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Speaker 1: Arizona straight to the line. There's the snap to Murray.

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Speaker 1: Murray looks left pumps once looking looking a lot of time.

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Speaker 1: Now we've rove and it didn't suthing about a line

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Speaker 1: picked up down the sideline, picked up a block at

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Speaker 1: the dirty twenty twenty Amoni ten five and he's spun

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Speaker 1: out a bound right there. I say you, twenty four,

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Speaker 1: I see you. Welcome to the Twentyman in the Huddle podcast.

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Speaker 1: It is week one of the regular season. It's finally here,

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Speaker 1: and I've got a huge show for you guys with

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Speaker 1: a lot of great guests. But first we got to

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Speaker 1: talk about the news and notes from this week as

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Speaker 1: the Lions get ready to host the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday

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Speaker 1: at Ford Field. And look, first, it starts with the

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Speaker 1: offensive line, right. I mean, we've talked all offseason about

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Speaker 1: this Detroit Lions offensive line being the biggest strength of

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Speaker 1: this football team, and I think it is. But they're

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Speaker 1: dealing with some injuries that they've got to navigate around,

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Speaker 1: you know, with a really good Eagles front coming in

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Speaker 1: this week weekend, we obviously knew Big V wasn't going

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Speaker 1: to be available. He'd been dealing with a back injury

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Speaker 1: flared up in Pittsburgh and the team placed him on

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Speaker 1: reserve injury. And what that means basically, he's out for

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Speaker 1: at least the first four games. So they knew that

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Speaker 1: coming in. But now Frank rag Now has a groin

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Speaker 1: injury that he's dealing with flared up on Wednesday. He

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Speaker 1: was not at practice on Thursday. That's obviously a little

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Speaker 1: bit concerning. Now, Frank's a guy who doesn't have to

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Speaker 1: practice to play. In my opinion, you know, a veteran

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Speaker 1: guy who can really be a true game time decision,

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Speaker 1: and I kind of feel like it's trending that way

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Speaker 1: as a game time decision. Obviously, Friday will know the

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Speaker 1: game designation from the practice sport. That will be huge.

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Speaker 1: But that could potentially be forty percent of Detroit's offensive

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Speaker 1: line missing week one, and we talked about how last

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Speaker 1: year we never saw all five of those guys play

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Speaker 1: together as a starting unit, and it won't be that

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Speaker 1: way week one. It won't be that way for the

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Speaker 1: first of the season, but you hope it's not. You know,

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Speaker 1: you're missing multiple starters, so you hope Frank can go.

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Speaker 1: We'll just kind of have to see where that growing

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Speaker 1: injury goes. I would expect if if Frank can play,

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Speaker 1: great and I think the Lions have a decision then

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Speaker 1: between Evan Brown and Logan Stenberg at right guard. And

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Speaker 1: it's not Tommy Kramer because unfortunately Tommy Kramer's dealing with

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Speaker 1: a back injury too. He's been dealing with that for

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Speaker 1: a couple of weeks now, miss practice both Wednesday and Thursday,

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Speaker 1: him not expecting him to play either. So look now

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Speaker 1: you're getting into you know, your reserves, and Hank Frilly,

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Speaker 1: the offensive line COO, just talked about depth and how

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Speaker 1: that's you know, something huge for him and that room

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Speaker 1: that they have to have depth. They treat everyone as

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Speaker 1: a starter. Well, if Frank can go, my guest is

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Speaker 1: Evan Brown and or Logan Stenberg, who's in his third

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Speaker 1: season's going to play right guard. And if Frank's a

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Speaker 1: no go, then obviously Evan Brown's at center. And then

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Speaker 1: to me, they talked this week about moving sul from

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Speaker 1: tackle and doing some of those things. To me, I

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Speaker 1: just think, look, Logan Stenberg made this team, right, he

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Speaker 1: was one of your fifty three um and like that,

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Speaker 1: that's his role. He's a backup guy as starter gets

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Speaker 1: hurt and you insert backup guy. You know, that's why

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Speaker 1: he's on the roster. So you know, I think, you know,

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Speaker 1: some of that's maybe just a little bit of window

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Speaker 1: dressing and maybe you know, if something happens within the

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Speaker 1: game with another injury, now you're prepared. You've moved some

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Speaker 1: guys around. You can move Suol inside and do tackle.

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Speaker 1: But I think to start that game, um, if Frank's

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Speaker 1: out there, We're see Evan Brown at center, We're gonna

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Speaker 1: see Logan Stenberg at at right guard, and you know,

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Speaker 1: you keep the other three guys at their roles and

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Speaker 1: you hope the line's depth is good and so, um,

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Speaker 1: you know that that's going to be really a storyline

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Speaker 1: to watch with Frank, especially Wednesday and then Sunday, ninety

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Speaker 1: minutes before the game, will know for sure if he's inactive.

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Speaker 1: I'll have that on Twitter and on Detroit Lions dot

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Speaker 1: Com ninety minutes before, so be sure to to check

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Speaker 1: check there for that. And then you know, a couple

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Speaker 1: of things that have kind of you know, developed through

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Speaker 1: the week is you know, we got to talk with

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Speaker 1: the coordinators on Thursday, and when I was in Indianapolis

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Speaker 1: at the joint practice. I asked, you know, at Swift

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Speaker 1: was asked, what's his goals for you know this this season,

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Speaker 1: and you know, made you know, headlines when he said, look,

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Speaker 1: I want to rush for a thousand yards and I

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Speaker 1: want to have a thousand yards receiving. We got to

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Speaker 1: talk with Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator on Thursday, and

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Speaker 1: I asked him about, you know, having a player that

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Speaker 1: one you know, has those kind of goals and then

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Speaker 1: are they attainable? And look, he loved it and he

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Speaker 1: said absolutely. He said, Swift is enough, is a great

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Speaker 1: enough athlete that he can get a thousand yards, that

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Speaker 1: he can get catch a thousand balls. So he was

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Speaker 1: leading all running backs and catches um before he heard

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Speaker 1: the shoulder on Thanksgiving. So m you know, and I

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Speaker 1: think he's going to be a huge part of Sunday's

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Speaker 1: game plan. I think him and Amamra st Brown are

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Speaker 1: going to be two keys. You know, they've got some

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Speaker 1: good corners over there in Philadelphia. They got a couple

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Speaker 1: of nice safeties, and you know, I think they can

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Speaker 1: you know, they try to limit Chart and Reynolds and

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Speaker 1: maybe you know, you do some matchups with t J. Hockinson.

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Speaker 1: I think I'm on Ross, Saint Brown and Swift have

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Speaker 1: a chance to really kind of be those guys that

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Speaker 1: give one on one matchups and you can take advantage

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Speaker 1: of it. I think that's gonna be case for Swift

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Speaker 1: all season long. And look, Ben Johnson said, if he

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Speaker 1: gets a thousand and one thousand, the Detroit Lions as

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Speaker 1: an offense are in a really good place, and I

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Speaker 1: have to agree with them. There's only been, like I said,

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Speaker 1: three guys that have done it in NFL history, So

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Speaker 1: you know, I think the expectations are really big for

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Speaker 1: DeAndre Swift coming into the season. I'm excited week one

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Speaker 1: can have and if he can maybe start to live

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Speaker 1: up to some of those lofty goals that he's got.

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Speaker 1: You know, when you think about the Philadelphia years, you

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Speaker 1: have to think about last year's game, right, it was

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Speaker 1: forty four to six. Philadelphia came in, ran for two

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Speaker 1: hundred and thirty six yards, they ran for four touchdowns,

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Speaker 1: the average five point one yards per carry, and look

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Speaker 1: they beat up the Lions. Let's be on, that's just

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Speaker 1: kind of what it was. Um, it was a butt

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Speaker 1: o open and Aaron Glenn had admitted as much. The

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Speaker 1: players had been as much, and and look, the Philadelphia

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Speaker 1: went on to kind of find something and become a

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Speaker 1: playoff team, and hit spurred some you know changes with

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Speaker 1: Detroit as well. You know, um, you know Ben Johnson

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Speaker 1: when elevated the pass game coordinator, Dan took over play calling.

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Speaker 1: So it spurred some things. But you know, Aaron was

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Speaker 1: asked this week if if you know that loss, you

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Speaker 1: know still stings a little bit, if if that if

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Speaker 1: there's a revenge factor per se, and he said, yeah,

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Speaker 1: there certainly is. Now it's a new year, there's new players.

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Speaker 1: But you think about that, and look, they spent a

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Speaker 1: lot of resources on that defense. They changed schemes, they

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Speaker 1: knew they had to be a better team against the run, especially,

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Speaker 1: and so he took it as like, look, I'm excited,

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Speaker 1: like this is gonna be our test. We get it

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Speaker 1: week one. How have those changes? You know, how are

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Speaker 1: they gonna you know, translate on the field. And look,

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Speaker 1: we're gonna know, you know, Sunday by four o'clock, you

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Speaker 1: know how much more improved this Detroit Lions defense is

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Speaker 1: against the runs. So great test, and you know we'll

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Speaker 1: see that. I think that's a noteworthy news item. I

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Speaker 1: think Jared Golf's in a great place. We've talked about

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Speaker 1: it all camp. Obviously he's got a you know, a

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Speaker 1: big test with that defense that was top ten. They've

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Speaker 1: added some pieces to that defense on paper they could

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Speaker 1: be you know, top five. So again a good test

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Speaker 1: for Golf. And you know, we'll see, you know, if

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Speaker 1: that camp that he had translates to week one. Obviously

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Speaker 1: a huge year for him. And then you look, you

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Speaker 1: got Hutchinson, you got Aidan Hutchinson, the number two overall pick.

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Speaker 1: I liked Dan Campbell this week said, look, I'm looking

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Speaker 1: forward to unleash and hutch and we get to see,

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Speaker 1: you know, he's expected to have a huge impact as

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Speaker 1: the number two overall pick. A guy that can play

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Speaker 1: you know, all three downs, can move inside and play

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Speaker 1: the three technique who move up and down the line.

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Speaker 1: Just how do the Lions deploy him? What kind of

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Speaker 1: attention does Philadelphia give him? And can he be an

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Speaker 1: impact guy both in the past in setting the edge

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Speaker 1: on the run, which I think is going to be

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Speaker 1: important key Sunday as well. So you know, there's lots

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Speaker 1: going on the injury stuff with the offensive lines obviously

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Speaker 1: the big news, and we'll have to watch how that develops.

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Speaker 1: But there's your news and notes for the week as

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Speaker 1: the Lines take on Philadelphia Sunday should be fun. Welcome

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Speaker 1: back to the Twentyman in the Huddle podcast presented by Microsoft.

