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Speaker 1: We've never seen Kirk make plays like this. Maybe this

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Speaker 1: is the Kirk Cousins that we thought we were getting

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Speaker 1: four years ago, and he's now finally coming, starting to

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Speaker 1: come to fruition because he's more comfortable as good as

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Speaker 1: they were against the Lions and the Panthers for them

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Speaker 1: to be you know, a version of that in these

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Speaker 1: next four games. I think you're gonna need Anthony bar

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Speaker 1: to continue to be Anthony Barr. It might be the

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Speaker 1: bye week, but we don't take a break around here.

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Speaker 1: We've still got another episode of MVP coming your way,

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Speaker 1: and it's a special one, not just because the Vikings

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Speaker 1: are now three and three following a walk off victory

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Speaker 1: against the Panthers, but also because we have a special

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Speaker 1: guest alongside us today. You know him, you love him.

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Speaker 1: It's Siamonson. Si, how are you doing? You were here

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Speaker 1: alongside Gabe Henderson, J Nelson and myself. Hello, it's wonderful

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Speaker 1: to be here. A bye week. I think that's the

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Speaker 1: right week to have me in because my emotions towards

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Speaker 1: the team are at their mellowiest. I don't have any

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Speaker 1: angst going forward. I can take a breath about what's

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Speaker 1: behind us. I think you have me on a good week,

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Speaker 1: a week where I won't derail and ruin your show. Well,

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Speaker 1: you know that's we have a little careful hand in

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Speaker 1: planning those kinds of things. I know. Having some extra

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Speaker 1: time to recover from this one was a lot. But Gabe,

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Speaker 1: you just came back from the game. You were there,

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Speaker 1: you got to witness it all a person, and I

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Speaker 1: know it was your home state, your dad was on

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Speaker 1: the sidelines. How was the game for you? It was fun.

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Speaker 1: We left with the win. My cardiologists would tell me

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Speaker 1: not to attend any more Vikings games this year, but

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Speaker 1: we but we want, we want, and just to be

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Speaker 1: able to have my family on the sideline, that was

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Speaker 1: cool to have. That was cool to see. They had

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Speaker 1: never been to a been on an NFL foll let

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Speaker 1: me put it that way. So be able. So to

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Speaker 1: be able to do that in our home state and

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Speaker 1: gain a couple of pounds the process, Um, it was.

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Speaker 1: It was pretty fun. I enjoyed it. You got a

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Speaker 1: Panthers fan, so, um, we did not grow up Panthers fans.

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Speaker 1: To answer your question, Um, we didn't grow Bikings fans either.

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Speaker 1: We'll just leave it at that. But he just wanted

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Speaker 1: a good game. He just wanted a good game. My

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Speaker 1: dad were read to the game. Yes, is so weak,

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Speaker 1: I'll rid him out. He's a case. He grew up

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Speaker 1: with Cowboys thing. He's Americus team. You're gonna You're gonna

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Speaker 1: be that guys. He's he's growing. Now. Here's the thing.

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Speaker 1: Gabe and I talk all the time, so I know

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Speaker 1: he is monumentally and wholeheartedly invested in this, in this

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Speaker 1: football team and in this state. But I do know

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Speaker 1: in our next game, we are playing the team that

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Speaker 1: he grew up rooting for. Running around in his tiny

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Speaker 1: little Emmett Smith so sweet. Yeah. I used to throw

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Speaker 1: up the X when I was in middle school too.

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Speaker 1: So Dez Bryant, go back to Michael Irvan, to your

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Speaker 1: Troy Aikmans, Tony Romo has we might need to unpack

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Speaker 1: that next week's episode. That Yeah, So my dad has

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Speaker 1: already asked me. He was like, so, who are you

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Speaker 1: cheering for next week? I was like, Dad, my job

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Speaker 1: goes a lot better when the Vikings waiting. But yeah,

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Speaker 1: the game, Jay, I wanted to call on you for

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Speaker 1: a second because I know you just like Size, a

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Speaker 1: lifelong Vikings fan and grew up here all that kind

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Speaker 1: of jazz. So I mean, five out of six games,

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Speaker 1: I've I can't take it anymore. I'm I'm losing years

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Speaker 1: off my life. Welcome to the Vikings Bandwig, Welcome to

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Speaker 1: the fan group. This is what it's like, This is

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Speaker 1: what you're in for. This is not only the Vikings,

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Speaker 1: but you know, we've had this discussion a little bit

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Speaker 1: all of the sports teams potentially. This is kind of

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Speaker 1: the way that it goes. This is what keeps you interested.

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Speaker 1: But the one thing that that does do for you

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Speaker 1: as well as you find out really quickly how invested

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Speaker 1: you are in this team. Yeah. Yeah, because either you

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Speaker 1: get to the point where you're like, mentally, I can't

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Speaker 1: handle this and I have to really wall myself off,

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Speaker 1: or you're wholly invested in every single week as a

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Speaker 1: roller coaster. So welcome to the roller coaster. I'll give

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Speaker 1: it to you this way. Like being in media, sometimes

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Speaker 1: you become numb to the fact of your fandom, Like

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Speaker 1: you have to play this certain non bias for a

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Speaker 1: lack of a better word, where you're kind of like

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Speaker 1: neutral in a lot of settings. And so for the

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Speaker 1: past ten years, like I kind of haven't had those

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Speaker 1: feelings really. I mean, you know, obviously when I watch

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Speaker 1: LSU a little bit more. But when I covered LSU,

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Speaker 1: it kind of became this like, Oh, I'm shooting AJ

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Speaker 1: McCarron throwing an overtime touchdown in my face because I

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Speaker 1: have a camera on my shoulder, and I'm like, I can't.

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Speaker 1: You're already job mad about it. I have to make

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Speaker 1: sure I get this game winning shot. And it's like, oh,

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Speaker 1: you're like deflated. But now, I mean even less I

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Speaker 1: had the wild game, I'm jazzed. I like have like

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Speaker 1: I scream at the television now like I screamed at

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Speaker 1: the game, Like it's kind of cool to have it

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Speaker 1: back despite it being like agony, when I am the opposite,

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Speaker 1: I'm professional and I respect you for that. When I

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Speaker 1: was at ESPN after the Minnesota Miracle, I made my

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Speaker 1: own custom Minnesota Miracle T shirt, wore it on Sports

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Speaker 1: Center on Snap and did a whole segment where I

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Speaker 1: trash talked Sean Payton to the point where one of them,

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Speaker 1: like one of my boss is like, hey, we get it.

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Speaker 1: This is like a fun version of Sports Center, but

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Speaker 1: we need you to dial it down just a little

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Speaker 1: bit because that was like, that was a titch too much.

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Speaker 1: So I I'm impressed that you could pull that off,

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Speaker 1: because I am humanly not cake I think. I think

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Speaker 1: to Tatum's point, I feel like I asked Pa or

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Speaker 1: liber after every game, like should I be this emotionally

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Speaker 1: invested with this team? And every week they tell me no?

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Speaker 1: But for some reason, rights, how can you not like

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Speaker 1: the Vikings if you're not a Packers or Bears or

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Speaker 1: Lions fan. They're starting to the organization is starting and

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Speaker 1: I don't I don't love this. I don't think it's

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Speaker 1: a great thing. I'm just commenting on the reality of

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Speaker 1: the situation they are starting to take on, are starting

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Speaker 1: to take on, you know, to a certain degree. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I know the Cubs and the Red Sox had a

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Speaker 1: far longer history with it. You know, there are a

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Speaker 1: lot of losing organization in sports. You know, the Lions

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Speaker 1: have lost a lot, the Jaguars have lost a lot,

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Speaker 1: you know, the Timberwolves have lost a lot. There are

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Speaker 1: so many teams and so many sports have lost a lot.

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Speaker 1: But there are a few teams who they're they're losing

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Speaker 1: has a charm to it, And you know, the Cleveland

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Speaker 1: Browns with the paperback, like there's a charm there. With

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Speaker 1: the Red Sox with the curse and the Cubs with

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Speaker 1: the curse, there was a charm there. And I think,

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Speaker 1: and I don't. I'm not excited about this, but just

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Speaker 1: with the way the last few years have gone, with

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Speaker 1: all the kickers and now having what has to be

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Speaker 1: the most absurd six games start in the history of

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Speaker 1: any sport ever played on this earth in terms of

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Speaker 1: just game play and the way things have finished and

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Speaker 1: should have finished. You now see like Peter Shagger talking

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Speaker 1: about it, Mill Simmons talking about it. So now the

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Speaker 1: Vikings are, you know, kind of one of those teams

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Speaker 1: that they are frustrations and they're to certain degree failures

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Speaker 1: or misses or losses have this charm and rootability to it.

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Speaker 1: So I think that Gabe might be you know, that

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Speaker 1: draws you in because you want to see that entire

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Speaker 1: fan base and people like my dad and you know,

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Speaker 1: all these people have lived with this their whole life

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Speaker 1: to just get that ultimate release when they've lost so

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Speaker 1: many times in such a difficult way. But I like,

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Speaker 1: whatever the hell this six weeks have been, I that's

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Speaker 1: that's something new. This is not this is not missing

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Speaker 1: the kick in the playoffs. These six weeks have been

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Speaker 1: We could very legitimately be one in five with a

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Speaker 1: loss against the worst team in the NFL, like a

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Speaker 1: horrible loss. We could just as easily be five and

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Speaker 1: one with a win against the like a good win. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: you put in the prep doc, like, what's you what

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Speaker 1: is your temperature on the season? Where are you at

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Speaker 1: to this point? Um, I don't move. That's where I'm at.

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna move way and not why I'm so tired.

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Speaker 1: I'm so tired yet enthused and confused. It's just these

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Speaker 1: six games have been bizarre. Man. If any of you

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Speaker 1: at this point are starting to realize why when it

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Speaker 1: comes the offseason and we talked about getting excited for everything,

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Speaker 1: and I try to be as even keel as possible,

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Speaker 1: this is why it is trying to essentially wall yourself

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Speaker 1: off from the emotion of oh no, what just happened

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Speaker 1: or oh my god, that was amazing. It's it's trying

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Speaker 1: to have some sort of self preservation given that this

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Speaker 1: can be a week to week thing where it is

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Speaker 1: the highest of the highest, the lowest of the lows,

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Speaker 1: and as we were just talking about, you know, how

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Speaker 1: how have people who've been lifers forever who followed this team,

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Speaker 1: how can they do it? This is why you have

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Speaker 1: a new found respect for guys like Dennis Ryan or

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Speaker 1: Fred Zamberletti, who was literally there before from the very

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Speaker 1: first game his entire life and has gone through the

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Speaker 1: range of emotions with this team. For me, having been

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Speaker 1: on the inside here now for as long as I

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Speaker 1: have and seeing people who've been here for longer, there's

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Speaker 1: a little bit of a remember this and remember that,

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Speaker 1: and trying to pick through that to try and find

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Speaker 1: a way to explain away your emotions, because there are

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Speaker 1: those moments where you just you're so invested and it's

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Speaker 1: either you're either so excited or it's just so soul

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Speaker 1: crushing that eventually, I think you find a way to

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Speaker 1: kind of harden yourself in order to prevent yourself from

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Speaker 1: being either hurt or too high on something. And it's

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Speaker 1: it's just part of being a Vikings and a Minnesota

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Speaker 1: sports fan. So does this make me a Vikings fan? Now?

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Speaker 1: I find myself venting a lot about the Vikings to

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Speaker 1: people within the company and people that are just fans. Dude,

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Speaker 1: you if you saw my text threat that I am on,

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Speaker 1: my human text threat that I am on with Jay

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Speaker 1: and Chris Corso you would be like, you guys should

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Speaker 1: throw your phones in the river on Sunday. Why do

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Speaker 1: you let him keep texting you? Jay's better at this

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Speaker 1: than me. I'm I'm the guy who rides a crazy

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Speaker 1: roller coaster that almost threw me off, and I'm like,

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Speaker 1: oh yeah, I'll get on again, fully knowing that they

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Speaker 1: didn't do any of the fixes, like you know, like

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Speaker 1: it could very well happen again. I just climb on,

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Speaker 1: get in the car. A glutton for punishment. Yeah, yeah,

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Speaker 1: it's absolutely I'm real dumb that way. Well, I mean,

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Speaker 1: and then as bad as as bad as we sound,

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Speaker 1: maybe as like we're like, oh, it's just so deflated.

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Speaker 1: There have been some very very great moments and a

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Speaker 1: lot of a lot of just of promise and potential.

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Speaker 1: I know that's a dangerous word when you're six weeks

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Speaker 1: into the season, that word potential, but it's there and

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Speaker 1: this week is a good week to reset. So uh si,

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Speaker 1: after the after the wins that we have this season,

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Speaker 1: we do this like minute of power, power, minute of positivity. Um,

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Speaker 1: I can I can let you go first if you

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Speaker 1: feel it or do you need us to kind of

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Speaker 1: pump you up, and then we'll get to you at

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Speaker 1: the end. I'll let I'll let other. I'm a gentleman,

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Speaker 1: so I'll let another can go first, all right, jastright,

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Speaker 1: just put you on the spot. J all right, you ready, yes, ma'am? Okay?

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Speaker 1: Three two one. After watching this game in Carolina, I

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Speaker 1: found myself literally standing in front of my television going

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Speaker 1: come on, Greg, come on Greg. At the end of

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Speaker 1: regulation and when it didn't go in, there was this

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Speaker 1: moment of all right, what do we got? In years past,

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Speaker 1: I think there'd be the feeling of saying, oh, no,

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Speaker 1: I don't know if we're gonna be able to do this,

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Speaker 1: but watching what this offense has been doing that only

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Speaker 1: in this game, but in multiple games so far this season.

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Speaker 1: There was a sense of confidence. When we won the

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Speaker 1: coin toss, I'm like, we're going to drive down the

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Speaker 1: field and score and end this thing. I think for

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Speaker 1: me that is a welcomed change this year is just

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Speaker 1: knowing that when you get into a situation where there's

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Speaker 1: a tight score at the end of a game, you

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Speaker 1: feel like, if that ball is in our hands, we

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Speaker 1: have a chance and we are going to win. So

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Speaker 1: that's been a fun thing for me to be able

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Speaker 1: to watch this year. On top of that, doing it

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Speaker 1: in Carolina, where I was last time we were facing

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Speaker 1: a Cam Newton. Seeing us be able to get a

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Speaker 1: win down in Carolina with or without a Christian McCaffrey

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Speaker 1: was a solid win in my opinion, and I really

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Speaker 1: enjoyed watching that game. If you have all of these

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Speaker 1: large wins, I guess you don't know how your team

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Speaker 1: responds in those moments. Unfortunately, we have the other side

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Speaker 1: of the coin where they're always in those moments and

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Speaker 1: so you don't know how they'll respond. And you're right.

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Speaker 1: There was a lot of confidence that Kirk Cousins will

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Speaker 1: put together another late in game drive because obviously a

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Speaker 1: lot of his late in game drives that he's been

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Speaker 1: able to do almost every single week of the season

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Speaker 1: haven't always ended in our favor. But really not to

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Speaker 1: Kirk's fault. It was another game where we were down

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Speaker 1: to this. I think everyone in general has had this

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Speaker 1: feeling of I need to find a time to meet

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Speaker 1: with my cardiologist just to make sure that we're gonna

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Speaker 1: be okay. You never said the word cardiologist more in

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Speaker 1: my life. But for me, the fact that we have

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Speaker 1: had multiple games come down to you gotta have it,

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Speaker 1: and our offense has at least put us within striking

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Speaker 1: distance to have a chance to win, versus having to

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Speaker 1: punt the ball away and cross your fingers that the

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Speaker 1: defense is going to be able to, you know, flip

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Speaker 1: the field again. For me, the fact that your offense

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Speaker 1: at this point is battle tested multiple times with the

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Speaker 1: murderers row of teams that are going to be coming

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Speaker 1: up here. Yet in the last eleven games, I think

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Speaker 1: if you are in a close game there there is

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Speaker 1: going to be a sense of confidence that hey, we

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Speaker 1: can still get this done and pull off a victory.

