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Speaker 1: What's up, everybody, and welcome to a very special edition

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Speaker 1: of The Falcon's Final Whistle podcast presented by as you

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Speaker 1: can see, Zaxby's. And we are doing this not directly

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Speaker 1: after a game and on an audio only podcast. We're

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Speaker 1: in video with three cameras and enough Zaxby's to feed

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Speaker 1: the entire digital department. Thank you so much to Zaxby's

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Speaker 1: for making a special delivery as we discuss the first

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Speaker 1: four games of the Atlanta Falcon season.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I haven't eaten lunch today, so this is really

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Speaker 2: coming in clutch for me personally, so hopefully let's let's

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Speaker 2: get into this so that I can eat something.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm just causey's the middle one. I'm just gonna

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Speaker 1: go okay and gorge.

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Speaker 3: Everybody else call.

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Speaker 4: Sse Yeah that's right.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, so let's get into the first four games

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Speaker 1: of the Falcon season so we can get back to eating.

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Speaker 1: And they're sitting at a two and two record at

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Speaker 1: this point. They beat the Carolina Panthers out of the

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Speaker 1: gate twenty four to ten. They had a huge comeback

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Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter beating the Green Bay Packers twenty

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Speaker 1: five to twenty four, lost to the Lions twenty to six,

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Speaker 1: and lost to the Jaguars on Sunday in London twenty

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Speaker 1: three to seven. Two really positive results at home, two

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Speaker 1: results that I'm sure the Falcons would like to have back,

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Speaker 1: both of them on the road, the first in Detroit

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Speaker 1: and the second one at Wembley Stadium. If you were

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Speaker 1: to say before the season, hey, they played three legitimate

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Speaker 1: playoff contenders and the Panthers, and they came out of

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Speaker 1: it two and twos. Yeah, and the Panthers, right, they're

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Speaker 1: in their own category.

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Speaker 2: Took a shot.

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Speaker 1: I did, okay back on track. If you would have

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Speaker 1: said that they were two and two after playing that

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Speaker 1: level of competition, you'd probably take that. As I wrote

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Speaker 1: in the column after the Jaguars game, I don't know

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Speaker 1: if that's so positive, because I feel like the Falcons

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Speaker 1: are better, maybe should have played better. Not saying that

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Speaker 1: they automatically would have beat Jacksonville or Detroit, but and

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Speaker 1: probably should have played better.

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Speaker 4: They haven't played their best football yet.

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Speaker 1: A bunch of Falcons have said that what are y'all's

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Speaker 1: impressions of the Falcons as we sit past what is

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Speaker 1: not really the quarter pole anymore, but through four games

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Speaker 1: at five hundred.

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Speaker 3: Do you want me to go? All right?

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Speaker 5: I think it's interesting that it's two I know at home,

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Speaker 5: and then zero to two on the road, because that

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Speaker 5: tracks with Desmond Ritters.

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Speaker 3: Record alone as a quarterback.

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Speaker 5: But when it comes to the Falcons as a whole,

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Speaker 5: it didn't look like the same team in week three

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Speaker 5: or four compared to one and two. You had the

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Speaker 5: fourth quarter comeback. That was everyone hoping the team was

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Speaker 5: going to look like that through all four quarters rather

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Speaker 5: than just at the end, and you could see resilience

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Speaker 5: there with their backs against the wall. They were able

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Speaker 5: to string together, as they keep saying, complimentary football, but

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Speaker 5: then it just wasn't there against the Lions or even

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Speaker 5: the Jaguars. So if they can get back to one

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Speaker 5: and two, at least that's a better start. They want

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Speaker 5: to be better than even one and two. But you

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Speaker 5: don't want to go downhill from here. You don't want

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Speaker 5: to go into a losing record. Like it needs to

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Speaker 5: either stay split even or get better. It's not gonna

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Speaker 5: stay split even because we're coming on an odd number.

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Speaker 5: But I don't it's a slippery slope.

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Speaker 1: I think. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: My thing is is that, like if I go back

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Speaker 2: to what I felt in training camp and kind of

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Speaker 2: in the weeks leading up to the start of the season,

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Speaker 2: and what I felt like this team was advertised as

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Speaker 2: I thought that this defense. Let's start with the defense.

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Speaker 2: This defense was advertised as an attacking and aggressive defense.

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Speaker 2: I feel like we have seen that through four games

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Speaker 2: from this defense. I've actually been very pleased with what

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Speaker 2: I've seen from this defense. They have been able to

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Speaker 2: keep Falcons in games and in I think within striking distance.

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Speaker 2: Within those first two games. Do they have moments where yeah,

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Speaker 2: they give up an explosive or they let a quarterback

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Speaker 2: leak out.

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Speaker 3: Absolutely, but when.