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Speaker 1: I'm really excited about my guests right now, Stacy Dales

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Speaker 1: from the NFL Network. And if you guys know the

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Speaker 1: NFL Network, if you guys know Stacy Dales, do you

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Speaker 1: know she hustles. She's everywhere. She has been at training

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Speaker 1: camp for every team in the NFC North. And so

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Speaker 1: I thought it was a great time heading into week one,

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Speaker 1: heading into the regular season, to get a little NFC

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Speaker 1: North preview. So welcome and thanks for joining me, Stacy,

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Speaker 1: appreciate it. Awesome to be with you, Tim and the crew.

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Speaker 1: And Hey, I'm pumped about this year. Every year I

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Speaker 1: get excited about the division, but I think maybe in

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Speaker 1: the past three years, because Green Bay has taken it

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Speaker 1: the last each of the last three years, this might

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Speaker 1: be the most exciting time, despite a couple of coaching changes.

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Speaker 1: So here we go. Yeah, well let's get right into it,

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Speaker 1: and let's start with green Bay. Since you bring it

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Speaker 1: up you know, obviously, you look at Aaron Rodgers over

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Speaker 1: the last couple of years, I think eighty five touchdowns,

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Speaker 1: nine interceptions, one hundred and sixteen point seven passed the

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Speaker 1: rating the last two years combine coming off a terrific

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Speaker 1: season last year. But there's some changes in Green Bay offensively.

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Speaker 1: Davante Adams traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. So how

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Speaker 1: much could Davante Adams's absence impact Aaron Rodgers production. First

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Speaker 1: of all, Davante is one of my favorite receivers I've

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Speaker 1: ever covered because of the way he works when nobody's watching.

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Speaker 1: The Raiders got obviously a great one, a future Hall

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Speaker 1: of Famer. But if you look at tim any of

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Speaker 1: the games the Packers have had to play without Davanta

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Speaker 1: over the years, it's been by committee and it's going

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Speaker 1: to be the same thing. I mean, I just continue

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Speaker 1: to go back to their game Thursday Night Football against

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Speaker 1: Arizona season ago, and Aaron Jones, I think they're running back,

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Speaker 1: may have been their leading receiver in that game. This

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Speaker 1: is going to be by committee. With the receiving corps,

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Speaker 1: Alan Lazard, Sammy Watkins, and Cobby Randall Cobb are the

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Speaker 1: veterans but you're going to see a lot of Romeo dabs.

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Speaker 1: He and Aaron Rodgers have made an outstanding connection the

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Speaker 1: fourth rounder rookie this offseason, and Christian Watson's going to

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Speaker 1: keep coming along. It's all about for him learning how

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Speaker 1: to make those adjustments within the formations and the play

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Speaker 1: calls because he has all the physical tools. So I

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Speaker 1: think the Packers will be just fine even with the

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Speaker 1: new offensive coordinator and Adam Stanovich because Nate Hackett's gone

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Speaker 1: to Denver. I think they'll be just fine because of

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Speaker 1: all those things you just said about Aaron Rodgers. He

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Speaker 1: is fantastic well, and then you look at the other

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Speaker 1: side of the ball at two stays, and it looks

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Speaker 1: like to me that really all three levels are a

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Speaker 1: pretty stout on the defensive side of the ball. Do

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Speaker 1: you agree that that's a big strength of this football

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Speaker 1: team is their defense? I would think even Aaron Rodgers

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Speaker 1: would argue that it is. Tim, I think you raised

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Speaker 1: a great point, and in fact, he mentioned recently, you know,

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Speaker 1: usually I would say, from a quarterback's perspective, you look

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Speaker 1: at one guy to pick on. If a team has

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Speaker 1: a pretty good defense, he said, I don't see a

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Speaker 1: guy that we can pick on, I can pick on

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Speaker 1: within our defense. That's how good he sees them. I

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Speaker 1: think they're outstanding. I think Kaywalker and Devandre Campbell brings

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Speaker 1: such leverage that they can do so much upfront, and

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Speaker 1: then their secondary is just so experienced now and they're healthy.

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Speaker 1: So I mean, we talk about all this, it's going

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Speaker 1: to be Week one and we'll see what happens. Injuries

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Speaker 1: are always the common sort of denominator for every team,

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Speaker 1: but you hope everybody stays healthy. But the Packers are

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Speaker 1: good defensively, as good as I could remember for a while.

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Speaker 1: Do you agree with me in my assessment at least

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Speaker 1: that I think the NFC North still goes with Green Bay,

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Speaker 1: even though they've got some changes up there in Green Bay,

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Speaker 1: I still think the division goes through Green Bay. Would

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Speaker 1: you agree? Yeah, no question about it. I mean, you

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Speaker 1: have a back to back MVP quarterback who is is

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Speaker 1: gifted intelligent as I can, you know, sort of illustrate

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Speaker 1: in any words, Like I just remember talking to Nathaniel

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Speaker 1: Hackett last year in the tunnel and he said he

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Speaker 1: has to constantly or had to constantly find ways to

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Speaker 1: stimulate Aaron Rodgers because of how intelligent he is. He

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Speaker 1: would leave little innuendos on the play call sheets, on

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Speaker 1: the boards and the meeting rooms. Because Aaron constantly needs

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Speaker 1: to be stimulated, and Matt Lafleur is fantastic. Aaron can

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Speaker 1: go out and do what he needs to do to

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Speaker 1: keep this team in positions to be successful. So because

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Speaker 1: of the quarterback and this defense that we just talked about, yeah,

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Speaker 1: they're they're the top of the division until somebody proves otherwise.

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Speaker 1: It's so nice to have one of those guys Stacy

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Speaker 1: that you can never throw something at Aaron Rodgers that

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Speaker 1: he has never seen it. It's like with Tom Brady

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Speaker 1: and some of these other guys. There's no defense he

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Speaker 1: hasn't seen, no rush, no protection, nothing. It must be

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Speaker 1: real nice as an offensive coordinator just to have a

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Speaker 1: guy like that that you do have to stimulate because

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Speaker 1: he can get word with how much football he's seen,

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Speaker 1: there's no question. I mean, he's just really interesting and

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Speaker 1: I can't believe all these years later, he just gets

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Speaker 1: better every year. So yeah, if I look around the division,

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Speaker 1: I see Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins and Justin Fields

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Speaker 1: and Jared Goff and goodness, gracious, you know a couple

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Speaker 1: of coaching changes, so to me, yeah, Rogers still takes

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Speaker 1: the cake so far. Well, let's get a little closer

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Speaker 1: to your neck of the woods. And since you know

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Speaker 1: you mentioned it too, let's talk about Chicago a little bit.

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Speaker 1: New GM Ryan Poles head coach Matt Eberfluss, What were

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Speaker 1: your first impressions when you went to Chicago camp and

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Speaker 1: talk to those guys. The energy Underflus has changed. It

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Speaker 1: is there's a level of discipline and I always speak

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Speaker 1: in with such respect for the previous regimes because you know,

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Speaker 1: they go through a complete different set of circumstances. And

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Speaker 1: so he takes over in year one. Defensive minded guy.

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Speaker 1: Eberflus to me, is somebody who has already instill discipline

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Speaker 1: in his players to where they're working at a different pace.

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Speaker 1: So the culture is already changing in Chicago. The defense

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Speaker 1: needs to be better, they want more takeaways. There are

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Speaker 1: you know, there are a number of areas that the

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Speaker 1: Bears believe they can get better. But I asked say

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Speaker 1: all that with him as a defensive minded coach. But

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Speaker 1: the offense is going to be the story. Justin fields

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Speaker 1: going to be the story. Luke getsy. He just came

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Speaker 1: from Green Bay, writes Tim, He's going to be the

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Speaker 1: offensive coordinator of the story. How does he call play?

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Speaker 1: Does he tailor them to justin field skill sets? A

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Speaker 1: skill set? I think he does, and I think they

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Speaker 1: like his development over the course of this offseason. He's

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Speaker 1: more confident. The game is a little bit slower to

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Speaker 1: him because they've had a plan, and I think they

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Speaker 1: like the progress of their plan. Have they surrounded him

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Speaker 1: with enough weapons for him to succeed though, Stacy, it's

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Speaker 1: hard to tell. It's hard to tell. We really don't

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Speaker 1: know who Valis Jones is, who's their third rounder this

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Speaker 1: year because he spent some a camp out. We know

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Speaker 1: who Darnell Mooney is. I mean, Byron Pringle had his

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Speaker 1: best year with Kansas City Chiefs last year, so you know,

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Speaker 1: can he replicate a better year with a new quarterback

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Speaker 1: in a new system? Equinimius Saint Brown's got speed, but

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Speaker 1: he's never even really been the guy in Green Bay,

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Speaker 1: So I don't know they're expecting big things from Cole comment.

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Speaker 1: I would say a lot, like you know, I think T. J.

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Speaker 1: Hawkinson's a little more proven at the position, but Cole

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Speaker 1: needs to make that jump, and so they're gonna they're

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Speaker 1: gonna be asking a lot of him. We know the

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Speaker 1: running backs will be good. David Montgomery is vastly underrated

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Speaker 1: in the NFL at the position, and so you know,

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Speaker 1: I think it all hinges upon the offensive line and

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Speaker 1: can some of these even unknowns emerge as nons. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I could throw a name at you in Dante Pettis, right, like,

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Speaker 1: this is a player who maybe the best route runner

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Speaker 1: according to the Bears outside of Darnell Mooney on the team.

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Speaker 1: And he's new second rounder formerly in twenty eighteen, so

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Speaker 1: and he's been around the league a little bit, so

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Speaker 1: we'll see. I mean, it's Bears fans can be optimistic

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Speaker 1: that they have a quarterback who's who can be a

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Speaker 1: gun slinger, but can they get justin fields moving consistently

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Speaker 1: to dictate what defenses do? Will be the question. Are

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Speaker 1: we gonna still see the same Roquan Smith that we've

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Speaker 1: seen here in Detroit? Obviously a thorn in the Lions

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Speaker 1: side for a few years now? How has that been

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Speaker 1: a distraction at all? Stacy? Can we still expect that

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Speaker 1: that same kind of guy? I know that's very unsettled there.

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Speaker 1: He wanted to contract. I don't know if he's going

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Speaker 1: to get it. What's the situation, what's the deal there

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Speaker 1: with Roquan in that Bears defense. I think Roquan tim

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Speaker 1: always plays with a chip on his shoulder. I mean,

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Speaker 1: which is why over four seasons his numbers stack up

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Speaker 1: to a guy like Shaquille Leonard and Indie his numbers

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Speaker 1: are comparable to Shack Leonards, who's the highest pain inside

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Speaker 1: linebacker in football. I think he'll play with a chip

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Speaker 1: on his shoulder because he didn't get the contract. I

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Speaker 1: always think these things bother a locker room, no matter

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Speaker 1: what coaches and players say. When there is unsettled money,

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Speaker 1: if you will or dispute, it's a relationship that that's

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Speaker 1: going to have to be mended and that takes time.

