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Speaker 1: Baker leans in, there's the snap blitz comes may feel

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Speaker 1: back loads.

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Speaker 2: Gross picked up by the Lions, intercepted by the Lions, intercepted.

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Speaker 3: By the Lions.

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Speaker 4: Derek Bards, Derek Bards, Derek Barns.

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Speaker 2: It is Week one of the NFL season and that

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Speaker 2: means the Twenty Men The Huddle Podcast is back and

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Speaker 2: I'm very excited to kick off this year's twenty in

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Speaker 2: the Hull Podcast with Ray agnew assistant general manager for

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Speaker 2: the Detroit Lions.

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Speaker 3: Ray, thanks for joining me. Oh, it's been it's been

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Speaker 3: a little bit. We did this the Senior Bowl maybe

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Speaker 3: a couple of years ago.

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Speaker 4: Thanks for having me.

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Speaker 2: No, and it's as exciting now that it's that it's

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Speaker 2: week one. I mean the building the roster and the offseason.

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Speaker 2: Obviously that's a big part of your job in camp

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Speaker 2: and whittling it down. But now does it feel like

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Speaker 2: football's here?

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Speaker 3: Week one?

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Speaker 4: Very exciting, man.

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Speaker 5: You just can't wait to see a full group on

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Speaker 5: the field. Uh, all the starters playing and everybody going

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Speaker 5: at once. Man, dang't planning getting ready for the Rams.

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Speaker 4: Man.

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Speaker 2: So it's is last week bittersweet a little bit, you know,

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Speaker 2: because obviously you've got to make some tough decisions, and

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Speaker 2: you've got to end a.

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Speaker 3: Dream at least for a moment for a lot of guys.

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Speaker 2: But then the excitement of okay, now we've got our

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Speaker 2: sixty nine right now, we've got the guys we're gonna.

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Speaker 3: Kind of go to war with for sixteen weeks. So

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Speaker 3: is last week a little bit bittersweet for gull.

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Speaker 5: Like you, Yeah, it is bittersweet because there are some

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Speaker 5: kids you get attached to, and then you have to

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Speaker 5: tell a kid something he's never been told before, that

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Speaker 5: he's not good enough. And then some of them they

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Speaker 5: go on and play with other teams, but some of

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Speaker 5: them that's their last game, that lest their last chance,

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Speaker 5: you know. So it's tough, But at the same time

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Speaker 5: you're excited. You get your group together and it's time. Okay,

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Speaker 5: let's go, let's go take make a run at this thing.

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Speaker 2: I don't know if it was you or Brad who

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Speaker 2: made the comment, but it's important to talk about the

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Speaker 2: sixty nine man roster and not just the fifty three, right,

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Speaker 2: How important and how much time to do you and

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Speaker 2: Brad spend on getting that practice squad together. And you've

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Speaker 2: got some veteran guys on there because you're gonna need

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Speaker 2: every guy. It's not a matter of if injuries are

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Speaker 2: gonna happen.

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Speaker 3: It's right. Yeah, And so how why is it important

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Speaker 3: to talk about the sixty nine.

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Speaker 5: It's very important because you just said that you're gonna

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Speaker 5: need all of those guys, and and those guys are

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Speaker 5: told when they're on that practice card, look, we're gonna

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Speaker 5: need you at some point this year. You know you're

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Speaker 5: gonna get a chance to play. And the majority of

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Speaker 5: those guys they end up playing it and some get

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Speaker 5: signed to the active rosters.

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Speaker 4: So it's very important to get.

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Speaker 5: Football players on that uh, that sixteen man practice squad.

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Speaker 3: Get football players.

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Speaker 2: I think you guys think you've got some good football

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Speaker 2: players on defense too, and obviously you know there's some

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Speaker 2: of the struggles down the stretch last year into the

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Speaker 2: playoffs on that side of the football. I think we

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Speaker 2: both agree that offensive lead with what's coming back and

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Speaker 2: the offensive line, that that's a pretty strong unit. But

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Speaker 2: you and Brad knew that you had to get better

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Speaker 2: on the other side of the ball.

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Speaker 3: How do you guys think you did that.

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Speaker 5: We're excited about some of the guys obviously getting trading

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Speaker 5: for Carson and then drafting those two corners early.

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Speaker 4: And you know, those guys have lived up to you

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Speaker 4: know who we thought they would be excited about Hutch

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Speaker 4: and a Lean you know, and Levi Levi is playing

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Speaker 4: really well. Yeah.

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Speaker 5: Uh, and then Marcus Davenport brings a you know, physicality

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Speaker 5: to the game, you know. So we're excited about all

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Speaker 5: those guys, man and what they bring to the table.

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Speaker 4: Uh.

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Speaker 5: You know, the growth of some of you know, Campbell

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Speaker 5: and Derrick Barnes, you know, some of those guys that

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Speaker 5: are getting better and better, you know. So we're excited

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Speaker 5: about our defense. And then Ag you know, with his

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Speaker 5: creative mind. So we're happy look forward to seeing it.

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Speaker 2: With McNeil and DJ Reader obviously a big one too.

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Speaker 2: We'll see we have him this week.

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Speaker 5: But no question, I can't believe I didn't mention DJ

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Speaker 5: probably one of the you know, one of my favorite

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Speaker 5: of the group. Man, a big, powerful man, you know,

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Speaker 5: so when we get him back, it's gonna be even better.

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Speaker 2: When you watch the film from last year, you see

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Speaker 2: a lot of times like Hutch was one step away,

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Speaker 2: or like had an armound of quarterback but so close,

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Speaker 2: and it was just that one step, guys like DJ

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Speaker 2: Reader Mark steventhfore pushing everything kind.

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Speaker 3: Of his way.

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Speaker 2: You expected a huge season from Hutch just because of

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Speaker 2: what you did helping him along that line. But then

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Speaker 2: the guys on the secondary that you talked about too,

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Speaker 2: maybe giving him an extra step, and could this be

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Speaker 2: a huge year because you look at him in training camp,

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Speaker 2: I mean he was terrific. I mean he was a handful.

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Speaker 2: I just from the outside looking at it looks like

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Speaker 2: he's set up for a huge year.

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Speaker 5: Of course, I totally agree, and I wouldn't be surprised,

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Speaker 5: you know, if this guy had you know, whatever the

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Speaker 5: amount of sacks it is. But he's he's been awesome

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Speaker 5: all camp, man, and he's gotten better and better each day.

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Speaker 4: It's been amazing to watch.

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Speaker 5: And yes, those guys will help Alien and Levi and

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Speaker 5: then Davenport with the push on the opposite side of

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Speaker 5: Hutch and then Lorita and knows all those guys are

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Speaker 5: gonna help tremendously.

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Speaker 4: But he doesn't need a whole lot of help. He's

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Speaker 4: a pretty pretty good football.

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Speaker 2: You guys still kick pinch yourselves a little bit when

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Speaker 2: he was sitting there at number two. I know you

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Speaker 2: guys couldn't kind of get the card in fast enough.

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Speaker 2: But he's been everything that you guys thought when he

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Speaker 2: was there at number two, right, you know.

