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Speaker 1: Welcome to Between the Horns, the bye week edition. My

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Speaker 1: name is JB. Long, alongside team reporter Serena Morales. Good morning, Serena.

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Speaker 1: Anything going on in your world? Good morning? I got

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Speaker 1: my cup with Joe. I'm ready to go. I'm scared

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Speaker 1: of DeMarco. There's two of him today. Oh this guy, Oh,

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Speaker 1: he's long gone, Serena. Yeah, he's never coming back. Yeah yeah,

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Speaker 1: that guy had healthy bye week for the broadcaster, right, DeMarco,

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Speaker 1: But not for the father, no doubt. Oh my god.

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Speaker 1: Right outside this door right now is just a five

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Speaker 1: year old waiting on me. The preyoffs you know what

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Speaker 1: I'm talking about. And we are pleased to be joined

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Speaker 1: by a former NFL linebacker and co host of the

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Speaker 1: Rams pre and postgame coverage on seven ten ESPN, Kirk Morrison.

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Speaker 1: How you doing, Kirk, I'm good man. Thanks for having me.

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Speaker 1: Fills Memo. Oh yeah already, you already know. I gotta

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Speaker 1: brush out the brand new gear. Nice to see you all,

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Speaker 1: And as you know, we've reached the midway point of

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Speaker 1: this season. It also lines up with the Rams by week.

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Speaker 1: They are five and three after eight games. Today we're

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Speaker 1: gonna take a look back see what they've done well,

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Speaker 1: what still stands to improve, and then also preview what

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Speaker 1: is a really intriguing second half that's loaded with divisional game.

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Speaker 1: So Serena, you want to get us started, Oh for sure,

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Speaker 1: I want to dive into some topics from the first half,

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Speaker 1: and I actually really want to focus on this Rams defense. Um,

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Speaker 1: they've been really impressive under Brandon Staley, right, holding a

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Speaker 1: point opponents to under three hundred yards per game. Twenty

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Speaker 1: five sacks ranks fourth in the NFL. And to what

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Speaker 1: I love the most about this team is their consistency.

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Speaker 1: You know, this isn't This is the one arm of

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Speaker 1: the team that you can always seem to count on

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Speaker 1: when it comes down to it. Um, And it's not

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Speaker 1: just the big name players. I think Darius Williams has

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Speaker 1: had an incredible season with two interceptions and seven passes defended.

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Speaker 1: M demark, I'll start with you. What do you think

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Speaker 1: it has been most impressive for you? Well, it's funny

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Speaker 1: whenever we make these comments about the football team, always

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Speaker 1: start to imagine that like Jared Off, Aaron Donald, all

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Speaker 1: these guys are in the room. So I'll just go

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Speaker 1: ahead and say I think this is a defensive lead

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Speaker 1: football team. I think they're the heart and soul. But

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Speaker 1: I think Brandon Stabley's defense has been most impressive to

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Speaker 1: me is they don't give up big plays over the top.

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Speaker 1: They keep a lid on the offense, keep a lid

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Speaker 1: on the defense. I mean, nothing explosive. I mean, if

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Speaker 1: you look down the list of explosive pass plays against

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Speaker 1: the Rams, it's it's very very short and explosive runs too.

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Speaker 1: They do a great job in pursuit outside of the

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Speaker 1: San Francisco forty nine Ers game when we really gave

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Speaker 1: them hell about it, but I mean really good job

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Speaker 1: of being very disciplined defending each and every run and

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Speaker 1: getting the right guys to the football and then when

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Speaker 1: it does get out, running it down. So not a

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Speaker 1: ton of explosive run plays as well. And something that

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Speaker 1: was a problem last year that was a point of

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Speaker 1: emphasis going into this season was penalties. They have been

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Speaker 1: really really good and technically sound playing football. Outside of

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Speaker 1: one bad call in Buffalo, it's been a really really

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Speaker 1: good penalty wise. So this group still there's a left

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Speaker 1: out there for them. There's a lot of a lot

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Speaker 1: of growth to be had in the second half. But

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Speaker 1: this group has really paceless football team in the first half. Yeah, Kurt,

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Speaker 1: what do you think, especially in the second half of

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Speaker 1: these games we've seen, the defense seems to shut it down.

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Speaker 1: You know. I think a lot of it has to

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Speaker 1: do with the communication that I see amongst only the

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Speaker 1: defensive backs, but the guys up front. But I think

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Speaker 1: a lot of credit has to go to Brandon Staley.