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Speaker 1: So I mean, Alan Robinson's a good example. Last season, right,

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Speaker 1: Alan went for a couple of years now he's with

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Speaker 1: the Rams where he wanted a contract, the Bears never budged,

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Speaker 1: and he was got his opportunity. He was gone. He

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Speaker 1: was bolting out of Chicago. So you hope that doesn't

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Speaker 1: happen with Roquan because he should be a fixture with

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Speaker 1: this defense for years. That's how good he is. This

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Speaker 1: team historically, as you know, hinges upon the monsters of

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Speaker 1: the Midway mentality, the er Lackers, the you know, Lance Briggs,

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Speaker 1: that the linebacker position, Mike Singletary, this is where the

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Speaker 1: Bears covet. You better figure out how to mend that, right,

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Speaker 1: because that's that's the leader on the inside of this

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Speaker 1: defense and really the impact overall. I know you're you know,

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Speaker 1: you're around the Chicago area a lot. You talked to

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Speaker 1: a lot of Bears fans. I'm sure what's the expectation

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Speaker 1: for Chicago for twenty twenty two. It sounds nationally maybe

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Speaker 1: not as high. I'm just curious around Chicago there and

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Speaker 1: maybe even what what what you're hearing you know around there,

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Speaker 1: Just to add expectations for them and your expectations for them. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I think people are realistic. They're not the people I

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Speaker 1: don't foresee believing this is a playoff team. I'm talking

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Speaker 1: about fans. I think that the media have been pretty

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Speaker 1: surprised by the level, the shift in energy and attention

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Speaker 1: to detail from these players and the overall ambiance of

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Speaker 1: um Just how clear Matt Eberflus is on what he

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Speaker 1: wants and the standard that he expects. And then I

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Speaker 1: think that was all just embodied by them just scrapping

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Speaker 1: a bunch of guys. I mean, you talk, but you

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Speaker 1: could just get rid of a Keem Nicks and Khalil

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Speaker 1: Mack like they have. They wipe the slate. It's a

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Speaker 1: new slate. The players know it, and they are playing

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Speaker 1: for not only for themselves but the guy around them.

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Speaker 1: And I sense that. So I think that has been

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Speaker 1: a little bit surprising within the city of Chicago that

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Speaker 1: people that has made folks believe a little bit more

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Speaker 1: that this team maybe could win a couple of games

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Speaker 1: that maybe you didn't think they might, you know, and

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Speaker 1: sometimes that takes a little time. I think it's a

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Speaker 1: great point by you, because you know, we went through

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Speaker 1: the same thing here in Detroit, right with Dan Campbell

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Speaker 1: and Brad Holmes. You know, they wipe the slate clean,

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Speaker 1: right and you obviously started over. You played a lot

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Speaker 1: of young guys, you had the youngest roster, and it

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Speaker 1: takes a little bit of time, but it's the right

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Speaker 1: way to build it. So it sounds like from talking

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Speaker 1: to you that that things are on the up and

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Speaker 1: up in Chicago, even though it might take a little

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Speaker 1: time to kind of establish it and get everything going

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Speaker 1: all right, Stacy, Let's shift over to Minnesota real quick.

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Speaker 1: Another you know going through you know, a new g

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Speaker 1: a new coach over there. Um, what are the biggest

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Speaker 1: changes you've noticed out of out of Minnesota and the Vikings. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: another one where it's a complete cultural shift. Kevin O'Connell

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Speaker 1: comes in, just want a super Bowl with the Rams.

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Speaker 1: Brings Wes Phillips with him, who's the new offensive coordinator,

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Speaker 1: so very much an offensive minded head coach and collaboration

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Speaker 1: to kick things right off, and to pair that with

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Speaker 1: a guy he spent time with in Washington and Kirk Cousins.

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Speaker 1: I think this team could sneak sneakily beat him the

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Speaker 1: best offensive team in the division because of the talent

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Speaker 1: that they bestow at the skill positions. You know. I'll

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Speaker 1: give you an example justin Jefferson, you know, obviously had

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Speaker 1: just over sixteen hundred receiving yards a season ago. His

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Speaker 1: goal is to have the most receiving yards in a

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Speaker 1: single season in NFL history. A guy you know, well

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Speaker 1: remember yeah, that guy, what was his name again? Megatron? Yeah,

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Speaker 1: so he wants to surpass Kelvin Johnson. So mindset, this

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Speaker 1: is a baller man, this is You've gotta love that too.

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Speaker 1: You've gotta love a young guy who's got those kind

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Speaker 1: of goals, right, Oh, I just love it, like I'm

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Speaker 1: goose bumps right now, because when I watched him practice

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Speaker 1: the year, like, I'm like, this guy is a route

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Speaker 1: running savant and he's so young, like it's hard to

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Speaker 1: believe he's in his now what third year? Yeah, and

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Speaker 1: that's crazy. Adam Feeling and Herb Smith is expected to

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Speaker 1: be healthy. And then the running backs Delvin cook um

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Speaker 1: and and Madison Alexander Madison like they are, they are potent,

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Speaker 1: They can be potent offensively, and Kirk Cousin Cousins can

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Speaker 1: throw it. I mean, I think he had the best

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Speaker 1: deep football um in football last year in the NFL

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Speaker 1: last year, so I expect him to be solid. Green

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Speaker 1: Bay would argue with that. Offensively, Um, I'm sure the

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Speaker 1: whole division would, because it's there's nobody's played a game,

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Speaker 1: so wins and losses dictate all the bragging rights. But um,

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Speaker 1: where they're going to make the biggest jump is defensively,

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Speaker 1: So like that that's we know the offense is going

426
00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,119
Speaker 1: to be good. But I'm looking at Louis Steen and

427
00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:13,199
Speaker 1: Andrew Booth in their backfield, these two rookies, and to

428
00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:17,000
Speaker 1: me that just already made them better. Zadarius Smith makes

429
00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,160
Speaker 1: them better. Brian Asamoa, another rookie, makes them a little

430
00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:23,240
Speaker 1: bit better. Um, And so yeah, they have to make

431
00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:26,920
Speaker 1: a big jump under Ed Dontel. You know, I Zadarius

432
00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,159
Speaker 1: Smith and Danielle Hunter I think could be one of

433
00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:33,159
Speaker 1: the best edge combos in the NFL. You agree, totally agree,

434
00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:37,080
Speaker 1: couldn't couldn't agree more if they're both healthy, and that's

435
00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:39,920
Speaker 1: the big thing, right Yeah, yeah, I mean you had

436
00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:44,000
Speaker 1: Danielle miss basically last year, Zadarius miss last year both

437
00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:47,440
Speaker 1: because of injury most of last year for Hunter. But

438
00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,119
Speaker 1: I was at training camp. They both told me they're healthy.

439
00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:52,440
Speaker 1: They both told me they feel like one hundred percent.

440
00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:56,040
Speaker 1: So let's go. Because when they come off the edge,

441
00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:59,240
Speaker 1: they're disruptive and in this division you have to you

442
00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:03,240
Speaker 1: have to disrub Darreon Rodgers bottom line. So if you

443
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:04,800
Speaker 1: want to win the division, you got to get through

444
00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:07,240
Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers. And I think they have two edge rushers

445
00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,479
Speaker 1: that can can do it. If they're healthy, continue can

446
00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:12,040
Speaker 1: get there. So what was the biggest storyline for you,

447
00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,960
Speaker 1: Stacy leaving Minnesota and leaving the time you spent there

448
00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:20,560
Speaker 1: at their training camp, the relationship between Kirk Cousins and

449
00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:29,359
Speaker 1: Kevin O'Connell, and Kirk Cousins just very so. He has

450
00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:32,880
Speaker 1: a clean slate, but he's learning a new offense and

451
00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:35,880
Speaker 1: he's you know, over a decade in the NFL, he's

452
00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:40,000
Speaker 1: spent time with Kevin O'Connell. I'll never forget last offseason,

453
00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,399
Speaker 1: Kirk Cousins told us, I went back and I watched

454
00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,240
Speaker 1: every single play of my career dating back to when

455
00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:50,480
Speaker 1: I was drafted. And I was like, that's interesting because

456
00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:54,160
Speaker 1: I always think, don't you want to look forward and

457
00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,240
Speaker 1: start fresh? But it's almost like he was looking back

458
00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:59,760
Speaker 1: to say, what do I need to do better? What

459
00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:03,199
Speaker 1: do I need to fix? We'll scrap that. Now he

460
00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,160
Speaker 1: has again a clean slate, a fresh start with an

461
00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:11,080
Speaker 1: offensive minded head coach, and it's all forward thinking, which

462
00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:13,679
Speaker 1: I think can be very innovative when you have the

463
00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:17,960
Speaker 1: skill set of a Kirk Cousins and the positivity and

464
00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:21,240
Speaker 1: mindset of a guy like Kevin O'Connell, who also played

465
00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:24,120
Speaker 1: the position, and I agree with you, Stacy. I don't

466
00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:28,040
Speaker 1: think enough people view Minnesota as kind of a sleeper

467
00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,600
Speaker 1: in the NFC. I think they are one of those

468
00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:33,600
Speaker 1: teams that really could surprise people because of some of

469
00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:35,800
Speaker 1: the approvements they've made on defense that you mentioned and

470
00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:38,400
Speaker 1: those skill position weapons. And if Kirk Cousins is as

471
00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:41,800
Speaker 1: good as you kind of think he might be with

472
00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:44,119
Speaker 1: this new slate, that that's a dangerous team to me.

473
00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:47,160
Speaker 1: Totally agree, totally. And the running backs are good. I mean,

474
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,840
Speaker 1: we just can't say enough about Dalvin Cook if he's

475
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:53,040
Speaker 1: healthy again. It's health is everything hinges upon it. But

476
00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,440
Speaker 1: I like the Donnitel to addition, I mean, that's a

477
00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,679
Speaker 1: Vic Fangio mindset, right, Let's get off the edge and

478
00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:04,679
Speaker 1: create turnovers and you know, be disruptive and so you know,

479
00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:08,320
Speaker 1: I always I always kind of like caution myself though,

480
00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,680
Speaker 1: and these these conversations early, just because things change so

481
00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:15,080
Speaker 1: much from even week one to week two. But it

482
00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:17,760
Speaker 1: is exciting to think about the potential of each team

483
00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:20,280
Speaker 1: as we go through them. Now. I would be remiss

484
00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,240
Speaker 1: if we didn't get into the Detroit Lions just a

485
00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,879
Speaker 1: little bit from the outside looking in and Obviously hard

486
00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,679
Speaker 1: knocks changes things a little bit because everybody gets kind

487
00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,120
Speaker 1: of that inside look. But I'm just curious, what what

488
00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:35,439
Speaker 1: what what's your impressions of Detroit, Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes,

489
00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:38,480
Speaker 1: what they're doing here heading into their second season. From

490
00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:41,440
Speaker 1: from the outside looking in, I'm kind of fan girling

491
00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:45,280
Speaker 1: over the Detroit line. So I'm a big Dan Campbell fan.