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Speaker 5: The guy is the thing that stands out about him

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Speaker 5: is intangibles. You know, it's tough. You know, he plays hard.

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Speaker 5: You know he's competitive. You know, and along with that,

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Speaker 5: he's a good athlete and a good football player. But

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Speaker 5: the thing that stands out the most is the intangibles.

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Speaker 5: That guy loves to play the game and you can

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Speaker 5: see it and he cares. Yeah, so that means a

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Speaker 5: lot to us.

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Speaker 2: What a perfect fit for this city, this team, this defense.

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Speaker 3: Ag All right, let's flip.

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Speaker 2: Over to the other side real quick. A guy that

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Speaker 2: you have some big expectations for, you know, heading into

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Speaker 2: his third season, Jamison Williams. And this was kind of

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Speaker 2: the first offseason, first start to the season. He hasn't

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Speaker 2: been kind of dealing with something. It was just about ball.

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Speaker 2: What have you seen from his development and how much

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Speaker 2: of a step are you guys expecting him to take?

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Speaker 5: Man, he's grown tremendously, leaps and bounds as a player

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Speaker 5: and as a person. Guy, clean route runner, catching the ball. Well, oh,

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Speaker 5: I mean the guys, it's a touchdown waiting to happen.

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Speaker 5: He's extremely fast, he's a tough, competitive dude, you know,

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Speaker 5: passionate about the game. And I you know, obviously I

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Speaker 5: know a little bit more about him being from Saint Louis,

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Speaker 5: but I expect big things from him. Excited to see

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Speaker 5: what he's gonna do this year. The growth and the

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Speaker 5: maturation of him has been great to see.

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Speaker 4: And uh, we're excited, you know.

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Speaker 2: Because you just you saw, you know, anytime he got

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Speaker 2: the hand his hand on the football, whether it was

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Speaker 2: a reverse, it was running the football down the field,

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Speaker 2: like you said, he's a touchdown where he happened. Now

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Speaker 2: you're gonna see his snaps with with Josh no longer

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Speaker 2: here probably double right. So that's that many more opportunities

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Speaker 2: for him to get the hand on the football.

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Speaker 4: Right, no question.

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Speaker 5: That's that's exciting to think about, because I mean, you

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Speaker 5: got a guy on the field who's who's a threat

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Speaker 5: to score it at any time. And as a as

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Speaker 5: a defensive player, you know what those guys all right,

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Speaker 5: we gotta find nine, you know, yeah, we got to

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Speaker 5: watch nine going deep.

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Speaker 4: So so he brings his scares defense.

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Speaker 2: And when you couple that with you know, having to

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Speaker 2: know where Gibbs is at and having now where Montgomery

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Speaker 2: is at and then obviously right, I mean we don't

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Speaker 2: even have but then Laporta over the middle too, and

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Speaker 2: that weapon. It's just as a defensive guy, when you

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Speaker 2: look at that offense, is it just who do I?

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Speaker 3: Who do I stop? And there's always going to.

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Speaker 2: Be somebody who's single covered, right, And when you have

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Speaker 2: an offensive coordinator like Ben, that's got to be pretty exciting.

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Speaker 4: No question.

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Speaker 5: As a defensive guy, you always try to take away

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Speaker 5: what the other team does best, but you know which.

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Speaker 4: You got to pick your paws and with this offense.

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Speaker 3: Behind one of the best offensive whole home right, Yeah,

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Speaker 3: all right? You signed Jared Goff this offseason, sign pinas signed.

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Speaker 3: I'm on Ross Saint Brown Ray. Why was that big

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Speaker 3: for you guys?

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Speaker 2: And you've been on both sides of it, right as

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Speaker 2: a player and now front office guys, so you have

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Speaker 2: a great perspective on both those Why was that so

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Speaker 2: important for you guys to get done? And just what

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Speaker 2: does that mean big picture for this football team?

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Speaker 5: You know, I can't, I can It speaks volumes in

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Speaker 5: the locker room. You know, and you have to be

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Speaker 5: to be in there to understand it. Because when you

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Speaker 5: see your best players, the guys that show up for

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Speaker 5: you weekend and week out, you see the team reward them,

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Speaker 5: you see the organization reward them.

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Speaker 4: It tells you that the organization is going to do

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Speaker 4: the right thing.

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Speaker 5: But if I go out and play and do what

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Speaker 5: I'm supposed to do as a player, They're gonna take

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Speaker 5: care of me also, So it sends volumes do It

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Speaker 5: sends a great message to the locker room, and you know,

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Speaker 5: as you and all those guys deserve money. So you know, no,

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Speaker 5: not that we did anything that they didn't deserve, but

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Speaker 5: it sends volumes through the locker.

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Speaker 3: Room, and those young guys are like, I want to

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Speaker 3: be next, right, and what do I need.

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Speaker 4: To do to do that?

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Speaker 5: So then you know they start watching those guys. Yeah,

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Speaker 5: and those are three guys that are worst people watching.

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Speaker 2: Did you notice in your talkings with free agents and

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Speaker 2: stuff in the off season how this is maybe flipped

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Speaker 2: to be a destination for some guys. Was that part

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Speaker 2: of the conversation when you talk to.

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Speaker 4: That, Yeah, it's amazing.

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Speaker 5: You know, when we first got here, you had to

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Speaker 5: kind of you know, try to talk guys in the coming,

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Speaker 5: but now that you know they want to come, you.

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Speaker 4: Know, so.

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Speaker 3: A little bit of a change. Well, let's finish with this.

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Speaker 2: You've now kind of set your roots here in Detroit,

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Speaker 2: and you were in that building for the for the

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Speaker 2: playoff games, and you know the atmosphere and the excitement

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Speaker 2: that's now gone around the cover of Sports Illustrated and

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Speaker 2: everything else.

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Speaker 3: Just what is it about?

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Speaker 2: What have you learned about Detroit as a football town

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Speaker 2: in your time here?

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Speaker 5: That's exactly what I've learned that it is a football town.

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Speaker 5: Football is first.

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Speaker 4: I love it, man. The fans are so passionate it's unbelievable.

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Speaker 4: And last year was great.

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Speaker 5: But I remember the first year when we was here,

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Speaker 5: we won three games, and you know, I remember that

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Speaker 5: first Thanksgiving Day game. It was amazing, you know, it

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Speaker 5: was amazing. I didn't realize it's the magnitude of that game,

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Speaker 5: you know, because obviously I never played in it, but

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Speaker 5: it was outstanding. So the fans, the passion has been

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Speaker 5: there all alone. Now last year was it was on

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Speaker 5: a whole other level.

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Speaker 6: Man.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, that playoff game was outstanding, both of them, you know,

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Speaker 5: But the people here are great, man, the fans are great.

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Speaker 5: I enjoy going into the city and having a meal

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Speaker 5: and you know, greeting some of the fans. But it's

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Speaker 5: been great.

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Speaker 2: It's gonna be a great atmosphere Sunday night.

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Speaker 4: No, no, I can't wait.

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Speaker 2: Well, it's really exciting to be talking about the Super Bowl,

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Speaker 2: to be kicking off this week at home against a

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Speaker 2: great opponent. Ray, thanks so much for joining me. Appreciate

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Speaker 2: your perspective and good luck to see.