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Speaker 2: Push comes to shove and in the moments that I

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Speaker 2: feel like this defense has consistently shown up in these

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Speaker 2: first four games. So in terms of the advertising, this

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Speaker 2: defense is advertised. In my opinion, so far, this offense

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Speaker 2: is not. And for me, when I was kind of

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Speaker 2: looking at this offense going into this season, I remember,

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Speaker 2: and this is something that I wrote about in the postgame,

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Speaker 2: and it's this whole when we were on our way

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Speaker 2: back from London. It's this idea that this Falcons offense

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Speaker 2: was supposed to be fun and entertaining and explosive and

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Speaker 2: the issues that we've seen over the first four games

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Speaker 2: are issues that I do agree with you that there

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Speaker 2: is kind of this whole idea of the first two

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Speaker 2: games have looked differently than the last two games. But

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Speaker 2: in my opinion, if we're just looking at this offense,

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Speaker 2: the issues that this offense has had, they've had from

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Speaker 2: week one. They have protection issues, there are some issues

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Speaker 2: with I think sometimes doesn decision making. This offense is

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Speaker 2: not producing explosive plays all that much, and they're not

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Speaker 2: getting they're not scoring touchdowns, and I think for me

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Speaker 2: that's what's been disappointing is because you go into training

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Speaker 2: camp and you see all of these weapons the Falcons have.

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Speaker 2: Their last three first round picks have been offensive weapons

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Speaker 2: that are kind of these very dynamic and exciting players.

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Speaker 2: I mean, we can talk about John Robinson and what

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Speaker 2: he's done through his first four games all day long,

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Speaker 2: but I need more from this offense than to only

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Speaker 2: score one touchdown in the last two games. That's tough

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Speaker 2: they have. I know we're going to get into the

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Speaker 2: issues with them starting early and starting fast, but these

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Speaker 2: are all issues that I feel like are a complete

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Speaker 2: disconnect from what I thought this offense was going to

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Speaker 2: be going into the first of the season, and I

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Speaker 2: think that's that's kind of true to what we've heard players.

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Speaker 3: Say as well.

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Speaker 2: I mean, Drake London said after the loss in London

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Speaker 2: against Jackson Bill it's like, what is he was asked

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Speaker 2: the question, I think along the lines of what's holding

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Speaker 2: this offense back? And he said maybe ourselves, Maybe we

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Speaker 2: need to look in the mirror and figure things out.

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Speaker 2: And I think that's exactly what needs to happen as

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Speaker 2: we're looking forward into the next you know, four or

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Speaker 2: five games of a stant.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think we're gonna go over what the

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Speaker 1: Falcons have done well and maybe some pain points and

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Speaker 1: in terms of things that they can do better, and

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Speaker 1: we're obviously gonna evaluate quarterback Desmond Ritter. But before we

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Speaker 1: get there, let's address a pretty awesome deal that Zaxby's

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Speaker 1: has going that fans have been able to take advantage

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Speaker 1: of twice already at home games. If the Falcons defense

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Speaker 1: sacks the opposing quarterback at home, you can go to

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Speaker 1: any Atlanta area Zaxby's for a buy one, get one

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Speaker 1: big zax snack meal the day after the game. And

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Speaker 1: if so, if you go to the or just watch

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Speaker 1: the Falcons game against Houston at home on Sunday. If

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Speaker 1: they get a sack, use the code Atl Sack twenty

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Speaker 1: three on Monday to get your Bogo deal, which.

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Speaker 4: Sounds like a good thing.

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Speaker 1: So let's kind of stay on this defensive theme in

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Speaker 1: terms of what has gone well. They haven't generated a

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Speaker 1: ton of sacks necessarily to this point, but I think

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Speaker 1: Tory's point is great. When it matters most, this defense

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Speaker 1: generally stands up. You look at that Jacksonville game after

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Speaker 1: desmon Rader's second interception, that that game could have completely

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Speaker 1: come unglued. The Jaguars have the ball in the red zone.

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Speaker 1: Not only do they get a stop on third down,

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Speaker 1: but Grady Jarrett and David Onyamata get a stop on

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Speaker 1: fourth down, so there's no points and we and we

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Speaker 1: saw that time and again against Green Bay, right and.

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Speaker 2: I think even in Detroit, that third quarter.

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Speaker 1: Kept them in the game. And I think that when

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Speaker 1: you look at it, I mean, I'm gonna bring up

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Speaker 1: Jesse Bates obviously because he's been involved in four takeaways

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Speaker 1: to this point and forced another fumble.

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Speaker 4: I think yes, and.

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Speaker 1: He's been as advertised, David Anyamata has been awesome like

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Speaker 1: in the middle, but dupre we saw come on a

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Speaker 1: little bit against Jacksonville, and I think that they need

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Speaker 1: more of that off the edge.

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Speaker 4: But overall, you're right, they've.

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Speaker 1: They've given up a couple of explosives that they would

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Speaker 1: like to have back.

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Speaker 4: But I think.

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Speaker 1: Overall this defense has been steady. And Charles, I bring

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Speaker 1: this up all the time. Charles Woodson once told me

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Speaker 1: that if a defense gives up less than twenty four points,

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Speaker 1: you should win that football game. They've done their job,

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Speaker 1: and the Falcons, by that metric, have done their job

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Speaker 1: every single game to this point. And I think that

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Speaker 1: a continuation of them playing in sync understanding what they're doing,

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Speaker 1: I think can only make this defense better as we

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Speaker 1: move forward.

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Speaker 5: Their stamina is there too, because as we already mentioned,

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Speaker 5: the offensive woes they're getting on and off the field,

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Speaker 5: and the defense is spending more time on the field.

