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Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Broncos podcast network

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Speaker 1: and YouTube for the latest episode of Broncos Now. As always,

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Speaker 1: I'm your host is Sidney Jones, and coming up on

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Speaker 1: today's episode, the Denver Broncos held another day of practice

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Speaker 1: here at Central Heal Training Center and we'll hear from

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Speaker 1: all three coordinators in a cornerback Patser Tan all that

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Speaker 1: more coming out. The Denver Broncos held another day of

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Speaker 1: practice here at Centure Health Training Center as they welcomed

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Speaker 1: the new England Patriots to town in just three days.

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Speaker 1: And today we heard from cornerback Patser Tan as we

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Speaker 1: talked about what it's going to mean to be a

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Speaker 1: back at the power Field at Mile High this weekend.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's good to be at home, to have a

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Speaker 2: fan based having home field advantage is very key towards

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Speaker 2: you know, these last couple of weeks see last games,

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Speaker 2: because obviously is very important, but having a fan base,

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Speaker 2: having a fan of cheer.

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Speaker 3: Us on is very huge for us looking ahead it

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Speaker 3: to the matchup.

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Speaker 1: Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi talked today about what you've seen

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Speaker 1: on tape from the Patriots defense.

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Speaker 4: You know, it's a really well coached as everybody knows

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Speaker 4: they're playing well this year despite the record, and you know,

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Speaker 4: there's a million different looks that they can give you,

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Speaker 4: more so than in your average team.

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Speaker 5: And and so you know, to your point, you're gonna

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Speaker 5: have your chance, hopefully to get some downfield shots, but

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Speaker 5: they take those away with some consistency.

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Speaker 4: And so what he's talking about being patients there, there's

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Speaker 4: the you know, don't.

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Speaker 5: Get frustrated early if it's not going well. But also

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Speaker 5: as a quarterback, like you don't force the guy when

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Speaker 5: it's not there and take your check downs and just

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Speaker 5: keep being efficient offensively.

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Speaker 1: We also heard from defensive coordinator Advance Joseph as you

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Speaker 1: talked about the Broncos defensive struggles a last weekend in

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Speaker 1: Detroit and how they look to fix those before Sunday.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, you know, anytime you don't play well, the team

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Speaker 6: behind you, they're definitely going to try some of those things.

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Speaker 6: You know, but every team's built differently. You know, skilled players, quarterback,

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Speaker 6: you know what you do well, it's all different. Sadly,

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Speaker 6: we didn't play Wall, you know, we didn't tackle Wall,

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Speaker 6: who were very average in the red zone and third downs,

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Speaker 6: you know, so I've got a coach better obviously, and

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Speaker 6: you know we got to play better. You know, our

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Speaker 6: defense plays very well when we can dictate, and on

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Speaker 6: Saturday night we could not. You know, we chased them.

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Speaker 6: You know, it was some no on running pass downs.

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Speaker 6: They were throwing the ball, you know, some norm pass downs,

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Speaker 6: they're running football, you know. So you know we had

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Speaker 6: no chance to dictate and to get ahead of the sticks,

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Speaker 6: you know, and we don't play wall when it happens,

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Speaker 6: no one does, you know. So you know, just getting

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Speaker 6: back to dictating winning first down pressure in the quarterback,

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Speaker 6: taking the ball away. That's our forma to win.

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Speaker 1: And Pats Artana added to that, discussing how the defense

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Speaker 1: needs to be better on early downs.

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Speaker 2: Holding the opposing team behind the margin, forcing them being

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Speaker 2: second and loans, so that way third down is easy

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Speaker 2: for us. And you know when we hold them in

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Speaker 2: third and loans, you know, that's in all territory and

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Speaker 2: that's where we be able to succeed defensively. But it

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Speaker 2: all starts on first and second down and holding them

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Speaker 2: you know, the short games, so it thearted down be

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Speaker 2: much easier for us.

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Speaker 1: Plus Vanstez I've talked about what he's seen on tape

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Speaker 1: from the Patriots offense and quarterback Bailey Zappi.

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Speaker 6: Obviously he's taking care of football, you know, and that's

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Speaker 6: a big part of playing quarterback in this league. They

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Speaker 6: have a great defense, They run the ball very well.

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Speaker 6: It's a good play action team. They run boots, they

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Speaker 6: run screen. So it's a very very functional offense that

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Speaker 6: moves the ball consistently, you know, with a good defense.

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Speaker 6: So that's their team formula and he's played well to it.

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Speaker 1: The special teams coordinator Ben Kottweka talked about Bill Belichick's

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Speaker 1: special teams unit out there in New England.

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Speaker 7: Historically, New England with coach Belichick have been very fundamentally sound.