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Speaker 4: You all right, Thanks boy, all right, appreciate you having.

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Speaker 2: Welcome back to the twenty Huddle Podcast presented by Microsoft,

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Speaker 2: and I am very happy to welcome in Jordan Rodriy.

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Speaker 2: She does a great job with the Athletic and she

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Speaker 2: was just promoted. She is now senior writer at the Athletic.

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Speaker 2: She covers the Rams and does NFL project. She's great.

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Speaker 2: Check out her stuff. She knows everything about the Rams

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Speaker 2: and Jordan it likes. It hasn't been very long since

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Speaker 2: we've talked to Right, it's a little deja vous here.

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Speaker 6: I know.

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Speaker 7: It's funny. I when you popped onto my screen, I

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Speaker 7: was like, I was just here.

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Speaker 3: Obviously.

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Speaker 2: That was a terrific matchup between the Rams and Lions

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Speaker 2: in the wild Card. It had really had everything, you know,

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Speaker 2: came down right to the end. Obviously there had to

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Speaker 2: be a winner, had to be a loser. It was

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Speaker 2: a great story for Detroit. Came thirty minutes away from

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Speaker 2: their first Super Bowl, and the NFL loved it so

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Speaker 2: much they said, heck, let's do this again week one,

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Speaker 2: and so you know you're going to be back in Detroit.

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Speaker 2: I just want to start with this, that atmosphere. I

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Speaker 2: saw an interview with Sean McVay, you know, in the

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Speaker 2: off season. He talked about just what kind of atmosphere

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Speaker 2: that was like in Detroit. Have you ever been a

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Speaker 2: part of anything like that? Has anything rivaled it? In

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Speaker 2: your tours around the NFL, there have.

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Speaker 6: Been a couple that have been close Super Dome, you know,

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Speaker 6: FC Title game at Sofi Stadium, but that was a pretty.

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Speaker 7: Split crowd at that time. So I have to tell

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Speaker 7: you I was so moved by that, by.

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Speaker 6: That atmosphere in Detroit, and I wrote about it in

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Speaker 6: my column from postgame. The juxtaposition between the enormous wave

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Speaker 6: of feeling and celebration and like exorcism of long standing

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Speaker 6: curses and demons by the crowd. It stayed so much

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Speaker 6: longer after the game was over, before taking to the

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Speaker 6: streets of course to party. And then that juxtaposing with

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Speaker 6: how despondent some people in the Rams locker room were,

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Speaker 6: because they really felt that if they would have won

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Speaker 6: that game, they could have carried that momentum all the

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Speaker 6: way to the Super Bowl. And I believe it they

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Speaker 6: were really catching their stride at the right time. Matthew

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Speaker 6: Stafford was playing out of his mind, and that game

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Speaker 6: was so physical and it was so electric. And the crowd,

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Speaker 6: I mean the crowd, I mean the Rams. You know,

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Speaker 6: when you're when you're going into a place like that,

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Speaker 6: you got to expect a hostile crowd. I say hostile

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Speaker 6: as a compliment, like the crowd let them hear it.

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Speaker 6: I mean I that was football, man, That was real,

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Speaker 6: real football.

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Speaker 7: And I had a blast.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it should be a great one.

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Speaker 2: You know, obviously September eight, next Sunday too, because you

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Speaker 2: look at the preseason with Detroit and look, the Lions

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Speaker 2: were away their first two preseason games. They were home

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Speaker 2: last week against Pittsburgh. They sold out standing room only

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Speaker 2: for the preseason Jordan, I mean they were causing penalties

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Speaker 2: in the fourth quarter of a preseason game. There's certainly

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Speaker 2: a football hangover here in Detroit, and they are excited

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Speaker 2: to get back at it, and this is a great matchup.

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Speaker 3: Well, let's get into the matchup a little bit.

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Speaker 2: My first question, I'm just curious, where are the Rams

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Speaker 2: a better football team right now than the one that

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Speaker 2: the Lions saw in the wildcard?

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Speaker 7: Yeah, I think they're better.

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Speaker 6: They were great at running the ball by the end

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Speaker 6: of that twenty twenty three season. I think they're going

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Speaker 6: to be even better running the ball now that they

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Speaker 6: have Kirain Williams is going to be able.

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Speaker 7: To get a spell every once in a while. With

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Speaker 7: Blake Corum.

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Speaker 6: Another player that they really like, and anyone in Michigan

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Speaker 6: is very familiar obviously.

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Speaker 7: With Dake Koram.

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Speaker 6: He has fit right in into the mix, and he

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Speaker 6: and Kyen Williams will probably get a little bit of

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Speaker 6: a rotation. Kyen Williams is still the lead running back

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Speaker 6: on this team.

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Speaker 8: Allegedly they are better along the offensive line.

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Speaker 7: They've been dealing with injuries.

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Speaker 6: Another familiar face, Jonah Jackson. He's actually playing a little

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Speaker 6: bit of center now that he's coming back from the

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Speaker 6: injury because the Rams are missing their.

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Speaker 8: Left tackle, Alec Jackson has suspended.

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Speaker 7: The first two games of the season.

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Speaker 6: So Steve Avila, who was playing center now is switching

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Speaker 6: back to his rookie year position left guard because they

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Speaker 6: need more help on that left side. And so this

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Speaker 6: is going to be really that in theory because of

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Speaker 6: the investments they made up front. In theory, they are

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Speaker 6: better along the offensive line, but they are going to

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Speaker 6: be missing some players. Rob Hanstein, right tackle, may or

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Speaker 6: may not be ready to go. He's been dealing with

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Speaker 6: an ankle injury that's had him out for most of camp.

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Speaker 6: So that's where in theory it's better. But like in

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Speaker 6: actuality weeks one and two, you might not really see it.

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Speaker 6: But they where they are better is at their outside

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Speaker 6: linebacker position, where they really only had one full time

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Speaker 6: emerging rusher in Byron Young last season, who was a

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Speaker 6: rookie at that time. They at outside linebackers specifically, they

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Speaker 6: really have added some talent there. Jared Verse obviously their

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Speaker 6: first round pick. He looks and walks the part I

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Speaker 6: walk in and I'm like, oh, yeah, that's what a

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Speaker 6: first round pick looks like, because they're.

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Speaker 3: In He was a guy draft process standing.

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Speaker 6: He's outstanding, and he talks, so the Lions offense is

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Speaker 6: going to hear him. I mean he is like very

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Speaker 6: much like I would say a Jalen Ramsey personality, Like

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Speaker 6: they are going to hear him.

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Speaker 8: And he's very physical, He's got speed to power. They

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Speaker 8: are going to feel him as well.