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Speaker 1: I'm not sure what he's saying at halftime or what

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Speaker 1: he's doing in terms of getting the players hyped up,

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Speaker 1: but it's almost like a filling out process that we

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Speaker 1: see in first half of games. It's like, how are

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Speaker 1: they going to block us? Fellas, how are they gonna

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Speaker 1: come with stacks and bunches and things like that, And

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Speaker 1: then you get to the second half, and then all

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Speaker 1: of a sudden, that communication is that much more crisp.

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Speaker 1: We start to see what a Aaron Donald and Leonard

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Speaker 1: Floyd on the same side rushing, so it say, Okay,

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Speaker 1: if you want to start doing this, this is what

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Speaker 1: we're gonna do. And that's why we've seen Aaron Donald

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Speaker 1: lined up as a defensive event all the way on

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Speaker 1: one side and four rushers on the other side. It's

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Speaker 1: because I think it's the adjustment, and that's what they're doing.

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Speaker 1: In the second half, they've been really lights out. And

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Speaker 1: I also believe it's they've been more opportunistic. I think

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Speaker 1: in the back end, guys are starting to feel more

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Speaker 1: comfortable and take those chances, try to get interceptions, tip

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Speaker 1: passes and things like that. So I think that's really

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Speaker 1: what I've seen in the second half. And they also

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Speaker 1: play off the offense. I think throughout certain games we've

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Speaker 1: seen the offense tend to slow the pace down a

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Speaker 1: little bit, run to football and create less opportunities, which

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Speaker 1: I think makes other offenses feel like, Okay, we got

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Speaker 1: a score to keep up with the Rams, and that's

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Speaker 1: when the big plays start happening. Well, they've been better

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Speaker 1: in the second half of games, to be certain, but

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Speaker 1: their opponents are going to be a lot better in

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Speaker 1: the second half, especially offensively. I mean you go from

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Speaker 1: let's just say Daniel Jones and and Kyle Allen to

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Speaker 1: Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray, and so I think they'll

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Speaker 1: be tested a little bit more thoroughly after this bye week.

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Speaker 1: The average offensive ranks of their opponents so far is

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Speaker 1: in the low twenties. The average of the next four

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Speaker 1: opponents Seattle to Tampa Bay, San Francisco and Arizona's top

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Speaker 1: ten it's right around seven, so they're about to really,

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Speaker 1: I think, be thoroughly vetted. Let's switch gears and take

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Speaker 1: a look the Rams offense now, which has been a

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Speaker 1: mixed bag, I would say, and unfortunately it's now coming off.

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Speaker 1: It's worth showing of the year in Miami DeMarco. We

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Speaker 1: talked with Sean McVay on Monday. I believe it was

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Speaker 1: about this interesting challenge. They want to put up more points, yes,

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Speaker 1: but it seems like they want to do it in

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Speaker 1: a sensible manner without putting the football in jeopardy because

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Speaker 1: this defense is too good to squander. I'm a big

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Speaker 1: fan of that, a big fan of what you just

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Speaker 1: said and what Kurt said to running the football playing

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Speaker 1: off your defense. You've got the world's best punter, you know,

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Speaker 1: on your sideline. So if it doesn't work out offensively,

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Speaker 1: you can always split field position and put this defense

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Speaker 1: back on the field to get to the ball back

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Speaker 1: either by three and out or we're taking it away.

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Speaker 1: So look, it's not that we know this offense better

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Speaker 1: than Sean McVay It's not that we know more football

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Speaker 1: than Sean McVay. If so, we would be head coaches

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Speaker 1: like like he was. But there are times when you

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Speaker 1: were just screaming into the TV, please just run the football,

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Speaker 1: take air out of the air, out of the football,

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Speaker 1: time off the clock, giving your defense time to rest.

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Speaker 1: I think I can sum it up this way, baby,

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Speaker 1: more golf under center, less shotgun, and let's see what

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Speaker 1: happens with that. I think shotgun as a last resort

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Speaker 1: and not as a primary play call and until they

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Speaker 1: earn it going forward. So running the football. All three

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Speaker 1: backs have been great, and I would say lean on

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Speaker 1: your bigs man. I think these guys have played great.