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Speaker 5: That like, the fact that they're able to withstand that

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Speaker 5: level of play that often is good news for them

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Speaker 5: moving forward. It's just I mean, it's idea. Obviously, they

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Speaker 5: don't want to be on the field all the time,

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Speaker 5: but they're getting.

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Speaker 3: The job done when they're out there.

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Speaker 2: I think too, is that like this actually isn't this

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Speaker 2: whole idea of keeping opponents, you know, what you consider

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Speaker 2: to be low scoring in the NFL. This is actually

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Speaker 2: even a carryover from last season. If you think about

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Speaker 2: the last i want to say, like eight games, there

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Speaker 2: were very few times, if hardly any at all, that

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Speaker 2: there were more than twenty one twenty let's say, twenty

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Speaker 2: five points scored against this defense. And that's with a

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Speaker 2: completely different look defense, a completely different coordinator. The fact

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Speaker 2: that that has carried over into twenty twenty three, with

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Speaker 2: new pieces and everything, that to me just speaks to

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Speaker 2: like a culture that has been built in Atlanta around

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Speaker 2: the defense. And that's something that I don't know, like,

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Speaker 2: I think it's really cool to see and something that

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Speaker 2: we haven't talked about in Atlanta for a long time

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Speaker 2: is how consistent this defense has been.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, and that's a positive.

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Speaker 1: And I think that they can still improve in terms

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Speaker 1: of those game changing plays, ins of getting sacks and

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Speaker 1: creating more takeaways, but the steadiness has been impressive. I

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Speaker 1: think Jeff Okudah, in his first extensive playing time against Jacksonville,

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Speaker 1: looked like the athlete that the Falcons hoped that he

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Speaker 1: would be somehow. Nate Landman has stepped in when Troy

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Speaker 1: Anderson got hurt early, and I think overall this group

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Speaker 1: looks good and I'm sure that they would even say

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Speaker 1: can do even better.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, there's more out on the table for this defense.

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Speaker 2: I know we're kind of being like, oh, they're so

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Speaker 2: SETI and they're so consistent, But there is a lot

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Speaker 2: still left for this group to do. You want more takeaways,

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Speaker 2: You want to limit those explosives. I think, you know,

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Speaker 2: going back to even the Green Bay game, those key

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Speaker 2: penalties and pass interference calls, like, you want to limit those.

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Speaker 2: I think that there is a lot left for this

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Speaker 2: defense to do and aspire to be.

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Speaker 3: But so far they've.

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Speaker 2: Done enough, in my opinion, to set up the offense

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Speaker 2: in really good, consistent ways, and the offense hasn't answered.

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Speaker 5: The defense is so new, too, right, We're talking so

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Speaker 5: highly about them, and this is a unit that has

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Speaker 5: a bunch of new pieces, a new defensive coordinator. To

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Speaker 5: the fact that they've been able to put it together

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Speaker 5: so quickly is impressive in and of itself. Yeah, because

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Speaker 5: you're saying the thing that carried over from last season

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Speaker 5: is that low scoring of opponents. That's the only thing

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Speaker 5: that basically carried over here because it's a different look defense, right.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. And the thing if you go over the last

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Speaker 1: two games, which were both losses, and you talk about

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Speaker 1: this new scheme and coming together, two of the touchdowns

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Speaker 1: that have been allowed by this defense were an explosive

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Speaker 1: to Sam Laporta in Detroit. That look like a busted

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Speaker 1: coverage or a miscommunication. I think the same thing can

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Speaker 1: be said of Calvin Ridley's touchdown in Jacksonville. AJ's never

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Speaker 1: that far from somebody unless there's a miscommunication about help.

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Speaker 1: So those things I think are fixable. That we're not

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Speaker 1: talking about talent issues. AJ got torched.

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Speaker 3: That's not what we're saying.

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Speaker 4: That's not what's happening here.

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Speaker 1: And I think that that's another sign of optimism because

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Speaker 1: to point they're going to figure those things out now.

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Speaker 1: Another positive is obviously Jon Robinson. There was a great

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Speaker 1: quote from Arthur Smith and Monday's virtual press conference where

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Speaker 1: he said that he that he plays and looks like

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Speaker 1: Alan Iverson sometimes and our amazing A Digital team kind

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Speaker 1: of did like a merger, sort of a thing of

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Speaker 1: AI crossover, and then Robinson embarrassing a Jaguars linebacker, and

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Speaker 1: he has that type of ability.

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Speaker 4: He's so fun to watch, you know.

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Speaker 1: Fifty three carries three hundred and eighteen yards, he's gone

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Speaker 1: over one hundred twice, nineteen receptions for one hundred and

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Speaker 1: thirty four.

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Speaker 4: The guy's been really good.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, he's just breaking records or like notching himself in

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Speaker 5: the history book for the Falcons already four games in,

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Speaker 5: because I know if Falcons take off each week, it's like, oh,

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Speaker 5: all right, what can be my stellar stat number one?

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Speaker 5: And it's literally because he is performing on the field

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Speaker 5: and he's basically doing exactly what the Falcons expected to

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Speaker 5: do when they draft him in the first round. He's

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Speaker 5: getting they're getting his their money's worth out of him, right,

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Speaker 5: so many words there, No, but.