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Speaker 6: This is going to be his debut, you know, because

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Speaker 6: seanman Fay doesn't play starters in the preseason, and then

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Speaker 6: Byron Young on the opposite side. But they have a

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Speaker 6: four deep there now where they didn't last year with

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Speaker 6: Michael Hoyt, the veteran, and then with Brennan Jackson, who

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Speaker 6: was another draft pick out of Washington State, who I

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Speaker 6: think is going to surprise some people this year. They're

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Speaker 6: certainly deeper at cornerback. They've got some they're more experienced

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Speaker 6: and more talented at cornerback, bringing in Trey White, Darius

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Speaker 6: Williams is going to be healthy. And then safety is

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Speaker 6: where I'm really excited to see this team play because

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Speaker 6: at safety, Chris Shula, the new defensive coordinator, he's going

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Speaker 6: to be leaning into safeties in his sub packages, where

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Speaker 6: other coordinators have used corners in dime and Nickel packages well,

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Speaker 6: Chris Shula is going to be using safeties and he

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Speaker 6: wants bigger bodies on the field who can also move.

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Speaker 6: So Cam Curl Quinton Lake, who's going to be their

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Speaker 6: star the position star. I think he will be a star,

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Speaker 6: but he will literally be in the star position. Cam

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Speaker 6: Kinchins and John Johnson the third. I mean, this is

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Speaker 6: a deep group of DB's at this point, and if

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Speaker 6: they can stay healthy, I think that that's where you're

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Speaker 6: going to see the most improvement on this defense.

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Speaker 2: I think that's really interesting because I think Detroit's in

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Speaker 2: a similar situation, you know, completely remade their cornerback room,

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Speaker 2: their secondary. Obviously looked at that game last year, Stafford

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Speaker 2: through for three hundred and sixty seven yards, three touchdowns,

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Speaker 2: had a one twenty rating, and Brad Holmes looked at

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Speaker 2: that and was like, Okay, something's got to change here.

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Speaker 2: And it was a theme that the end of the

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Speaker 2: season with Detroit throughout the players Matthew Stafford obviously exploited.

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Speaker 2: But it's interesting that you talk about all the new

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Speaker 2: faces and the secondary, some of the new pieces, because

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Speaker 2: that's what Detroit's dealing with too. We didn't see those

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Speaker 2: guys in the preseason either, So that'll be an interesting

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Speaker 2: dynamic to this one too. Obviously experienced really good quarterbacks

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Speaker 2: seeing brand new secondaries that each team is hoping to

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Speaker 2: make a difference, So that'll be interesting, all right.

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Speaker 3: Maybe the tougher question of the two is where.

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Speaker 2: Are the Rams maybe not as strong as they were

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Speaker 2: going into that wildcard game last year.

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Speaker 7: Well, they don't have Aaron Donald.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, that is the check mark. There we go.

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Speaker 7: That is very significant.

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Speaker 6: I think you're going to see more straightforward pressure from

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Speaker 6: them though, because most of what they had to do

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Speaker 6: was find ways to get Aaron Donald away from double

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Speaker 6: and triple teams. So you're actually going to see a

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Speaker 6: little bit simpler, more straightforward pressure at least to start

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Speaker 6: with these guys. So that's a question mark. I'm curious

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Speaker 6: that group. I've been really impressed with Braidon Fist, Kobe Turner,

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Speaker 6: Bobby Brown has taking a step. I've been very very

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Speaker 6: impressed with them all through the course of not just

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Speaker 6: training camp, but particularly these joint practices. They are a

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Speaker 6: little light upfront, they have been for years. Last year

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Speaker 6: they defended the run really well still, but they had

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Speaker 6: again Aaron Donald.

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Speaker 7: So this year.

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Speaker 6: I'm really interested to see a bit concerned about how

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Speaker 6: they are against the run so far early on, but

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Speaker 6: that's always something I think with this group that's a

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Speaker 6: work in progress anyway, because they have tended to be

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Speaker 6: a little bit lighter on the interior.

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Speaker 7: So that's something where it's a big question mark.

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Speaker 6: I don't want to say you're always going to take

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Speaker 6: a step back when you don't have the best player

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Speaker 6: in the world on your team anymore. He's retired, and

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Speaker 6: so I'm more so curious than willing to say they

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Speaker 6: have taken a step back, because I feel like it's

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Speaker 6: almost an unfair parameter to place.

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Speaker 7: Around this group.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, the big question mark too for me is inside linebacker.

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Speaker 6: They recently traded their former team captain and starter for

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Speaker 6: three years, Ernest Jones, to the Tennessee Titans.

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Speaker 7: Ernest was dealing.

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Speaker 6: It was coming back from an issue he missed out

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Speaker 6: of the spring, and as he was absent, a couple

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Speaker 6: of other players just really started playing so well to

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Speaker 6: the point where the Rams thought, Okay, well, we're not

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Speaker 6: going to extend Ernest.

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Speaker 7: Jones anyway, so this is inevitable.

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Speaker 6: Let's make an immediate that's a less need saying that

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Speaker 6: Brad Holmes knows very well as well.

443
00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:19,560
Speaker 7: And so now the question is.

444
00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:23,159
Speaker 8: Is Troy Reader, who has really been kind of up and.

445
00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:27,119
Speaker 6: Down for this Rams team in his six seasons, and

446
00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:32,560
Speaker 6: whether he can really take actually another step forward. Particularly.

447
00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:34,440
Speaker 6: I mean, you know, Ben Johnson is looking at the

448
00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:36,479
Speaker 6: middle of the field. Ben Johnson is looking at these

449
00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:39,679
Speaker 6: inside linebackers and he is figuring out, you.

450
00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,200
Speaker 8: Know, which players to circle on his play sheet.

451
00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:44,360
Speaker 6: And that's just going to be one of the big

452
00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:46,800
Speaker 6: key matchups in my opinion, is how that middle of

453
00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:49,360
Speaker 6: the field looks, not just because there's questions and inside linebacker,

454
00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:51,200
Speaker 6: but also Quentin Lake is going to be again playing

455
00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,760
Speaker 6: the star, so he's going to be roaming all over

456
00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,840
Speaker 6: that middle of the field. And I know he thinks

457
00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,480
Speaker 6: about what happened last Sea last time with that game,

458
00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,320
Speaker 6: the Amonra catch. It was basically like a really it's

459
00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:04,920
Speaker 6: a it's a coverage beating slant.

460
00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:06,440
Speaker 7: It's basically the slant.

461
00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:09,240
Speaker 6: You need when you need like five yards right and

462
00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:13,200
Speaker 6: it's almost unguardable. But Quentin Lake definitely remembers that he's

463
00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:16,119
Speaker 6: a team captain. This year, he trained with Amandra in

464
00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,440
Speaker 6: California in the off season, and so I'm like, okay,

465
00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:20,080
Speaker 6: did that come up?

466
00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:21,560
Speaker 7: And it's like no, no, no, it didn't come up.

467
00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:22,480
Speaker 7: I mean why would it come up?

468
00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:24,080
Speaker 8: Right, You're not gonna be if you're Amra, you're not

469
00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:24,399
Speaker 8: gonna be.

470
00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:25,720
Speaker 7: Like he remember that, you know.

471
00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:28,920
Speaker 6: But like it is interesting because they are going to

472
00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,160
Speaker 6: be doing different things with their safeties to help out

473
00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:33,040
Speaker 6: kind of a linebacker group.

474
00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:33,560
Speaker 7: In question.