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Speaker 1: And we said this offense is very offensive line friendly. Okay,

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Speaker 1: make it not offensive line friendly. Run the football. Let's

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Speaker 1: see if these guys could move people off the football,

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Speaker 1: Especially when you start facing the quarterbacks that you're about

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Speaker 1: to start facing. You want to keep those guys on

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Speaker 1: the bench as long as possible, and the only way

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Speaker 1: to do that is running the football. Kuri, if we

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Speaker 1: were having this conversation three weeks ago, I think it

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Speaker 1: would have been centered around Jerry Goff getting back to

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Speaker 1: another Pro Bowl at this point, you know, as we

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Speaker 1: reset for the second half, it seems like a critical

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Speaker 1: juncture in his career. When you look at the stakes,

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Speaker 1: when you look at the opponents, and when you look

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Speaker 1: at the last three games he's had, there are a

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Speaker 1: lot of question marks, maybe more than the answers right now. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: And I think a lot of it is just the turnovers.

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Speaker 1: That's always when we look back at a stat sheet,

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Speaker 1: lady say, you know, how was the game, we always say,

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Speaker 1: what how many times do the Rams turn it over?

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Speaker 1: Did we have any interceptions or fumble? Things like that.

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Speaker 1: For me, I think this is a time for Jared

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Speaker 1: Golf going to buy week to kind of see, right now,

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Speaker 1: what is our offense? Who are we? And I think

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Speaker 1: right now it's leaning on the running game. You know,

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Speaker 1: when Todd Gurley left in the off season, we kind

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Speaker 1: of felt that this was the year for Jared Golf

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Speaker 1: to take off, to ascend as one of these upper echelon,

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Speaker 1: top five quarterbacks in the NFL. And I think that

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Speaker 1: that's still in play for him. But right now, currently,

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Speaker 1: the way that your team is set up, you got

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Speaker 1: three terrific running backs, and I think you have to

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Speaker 1: utilize them a lot more. You've got two outstanding tight ends.

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Speaker 1: I think they can get more involved, and I think

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Speaker 1: a wide receiving core that if you just get the

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Speaker 1: ball in their hands, maybe not having to always take

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Speaker 1: the deep shots, but get the quick short throws and

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Speaker 1: allow them to take over. That's where I think Jared

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Speaker 1: is at his best. That's why his completion person was

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Speaker 1: at its best earlier in the season. But once you

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Speaker 1: start to get into those deep throws down the field

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Speaker 1: and teams have a beat on you, it's a little

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Speaker 1: bit difficult for Jared to get comfortable in that. Can

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Speaker 1: I add one more thing, jb let me, let me

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Speaker 1: let me get closer to the mic, recognize zero blitz.

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Speaker 1: They's that's a difficulty for a lot of quarterbacks. But

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Speaker 1: I get a DeMarco zero blitz, and I think, look,

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Speaker 1: this is a copycat league the NFL is And so

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Speaker 1: what Jared saw in Miami, trust me, he's going to

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Speaker 1: see against the Seattle Seahawks in that next game to

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Speaker 1: see if you were able to fix a problem of

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Speaker 1: two weeks earlier. Yeah, well, let's talk about the Seahawks,

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Speaker 1: because that's what's happening as we look ahead to the

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Speaker 1: second half of this season, five of the final eight

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Speaker 1: games are against the NFC West. So fun, right, Kurt.

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Speaker 1: How daunting a task will that be for this Rams?

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Speaker 1: What's gonna be difficult, right, because we know where Seattle is, right,

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Speaker 1: They've got the MVP of the NFL, and if he

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Speaker 1: doesn't get it this year, I think the NFL needs

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Speaker 1: to recount the votes. Right at a time in our country,

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Speaker 1: we're talking about voting. But I think I think Russell Wilson.

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Speaker 1: I think it's the best quarterback in the NFL. I

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Speaker 1: would take him over Patrick Mahomes, But for some reason,

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Speaker 1: that has always been a guy who Aaron Donald loves

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Speaker 1: to play against, and it seems that the Rams defense

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Speaker 1: before Brandon Staley would rise to the challenge. I'm looking

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Speaker 1: forward to those two games against Seattle. The same with Arizona.

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Speaker 1: I think now we're starting to see San Francisco is

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Speaker 1: just so depleted with injuries. I don't know if we're

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Speaker 1: going to see the same team that the Rams saw

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Speaker 1: at Levi's Stadium, but it will be a daunting task

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Speaker 1: because you still got to throw in the Buccaneers, who

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Speaker 1: maybe arguably one of the top teams in the NFC.