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Speaker 1: It's just how many years is going to take off

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Speaker 1: of our lives watching these games. I don't have the

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Speaker 1: answer to that, Gabe, you got an answer to that.

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Speaker 1: I don't know. I told Rick Spilman earlier this week

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Speaker 1: that I'm twenty nine going on seventy eight. He probably

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Speaker 1: thought that was funny. He said, it's very exciting. Right,

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Speaker 1: So yeah, I don't know if iving answered to Jay's

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Speaker 1: question other than just live through it all right, you

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Speaker 1: got a minute, I got a minute, all right, three

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Speaker 1: two one. My power of postivity has to be the

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Speaker 1: fact that we put together a complete game on offense

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Speaker 1: and defense sands the last drive of the game. We've

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Speaker 1: been looking for this defense to step up and only

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Speaker 1: given up two hundred in I think fourteen yards two

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Speaker 1: hundred and ten yards throughout the first three and three

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Speaker 1: quarters of the game. I think that says a lot

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Speaker 1: about how special this defense can be if we continue

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Speaker 1: on that track. On the offensive side of the ball,

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Speaker 1: the fact that we have five hundred and seventy one

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Speaker 1: yards the total offense, zero sacks allowed, Dalvin Cook had

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Speaker 1: a quiet one hundred and forty rushing yards. I think

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Speaker 1: that is a recipe for success for this offense going forward.

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Speaker 1: I was thoroughly impressed with this entire team as a

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Speaker 1: whole and the fact that we put it together from

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Speaker 1: the first play, not up until the last. But the

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Speaker 1: fact that we were able to show some flashes of

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Speaker 1: who we can be as an offense and as a defense.

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Speaker 1: I was excited with that. Granted, you want to put

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Speaker 1: your foot on these guys throat, like Mike Zimmer said,

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Speaker 1: but I'll take whatever I can get it very nice,

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Speaker 1: right on time. That's something that we haven't really seen

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Speaker 1: is you know, plays twenty plus yards and we know

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Speaker 1: Kirk has the arm, can he can do it. We've

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Speaker 1: got the receivers, we've got the speed. So I'm just

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Speaker 1: ready to see that happen. So, you know, it didn't

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Speaker 1: one hundred percent work in that game, but I can

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Speaker 1: take that away as something that we could potentially see

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Speaker 1: down the line. Those shots that they took. We can

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Speaker 1: take it with a grain of salt that we didn't

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Speaker 1: complete it. But the fact that Clint Kubiak is wanting

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Speaker 1: to take some shots out of sudden change, that says

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Speaker 1: a lot about our offense. That was one of my

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Speaker 1: keys to the game this past week is when we

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Speaker 1: have those sudden changed moments, take some shots. The first

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Speaker 1: sudden changed moment was to pick on the first play

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Speaker 1: we ran the ball. The second play only result in

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Speaker 1: the three points. The second time, when we got the

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Speaker 1: fumble play action passed on the first play thirty five

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Speaker 1: yards we ended up scoring. So getting aggressive in those

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Speaker 1: moments that was shades of Denny green Man. You're a

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Speaker 1: lifelong fan of his team. You remember nineteen ninety eight

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Speaker 1: when at the time the Vikings had the highest scoring

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Speaker 1: offense in the history in the NFL. When we would

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Speaker 1: get a turnover, do you could be on your two

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Speaker 1: yard line, You're like, well, he's gonna go to eat,

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Speaker 1: He's gonna take a shot. And I think there's just

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Speaker 1: something just mentally crushing for the opposing to not only

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Speaker 1: be deflated by a turnover, but then to be gouged

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Speaker 1: immediately where you don't even have a chance to catch

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Speaker 1: your breath and react to the turnover, you're already on

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Speaker 1: your heels. I think that can spiral momentum your direction

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Speaker 1: so quickly. So I think that shot right off the

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Speaker 1: turnover was to feel and wasn't it. Yeah? Yeah, it

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Speaker 1: was a thirty five yard plaques and pass. Well, that's

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Speaker 1: the thing I mean, I mean, you hit it right

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Speaker 1: on the head, like there's the ability is there? You

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Speaker 1: just have to do it. I mean, that's the thing.

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Speaker 1: I feel like that's been half the battle for me.

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Speaker 1: I think this first half of the season, or at

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Speaker 1: least this first third of the season, has been so

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Speaker 1: much of trying to figure out who are we like,

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Speaker 1: what do we have as weapons, what's our identity? We

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Speaker 1: were playing the run game as much as we were

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Speaker 1: Delvin got hurt, Alexander Madison stepped in and was able

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Speaker 1: to do some really good things. They're on offense, but

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Speaker 1: we're now at the point where I think we understand

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Speaker 1: what kind of weapons we really have, what is possible,

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Speaker 1: and being able to get to this bye week now

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Speaker 1: being three and three, knowing what we're facing coming forward,

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Speaker 1: the self scouting that the defense and the offense are

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Speaker 1: going to do for this team, hopefully then can find

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Speaker 1: other places where we can start to exploit teams given

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Speaker 1: a bunch of the weapons that have really stepped up

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Speaker 1: and become key contributors here on this offense. And I

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Speaker 1: think the fact, and maybe I'm maybe in a minority

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Speaker 1: on this, but I think the fact that we are

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Speaker 1: six games in three and three and we still don't

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Speaker 1: have a true identity, I think that is a good

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Speaker 1: thing because we a team can't say this is what

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Speaker 1: they want to do. We have so many weapons, like

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Speaker 1: Jay said, we can do so many different things that

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Speaker 1: there's so much room for growth at three and three.

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Speaker 1: Being in all these games, the fact that we can

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Speaker 1: still say, okay, well we can start run the ball

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Speaker 1: effectively if we want to. We haven't really established who

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Speaker 1: our old line is. But at the same time, once

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Speaker 1: you stopped their run, we still got some deep threats

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Speaker 1: on the offensive side of the ball. And now we're

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Speaker 1: starting to stop the run on defense. Now we can

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Speaker 1: figure out how to be smart on the back game

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Speaker 1: with our secondary. There's a lot of room for growth

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Speaker 1: for this entire team. One thing that's positive off of

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Speaker 1: that is the fact that if you get any game

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Speaker 1: or they start to shut you down in the running game,

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Speaker 1: you know you can open up passing wise and vice versa.

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Speaker 1: If all of a sudden they're shutting down and bracket

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Speaker 1: coveraging Jefferson and those guys. We saw how big of

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Speaker 1: a struggle at least it was in that Cleveland game.

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Speaker 1: Now that you've been through that, hopefully on the offensive side,

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Speaker 1: they're game planning for a way to remedy that again.

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Speaker 1: And we're going to find out, because there's some really

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Speaker 1: good defenses coming here in the next couple of weeks,

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Speaker 1: what potentially that's going to look like. So as long

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Speaker 1: as you're finding ways to not become one dimensional, I

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Speaker 1: think it's going to be a huge benefit for you

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Speaker 1: for the back half of the season. All right, So

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Speaker 1: I'm about to put you on the spot three two one. Well,

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Speaker 1: my positivity is going to come from a place of reality.

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Speaker 1: That's going to sound like a negative, So stick with me.

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Speaker 1: He only have fifty seconds. That game had the glimpses,

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Speaker 1: you know, the deep shot to feeling that they've mentioned,

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Speaker 1: you know, the drive and overtime. We've shown time and

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Speaker 1: time again that this team can really move the ball

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Speaker 1: up the field when it wants to. And you put

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Speaker 1: five hundred and seventy one yards on the board and

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Speaker 1: you get three turnovers, you don't expect to be playing

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Speaker 1: in overtime, you know, But the glimpses are there that

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Speaker 1: if this team gets a little more aggressive, which I

395
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Speaker 1: think everybody wants to in the right moments and in

396
00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:29,439
Speaker 1: the right places. I think that game against the Panthers,

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Speaker 1: even though I don't think the Panthers are a great team,

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Speaker 1: showed that this team can compete on both sides of

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Speaker 1: the ball against really good teams, which is what's about

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Speaker 1: to happen. Very nice. Yeah, it's about to be clearly clearly,

401
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Speaker 1: it's the internal clock. You've got the Cowboys, you're on

402
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Speaker 1: the road at the Ravens, at the Charger, You've got

403
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Speaker 1: the Packers coming up. It's not going to be easy,

404
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Speaker 1: So you can't make those kinds of mistakes, and you

405
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Speaker 1: have to capitalize on the ones that like the three

406
00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:01,200
Speaker 1: tournovers as you you have to capitalize, and those you

407
00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:03,840
Speaker 1: can't settle for field goals. You saw a lot of

408
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Speaker 1: both this past weekend, like people who were really like, hey,

409
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Speaker 1: a win's a win's a win, and you saw a

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Speaker 1: lot of fans who are like furious that it was

411
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Speaker 1: that close again. And I think the truth lies somewhere

412
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Speaker 1: in between those two, you know, gigantic emotions and to

413
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Speaker 1: be able to play the way we played and be

414
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Speaker 1: just a few moments away from executing a full floor

415
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Speaker 1: to ceiling football game that very easily could have been

416
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Speaker 1: a thirty one, you know, seventeen win a thirty like

417
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Speaker 1: you held them. When you look at a block punt,

418
00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:43,600
Speaker 1: which is a major, major mistake, When you look at

419
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Speaker 1: the fourth and four from your own the fourth down

420
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Speaker 1: on your own four yard line another major mistake, and

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Speaker 1: you look at the first two like Gabe mentioned turnovers,

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Speaker 1: when you probably could have been a little more aggressive

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Speaker 1: going for the end zone. There. Those are all situations

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Speaker 1: and that if one or two of those go the

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Speaker 1: other direction, because you're never going to execute everything perfectly.

426
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Speaker 1: You can't expect to have three turnovers each game. You

427
00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,359
Speaker 1: can't expect Robbie Anderson to drop I don't know, thirty

428
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Speaker 1: eight balls in a singular game, even though he's on

429
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Speaker 1: somebody's fantasy team on this program. Well, you saw glimpses

430
00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:22,200
Speaker 1: of what you saw in the Cardinals game, right, and

431
00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:24,880
Speaker 1: that is the team that I want to see all

432
00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,840
Speaker 1: season long, Like, yes, you're not gonna not make mistakes,

433
00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:30,159
Speaker 1: you're not gonna blow, You're not going to be perfect,

434
00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,760
Speaker 1: you'll blow an occasional coverage. Well, this team, with its

435
00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:36,399
Speaker 1: talent and what you saw against the Panthers again, you

436
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:39,359
Speaker 1: should be able to compete against really good teams and

437
00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:43,480
Speaker 1: put yourself in a position where if those crucial moments

438
00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,040
Speaker 1: bounce more your way than the other team's way, if

439
00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:48,200
Speaker 1: you execute a little bit more than the other team,

440
00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,240
Speaker 1: you should be able to win those games. And that

441
00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:53,359
Speaker 1: So that was a long way to get to a

442
00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:58,119
Speaker 1: really weird positive. But the Panthers game to me was

443
00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:02,600
Speaker 1: like a it's just a less fortunate, maybe crucially less

444
00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:06,040
Speaker 1: executed version of what we were able to do in

445
00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:09,320
Speaker 1: the Cardinals game. So if you can clean up those mistakes,

446
00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:11,800
Speaker 1: knowing who we were in the Cardinals game. That gives

447
00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,360
Speaker 1: me the confidence that we are going to compete against

448
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,760
Speaker 1: this crazy schedule we have coming up here. Yeah, you

449
00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:23,440
Speaker 1: gotta think one thing you didn't mention was JJ's fumble too. Right,

450
00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:27,080
Speaker 1: This Carolina Panthers team have fourteen drives on Sunday. Three

451
00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:29,360
Speaker 1: of their scoring drive well three of their drives only

452
00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,920
Speaker 1: went past thirty eight yards, and one of those drives

453
00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,040
Speaker 1: was the last drive of the game. So that says

454
00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:37,000
Speaker 1: a lot right there as far as we should have

455
00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:40,480
Speaker 1: taken care of business. I mean, it looked like we

456
00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:44,360
Speaker 1: should have just easily steamrolled the same But you got

457
00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:47,439
Speaker 1: those key plays, with those key moments where you got

458
00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:50,240
Speaker 1: to execute and not let the other team get momentum,

459
00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:52,880
Speaker 1: and that block punt and that fumble and some other

460
00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:54,960
Speaker 1: things happened in the game gave them some of that momentum.

461
00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:58,320
Speaker 1: So that's a bad time to talk about how that

462
00:22:58,320 --> 00:22:59,959
Speaker 1: should have been the Lions game as well. I mean,

463
00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:03,680
Speaker 1: it's just kind of like the I mean it should

464
00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:05,239
Speaker 1: A cold of wood is kind of a theme at

465
00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:08,000
Speaker 1: this point in time. This is an amazing moment for

466
00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,920
Speaker 1: the bye. You know, I would prefer a buye a

467
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,320
Speaker 1: little later in the season, you know, just generally. But

468
00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:19,040
Speaker 1: I think given what we've gone through and what's in

469
00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:21,120
Speaker 1: front of us, you couldn't have asked for a better

470
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,920
Speaker 1: week for the bye because we all know this is

471
00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,639
Speaker 1: a crucial season for a lot of important people. You know,

472
00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:28,560
Speaker 1: this is a big season for Mike Zimmer, It's a

473
00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,200
Speaker 1: big season for Rick Spielman, it's a big season for

474
00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:34,720
Speaker 1: Kirk Cousins. You know, we've all heard that narrative over

475
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:37,160
Speaker 1: and over and over and over again. And I think

476
00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:41,520
Speaker 1: what is Mike Zimmer best at, you know, having honest conversations.

477
00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:46,240
Speaker 1: He doesn't both you're at this moment here where you

478
00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:48,880
Speaker 1: know you're close as a team, and I think when

479
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,560
Speaker 1: all those coaches are able to spend this extra time

480
00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:55,040
Speaker 1: together and really push on one another and be honest

481
00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:57,600
Speaker 1: and self scout like I think I even heard Zimmer

482
00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,040
Speaker 1: talk about Coach Zimmer talk about that in one of

483
00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:04,040
Speaker 1: his pressors, you know, for the bye week. And so

484
00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:08,040
Speaker 1: when that happens, my hope is that some of the

485
00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,240
Speaker 1: inconsistencyams were like, we should have squashed this Lion's team out,

486
00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:13,960
Speaker 1: We should have squashed this Panther's team out. We should

487
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,080
Speaker 1: have been in a better position in the Browns game,

488
00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:19,320
Speaker 1: we should have executed better in the Bengals game. But

489
00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,679
Speaker 1: I think you're just in this perfect position. Like perfect

490
00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,000
Speaker 1: position is not the right word, because you know you'd

491
00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:26,320
Speaker 1: love to be five in one or six and oh

492
00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:29,159
Speaker 1: but if if you're a competitor and you know how

493
00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:31,280
Speaker 1: important to season is for you, like what more could

494
00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:35,000
Speaker 1: you ask for? As Kirk or as Mike Zimmer, as

495
00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,480
Speaker 1: Rick Spielman, Like you want to you want to be

496
00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:39,960
Speaker 1: one of the best teams in the NFC. You want

497
00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,880
Speaker 1: to prove who you are. You've got this perfect moment,

498
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,960
Speaker 1: this perfect bye week, after all this weirdness, to really

499
00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:52,800
Speaker 1: focus up and walk forward and prove who you are

500
00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:56,600
Speaker 1: and prove what you do. So I'm gonna until proven otherwise,

501
00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:58,920
Speaker 1: I'm gonna look at the bye week and where we're

502
00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:01,960
Speaker 1: at right now as a possibly a really big positive

503
00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,240
Speaker 1: and a chance to get right. You have to think

504
00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:07,359
Speaker 1: that the same things that we see while we're watching

505
00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:09,640
Speaker 1: the game, well we go back and watch the tape

506
00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,560
Speaker 1: or anything like that, they're seeing that stuff too, and

507
00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:15,480
Speaker 1: they're trying to figure out a way around it. So

508
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,200
Speaker 1: as much as we sit here and like we think

509
00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,720
Speaker 1: we figured out all the problems, like they're doing that too,

510
00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:22,680
Speaker 1: and that's what this week is for. To your points,

511
00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:24,600
Speaker 1: I I think it was week one of the season

512
00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,399
Speaker 1: that coach Zimmer came out of the locker room or

513
00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:29,600
Speaker 1: was going into the locker room at half and basically

514
00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,440
Speaker 1: was like, Kirt needs to get the ball out quicker. Yeah,

515
00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,440
Speaker 1: that was that was and every fan at home was like,

516
00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:40,000
Speaker 1: we agree. And then the team adjusted and they got

517
00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,200
Speaker 1: the ball out so quick against the Cardinals. They got

518
00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:45,280
Speaker 1: the ball out so quick against the Seahawks, and so

519
00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:47,520
Speaker 1: you know, and there was a different game with the Browns.