492
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:47,879
Speaker 1: I'm a big Brad Holmes fan. I think all of

493
00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:51,359
Speaker 1: those years Brad spent with the Rams and all of

494
00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:53,760
Speaker 1: their ups and downs, but then the pivotal moments of

495
00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:57,720
Speaker 1: growth and the culmination of where they've come as a

496
00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,639
Speaker 1: franchise from Saint Louis to l and the success and

497
00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,480
Speaker 1: the type of players that they acquired and the culture.

498
00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:09,120
Speaker 1: That's what Brad brings. And I think because of Dan's

499
00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:12,040
Speaker 1: track record and some of the success he's been around,

500
00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:16,120
Speaker 1: and then the assistant coaches have always impressed me that

501
00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:19,160
Speaker 1: he has surrounded himself with, Like I think Ben Johnson

502
00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:23,040
Speaker 1: is superb. I think that he is so buttoned up

503
00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:25,920
Speaker 1: and he is so detailed, but then he's just so

504
00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:29,959
Speaker 1: positive that this is exactly what this offense needs. And

505
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,280
Speaker 1: I love that he's tailoring it to Jared Goff. I

506
00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:36,240
Speaker 1: mean when I think about coordinators that take over and

507
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,720
Speaker 1: they try to create their system and not take into

508
00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:42,760
Speaker 1: account the skill set of the guy they have, I

509
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,680
Speaker 1: get frustrated. I get so frustrated. And I think he's

510
00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:49,240
Speaker 1: tailoring this to Jared Goff, who when you know, think

511
00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:52,560
Speaker 1: about that twenty eighteen season when he had just astronomical

512
00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:55,359
Speaker 1: numbers with the Rams. I mean, this guy's been to

513
00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:59,119
Speaker 1: big games, super Bowl games, like he can be a

514
00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:03,040
Speaker 1: good quarterback with the right coaching. And that's not to

515
00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,119
Speaker 1: take away from last year. But I think now in

516
00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,920
Speaker 1: his second year, I do believe it when I hear

517
00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,800
Speaker 1: there's a new standard and this is no longer we're

518
00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:15,679
Speaker 1: the underdogs, but we expect to win. And Dan for

519
00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:19,280
Speaker 1: Dan to say situational football has been our biggest area

520
00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:22,240
Speaker 1: of growth this offseason when we haven't even played a game.

521
00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:26,200
Speaker 1: That gets me fangirling over this team. And I think,

522
00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:28,120
Speaker 1: I like, I like the additions. I mean, I love

523
00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,440
Speaker 1: the DJ Chark edition. I think DeAndre Swift can have

524
00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:36,600
Speaker 1: an incredible year. You know, there's just so much to

525
00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,280
Speaker 1: look at. I mean, Aman Raw has already showed us

526
00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:43,159
Speaker 1: what he can become, right TJ needs to make a

527
00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:47,280
Speaker 1: jump like catch the ball and you know, barrel over

528
00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:50,639
Speaker 1: people in space and be a red zone guru and

529
00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,280
Speaker 1: you know, so yeah, I'm I kind of I like it,

530
00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:58,080
Speaker 1: and I am obviously very excited about Aiden Hutchinson. He

531
00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:02,520
Speaker 1: has already changed the complexion of this defense. We heard

532
00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:06,560
Speaker 1: Brad Holmes and Raya Knew talk about it. Immediate impact

533
00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:11,840
Speaker 1: on day one. So like, because of him, because of

534
00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:16,120
Speaker 1: you know, you know, some of these editions, I kind

535
00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,399
Speaker 1: of believe like this team could win some games that

536
00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:20,719
Speaker 1: people might not think they and if you look at

537
00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,280
Speaker 1: their schedule him to start off the first four games,

538
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,919
Speaker 1: this is a winnable This is a winnable stretch. You

539
00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:30,560
Speaker 1: have Philly is a good team. Now, okay, they might

540
00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:34,719
Speaker 1: just win the NFC East, right, but you have Washington

541
00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:38,240
Speaker 1: at home, you go to Minnesota, and then you have

542
00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,680
Speaker 1: Seattle at home. Like you could win some of those

543
00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:46,320
Speaker 1: football games, which that could transcend so much for them

544
00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:48,840
Speaker 1: because of the close games they lost last year and

545
00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,360
Speaker 1: then they finished last year winning some of those games.

546
00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:55,520
Speaker 1: So yeah, I think the energy in Detroit, I mean,

547
00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:57,560
Speaker 1: you know better than I do. You could, you could

548
00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:00,000
Speaker 1: tell me better, but I think it's pretty Damn good.

549
00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:02,600
Speaker 1: It is high. And I think you hit the nail

550
00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:04,440
Speaker 1: right on the head when you we were talking about Golf,

551
00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:07,000
Speaker 1: because obviously, you know he's the most important player on

552
00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:09,480
Speaker 1: this football team heading into the twenty twenty two season.

553
00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:13,719
Speaker 1: And you know, I think the word that is confidence

554
00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,120
Speaker 1: when I think of Jared Golf and the difference between

555
00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:18,520
Speaker 1: last year and this year, and like you pointed out,

556
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:20,000
Speaker 1: I think a lot of that is because he was

557
00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:23,280
Speaker 1: given ownership of this offense right and he's got a

558
00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:27,720
Speaker 1: potentially top three, top five offensive line. He's got DeAndre

559
00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:30,840
Speaker 1: Swift and weapons. We didn't even talk about Jamison Williams,

560
00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:33,560
Speaker 1: and you know he's going to be back probably sometime

561
00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:36,840
Speaker 1: late October and November, and what you know his vertical

562
00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:39,000
Speaker 1: threat will mean to this team. Look, Jared Golf was

563
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,280
Speaker 1: the number one pick for a reason, and you mentioned

564
00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,320
Speaker 1: it with his seasons in LA in twenty eighteen. When

565
00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:47,120
Speaker 1: you protect him, when you can run the football, allow

566
00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,040
Speaker 1: him to do play action, which is his strength. I mean,

567
00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:52,200
Speaker 1: those are things the lines are expecting to be able

568
00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:54,479
Speaker 1: to do because of that offensive line and the weapons

569
00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:56,840
Speaker 1: they have, you know, both on the outside and at

570
00:29:56,840 --> 00:30:00,120
Speaker 1: the running back position. So you know, Jared Golf has

571
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,000
Speaker 1: had a terrific camp and if you know, he can

572
00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:05,320
Speaker 1: get back to being the Jared Golf like we talked

573
00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:08,840
Speaker 1: about in eighteen nineteen when when he was you know,

574
00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,280
Speaker 1: when playoff games and taking the ranch of the Super Bowl.

575
00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,360
Speaker 1: You know, I think this team can surprise some people,

576
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:16,040
Speaker 1: you know. And obviously they've got to be better defensively.

577
00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:19,040
Speaker 1: They get aid and they made some additions on the defense.

578
00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,880
Speaker 1: But there's certainly a lot of excitement here around Detroit

579
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:25,520
Speaker 1: because of some of the things that they've added, obviously

580
00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,680
Speaker 1: Dan Campbell and that staff. So yeah, I think you're right,

581
00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:30,800
Speaker 1: there is a lot of optimism here and it should

582
00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:33,840
Speaker 1: be a fun start to the regular season for sure. Yeah.

583
00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:36,320
Speaker 1: And I you know what, I think we're going to

584
00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:38,520
Speaker 1: make a lot about like some of the hard knocks stories,

585
00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:44,280
Speaker 1: like right, Malcolm Rodriguez. Rodrigo, he's captivating us. But what

586
00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:48,600
Speaker 1: what for me it is is the diagnosis of a

587
00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:54,720
Speaker 1: skilled player who's undersized at his position, ostensibly because of

588
00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:58,080
Speaker 1: and I think I forgot who describe it. It may

589
00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:02,440
Speaker 1: have been Kelvin Shepherd. I'm not sure as coach Blake

590
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:07,080
Speaker 1: described took for him to describe because of the spread systems.

591
00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,280
Speaker 1: Offensively in the Big twelve, you're seeing a guy in

592
00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:13,480
Speaker 1: maybe more nickel situations, right, and then understanding he was

593
00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:17,680
Speaker 1: a quarterback in a defensive back and wrestler like the

594
00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:21,320
Speaker 1: versatility he can bring. But it's the identification of a

595
00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:25,720
Speaker 1: skill set that Brad Holmes and Agnew and their team do,

596
00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:29,320
Speaker 1: and that is what intrigues me really about this roster.

597
00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:32,240
Speaker 1: You know, when I hear Brad Holmes, I listened to

598
00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:36,200
Speaker 1: him because he is really smart. And for this guy

599
00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:39,000
Speaker 1: to be considered now at this point as a potential starter,

600
00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:43,320
Speaker 1: they're not surprised by it. Maybe we are like, holy,

601
00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,080
Speaker 1: who is this? Who is this kid? Because he's hitting

602
00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,960
Speaker 1: like he's like I think about Nakobe Dean and I

603
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,040
Speaker 1: think about his size and how fast he moves side

604
00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:56,479
Speaker 1: to side, And now I'm thinking about Rodrigo and I'm like,

605
00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:59,040
Speaker 1: wait a minute, he was a sixth rounder out of

606
00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:03,920
Speaker 1: Oklahoma State. Like, but that is all scouting, and that

607
00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:09,080
Speaker 1: is all identification by the staff of Hey, we thought

608
00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,000
Speaker 1: maybe he might go a little bit higher or but

609
00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:15,400
Speaker 1: he didn't, right, So you know that's to me what

610
00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,040
Speaker 1: it intrigues me about this roster is they've continued to

611
00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:20,719
Speaker 1: build it over the course of now two seasons. Like

612
00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:24,320
Speaker 1: they might surprise some people, and they play really hard,

613
00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:27,120
Speaker 1: and that isn't always matched. Do you think it would

614
00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:30,440
Speaker 1: be on NFL Sundays. But if you're the hardest playing

615
00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:32,760
Speaker 1: team out there, you can get away with a few

616
00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:35,120
Speaker 1: mistakes if you just play really hard. And I think

617
00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:38,479
Speaker 1: this team does well. Stacy DALs, that is awesome stuff.