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Speaker 1: New England and what's going on with them and cam

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Speaker 1: So when you start to look at the schedule, the

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Speaker 1: one thing that the bright spot for me is that

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Speaker 1: they're five games at home and the Rams have three

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Speaker 1: losses on the season. All three of those losses were

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Speaker 1: on the road. So to me, maybe so far is

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Speaker 1: the elixir that you need in the second half, which

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Speaker 1: gives me credence that I think the second half be

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Speaker 1: a lot better for the Ram Yeah, DeMarco, we joke,

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Speaker 1: but they've been traveling East Coast a lot the first

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Speaker 1: half of the season, so now they get to hunker down.

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Speaker 1: But obviously hunkering down means more difficult teams to play against.

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Speaker 1: What do you kind of make of this two game

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Speaker 1: stretch because they've got Seattle and then Tampa Bay coming up.

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Speaker 1: You know, Seattle is always tough because it is Russell Wilson.

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Speaker 1: It's always Seattle. But like Kirk just said, the Rams

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Speaker 1: do play Seattle very well, and Aaron Donald seems to

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Speaker 1: have this thing for Russell Wilson. I don't know why,

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Speaker 1: but I love it. Every single time they get on

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Speaker 1: the same field, it's let's figure out who the best

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Speaker 1: player is today, and it's usually Aaron chasing Russell around.

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Speaker 1: But every now and then guy can make a play.

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Speaker 1: If Aaron does get blocked up, or if you can't

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Speaker 1: get to him, or if you do and he finds

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Speaker 1: a way to get out, he can always make a

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Speaker 1: play against you. He is absolutely the scariest quarterback I've

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Speaker 1: ever seen. He can make a play on you at

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Speaker 1: any second. So gotta be tough the next one. And

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Speaker 1: this is funny, arguably, and you guys can help me out.

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Speaker 1: I think that Tampa might be one of the best

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Speaker 1: teams in the league period. That defense, Tod Bowles has

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Speaker 1: them going Tom Tom Brady has finally ingratiated himself into

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Speaker 1: the offense and there seems to be some synergy there

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Speaker 1: and they can run the football. And this is what

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Speaker 1: I heard that really scared me. Leonard Fournett may actually

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Speaker 1: be the third down back. Yes, a guy like that

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Speaker 1: is your third down back. Oh my god, look out.

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Speaker 1: So this will be a tough game stretch top two

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Speaker 1: game stretch. Now you can either make your break. You

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Speaker 1: if you get through this these next two games at

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Speaker 1: two and oh, you're gonna be sky high. Confidence was

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Speaker 1: if you go oh in two or if you split

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Speaker 1: depending on how you lose, it could be tough on

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Speaker 1: you the rest of the way. But to me, this

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Speaker 1: could be the season these next two weeks. JB, I'm

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Speaker 1: curious actually for each of you, do we know what

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Speaker 1: the Rams? Like? I think twenty eighteen we knew what

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Speaker 1: the RAMS identity was, but going into this first eight

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Speaker 1: games of the season, and Jabe, I'll start with you

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Speaker 1: because I'm curious your answer as well, do we know

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Speaker 1: what the Rams identity is for the first eight games?

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Speaker 1: So I'll answer that in just a second, but I

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Speaker 1: want to address the gauntlet upcoming real quickly. I know

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Speaker 1: it was posed as a two game, you know, back

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Speaker 1: to back, which I think is makes total sense given

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Speaker 1: the record of those teams. But no part of me

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Speaker 1: is writing the forty nine ers off waiting on a

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Speaker 1: short back from Tampa and Monday Night football just because

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Speaker 1: George Kittle is on the shelf and Jimmy Garoppolo too, Like,

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Speaker 1: I think there's an argument to made that could actually

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Speaker 1: be the biggest game left on the second half schedule.

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Speaker 1: We'll see how it plays out. It's too early to

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Speaker 1: kind of make that proclamation, but it wouldn't surprise me

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Speaker 1: coming back from the Buccaneers. If I'm saying something like

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Speaker 1: that in terms of identity, I think this has become

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Speaker 1: an elite defense that is going to really clash with

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Speaker 1: some great offenses and quarterbacks in the second half that

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Speaker 1: might even give Brandon Staley an opportunity to be a

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Speaker 1: head coach come this winter. I think the offense is

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Speaker 1: still wrangling with who they want to be and what

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Speaker 1: their best option is to beat a lot of these

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Speaker 1: opposing defenses. And unfortunately it's a team that's deficient in

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Speaker 1: the kicking game right now that aside from their punter,

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Speaker 1: is in the bottom tier of the NFL in terms

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Speaker 1: of special teams, and it's really difficult for me to

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Speaker 1: see them getting to where they want to go if

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Speaker 1: that doesn't do a one eighty in the second half

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Speaker 1: the schedule or demark of any thoughts on just overall

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Speaker 1: of the Ram's identity, DeMarco, I know you're always asking like,

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Speaker 1: does this guy really know who he is? Yet you

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Speaker 1: always you know, I think, and sometimes teams can go

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Speaker 1: in with a certain opinion of themselves and then learn

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Speaker 1: that they're not. I'll give you, for instance, Brian Billick

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Speaker 1: when he first got to Baltimore was an offensive genius.