520
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:49,760
Speaker 1: They bring a different sort of pressure. Stefanski knows what

521
00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:52,800
Speaker 1: we like to do on offense, He knows Kirk really well. None,

522
00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:55,280
Speaker 1: no one on Twitter or on a podcast is going

523
00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,680
Speaker 1: to have the football understanding of what's going on from

524
00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:03,400
Speaker 1: an intricate xs and you know standpoint. But we all

525
00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,080
Speaker 1: know where this team's at, and the coaches, you know,

526
00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:09,280
Speaker 1: Coach Zimmer has always been pretty forthright about where the

527
00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:11,720
Speaker 1: team's at and where he thinks the team's at. And

528
00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,880
Speaker 1: so that's the sort of that mentality is what gives

529
00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:17,800
Speaker 1: me a hope like end of October, November, December, that's

530
00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:19,760
Speaker 1: when you really want to be jelling. So if we

531
00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,159
Speaker 1: were going to go through all these up and downs,

532
00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:24,320
Speaker 1: let's take them in the first six games. Even though

533
00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:28,200
Speaker 1: there were a couple of easier teams in that stretch.

534
00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,000
Speaker 1: We were six games in, we've gotten to see some

535
00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:34,600
Speaker 1: big moments, some really good plays, things of that nature.

536
00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:38,600
Speaker 1: So we're going to do some in season superlatives and

537
00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:42,919
Speaker 1: we'll just kind of rapid fire quick answers go around

538
00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:47,359
Speaker 1: the table here and kick things off. So six games in,

539
00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:51,480
Speaker 1: what has been your favorite moment? I think Week one

540
00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:55,800
Speaker 1: just having fans back at US Bank Stadium is by

541
00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:59,240
Speaker 1: far the most memorable thing for me thus far this year,

542
00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:02,119
Speaker 1: and not having fans last year, and then experiencing that,

543
00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:05,120
Speaker 1: experiencing that Dustin Lynch concert Week one, right before the game,

544
00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,800
Speaker 1: having all the purple out there in the plaza and

545
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,080
Speaker 1: then they made their way over to the stadium. So

546
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:12,560
Speaker 1: having fans back for the first time and having our

547
00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:16,080
Speaker 1: twelfth man affect Rossell Wilson, who had his first game

548
00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:18,680
Speaker 1: at US Bank Stadium in his career, made that game

549
00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:22,080
Speaker 1: just a memorable to me. So it's going to be hard. Honestly,

550
00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:23,960
Speaker 1: we can get to week seventeen and I can probably

551
00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:25,800
Speaker 1: still still have the same answer, right, It's going to

552
00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:28,359
Speaker 1: be hard to top what Week one did to me. Ye,

553
00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:30,399
Speaker 1: I'm gonna actually piggyback a little bit off of what

554
00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,040
Speaker 1: Gabe says there, and it's an actually a specific moment

555
00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,000
Speaker 1: for me. The fifteen minutes beforehand we call it kickoff

556
00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,919
Speaker 1: for those who have been at the game. We revamped

557
00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,200
Speaker 1: everything this year, and Monday ran the first three and

558
00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:42,960
Speaker 1: a half minutes and then there's kind of a lull

559
00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:46,359
Speaker 1: that right before it kicks into the second part of showtime.

560
00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:49,520
Speaker 1: The fans actually got up on their feet and started cheering.

561
00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:52,960
Speaker 1: Just one being back, but two being able to see

562
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,960
Speaker 1: what we put together and just having that roar of

563
00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,359
Speaker 1: emotion from the fans and seeing them stand up and

564
00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:03,040
Speaker 1: cheer loudly. Legitimately, sitting in the control room got choked

565
00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:06,040
Speaker 1: up watching this, saying, I can't believe how much I

566
00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,600
Speaker 1: missed this. It was so great to have everyone back

567
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,960
Speaker 1: in the building. Like you said, that Seattle game in

568
00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:13,879
Speaker 1: general was electric, but for me, that specific moment of

569
00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:17,480
Speaker 1: having him back, having them excited, and having him appreciate

570
00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,240
Speaker 1: what was about to happen, and what was happening was

571
00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:22,320
Speaker 1: something that really got to me. So kudos to the

572
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,440
Speaker 1: fans for making me the emotional guy that I tried

573
00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:28,040
Speaker 1: not to be on game day. I love it, sigh,

574
00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,240
Speaker 1: was your favorite moment so far this season? Stick with

575
00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:36,200
Speaker 1: me here. I think the Kirk Cousins, Mike Zimmer shove

576
00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:40,480
Speaker 1: celebration love it. I like that. It was so. I'm

577
00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:44,560
Speaker 1: a comedian, so just from a peer comedy standpoint, watching

578
00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:50,280
Speaker 1: a quarterback shout his catchphrase while shoving a sixty year

579
00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:53,440
Speaker 1: old coach who then shoves him harder back, it was like,

580
00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:56,200
Speaker 1: that was the funniest thing I've ever And I'm not

581
00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:57,800
Speaker 1: one of those people who think it was some like,

582
00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:03,520
Speaker 1: oh there's something brewing under I thought it was so

583
00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:08,000
Speaker 1: funny and so great. And I have eight siblings and

584
00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,280
Speaker 1: there are a lot of different personalities in there, and

585
00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:13,760
Speaker 1: we all love each other and we all get along

586
00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:16,200
Speaker 1: and sometimes we want to shove each other and shout

587
00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:20,320
Speaker 1: you like that. So I think just the dynamic of

588
00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:24,720
Speaker 1: their evolving relationship this year and now they're watching films,

589
00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,760
Speaker 1: it's kind of cute. Well when you hear PA talking

590
00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:30,320
Speaker 1: about how they're trying to understand each other. It's just

591
00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:33,920
Speaker 1: a very funny situation that I love. And if this

592
00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,680
Speaker 1: team goes on a run, Like, if this team goes

593
00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:40,880
Speaker 1: on a run and really does something special this year,

594
00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,920
Speaker 1: how can you not hang a photo of them, like

595
00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:49,280
Speaker 1: just like they look. Remember that old Gabe, you're an

596
00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:53,200
Speaker 1: NBA guy, That old picture of Doctor Jay and Larry

597
00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:56,400
Speaker 1: Bird just a hand around each other's throat. That's so

598
00:29:56,560 --> 00:30:00,560
Speaker 1: fame now they were fighting. But like, if if this

599
00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:05,200
Speaker 1: team that, if you, yeah, I think that's more of

600
00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:10,640
Speaker 1: a Larry Bird shout. If this team really does something,

601
00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:13,280
Speaker 1: frame that picture and hang it up right there, because

602
00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:16,040
Speaker 1: I thought that was just such a weird, raw, funny,

603
00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:19,640
Speaker 1: fantastic moment. Did you see that one that he tweeted

604
00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:23,280
Speaker 1: out from this past week? Yeah in the tunnel? Yeah, yeah,

605
00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:27,040
Speaker 1: he like with his catchphrase on it, you know, having

606
00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:29,880
Speaker 1: fun with it. I appreciate the humor. Kirk is such

607
00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:32,200
Speaker 1: a tightly wound guy. You know, that's not a secret.

608
00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,280
Speaker 1: And I'm not even that's not even a criticism. We

609
00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,520
Speaker 1: all know that. You listen to the way he runs

610
00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:38,800
Speaker 1: his schedule, you listen to the way he runs his life,

611
00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:42,840
Speaker 1: you know. And and Zimmer is such an intense guy.

612
00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:47,600
Speaker 1: You know, that dynamic of those two getting more comfortable

613
00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:50,840
Speaker 1: with one another and loosening up, and you know, even

614
00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:53,640
Speaker 1: just flowing within one another and within the team. I

615
00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:56,800
Speaker 1: think that's a super powerful thing. Any anybody who's ever

616
00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:59,800
Speaker 1: been in a locker room knows that when leaders, when

617
00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:03,880
Speaker 1: our walls breakdown a little bit, that leads to nothing

618
00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:08,520
Speaker 1: but goodness moving forward. And so I yeah, it was weird,

619
00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:10,800
Speaker 1: it was funny. I think it was a good thing,

620
00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:13,520
Speaker 1: and I think if we go on a run, that

621
00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:17,040
Speaker 1: is going to be an iconic Viking moment, despite how

622
00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:22,240
Speaker 1: much people theorized, criticized, and laughed about it. My favorite

623
00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:26,520
Speaker 1: moment is also from the first game of the season,

624
00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:30,320
Speaker 1: just the dominant performance over Russell Wilson, someone who has

625
00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,040
Speaker 1: really had the Vikings number over the last few years.

626
00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:37,280
Speaker 1: First loss to the Vikings and seven tries, and before that,

627
00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:39,840
Speaker 1: the Seattle had beat the Vikings by an average margin

628
00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,160
Speaker 1: of fourteen points, so it just was kind of like

629
00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,000
Speaker 1: he kind of owned them at that point. So now

630
00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:47,120
Speaker 1: you know, the first one of the season, first win

631
00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,160
Speaker 1: back home, first win in front of the crowd. My

632
00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:51,120
Speaker 1: first win is a Vikings fan. I mean, it was

633
00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:53,280
Speaker 1: just crazy. That's probably the best thing you can ask

634
00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:55,760
Speaker 1: for your home opener with fans playing against a team

635
00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,280
Speaker 1: that you never beat and then winning in that type

636
00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:01,440
Speaker 1: of fashion. Ask for anything better than that? Yeah, I

637
00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:03,440
Speaker 1: mean every time you game playing for the Seahawks, it's

638
00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:07,080
Speaker 1: contained Russell Wilson. That's exactly what happened. So all right,

639
00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:10,920
Speaker 1: moving on, let's talk about our votes for the best

640
00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:14,680
Speaker 1: play of the season. I'm gonna go with the last thing.

641
00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:17,000
Speaker 1: What if you've done for me lately, and that's kJ Osbourne.

642
00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:19,520
Speaker 1: He has scored a touchdown for us lately and that

643
00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:22,320
Speaker 1: is by far my best play so far in the

644
00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:24,960
Speaker 1: first six weeks of the season. The twenty seven yard touchdown,

645
00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,840
Speaker 1: the walk off, the hellmin throw like Stefan Dix did

646
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,800
Speaker 1: during the Minneapolis miracle, and the way that he's been

647
00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:35,520
Speaker 1: clutch all season. I think he is deserving of whatever

648
00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:40,480
Speaker 1: opportunities or whatever prosperities that's coming his way, whether that's

649
00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:43,320
Speaker 1: this season or next season. Having seventy eight receiving yards

650
00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:45,640
Speaker 1: in that game and then having fifty six of those

651
00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:47,920
Speaker 1: receiving yards on the last two drives of that game,

652
00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:50,640
Speaker 1: that pretty much tells you everything you need to know.

653
00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:53,640
Speaker 1: About kJ. He's clutch. He knows how to make big plays,

654
00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:55,360
Speaker 1: and he makes him when we need him the most,

655
00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:58,040
Speaker 1: especially against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. I'm a big

656
00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,240
Speaker 1: fan of alliteration, so I'm out spelling clutch with a

657
00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:04,800
Speaker 1: K clutch kJ, I'm finally say, you want to go,

658
00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:09,000
Speaker 1: best play in the In the Seattle game, he had pressure.

659
00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:10,400
Speaker 1: I think it was coming up the middle right at

660
00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,520
Speaker 1: him on his back foot with someone like. He didn't

661
00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:18,360
Speaker 1: turn away, he didn't roll, he didn't avoid, He just stepped,

662
00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:22,080
Speaker 1: faded away, delivered a ball across the middle that was

663
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,360
Speaker 1: caught for a first down well being hit, I honestly

664
00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:28,320
Speaker 1: think outside of a throw he made his first season

665
00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:32,120
Speaker 1: against the Packers, it was the best throw of his

666
00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:36,800
Speaker 1: entire Viking career. Was that the first down completion to kJ? Yeah? Yeah,

667
00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:41,640
Speaker 1: that was an insane pilling Yeah, that's that's who Kirk

668
00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:44,480
Speaker 1: is capable of being. And so I think when you

669
00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:48,080
Speaker 1: when you hear people get frustrated, or you hear people

670
00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:51,480
Speaker 1: like and when the old line is struggling and they're frustrated,

671
00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:53,560
Speaker 1: he doesn't have time, you know that that was a

672
00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:56,040
Speaker 1: superhuman throw. That was one of those throws that when

673
00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,280
Speaker 1: people are like, hey, are you are you a top whatever? Guy?

674
00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:01,280
Speaker 1: Are you this per And like, every once in a while,

675
00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:04,160
Speaker 1: in an important moment, you got to lean back when

676
00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:06,640
Speaker 1: the pocket is messy and you have to make something

677
00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:10,200
Speaker 1: happen despite your surroundings. And I think that's what a

678
00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:13,640
Speaker 1: lot of people have been begging Kirk to do. And

679
00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:16,200
Speaker 1: to see him do that in a game that then, oh,

680
00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,040
Speaker 1: by the way, turned into a steam rolling I just

681
00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:22,399
Speaker 1: I thought it was fantastic. So for me, that's that's

682
00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:24,040
Speaker 1: my play of the year. That's right. I mean even

683
00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:26,200
Speaker 1: to that point, he had a similar play against the Lions,

684
00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:30,600
Speaker 1: blitzed up the middle third down, he just lobbed it up,

685
00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:32,920
Speaker 1: takes to hit. Granted it got called back so it

686
00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:35,480
Speaker 1: didn't count, but as the play to JJ that got

687
00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:37,480
Speaker 1: called back on third down. But it's like, man, like,

688
00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:40,200
Speaker 1: we've never seen Kirk make plays like this, so the

689
00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:42,640
Speaker 1: fact that he's doing it now, it's like, okay, like

690
00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,400
Speaker 1: maybe this is the Kirk Cousins that we thought we

691
00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:48,160
Speaker 1: were getting four years ago, and he's now finally coming

692
00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:51,440
Speaker 1: starting to come to fruition because he's more comfortable. When

693
00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:55,200
Speaker 1: I promise you, when you see you know, Cowboys, Packers,

694
00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:59,399
Speaker 1: you know Ravens. When you get that run, you're gonna

695
00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:02,080
Speaker 1: need one or two of those plays. One one of

696
00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:04,640
Speaker 1: those plays, two of those plays in a game could

697
00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:07,320
Speaker 1: break you the right direction when you're playing a really,

698
00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:09,440
Speaker 1: really good team. So it's it's nice to have seen

699
00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:12,200
Speaker 1: him done it, done it. Which nice to have seen

700
00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:17,479
Speaker 1: him sounds like my people, All right, Jay, your best

701
00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:19,920
Speaker 1: play of the season so far. I think my oh

702
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:23,640
Speaker 1: while moment was the Eric Kendricks one handed I and

703
00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:28,400
Speaker 1: T versus Detroit. I think in that moment, again a

704
00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:31,160
Speaker 1: game that was way closer than most people thought it

705
00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,719
Speaker 1: should have been, but having him stick out the big

706
00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:36,399
Speaker 1: paw and you know, snagging that out in mid air

707
00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:39,480
Speaker 1: and having a decent return with that, I think the

708
00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:42,239
Speaker 1: juice that happened from that play was big, not only

709
00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:44,120
Speaker 1: for the defense, but to get that ball back into

710
00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:47,399
Speaker 1: the offensive hands. I think it was a critical moment

711
00:35:47,719 --> 00:35:49,879
Speaker 1: in that game that helped us get to the point

712
00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:52,080
Speaker 1: where we could finally finish that thing. But for me,

713
00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:54,920
Speaker 1: that Kendricks I and T was just super athletic and

714
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:58,280
Speaker 1: super impressive. My best play also comes from the Lions

715
00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:03,400
Speaker 1: game with all of the tall tales of Vikings kickers.