475
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,240
Speaker 2: I know you've talked about a lot of names already,

476
00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:37,960
Speaker 2: but is there a new face, whether it's maybe a

477
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,400
Speaker 2: free agent, whether maybe it's a young guy that maybe

478
00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:42,760
Speaker 2: Lions fans don't know but who could maybe have an

479
00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:45,920
Speaker 2: impact come you know, Sunday night for this Rams team.

480
00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:50,920
Speaker 6: Yeah, so free agent Cam Curl. I'm not really quite

481
00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:54,720
Speaker 6: sure why he became a free agent because it's.

482
00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:55,280
Speaker 7: One of those players.

483
00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:57,479
Speaker 6: I mean, I guess, you know, the ball Skille stats,

484
00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,600
Speaker 6: like maybe they weren't sexy or whatever, but like, yeah,

485
00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:04,080
Speaker 6: watching this guy play, I'm I'm amazed. I mean, I'm

486
00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:06,399
Speaker 6: a big dork over safety play anyway. As you know,

487
00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,400
Speaker 6: and as very much has come clear in this conversation

488
00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:11,399
Speaker 6: as well to the to the viewer and to the listener,

489
00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,159
Speaker 6: the range that this guy has and the savvy and

490
00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:18,320
Speaker 6: the awareness, and like I watched him make plays all

491
00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:21,200
Speaker 6: through camp and he just quietly goes about his day,

492
00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:21,639
Speaker 6: you know.

493
00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:22,679
Speaker 7: Goes about his business.

494
00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:26,320
Speaker 6: But the amount of space on the field that this

495
00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,639
Speaker 6: guy can cover and it's like he has no questions

496
00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:32,400
Speaker 6: about where he's supposed to be. It's just so instinctual.

497
00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:37,000
Speaker 6: I'm pretty I'm pretty astounded by him so far. I

498
00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:39,080
Speaker 6: think he's gonna have a really big season for the Rams.

499
00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:42,680
Speaker 2: Well, since you're such in love with safety play, you'll

500
00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:43,760
Speaker 2: enjoy Brian Branch.

501
00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:46,560
Speaker 7: I'm so excited about Troy.

502
00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:50,480
Speaker 2: Is Brian Branch going a terrific rookie nickel cornerback, one

503
00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:52,800
Speaker 2: of the better defenders, you know, I think he was

504
00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:55,920
Speaker 2: right there in terms of Rookie of the year in

505
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,639
Speaker 2: terms of defensive guys. But now he's made that switch

506
00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,560
Speaker 2: to safety and Aaron Glenn's defense, they've said, like that

507
00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:04,000
Speaker 2: safety position is one in this defense that can just

508
00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:05,919
Speaker 2: see the field, make a place, has a little bit

509
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,879
Speaker 2: more freedom to roam around a little bit and do

510
00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:10,840
Speaker 2: some of that stuff. So it'll be really interesting to

511
00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:14,760
Speaker 2: see how Brian Branch translates to the safety here in Detroit.

512
00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,800
Speaker 2: So we've got two young safeties, one young safety, one

513
00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:22,320
Speaker 2: one veteran guy that'll certainly have our eyes, you know,

514
00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:25,800
Speaker 2: Sunday night. All right, Jordan, maybe one or two big keys.

515
00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,080
Speaker 2: You looked at that matchup last year, you know, I

516
00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:29,879
Speaker 2: think one of the couple things that jumped out to

517
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,040
Speaker 2: me was the Lions were three for three in the

518
00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,399
Speaker 2: red zone the Rams were ozer for three in a

519
00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:35,240
Speaker 2: one point game.

520
00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:36,359
Speaker 3: That's a killer.

521
00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,960
Speaker 2: And then obviously what Detroit has done to you know,

522
00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,680
Speaker 2: better their secondary, to improve the talent level, the depth there,

523
00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:48,399
Speaker 2: getting all of the veteran cornerbacks and drafting Terry and Arnold,

524
00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,800
Speaker 2: Ennis Rayshaw junior. Those are obviously two big keys for Detroit.

525
00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:54,080
Speaker 2: What's what's one or two big keys for the Rams?

526
00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:56,000
Speaker 2: How do they come out on top, go on the

527
00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:57,960
Speaker 2: road and escape with a win here in Detroit?

528
00:22:58,000 --> 00:22:58,639
Speaker 3: What do they have to do?

529
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,760
Speaker 6: Yeah? Red zone production one hundred percent is one of

530
00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:05,760
Speaker 6: my keys as well, And that needs very little more

531
00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:08,360
Speaker 6: explanation with you know how well you described it there.

532
00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,840
Speaker 6: But I remember last this last game when it felt

533
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,240
Speaker 6: like the swing was so in Detroit's favor.

534
00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,399
Speaker 7: The Rams had totally let the crowd into it. You know,

535
00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:20,480
Speaker 7: they were you could tell.

536
00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:22,960
Speaker 6: I mean it was they were a bit unsettled, and

537
00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,639
Speaker 6: then they hit a deep shot I believe it was

538
00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:29,720
Speaker 6: Puka Nakua downfield for the touchdown, and you could feel

539
00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:31,720
Speaker 6: the oxygen just like reverse.

540
00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:33,800
Speaker 7: Order out of the like it just wooshed out of

541
00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:35,200
Speaker 7: the building for a minute.

542
00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:39,720
Speaker 6: Right in that small window of time, the Rams resettled

543
00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,040
Speaker 6: and were able to recalibrate, and then that game got

544
00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:44,840
Speaker 6: really fun after that. It got physical on both sides,

545
00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,280
Speaker 6: not just the Lions sort of coming out and punching

546
00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:49,880
Speaker 6: them in the teeth and it really started to become

547
00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:52,879
Speaker 6: a battle at that point. If the Rams can score early,

548
00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:56,160
Speaker 6: I think that they really will make this fun way

549
00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,840
Speaker 6: quicker than it was last time for sure.

550
00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:00,960
Speaker 8: And they're gonna have to take the crowd out of it.

551
00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:02,400
Speaker 7: I don't care what anyone says.

552
00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:06,840
Speaker 6: The crowd is absolutely a significant factor in a game

553
00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,920
Speaker 6: like this, and it's like it's a smart, educated crowd

554
00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:12,240
Speaker 6: in terms of they know what they're doing for like

555
00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:15,560
Speaker 6: with football, like they know when to they know Matthew

556
00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:18,480
Speaker 6: Stafford was checking into the second of the two plays

557
00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:20,760
Speaker 6: that he receives in his helmet, and as he was

558
00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:23,560
Speaker 6: audibling into that second play they would get louder so.

559
00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:25,080
Speaker 7: That his own teammates couldn't.

560
00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:27,439
Speaker 6: I mean, it's a really smart crowd, so taking them

561
00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:29,280
Speaker 6: out of it early, I think is going to be

562
00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:31,200
Speaker 6: absolutely a crucial key.

563
00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:31,960
Speaker 7: For this RAMS group.

564
00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:35,760
Speaker 2: Well, Jordan, we can expect a terrific atmosphere. Again, I

565
00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:39,119
Speaker 2: expect it to be everybody in their seat thirty minutes before,

566
00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:41,520
Speaker 2: just like it was for the wild card playoff game.

