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Speaker 1: Hello, Broncos Country, and a happy Friday. Welcome back inside

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Speaker 1: the U S Hell Training Center for today's edition of

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Speaker 1: Broncos Now, team reporter and host of Sidney Jones Here

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Speaker 1: and coming up today, I'll have the final injury report

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Speaker 1: ahead of Sunday's game, and we'll hear from head coach

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Speaker 1: Nathaniel Hackett. Plus Broncos lead writer Eric Delala joins the

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Speaker 1: show for eight game preview. All that and more on

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Speaker 1: today's episode. Just two days now until the Denver Broncos

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Speaker 1: are back at e Power Field at Mile High for

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Speaker 1: their home opener verse the Houston Texans. The team had

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Speaker 1: another practice today and head coach Nathaniel Hackett talked to

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Speaker 1: the media following it. He discussed how the guys responded

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Speaker 1: this week and what their focus has been like at practice. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I'll tell you they've been great. I mean it has

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Speaker 1: been all football. I think they're excited to get back

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Speaker 1: out on the field and uh and be able to

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Speaker 1: compete again. So I think that that's all you can

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Speaker 1: ask for, you know, everybody, you know look to correct

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Speaker 1: themselves and then move forward. Coach I Can also went

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Speaker 1: on to talk about how he Allen's is the urgency

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Speaker 1: of winning and knowing that it's the seventeen game season.

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Speaker 1: Every game we're urgent. I mean, I don't think it's

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Speaker 1: just one situation, one one the first week, September, October, November, December,

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Speaker 1: all those. Um. I mean in the end, we're out

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Speaker 1: there to compete every day and win every single game.

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Speaker 1: Um That's that's our focus, that's our mindset. But it's

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Speaker 1: one game at a time, one game at a time,

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Speaker 1: and um, I mean, anything can happen in this league,

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Speaker 1: and to me, it's just about executing the plan, knowing

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Speaker 1: what we want to do, what we want to accomplish,

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Speaker 1: everybody being on the details and knowing knowing what to

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Speaker 1: do and how to do it, and if we get

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Speaker 1: that will be successful. We also heard from a center,

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Speaker 1: Lloyd Cushionbury today. He reflected on the offenses performance Monday

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Speaker 1: night and how they can build off of it going

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Speaker 1: into this weekend. I think we moved the ball well,

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Speaker 1: um all a game, we got down to the goal

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Speaker 1: line and raison multiple times. We's got to finish. We

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Speaker 1: had a lot of the yards of offense. We did

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Speaker 1: well in a run game to start the game, and

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Speaker 1: protected well for the most part. So it's a lot

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Speaker 1: of good things we could build on, but also a

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Speaker 1: lot of things we need to fix when we get

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Speaker 1: down in the He also added that red zone efficiency

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Speaker 1: was a point of emphasis at practice this week this

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Speaker 1: when we get that, you know, that close, just a

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Speaker 1: sense of urgency when we get down there. You know,

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Speaker 1: we put all this work in and do all these

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Speaker 1: good things in the field and to get to that point.

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Speaker 1: So when we get there, we gotta finish and we

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Speaker 1: don't want three, want seven at the end of the day.

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Speaker 1: So that's what we got to get this weekend and

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Speaker 1: the rest of the season because that's help us out

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Speaker 1: of As we wrap up the top news of the day,

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Speaker 1: let's take a look at the final injury report ahead

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Speaker 1: of Sunday's matchup. Guard Quinn Miners and kJ Hamler did

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Speaker 1: not participate in today's practice, and we're listed as out

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Speaker 1: for Sunday's game. Inside linebacker Josie Jewel, outside linebacker Randy Gregory,

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Speaker 1: and defensive linemand Shawn Williams were all limited today and

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Speaker 1: we're listed as questionable. Quarterback Kawan Williams and offensive lineman

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Speaker 1: Billy Turner were full participants today, but we're also listed

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Speaker 1: as questionable. Co Jackie gave an update on kJ Hambler

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Speaker 1: and said that with his unique injury, they just want

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Speaker 1: to be sure they can get him to as many

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Speaker 1: games as possible. They want him for the full season,

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Speaker 1: so they're being safe. Not joining me here in the

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Speaker 1: Broncos Podcast studio is a Broncos lead writer, Eric Dalala.