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Speaker 1: How did he win it with defense? So I think

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Speaker 1: this is just the way the team is playing for

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Speaker 1: right now. You're running the football, you're running it well,

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Speaker 1: and you're playing great defense, and you've got a great punter.

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Speaker 1: Any if you remove the coach and put in the

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Speaker 1: new one, he would say, well, look, let's run the

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Speaker 1: football and play a good defense with that and see

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Speaker 1: how we go. But steady improvement by the offense is necessary.

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Speaker 1: But I think the identity right now is field position.

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Speaker 1: You've got the best pass rusher in the league. It's

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Speaker 1: going to be tough to score on the rams. I

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Speaker 1: think that's what they are right now. Yeah, I think, yeah,

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Speaker 1: we're all in agreement on this one screen. I think

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Speaker 1: the identity of this team has to be defensively right

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Speaker 1: because of what they've shown us in the first half,

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Speaker 1: and now what can they improve on in their identity?

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Speaker 1: To me, they've got to be better than a special team,

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Speaker 1: especially like JB mentioned the kicking game. I've never been

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Speaker 1: around a team to where every time they line up

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Speaker 1: for a field goal, I literally hold my breath right

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Speaker 1: because you don't know what can happen in those types

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Speaker 1: of kicks or extra points can really shake away a

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Speaker 1: game is played right, you're chasing points for the entire game.

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Speaker 1: So for me, their identity has to rely not only

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Speaker 1: on their defense, but rely on this defensive line. With

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Speaker 1: Ashan Robinson some of those guys coming back, I think

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Speaker 1: this defensive front will be not only tested, but what

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Speaker 1: may end up being the strength of the second half

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Speaker 1: of this team for the second half of the season.

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Speaker 1: All right, Kirk just dropped a shan, So let's go

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Speaker 1: rapid fire and we'll shuffle things around, and we'll start

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Speaker 1: there with the defensive tackle who they held out despite

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Speaker 1: being available to play against the Miami Dolphins. What will

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Speaker 1: he add to an already stout defense. Do you think

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Speaker 1: to markoh size? Intensity? I mean, he was one of

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Speaker 1: the better defensive tackles in the league. When they actually

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Speaker 1: let him play free technique in Detroit, it's gonna be

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Speaker 1: a little bit different. That free technique is occupied by

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Speaker 1: the best in the business. But you know, depending on

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Speaker 1: where they put baron every now and then, you're gonna

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Speaker 1: get to rush to where you want to rush. So

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Speaker 1: this is a potential Pro Bowl type guy, So to

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Speaker 1: add him into the mix would be awesome, would be great. Um.

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Speaker 1: But like I said before, names and expectation, I've heard names,

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Speaker 1: the production wasn't there. I hope that when Ashean actually

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Speaker 1: gets in he plays like the A Sean like we're

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Speaker 1: used to see him, all right, so he's j beats

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Speaker 1: to that point, just listening to a Sean over the

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Speaker 1: past couple of weeks and watching him, I've never seen

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Speaker 1: a player smile more than what he's been like. I mean,

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Speaker 1: he's been a kid in a candy store working through things. Um.

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Speaker 1: I think, UM, the defense overall on that d line,

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Speaker 1: him going through drills, I would I didn't really expect

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Speaker 1: to see him into the mix against this week against

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Speaker 1: the Dolphins. I don't think he didn't. He looked like

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Speaker 1: he was still fine tuning things. But I think to

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Speaker 1: that point right, there was no preason preseason, he had

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Speaker 1: some respiratory issues, so you don't want to rush a

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Speaker 1: guy in there. But I think overall and what he

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Speaker 1: said in press conferences so far, I've been very supported

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Speaker 1: by my teammates. I'm really excited to get in there.