716
00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:07,040
Speaker 1: I know it hasn't been the perfect season for Greg Joseph,

717
00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:11,320
Speaker 1: but in a moment where you cannot lose the Lions,

718
00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:14,440
Speaker 1: you cannot drop to one in three, you cannot snap

719
00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:17,359
Speaker 1: a seven game win streak, he nails a fifty four

720
00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,000
Speaker 1: yard field goal. This is after he misses the one

721
00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:22,239
Speaker 1: in Arizona, and he was four or five for the

722
00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:24,239
Speaker 1: day with a career long of fifty five, so he

723
00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:27,120
Speaker 1: had already missed one the day. And so to know

724
00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:31,080
Speaker 1: that he was able to block out all of the doubt,

725
00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:35,200
Speaker 1: the haters, the history, any of the tales you hear

726
00:36:35,239 --> 00:36:39,200
Speaker 1: about the Vikings kicking situations, and for him to get that,

727
00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:41,800
Speaker 1: I know the win versus Allions and it should have

728
00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:45,440
Speaker 1: been more, but for me especially, I guess after Mike Zimmers,

729
00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:47,040
Speaker 1: I'd give him a break. We gave him a break

730
00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:49,960
Speaker 1: and he came through in the clutch. So all right,

731
00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:52,680
Speaker 1: moving on, let's go to the next one. The next

732
00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:57,040
Speaker 1: superlative is the biggest surprise so far this season. You know,

733
00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:00,640
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go again. I'm gonna go with Kirk coming

734
00:37:00,719 --> 00:37:03,120
Speaker 1: into this season with all the one year contracts and

735
00:37:03,239 --> 00:37:05,759
Speaker 1: all the changes and everything being rebuilt and all the

736
00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:08,000
Speaker 1: new players and everything. You know, I thought we'd take

737
00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:11,840
Speaker 1: a while to gel and last year he had a

738
00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:15,520
Speaker 1: really rough for six games with a whole bunch of turnovers,

739
00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:17,960
Speaker 1: and I didn't expect him to be that guy. But

740
00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:20,560
Speaker 1: you know, I thought it would take this team a

741
00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:22,839
Speaker 1: little bit offensively, and it would take him a little

742
00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:27,120
Speaker 1: bit to get rolling offensively. And I have been pleasantly

743
00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:32,400
Speaker 1: surprised at the consistent, for the most part, high level

744
00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:34,880
Speaker 1: of play that has come from him, you know, and

745
00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:37,080
Speaker 1: that's you expect a certain but it's what we were

746
00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,479
Speaker 1: just talking about. You expect a certain level from Kirk.

747
00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:43,000
Speaker 1: I've been pleasantly surprised by the things that have gone

748
00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:47,400
Speaker 1: above my expectations. That's a very very good point, Gabe.

749
00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:51,960
Speaker 1: Your biggest surprise so far, bigger surprise thus far has

750
00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:55,520
Speaker 1: to be McKenzie Alexander bringing in a guy that has

751
00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:58,840
Speaker 1: already spent four years here, got a contract elsewhere, and

752
00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:02,080
Speaker 1: then you bring him back. Mentally, you think, Okay, this guy,

753
00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:05,080
Speaker 1: he's just back to get another big contract, but you

754
00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:07,240
Speaker 1: don't know how he's going to buy into it, especially

755
00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:10,799
Speaker 1: with Zemmer saying, you know, McKenzie Alexander. He's a guy

756
00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:13,360
Speaker 1: that was hardheaded at the beginning, but he kind of

757
00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:15,919
Speaker 1: figured it out the way that McKenzie has been playing

758
00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:19,239
Speaker 1: right now. Outside of that one play against the Cincinnati

759
00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:23,520
Speaker 1: Bengals where he dropped the interception and Tee Higgins caught

760
00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:26,080
Speaker 1: it ended up scoring a touchdown, McKenzie Alexander has been

761
00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:30,400
Speaker 1: phenomenal this year. Like the question is now and do

762
00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:32,759
Speaker 1: you move him outside that P two is hurt or

763
00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:34,520
Speaker 1: do you keep him inside? I think you keep him

764
00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:38,040
Speaker 1: inside because he's been playing like the best nickel cornerback

765
00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:40,080
Speaker 1: in the league right now. Like if you go back

766
00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:42,799
Speaker 1: and just watch the film the way McKenzie was able

767
00:38:42,840 --> 00:38:45,040
Speaker 1: to slide in and elevate the play of their the

768
00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:48,160
Speaker 1: dB room, kudos to that guy. I'm going to kind

769
00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:51,560
Speaker 1: of expand on that real fast. My biggest surprise has

770
00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:55,680
Speaker 1: been but Shod Brelan. Now go with me on this one,

771
00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:59,920
Speaker 1: because weeks one through three we were a little word

772
00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:04,400
Speaker 1: read it one like the best of play. But Bashad Brelan,

773
00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:07,200
Speaker 1: despite you know, leaving in the fourth in week four,

774
00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:12,400
Speaker 1: weeks five and six have been complete turnarounds, And for me,

775
00:39:12,520 --> 00:39:16,960
Speaker 1: the amount of difference in play is my biggest surprise

776
00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:21,040
Speaker 1: this season. So this is a PFF stat because I

777
00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:23,879
Speaker 1: am a big numbers person myself. I like to see

778
00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:27,720
Speaker 1: it in action. So he allowed eighteen catches two hundred

779
00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:33,000
Speaker 1: and fifty seven yards and four touchdowns on twenty one targets.

780
00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:37,440
Speaker 1: So that's not great. It's not great. Good Now, so

781
00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:42,440
Speaker 1: weeks of four through six he was fifty targeted fifteen times.

782
00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:46,000
Speaker 1: He allowed five catches for forty three yards and no touchdowns.

783
00:39:46,719 --> 00:39:49,040
Speaker 1: He missed eight tackles in the first three weeks, missed

784
00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:53,800
Speaker 1: one in the next three. Now, if he can continue

785
00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:56,920
Speaker 1: to play like this, that's great because we need it

786
00:39:57,040 --> 00:40:00,440
Speaker 1: after Patrick Peterson is now on the ir and so

787
00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:03,640
Speaker 1: for me, I know it's kind of a weird surprise,

788
00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:06,960
Speaker 1: but honestly, when I saw those numbers, I was very

789
00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:10,800
Speaker 1: surprised to see the difference the way he's played. I

790
00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:14,560
Speaker 1: mean the Carolina Panthers game in particular, how well he

791
00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:17,560
Speaker 1: played that game. That does show that we are getting

792
00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:20,240
Speaker 1: the Bishop brilliant that we thought we were getting earlier

793
00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:22,719
Speaker 1: this season. Early in the season is the time you

794
00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:24,759
Speaker 1: two want to make those mistakes. So the fact that

795
00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:26,879
Speaker 1: he's turned it around these past three games has been

796
00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:30,880
Speaker 1: very well, surprising in case anybody wanted to know. I

797
00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:32,920
Speaker 1: know a lot of it has been made about him

798
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,840
Speaker 1: being ranked one sixteenth out of one hundred and sixteen

799
00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:38,839
Speaker 1: cornerbacks in the league that played in the first three weeks.

800
00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:41,520
Speaker 1: He was fourth in the last three weeks out of

801
00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:44,279
Speaker 1: one hundred and nineteen. So just I mean, honestly, what

802
00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:47,200
Speaker 1: a glow up? Jay? It is now your turn? What

803
00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:50,960
Speaker 1: is your biggest surprise of the season. My honorable mentions

804
00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:53,840
Speaker 1: have been Nick Vigil and Tyler Conklin given the elevation

805
00:40:53,920 --> 00:40:56,640
Speaker 1: of play that they've had this season, but given the

806
00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,719
Speaker 1: way things were being discussed in the offseason of if

807
00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:02,680
Speaker 1: kJ Osborne was even going to make the roster this year,

808
00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:06,440
Speaker 1: the fact that he is now captain clutch and is,

809
00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:09,960
Speaker 1: without a doubt the number three receiving option on this

810
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,200
Speaker 1: team has been awesome to see. You know, he talked

811
00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:15,400
Speaker 1: about on the audible how how much he worked this

812
00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:19,600
Speaker 1: offseason to make sure that he could contribute, and if

813
00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:22,640
Speaker 1: you all remember, the discussion at the beginning of the

814
00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:25,200
Speaker 1: season was essentially how Irv Smith Junior was going to

815
00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:27,400
Speaker 1: be our number three target as a tight end. It

816
00:41:27,440 --> 00:41:29,560
Speaker 1: doesn't matter about the wide receiver we'll figure it out,

817
00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:31,080
Speaker 1: but IRV is going to be the guy to carry

818
00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:35,720
Speaker 1: the load. When IRV left due to injury, Tyler Conklin

819
00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:37,680
Speaker 1: and kJ Osborne everyone kind of looked at them like,

820
00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:39,720
Speaker 1: are you guys even gonna be able to fill anything

821
00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:41,560
Speaker 1: remotely close to the shoes that we thought we were

822
00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:43,719
Speaker 1: going to get the fact that kJ has done what

823
00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:46,560
Speaker 1: he's done week after week and has now established himself

824
00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:49,680
Speaker 1: not only as the third option but as a third

825
00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:53,799
Speaker 1: serious threat on this offense in the wide receiver room

826
00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:56,560
Speaker 1: has been great. So for me, it's kJ Osborne. The

827
00:41:56,719 --> 00:41:59,440
Speaker 1: last time the Vikings had three wide receivers on their

828
00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:04,040
Speaker 1: roster who accumulated five hundred yards was two thousand and

829
00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:08,520
Speaker 1: nine with Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin and Bernard Berrian Brett

830
00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:12,080
Speaker 1: Farve's big year. This this city has gone through a

831
00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:17,160
Speaker 1: wide receiver three drought that is so laughable that we're

832
00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:20,120
Speaker 1: ready to put a gold jacket on Jerry's right for

833
00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:25,359
Speaker 1: his performances. So to finally, and to Jay's point, also,

834
00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:27,560
Speaker 1: I think about what this means. You know, I know,

835
00:42:27,760 --> 00:42:29,560
Speaker 1: I know the type of sets we normally run, I

836
00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:32,960
Speaker 1: know the I know the focus of this offense, and

837
00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:35,480
Speaker 1: I know, we're focused on this season right now, but

838
00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:39,799
Speaker 1: when IRV comes back and you have kJ, I mean,

839
00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:42,000
Speaker 1: did you got kJ and Jigit in the same draft?

840
00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:46,640
Speaker 1: That is bonkers. You know, we've always had good offensive talent,

841
00:42:46,960 --> 00:42:50,000
Speaker 1: but you're not talking about three very legitimate go to

842
00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:54,040
Speaker 1: wide receivers if kJ continues to progress, a tight end

843
00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:57,000
Speaker 1: that has the ability to climb into the upper echelon

844
00:42:57,080 --> 00:43:00,600
Speaker 1: of tight ends, possibly the best running back in the NFL,

845
00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:03,600
Speaker 1: and a young offensive line. That's why when I was

846
00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:06,000
Speaker 1: talking about the Panthers game earlier and it was like,

847
00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:08,000
Speaker 1: well we scored all these yards, we were so close

848
00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:10,200
Speaker 1: to that being the sort of win it should be

849
00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:14,360
Speaker 1: a big margin win where you really are explosive on offense.

850
00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:16,160
Speaker 1: I think this team is going to be able to

851
00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:22,200
Speaker 1: find a balance between being appropriately conservative and appropriately explosive

852
00:43:22,239 --> 00:43:25,880
Speaker 1: at the same time, and I think kJ Osborne is

853
00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:28,080
Speaker 1: a huge part of that, not only for this year

854
00:43:28,160 --> 00:43:32,800
Speaker 1: but going forward. It's so interesting to see even the

855
00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:36,680
Speaker 1: league in general, that wide receiver class from last year.

856
00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:40,600
Speaker 1: That's just crazy to cause it the best wide receiver

857
00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:42,799
Speaker 1: draft class of all time. I mean, he's not wrong,

858
00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:46,399
Speaker 1: not wrong at all. This is debatable, but they're really big.

859
00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:51,680
Speaker 1: Everything is debatable game. That's why we have a podcasts.

860
00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:57,239
Speaker 1: All right, more debate up next on the best offseason acquisition, Jay,

861
00:43:57,360 --> 00:44:00,480
Speaker 1: I will let you go first this time. The giant

862
00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:04,799
Speaker 1: question mark when Everson Griffin was resigned was what does

863
00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:06,279
Speaker 1: he have left in the tank and what can he

864
00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:08,840
Speaker 1: actually do for this team? Everyone assumed he would be

865
00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:11,440
Speaker 1: a backup. Everyone assumed he would be a contributor that way.

866
00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:13,960
Speaker 1: He is now currently second on the team in sex

867
00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:17,480
Speaker 1: with four behind Neil Hunter was six. For me, what

868
00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:20,000
Speaker 1: Everson has been able to do, not only in spot

869
00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:24,240
Speaker 1: duty but now in essentially starting duty has been awesome.

870
00:44:24,400 --> 00:44:27,200
Speaker 1: And so I think haven't Everson back in not only

871
00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:29,360
Speaker 1: for the production, but for just the juice he provides

872
00:44:29,400 --> 00:44:32,200
Speaker 1: in that locker room. I think it's raised the levels

873
00:44:32,239 --> 00:44:34,120
Speaker 1: of everybody on that defensive line room. So for me,

874
00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:36,800
Speaker 1: it's been Everson coming back this year. So the answer

875
00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:38,279
Speaker 1: to your question is what does he have left in

876
00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:41,920
Speaker 1: the tank is full and that's the thing until we

877
00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:46,040
Speaker 1: get to and that was one of the things breaks Yeah,

878
00:44:46,239 --> 00:44:48,400
Speaker 1: and I'd say it's jet fuel because he's just been

879
00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:50,400
Speaker 1: shot out of a cannon for me, and the thing

880
00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:54,800
Speaker 1: about it is listening to Andrea Patterson talk in different areas.

881
00:44:55,239 --> 00:44:57,840
Speaker 1: They said, you know, they're concerned that Everson would be

882
00:44:58,400 --> 00:45:00,200
Speaker 1: basically burned out by the end of the Sea season,

883
00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:01,799
Speaker 1: so they want to find ways to kind of spell

884
00:45:01,920 --> 00:45:03,680
Speaker 1: him and to get him to that back into the season.