618
00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:40,720
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining, Thanks for giving us

619
00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,920
Speaker 1: a rundown on the NFC North and an outside perspective

620
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,240
Speaker 1: on Detroit. You are one and one of the best

621
00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:48,440
Speaker 1: in the business. Thank you so much for taking the time.

622
00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:50,680
Speaker 1: Appreciate you. Back atch a, Tim, It's going to be

623
00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:52,840
Speaker 1: with you anytime. Can't wait to see you this season.

624
00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:03,560
Speaker 1: Welcome back to the twenty Mean in the Huddle podcast

625
00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:07,280
Speaker 1: presented by Microsoft. I am joined by Eagles insider Dave

626
00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,720
Speaker 1: Spadero to give us a rundown on everything Week one

627
00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:15,959
Speaker 1: Eagles Lions Dave. Week one is finally here. How exciting? Yeah,

628
00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:18,040
Speaker 1: it's you know, it's it's a long time, right, Tim,

629
00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:21,160
Speaker 1: Like we've been waiting forever a team, since training camp began,

630
00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:23,480
Speaker 1: and we want to see what's gonna go on. Here

631
00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:28,160
Speaker 1: with this football team in Philadelphia. Like the level of excitement.

632
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,479
Speaker 1: I can't tell you how high it is. It has

633
00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,600
Speaker 1: been such a busy offseason for the Eagles, making the

634
00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:37,640
Speaker 1: playoffs last year, adding a bunch of really top level

635
00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:42,760
Speaker 1: talented players. The sense of anticipations really high. And you know,

636
00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:44,760
Speaker 1: I think Sundays it's gonna be a great test against

637
00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,560
Speaker 1: a team that I know that in this building, an

638
00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:51,720
Speaker 1: overcare complex, everybody really respects the Lions. Tough game you

639
00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:54,000
Speaker 1: had last year against the Eagles, but the way you

640
00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:56,960
Speaker 1: finished the season really opened everybody's eyes. So I think

641
00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:59,320
Speaker 1: it's a great matchup on Sunday. I think so too.

642
00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:01,480
Speaker 1: And you know, you kind of let into what my

643
00:34:01,520 --> 00:34:04,200
Speaker 1: first question was just about the expectations for this Eagle

644
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:07,160
Speaker 1: football team. You mentioned some of the guys that you've added,

645
00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,760
Speaker 1: the Gardner Johnson's, the Brad Berry's, you know, Hassan Reddick,

646
00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:14,080
Speaker 1: and then the draft with guys like Nakobe Dean and

647
00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:18,320
Speaker 1: obviously Jordan Davis. And that defense especially is going to

648
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:20,680
Speaker 1: look a lot different probably than the one that was

649
00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:24,840
Speaker 1: here in Detroit last year, and obviously making the playoffs

650
00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:27,000
Speaker 1: last year, and you get, you know, a J. Brown

651
00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:31,200
Speaker 1: and another explosive weapon for that offense. Are the expectations

652
00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:35,120
Speaker 1: kind of NFC East championship or bust and kind of

653
00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,360
Speaker 1: make noise in the NFC heading into the season. So,

654
00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:43,520
Speaker 1: I mean, from the outside, Philadelphia is an extreme city.

655
00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:47,480
Speaker 1: You know, you're either oh way or you guys really

656
00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:53,200
Speaker 1: suck It's it tends at this point to be more

657
00:34:53,200 --> 00:34:57,320
Speaker 1: of the former than the ladder. Look, they the Eagles

658
00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:01,520
Speaker 1: return an offense that the NFL in rushing last year,

659
00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:05,000
Speaker 1: let the NFL and explosive plays last year. They return

660
00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:06,839
Speaker 1: it intact, and they bring in a Pro Bowl wide

661
00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:09,680
Speaker 1: receiver a J. Brown who's just been terrific every day,

662
00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:12,840
Speaker 1: makes big plays. Really the way he uses his body

663
00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:15,480
Speaker 1: is so impressive, and he's gonna be a great compliment

664
00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:19,760
Speaker 1: to Davante Smith. And so the offense comes back looking great.

665
00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:23,560
Speaker 1: As you mentioned tim the defense with Reddick and Kaiser Whitett,

666
00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:28,960
Speaker 1: linebacker Jordan Davis, Gardner, Johnson Bradberry, whole new look on

667
00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:33,200
Speaker 1: d So I mean, the expectations, as you know, inside

668
00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:37,160
Speaker 1: a team's building, they're always really high. From the outside,

669
00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:40,360
Speaker 1: everybody's going, Okay, the Eagles team to beat in the

670
00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,239
Speaker 1: NFC East. Maybe this team, give me a surprise team

671
00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:45,880
Speaker 1: in the NFC, and the Eagles are kind of going whoa, whoa, whoa.

672
00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:50,080
Speaker 1: Let's that ain't the way it works in the NFL. Eagles.

673
00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:53,440
Speaker 1: I was. I came out of my building today, walked

674
00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:55,799
Speaker 1: to my car, and a guy gave me a fist bump.

675
00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:58,200
Speaker 1: He goes super Bowl this year, and I'm like, um,

676
00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:02,640
Speaker 1: let's just win a game for But but no doubt,

677
00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:06,640
Speaker 1: no doubt, the roster has definitely be upgraded and we'll

678
00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:08,360
Speaker 1: see how it goes. I mean, look, I believe the

679
00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:10,240
Speaker 1: first couple of weeks of an NFL season are always

680
00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:12,640
Speaker 1: wacky and wild and crazy and you never know what

681
00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:17,319
Speaker 1: to expect. So I go into Sunday feeling like, who

682
00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:19,799
Speaker 1: knows against Detroit. Detroit could come out and play really,

683
00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:23,240
Speaker 1: really great football because they have a lot of pieces

684
00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:26,160
Speaker 1: on that football team. Yeah, and you know, it seems

685
00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:29,040
Speaker 1: like that the right mindset there in Philly, because you

686
00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:30,560
Speaker 1: know it is going to take some time. You have

687
00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:33,239
Speaker 1: to learn your football team and what they do well.

688
00:36:33,239 --> 00:36:35,239
Speaker 1: And like you said, there's a lot of adjustments early

689
00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:36,640
Speaker 1: in the season. You haven't seen a lot of film

690
00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:39,240
Speaker 1: on these guys, especially when when you talking about Detroit.

691
00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:42,240
Speaker 1: I mean, what to expect from Philly. Defensively, you listed

692
00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:44,440
Speaker 1: off all the changes, and there's probably not a lot

693
00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:46,680
Speaker 1: of film from the preseason on that kind of stuff.

694
00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:49,600
Speaker 1: So it's definitely a feeling out game early this season.

695
00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:51,960
Speaker 1: I want to take you back to last year. You know, obviously,

696
00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:53,719
Speaker 1: you guys come into this building and it was a

697
00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:55,960
Speaker 1: butt whoopen. I mean, let's be honest, it was forty

698
00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:57,960
Speaker 1: four six. You ran for two hundred and thirty six

699
00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:01,279
Speaker 1: yards and four touchdowns, did about everything you wanted to do.

700
00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:07,680
Speaker 1: I'm just curious with what the what the uh the

701
00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:11,080
Speaker 1: view of Detroit is this year. Obviously, they've added some

702
00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:13,960
Speaker 1: pieces with the number two, pick eight and Hutchinson, and

703
00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:16,480
Speaker 1: they've done some things offensively. They've got a new offensive

704
00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:18,880
Speaker 1: court here. I'm just curious to the outside perspective what

705
00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:22,600
Speaker 1: I players coach has been saying about Detroit leading into

706
00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,160
Speaker 1: this matchup, and how you really can't take what happened

707
00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:28,000
Speaker 1: last year going into this this year. I mean, I

708
00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,280
Speaker 1: think this kind of game in the start of the season,

709
00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:33,359
Speaker 1: it always um can be a good measuring stick for

710
00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:36,640
Speaker 1: the maturity of your football team. I will tell you

711
00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:40,239
Speaker 1: that everything that the Eagles have said is the right thing.

712
00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:43,759
Speaker 1: Last year didn't mean anything at this point, like that's

713
00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:45,920
Speaker 1: last year's last year. And in the NFL, if you

714
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,719
Speaker 1: look back, you get your butt whoop now, So you

715
00:37:48,719 --> 00:37:51,840
Speaker 1: know they're approaching everything the right way. Start of a

716
00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:55,160
Speaker 1: new season. They have to prove themselves what they have

717
00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:58,239
Speaker 1: to They have to find out what they are. So

718
00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:01,680
Speaker 1: that sounds great. Now, we'll see how that manifests itself

719
00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:04,799
Speaker 1: on Sunday. I mean saying it and doing it. I've

720
00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:07,800
Speaker 1: found over the years tim are two different things. I mean, obviously,

721
00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:10,080
Speaker 1: the Eagles if they come in and think that they're

722
00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:13,120
Speaker 1: going to steamroll the Detroit Lions because they beat them

723
00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:15,839
Speaker 1: last year, that's going to be a rude come up

724
00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:18,520
Speaker 1: in for the Philadelphia Eagles. I don't think they'll take

725
00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:20,799
Speaker 1: that approach. I think there's enough veterans here on the

726
00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:25,800
Speaker 1: offensive side to know that the Lions defense is gonna

727
00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:29,240
Speaker 1: be an aggressive front. They've got a Couu in the back,

728
00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:33,040
Speaker 1: he's healthy now, They've got Hutchinson and Harris and they're

729
00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:35,480
Speaker 1: gonna flip flop sides are gonna present a huge challenge

730
00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:38,480
Speaker 1: to the Eagles. And the defense has so many new

731
00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:41,359
Speaker 1: faces that you know, they're not even thinking about last year.