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Speaker 1: I follow him on Instagram. He's singing Motown all day

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Speaker 1: every day. He's in a great mood mentally, I think

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Speaker 1: he's ready to go. So I think it's a matter

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Speaker 1: of time and you're in a good mental space and

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Speaker 1: you feel supported by your teammates. That usually transcends and

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Speaker 1: like shows on the field about which rookie skill player

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Speaker 1: is gonna put rams fans in the best mood in

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Speaker 1: the second half of the season, Cam Akers or Van Jefferson. Oh,

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Speaker 1: I think that's the tough one rookie skill position player. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I would have to lean on probably God. I think

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Speaker 1: cam Akers is going to have a great second half

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Speaker 1: of the season. I really believe that, only because he's

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Speaker 1: not a rookie anymore. Right the first four games, five games,

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Speaker 1: you're halfway through the season, and I think I kind

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Speaker 1: of go back to my career and I felt like

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Speaker 1: I got to handle on not only how to study,

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Speaker 1: how the flow of the game is, preparation weekend and

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Speaker 1: week out, and what I need to do to prove

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Speaker 1: to my coaches that I'm the guy that deserves more

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Speaker 1: carries in this case for cam Akers. So I think

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Speaker 1: he's gonna have I think, a much better second half

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Speaker 1: of the season. And I think that that ribbed injury

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Speaker 1: really slowed him down. Really, I think hurt his confidence

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Speaker 1: as well, because he's not running the way as free

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Speaker 1: as I saw him at Florida State. On the other hand,

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Speaker 1: I think Van Jefferson will he will continue to just

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Speaker 1: buy for reps. But it's hard the way that Josh

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Speaker 1: Reynolds has been playing outside, I mean outside of his

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Speaker 1: mind really, and you think you're not gonna move Robert

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Speaker 1: Woods or Cooper Cup. So there's only three spots. And

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Speaker 1: let's not forget about Tyler Higbee, you know, coming back

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Speaker 1: off the hand injury. We really haven't seen that big

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Speaker 1: outbursts since Philadelphia. So there's only one football and I

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Speaker 1: think right now the guy who may have the impact

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Speaker 1: will be cam Makers, just because the identity of the

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Speaker 1: team in the second half will be running the football. Well,

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Speaker 1: you want more carries pick up the right right during

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Speaker 1: zero blitz, that would hell I'm just saying no, but uh,

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Speaker 1: I'm just saying that. And like Kirk said, you're gonna

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Speaker 1: see it until you stop it. So if you want

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Speaker 1: mark Carries, you've got to be letter perfect in that scenario.

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Speaker 1: I would love for cam Akers to put Malcolm Brown

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Speaker 1: on the bench. I would love it if you had

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Speaker 1: that sort of scenario. That is a Champagne problem. But

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Speaker 1: you've got to know what Malcolm knows. I know you've

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Speaker 1: got the ability, but it's not always about carries. But

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Speaker 1: I'll go with Van Jefferson. I think there's enough room

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Speaker 1: in this offense, especially at receiver, that he's gonna get

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Speaker 1: some looks. And you know, when this offense is homing,

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Speaker 1: it really doesn't matter which guy is catching the football.

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Speaker 1: It's all set up for you to have success in

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Speaker 1: the open field. So and he's got some deep ball ability.

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Speaker 1: So when you start talking about copycat league and zero

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Speaker 1: blitzes and you're gonna see it, well, how do you

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Speaker 1: get defenses out of it? Throw the ball deep down

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Speaker 1: the field or run through it. So I think your

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Speaker 1: best deep ball guy might be him. He's he's the

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Speaker 1: guy that's had success down the field. So maybe in

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Speaker 1: the next coming weeks we'll be talking more about Van

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Speaker 1: Jefferson On vertical routes. Well, we usually close out between

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Speaker 1: the horns with our weekly RAMS fantasy picks, but since

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Speaker 1: we're midway through the season, we figured we'd go around

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Speaker 1: the horn and kind of pick our first half MVPs

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Speaker 1: Um DeMarco. I'll start with you, hold on, hold on,

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Speaker 1: I have no idea quick point of order. This is

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Speaker 1: the non Aaron Donald division, right, how dare you DeMarco

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Speaker 1: the first pick? And well, of course he is, But

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Speaker 1: that helps me figure out who I was gonna pick.