567
00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:43,280
Speaker 2: And I know both of us hope that we get

568
00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:46,640
Speaker 2: a good game, a close battle. And it's an important

569
00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:50,399
Speaker 2: one too. You know, teams with playoff aspirations the NFC

570
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:52,560
Speaker 2: and obviously we know these are important in terms of

571
00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,200
Speaker 2: tie breaking and stuff that happens you know, down the road.

572
00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:57,440
Speaker 2: So week one is important. It should be a fun one.

573
00:24:57,880 --> 00:24:59,800
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for joining me. You are one

574
00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:02,679
Speaker 2: of the best in the business. And again you can

575
00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:04,680
Speaker 2: follow all her stuff Jordan or she works for the

576
00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:08,400
Speaker 2: Athletic She does NFL projects there and covers the RAMS.

577
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:10,760
Speaker 2: Does a great job. So if you need anything RAMS

578
00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:13,440
Speaker 2: are related, make sure you check with her. Jordan, thank

579
00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:14,480
Speaker 2: you so much for joining me.

580
00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:15,280
Speaker 3: I appreciate it.

581
00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:17,080
Speaker 2: Safe travels here and it should be a fun one.

582
00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:18,840
Speaker 7: Thank you. I agree it's gonna be fun.

583
00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:20,359
Speaker 8: Thank you for having me, and I hope we get

584
00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:21,360
Speaker 8: another one down.

585
00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:21,679
Speaker 7: The road here.

586
00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,080
Speaker 3: I know, right, that'd be fun.

587
00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:28,320
Speaker 2: Here we go, Welcome back to the twenty in the

588
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,600
Speaker 2: Huddle podcast presented by Microsoft, and I am very happy

589
00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,280
Speaker 2: to welcome in Fox to sports director the Voice of

590
00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,720
Speaker 2: the Lions, Dan Miller. We're gonna get into our key

591
00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:41,000
Speaker 2: to the Game segment here, but real quick.

592
00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:42,400
Speaker 3: PJ.

593
00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:44,960
Speaker 2: Clark has been the producer for this podcast here for

594
00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,000
Speaker 2: the last you know, a couple of years. No longer

595
00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,040
Speaker 2: with the franchise anymore.

596
00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,639
Speaker 3: So we have a new new face. There's roster turnover

597
00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:54,840
Speaker 3: every year, so I want to introduce Barrett Jones. Real quick, Bart,

598
00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:57,040
Speaker 3: it's gonna come around. Bart's gonna come around. You can

599
00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:58,720
Speaker 3: now you can put a face with the name here.

600
00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:02,920
Speaker 3: This is Jones, gonna be producing the podcast here. He's

601
00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:05,600
Speaker 3: got some good video ideas. He's gonna correlate with this

602
00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,480
Speaker 3: and stuff like this. So welcome to have you. Thanks

603
00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:10,200
Speaker 3: for doing it, putting up with me for a while,

604
00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:12,119
Speaker 3: and now you get a little FaceTime with us.

605
00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:13,000
Speaker 4: Yeah, it'll be fun.

606
00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:14,400
Speaker 3: I'm glad Tim's on the camera.

607
00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:16,879
Speaker 4: I'd break the camera, but uh, yeah, I'm glad to

608
00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:18,840
Speaker 4: produce us for Tim. It's gonna be a fun season.

609
00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,080
Speaker 3: All right, good deal man. All right. So now we're

610
00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:22,879
Speaker 3: gonna get to keys to the games, do it. And

611
00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:24,439
Speaker 3: there's a fun one.

612
00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:27,120
Speaker 1: Right, I mean, I mean, come on, your mind goes

613
00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:30,560
Speaker 1: directly back to last year, right, and that incredible scene

614
00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:34,280
Speaker 1: at Ford Field. And now you're opening, which always brings

615
00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:37,399
Speaker 1: about more emotion. You're back inside Ford Field, which is

616
00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,960
Speaker 1: gonna be nuts. Nuts fans have an extra seven hours

617
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,160
Speaker 1: to get lubed. I mean, it's it's gonna be Look,

618
00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:46,520
Speaker 1: this is this is what opening weekend in the NFL

619
00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:48,800
Speaker 1: is all about. You've got a really good football team here,

620
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,320
Speaker 1: a really good football team coming in and you're at home.

621
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:51,800
Speaker 4: Let's do it.

622
00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:53,440
Speaker 2: And one of the big question marks, I think, and

623
00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:55,919
Speaker 2: one of the exciting things for linespans is gonna finally

624
00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:59,760
Speaker 2: see this secondary, this remade secondary.

625
00:26:59,240 --> 00:26:59,919
Speaker 3: For the first time.

626
00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,560
Speaker 2: You know, obviously they traded for Carlton Davis, I mean,

627
00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:04,760
Speaker 2: Robertson and free agency's gonna be a big part of it.

628
00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:10,000
Speaker 2: And then the two rookies Terry and Arnold and Ni's

629
00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:13,000
Speaker 2: Rakestraw Junior. They're going to play their pieces too. Yeah,

630
00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:17,720
Speaker 2: Brian Branch moving back to safety from Nickel, so he's

631
00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,560
Speaker 2: they're gonna be tested. I mean, this is pookin Nakua,

632
00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,119
Speaker 2: Cooper Cup, Matthew Stafford. He threw for three hundred and

633
00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:25,800
Speaker 2: sixty seven yards and three touchdowns the last time these

634
00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:28,560
Speaker 2: two teams based off, So I think that's really.

635
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:29,280
Speaker 3: Gonna be one of the keys.

636
00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:34,040
Speaker 2: Can this remade, new look secondary slow those weapons down

637
00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:34,480
Speaker 2: for the Rams?

638
00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:34,720
Speaker 4: Yeah?

639
00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:36,280
Speaker 1: And I think that's where I have some questions. And

640
00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:38,040
Speaker 1: I don't think they're questions that I have for the

641
00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:40,400
Speaker 1: long term because I love what they've done back there.

642
00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:42,880
Speaker 1: But I think it's more for me, it's a question

643
00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:45,760
Speaker 1: about where they are right now, because if you think

644
00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:49,000
Speaker 1: about it, Carlton Davis's miss time during camp, Arnold's miss

645
00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:52,320
Speaker 1: time during camp, Rake Straw's miss time during camp, Branch

646
00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:54,520
Speaker 1: is miss time during camp. You go up and down

647
00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:57,480
Speaker 1: that secondary, Robertson's miss time. They've all missed time. So

648
00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:01,040
Speaker 1: I just I worry about the cohesion as they go

649
00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:04,280
Speaker 1: into Game one against the guy like Stafford that we

650
00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:07,119
Speaker 1: know what he's capable of. So really it's going to

651
00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:09,000
Speaker 1: be about communicating when they're out on the field and

652
00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:10,760
Speaker 1: that's going to be a difficult part of it too,

653
00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:13,399
Speaker 1: no doubt. And it's difficult on them too because that

654
00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,440
Speaker 1: crowd noise we know is a factor for the opposing offense.