885
00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:06,160
Speaker 1: But I mean, the production that you've gotten so far

886
00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:09,719
Speaker 1: this season from him, how do you try and pull

887
00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:12,839
Speaker 1: that back? You can, especially when you have some high

888
00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:16,360
Speaker 1: flying offenses coming in, So hopefully Everson can continue on

889
00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:18,439
Speaker 1: this run the way that he has been. But it's

890
00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:22,400
Speaker 1: been fun to watch the season. SI your best offseason acquisition,

891
00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:25,880
Speaker 1: mine's going to be predictive. It's not something that's already happened.

892
00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:29,040
Speaker 1: It's something that's just started happening. I think it's Christian

893
00:45:29,080 --> 00:45:34,799
Speaker 1: dea saw, you know. I Rashad Hill is fantastic at

894
00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:37,800
Speaker 1: what he's expected to do, you know, and he's a

895
00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:41,160
Speaker 1: great filling. But even in one game, I think we

896
00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:45,560
Speaker 1: saw the difference that Christian derra Saw is capable of

897
00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:48,320
Speaker 1: bringing to the football field. And I think if his

898
00:45:48,520 --> 00:45:51,960
Speaker 1: focus out there is making sure he finishes every single

899
00:45:52,080 --> 00:45:55,919
Speaker 1: play and is engaged start to finish on every single play.

900
00:45:56,280 --> 00:45:57,839
Speaker 1: By the end of this season, I think you're gonna

901
00:45:57,840 --> 00:46:01,080
Speaker 1: have people buying Christian derra saw jerseys. That's not something

902
00:46:01,480 --> 00:46:05,240
Speaker 1: that I thought I was going to be thinking normally

903
00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:07,759
Speaker 1: with offensive lineman. If you're a Minnesota Viking fan, you

904
00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:10,200
Speaker 1: put in your brain like, okay, we drafted him. Now

905
00:46:10,320 --> 00:46:13,879
Speaker 1: begins the three year process of whether or not I'm

906
00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:16,719
Speaker 1: willing to consider that this guy should keep being on

907
00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:20,560
Speaker 1: our offensive line. I thought he looked fantastic on Sunday

908
00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:23,800
Speaker 1: against a very good defensive line, and he's gonna have

909
00:46:23,920 --> 00:46:28,120
Speaker 1: some real tests and I my prediction is he's going

910
00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:30,200
Speaker 1: to make a lot of people look very smart by

911
00:46:30,239 --> 00:46:31,840
Speaker 1: the end of the season. I like it. I like

912
00:46:32,000 --> 00:46:35,960
Speaker 1: it game. I'm gonna go Dalvin Thomlinson. I know our

913
00:46:36,040 --> 00:46:39,319
Speaker 1: run defense doesn't show the amount of effort that he's

914
00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:44,560
Speaker 1: put into driving centers and guards back, but when Michael

915
00:46:44,600 --> 00:46:47,080
Speaker 1: Pierce went out and other teams started running away from

916
00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:50,719
Speaker 1: Dalvin Thomlinson, it showed how dominant he's been. Like the

917
00:46:50,840 --> 00:46:53,600
Speaker 1: past two games, teams haven't been running for yardage the

918
00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:56,320
Speaker 1: way the Browns did or how the Cincinnati being was.

919
00:46:56,400 --> 00:46:58,759
Speaker 1: Did the Cincinnati Beings game like, I've kind of like

920
00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:01,560
Speaker 1: thrown that game out of the window. This by Sunday,

921
00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:04,600
Speaker 1: Dalvin Thominson a second and a half, a forced fumble,

922
00:47:04,920 --> 00:47:07,759
Speaker 1: two QB hurries, and not to mention what he did

923
00:47:07,800 --> 00:47:10,359
Speaker 1: in the run game by just pushing Matt Parrotti's back,

924
00:47:10,600 --> 00:47:14,080
Speaker 1: Like what he's done versus what we had the past,

925
00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:17,800
Speaker 1: the previous years. I think Dalvin Thomason is going to

926
00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:20,600
Speaker 1: be a detackle here to stay here in Minnesota. And

927
00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:24,799
Speaker 1: I love that that selection. Even when we selected him

928
00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:27,360
Speaker 1: this offseason, I just remember looking at his tape and

929
00:47:27,360 --> 00:47:29,440
Speaker 1: I was like, like, teams aren't going to be able

930
00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:32,440
Speaker 1: to run the ball up the middle, and now teams

931
00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:34,640
Speaker 1: are starting to try to figure out, Okay, how do

932
00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:37,600
Speaker 1: we run away from this guy? How can we neutralize

933
00:47:37,640 --> 00:47:40,520
Speaker 1: this guy from getting pressures? Granted this team, we have

934
00:47:40,640 --> 00:47:43,160
Speaker 1: the most pressures out of any defense in the NFL,

935
00:47:43,440 --> 00:47:45,520
Speaker 1: and I know people are saying, well, that's Everson Griffin

936
00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:48,319
Speaker 1: and that's Daniel Hunter. Well, when you usually have two

937
00:47:48,360 --> 00:47:51,000
Speaker 1: good defensive ends, that allows quarterbacks to step up in

938
00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:53,320
Speaker 1: the pocket. When quarterbacks can't step up in the pocket,

939
00:47:53,360 --> 00:47:56,400
Speaker 1: that's usually due to your defensive tackle getting pressure on

940
00:47:56,440 --> 00:47:59,320
Speaker 1: the offensive line, the interior offensive line. So kudos to

941
00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:02,560
Speaker 1: that guy. He's playing amazing. Um. I think that has

942
00:48:02,600 --> 00:48:05,000
Speaker 1: to do a lot with our plus minus rate. Last

943
00:48:05,040 --> 00:48:08,600
Speaker 1: year we finished the season at minus one and turnover ratio.

944
00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:10,919
Speaker 1: This year we at plus two at three and three.

945
00:48:11,360 --> 00:48:13,959
Speaker 1: So a lot of that ghost our interior defensive lineman.

946
00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:15,560
Speaker 1: And I think a lot a lot of that has

947
00:48:15,600 --> 00:48:17,680
Speaker 1: to do with Dalvin Tominson. And you gotta think Michael

948
00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:19,879
Speaker 1: Pierce would also be in that conversation hadn't been playing

949
00:48:19,880 --> 00:48:22,040
Speaker 1: the last two games. He's supposed to be back on Sunday.

950
00:48:22,160 --> 00:48:25,399
Speaker 1: Oh really, well, I know the defense was a big

951
00:48:25,960 --> 00:48:28,320
Speaker 1: spot of concern after last season, and there were a

952
00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:30,919
Speaker 1: lot of offseason acquisitions made on that side of the ball.

953
00:48:31,200 --> 00:48:33,480
Speaker 1: And that's where mine comes in. I and you know,

954
00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:35,800
Speaker 1: I kind of I chose this before knowing he was

955
00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:38,360
Speaker 1: going to make it on the IR But but for me,

956
00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:41,520
Speaker 1: you know, we're doing the first six games. Unlike say,

957
00:48:41,600 --> 00:48:44,359
Speaker 1: I'm not going to break the rules, So I'm gonna

958
00:48:44,360 --> 00:48:48,759
Speaker 1: go the first six games my best offseason acquisitions. There

959
00:48:48,840 --> 00:48:52,200
Speaker 1: you go. Chris Corso's gone. Now that there you go.

960
00:48:52,920 --> 00:48:55,880
Speaker 1: I've got with Patrick Peterson for this guy to be

961
00:48:56,040 --> 00:48:58,960
Speaker 1: playing at an elite level that he is as the

962
00:48:59,040 --> 00:49:01,560
Speaker 1: pro that he is. It's exactly why he was brought in.

963
00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:05,359
Speaker 1: He has helped guys come along in the locker room.

964
00:49:05,560 --> 00:49:07,360
Speaker 1: You know that he's been there for a guy like

965
00:49:07,480 --> 00:49:09,719
Speaker 1: Kim Danceler who's really starting to come into his own

966
00:49:09,760 --> 00:49:11,440
Speaker 1: this season. He's going to be relied on a lot

967
00:49:11,560 --> 00:49:14,759
Speaker 1: more now that Peterson's on IR and it's really it's

968
00:49:14,800 --> 00:49:17,600
Speaker 1: really gonna you know, he's not It's gonna be hard

969
00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:19,560
Speaker 1: for him because this is something he's not used to,

970
00:49:20,200 --> 00:49:22,719
Speaker 1: but hopefully it'll be a quick fix. He'll get back

971
00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:25,240
Speaker 1: in there. Just the fact they neutralized guys like DeAndre

972
00:49:25,320 --> 00:49:28,680
Speaker 1: Hopkins and DK Metcalf was just impressive. Um, I just

973
00:49:28,719 --> 00:49:32,120
Speaker 1: don't feel like he's really missed a beat. And the

974
00:49:32,239 --> 00:49:35,920
Speaker 1: veteran leadership was just huge after so many first and

975
00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:40,000
Speaker 1: second your players were playing corner last year, so um yeah,

976
00:49:40,160 --> 00:49:43,240
Speaker 1: that's mine. Yeah. And to your point if Cam Danceler

977
00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:46,520
Speaker 1: or Chris Boyd and how they played last year, I

978
00:49:46,680 --> 00:49:49,640
Speaker 1: liked those guys in this situation this year with these

979
00:49:49,719 --> 00:49:52,160
Speaker 1: increased playing minutes because of P two being out this

980
00:49:52,320 --> 00:49:54,719
Speaker 1: year more because they got a guy in P two

981
00:49:54,760 --> 00:49:57,239
Speaker 1: in the room, so they've they've had the opportunity to

982
00:49:57,400 --> 00:49:59,439
Speaker 1: learn from a veteran, learn from a guy that's that's

983
00:49:59,480 --> 00:50:01,880
Speaker 1: done it, been there, done that, and even though they

984
00:50:01,920 --> 00:50:04,920
Speaker 1: weren't playing on the field per se, now they have

985
00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:07,319
Speaker 1: that that knowledge ingrained them. Okay, this is how I'm

986
00:50:07,320 --> 00:50:10,480
Speaker 1: supposed to attack this guy. This is how my technique

987
00:50:10,600 --> 00:50:12,799
Speaker 1: or how I'm supposed to react to this certain route

988
00:50:12,840 --> 00:50:15,279
Speaker 1: or this certain concepts. So I know there will be

989
00:50:15,400 --> 00:50:17,239
Speaker 1: some growing paints with these guys and then in the

990
00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:18,880
Speaker 1: coming weeks, but I don't think it will be as

991
00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:21,399
Speaker 1: bad as it was last year when we were trying

992
00:50:21,400 --> 00:50:24,400
Speaker 1: to figure out. Okay, these guys have never covered an

993
00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:28,239
Speaker 1: NFL receiver before, Oh, can Dashley has Davante Adams Week

994
00:50:28,360 --> 00:50:32,520
Speaker 1: one in the NFL. I'm not saying, I'm I'm going

995
00:50:32,560 --> 00:50:34,520
Speaker 1: to be a little bit better this time. Like it

996
00:50:34,640 --> 00:50:37,160
Speaker 1: a lot better this time? All right? Yes, very very good.

997
00:50:37,239 --> 00:50:39,799
Speaker 1: All right, Well let's get well into there's two more.

998
00:50:40,760 --> 00:50:43,800
Speaker 1: One is the offensive MVP and the defensive MVP. So

999
00:50:43,880 --> 00:50:46,120
Speaker 1: we're gonna start on the offensive side of things. Si,

1000
00:50:46,239 --> 00:50:50,360
Speaker 1: who is your offensive MVP so far this season? So

1001
00:50:50,600 --> 00:50:52,680
Speaker 1: you know, I know, I think somebody else is going

1002
00:50:52,719 --> 00:50:54,640
Speaker 1: to have this one as well, but it's Kirk, you know,

1003
00:50:54,800 --> 00:50:57,239
Speaker 1: you ask a lot of Kirk. A lot has been

1004
00:50:57,280 --> 00:51:00,320
Speaker 1: asked to him in his entire time here, and you know,

1005
00:51:00,440 --> 00:51:02,920
Speaker 1: when he starts really living up to what's asked for him,

1006
00:51:03,000 --> 00:51:05,239
Speaker 1: I think you have to consider him the MVP. I mean,

1007
00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:08,960
Speaker 1: he's been without his superstar running back at times. You know,

1008
00:51:09,160 --> 00:51:11,400
Speaker 1: he's had the aligned struggle at times, he's dealt with

1009
00:51:11,440 --> 00:51:15,120
Speaker 1: the penalty issues, and all he's done is lead what

1010
00:51:15,480 --> 00:51:19,680
Speaker 1: should be four game winning drives. I mean, for a

1011
00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:24,399
Speaker 1: guy who's entire reputation nationally was an inability to come

1012
00:51:24,480 --> 00:51:27,160
Speaker 1: through when it mattered the most. I mean, he's technically

1013
00:51:27,280 --> 00:51:31,640
Speaker 1: led five possible game winning drives. It's just we've you

1014
00:51:31,719 --> 00:51:35,200
Speaker 1: know six if you count important drives. You have the

1015
00:51:35,239 --> 00:51:38,239
Speaker 1: game tire against the Bengals, he leads that one. You're

1016
00:51:38,280 --> 00:51:40,640
Speaker 1: in the process of leading the game winner and we fumble.

1017
00:51:41,040 --> 00:51:44,880
Speaker 1: You have, you have the game winner against the Lions.

1018
00:51:45,200 --> 00:51:46,799
Speaker 1: You have what should have been the game winner if

1019
00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:48,560
Speaker 1: we can't make a kick against the Panthers, and then

1020
00:51:48,600 --> 00:51:50,640
Speaker 1: the game winner against the Panthers. So I mean, it's

1021
00:51:51,280 --> 00:51:54,600
Speaker 1: it's a lot of and the Cardinals one. I don't know,

1022
00:51:54,640 --> 00:51:57,560
Speaker 1: I didn't say those in the right order. Point remains Kirk.

1023
00:51:57,760 --> 00:52:00,279
Speaker 1: It's almost every game is what you're saying. And then

1024
00:52:00,320 --> 00:52:03,520
Speaker 1: twice and twice with the Panthers, Yep, good, good model

1025
00:52:04,120 --> 00:52:06,120
Speaker 1: for me. I'm gonna jump on that one in piggyback

1026
00:52:06,120 --> 00:52:08,879
Speaker 1: because that was my guy too. And even just looking

1027
00:52:08,920 --> 00:52:10,960
Speaker 1: at some of the statistical stuff that he's done, he's

1028
00:52:10,960 --> 00:52:14,560
Speaker 1: third in completions behind Brady and Mahomes. He's seventh in

1029
00:52:14,680 --> 00:52:17,920
Speaker 1: passing yards, ninth in passing touchdowns, and only has two

1030
00:52:17,960 --> 00:52:19,960
Speaker 1: I and T s for the entire first six weeks.

1031
00:52:20,320 --> 00:52:23,239
Speaker 1: He's been absolutely dealing and on fire, and I just

1032
00:52:23,760 --> 00:52:27,120
Speaker 1: I don't know at this point. Given everyone always was

1033
00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:29,760
Speaker 1: citing that, you know, Delvin's the guy that drives this offense,

1034
00:52:30,120 --> 00:52:32,480
Speaker 1: Kirk's been the guy holding everything together and putting us

1035
00:52:32,480 --> 00:52:35,120
Speaker 1: in position to win week after week. You gotta, for me,

1036
00:52:35,320 --> 00:52:38,040
Speaker 1: look at Kirk as well. Gabe, I'm gonna go jj.