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Speaker 7: I think, you know, they don't make mistakes, they don't

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Speaker 7: beat themselves, they resource it. You know, they've got a

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Speaker 7: handful of veterans in there. Obviously, Matthew Slater's been there

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Speaker 7: for sixteen years. What a ten time Pro bowler, you know.

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Speaker 7: Cody Davis is another veteran guy that's played a lot

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Speaker 7: of games on the special team side, along with Chris

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Speaker 7: Board So they've got a good veteran group. So to

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Speaker 7: answer your question, fundamentally own resourced well with.

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Speaker 1: Good players, and now it's time to take a look

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Speaker 1: at today's injury report. Outside linebacker Nick Bonito, tight end

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Speaker 1: Greg dolsuch In, defensive tackle Mike Purcell all did not

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Speaker 1: participate today, plus tit end Chris Manhards was limited, and

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Speaker 1: everyone else was a full participant. Now joining me here

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Speaker 1: on Broncos now to take a look at a Sunday's

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Speaker 1: matchup from the Patriots perspective is New England Patriots writer

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Speaker 1: epenlessar Evan.

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Speaker 8: Thanks for joining me today, Thanks for having me appreciate it.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, How are you? How are things going up

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Speaker 1: there in New England?

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Speaker 8: It could be going a little bit better, I suppose,

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Speaker 8: But you know what, it's exciting as much as it

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Speaker 8: can be to not be in this position very often,

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Speaker 8: it's a good thing. But to have a potential top

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Speaker 8: five pick in the draft and have a lot of

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Speaker 8: caps based next offseason, that part of it is what's

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Speaker 8: keeping us us going right now because it's been a

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Speaker 8: tough year.

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Speaker 3: Understandable, Yeah, you mentioned a tough season.

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Speaker 1: But as you guys are preparing to head out to

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Speaker 1: Denver here, what's just been the mindset, the focus over

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Speaker 1: there in the locker room this week.

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Speaker 8: Yeah, I think a lot of the players are just

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Speaker 8: saying that we're playing for us now. You know, obviously

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Speaker 8: the playoffs are out of the question, and the conversation

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Speaker 8: now becomes about putting out good tape, playing for pride

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Speaker 8: and playing for each other and doing that sort of thing.

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Speaker 8: And I think there's enough motivation there just to keep

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Speaker 8: playing as best as they possibly can that I don't

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Speaker 8: expect the Patriots team to let go of a rope

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Speaker 8: or anything like that comes Sunday. But obviously they have

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Speaker 8: issues and they have flaws with their rosters specifically that

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Speaker 8: have gotten them to this point. But I've actually been

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Speaker 8: impressed with how they've kept it together relatively in terms of,

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Speaker 8: you know, the motivation and going out there every single week,

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Speaker 8: even last week against Kansas City and at least competing

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Speaker 8: for a little while until Patrick Mahomes did his things.

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Speaker 8: So I think that there's a little bit of you know, pride,

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Speaker 8: I would say, is the best word to use to

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Speaker 8: describe how they're playing right now.

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Speaker 6: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: Absolutely.

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Speaker 1: You know, I know, quarterback Billy Zappy, he's only played

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Speaker 1: in seven games so far this season, has had three starts,

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Speaker 1: but you know what's been your just impressions of him.

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Speaker 3: So far this year. You mentioned last week first the Chiefs,

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Speaker 3: he got off to a good start.

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Speaker 8: He's gone off to a good start in both games. Obviously,

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Speaker 8: they beat Pittsburgh on Thursday, and I had a few

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Speaker 8: weeks ago, but they came out and they scored twenty

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Speaker 8: one points in the first half of that game, three

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Speaker 8: touchdown passes for Bailey Zappy, and that was their best

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Speaker 8: offensive performance of the season until the second half, obviously,

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Speaker 8: But that's been the story with him. He's a tail

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Speaker 8: of two halves right now. In the first half, passer

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Speaker 8: ratings is about one hundred and fifteen point five, which

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Speaker 8: is pretty darn good, and then the second half he's

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Speaker 8: just a totally different quarterback. So if you look at

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Speaker 8: the ratings and things like that, he's one of the

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Speaker 8: highest rated passers in the first two quarters and one

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Speaker 8: of the lowest rated passers in the second half. So

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Speaker 8: I think one thing that we've been trying to get

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Speaker 8: our head around all week long is is why is that?

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Speaker 8: Why are those splits are so volatile? And I think

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Speaker 8: there's something to be said of he's coming into these

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Speaker 8: games and they're well prepared, like the Patriots usually are

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Speaker 8: and the game plans pretty good, and then they get

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Speaker 8: into the game and teams start to adjust and see

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Speaker 8: what they're trying to do. And they haven't really had

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Speaker 8: a counter punch with Bailey Zappi, and that's that's been

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Speaker 8: an issue. But they hung in there against Kansas City.

