moment is obviously not

572
00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:04,280
Speaker 2: what you're feeling now. But I don't think it takes

573
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:06,920
Speaker 2: away from the strategy and the thought process behind it.

574
00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,520
Speaker 2: I don't think anyone expected that Matthew jud On, here

575
00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:12,199
Speaker 2: we are eleven, twelve weeks into the season, him to

576
00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,760
Speaker 2: have two and a half sacks and not pressuring the

577
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,440
Speaker 2: quarterback anywhere close to the clip that he had been.

578
00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:19,760
Speaker 1: Let's regress to the mean in a positive way and

579
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:21,800
Speaker 1: he can just get like eight sacks down the stretch

580
00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:23,000
Speaker 1: and that would be a thing of beauty.

581
00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:25,320
Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, whatever whatever you want to do.

582
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:27,200
Speaker 1: I want him to do that.

583
00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:28,639
Speaker 2: That's what I don't think a lot of people do,

584
00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:31,040
Speaker 2: and I think Matthew Judon would agree. He would want

585
00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:31,520
Speaker 2: to as well.

586
00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:33,959
Speaker 1: All right, let's wrap things up what's one thing the

587
00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:35,560
Speaker 1: Falcons need to do to get a win on Sunday?

588
00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:39,640
Speaker 2: Sorry, affect Justin Herbert. Yeah, in some way, shape or form.

589
00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,719
Speaker 2: It doesn't have to be like sacking him, but just

590
00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:48,200
Speaker 2: making him uncomfortable doing something, anything that's going to make

591
00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,000
Speaker 2: him make a mistake. Because again I've said this, I

592
00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:54,359
Speaker 2: said it earlier. He hasn't really been making mistakes. Make

593
00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:56,000
Speaker 2: him make one. Figure out a way to make him

594
00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:56,400
Speaker 2: make one.

595
00:27:56,920 --> 00:28:00,159
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a great way to start for me. Keep

596
00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,080
Speaker 1: young waykup on the sideline, score touchdowns and you get

597
00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:05,639
Speaker 1: down in the red zone. Finish with touchdowns. Is a

598
00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:07,520
Speaker 1: good defense, It is good offense. They're going to be

599
00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,200
Speaker 1: able to to kind of play whatever game I think

600
00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,600
Speaker 1: you're willing to play. So if you're playing efficiently and

601
00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:16,680
Speaker 1: you're taking you're maximizing your chances with the football, that's

602
00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:18,080
Speaker 1: the best way to beat a good team. Yeah.

603
00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:19,080
Speaker 2: No red zone penalties.

604
00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:21,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, no red zone penalties. And that was something Zach

605
00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:24,680
Speaker 1: Robinson said today. Right on the offensive side, they're self scouting.

606
00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,320
Speaker 1: Can't shoot yourself in the foot, right, And that's really

607
00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:29,359
Speaker 1: what it's come down to. You're moving the ball effectively.

608
00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:31,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think there's anything wrong with play call

609
00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:35,040
Speaker 2: execute or a scheme, the execution of the play call itself.

610
00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,760
Speaker 1: They're a top ten offense in a ton of metrics.

611
00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:42,160
Speaker 2: It's literally those freaking penalties in the red zone we

612
00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,320
Speaker 2: would think so differently. I think of this offense in

613
00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:47,320
Speaker 2: this team. If in the last four or five weeks

614
00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:50,840
Speaker 2: you take away all of those red zone penalties, that's

615
00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,840
Speaker 2: the thing that's holding this offense back, the one thing

616
00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:56,520
Speaker 2: I mean, I think that this offense has shown what

617
00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,480
Speaker 2: it's capable of. Red zone penalties are going to kill

618
00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,080
Speaker 2: them every time. It's gonna stall drives every time.

619
00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:05,479
Speaker 1: Yeah, they can clean up those penalties. We can get

620
00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:07,800
Speaker 1: right back to. I think the brand of football that

621
00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:10,840
Speaker 1: we were seeing when times were good, right playing the Cowboys,

622
00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:13,320
Speaker 1: playing the Bucks like that is the style of of

623
00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:15,600
Speaker 1: football that Atlanta really can play. And let's hope we

624
00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:18,240
Speaker 1: see a lot more of it down the stretch. But Tori,

625
00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:20,840
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go ahead and wrap us up please for today,

626
00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,960
Speaker 1: I hope everybody had an amazing Thanksgiving. Again, go eat

627
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,040
Speaker 1: some leftovers. There's like literally nothing better in the world

628
00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:31,440
Speaker 1: than Thanksgiving leftovers the next day. But the Falcons have

629
00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:34,720
Speaker 1: a big home game on Sunday against the Chargers one

630
00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,520
Speaker 1: pm kickoff. Please check out the pregame show, which we'll

631
00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:40,240
Speaker 1: go live on our YouTube channel an hour before kickoff,

632
00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:42,560
Speaker 1: so at noon you can check out Taylor Bismore and

633
00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:46,080
Speaker 1: Derek Rackley doing a great job on that. We will

634
00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:49,360
Speaker 1: be covering the game in its entirety on Atlanta Falcons

635
00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:51,880
Speaker 1: dot com. We will be back with our postgame recap,

636
00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,400
Speaker 1: which you guys can hear bright and early Monday morning.

637
00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:57,680
Speaker 1: But until then, for Tory mclaney, I am Will McFadden.

638
00:29:57,840 --> 00:29:59,840
Speaker 1: Thank you guys so much for listening to Falcons Fin

639
00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:04,160
Speaker 1: Whistle presented by Zaxby's. Today's episode of Falcons Final Whistle

640
00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,800
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641
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643
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645
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