732
00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:42,880
Speaker 1: They're just trying to get everybody in the same page

733
00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:47,600
Speaker 1: for this year. So I think internally there, look, they

734
00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:49,839
Speaker 1: understand that this is a brand new season, new year,

735
00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:54,279
Speaker 1: new teams, and a new challenge on Sunday. Understanding that,

736
00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:57,600
Speaker 1: you know, Detroit's home crowd the open are going to

737
00:38:57,680 --> 00:39:01,360
Speaker 1: be fired up a lot to prove, and and understanding

738
00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:05,399
Speaker 1: tim that in Detroit, no matter what you say, the

739
00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:10,960
Speaker 1: coaches are emphasizing, Hey, guys, this is payback time. They

740
00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:15,120
Speaker 1: embarrassed you last year. You better come to play on Sunday. Yeah,

741
00:39:15,239 --> 00:39:17,480
Speaker 1: one person who is probably going to be there to

742
00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:20,319
Speaker 1: play is Jalen Hurts. I mean, you know, he was

743
00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:23,480
Speaker 1: terrific in that game last year in Detroit. And look,

744
00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:26,799
Speaker 1: he led all quarterbacks in rushing yards last year. That's

745
00:39:26,840 --> 00:39:28,480
Speaker 1: obviously a big part of his game. That's been an

746
00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:32,160
Speaker 1: emphasis for Detroit is to kind of try to contain him,

747
00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:34,719
Speaker 1: keep him in the pocket, make him a thrower not

748
00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:37,680
Speaker 1: a thrower and a runner. But I'm just curious the

749
00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:41,000
Speaker 1: expectations for Jalen obviously had had a terrific year. It

750
00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:42,759
Speaker 1: was up and down though played really well at the

751
00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:44,840
Speaker 1: end of the year. So I'm just curious kind of

752
00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:47,919
Speaker 1: what the expectations are for him are. I know, Philly fans,

753
00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:49,799
Speaker 1: as you talked off the top, can be pretty hard

754
00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:53,680
Speaker 1: on on quarterbacks. Yeah, I think that the expectations that

755
00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:57,200
Speaker 1: he takes the next step and that look, he didn't

756
00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:01,359
Speaker 1: turn the football over. He the Eagles started two and five,

757
00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:06,160
Speaker 1: he stayed calm, cool. He's totally unflappable kid. Then we

758
00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:09,480
Speaker 1: got to the playoffs and you saw a really poor performance,

759
00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:12,080
Speaker 1: not just from Jalen but from the entire offense. And

760
00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:14,080
Speaker 1: at one point, at one point the game, the Bucks

761
00:40:14,120 --> 00:40:18,080
Speaker 1: were leading thirty one nothing wildcard round two interceptions not acceptable.

762
00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:21,000
Speaker 1: So what does Jalen do to take that next step.

763
00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:23,759
Speaker 1: We know that he's dynamic in the run game. We

764
00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:25,800
Speaker 1: know that, as you said, teams are gonna want to

765
00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:29,080
Speaker 1: try to keep him contained in the pocket. We know

766
00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:32,359
Speaker 1: that a j. Brown brings another dimension in the passing game.

767
00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:36,040
Speaker 1: So let's see what kind of steps Jalen Hurst makes

768
00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:39,600
Speaker 1: from the pocket. Quick decision, you know, tim, something that

769
00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:42,160
Speaker 1: maybe the Lions fans don't know. Eagles fans have been

770
00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:46,400
Speaker 1: told this for many months. Here the Eagles returned the

771
00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:49,279
Speaker 1: same coaching staff buying large that they had last year.

772
00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:52,239
Speaker 1: This is the first time since Jalen Hurst was in

773
00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:56,479
Speaker 1: high school, same play caller in back to back years,

774
00:40:56,960 --> 00:40:59,400
Speaker 1: so it's been, you know, offense one oh one and

775
00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:01,719
Speaker 1: then the next offense one on one, the next year

776
00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:04,160
Speaker 1: offense one on one. For the first time this year

777
00:41:04,640 --> 00:41:07,200
Speaker 1: since high school, he can go two levels deep into

778
00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:10,080
Speaker 1: the offense and the Eagles have seen better decision making,

779
00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:16,000
Speaker 1: faster decisions, more accuracy, better mechanics, a better quarterback this summer. Again,

780
00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:19,480
Speaker 1: how that translates to the regular season. We'll start learning

781
00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:23,479
Speaker 1: on Sunday, But the team knows, and Jalen knows he's

782
00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:26,800
Speaker 1: got to be better and win from the pocket. NFL

783
00:41:26,840 --> 00:41:29,439
Speaker 1: playoffs come. I've been around since the Randall Cunningham days.

784
00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:33,440
Speaker 1: Here the ult mobility won with the Lamar Jackson. Until

785
00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:36,080
Speaker 1: you learn to win from the pocket, you have a

786
00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:40,319
Speaker 1: very tough time winning in the playoffs. Yeah, Detroit Philadelphia

787
00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:43,000
Speaker 1: two franchise that are probably pretty happy with first round

788
00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:46,160
Speaker 1: defensive lineman they took in the draft. Obviously, Aiden's been

789
00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:50,359
Speaker 1: everything Detroit had hoped for and more. You guys are

790
00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:53,040
Speaker 1: gonna certainly have to be prepared for him on Sunday.

791
00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:55,319
Speaker 1: But the Lions the same thing with Jordan Davis. You know,

792
00:41:55,360 --> 00:41:58,320
Speaker 1: we saw the obviously the rep that went to the

793
00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:01,000
Speaker 1: you know, viral in training camp. But has he been

794
00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:04,319
Speaker 1: the real deal for you guys all through camp? I

795
00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:06,400
Speaker 1: would say he's been. I mean, I think the expectations

796
00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:08,520
Speaker 1: for Jordan are different than what they might be for

797
00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:12,120
Speaker 1: Aiden because Jordan comes into a situation where he's got

798
00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:16,560
Speaker 1: Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Milton Williams in that defensive tackle

799
00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:19,440
Speaker 1: rotation already, so Jordan doesn't have to come in and

800
00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:22,000
Speaker 1: be a star. And I look, I don't know if

801
00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:24,680
Speaker 1: Hutchinson is feeling that kind of pressure or at least

802
00:42:24,719 --> 00:42:28,360
Speaker 1: that those are the outside expectations. Yeah, well yes, But

803
00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:31,759
Speaker 1: right now Jordan has shown that he's got a lot

804
00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:34,440
Speaker 1: of talents, that he's going to be very difficult to move,

805
00:42:35,080 --> 00:42:36,520
Speaker 1: but that he's got a lot of growing to do

806
00:42:36,640 --> 00:42:39,920
Speaker 1: still in certain in terms of really refining his technique,

807
00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:44,120
Speaker 1: playing with a lower pad level, making sure that the

808
00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:47,760
Speaker 1: offensive lineman aren't getting under him. He's gonna be taken

809
00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:51,040
Speaker 1: a school by some of these veteran offensive lineman. What

810
00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:53,480
Speaker 1: will his goal be? He's working in a four man

811
00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:56,480
Speaker 1: defensive tackle rotation. So the reps I'm going to take

812
00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:59,960
Speaker 1: fifty reps a game, He'll take twenty five reps a game,

813
00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:02,719
Speaker 1: thirty reps a game, and in those reps he'll get

814
00:43:02,719 --> 00:43:06,080
Speaker 1: better and better and better. The upside with Jordan Davis,

815
00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:09,680
Speaker 1: like the man is massive, but the expectations right now

816
00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:13,719
Speaker 1: come in, contribute and get better, and I want to

817
00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:16,640
Speaker 1: finish with this, Dave. Just maybe a key matchup you

818
00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:20,080
Speaker 1: started to look toward this this week one game? What

819
00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:22,840
Speaker 1: was maybe a matchup you thought, or maybe one or

820
00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:24,960
Speaker 1: two that you're like, this is going to be really

821
00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:27,600
Speaker 1: key in deciding the outcome of this game. Obviously there's

822
00:43:27,600 --> 00:43:29,719
Speaker 1: going to be multiple ones, but maybe a couple main

823
00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:31,600
Speaker 1: ones for you when you started to look at it.

824
00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:35,200
Speaker 1: I think, just from a macro sense, that the Eagles

825
00:43:35,239 --> 00:43:39,000
Speaker 1: ran the football so effectively last year against Detroit. So

826
00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:42,640
Speaker 1: do they come in and say, hey, Lions, prove that

827
00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:45,399
Speaker 1: you're better at stopping the run then you were last

828
00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:49,319
Speaker 1: October thirty? First, do they emphasize the run game offensively

829
00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:53,360
Speaker 1: and then defensively? I think that everybody in Philly's you know,

830
00:43:53,640 --> 00:43:56,799
Speaker 1: kind of not really aware of the your receiver Saint

831
00:43:56,840 --> 00:44:00,440
Speaker 1: Brown what he did last year and yeah, over nine

832
00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:03,880
Speaker 1: hundred yards more than six catches I think are in

833
00:44:04,120 --> 00:44:06,279
Speaker 1: the last more than eight catch or whatever was six

834
00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:08,560
Speaker 1: eight catches in the last six games. Yeah, I mean,

835
00:44:08,600 --> 00:44:11,720
Speaker 1: like he's a really good receiver and when you combine

836
00:44:11,840 --> 00:44:14,560
Speaker 1: him and your tight end and you're running back, like

837
00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:18,719
Speaker 1: that's a great three level combination for Jared Goff. So

838
00:44:18,719 --> 00:44:20,000
Speaker 1: I think it would be a test for an Eagle

839
00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:26,239
Speaker 1: secondary that has, you know, three news starters James Bradberry

840
00:44:26,239 --> 00:44:31,799
Speaker 1: who didn't play in the preseason, Chauncey Gardner Johnson who's

841
00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:34,880
Speaker 1: been here for a week at say, Marcus Epps who's

842
00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:37,239
Speaker 1: was claimed off of waivers a few years ago, and

843
00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:39,120
Speaker 1: all of a sudden is the the you know, the

844
00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:42,279
Speaker 1: veteran of the safety group. How do how does that

845
00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:46,239
Speaker 1: group come together in terms of communication and everybody being

846
00:44:46,280 --> 00:44:50,360
Speaker 1: on the same page against the Lions offense that really

847
00:44:50,360 --> 00:44:53,480
Speaker 1: really got better last year. So those are kind of

848
00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:56,480
Speaker 1: the matchups that I'm looking at. I mean, also, look,

849
00:44:56,480 --> 00:45:01,040
Speaker 1: I'm curious to see how Detroit matches up again Brown

850
00:45:01,480 --> 00:45:04,680
Speaker 1: and Smith. Yeah, these are two you know, one A

851
00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:09,120
Speaker 1: level receivers and I'm going to be surprised if any

852
00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:12,640
Speaker 1: defensive backfield can go man on man against these receivers.

853
00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:14,640
Speaker 1: So those are That's really kind of what I'm looking

854
00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,799
Speaker 1: at from just a matchup standpoint. I think it's there's

855
00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:20,759
Speaker 1: a lot of really intriguing matchups in this ballgame. No,

856
00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:22,759
Speaker 1: I agree with one hundred percent. One hundred percent, and

857
00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:24,799
Speaker 1: it'll be Jeff Okuda and Amani or yo are Ye

858
00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:27,319
Speaker 1: against those two. And obviously Jeff Okuda, the number three

859
00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:29,160
Speaker 1: pick from a few years ago, is dealt with injury,

860
00:45:29,239 --> 00:45:31,520
Speaker 1: only played in ten games, so a big first game

861
00:45:31,520 --> 00:45:34,520
Speaker 1: for him, a great test. There's so much to watch

862
00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:37,040
Speaker 1: out for Sunday. Dave, I'm so happy it's week one.