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Speaker 2: You're so right, and I think like it's it's really

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Speaker 2: cool too, just from a personal standpoint of getting to

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Speaker 2: meet Bajon Robinson. And I think we can all we've

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Speaker 2: all had conversations with Bajon. This is a very genuine

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Speaker 2: human being and someone who I actually like very much,

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Speaker 2: like being around. And I think that goes to something

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Speaker 2: that we've heard offensive linemen say where they're like, he's

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Speaker 2: slowly but not even slowly quickly, He's quickly becoming someone

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Speaker 2: that we can trust and we like blocking for him

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Speaker 2: and we like being around him. And I actually remember

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Speaker 2: a couple of weeks ago I was talking I think

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Speaker 2: it was after the Green Bay game. I was talking

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Speaker 2: to Duane Leadford, who's the Falcons offensive line coach, and

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Speaker 2: I brought that up and I asked him, I was like,

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Speaker 2: you know, what is it about Bajond that you know

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Speaker 2: allows this offensive line and probably the offense as a

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Speaker 2: whole to feel like they can trust him and feel

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Speaker 2: good about blocking for him. He's like, because he makes

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Speaker 2: things happen when they're not supposed to happen. He creates

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Speaker 2: things that aren't there, he creates opportunities that just aren't there.

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Speaker 2: And so if you are alignment blocking for him, if

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Speaker 2: you're out wide as a receiver blocking for him, you

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Speaker 2: kind of feel really good that, even if you're not

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Speaker 2: one hundred percent doing your job, like, he's going to

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Speaker 2: make something happen. And we've seen it time and time again,

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Speaker 2: and I think it goes to your point too. The

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Speaker 2: Falcons drafted by Jean Robinson with the number eight overall

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Speaker 2: pick in this year's draft and he's exactly what they drafted.

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Speaker 2: He's exactly Every conversation that I feel like we had

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Speaker 2: with scouts during the draft process was like, when you

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Speaker 2: see him in person, he feels different. He feels like

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Speaker 2: the best player on the field every time he stepped

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Speaker 2: on the field for Texas. We're four games in and

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Speaker 2: it feels that way for the Falcons too.

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Speaker 5: One thing that his teammates say, because you mentioned how

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Speaker 5: they're saying he's quickly becoming a huge part of the offense.

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Speaker 5: The part that stands out to me most is whenever

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Speaker 5: they say he's someone you want to root for, right,

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Speaker 5: that goes with what he's able to do his personality combined. Yeah,

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Speaker 5: it's not just oh, he's an impressive player, It's like

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Speaker 5: he's an impressive person like that is a genuine dude

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Speaker 5: in the locker room.

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Speaker 1: Ye. And I think it's somebody that you want as

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Speaker 1: a public face of your franchise too. And I think

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Speaker 1: that when you make a heavy investment at number eight overall,

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Speaker 1: this is the type of return, This is the type

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Speaker 1: of character that you want. And I think that and

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Speaker 1: he has this on some running backs who are elusive

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Speaker 1: still get hit like flush right like some running backs

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Speaker 1: take a pounding. I wouldn't necessarily say that Bajon gets

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Speaker 1: hit like that, and I think over a longer haul,

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Speaker 1: that's gonna help him. I'm not saying that he doesn't

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Speaker 1: take hits every time he touches the ball, but I'm

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Speaker 1: saying that they are glancing blows sometimes. So he's been

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Speaker 1: really good and then, but you don't get to two

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Speaker 1: and two by just being good at everything.

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Speaker 4: There are pain points.

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Speaker 1: We've already kind of talked about some of them, but

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Speaker 1: let's take a deeper dive into Let's do slow starts first,

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Speaker 1: so then we can talk about the passing in and

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Speaker 1: Desien Ritter alike together. So we can introduce a new segment,

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Speaker 1: Falcons Final Whistle. It's a working title, but we can

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Speaker 1: at least temporarily call it Talking Nerdy with Terran and

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Speaker 1: so a joke. Well, now it's out there on the

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Speaker 1: record now it's but yeah, so Terran is our resident statistician. Yes,

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Speaker 1: and please read Falcons Takeoff and are the Wednesday Dailies

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Speaker 1: to dive into the numbers. And in addition, in podcast form,

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Speaker 1: we're going to get into what has been an issue

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Speaker 1: in Wednesday and losses. The Falcons have not started fast

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Speaker 1: in any of these four games, and it's put them

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Speaker 1: in a bind. They've been able to overcome it sometimes

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Speaker 1: and sometimes not.

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Speaker 5: Well, we'll start just listing off their first drives offensively.

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Speaker 5: Week one, against Carolina they had three plays of negative

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Speaker 5: six yards and punted it away. Against Green Bay, they

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Speaker 5: had three plays for sixteen yards. It ended in an interception.

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Speaker 5: That was their first down that they picked up. Week three,

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Speaker 5: three plays, eight yards punted, Week four, three plays, nine

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Speaker 5: yards punted.

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Speaker 3: So they're not getting going at all. And it's like.

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Speaker 5: The first three they passed on their first down. It

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Speaker 5: wasn't until this past weekend where they ran the ball

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Speaker 5: for the first time. I don't know if that's a

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Speaker 5: trend or whatever, but decisions there are being made. And

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Speaker 5: it's like even when you go bigger picture with the

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Speaker 5: first quarter versus the overall game. I mean, last week

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Speaker 5: they had five night yards in the first quarter. They

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Speaker 5: finished with two hundred eighty seven. That means they were

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Speaker 5: averaging around ninety four offensive yards per quarter.