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Speaker 1: For this week's game preview, Eric, nice to have you

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Speaker 1: on the show again, said thanks, it's been a whole week.

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Speaker 1: I know it's been a while. I've missed you in here.

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Speaker 1: You even brought Phil in scraping the bottom of the

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Speaker 1: barrel with that. No, it's okay, but happy to be

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Speaker 1: back York. Just two more days until we're back out

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Speaker 1: in power Field at Mile High for that home opener.

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Speaker 1: Excited to be back in front of Broncos country. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it'll be nice to be back. Obviously a couple home

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Speaker 1: preseason games, but they haven't had a chance to see

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Speaker 1: Russell Wilson in person and haven't had a chance to

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Speaker 1: cheer him on. UM. I don't know off the top

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Speaker 1: of my head which side of the ball is going

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Speaker 1: to be introduced and run under the tunnel, but I

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Speaker 1: would imagine it would be the offense. And if that's

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Speaker 1: the case, um Man, what a roar there will be

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Speaker 1: for Russell Wilson because despite losing in Week one, I

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Speaker 1: think he was everything you could have asked for a

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Speaker 1: third passing yards in the league in Week one. Obviously

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Speaker 1: had that nice throw to Jerry Judy down the left sideline,

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Speaker 1: made some things happen on third down. He shows I

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Speaker 1: think that when le Broncos get this thing clicking and

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Speaker 1: are a little bit more precise, um, They're gonna be

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Speaker 1: able to compete with some of the top teams in

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Speaker 1: the league. So I think fans that in power Field

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Speaker 1: a mile high are gonna be really happy to see

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Speaker 1: Russell Wilson. And it'll be really nice to just be

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Speaker 1: back at home, have that home field advantage, not have

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Speaker 1: to deal with the crowd noise, and there's a lot

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Speaker 1: of things that that can help. Yeah, we'll certainly be

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Speaker 1: um happy to have the crowd noise on our side

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Speaker 1: coming off of that Seahawks game, as we know, it

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Speaker 1: was very loud down there in Seattle or up there

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Speaker 1: in Seattle. Eric, let's dive a little bit deeper into

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Speaker 1: this matchup. You know, like you mentioned, in the offense,

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Speaker 1: they moved the wall pretty well um in Seattle, both

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Speaker 1: on the ground and through the air, but had some

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Speaker 1: you know, costly mistakes in the red zone and with

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Speaker 1: some penalties. So how do you hope to see this

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Speaker 1: team really fixed those come Sunday? Yeah, I mean, I

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Speaker 1: hope they don't change too much, because you mentioned that

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Speaker 1: the offense looked really good. You know, they were on

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Speaker 1: pace for more than yards at halftime. I think they

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Speaker 1: Russell Wilson ended up with more than three passing yards. UM.

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Speaker 1: They were able to move the ball in the ground.

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Speaker 1: They were able to mix in some screenplays, which really

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Speaker 1: has not been part of the Broncos offense here in

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Speaker 1: the last couple of years. That's always a great way

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Speaker 1: to get defenses off balance. So I liked that, Um,

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Speaker 1: some creativity I think offensive play calling wise that we

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Speaker 1: haven't seen in the last few years as well. And

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Speaker 1: then you talk about, like I mentioned on third down,

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Speaker 1: just the ability to convert those third and lungs, which

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Speaker 1: in previous years, I think you got off schedule and

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Speaker 1: it was a little tricky to you were kind of done.

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Speaker 1: It was kind of a pun or a field goal.

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Speaker 1: The Broncos showed the ability I think too, to make

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Speaker 1: some longer plays, those critical plays um so, so I

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Speaker 1: hope they don't change too much to any They just

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Speaker 1: gotta do it a little bit better, and whether that's

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Speaker 1: in the red zone, being a little bit more sound

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Speaker 1: with your assignments, holding that block for an extra second,

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Speaker 1: making sure everybody's on the same page in terms of

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Speaker 1: what they're supposed to be doing, holding onto the football

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Speaker 1: a little bit better, avoiding those turnover is making sure

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Speaker 1: that you know the operation is a little bit better

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Speaker 1: in terms of getting the play call, in getting the

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Speaker 1: getting to the line of scrimmage, and then whether you're

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Speaker 1: audible or not, making sure you're getting the ball off