863
00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:39,719
Speaker 1: This is fun. You'd be safe traveling Detroit. My friend

864
00:45:39,719 --> 00:45:42,040
Speaker 1: will catch up before the game. Tim, thank you so

865
00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:43,840
Speaker 1: much and have a great week and see you at

866
00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:56,839
Speaker 1: Ford Field. That was great stuff from Stacy and Dave.

867
00:45:57,080 --> 00:46:00,640
Speaker 1: Good insight there on both the NFC North and Sunday's opponent,

868
00:46:00,760 --> 00:46:03,120
Speaker 1: the Eagles. We've got a new little segment here on

869
00:46:03,239 --> 00:46:07,040
Speaker 1: the Twentyman the Huddle podcast. It is Key Matchups presented

870
00:46:07,080 --> 00:46:10,279
Speaker 1: by bet MGM. Basically, I'm gonna take five matchups I

871
00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:13,319
Speaker 1: think are kind of, you know, really key you know

872
00:46:13,440 --> 00:46:15,160
Speaker 1: in the game and kind of break them down a

873
00:46:15,160 --> 00:46:18,160
Speaker 1: little bit. And I think, first off, let's start with

874
00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:21,439
Speaker 1: with you know, Aiden Hutchinson, Lions number two overall pick

875
00:46:21,520 --> 00:46:24,960
Speaker 1: in Lane Johnson, you know, a veteran right tackle who's

876
00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:26,360
Speaker 1: been in the league a long time, and now the

877
00:46:26,360 --> 00:46:29,560
Speaker 1: Lions are gonna switch Aiden Hutchinson and Charles Harris. I

878
00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:31,520
Speaker 1: think sometimes, but I think the majority of the time,

879
00:46:31,560 --> 00:46:33,680
Speaker 1: at least we've seen in camp hutch has been on

880
00:46:33,719 --> 00:46:36,439
Speaker 1: the right side against Sewell. Um, they'll do a little

881
00:46:36,480 --> 00:46:38,880
Speaker 1: bit of changeup, but I think that's the matchup we're

882
00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:41,279
Speaker 1: going to see the most. And look, we talked about

883
00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:43,880
Speaker 1: it off at the beginning. Right unleash hutch That's what

884
00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:46,680
Speaker 1: Dan Campbell said he wanted to do this week, that

885
00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:49,560
Speaker 1: he's excited to watch, and I'm sure Hutchinson is too.

886
00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:52,279
Speaker 1: He's had a terrific campum. He was great in the

887
00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:55,520
Speaker 1: practices with the Indianapolis and every time he's been on

888
00:46:55,560 --> 00:46:59,720
Speaker 1: the field he's been disruptive. I think Dan Aaron Glenn

889
00:46:59,719 --> 00:47:03,160
Speaker 1: every but he has said it. He has exceeded expectations

890
00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:05,880
Speaker 1: from an athletic standpoint for what they thought he was

891
00:47:06,160 --> 00:47:09,160
Speaker 1: as a number two pick. He's just been really good.

892
00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:11,279
Speaker 1: Like he comes in, he doesn't say much, he puts

893
00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:13,759
Speaker 1: his head down and he and he does all the

894
00:47:13,840 --> 00:47:15,839
Speaker 1: right things and he just goes to work. And that's

895
00:47:15,880 --> 00:47:18,960
Speaker 1: what he's done. And that's going to be a big one.

896
00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:21,200
Speaker 1: And you know, we talk about the pass rush a

897
00:47:21,280 --> 00:47:23,600
Speaker 1: lot in him helping in that regard, but he's got

898
00:47:23,600 --> 00:47:26,400
Speaker 1: to be good against the run too. You know, Lane Johnson.

899
00:47:26,440 --> 00:47:28,719
Speaker 1: That offensive line that's expected to be one of the

900
00:47:28,719 --> 00:47:30,880
Speaker 1: better units in the league, and you just look at

901
00:47:30,920 --> 00:47:32,839
Speaker 1: what they did last year. They had the number one

902
00:47:32,920 --> 00:47:36,040
Speaker 1: rushing offense. They had fifteen games where they rushed for

903
00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:40,040
Speaker 1: at least one hundred yards. From weeks eight to fifteen,

904
00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:43,280
Speaker 1: the Eagles rushed for one hundred and seventy five yards

905
00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:45,680
Speaker 1: in seven straight games. The last team to do that

906
00:47:45,800 --> 00:47:49,080
Speaker 1: the nineteen eighty five Chicago Bears. So, I mean, this

907
00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:52,239
Speaker 1: team could run the football right. And Aidan Hodgson wasn't

908
00:47:52,280 --> 00:47:56,120
Speaker 1: just brought in to stop to help the pass rush.

909
00:47:56,160 --> 00:47:58,640
Speaker 1: He was there to also stop the runs, set an

910
00:47:58,719 --> 00:48:01,960
Speaker 1: edge and be a difference maker there too. So to me,

911
00:48:02,000 --> 00:48:03,960
Speaker 1: that's gonna be a great matchup. Look, the Eagles rushed

912
00:48:03,960 --> 00:48:07,799
Speaker 1: for twenty seven hundred yards and twenty five touchdowns. Last year,

913
00:48:08,120 --> 00:48:10,880
Speaker 1: the Lions were twenty eighth against the run. The Lions

914
00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:14,919
Speaker 1: were thirtieth in sacks. So Aidan Hutchinson was drafted number

915
00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:16,960
Speaker 1: two to help in both regards. So that'll be a

916
00:48:17,080 --> 00:48:20,279
Speaker 1: key matchup Number one, number two for me. You know

917
00:48:20,600 --> 00:48:23,440
Speaker 1: Darius Slay, right, A lot of people remember Darius from

918
00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:26,439
Speaker 1: his time here in Detroit, and we'll see what they

919
00:48:26,560 --> 00:48:29,680
Speaker 1: decide to do with brad Berry and Slay in terms

920
00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:31,759
Speaker 1: of how they match up against Reynolds and DJ Chart.

921
00:48:31,800 --> 00:48:33,279
Speaker 1: But to me, I think a key matchup is when

922
00:48:33,280 --> 00:48:36,600
Speaker 1: you see Darius Slay and DJ Chart together. That's a

923
00:48:36,640 --> 00:48:39,120
Speaker 1: big one. You know, Slay is still one of the

924
00:48:39,160 --> 00:48:41,600
Speaker 1: best in the business in terms of getting his hand

925
00:48:41,719 --> 00:48:44,200
Speaker 1: on the football, like he has defended one hundred and

926
00:48:44,360 --> 00:48:48,600
Speaker 1: nineteen passes in his career, that's the most among active cornerbacks.

927
00:48:48,640 --> 00:48:52,200
Speaker 1: So look, Lion Chark was brought in here to be

928
00:48:52,239 --> 00:48:55,840
Speaker 1: that X receiver for the Lions, right, that guy outside

929
00:48:55,840 --> 00:48:58,759
Speaker 1: the numbers that could give them something vertically, that could

930
00:48:58,800 --> 00:49:01,560
Speaker 1: be a factor in the red zone where they didn't

931
00:49:01,640 --> 00:49:05,799
Speaker 1: use that outside receiver much. And I thought him and

932
00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:08,279
Speaker 1: Jared golf Chart that is had had a pretty good

933
00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:12,520
Speaker 1: rapport throughout training camp, and like he's going to be,

934
00:49:12,920 --> 00:49:15,640
Speaker 1: you know, one of their big deep threats until Jamison

935
00:49:15,719 --> 00:49:18,000
Speaker 1: Williams comes back, and we obviously know how he can

936
00:49:18,040 --> 00:49:20,200
Speaker 1: stretch the field vertically, and they'll have two of those guys.

937
00:49:20,200 --> 00:49:22,840
Speaker 1: But until that time, I think, you know, Chart's going

938
00:49:22,920 --> 00:49:24,720
Speaker 1: to be a guy that they expect at six foot

939
00:49:24,800 --> 00:49:27,200
Speaker 1: four runs a four to three. If you get a

940
00:49:27,280 --> 00:49:29,520
Speaker 1: one on one matchup with him, I think Jared Golf

941
00:49:29,560 --> 00:49:31,960
Speaker 1: is comfortable enough to throw that ball downfield and and

942
00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:33,560
Speaker 1: let who I think one of the one of the

943
00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:35,800
Speaker 1: better fifty fifty ball catchers in Chart go up and

944
00:49:36,040 --> 00:49:38,080
Speaker 1: try to make a play. We've seen that in camp,

945
00:49:38,200 --> 00:49:40,960
Speaker 1: that trust has built that Darius Slay is one of

946
00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:44,120
Speaker 1: the best, and so you have to be careful. But

947
00:49:44,200 --> 00:49:46,319
Speaker 1: I think they're gonna, you know, if they see one

948
00:49:46,360 --> 00:49:48,239
Speaker 1: on one, I think the Detroit Lions will light that

949
00:49:48,280 --> 00:49:51,319
Speaker 1: matchup with chart size and his speed, and so that

950
00:49:51,360 --> 00:49:53,400
Speaker 1: one will be a key matchup. How are they going

951
00:49:53,440 --> 00:49:57,640
Speaker 1: to use their safeties to defend Lions corners? And how

952
00:49:57,640 --> 00:49:59,239
Speaker 1: many times are we going to see that one on

953
00:49:59,239 --> 00:50:01,920
Speaker 1: one matchup? Uh? Do they trust Slay to maybe just

954
00:50:02,000 --> 00:50:04,160
Speaker 1: go and do it himself. I think that'll be really

955
00:50:04,239 --> 00:50:06,759
Speaker 1: interesting to kind of watch how they approach that and

956
00:50:06,800 --> 00:50:09,200
Speaker 1: if they do trust Slay, I would I would expect

957
00:50:09,200 --> 00:50:11,319
Speaker 1: the lines to at least challenge him, you know, a

958
00:50:11,360 --> 00:50:14,040
Speaker 1: few times down the field. Another big one for me,

959
00:50:14,480 --> 00:50:17,640
Speaker 1: Jeff Okuda versus A J. Brown. They're talented wide receiver,

960
00:50:17,719 --> 00:50:20,080
Speaker 1: veteran guy who came over from Tennessee. I think you

961
00:50:20,080 --> 00:50:23,080
Speaker 1: can also throw you know, obviously, Damon Smith and Amani

962
00:50:23,200 --> 00:50:25,840
Speaker 1: or U Ayer there, you know, they could see, you know,

963
00:50:26,440 --> 00:50:29,280
Speaker 1: you could mix and match that matchup. But to me, um,

964
00:50:29,320 --> 00:50:32,520
Speaker 1: AJ Brown's kind of that big, you know, bigger physical

965
00:50:32,719 --> 00:50:36,000
Speaker 1: type receiver. I think that matches up pretty good with Jeff,