1037
00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:41,439
Speaker 1: I think what he's done so far this year, coming

1038
00:52:41,480 --> 00:52:43,160
Speaker 1: off a year like last year, when you have fourteen

1039
00:52:43,239 --> 00:52:47,439
Speaker 1: hundred receiving yards, the sophomore slump was the biggest question

1040
00:52:47,520 --> 00:52:49,879
Speaker 1: for everybody, and the fact that he is on pace

1041
00:52:49,960 --> 00:52:52,640
Speaker 1: to have over fourteen hundred yards this year of ten touchdowns,

1042
00:52:52,680 --> 00:52:55,120
Speaker 1: that says a lot about his playlist far, he's only

1043
00:52:55,160 --> 00:52:57,640
Speaker 1: receiver in the NFL with sixty five plus receiving yards

1044
00:52:57,680 --> 00:53:00,319
Speaker 1: in every single game this season. Since we one, He's

1045
00:53:00,360 --> 00:53:02,360
Speaker 1: had at least eighty in every single game this season.

1046
00:53:02,400 --> 00:53:05,520
Speaker 1: So he's been that lightning boat, especially when Dalvin Cook

1047
00:53:05,600 --> 00:53:08,720
Speaker 1: was out. We needed, like Kirk, Kirk has been on fire,

1048
00:53:09,080 --> 00:53:12,080
Speaker 1: but Kirk needed someone outside of Dalvin to take on

1049
00:53:12,280 --> 00:53:15,320
Speaker 1: some of that extra pressure or that extra juice that

1050
00:53:15,360 --> 00:53:17,880
Speaker 1: would that this offense needed to, you know, make that

1051
00:53:17,960 --> 00:53:20,080
Speaker 1: step in there, in there, I guess, just in the

1052
00:53:20,719 --> 00:53:22,799
Speaker 1: progression of what this team can be. And I think

1053
00:53:22,880 --> 00:53:25,200
Speaker 1: JJ has been that person. He's been the guy from

1054
00:53:25,239 --> 00:53:27,120
Speaker 1: week one to Week six, and I think that it's

1055
00:53:27,160 --> 00:53:29,200
Speaker 1: only going to continue to get better each week. I

1056
00:53:29,320 --> 00:53:31,960
Speaker 1: think JJ needed it a game like Carolina last week

1057
00:53:32,320 --> 00:53:34,400
Speaker 1: where he had a fumble, he only had eighty yards,

1058
00:53:34,600 --> 00:53:36,560
Speaker 1: which is crazy to say he only had eighty yards,

1059
00:53:37,000 --> 00:53:40,359
Speaker 1: but he only had eighty yards. Because now, coming off

1060
00:53:40,400 --> 00:53:42,200
Speaker 1: the bye week, he has more juice, he has a

1061
00:53:42,280 --> 00:53:44,920
Speaker 1: chip on and shorter. Now he wants to prove people wrong. Okay,

1062
00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:47,399
Speaker 1: yeah you said this about me, but now here I am.

1063
00:53:47,480 --> 00:53:50,640
Speaker 1: So he's there was a game earlier this year, I

1064
00:53:50,680 --> 00:53:53,560
Speaker 1: felt like he didn't feel like fully himself week one

1065
00:53:53,960 --> 00:53:55,920
Speaker 1: and so after that that's when he kind of came

1066
00:53:55,960 --> 00:53:58,160
Speaker 1: alive too. So maybe it's some of those just kind

1067
00:53:58,200 --> 00:54:02,279
Speaker 1: of moments that bring him back to life the next week,

1068
00:54:02,320 --> 00:54:04,600
Speaker 1: like knowing where he can get better. JJ is a

1069
00:54:04,640 --> 00:54:07,680
Speaker 1: guy that needs adversity for him to like make another step.

1070
00:54:07,760 --> 00:54:09,719
Speaker 1: Think about their first two games last season, like he

1071
00:54:09,880 --> 00:54:12,440
Speaker 1: was pissed. Then he gets his first shot against the

1072
00:54:12,880 --> 00:54:15,320
Speaker 1: Tennessee Titans and he goes off. Then he continues to

1073
00:54:15,360 --> 00:54:18,120
Speaker 1: go off again, and this year was man like, I don't,

1074
00:54:18,200 --> 00:54:19,840
Speaker 1: I'm not I'm not getting the ball like I want to.

1075
00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:22,600
Speaker 1: Arizona game, he goes off like he goes off. He's

1076
00:54:22,640 --> 00:54:25,920
Speaker 1: a three star recruit. He's been against the odds his

1077
00:54:25,960 --> 00:54:28,120
Speaker 1: whole life, you know. Right for me, I'm just looking

1078
00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:33,279
Speaker 1: forward to the JJ Trayvon Diggs exactly. So that's my

1079
00:54:33,400 --> 00:54:36,560
Speaker 1: point is, yeah, he's going to have that motivation, and

1080
00:54:37,120 --> 00:54:39,719
Speaker 1: everyone knows at this point that you can pick your

1081
00:54:39,719 --> 00:54:42,480
Speaker 1: poison him or Adam. This past week, they decided to

1082
00:54:42,520 --> 00:54:44,080
Speaker 1: go with Adam and he touched him for one hundred

1083
00:54:44,080 --> 00:54:46,680
Speaker 1: and twenty six in a touch I think coming up

1084
00:54:46,760 --> 00:54:50,480
Speaker 1: here against the Cowboys, I firmly believe Treyvon Diggs will

1085
00:54:50,520 --> 00:54:52,719
Speaker 1: be probably stuck on JJ, and that's gonna be a

1086
00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:55,520
Speaker 1: fun rookie sophomore that matchup you're gonna need to watch

1087
00:54:55,560 --> 00:54:57,560
Speaker 1: in week seven. Well, let me let me tell you

1088
00:54:57,640 --> 00:55:00,520
Speaker 1: something else. As somebody who has the wall of TVs

1089
00:55:00,560 --> 00:55:03,440
Speaker 1: and is watching all the games and has watched a

1090
00:55:03,520 --> 00:55:09,480
Speaker 1: lot of the Cowboys, Diggs Diggs is And well, you

1091
00:55:09,560 --> 00:55:11,120
Speaker 1: listen to this game, can you tell me if you

1092
00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:14,719
Speaker 1: agree and not Diggs is a beast. But given the

1093
00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:17,480
Speaker 1: fact that this Vikings team has not taken a lot

1094
00:55:17,560 --> 00:55:20,840
Speaker 1: of shots this year, and all the tape is prone

1095
00:55:20,920 --> 00:55:23,480
Speaker 1: to show where they like to put the ball, I

1096
00:55:23,640 --> 00:55:26,640
Speaker 1: can tell you Diggs takes a lot of chances and

1097
00:55:26,760 --> 00:55:29,000
Speaker 1: he makes a lot of breaks when he shouldn't. And

1098
00:55:29,239 --> 00:55:31,960
Speaker 1: this is no kidding. This is the sort of game

1099
00:55:32,440 --> 00:55:36,840
Speaker 1: where instead of being afraid of Treyvon Diggs, you should

1100
00:55:36,880 --> 00:55:39,680
Speaker 1: go at Treyvon Diggs to the tune of a bunch

1101
00:55:39,760 --> 00:55:42,399
Speaker 1: of double moves all game long. This is a sort

1102
00:55:42,440 --> 00:55:45,240
Speaker 1: of game. This could be a Randy Moss style performance

1103
00:55:45,239 --> 00:55:47,080
Speaker 1: where all of a sudden, you go, wait, JJ had

1104
00:55:47,160 --> 00:55:49,640
Speaker 1: five catches for three touchdowns and one hundred and ninety

1105
00:55:49,719 --> 00:55:54,680
Speaker 1: yards like JJ, if you really bait Treyvon Diggs like

1106
00:55:54,800 --> 00:55:58,960
Speaker 1: he spends his entire time baiting them posing quarterbacks, you

1107
00:55:59,120 --> 00:56:01,839
Speaker 1: have a chance to roll numbers up on this guy

1108
00:56:01,960 --> 00:56:04,799
Speaker 1: like no one in the league has before. And now

1109
00:56:04,920 --> 00:56:09,400
Speaker 1: he's fantastic, But everything I've seen is double move this

1110
00:56:09,560 --> 00:56:12,799
Speaker 1: guy and take some chances against it. Yeah, he is very,

1111
00:56:13,120 --> 00:56:15,800
Speaker 1: very aggressive. That's I was literally about to say that.

1112
00:56:16,040 --> 00:56:19,279
Speaker 1: Just the past four weeks, the Cowboys have played Mac Jones.

1113
00:56:19,320 --> 00:56:21,359
Speaker 1: The week before they played Daniel Jones, the week before

1114
00:56:21,400 --> 00:56:23,440
Speaker 1: they played Sam Darnolt, and then the week before that

1115
00:56:23,640 --> 00:56:27,719
Speaker 1: they played Jalen Hurts. They haven't played a quarterback of

1116
00:56:27,800 --> 00:56:31,239
Speaker 1: veteran quarterback since Week one and Tom Brady and they

1117
00:56:31,280 --> 00:56:33,600
Speaker 1: lost that game. Granted, Week two they beat Justin Herbert

1118
00:56:33,640 --> 00:56:36,360
Speaker 1: and the LA Chargers, but you know there's a trend

1119
00:56:36,440 --> 00:56:39,640
Speaker 1: of they haven't been playing a quarterback that can actually

1120
00:56:40,280 --> 00:56:42,960
Speaker 1: pick a defensive party if you give him time in

1121
00:56:43,200 --> 00:56:46,080
Speaker 1: time outside of Tom Brady. So I know that's a

1122
00:56:46,160 --> 00:56:49,240
Speaker 1: hot take, and I know this Cowboys defense is really stout,

1123
00:56:49,719 --> 00:56:52,040
Speaker 1: but I think they were going to be hot take.

1124
00:56:52,160 --> 00:56:56,480
Speaker 1: After you jump on my take, Well, I'm glad you've

1125
00:56:56,520 --> 00:57:01,239
Speaker 1: made it hot before I did. I'm a little luke warm. Yeah,

1126
00:57:01,320 --> 00:57:05,000
Speaker 1: yours was a leftovers take. You repeated the leftovers hot pocket.

1127
00:57:05,320 --> 00:57:07,279
Speaker 1: I just have to get my sec jabs in there

1128
00:57:07,320 --> 00:57:09,440
Speaker 1: and say that JJ has had a lot of success

1129
00:57:09,480 --> 00:57:13,720
Speaker 1: against um An Alabama Secondary in twenty nineteen. So Trevon

1130
00:57:13,800 --> 00:57:15,960
Speaker 1: Diggs and JJ know each other. Well, that's all I'm

1131
00:57:16,000 --> 00:57:17,840
Speaker 1: going to say on that matter, because I'm going to

1132
00:57:17,920 --> 00:57:22,040
Speaker 1: tell you my offensive MVP next. So you can't challenge

1133
00:57:22,080 --> 00:57:27,960
Speaker 1: my point. You can't just like your job and then

1134
00:57:28,080 --> 00:57:31,840
Speaker 1: not give us. This is a podcast, not a dictatorship. Oh,

1135
00:57:31,920 --> 00:57:33,960
Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't know about that one. I

1136
00:57:34,040 --> 00:57:38,240
Speaker 1: might change the rules again. Um No, But my my

1137
00:57:38,400 --> 00:57:41,200
Speaker 1: offensive MVP, I think I'm going to go more towards

1138
00:57:41,280 --> 00:57:45,760
Speaker 1: the offensive line. You know. I like a good turnaround story,

1139
00:57:45,840 --> 00:57:47,920
Speaker 1: if you kind of can tell through some of my

1140
00:57:48,000 --> 00:57:52,320
Speaker 1: picks so far. I like comebacks and people learning from

1141
00:57:52,720 --> 00:57:54,840
Speaker 1: what went wrong. And I think that's kind of key

1142
00:57:54,920 --> 00:57:57,840
Speaker 1: in this offensive line story because Week one was a

1143
00:57:57,960 --> 00:58:00,840
Speaker 1: disaster and we all know that it just it wasn't

1144
00:58:00,880 --> 00:58:03,280
Speaker 1: the best performance because of a lot of mental miscues

1145
00:58:03,760 --> 00:58:06,080
Speaker 1: and just not enough gelling and I know that you

1146
00:58:06,160 --> 00:58:10,160
Speaker 1: touched on this a second ago side with your Darisa analysis,

1147
00:58:10,360 --> 00:58:13,680
Speaker 1: and I agree. I think him being in there last

1148
00:58:13,720 --> 00:58:16,480
Speaker 1: week was key five hundred and seventy one yards of offense.

1149
00:58:16,840 --> 00:58:20,120
Speaker 1: Hopefully you can only go up from there. But really,

1150
00:58:20,160 --> 00:58:22,680
Speaker 1: if you think about it, when we're talking about Kirk's success,

1151
00:58:23,600 --> 00:58:27,440
Speaker 1: his confidence in the pocket and how well he performs

1152
00:58:27,520 --> 00:58:29,920
Speaker 1: when he doesn't have the pressure in his face, that

1153
00:58:30,120 --> 00:58:32,280
Speaker 1: just to me goes back to the line. I do

1154
00:58:32,360 --> 00:58:35,680
Speaker 1: think Kirk's making better decisions and maybe faster decisions, but

1155
00:58:35,960 --> 00:58:38,800
Speaker 1: they've only allowed nine sacks in six games so far,

1156
00:58:39,120 --> 00:58:42,440
Speaker 1: and I just really can't I don't think they get

1157
00:58:42,560 --> 00:58:45,400
Speaker 1: enough credit for maybe the job that they're doing right now.

1158
00:58:45,760 --> 00:58:47,880
Speaker 1: The mistakes that they had early on in the season

1159
00:58:48,160 --> 00:58:52,240
Speaker 1: really colored the image of what the team was able

1160
00:58:52,320 --> 00:58:54,160
Speaker 1: to do so far, and I think a lot of

1161
00:58:54,200 --> 00:58:56,600
Speaker 1: that was warranted. Like you said, especially week one, there

1162
00:58:56,640 --> 00:58:59,240
Speaker 1: were so many mistakes. A lot of people were really

1163
00:58:59,640 --> 00:59:02,280
Speaker 1: raising an eyebrow going what we got again this year.

1164
00:59:02,800 --> 00:59:05,680
Speaker 1: But given the derrisaw take and given some of the

1165
00:59:05,760 --> 00:59:09,000
Speaker 1: other players that have stepped up so far here in

1166
00:59:09,040 --> 00:59:13,480
Speaker 1: the last five games, it's been encouraging. So hopefully they

1167
00:59:13,560 --> 00:59:15,400
Speaker 1: continue to gel for the rest of the season and

1168
00:59:15,560 --> 00:59:18,240
Speaker 1: really solidify to give Kirk the time to be able

1169
00:59:18,280 --> 00:59:20,960
Speaker 1: to keep doing what he's been doing this front end

1170
00:59:21,000 --> 00:59:23,040
Speaker 1: of the season. All right, well, then let's move on

1171
00:59:23,240 --> 00:59:27,360
Speaker 1: to the final category in these in season superlatives. We've

1172
00:59:27,440 --> 00:59:31,760
Speaker 1: got Defensive MVP. Gabe. I'll let you go first for

1173
00:59:31,840 --> 00:59:38,360
Speaker 1: the last time. Defensive MVP does too, mister Daniel Hunter.

1174
00:59:39,720 --> 00:59:41,480
Speaker 1: Last year we had twenty three and a half SEX

1175
00:59:41,600 --> 00:59:44,440
Speaker 1: as a team. This year we have twenty one SEX

1176
00:59:44,760 --> 00:59:47,480
Speaker 1: as a team. Going in two week six we leave

1177
00:59:47,480 --> 00:59:50,440
Speaker 1: the NFL insects. Daniel Hunter is six in the NFO

1178
00:59:50,600 --> 00:59:53,440
Speaker 1: SEX with six and I think just his presence alone

1179
00:59:53,520 --> 00:59:56,400
Speaker 1: has made this entire defense better. There have been so

1180
00:59:56,520 --> 00:59:59,320
Speaker 1: many QB hurries, so many throwing away from the quarterback

1181
00:59:59,400 --> 01:00:01,480
Speaker 1: due to the new Hunter just being in its being

1182
01:00:01,560 --> 01:00:05,320
Speaker 1: in their face. And the fact that he didn't get

1183
01:00:05,360 --> 01:00:07,600
Speaker 1: a sack last week but got held on ten plays

1184
01:00:07,680 --> 01:00:10,680
Speaker 1: that didn't get called. I think that shows how much

1185
01:00:10,720 --> 01:00:14,880
Speaker 1: attention offensive lines and offensive coordinators are paying to him.