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Speaker 1: before there's one second left on the play clock. Those

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Speaker 1: will all be important things that you know. I think

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Speaker 1: the Bronch is going to improve upon. It's not as

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Speaker 1: difficult when you're at home, you're not dealing with the

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Speaker 1: crowd noise. I think that will help things. But I

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Speaker 1: don't want to see you wholesale changes because I think

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Speaker 1: what we saw on Monday night and that people have

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Speaker 1: glanced over a little bit is at this office has

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Speaker 1: looked a lot better than it has in a long time. Well, Eric,

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Speaker 1: you know, we had some key injuries this week. Unfortunately,

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Speaker 1: Quinn Miners will be out and kJ Hamler was also

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Speaker 1: rolled out today. Let's start with Quinn Miners in the

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Speaker 1: offensive line. You know, Coachacket said it's gonna be Graham

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Speaker 1: Glasgow who starts in his place. What did you like about,

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Speaker 1: you know, his performance when he replaced Quinn in the

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Speaker 1: last game, And how do you think this offensive line

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Speaker 1: will fare this week? Yeah, I mean, obviously Graham had

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Speaker 1: that tough play there at the goal line. Um, not

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Speaker 1: really his fault. That was a communication issue. You I

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Speaker 1: thought he played fine. Otherwise, could have maybe gotten out

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Speaker 1: to a blocker or to a defender on the screen

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Speaker 1: a little bit faster, but it's hard to tell. There

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Speaker 1: is that the running backs at the quarterback throwing the

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Speaker 1: ball kind of those things all from a timing perspective.

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Speaker 1: I think we'll get better on those screens. Um. I

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Speaker 1: hope the Broncos are able to keep their running game

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Speaker 1: as consistent as it was, because especially with Quent Miners

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Speaker 1: and they're running to the right side behind Miners and Fleming,

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Speaker 1: they found a lot of success. Hopefully they're sta able

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Speaker 1: to still able to do that with Graham Glasgow. Um.

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Speaker 1: That will be important for this team's chances, just to

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Speaker 1: you know, be a little bit more balanced, get those

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Speaker 1: runs kind of where the Houston defense down. I think

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Speaker 1: Jonathan Taylor with the cold said more than a hundred

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Speaker 1: and sixty rushing yards. So there's an opportunity here for

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Speaker 1: this Broncos rushing attack. And I think that Graham Glasgow

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Speaker 1: can step and we'll just need to see him do it.

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Speaker 1: He hasn't played a ton of football since suffering a

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Speaker 1: season ending injury last year, but it's worth knowing he

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Speaker 1: is a veteran. He was brought in here as a

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Speaker 1: starter a few years ago, a prized free agent edition,

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Speaker 1: so we know he has talent. I think it's more

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Speaker 1: about just getting up to speed, getting into that rhythm,

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Speaker 1: and then we'll kind of see where things play out

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Speaker 1: from there. Okay, j Hamdler, he was also ruled out

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Speaker 1: Coachack had said or just being safe with him. What

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Speaker 1: do you think this means for the offense? Do you

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Speaker 1: think maybe you know, Montreal Washington or Jalen Virgil steps

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Speaker 1: up in his place or Yeah, It'll be interesting to

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Speaker 1: see because kJ didn't have a catch last week, but

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Speaker 1: he did have a target and of course, drew the

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Speaker 1: long pass interference penalty that that didn't I guess count

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Speaker 1: as a target, so technically throwing the ball twice, but

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Speaker 1: otherwise wasn't hugely involved in the offense. But he was

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Speaker 1: out there a lot forty plays, and we know what

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Speaker 1: his speed does to defenses. It stretches you. It forces

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Speaker 1: the safety to backpedal, which then you know, I think

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Speaker 1: of some of these third downs where Courtland Sutton found

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Speaker 1: that kind of pocket in the middle of the defense

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Speaker 1: that's in part because of the speed of kJ Hamdler,

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Speaker 1: you know, saying, hey, the safety can't afford to creep

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Speaker 1: down and try to make a play on Sutton because

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Speaker 1: they gotta worry about kJ Hamil And so yeah, I'll

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Speaker 1: be interested to see what they do if it's Montro Washington. Um,

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Speaker 1: Tyree Cleveland got some play, mostly kind of in run