966
00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:38,680
Speaker 1: who's you know, stronger and faster than he was before

967
00:50:38,719 --> 00:50:42,759
Speaker 1: the Achilles injury. Um you know, per him, and he's

968
00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:45,160
Speaker 1: looked great. He's had a terrific camp ever since I think,

969
00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:47,719
Speaker 1: you know, Indianapolis, he's been really really good. And he

970
00:50:47,800 --> 00:50:51,440
Speaker 1: won that job over Will Harris and and and it's

971
00:50:51,480 --> 00:50:53,279
Speaker 1: going to be him and Amani and I think that'll

972
00:50:53,280 --> 00:50:57,120
Speaker 1: be a great matchup between him and AJ Brown. Um look,

973
00:50:57,280 --> 00:51:00,160
Speaker 1: AJ's head back to back one thousand yard seasons in

974
00:51:00,560 --> 00:51:03,560
Speaker 1: nineteen and twenty. He had over eight hundred yards and

975
00:51:03,600 --> 00:51:06,880
Speaker 1: five touchdowns last year six one, two, twenty six. So

976
00:51:06,920 --> 00:51:11,360
Speaker 1: again there's that size element there, right, And so you

977
00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:13,359
Speaker 1: know he was a guy with last year he had

978
00:51:13,400 --> 00:51:15,719
Speaker 1: three games with the Tennessee Titans of at least one

979
00:51:15,800 --> 00:51:18,040
Speaker 1: hundred and twenty five receiving yards and a touchdown that

980
00:51:18,080 --> 00:51:19,960
Speaker 1: was tied for the second most among any receiver in

981
00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:23,320
Speaker 1: the game. So you know, he gives them something opposite Smith,

982
00:51:23,440 --> 00:51:27,160
Speaker 1: who's more of that vertical guy. So I kind of

983
00:51:27,160 --> 00:51:30,080
Speaker 1: think that completes their wide receiver corps. And so I

984
00:51:30,080 --> 00:51:32,520
Speaker 1: think that's gonna be a huge matchup for Jeff Okuda. Look,

985
00:51:32,560 --> 00:51:34,960
Speaker 1: Jeff was the number three pick a few years ago, right,

986
00:51:35,040 --> 00:51:38,040
Speaker 1: and he just hasn't been available due to injury. But

987
00:51:38,080 --> 00:51:40,520
Speaker 1: he's healthy, he looks good, and I'll tell you he's

988
00:51:40,600 --> 00:51:43,320
Speaker 1: hungry and ready to prove you know why the Lions

989
00:51:43,600 --> 00:51:46,000
Speaker 1: had so much faith in him a few years ago

990
00:51:46,040 --> 00:51:47,879
Speaker 1: to make him the number three overall pick. He's looked

991
00:51:47,880 --> 00:51:50,000
Speaker 1: good and I think that's a huge matchup on Sunday

992
00:51:50,840 --> 00:51:53,839
Speaker 1: next time ago Brandon Graham and Pennay Seul. I'll tell

993
00:51:53,840 --> 00:51:57,360
Speaker 1: you what Penney Suil has looked really really good. I

994
00:51:57,360 --> 00:52:00,480
Speaker 1: mean all throughout camp. I think he's trending toward you know,

995
00:52:00,520 --> 00:52:03,440
Speaker 1: some national recognition, recognition in his second year. I think

996
00:52:03,480 --> 00:52:05,359
Speaker 1: he's been that good. And look, he's got a good

997
00:52:05,360 --> 00:52:08,000
Speaker 1: test in Brandon Graham, who usually lines up on that side,

998
00:52:08,280 --> 00:52:11,680
Speaker 1: a veteran guy, right, eight and a half eight sacks,

999
00:52:11,840 --> 00:52:13,840
Speaker 1: nine sacks. You see it every year, Like he's not

1000
00:52:13,880 --> 00:52:15,840
Speaker 1: a guy who goes and gets you fifteen sacks, but

1001
00:52:15,920 --> 00:52:18,959
Speaker 1: he's great against the run and he's an eight nine

1002
00:52:19,080 --> 00:52:22,319
Speaker 1: ten sack guy just about every year. And he's a veteran, right,

1003
00:52:22,480 --> 00:52:25,040
Speaker 1: I mean, there's nothing the Lions, and there's nothing Seuel's

1004
00:52:25,040 --> 00:52:27,719
Speaker 1: going to show him he hasn't seen and so you

1005
00:52:27,760 --> 00:52:31,719
Speaker 1: know he's a crafty vet and and Sewel he's one

1006
00:52:31,760 --> 00:52:35,640
Speaker 1: of those guys that has just really taken off in

1007
00:52:35,640 --> 00:52:38,640
Speaker 1: his second Sea. We talked to Ben Johnson, you know,

1008
00:52:38,680 --> 00:52:41,560
Speaker 1: on Thursday, and he said he's light years ahead of

1009
00:52:41,600 --> 00:52:44,399
Speaker 1: where he was this time last year. And you would

1010
00:52:44,400 --> 00:52:46,920
Speaker 1: expect that obviously from a player in his second season.

1011
00:52:47,560 --> 00:52:50,400
Speaker 1: But Sewel has looked great. He's been tested day in

1012
00:52:50,400 --> 00:52:52,120
Speaker 1: and day out by Aden Hutchinson. It's kind of the

1013
00:52:52,160 --> 00:52:54,440
Speaker 1: iron sharp AND's iron type deal with those guys. And

1014
00:52:54,920 --> 00:52:57,239
Speaker 1: you've seen Sewel kind of just head right like this,

1015
00:52:57,560 --> 00:53:00,640
Speaker 1: and I expect him to have a huge season. He's

1016
00:53:00,680 --> 00:53:02,640
Speaker 1: gonna have to be huge with some of the injuries

1017
00:53:02,640 --> 00:53:05,840
Speaker 1: that the lines are dealing with at right guard, at center,

1018
00:53:06,040 --> 00:53:08,359
Speaker 1: We'll have to see if Frank right now plays. Look,

1019
00:53:08,400 --> 00:53:11,719
Speaker 1: they need Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson and Penney Soil to

1020
00:53:11,880 --> 00:53:15,600
Speaker 1: play really well to play like a top five offensive line.

1021
00:53:15,719 --> 00:53:18,080
Speaker 1: If it's just those three starters, they got to pick

1022
00:53:18,160 --> 00:53:20,279
Speaker 1: up a little bit of the slack. The lines like

1023
00:53:20,400 --> 00:53:24,040
Speaker 1: their depth, but you know you're not a starter for

1024
00:53:24,040 --> 00:53:27,600
Speaker 1: a reason. It's depth. And so Penny Soil's gotta be good.

1025
00:53:27,640 --> 00:53:29,960
Speaker 1: He's got to help contain Brandon Graham. That's a big one.

1026
00:53:30,160 --> 00:53:32,200
Speaker 1: And to me, the last one, I'm gonna go a

1027
00:53:32,239 --> 00:53:36,279
Speaker 1: little a little different here. I'm gonna go Jalen Hurts first.

1028
00:53:36,320 --> 00:53:39,440
Speaker 1: Alex Anzeloni, say, Alex Anzaloni, he's a linebacker. He is

1029
00:53:39,480 --> 00:53:41,839
Speaker 1: a linebacker. But Jalen Hurts last year against the lines

1030
00:53:41,880 --> 00:53:45,560
Speaker 1: in that forty four to six victory, rush seven times

1031
00:53:45,560 --> 00:53:48,680
Speaker 1: for seventy one yards. He led all quarterbacks last year

1032
00:53:48,719 --> 00:53:51,480
Speaker 1: with seven hundred and eighty four yards and ten touchdowns.

1033
00:53:52,000 --> 00:53:54,720
Speaker 1: He has an ability to get out of the pocket

1034
00:53:54,760 --> 00:53:57,160
Speaker 1: and make plays with his legs. And he's not always

1035
00:53:57,200 --> 00:53:59,840
Speaker 1: running either, he's looking to pass as well. And to me,

1036
00:54:00,040 --> 00:54:01,879
Speaker 1: I think the Lions have to be really good about

1037
00:54:02,000 --> 00:54:05,560
Speaker 1: containing him in the pocket. You know, they've got to

1038
00:54:06,400 --> 00:54:12,240
Speaker 1: do a good job of keeping him between the tackles,

1039
00:54:12,239 --> 00:54:14,480
Speaker 1: not allowing him to extend it out wide. But when

1040
00:54:14,480 --> 00:54:16,680
Speaker 1: he does, and you get that one on one matchup,

1041
00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:19,560
Speaker 1: and sometimes it's gonna be Derek Barnes, it's gonna be

1042
00:54:19,960 --> 00:54:23,480
Speaker 1: Alex Anzeloni, it's gonna be Malcolm Rodriguez. Who are going

1043
00:54:23,520 --> 00:54:25,480
Speaker 1: to be the guys that are right there and turn

1044
00:54:25,560 --> 00:54:28,319
Speaker 1: that into a one two three yard game or it's

1045
00:54:28,320 --> 00:54:30,760
Speaker 1: a big game. And Aaron Glenn talked about how important

1046
00:54:30,760 --> 00:54:33,400
Speaker 1: those one on one matchups are. I think those linebackers

1047
00:54:33,440 --> 00:54:35,759
Speaker 1: are gonna play a really big role in helping to

1048
00:54:35,840 --> 00:54:39,280
Speaker 1: contain Jalen Hurtch the runner. Now, obviously, you know, Aiden

1049
00:54:39,280 --> 00:54:41,480
Speaker 1: and those guys up front got gotta get after him,

1050
00:54:42,000 --> 00:54:45,080
Speaker 1: disrupt his timing and disrupt things in the past game.

1051
00:54:45,120 --> 00:54:47,520
Speaker 1: But he is gonna run, and they're gonna have some

1052
00:54:47,560 --> 00:54:50,120
Speaker 1: design runs. And I think those linebackers have to be really,

1053
00:54:50,120 --> 00:54:53,680
Speaker 1: really good about containing him. I'm just so glad the

1054
00:54:53,719 --> 00:54:56,280
Speaker 1: regular season is here. It's Week one. It'll be rocking

1055
00:54:56,360 --> 00:54:58,960
Speaker 1: at Ford Field. Will have all the coverage for you

1056
00:54:59,040 --> 00:55:01,960
Speaker 1: on Detroit Lions dot com. PJ Clark and I will

1057
00:55:02,000 --> 00:55:05,200
Speaker 1: be breaking down the game on the podcast postgame, so

1058
00:55:05,400 --> 00:55:08,160
Speaker 1: make sure you watch out for that. It's a regular season,

1059
00:55:08,239 --> 00:55:10,840
Speaker 1: it's fun, it's time, it's football.