655
00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:19,760
Speaker 1: So that that's something that I'm watching just because they

656
00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:23,639
Speaker 1: haven't had a lot of time on tasks together during camp,

657
00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:26,680
Speaker 1: and we know what kind of challenge Matthew is and

658
00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:28,840
Speaker 1: we know what kind of challenge those receivers.

659
00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:30,120
Speaker 3: Are, and we saw it in that game last year.

660
00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:33,640
Speaker 2: Three explosive plays twenty plus yards in the passing game,

661
00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:36,199
Speaker 2: you know, against this Lion's defense. And they looked at

662
00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:38,520
Speaker 2: that and they said, look, it's obvious this is where

663
00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:40,200
Speaker 2: we have to go to that's where they win.

664
00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:41,560
Speaker 3: And it wasn't just that game.

665
00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,320
Speaker 1: The last quarter of the season, you consistently had receivers

666
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,920
Speaker 1: busted them up for one fifty two hundred, and I

667
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:49,360
Speaker 1: think they looked at that and said, you know what,

668
00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:49,760
Speaker 1: we need.

669
00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:50,320
Speaker 3: To overhaul this.

670
00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:53,160
Speaker 1: And I think in fairness, they thought they had the

671
00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:57,240
Speaker 1: year before, but Gardner Johnson goes out and email goes out,

672
00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:01,280
Speaker 1: and what they envisioned having last year they really didn't have, right,

673
00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,800
Speaker 1: So I think again they've put a lot of assets

674
00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:06,640
Speaker 1: into it. And I love what they've done. Davis is

675
00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:09,280
Speaker 1: a guy that we know can play in this league.

676
00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:11,400
Speaker 1: Robertson as tough as nails. I think they love him

677
00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:13,880
Speaker 1: back there. And you have two really talent to brookies

678
00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:15,560
Speaker 1: and the thought of Branch being able to move around

679
00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:18,040
Speaker 1: back at safety is huge. So I love the big picture.

680
00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,080
Speaker 2: I just want to see it get going, and we'll

681
00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:22,280
Speaker 2: see it Sunday night. It should be fun, all right.

682
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,000
Speaker 2: Second one second big key to me is you look

683
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,080
Speaker 2: at that game last year. Detroit was such a good

684
00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,360
Speaker 2: rushing football team all year long. I think what I

685
00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:35,720
Speaker 2: had it down fourteen games of at least one hundred

686
00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:39,240
Speaker 2: yards and a touchdown of their seventeen. But the Rams

687
00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:41,440
Speaker 2: did a pretty good job of containing them. Detroy had

688
00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:42,480
Speaker 2: seventy nine yards.

689
00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:42,680
Speaker 4: In that game.

690
00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:45,240
Speaker 2: And over on the other side too, Detroit it was

691
00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:48,480
Speaker 2: really good defensively number two rushing defense. Ram struggled a

692
00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:50,200
Speaker 2: little bit. I think they had sixty eight yards. To me,

693
00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:52,800
Speaker 2: we know the quarterbacks are talented, right, We know the

694
00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:54,200
Speaker 2: wide receivers are talented.

695
00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:55,280
Speaker 3: They can make plays there.

696
00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:56,880
Speaker 2: But to me, I think an important part of this

697
00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:59,160
Speaker 2: too is who's going to control the temple with the run.

698
00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:02,440
Speaker 2: Game too, and can those Detroit running backs kind of

699
00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:05,240
Speaker 2: get off set the tempo And who's going to be

700
00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:06,280
Speaker 2: a little bit more.

701
00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:10,120
Speaker 3: Versatile, who's going to be a little bit more dynamic

702
00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:11,400
Speaker 3: in the run game in this one. I think it's

703
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:11,800
Speaker 3: a big key.

704
00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:12,120
Speaker 4: Yeah.

705
00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:14,200
Speaker 1: I think the Rams have questions on both lines, not

706
00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:16,080
Speaker 1: that they may not have the answers there, but I

707
00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:18,960
Speaker 1: think there's some unknowns for them. There's a guy missing

708
00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:20,960
Speaker 1: that'll be in the Hall of Fame in five years,

709
00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:25,000
Speaker 1: Aaron Donald not playing, so he retired, so that gives

710
00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:26,800
Speaker 1: them a new look. But they were already moving in

711
00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:29,440
Speaker 1: some young guys last year. They were already replenishing that

712
00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,480
Speaker 1: defensive line, and they did it again going out in

713
00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:34,640
Speaker 1: their top two draft picks, both out of Florida State

714
00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:36,600
Speaker 1: are guys that are going to be on that defensive line.

715
00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,719
Speaker 1: So I think when you look at where they are,

716
00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:43,040
Speaker 1: I think the Lions, we know they're going to try

717
00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:45,440
Speaker 1: to run the football. We know Ben wants to establish

718
00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:48,960
Speaker 1: that run, utilize that offensive line, set up the pass

719
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,920
Speaker 1: off the run. So I think it's going to challenge

720
00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:54,480
Speaker 1: that Rams defensive line to see if they're ready to

721
00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:56,720
Speaker 1: hold up against it. On the other side, look, they've

722
00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:57,720
Speaker 1: had some injuries.

723
00:30:57,440 --> 00:30:58,360
Speaker 3: To both their tackles.

724
00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:01,640
Speaker 1: They're talking about moving Jonah Jacks into center. That offensive

725
00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:05,200
Speaker 1: line could have a whole different look for LA. But again,

726
00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,480
Speaker 1: go back and look at the last half of last

727
00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:10,160
Speaker 1: season what Kyram Williams was able to do. The last

728
00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:12,680
Speaker 1: seven games. He averaged one hundred and twenty plus yards

729
00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:15,560
Speaker 1: per game over five yards of carry. They would love

730
00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:18,840
Speaker 1: to take the pressure off of Stafford and set Stafford

731
00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:20,720
Speaker 1: up with that play action game. So they're going to

732
00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:24,120
Speaker 1: try to establish the run. The Lions, as you said,

733
00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:26,560
Speaker 1: were elite last year against the run, and I think

734
00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:28,320
Speaker 1: they believe in some ways they're going to be better

735
00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:30,520
Speaker 1: reader Will you know, we'll figure out his status, but

736
00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,320
Speaker 1: Levi the way that he's played and they're counting on him.

737
00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:37,160
Speaker 1: A Leam is back and healthier than he was at

738
00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:39,880
Speaker 1: the end of last year. So I think there's a

739
00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:43,400
Speaker 1: lot to like about those matchups. I really want to

740
00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,400
Speaker 1: see them unfold because I think there's some unknowns in

741
00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:47,080
Speaker 1: there which you usually get in the first game of

742
00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:47,440
Speaker 1: the season.

743
00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:48,080
Speaker 3: You know, it's interesting.