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Speaker 8: They were thirteen to ten at halftime with the Chiefs,

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Speaker 8: and then they beat the Steelers with Bailey Zappi as

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Speaker 8: the quarterback. So they've been a little bit frisky.

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Speaker 3: With him, you know, as we look at the matchup.

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Speaker 1: I mean, what's just been your evaluation of the Patriots

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Speaker 1: rushing attack, you know, with Ezekiel Elliott and I know

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Speaker 1: Ramondre Stevenson, you know, he's been dealing with that ankle

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Speaker 1: injury recently.

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Speaker 8: Yeah, so Ramondre Stevenson hasn't been practicing and I don't

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Speaker 8: think he's going to play in this game. But they

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Speaker 8: were running the ball really well for about a month

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Speaker 8: there in the middle of the season, and then I

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Speaker 8: think teams realized that they could stack the box and

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Speaker 8: crowd the line of scrimmage and start sending pressure at

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Speaker 8: the quarterback and the backs and everything like that. And

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Speaker 8: I have really slowed down the run game the last

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Speaker 8: couple of weeks, I know for the Chiefs and for

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Speaker 8: the Steelers, those defenses that was number one priority on

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Speaker 8: the game plan was shut down the running game and

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Speaker 8: slow down Zeke Elliott and make this about Bailey Zappy,

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Speaker 8: And I think the Patriots need to do a better

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Speaker 8: job of making teams pay for that approach. Like the

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Speaker 8: best way to get out of an eight man box

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Speaker 8: is to throw it over the top and make them

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Speaker 8: respect the pass. And I think that's where the Patriots

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Speaker 8: are going to try to go in this game, is

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Speaker 8: try to throw the ball a little bit and say, hey,

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Speaker 8: if you're going to crowd the line of scrimmage and

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Speaker 8: try to shut down Zeke, we're going to try to

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Speaker 8: pass the ball over the top. And they haven't necessarily

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Speaker 8: been able to make teams pay enough for that. And

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Speaker 8: so they've been able to shut down the running game

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Speaker 8: the last few weeks, but they were really running the

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Speaker 8: ball well. I would say midway through the year. You know,

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Speaker 8: games against the Colts they had like almost two hundred

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Speaker 8: yards rushing. So they've had a good running games this year.

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Speaker 8: But that's the game plan for every defense coming in,

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Speaker 8: is we know, the Patriots are going to need to

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Speaker 8: run the ball to win today, So if we can

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Speaker 8: shut down the run, then we're going to be in

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Speaker 8: good shape.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, kind of same situation over here.

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Speaker 1: I know the Broncos are putting in a big emphasis

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Speaker 1: this week on getting that run game back going, and

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Speaker 1: no head coach On Payton said he felt like the

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Speaker 1: last time the Broncos ran the ball well was.

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Speaker 3: Back in Week twelve.

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Speaker 1: So, you know, with thet's ranking first in the league

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Speaker 1: and rushing yards allowed for play, Evan, you know, let's

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Speaker 1: just impress you about what that unit's been able to

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Speaker 1: do this year.

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Speaker 8: Yeah, the run defense has been fantastic for the Patriots.

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Speaker 8: It's been really the best part of their team this year,

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Speaker 8: and they've had some players that have really stepped up.

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Speaker 8: Anthony Jennings Christian Barmore are probably the two biggest ones

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Speaker 8: that we talk about the most here, But Devon Godshaw

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Speaker 8: their nose tackle and Juwan Bentley their middle linebacker. Kind

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Speaker 8: of the anchors I would say of the entire run defense.

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Speaker 8: But they're number one across the league and pretty much

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Speaker 8: every statistic that you could think of against the run,

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Speaker 8: you met, gen yards per carry, I like the advanced math,

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Speaker 8: so you know, DVOA, EPA per play number one and

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Speaker 8: all of that. So it's been a really impressive year

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Speaker 8: for the run defense and guys that have been emerging.

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Speaker 8: You know, in a lot of ways, they lose Matthew

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Speaker 8: Judah on the first month of the season in Week four,

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Speaker 8: and their pass rush has just really taken a massive

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Speaker 8: hit without Judan obviously, but Anthony Jennings in a lot

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Speaker 8: of ways is a stouter, kind of more discipline run defender.

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Speaker 8: So in some ways I think that that respect, Jennings

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Speaker 8: is actually maybe a little bit better off for their

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Speaker 8: system than Judon has been at times because he likes

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Speaker 8: to get up the field and get after the quarterback. Obviously,

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Speaker 8: but in a passing league that's really hurt them, I

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Speaker 8: would say, in the big picture. But the micro view

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Speaker 8: is that the run defense has been a lot better

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Speaker 8: this year.