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Speaker 3: And the third, fourth, and second I went out of

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Speaker 3: order with the numbers.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, outside the first.

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Speaker 5: But outside the first, yeah, And it's just like, you

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Speaker 5: can't do that, and when you like, the opponents weren't

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Speaker 5: doing all that much better. No one has scored against

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Speaker 5: the Falcons on their first offensive drive. But again, none

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Speaker 5: of them are undefeated either. So when you look at

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Speaker 5: the two games.

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Speaker 2: For those just listening, she just flipped her entire page.

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Speaker 5: Ever, when you look at the two defeated teams in

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Speaker 5: the NFL right now, the Eagles and the forty nine Ers,

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Speaker 5: Eagles first drive Week one.

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Speaker 3: Field goal week two, field goal Week three.

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Speaker 5: Turned over on downs, but they picked up a lot

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Speaker 5: of yards, so it's not like it was three and

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Speaker 5: out a dune. Week four touchdown, the forty nine Ers

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Speaker 5: week one, touchdown, week two, touchdown, week three, field goal,

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Speaker 5: week four touchdown. Yep, there's a reason these teams are

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Speaker 5: undefeated because once you get the ball going and get

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Speaker 5: the game rolling, it's harder to stop than it is

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Speaker 5: to start.

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Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, something that's really interesting too. It's funny because

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Speaker 2: I think Taran and I we also live together with

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Speaker 2: roommates and we work together. We see each other a lot,

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Speaker 2: and I feel like what Tarn does is so cool

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Speaker 2: in terms of how she sees stats and how she

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Speaker 2: can break them down. And look at them, I feel

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Speaker 2: like I'm the opposite. I focus a lot on the

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Speaker 2: words that are being used. And I say this because

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Speaker 2: I think that we actually can work off of each

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Speaker 2: other in this extent, because something that Arthur Smith said

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Speaker 2: after Detroit was that the Falcons didn't have a punch.

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Speaker 2: That was the word he used. He was like, you know,

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Speaker 2: against Screen Bay and against Carolina, we had a CounterPunch.

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Speaker 2: There was no CounterPunch in Detroit. Well there was also

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Speaker 2: no CounterPunch in London against the Jags. But he didn't

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Speaker 2: use the word CounterPunch. He used jumpstart. That's the word

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Speaker 2: he in his last two press conference He's probably used

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Speaker 2: fifteen times. Yeah, the word jump start. Jumper cables, right,

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Speaker 2: And I think, like to your point about it's not

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Speaker 2: necessarily like that they needed a counter punch. They've gotten

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Speaker 2: to the point now where they need to jump start

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Speaker 2: the offense quickly in their very first drive. And that's

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Speaker 2: something that like to me is like, that's what's standing

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Speaker 2: in the way of this offense being what it knows

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Speaker 2: it can be and what it wants to be, is

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Speaker 2: the ability to get to get this thing going in

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Speaker 2: the first quarter. I mean, the stats speak for themselves.

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Speaker 2: The first quarter has been a pain point for this

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Speaker 2: offense and against good teams, like the line not saying

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Speaker 2: that Green Bay and Carolina aren't good teams, but again

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Speaker 2: I did about Carolina, right, yeah, But against the Lions

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Speaker 2: and Jaguars, you couldn't you couldn't ever get to the

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Speaker 2: point where you could you felt like you could right

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Speaker 2: the ship, because they just kind of took the game

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Speaker 2: away from you. And I think like that that's the

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Speaker 2: difference between the first two games and the second two

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Speaker 2: games of this four game stint that we're talking about,

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Speaker 2: is that like they were able to overcome the issues

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Speaker 2: that they had in the starts against Carolina and Green Bay,

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Speaker 2: but they weren't against the Lions and the Jaguars. And

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Speaker 2: so I think for me, it's like, these are issues

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Speaker 2: that have been issues for four games. How do you

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Speaker 2: fix that when something has been an issue every single game?

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Speaker 2: That's that's the challenge that this coaching staff, the challenge

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Speaker 2: that this offense has in front of them as they're

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Speaker 2: about to get into games against the Texans, and who's

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Speaker 2: after the Texans command the Commanders, So you have opportunities

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Speaker 2: ahead if you you got to ride the ship because

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Speaker 2: if you don't do it now, it's going to be

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Speaker 2: really tough in the weeks ahead.

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Speaker 5: Well, difference between the first two games and the second

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Speaker 5: two games, going back to the notebook real quick, was

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Speaker 5: they didn't weren't behind after the first quarter right against

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Speaker 5: Carolina was zero zero entering the second Against the Packers,

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Speaker 5: it was three to zero for the Falcons. But then

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Speaker 5: in week four and week three they were down heading

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Speaker 5: into the second quarter Already. When you look at the

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Speaker 5: undefeated teams again, they're up and every single game come

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Speaker 5: the second quarter.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, Like it's.

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Speaker 4: Just yeah, I think it that.