744
00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:51,400
Speaker 2: I Stan Campbell too about you know, not having Aaron

745
00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:55,000
Speaker 2: Donald and scheming that for the first time, and he said, well,

746
00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,760
Speaker 2: wait a minute. They've got some young guys there that

747
00:31:58,040 --> 00:31:59,960
Speaker 2: are pretty good. I mean, you talk about Kobe turn

748
00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:02,520
Speaker 2: Jared Verse, who's a guy I liked in the draft,

749
00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:04,920
Speaker 2: Braiden Fisk, a guy I liked in the draft too,

750
00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,120
Speaker 2: you know, Bobby Brown. They've got some young guys that

751
00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:10,880
Speaker 2: have some juice that can still get after it. So again,

752
00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:12,880
Speaker 2: it's gonna put a lot of pressure on this Detroit

753
00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:14,800
Speaker 2: offensive line, who we expect will be just as good

754
00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:17,120
Speaker 2: as they were last year. This run game, which was

755
00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:19,840
Speaker 2: top five in the league. It's gonna be an interesting

756
00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:23,200
Speaker 2: matchup there, kind of that old guard, those veteran offensive

757
00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:26,840
Speaker 2: linemen against some of these young, you know, defensive linemen

758
00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:27,960
Speaker 2: that got some juice for the Rams.

759
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,080
Speaker 1: It's an interesting matchup, Yeah, no doubt about it. And

760
00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:32,760
Speaker 1: I credit the Rams because they could see this coming

761
00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,200
Speaker 1: and you could see kind of the churn beginning on

762
00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:37,600
Speaker 1: their defense where they were going to younger guys, and

763
00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,800
Speaker 1: those guys got some experience last year, you know, guys

764
00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:43,680
Speaker 1: like Kobe Turner and heck, they got experience. They're ready

765
00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:45,800
Speaker 1: to come back this year as veterans that have seen

766
00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:49,120
Speaker 1: it before. So this is a team that I think

767
00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:51,600
Speaker 1: believes that their defense can take a step even after

768
00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:54,680
Speaker 1: losing Aaron Donald. And it's the young guys that got

769
00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:56,719
Speaker 1: some experience that'll help lead the way. All right, Dan,

770
00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:59,160
Speaker 1: third key to the game? To me, what are those

771
00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:00,920
Speaker 1: important stats in every game?

772
00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:01,080
Speaker 6: Right?

773
00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:04,640
Speaker 2: We talked about turnovers, we talked about third down, right,

774
00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:07,080
Speaker 2: and to me, another big one is the red zone.

775
00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:08,959
Speaker 2: And you just look at this game last year as

776
00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,080
Speaker 2: a perfect example of how important this was. That was

777
00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:13,680
Speaker 2: a twenty four to twenty three Lions win. The Rams

778
00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:15,920
Speaker 2: were zero to three in the red zone. The Lions

779
00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:18,320
Speaker 2: were three for three. That was the difference, one of

780
00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:19,800
Speaker 2: the big differences.

781
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:19,960
Speaker 3: In that game.

782
00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:22,360
Speaker 2: I think it's going to be key again and Aaron

783
00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:24,640
Speaker 2: Glenn talked about that being part of kind of his

784
00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:27,760
Speaker 2: process this year of looking at areas of where they

785
00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:30,760
Speaker 2: needed to improve. They were twenty ninth last year in

786
00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:33,360
Speaker 2: red zone officialcy. I think sixty six percent. That's an

787
00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:34,880
Speaker 2: area that they've got to be better. And I think

788
00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:36,760
Speaker 2: that this is a good opportunity to show it here

789
00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:38,000
Speaker 2: against the Rams.

790
00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:40,840
Speaker 1: And that was big for the Lions to be able

791
00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:42,600
Speaker 1: to cash in on those opportunities. One of them came

792
00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:44,680
Speaker 1: in a fourth down pass to Laporta, which was huge,

793
00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:47,960
Speaker 1: but also you could see defensively some of that was

794
00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,680
Speaker 1: them pressuring Stafford and making him throw the ball before

795
00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:52,320
Speaker 1: they wanted to. And that's always going to be a

796
00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:55,680
Speaker 1: big key. So look, it's about being opportunistic. It's about

797
00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:58,240
Speaker 1: taking an opportunity to not put three on the board

798
00:33:58,280 --> 00:33:59,600
Speaker 1: and put seven on the board. You look at that

799
00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:03,160
Speaker 1: early last year where Stafford got him right back down there,

800
00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:05,760
Speaker 1: Lions pressured him, he wasn't able to complete the pass.

801
00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:07,360
Speaker 1: They ended up with three at seven to three and

802
00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:09,960
Speaker 1: then fourteen to three before you can blink. So you know,

803
00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:12,520
Speaker 1: it gives you the opportunity to get a jump on somebody,

804
00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:16,719
Speaker 1: I think, both on the scoreboard and mentally when they're

805
00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:19,120
Speaker 1: settling for three instead of seven. So when you get

806
00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:23,080
Speaker 1: down there, a take care of the football. B come

807
00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:24,640
Speaker 1: out of there with seven if he can. And I

808
00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:26,880
Speaker 1: think that's one thing that the Lions are good at.

809
00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:31,160
Speaker 1: And look, if the Lions defense is what they want

810
00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:35,200
Speaker 1: to be, which is better against the pass, better rushing

811
00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:37,800
Speaker 1: the passer, then that's going to show up in that area.

812
00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:39,480
Speaker 3: I mean, look, it's not hard.

813
00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:41,800
Speaker 1: To figure out where they struggled last year or second

814
00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:44,360
Speaker 1: against the run twenty seventh in the league in defense,

815
00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:50,480
Speaker 1: tells you this really struggled against the pass. Make quarterbacks uncomfortable,

816
00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:52,239
Speaker 1: and that's a good place to do it. When you

817
00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:54,480
Speaker 1: get down there and everything's compacted, don't get in time

818
00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:55,240
Speaker 1: to make a decision.

819
00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:58,160
Speaker 2: Those are the keys of the game. He is the

820
00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:01,560
Speaker 2: voice of the Lions. It's gonna be a fun atmosphere

821
00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,080
Speaker 2: in there. It's gonna be crazy. Look, they're talking super

822
00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:06,680
Speaker 2: Bowl around Allen Park now. They were on the cover

823
00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:11,200
Speaker 2: of Sports Illustrated this. We haven't gone into too many

824
00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:12,960
Speaker 2: years like this, and we've been doing this for for

825
00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:14,880
Speaker 2: a while. It's It's fun, isn't it.

826
00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:17,840
Speaker 1: Yeah, No, this is this is amazing. Last year, the

827
00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:19,880
Speaker 1: end of it was amazing. Those are Those are games

828
00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:23,640
Speaker 1: and moments that I'll never forget. They were standalone moments

829
00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:25,960
Speaker 1: in my career to see the city lit up like

830
00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:28,200
Speaker 1: that and the electricity, and you know what, I think

831
00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:30,279
Speaker 1: it's going to be just as electric for this opening game.

832
00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:31,560
Speaker 4: I think people have been looking.

833
00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:31,800
Speaker 3: Forward to this.

834
00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:33,680
Speaker 1: They're excited about this team.

835
00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:36,080
Speaker 3: So man, let's roll it out there. Let's go. I'm excited.

836
00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:37,480
Speaker 2: He's Dan Miller, I'm Tim twentyman.

837
00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:38,120
Speaker 4: Thanks for joining,