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Speaker 1: Get him out the way, Kurt, you're at wild card

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Speaker 1: pick reveal my strategy. When I heard the question, I'm like,

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Speaker 1: I knew what it's going to be, like A d

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Speaker 1: and or Jalen Ramsey. So I said Aaron Ramsey j

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Speaker 1: Thacker was one person because look, I mean, if you're

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Speaker 1: talking about the MVPs, I mean, how can you not

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Speaker 1: talk about Aaron Donald, what he gives you, Zackie and

428
00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:09,840
Speaker 1: the quarterback getting taking the ball away, setting things up

429
00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:11,840
Speaker 1: for everyone else. But think about the big plays Jalen

430
00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,119
Speaker 1: Ramsey has made. It may not show up on the

431
00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,720
Speaker 1: stack column, but it dam sure shows up on game day.

432
00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:21,200
Speaker 1: So I can't pick between the two. So Jalen Donald

433
00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,440
Speaker 1: is my pick free MVP this year. Of the first half,

434
00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:31,159
Speaker 1: I've never thos to me. I think honestly, when you

435
00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:34,080
Speaker 1: think about MVP as a guy who's always on the field,

436
00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,800
Speaker 1: who's doing the right thing, and very seldom do we

437
00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:38,879
Speaker 1: call his name in a bad play. And I think

438
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,000
Speaker 1: this year, the first eight game so far, let's be honest,

439
00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:44,760
Speaker 1: a lot of thought into this RAMS defense was because

440
00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:46,639
Speaker 1: who's going to be the communicator, who was going to

441
00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:48,720
Speaker 1: be the guy with the green dot, who was not

442
00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,000
Speaker 1: going to come off the field, get guys lined up,

443
00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:55,120
Speaker 1: help out that inexperienced linebacking core. Who's gonna be able

444
00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,440
Speaker 1: to line everybody up in the front end. I gotta

445
00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,800
Speaker 1: go with John Johnson. I mean, he doesn't have the numbers,

446
00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,480
Speaker 1: he doesn't have the statistics, but when you think about

447
00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:04,440
Speaker 1: what he does play in and play out with his

448
00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,520
Speaker 1: RAMS defense and his RAMS team, I mean he arguably

449
00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:09,960
Speaker 1: to me, is the MVP. He doesn't get that, you know,

450
00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:11,600
Speaker 1: tap on the hell but and say, coach, I need

451
00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:13,520
Speaker 1: a couple of plays. He's wearing a green dot. He

452
00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:15,920
Speaker 1: is out there every single play. And I think we're

453
00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,560
Speaker 1: seeing his versatility as well, playing in the deep men

454
00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:20,879
Speaker 1: the deep path near the line of scrimmage. I think

455
00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:22,560
Speaker 1: we could see him blitzing a little bit more. I

456
00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:24,879
Speaker 1: think Coach Staley can add that to him. But to me,

457
00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:27,960
Speaker 1: he's been playing at an MVP level for this team

458
00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,320
Speaker 1: in terms of his role. I like where this is going.

459
00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,200
Speaker 1: J I don't. I don't like picking third in this draft,

460
00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,840
Speaker 1: but I'll try and give you an offensive and defensive

461
00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:40,800
Speaker 1: player of the year in my eyes at the midway point,

462
00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:45,160
Speaker 1: I think Andrew Whitworth is having another career season at

463
00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,600
Speaker 1: age thirty eight, and I think the offensive line is

464
00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:50,040
Speaker 1: the biggest overachieving group, so I need to give him

465
00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:53,200
Speaker 1: a lot of credit for that. On defense, you know,

466
00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:54,960
Speaker 1: I don't know where this Rams team would be without

467
00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,439
Speaker 1: Darius Williams and some of the plays he's made at

468
00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:00,720
Speaker 1: Philadelphia home against the Giants in particular. And while I

469
00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:03,440
Speaker 1: agree completely with demarc about what he's saying, you know,

470
00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:06,160
Speaker 1: Jalen Ramsey on defense, the way he's hitting, the way

471
00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,800
Speaker 1: he's taking options away, because he's such an intimidator, the

472
00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,760
Speaker 1: player opposite him, I think becomes almost the most important

473
00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,879
Speaker 1: piece on defense. And not only has Darius Holt that

474
00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,320
Speaker 1: held his own, He's thrived. And so I would go

475
00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,920
Speaker 1: with Andrew Whitworth and Darius Williams as my midway players

476
00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:25,200
Speaker 1: of the year. Yeah, and so touch on all your points.

477
00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:28,320
Speaker 1: I mean, DeMarco obviously, with Aaron Donald, you could pick

478
00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:31,280
Speaker 1: him MVP any year. He's like the Lebron James of

479
00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:34,879
Speaker 1: the NFL. Right, and in twenty eighteen he had twenty

480
00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,960
Speaker 1: and a half sacks in a freaking season. He is nine.