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Speaker 1: I think what it comes down to is these elite

438
00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:41,800
Speaker 1: teams that we're talking about, the forty nine Ers and

439
00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:46,200
Speaker 1: Eagles belong in that category. They are applying pressure early.

440
00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:50,760
Speaker 1: The Falcons are absorbing pressure, some of it from the

441
00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:54,639
Speaker 1: opponent and some of it from themselves. A common question

442
00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:58,840
Speaker 1: in the locker room in London was, and even to

443
00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:02,000
Speaker 1: Arthur Smith and his press come conferences, are they pressing early?

444
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:02,400
Speaker 4: Right?

445
00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,320
Speaker 1: That the longer this continues, the more it becomes both

446
00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,840
Speaker 1: an execution and a mental thing, right, And they insist

447
00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:10,960
Speaker 1: that they're not. But it's one of those things where

448
00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:15,639
Speaker 1: you need confidence to be gleaned from a positive start,

449
00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:17,879
Speaker 1: and I think that if you jump up, then you

450
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,360
Speaker 1: feel like okay, because we saw when the Falcons were

451
00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,399
Speaker 1: up and I know this is Carolina again, but when

452
00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:26,240
Speaker 1: the Falcons were up to scores, that pass rush came

453
00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,840
Speaker 1: alive because they they had opportunities. So let's give the

454
00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:33,120
Speaker 1: defense an opportunity to do what it does best. And

455
00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,879
Speaker 1: when you're in a negative game script, guess what isn't

456
00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,800
Speaker 1: as effective in your run game?

457
00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:40,120
Speaker 4: Yeah.

458
00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:42,280
Speaker 2: One other thing is that to your point about them

459
00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:44,119
Speaker 2: working from behind the last two games, it's like, you're

460
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,640
Speaker 2: an obvious passing down situations in these last two games

461
00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:51,760
Speaker 2: against all of the names do the Jacksonville Jaguars in

462
00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,080
Speaker 2: the Detroit lines, you're an obvious passing down situations.

463
00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:55,439
Speaker 3: Everybody's like, why are they're running ball?

464
00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,159
Speaker 2: Ron? They're running ball because they don't have time. You

465
00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,400
Speaker 2: can't believe the clock. Like what they did again against

466
00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,679
Speaker 2: Carolina in running the ball and running the ball. So

467
00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:06,920
Speaker 2: it's you're getting away from the bread and butter and

468
00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:12,240
Speaker 2: the foundation of what this offense has notoriously done well,

469
00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:14,080
Speaker 2: which is put the ball on the ground and run it.

470
00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:16,720
Speaker 4: So that that brings us to the to the other

471
00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:17,200
Speaker 4: pain point.

472
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:21,040
Speaker 1: We can just lump in passing game efficiency and Desmond

473
00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:24,639
Speaker 1: Ridder's performance through four games. Yeah, Desmond Ridder will be

474
00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:26,200
Speaker 1: the starting quarterback in Week five.

475
00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:26,600
Speaker 5: Yes.

476
00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:30,280
Speaker 1: I don't think there was ever a huge doubt about that. Yeah,

477
00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:33,800
Speaker 1: I mean Arthur Smith was definitely asked about it. So

478
00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,359
Speaker 1: how do we evaluate the passing game to this point?

479
00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:40,359
Speaker 1: It hasn't been as good as it needs to be.

480
00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:42,720
Speaker 1: At some points, the passing is gonna have to go

481
00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:44,480
Speaker 1: win you a ball game, and it really hasn't done

482
00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:45,040
Speaker 1: that yet.

483
00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,320
Speaker 2: You have there are a few kinks I think in

484
00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:49,560
Speaker 2: the armor of the passing game.

485
00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:50,440
Speaker 4: I think that's a good word.

486
00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think that when I look at this

487
00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:55,840
Speaker 2: passing game, I can't just put it on Desmond Ridder.

488
00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:58,280
Speaker 2: I can't just put it on the offensive line protecting.

489
00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:00,639
Speaker 2: I can't just put it on the route being run

490
00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:04,040
Speaker 2: or anything like that. It's collectively this this passing game

491
00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:08,520
Speaker 2: collectively needs to be better. And I go back to

492
00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:11,639
Speaker 2: the Detroit game where everybody's talking about the seven sacks,

493
00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:14,520
Speaker 2: seven sacks, seven sacks, and it's like, Okay, it was

494
00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,200
Speaker 2: a lot. We well, the point that I was gonna

495
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,879
Speaker 2: make was that like everybody's talking about the protection and

496
00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:21,960
Speaker 2: even Arthur Smith feels like, you know, there was probably one,

497
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,159
Speaker 2: maybe two times that Desmond Ritter held the ball for

498
00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:26,320
Speaker 2: too long, but like we got to be better in

499
00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:32,560
Speaker 2: pass protecting situations. Well, then in London it's like Desmond

500
00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:35,359
Speaker 2: was sacked four times and there are probably some issues

501
00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:37,879
Speaker 2: that it probably was more so on his his part

502
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,399
Speaker 2: or the space. And we go back even to the

503
00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:43,040
Speaker 2: very very first week of the season against Carolina where

504
00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:45,800
Speaker 2: Arthur Smith's talking about like spacing and timing issues in

505
00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,720
Speaker 2: the routes. It's not just like a one problem. You

506
00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,040
Speaker 2: bring in Taylor Heinike and for the fans calling for

507
00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:54,400
Speaker 2: Taylor Heineke to come in for Desmond Ridder at quarterback,

508
00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:57,679
Speaker 2: it's like, I don't think you make that switch and

509
00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:00,760
Speaker 2: it automatically fixes the entire passing game in the offense

510
00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:03,280
Speaker 2: is just firing on all cylinders. That's not at all

511
00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:06,320
Speaker 2: what I think would happen because the issues are at

512
00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:11,040
Speaker 2: every single level. And I believe that from conversations that

513
00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,840
Speaker 2: we've had with coaches, conversations that we've had with players,

514
00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:15,640
Speaker 2: that's how they feel too.