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Speaker 1: Well, I know there's been a lot of talk over

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Speaker 1: here this week in Denver just about Bill Belichick's ability

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Speaker 1: to take away you know, team's number one weapons out there,

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Speaker 1: and you know, I know and there are secondary is

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Speaker 1: a bit banged up this right now. So what's kind

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Speaker 1: of the game plan there to try and slow down

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Speaker 1: this Broncos receiving core.

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Speaker 8: It's a great question. I think that in terms of mismatches,

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Speaker 8: that's my biggest fear as a Patriots fan about this

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Speaker 8: game is that Courtland Sutton and Jerry Judy against the

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Speaker 8: Patriots depleted secondary is not a great matchup for New England.

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Speaker 8: Even Jonathan Jones, who's been kind of mister reliable for

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Speaker 8: the Patriots for a couple of years now, he's dealing

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Speaker 8: with a knee injury and on the injury report for

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Speaker 8: a couple of weeks now and was kind of in

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Speaker 8: and out of that game last week trying to work

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Speaker 8: through it and play through it.

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Speaker 6: J C.

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Speaker 8: Jackson was placed on NFI. He's having personal mental health

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Speaker 8: issues off the field, so he's not going to play

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Speaker 8: in this game. So that leaves them basically with Alex Austin,

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Speaker 8: who is a rookie who hasn't played very much, and

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Speaker 8: Sean Wade who's bounced around with the Patriots on the

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Speaker 8: practice squad on the active roster kind of back and

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Speaker 8: forth over the last few years. So I would look

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Speaker 8: at a guy like Courtland Sutton and I don't know

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Speaker 8: how the Patriots an Cortland Sutton right now, they don't

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Speaker 8: really have much size on the outside at corner. It's

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Speaker 8: going to be a backup that's going to be playing

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Speaker 8: over that spot. But as you mentioned, you know, they've

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Speaker 8: been pretty good against number one receivers or number one

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Speaker 8: weapons if you you know, with Travis Kelcey last week

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Speaker 8: really didn't have a very big game against the Patriots.

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Speaker 8: It's been those secondary guys. Teams start to spread the

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Speaker 8: ball around and recognize that their depth at corner is

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Speaker 8: not very good. So Bill Belichick still has that feather

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Speaker 8: in his cap if you know, they decide Judy's number

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Speaker 8: one guy, Stton whoever, Like, we can probably take away

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Speaker 8: that guy. But what's gonna happen when there's single coverage

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Speaker 8: someplace else? Are they going to be able to defend that?

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Speaker 8: You know, last week Kelsey had I think five for

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Speaker 8: twenty eight if my memory serves me correctly, twenty eight yards.

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Speaker 8: Not a very big game for him, but Rashi Rice

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Speaker 8: killed them, you know, So like that's sort of the

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Speaker 8: difference right now with the Patriots.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, you talk about some of the mismatches,

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Speaker 1: but looking at the matchup, you know, what do you

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Speaker 1: think is the matchup then to watch on Sunday.

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Speaker 8: Yeah, I would say I'll go in with the interior

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Speaker 8: offensive line for the Broncos. Christian Barmore has been one

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Speaker 8: of the patriots best players this year. He's just been

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Speaker 8: a revelation for them on a team that's not win

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Speaker 8: very many games. And last week he had a sack

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Speaker 8: at four quarterback pressures, three stuffs against the run. Like

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Speaker 8: He's just all over the field for them right now

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Speaker 8: in the interior. So if I'm the Broncos and that

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Speaker 8: interior offensive line, you know Ben Powers, those guys, they're

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Speaker 8: gonna have to block a really really good interior pass

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Speaker 8: rusher and then you still have Josh j coming off

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Speaker 8: the edge. And the Patriots will always mix it up

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Speaker 8: with their blitz pressures and things like that too, so

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Speaker 8: they'll find ways, I think, to maybe get Russell Wilson

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Speaker 8: off his spot so that Russ magic, you know, you

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Speaker 8: gotta worry about him, you know, escape artists and getting

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Speaker 8: out of the pocket and things like that. So I

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Speaker 8: think that's going to be a big part of the

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Speaker 8: game plan.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, well it should be a fun one.

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Speaker 1: On Christmas Eve, we might see a snow game here

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Speaker 1: at to Evans time.

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Speaker 3: For Christmas. Appreciate you joining the show today anytime.

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Speaker 1: Well, that's going to do it for today's episode of

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Speaker 1: Broncos Now Broncos Country.

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Speaker 3: Thanks so much for tuning in.

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Speaker 1: We sature right back here on the Broncos Podcast Network

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Speaker 1: in YouTube tomorrow for a game preview.

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Speaker 3: I will see you all then