WEBVTT - Taylor Heinicke Talks Prepping for Eagles | Episode 54

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. We

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<v Speaker 1>are a few days away from Washington's primetime matchup with

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<v Speaker 1>the undefeated Eagles. Santana Moss and Logan Paulson joined me

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<v Speaker 1>to give their insight into this matchup and playing in Philadelphia.

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<v Speaker 1>So let's get into some of the specific matchups that

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<v Speaker 1>we're going to be looking for on Monday Night football

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<v Speaker 1>and where Washington hopefully can take over and have an

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<v Speaker 1>advantage or at least where they're going to be challenged

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit. And I think we really have to

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<v Speaker 1>start Logan on what defensive coordinator Jack Dorio is going

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<v Speaker 1>to be able to do against their offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>I think Jack's an excellent job of the last couple

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<v Speaker 1>of weeks of kind of throwing in a wrinkle from

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<v Speaker 1>a defensive perspective. In the first game, they brought a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit of cover zero, which they haven't done a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of this season, but it was enough to kind

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<v Speaker 1>of throw Jalen Hurts and Sion off their game, right,

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<v Speaker 1>And so what's the wrinkle going to be this week?

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<v Speaker 1>How do you find that edge for this group? Because

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<v Speaker 1>that's something that Jack is an excellent job of but

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<v Speaker 1>he needs to be on his a game this week

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<v Speaker 1>to stime me this offense which has been outstanding for Philadelphia. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>one of the things I want to add, I think

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<v Speaker 1>our secondary has to find a way to stop Devonte

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<v Speaker 1>Smith and A J. Brown. I think the last time

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<v Speaker 1>these guys face these guys, they had combined thirteen catches,

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<v Speaker 1>two hundred and fifty plush yards and two touchdown. With

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<v Speaker 1>each of those guys has a touchdown, the piece we

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<v Speaker 1>have to find a way to contain him. Might not

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<v Speaker 1>be able to stop him, but contain him. And I

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<v Speaker 1>think it's gonna start up front. Yeah, do you think

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<v Speaker 1>that Saint Juice matches up well with A J. Brown?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean the first matchups that of an excellent shot.

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<v Speaker 1>I think we might have to think about Saint Ju's

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<v Speaker 1>going to Devonte Smith. He's a speaster. He's the guy

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<v Speaker 1>that I would rather see Saint Jukes, you know, run

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<v Speaker 1>with someone who can run and give you know that

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<v Speaker 1>to the other cornerback. Let him see a guy in

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<v Speaker 1>Aja Brown who don't think it's gonna scratch the field

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<v Speaker 1>that much. You know your interview with Benjamin Saint Jus

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<v Speaker 1>If you haven't watched that. It is on our website.

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<v Speaker 1>He is such a smart one. He really gets into

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<v Speaker 1>studying it and I like that he really relishes the

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<v Speaker 1>challenge yea of going up against the number one. You

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<v Speaker 1>want that from your corner and to see him grow

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<v Speaker 1>into that role and the work that he's already done.

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<v Speaker 1>He's only going to get better, but he will have

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<v Speaker 1>forgot this one. Another matchup that I think is really

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<v Speaker 1>going to be pivotal key is in this game. Of course,

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<v Speaker 1>we were all anticipating the return of Carson Wentz to Philadelphia,

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<v Speaker 1>but it is going to be Taylor hiding games. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I think Taylor, you know, I think the thing that

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<v Speaker 1>about Taylor that's going to be so important is can

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<v Speaker 1>he keep this offense on schedule right? Can you find

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<v Speaker 1>ways to kind of much like in the second half

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<v Speaker 1>of Green Bay, get the ball, to get the ball

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<v Speaker 1>to the checkdown. It doesn't need to be a home

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<v Speaker 1>and every single player, I think Scott Turner needs to

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<v Speaker 1>kind of incorporate in the game plan. Find ways to

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<v Speaker 1>get big plays, but it's not every single time. So

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<v Speaker 1>be efficient offensively, elevate the run game with the r

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<v Speaker 1>RPO stuff, make good decisions. There's Ultimately, when it comes

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<v Speaker 1>down to and if you can avoid kind of throwing

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<v Speaker 1>those costly interceptions like we've talked about, I think you're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna be an okay spot. And I think the way

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<v Speaker 1>you can do that is having our office ave line

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<v Speaker 1>play better. Again. Off the death of the Eagles front

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<v Speaker 1>you know, front four. I think last time we've seen

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<v Speaker 1>these guys play, they was rushing four and we couldn't protect.

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<v Speaker 1>So we have to find a way to do something

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<v Speaker 1>offensively where this is going to be our OC in

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<v Speaker 1>the run game or the past game. Find a way

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<v Speaker 1>to protect those guys a little better so we can

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<v Speaker 1>go out there and run out office that we want

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<v Speaker 1>to run. And then something Taylor has done a really

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<v Speaker 1>nice job of, at least against Indianapolis and against Green Bay,

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<v Speaker 1>of elevating the offensive line, ducking pressure, buying time, feeling

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<v Speaker 1>and working within the pocket. Obviously struggle a little bit

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<v Speaker 1>of that against Minnesota, but that is a skill set

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<v Speaker 1>that he possesses, and hopefully you can bring that to

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<v Speaker 1>this week's game. When Carson Wins played them earlier on

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<v Speaker 1>in the season, he was sacked seven times, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>and the offensive line has had their fair share of

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<v Speaker 1>challenges this season, but Taylor being able to use his

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<v Speaker 1>legs can't avoid that a little bit. And one of

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<v Speaker 1>the things in a Philadelphia is saying we've got a

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<v Speaker 1>plan for is that he makes off scripted plays, so

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<v Speaker 1>there's not the easiest for them to defend against because

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<v Speaker 1>if something breaks down, he still has a way to

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<v Speaker 1>extend the play. And they've got the playmakers as we

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<v Speaker 1>have seen Terry McLaurin, Curtis Sym to go out there

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<v Speaker 1>and make outstanding catches because he's not afraid to throw

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<v Speaker 1>it and give his guy the opportunity to come down

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<v Speaker 1>with it. So it might be a little bit more

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<v Speaker 1>closely contested game than I think folks might be giving

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<v Speaker 1>it credit for going into this one. Quarterback Taylor Heineke

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<v Speaker 1>will get his fourth start of the season on Monday night.