515
00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:18,960
Speaker 5: You saw glimpses of the offense getting into a rhythm

516
00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:20,840
Speaker 5: in those first two games, and I feel like those

517
00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,120
Speaker 5: glimpses are gone, and that's where the sack count has

518
00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,359
Speaker 5: gone up and the score has gone down.

519
00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:32,160
Speaker 3: It's just like production down. Something else up right, something

520
00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:32,959
Speaker 3: negative up right.

521
00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:36,919
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's just you kept talking about the rhythm in

522
00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:38,800
Speaker 5: the first game, the rhythm in the second game. It's like,

523
00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:40,359
Speaker 5: we got it in the fourth quarter. And it's like,

524
00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:41,760
Speaker 5: that's why they were able to come back.

525
00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:43,360
Speaker 3: Yeah, but that's not there.

526
00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,280
Speaker 5: Maybe they got too comfortable thinking they could come back.

527
00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:47,800
Speaker 5: It's like, oh, when our backs against the wall, we

528
00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:50,760
Speaker 5: start firing on all cylinders and we're good. Well, what

529
00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:54,200
Speaker 5: if your back doesn't reach the wall. What if you're

530
00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:56,320
Speaker 5: already too far behind, you're in a different room.

531
00:25:56,720 --> 00:26:01,280
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, And ultimately that's what has happened over the

532
00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:03,960
Speaker 1: last couple of games. And I think Tory's point is

533
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:09,040
Speaker 1: a great one. It's not simply exchanging one player for another.

534
00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:11,640
Speaker 1: And it's funny because a lot of people are saying, well,

535
00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,560
Speaker 1: Desmond ad is putting the ball in in harm's way

536
00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:18,200
Speaker 1: too often, right, and it's leading to turnovers. Well, it's

537
00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,760
Speaker 1: just recently too though, Yeah, and you're right over the

538
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,280
Speaker 1: last couple of games, well, that's I mean, Taylor Heineke

539
00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:25,960
Speaker 1: puts the ball in Harm's way a lot as well,

540
00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:28,240
Speaker 1: because he's going for it. He's trying to put the

541
00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:31,000
Speaker 1: like the like pressure on and I think it I

542
00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,480
Speaker 1: don't think it's doom and gloom because, as we mentioned

543
00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,520
Speaker 1: with the defense, this is not a talent problem. It's

544
00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:39,640
Speaker 1: not like you look at the depth chart and you're like, well,

545
00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,479
Speaker 1: the Falcons aren't going to be able to put this together.

546
00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:44,920
Speaker 2: This is and that's the reason why I feel differently

547
00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:46,800
Speaker 2: at two and two at this point in the season

548
00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:48,560
Speaker 2: this year than I did at two and two at

549
00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:50,679
Speaker 2: this point in the season last year. Right, I feel

550
00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,600
Speaker 2: very different about where the Falcons are because of the

551
00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:55,679
Speaker 2: level of talent that I do feel like they have.

552
00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:57,879
Speaker 2: They had money, they pumped money into it. They have

553
00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,280
Speaker 2: draft capital they pumped draft capital into I mean, I

554
00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:04,960
Speaker 2: truly feel very different about the construction of this team.

555
00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I think because of that when you look

556
00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:11,440
Speaker 1: at the offensive line, there there are talented athletes up there.

557
00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:13,359
Speaker 4: We've talked about these skilled players.

558
00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,879
Speaker 1: Let's not forget right that Kyle Pitts to our ligament

559
00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,800
Speaker 1: in his knee last November. Okay, those things take time

560
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:24,080
Speaker 1: to recover explosiveness and burst, and you've got Drake London

561
00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,639
Speaker 1: with two touchdowns. The weapons are here, and I think,

562
00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,080
Speaker 1: to piggyback off of what you were saying, is that

563
00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:33,920
Speaker 1: because the talent is here, I think the scheme's pretty good.

564
00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:37,719
Speaker 1: So it's just a matter of getting everything linked up,

565
00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:42,120
Speaker 1: so all the wires are sending electricity in the right direction.

566
00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:45,200
Speaker 3: For the jump star, for the jump start.

567
00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:47,359
Speaker 4: I didn't mean for that to tie together, but it

568
00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:47,880
Speaker 4: sort of did.

569
00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:50,800
Speaker 3: It's my car back. I don't know anything about cars.