1186
01:00:15,240 --> 01:00:18,600
Speaker 1: And the fact that he's just being himself again and

1187
01:00:18,680 --> 01:00:21,320
Speaker 1: he picked up where he left off when he played

1188
01:00:21,360 --> 01:00:24,280
Speaker 1: in twenty nineteen. I think that shows how good this

1189
01:00:24,440 --> 01:00:27,160
Speaker 1: defense can be and will be going forward as we

1190
01:00:27,200 --> 01:00:30,400
Speaker 1: continue to progress. Danielle, he's the best player in our

1191
01:00:30,440 --> 01:00:32,760
Speaker 1: defense and in my opinion thus far throughout the first

1192
01:00:32,800 --> 01:00:35,200
Speaker 1: six games. Well, since we all can't pick the same person,

1193
01:00:35,240 --> 01:00:36,680
Speaker 1: I'm going to go on the other side and say

1194
01:00:36,720 --> 01:00:41,280
Speaker 1: Everson Griffin kind of piggyback with your point, because I

1195
01:00:41,440 --> 01:00:44,439
Speaker 1: think this defense needed more of an identity and more

1196
01:00:44,720 --> 01:00:47,840
Speaker 1: of a fire, like you mentioned Jay, where they just

1197
01:00:48,120 --> 01:00:52,160
Speaker 1: needed to be like like a nasty defense. They needed

1198
01:00:52,200 --> 01:00:54,160
Speaker 1: an edge. And I feel like all these guys are

1199
01:00:54,200 --> 01:00:56,400
Speaker 1: great and I really like all of their personalities, but

1200
01:00:56,800 --> 01:00:59,600
Speaker 1: Everson kind of adds this edge to things and I

1201
01:00:59,720 --> 01:01:02,480
Speaker 1: like that in a defense. I think he's a great

1202
01:01:02,520 --> 01:01:05,680
Speaker 1: compliment alongside daniel Obviously the sack member as you mentioned,

1203
01:01:05,720 --> 01:01:09,360
Speaker 1: Gabe is way up from last season, and I just

1204
01:01:09,960 --> 01:01:13,720
Speaker 1: think that, you know, again, I love a comeback story

1205
01:01:13,800 --> 01:01:16,520
Speaker 1: of such a sucker. I just love it. I love

1206
01:01:16,680 --> 01:01:19,720
Speaker 1: when a player can you know, and how honest and

1207
01:01:19,800 --> 01:01:21,919
Speaker 1: real he was when he's like, you know, grass isn't

1208
01:01:21,920 --> 01:01:24,320
Speaker 1: always greener. I'm back and I'm going to give everything

1209
01:01:24,360 --> 01:01:26,120
Speaker 1: to this team, and I think that's such a great

1210
01:01:26,160 --> 01:01:29,160
Speaker 1: example to set for all of these players in the

1211
01:01:29,240 --> 01:01:32,160
Speaker 1: locker room, as he is kind of like the elder

1212
01:01:32,200 --> 01:01:35,480
Speaker 1: statesman of it all. So that's my defensive MVP. J

1213
01:01:35,600 --> 01:01:39,040
Speaker 1: what's yours. I'm going with Eric Hendricks. We all saw

1214
01:01:39,200 --> 01:01:42,840
Speaker 1: last season how detrimental it was when he went out.

1215
01:01:43,360 --> 01:01:46,040
Speaker 1: So far this season he's got sixty tackles, two sacks,

1216
01:01:46,160 --> 01:01:49,400
Speaker 1: a pick, two PBUs and a fumble recovery, like he

1217
01:01:49,640 --> 01:01:52,280
Speaker 1: is the glue in the middle of that Vikings defense.

1218
01:01:52,720 --> 01:01:55,600
Speaker 1: And now getting Anthony barrback and having Nick Vigil step

1219
01:01:55,640 --> 01:01:56,880
Speaker 1: up the way he has at the front end of

1220
01:01:56,920 --> 01:01:59,640
Speaker 1: the season as well, I think Eric Hendricks coming into

1221
01:02:00,080 --> 01:02:02,400
Speaker 1: do what he's done so far this season. He has

1222
01:02:02,440 --> 01:02:04,400
Speaker 1: been that rock once again. And so for me, I'm

1223
01:02:04,440 --> 01:02:08,120
Speaker 1: gonna say, Eric Kendricks, all right, SI, out of those

1224
01:02:08,240 --> 01:02:11,040
Speaker 1: three and I'm just kidding, you got one. Yeah, I

1225
01:02:11,200 --> 01:02:13,280
Speaker 1: was gonna say, you guys, you guys really picked the

1226
01:02:13,360 --> 01:02:15,120
Speaker 1: three front runners here. There's not a lot of other

1227
01:02:15,160 --> 01:02:17,800
Speaker 1: places to go. But you know, instead of piggybacking on

1228
01:02:17,920 --> 01:02:21,680
Speaker 1: one of yours, I'm not gonna say MVP, but I'm

1229
01:02:21,720 --> 01:02:23,280
Speaker 1: gonna do the same thing I did with the Derri

1230
01:02:23,400 --> 01:02:25,560
Speaker 1: Saw thing and say who when the season's over, I

1231
01:02:25,640 --> 01:02:28,920
Speaker 1: think will be considered the MVP. Yeah, and there are

1232
01:02:28,960 --> 01:02:32,120
Speaker 1: a bunch of Viking fans who are going to turn

1233
01:02:32,200 --> 01:02:35,880
Speaker 1: off their their phones right now because this is a

1234
01:02:36,120 --> 01:02:39,320
Speaker 1: divisive take that we have been arguing about here in

1235
01:02:39,400 --> 01:02:43,800
Speaker 1: Minnesota for what feels like forever. It's it's Anthony Barr.

1236
01:02:44,360 --> 01:02:49,120
Speaker 1: There's this NonStop discussion about what he brings to the team,

1237
01:02:49,360 --> 01:02:53,240
Speaker 1: if he's worth his value, if he because we're so

1238
01:02:53,560 --> 01:02:57,320
Speaker 1: used to the greatest linebackers in the NFL, Are Splashers,

1239
01:02:57,680 --> 01:03:00,320
Speaker 1: Ray Lewis, Lawrence Taylor, guys who gets side line to

1240
01:03:00,400 --> 01:03:04,800
Speaker 1: sideline and make their presence known constantly. But Mike Zimmer

1241
01:03:04,880 --> 01:03:09,280
Speaker 1: coach is a very specific defense, right And Anthony Barr,

1242
01:03:10,320 --> 01:03:12,960
Speaker 1: regardless of the statistical numbers you see at the end

1243
01:03:12,960 --> 01:03:16,760
Speaker 1: of the day, is the wheel that turns that defense.

1244
01:03:17,360 --> 01:03:19,840
Speaker 1: He's the guy who should be wearing the dot. He's

1245
01:03:19,880 --> 01:03:21,840
Speaker 1: the guy who puts people in the right position. And

1246
01:03:21,920 --> 01:03:24,400
Speaker 1: you want to talk about, Gabe, you played football the

1247
01:03:24,480 --> 01:03:26,800
Speaker 1: most underrated and tell me if this take is dumb,

1248
01:03:27,040 --> 01:03:32,080
Speaker 1: But the most underrated thing in all of football is

1249
01:03:32,240 --> 01:03:36,120
Speaker 1: proper defensive containment. It never gets talked about on any show.

1250
01:03:36,160 --> 01:03:38,600
Speaker 1: It's not doing more than you should. It's being in

1251
01:03:38,720 --> 01:03:41,920
Speaker 1: the right place at the right time, not to necessarily

1252
01:03:42,040 --> 01:03:45,040
Speaker 1: even make a play, but to make the guy trying

1253
01:03:45,120 --> 01:03:47,800
Speaker 1: to get to that spot go a different direction and

1254
01:03:47,920 --> 01:03:50,080
Speaker 1: let somebody else make a play. Yeah, I'll give you that.

1255
01:03:50,600 --> 01:03:56,480
Speaker 1: And in this defense, Anthony Barr takes what was evolving

1256
01:03:57,240 --> 01:04:01,800
Speaker 1: weeks one through four and he has Now it's like

1257
01:04:01,960 --> 01:04:04,760
Speaker 1: you put the head on Megatron, you know what I'm saying,

1258
01:04:05,160 --> 01:04:07,920
Speaker 1: Like it's like you've turned on the power switch. And

1259
01:04:08,280 --> 01:04:10,960
Speaker 1: I know fans you have their questions about him, but

1260
01:04:11,120 --> 01:04:14,400
Speaker 1: go ask Harrison Smith about it. Go ask Eric Kendricks.

1261
01:04:14,560 --> 01:04:16,360
Speaker 1: You know, sometimes in the NFL, when you ask a

1262
01:04:16,400 --> 01:04:19,400
Speaker 1: player about their teammate, you'll get the really generic like, yeah,

1263
01:04:19,440 --> 01:04:21,800
Speaker 1: they think this guy is good, but they're giving the

1264
01:04:21,920 --> 01:04:24,880
Speaker 1: answer that they've been coached to give. When you ask

1265
01:04:25,360 --> 01:04:28,240
Speaker 1: some of these guys about Anthony Barr, that's not the

1266
01:04:28,360 --> 01:04:32,320
Speaker 1: answer you get. You get this guy is the wheel

1267
01:04:32,480 --> 01:04:36,160
Speaker 1: that turns this defense. I think he is so incredibly important.

1268
01:04:36,480 --> 01:04:40,720
Speaker 1: I think if he stays healthy, he helps solidify with

1269
01:04:40,800 --> 01:04:43,400
Speaker 1: all these pieces that you guys are talking about, the

1270
01:04:43,880 --> 01:04:48,040
Speaker 1: correct sort of working defense that's more consistent and more

1271
01:04:48,640 --> 01:04:50,680
Speaker 1: in the right places at the right time that allow

1272
01:04:50,760 --> 01:04:52,760
Speaker 1: you to stop an offense like you're going to see

1273
01:04:53,040 --> 01:04:56,280
Speaker 1: occasionally in Dallas. So to me, I've always been a

1274
01:04:56,320 --> 01:04:58,400
Speaker 1: big Anthony Bar guy. I'm going to continue to be

1275
01:04:58,480 --> 01:05:01,280
Speaker 1: an Anthony Bar guy. And thought, you know, it's not

1276
01:05:01,400 --> 01:05:03,840
Speaker 1: that he was mistake free in the last two games,

1277
01:05:04,280 --> 01:05:07,960
Speaker 1: but in this double a gap scheme, Gabe, I just

1278
01:05:08,160 --> 01:05:11,200
Speaker 1: think he does all the things that no one notices.

1279
01:05:11,480 --> 01:05:14,720
Speaker 1: And then even Pro Football Focus, you know, doesn't know

1280
01:05:14,840 --> 01:05:18,720
Speaker 1: how to properly quantify. There were four plays in the

1281
01:05:19,360 --> 01:05:23,280
Speaker 1: first quarter of the Carolina Panthers game that Anthony Barr

1282
01:05:23,320 --> 01:05:25,760
Speaker 1: didn't make or show up in the stat sheet. But

1283
01:05:25,920 --> 01:05:28,120
Speaker 1: he made the play like he turned the ball into

1284
01:05:28,200 --> 01:05:31,880
Speaker 1: his defender, or he either got pressure on a quarterback,

1285
01:05:32,240 --> 01:05:34,600
Speaker 1: or he was in the right right gap assignment like

1286
01:05:34,720 --> 01:05:37,439
Speaker 1: he like Sam Darnold pumped Baked three or four times

1287
01:05:37,520 --> 01:05:39,360
Speaker 1: on that. I think it's a third play of the game,

1288
01:05:40,200 --> 01:05:43,560
Speaker 1: and Anthony Barr was literally guarding two people at the

1289
01:05:43,640 --> 01:05:46,200
Speaker 1: same time. And it's like that won't show up in

1290
01:05:46,240 --> 01:05:48,960
Speaker 1: the stat sheet, but what he's doing right now it's

1291
01:05:49,000 --> 01:05:51,520
Speaker 1: so helpful for our defense. Then, you know, in like movies,

1292
01:05:51,760 --> 01:05:54,800
Speaker 1: when somebody's going to break into like a junkyard or

1293
01:05:54,960 --> 01:05:58,000
Speaker 1: like private property and then all of a sudden, some

1294
01:05:58,360 --> 01:06:01,080
Speaker 1: gigantic mastiff come out and they're like, you know what,

1295
01:06:01,160 --> 01:06:04,920
Speaker 1: I think we're gonna We're gonna go around the other way, Anthony.

1296
01:06:05,120 --> 01:06:07,840
Speaker 1: That's Anthony Barr. Just when he roams from side to sideline,

1297
01:06:07,960 --> 01:06:11,360
Speaker 1: even in not making plays, his presence and where he

1298
01:06:11,520 --> 01:06:17,400
Speaker 1: appears dictates what the He just his presence causes adjustment

1299
01:06:17,560 --> 01:06:21,160
Speaker 1: on the other side. And I think for this defense

1300
01:06:21,320 --> 01:06:24,520
Speaker 1: to be as good as they were against the Lions

1301
01:06:24,640 --> 01:06:27,200
Speaker 1: and the Panthers, for them to be you know, a

1302
01:06:27,360 --> 01:06:29,840
Speaker 1: version of that in these next four games, I think

1303
01:06:29,920 --> 01:06:32,680
Speaker 1: you're gonna need Anthony Barr to continue to be Anthony Barr.

1304
01:06:33,200 --> 01:06:37,400
Speaker 1: And to that point about Anthony Barr being Anthony Barr,

1305
01:06:37,440 --> 01:06:39,800
Speaker 1: I think that's tough for the fans sometimes because he

1306
01:06:39,920 --> 01:06:42,840
Speaker 1: may not be the most vocal in the media. He

1307
01:06:43,320 --> 01:06:45,000
Speaker 1: you know, he does a lot of community work, but

1308
01:06:45,080 --> 01:06:47,760
Speaker 1: he's not going to come and do a million interviews

1309
01:06:47,800 --> 01:06:50,640
Speaker 1: every week. He's not going to be the face of

1310
01:06:50,720 --> 01:06:53,000
Speaker 1: the defense as far as like a spokesperson. So I

1311
01:06:53,040 --> 01:06:57,120
Speaker 1: think that's sometimes hard to like appreciate how much you

1312
01:06:57,240 --> 01:07:00,439
Speaker 1: may not hear from him. One it's the ten Duncan

1313
01:07:00,480 --> 01:07:04,000
Speaker 1: effect too, where with Tim Duncan, you know, people think,

1314
01:07:04,040 --> 01:07:05,720
Speaker 1: you know, the last four or five years of his career,

1315
01:07:05,800 --> 01:07:08,040
Speaker 1: it was this constant conversation about how he's the greatest

1316
01:07:08,080 --> 01:07:09,800
Speaker 1: of all time at his position and this and that.