481
00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:41,440
Speaker 1: I mean, he's right on pace to break that easily.

482
00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:44,000
Speaker 1: He just has to get a couple or sacks per game.

483
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,240
Speaker 1: Not a big deal. But I know you guys all

484
00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:48,720
Speaker 1: touched on defense, so I'm gonna go with offense. I

485
00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:51,280
Speaker 1: just think, you know, as we talk about the Rams

486
00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:54,680
Speaker 1: identity moving forward, I think the past, the passing balance

487
00:22:54,720 --> 00:22:57,520
Speaker 1: of past rush has worked. I want to see more

488
00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:00,040
Speaker 1: of that. I think Darryl Henderson for the fact that

489
00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:02,879
Speaker 1: he came up, he started this season injured with a

490
00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:06,960
Speaker 1: hamstring injury, he didn't really play a lot last season

491
00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:09,280
Speaker 1: for him to kind of mentally get into a space

492
00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:12,480
Speaker 1: where he's like, I have opportunity here, and he's shown

493
00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:16,560
Speaker 1: what he has over a leader like Malcolm Brown. He's

494
00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:22,520
Speaker 1: got the most. He literally leads the rushing with three touchdowns.

495
00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,320
Speaker 1: He's four hundred and fifty eight yards. And my other

496
00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:27,159
Speaker 1: pick for this, and I know I'm cheating here, is

497
00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:30,119
Speaker 1: Robert Woods. And only because Kurt, you mentioned guys on

498
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,119
Speaker 1: the field that you never really hear mistakes. That's consistently

499
00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:37,280
Speaker 1: kind of going. And Robert Woods after Sam Sloman leads

500
00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,240
Speaker 1: the team with points. So if you're talking about keeping

501
00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:43,359
Speaker 1: these brands in games, well you gotta s get some points.

502
00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,720
Speaker 1: The defense can do what they can, and they haven't

503
00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:47,920
Speaker 1: scored any points for us this season, and I know

504
00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:50,560
Speaker 1: that they will to the second half of this season

505
00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,080
Speaker 1: with guys like who we have and who you guys

506
00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:54,920
Speaker 1: have all talked about. But I think, really when it

507
00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,320
Speaker 1: comes down to the Rams and MVP caliber, you think

508
00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:00,919
Speaker 1: about the offense and what's keeping his team alive at

509
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,680
Speaker 1: five and three records is the run and pass game.

510
00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:05,240
Speaker 1: And you got to give it to the two guys,

511
00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,760
Speaker 1: the two heroes on each of those parts, which is

512
00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,560
Speaker 1: Robert Woods and Darryl Henderson. Robert Woods even has two

513
00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,520
Speaker 1: rushing touchdowns. And when you talk about the running back

514
00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,080
Speaker 1: position and you think of just the overall offense and

515
00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,399
Speaker 1: utilizing whatever you can, Robert Woods and Darryl Henderson are

516
00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,600
Speaker 1: my two nd keys. Let's hope the conversations are just

517
00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:24,320
Speaker 1: as difficult at the end of the year in terms

518
00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:27,440
Speaker 1: of picking candidates, and and maybe that the Most Improved

519
00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,919
Speaker 1: Award is a really difficult toss up for all of us.

520
00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:33,200
Speaker 1: Because the Rams are heading into a difficult second half

521
00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:36,600
Speaker 1: after the BUYE Kirk, DeMarco, Serena. Great to see you

522
00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:40,040
Speaker 1: all enjoy an open weekend. Maybe watch a little bit

523
00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,720
Speaker 1: of football as opposed to working in it. Who knows fun?

524
00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,720
Speaker 1: It would be fun. Yeah, trust me, I've had some

525
00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:50,959
Speaker 1: wonders going on right now my fantasy team. So right

526
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,560
Speaker 1: now it's been a fantasy weekend. But would everybody either

527
00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,640
Speaker 1: hurt or on COVID man trust me, I'm a bad

528
00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:00,560
Speaker 1: general manager. Well I don't know it. For our bye

529
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,520
Speaker 1: week edition of Between the Horns for DeMarco, Kirk and

530
00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,479
Speaker 1: Serena and JB. Long, please do have a relaxing bye week.

531
00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:08,639
Speaker 1: We'll see you all again next Thursday morning as we

532
00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,400
Speaker 1: do every week, and we'll be preparing for Rams Seahawks

533
00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:12,800
Speaker 1: at SOFI Stadium and weekedn