570
00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:54,040
Speaker 1: So now we're heading towards And it's funny because the

571
00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,040
Speaker 1: first sentence of my column from Sunday is that the

572
00:27:56,040 --> 00:28:01,359
Speaker 1: Falcons just wrapped up their most difficult slash competitive stretch

573
00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:03,680
Speaker 1: right that they had Green Bay, which is pretty good,

574
00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:06,600
Speaker 1: Detroit and Jacksonville, I believe are very good.

575
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:08,040
Speaker 3: Again letting Carolina slide.

576
00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:10,399
Speaker 4: Yeah, well I.

577
00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:13,879
Speaker 1: Went four is oning four. But it's funny because another

578
00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,080
Speaker 1: one of these, well before the season, when when you

579
00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:19,199
Speaker 1: face Houston, Washington, Tampa and Tennessee, you look at that

580
00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:21,520
Speaker 1: and you're like, well, that should be a walk in

581
00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:22,879
Speaker 1: the park. And maybe four oh and then all of

582
00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,160
Speaker 1: a sudden, c J. Stroud looks like an ace pitcher.

583
00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:25,800
Speaker 3: That's the thing is.

584
00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,160
Speaker 4: Sam Howell makes incredible throws, Baker.

585
00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:31,359
Speaker 1: Mayfield is in a career renaissance, and now Dereck Henry's

586
00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:32,399
Speaker 1: throwing touchdown passes.

587
00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:34,679
Speaker 2: My thing is is like this Houston Texans game for

588
00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:36,439
Speaker 2: the last few years, or you were to circle this

589
00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,480
Speaker 2: game and be like, all right, that w W automatic.

590
00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:43,160
Speaker 2: But this Houston Texans team is coming into Atlanta probably

591
00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,040
Speaker 2: feeling as good as they felt in a long time,

592
00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,320
Speaker 2: and that matters in terms of what you were saying,

593
00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:51,760
Speaker 2: like in terms of confidence, like building confidence. This is

594
00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,040
Speaker 2: a Houston Texas team that it probably feels pretty dang good.

595
00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,920
Speaker 4: Yeah, So there is difficulty ahead.

596
00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:01,560
Speaker 1: You can't just waltz right past these teams anymore, especially

597
00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:04,239
Speaker 1: with what we've seen, even if they're five hundred or

598
00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:04,880
Speaker 1: around that.

599
00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:07,760
Speaker 4: These teams have all played pretty well. They all have talent,

600
00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:09,600
Speaker 4: and you're gonna have to figure it out quickly.

601
00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:12,640
Speaker 5: So is a bi weekly Yeah, the next two are home.

602
00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:14,800
Speaker 5: Do we think the Falcons are going to stick to

603
00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:16,520
Speaker 5: this home winning scheme?

604
00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,640
Speaker 1: I mean I think that that the team feels more

605
00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:22,440
Speaker 1: comfortable and with the crowds that we've seen recently with

606
00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:26,520
Speaker 1: some passion behind them has been an important factor as well.

607
00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,440
Speaker 2: I'll also say, like it's been for the last two years,

608
00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:31,920
Speaker 2: Arthur Smith has made a point to not just the media,

609
00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,040
Speaker 2: but to the players themselves that like, we want to

610
00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:36,440
Speaker 2: make Mercedes Bens a place that people fear coming and

611
00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,320
Speaker 2: playing in. We want to be good at home. That's

612
00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:43,600
Speaker 2: something we very viciously care about as being good at home.

613
00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:45,800
Speaker 2: So you have two home games coming up.

614
00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:49,800
Speaker 3: And be vicious yeah, and slide backward forward yeah.

615
00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,120
Speaker 1: And have a chance to kind of end this two

616
00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,800
Speaker 1: game losing streak, stay above five hundred, keep the pressure

617
00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:59,600
Speaker 1: on the entire NFC South, which started really hot, and

618
00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,600
Speaker 1: a kind of of falling back into more of a pack.

619
00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:06,400
Speaker 1: So I think this is a really good evaluation of

620
00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,880
Speaker 1: where the Falcons are sitting at two and two, what's

621
00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:13,800
Speaker 1: going well, and what needs to get better. Tory Terren,

622
00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:17,200
Speaker 1: thank you so much for joining us here as we

623
00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:20,480
Speaker 1: are heading towards the second quarter. For lack of a

624
00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:22,920
Speaker 1: better term of this season. Thank you so much to

625
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:27,200
Speaker 1: Zaxby's for an awesome lunch and for being the presenting sponsor.

626
00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:29,920
Speaker 1: Of the Falcons Final Whistle podcast. So now that we're

627
00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:32,600
Speaker 1: wrapped up, do what you do, rate review, subscribe to

628
00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:37,400
Speaker 1: the l to the Atlanta Falcons podcast network on iTunes,

629
00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:41,640
Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Please give a subscription to our

630
00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,560
Speaker 1: YouTube page. Not only are there cool podcasts like Falcons,

631
00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:47,080
Speaker 1: Audible Falcons and Focus and this one. I mean, our

632
00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:50,560
Speaker 1: video team is just like the greatest thing ever, right,

633
00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:53,640
Speaker 1: so please check out all the content and we will

634
00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,080
Speaker 1: talk to you after the Texans game on Sunday.

635
00:30:57,720 --> 00:30:58,080
Speaker 4: See ya

636
00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:01,360
Speaker 1: Six