1317
01:07:10,280 --> 01:07:13,160
Speaker 1: People forget the first ten years when see Chris Webber

1318
01:07:13,280 --> 01:07:15,600
Speaker 1: was out there and Kevin Garnett was out there, he

1319
01:07:15,800 --> 01:07:17,920
Speaker 1: was always kind of undercut, like, yeah, he's good, but

1320
01:07:17,960 --> 01:07:20,800
Speaker 1: he didn't show emotion. He's not this explosive player, He's

1321
01:07:20,840 --> 01:07:22,960
Speaker 1: not all these things. And that's you know, Bar just

1322
01:07:23,160 --> 01:07:26,240
Speaker 1: does his job. He doesn't just because he's not dancing

1323
01:07:26,280 --> 01:07:28,600
Speaker 1: in the end zone doesn't mean he's not a great

1324
01:07:28,680 --> 01:07:32,520
Speaker 1: sideline sideline like linebacker. Bar is like a Harrison Smith

1325
01:07:32,600 --> 01:07:35,280
Speaker 1: to me, Like all they both care about is just

1326
01:07:35,440 --> 01:07:38,000
Speaker 1: their teammates, getting respect for their teammates, and then just

1327
01:07:38,160 --> 01:07:40,440
Speaker 1: doing their job. Like if they do that and the

1328
01:07:40,520 --> 01:07:42,640
Speaker 1: team wins, that's all they really care about. They'll talk

1329
01:07:42,680 --> 01:07:44,280
Speaker 1: to the media if they have to, but they don't

1330
01:07:44,280 --> 01:07:47,120
Speaker 1: really care about that because they understand talking to the

1331
01:07:47,240 --> 01:07:50,200
Speaker 1: media isn't going to help with their on field on

1332
01:07:50,360 --> 01:07:53,320
Speaker 1: field performance, so they understand that they have to do

1333
01:07:53,440 --> 01:07:57,040
Speaker 1: it rightfully so, but still it's just like, these guys

1334
01:07:57,080 --> 01:08:00,080
Speaker 1: in the locker room are what matter most, and to

1335
01:08:00,160 --> 01:08:01,480
Speaker 1: make sure they're good. I want to make sure my

1336
01:08:01,600 --> 01:08:03,919
Speaker 1: guys are getting plays. If a play comes to me, cool,

1337
01:08:03,960 --> 01:08:06,920
Speaker 1: I'll make it. But it's about the team. So that's

1338
01:08:06,960 --> 01:08:09,440
Speaker 1: why I respect and I'm sure that's why SI loves

1339
01:08:09,480 --> 01:08:13,360
Speaker 1: Anthony bar too, because he's a he's a team first guy,

1340
01:08:13,400 --> 01:08:18,000
Speaker 1: and he's he's so selfless. Yep, and speaking of you, Si, Um,

1341
01:08:18,400 --> 01:08:21,000
Speaker 1: we have one final question before we let you get

1342
01:08:21,040 --> 01:08:24,200
Speaker 1: going and wrap things up here on the Minnesota Vikings Podcast.

1343
01:08:24,520 --> 01:08:26,479
Speaker 1: I just wanted to get your outlook on the rest

1344
01:08:26,520 --> 01:08:28,040
Speaker 1: of the season. You know, we should call this. We

1345
01:08:28,120 --> 01:08:31,680
Speaker 1: should call this size sentiment. Size sentiment. You've got that

1346
01:08:31,960 --> 01:08:39,360
Speaker 1: gauntlet the Cowboys after Ravens. All right, scratch that. Make

1347
01:08:39,400 --> 01:08:41,040
Speaker 1: sure you edit that out. I'm just teasing how I

1348
01:08:41,080 --> 01:08:43,120
Speaker 1: was gonna say. So let's call it size sentiment. Let's

1349
01:08:43,120 --> 01:08:44,760
Speaker 1: see how how we do it here, Si, this is

1350
01:08:44,800 --> 01:08:46,320
Speaker 1: your last thing you get to say as a part

1351
01:08:46,360 --> 01:08:49,760
Speaker 1: of the Minnesota Vikings Podcast. I think it's good. I

1352
01:08:49,840 --> 01:08:53,400
Speaker 1: think that's a good plan. Use your time wisely. Since

1353
01:08:53,640 --> 01:08:59,360
Speaker 1: the moment, Kirk Cousins arrived after the Minnesota miracle. Even

1354
01:08:59,400 --> 01:09:02,320
Speaker 1: though we went to the playoffs and beat the Saints

1355
01:09:02,720 --> 01:09:05,760
Speaker 1: and we had a couple it's kind of felt like

1356
01:09:05,960 --> 01:09:10,640
Speaker 1: we've had the same team. We've dealt with the same struggles.

1357
01:09:10,760 --> 01:09:14,400
Speaker 1: We've lost the same low scoring games to teams like

1358
01:09:14,520 --> 01:09:18,559
Speaker 1: the Bears and this Brown's loss this year, and I'm

1359
01:09:18,680 --> 01:09:23,639
Speaker 1: just I'm just so ready for this next moment, these

1360
01:09:23,680 --> 01:09:25,920
Speaker 1: next four games, and a lot of fans are worried

1361
01:09:25,920 --> 01:09:30,080
Speaker 1: about them, but this is the culmination of all this

1362
01:09:30,400 --> 01:09:33,560
Speaker 1: time where now finally Kirk is playing the way he

1363
01:09:33,680 --> 01:09:36,639
Speaker 1: wants to be playing. It feels like he and Zimmer

1364
01:09:36,720 --> 01:09:41,080
Speaker 1: are jelly. You know, it's just a great opportunity. You know,

1365
01:09:41,160 --> 01:09:44,160
Speaker 1: you built this team, you wanted to compete. It's sitting

1366
01:09:44,280 --> 01:09:47,240
Speaker 1: right in front of you. You have four really great teams.

1367
01:09:47,320 --> 01:09:49,040
Speaker 1: Go out and go out and try to get three

1368
01:09:49,080 --> 01:09:50,960
Speaker 1: of these wins. Hell, at least try to get two

1369
01:09:51,000 --> 01:09:53,680
Speaker 1: of them. Show that you belong in the conversation. You know,

1370
01:09:53,960 --> 01:09:56,320
Speaker 1: we talked about this earlier in the podcast. This is,

1371
01:09:56,680 --> 01:09:58,360
Speaker 1: you know, a crucial year for a lot of people,

1372
01:09:58,880 --> 01:10:01,360
Speaker 1: you know, coaches, you know, you got a lot of

1373
01:10:01,439 --> 01:10:05,479
Speaker 1: players on one year deals. This is a crucial moment.

1374
01:10:05,560 --> 01:10:07,920
Speaker 1: I just I think it's gonna be fun. I think,

1375
01:10:07,960 --> 01:10:09,639
Speaker 1: you know, if you're a fan, it's a little nerve

1376
01:10:09,680 --> 01:10:14,320
Speaker 1: wracking because you have no control. But I want to

1377
01:10:14,400 --> 01:10:18,200
Speaker 1: see this team break out of what they've been for

1378
01:10:18,360 --> 01:10:21,799
Speaker 1: four years and go on a run against some good teams.

1379
01:10:22,520 --> 01:10:25,080
Speaker 1: Let's let's go on or you know, back and right

1380
01:10:25,240 --> 01:10:26,880
Speaker 1: right before Kirk got here in the run of the

1381
01:10:26,920 --> 01:10:29,880
Speaker 1: Minnesota Miracle. You know that year played a lot of

1382
01:10:29,920 --> 01:10:32,280
Speaker 1: tight football games. We want a lot of a lot

1383
01:10:32,360 --> 01:10:34,479
Speaker 1: of nice games that year, a lot of good games

1384
01:10:34,520 --> 01:10:38,040
Speaker 1: against a lot of good teams. Here's your chance to

1385
01:10:38,240 --> 01:10:40,639
Speaker 1: really take this step forward, and it's at the perfect moment.

1386
01:10:40,920 --> 01:10:43,519
Speaker 1: If you get rolling at the end of October and

1387
01:10:43,560 --> 01:10:47,080
Speaker 1: the beginning of November, you're ready. You've set yourself up

1388
01:10:47,120 --> 01:10:50,160
Speaker 1: with a little bit easier last few games of the season,

1389
01:10:50,720 --> 01:10:53,160
Speaker 1: and you can really be off to the races here.

1390
01:10:53,240 --> 01:10:57,320
Speaker 1: So I more than anything, I'm just excited after the

1391
01:10:57,439 --> 01:11:00,719
Speaker 1: last few years that we're kind of in this position

1392
01:11:00,880 --> 01:11:04,680
Speaker 1: where you know, the players and the coaches get to

1393
01:11:04,840 --> 01:11:07,120
Speaker 1: go out and either prove it or not. It's on them,

1394
01:11:07,479 --> 01:11:09,720
Speaker 1: and that's all that's all you can want as a

1395
01:11:09,800 --> 01:11:14,640
Speaker 1: fan is to have your team and a position to

1396
01:11:15,000 --> 01:11:16,840
Speaker 1: go out and compete like that. So I have no

1397
01:11:16,920 --> 01:11:19,840
Speaker 1: idea what's going to happen, no clue, And I think

1398
01:11:20,160 --> 01:11:22,639
Speaker 1: after these last six games, pretending like I know what's

1399
01:11:22,640 --> 01:11:24,880
Speaker 1: going to happen would be absolutely silly. It's very true

1400
01:11:24,960 --> 01:11:26,920
Speaker 1: we could go oh and four, we could go four

1401
01:11:26,960 --> 01:11:30,400
Speaker 1: and oh, But I think it's a wonderful moment for

1402
01:11:30,520 --> 01:11:33,160
Speaker 1: a lot of people involved in this organization, and it's

1403
01:11:33,200 --> 01:11:36,840
Speaker 1: a wonderful opportunity against some really good teams. So I'm

1404
01:11:36,840 --> 01:11:39,560
Speaker 1: going to put my worries aside and just enjoy the

1405
01:11:39,960 --> 01:11:43,760
Speaker 1: next few games. That's a great perspective, It honestly is,

1406
01:11:43,840 --> 01:11:47,559
Speaker 1: because this team is battle tested and I have faith

1407
01:11:47,640 --> 01:11:50,040
Speaker 1: in that. Personally, I like teams that show grit in

1408
01:11:50,120 --> 01:11:52,400
Speaker 1: these moments that the Vikings have showed in the last

1409
01:11:52,479 --> 01:11:55,439
Speaker 1: six weeks. I know this might come off a little

1410
01:11:55,640 --> 01:11:59,479
Speaker 1: cheesy or just kind of maybe too poetic, but I mean,

1411
01:11:59,640 --> 01:12:02,840
Speaker 1: they control their own destiny. Now they have they can

1412
01:12:02,920 --> 01:12:05,800
Speaker 1: make a decision. Are we going to take this fork

1413
01:12:05,880 --> 01:12:07,920
Speaker 1: in the road and be great? Are we going to

1414
01:12:08,040 --> 01:12:12,439
Speaker 1: continue to down the path of you know, mediocrity? And

1415
01:12:12,680 --> 01:12:15,200
Speaker 1: they can they can choose which fork they want to

1416
01:12:15,240 --> 01:12:18,840
Speaker 1: go into. I for one, look forward to size text

1417
01:12:18,920 --> 01:12:24,040
Speaker 1: messages being very balanced and very just cohesive, and I

1418
01:12:24,120 --> 01:12:26,080
Speaker 1: won't have to worry about any more of the worrying

1419
01:12:26,280 --> 01:12:30,599
Speaker 1: or ranting. Everything's gonna be fine. Yeah right, I call BS.

1420
01:12:31,040 --> 01:12:33,720
Speaker 1: And I also look forward to the fact that my

1421
01:12:33,880 --> 01:12:36,160
Speaker 1: phone will be blowing up between you and Chris Carso

1422
01:12:36,800 --> 01:12:39,080
Speaker 1: talking about how you're about ready to jump out a

1423
01:12:39,120 --> 01:12:42,760
Speaker 1: window because you can't take the amount of tense anxiety

1424
01:12:42,840 --> 01:12:45,840
Speaker 1: that's happening at that moment. So I like the sentiment side,

1425
01:12:45,840 --> 01:12:47,760
Speaker 1: I will hold your feet to the fire. And for

1426
01:12:47,840 --> 01:12:50,960
Speaker 1: the most part, no, that is not what's going to happen. Well,

1427
01:12:50,960 --> 01:12:53,439
Speaker 1: at least this week, he won't be texting you guys

1428
01:12:53,520 --> 01:12:56,600
Speaker 1: too crazy, excuse me, I got nothing going on. I

1429
01:12:56,680 --> 01:12:59,680
Speaker 1: still will. I know you've been around him, but I

1430
01:12:59,760 --> 01:13:01,600
Speaker 1: don't think you know him very well. If that is

1431
01:13:01,640 --> 01:13:04,519
Speaker 1: what you think is going to happen, trust me. Sunday morning,

1432
01:13:04,600 --> 01:13:06,680
Speaker 1: my phone will be blowing up right before kickoff for

1433
01:13:06,720 --> 01:13:08,800
Speaker 1: all these other teams going Okay, I have so much

1434
01:13:08,800 --> 01:13:11,240
Speaker 1: anxiety for who we're going to play. I have to

1435
01:13:11,280 --> 01:13:13,560
Speaker 1: find a way to pay attention to this. So I

1436
01:13:14,360 --> 01:13:16,479
Speaker 1: love the fact that we have these things, and it's

1437
01:13:16,479 --> 01:13:19,759
Speaker 1: always fun. I don't respond, and there's a reason at times,

1438
01:13:19,840 --> 01:13:23,400
Speaker 1: but for more than anything, I love the sentiment. I

1439
01:13:23,680 --> 01:13:27,120
Speaker 1: know it's not even that, it's not even about the

1440
01:13:27,200 --> 01:13:30,160
Speaker 1: coward side. It is purely about do I poke the bear?

1441
01:13:30,240 --> 01:13:31,920
Speaker 1: And do we really want to get into this for

1442
01:13:32,320 --> 01:13:37,080
Speaker 1: the next four hours of my life? I love how exactly,

1443
01:13:37,439 --> 01:13:39,960
Speaker 1: but the four hours of intensity going, do I text

1444
01:13:40,000 --> 01:13:42,320
Speaker 1: it back? Do I text it back? More than anything,

1445
01:13:42,560 --> 01:13:45,080
Speaker 1: I love having this side of being able to go

1446
01:13:45,160 --> 01:13:46,680
Speaker 1: back and forth on those kind of things, and nine

1447
01:13:46,720 --> 01:13:48,639
Speaker 1: times out of ten, I'm trying to figure out how

1448
01:13:48,680 --> 01:13:50,800
Speaker 1: do I craft a response here that's not going to

1449
01:13:50,920 --> 01:13:54,280
Speaker 1: just turn into complete chaos. So I love the sentiment.

1450
01:13:54,400 --> 01:13:58,040
Speaker 1: But at the same point I call bs well. For one,

1451
01:13:58,200 --> 01:14:01,040
Speaker 1: I love proving people wrong, just like Minnesota Vikings. So

1452
01:14:01,160 --> 01:14:04,680
Speaker 1: why don't you eat it? Jay Fazinga? And on that note,

1453
01:14:04,760 --> 01:14:07,160
Speaker 1: I think we should conclude this episode of the Minnesota

1454
01:14:07,280 --> 01:14:11,799
Speaker 1: Vikings podcast. Thank you so much, sy Amazon for joining

1455
01:14:11,960 --> 01:14:15,639
Speaker 1: us today. Love your insight, love your energy, and you're

1456
01:14:16,200 --> 01:14:18,720
Speaker 1: obviously we'll check in with you throughout the season and

1457
01:14:19,320 --> 01:14:21,800
Speaker 1: maybe even bring you in for some more superlatives or

1458
01:14:21,840 --> 01:14:25,479
Speaker 1: just another temperature check. For how things are going. Sounds

1459
01:14:25,520 --> 01:14:27,639
Speaker 1: great good. Thank you for having me, Thanks sorry, Thanks

1460
01:14:28,240 --> 01:14:31,120
Speaker 1: for Jane Nelson, Gabe Henderson, I'm Tatum Everett. Thanks for listening.