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<v Speaker 1>Linda Fletcher caught up with Heineke to get his thoughts

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<v Speaker 1>and preparing for the Eagles. So, Taylor, you've had a

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<v Speaker 1>couple of days to kind of get over the lost

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<v Speaker 1>to Minnesota Snapp in a three game loses streak. What

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<v Speaker 1>has been the message from culture Varia as you guys

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<v Speaker 1>get ready to start your preparation against a Philadelphia Eagles. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, it's it's a new week, and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>we can't change the past. So we got to move

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<v Speaker 1>on from Minnesota, as hard as it was, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>letting that one slip. Um, we have a great opportunity

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<v Speaker 1>ahead of us. It's gonna be a crazy, crazy crowd

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<v Speaker 1>on Monday Night at Philly. We understand their record and

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<v Speaker 1>you know their division oponent. It's gonna be a tough one,

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<v Speaker 1>but you know, we're excited for it. The Eagles offense

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<v Speaker 1>has has garnered a lot of attention. Is as crazy

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<v Speaker 1>as this sounds, their defense it's being one of the

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<v Speaker 1>even though their top five defense they say kind of underrated.

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<v Speaker 1>What makes this Eagles defense so tough to deal with?

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<v Speaker 1>And they got a bunch of pretty much Pro Bowler

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<v Speaker 1>caliber guys on defense. You know, their whole defensive line

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<v Speaker 1>is really good. Um. You know, they got they got

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<v Speaker 1>safety from the Saints at the beginning of the year.

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<v Speaker 1>They got two really good corners. So, um, there's a

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<v Speaker 1>very solid defense. You know, it's pretty simple, but at

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<v Speaker 1>the same time, they play it very well. It's kind

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<v Speaker 1>of the same thing I said, you know a couple

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<v Speaker 1>of weeks back about Indie. Um, you know, they know

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<v Speaker 1>what they run and they just run it really well.

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<v Speaker 1>So U, it's one of those things that we have

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<v Speaker 1>to keep them on our position and try and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>have long, long drives on the field as you as

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<v Speaker 1>you mentioned, you know long drives on the field. We

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<v Speaker 1>look at our running game. Antonio Gibson and also Brian

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<v Speaker 1>Robinson Junior, what do you think think when you see

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<v Speaker 1>those guys out there running the football with the aggressiveness

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<v Speaker 1>and the physicality that they that they do. Yeah, it's

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of fun. And you know, kind of put

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<v Speaker 1>the old line in there as well. You know they're

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<v Speaker 1>doing a great job and getting those guys holes run through.

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<v Speaker 1>But you know when you hand the ball off to

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<v Speaker 1>b Rober or a g and you kind of see

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<v Speaker 1>them slip through a hole and do their thing, it's

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of fun to watch. So um, I would

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<v Speaker 1>like to say, you know, a good running games. Quarterback's

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<v Speaker 1>best friends. So um, you know, hopefully we can keep

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<v Speaker 1>that thing going. As you're on the sideline, I don't

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<v Speaker 1>know how much you're able to look at our defense

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<v Speaker 1>on the field and see what they are able to

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<v Speaker 1>do in terms of getting out to the quarterback, stopping

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<v Speaker 1>a run and doing some of the things that they're

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<v Speaker 1>able to do. When you get an opportunity to look

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<v Speaker 1>at this defense, what goes through your mind? These guys

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<v Speaker 1>are playing hard, um, and you know I do watch

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<v Speaker 1>them and I go through the little slides on the notebook,

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<v Speaker 1>but after that, you know, I'm watching the screen and

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<v Speaker 1>those guys are flying around getting after it. And they've

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<v Speaker 1>played well, you know, for for a month and a

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<v Speaker 1>half now, and again you know that we have a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of trust in them to do their job. So um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know they've they've they've they've done a great job.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, hopefully they keep doing that. As you you

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<v Speaker 1>mentioned the environment that is gonna be like in Philadelphia.

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<v Speaker 1>I've played on a Monday night football in a Monday

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<v Speaker 1>night football game. I'm not sure if you've played there

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<v Speaker 1>before on a Monday night. What do you anticipate this

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<v Speaker 1>atmosphere being like lots of booze and lots of explicit words.

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<v Speaker 1>But uh, you know it's fun. That's why you played

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<v Speaker 1>the game, um, to go in hostile environments like this

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<v Speaker 1>against a really good team and kind of showcase what

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<v Speaker 1>you got. So and I have full faith in our

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<v Speaker 1>guys and you know all the guys are excited for

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<v Speaker 1>the for the opportunity, I'm gon give you a heads up.

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<v Speaker 1>You have to be prepared to get for the bus

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<v Speaker 1>to get egged on the way coming into the study.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, Bet, but thanks for joining. I appreciate your question.

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<v Speaker 1>For all of your news and analysis, be sure to

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<v Speaker 1>tune into Command Center weeknights if I've thirty and ten

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<v Speaker 1>pm on NBC Sports Washington. You can also stream on

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<v Speaker 1>YouTube and commanders dot com