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Speaker 1: situations because he's obviously a good blocker. And then yeah,

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Speaker 1: I would think Jalen Virgil would be active for the

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Speaker 1: first time after being inactive last week. But um, I'm

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Speaker 1: curious to see how big of a game plant about

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Speaker 1: how big a part of the game plan any of

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Speaker 1: those guys are, or if this will be a week

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Speaker 1: where you really feed Jerry Judy, really feed Courtland Sutton. Obviously,

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Speaker 1: Javonte ad eleven catches last week, so he could be

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Speaker 1: involved again. The tight ends got a lot of targets

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Speaker 1: in week one. Um, I think it is worth noting

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Speaker 1: in general, when Russ was with the Seahawks, Tyler Lockett

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Speaker 1: and DK Metcalf were kind of his main guys, and

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Speaker 1: so I think there's a chance that Broncos can't get

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Speaker 1: by with just those two guys, and that they're going

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Speaker 1: to be the main weapons for this offense as far

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Speaker 1: as the wide receivers go. But again, kJ Hammler's speed

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Speaker 1: it has a big impact and so maybe, yeah, maybe

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Speaker 1: it is a Virgil that gets more opportunities and and

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Speaker 1: pushes the safety's deep well as do you know Justin

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Speaker 1: Simmons He was placed on injured reserve earlier this week

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Speaker 1: and we'll be out for at least four weeks. UM.

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Speaker 1: Coach hack And announced yesterday that King Stearns will start

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Speaker 1: in his place. How do you think this secondary first

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Speaker 1: will fare without Justin? But how do you think Cayden

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Speaker 1: Sterns will do in that position? Yeah, it's well, let's

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Speaker 1: start with the loss of Justin I think that I

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Speaker 1: don't want to like dismiss any opponent on the Broncos schedule,

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Speaker 1: but I think as as you look at quarterbacks across

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Speaker 1: the league and you think of quarterbacks that push the

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Speaker 1: ball downfield and really attack defenses, you think about Patrick Mahomes,

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Speaker 1: you think of a Justin Herbert. Um, you know, Derek

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Speaker 1: Carr does it from time to time. You think of

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Speaker 1: a Josh Allen, who obviously is not on the Broncos schedule.

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Speaker 1: But um, I think when you look at the quarterbacks

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Speaker 1: that are coming up, with maybe the exception of Derek Carr,

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Speaker 1: you know, Davis Mills is probably not going to do

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Speaker 1: that as much Matt Ryan Trey Lance, who's obviously a

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Speaker 1: young player making starting his first what we think will

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Speaker 1: be full season. Uh. And so I'm not necessarily as

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Speaker 1: worried about kind of like Justin Simmons as a playmaker,

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Speaker 1: because I just don't know that how much they're going

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Speaker 1: to be challenged deep and so I don't know if

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Speaker 1: Justin Simmons was going to come up with these interceptions anyway,

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Speaker 1: I think Lebronch is more likely We're gonna keep these

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Speaker 1: guys short of the sticks in our media passes kind

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Speaker 1: of make place there, and these offenses we're going to

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Speaker 1: try to, you know, move their way down the field

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Speaker 1: in smaller chunks. So from a playmaking perspective, I don't

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Speaker 1: know how much they'll miss him. Obviously, he's a great

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Speaker 1: player and they'd rather have him out there. But I

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Speaker 1: think the bigger thing is communication wise. We saw that

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Speaker 1: both touchdowns the Seahawks had in Week one where the

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Speaker 1: result of yeah, certainly one was a blown coverage and

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Speaker 1: it looked like on the second one maybe a safety

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Speaker 1: should have been there to help. And so I just

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Speaker 1: wonder are they able to get through these games without

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Speaker 1: any big errors Because the Texans have Brandon Cooks, who's

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Speaker 1: a really talented weapon. It's a great player, very fast, shifty,

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Speaker 1: confined space in the defense. But outside of that, and

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Speaker 1: you know O. J. Howard had a couple of touchdowns,

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Speaker 1: there's not the kind of the there's no Tyreek Hill,

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Speaker 1: there's not um, you know, it's not an offense that

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Speaker 1: has Keenan Alnie and Mike Williams. Even DK metcalf entire

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Speaker 1: locket I think was probably a stronger duo overall. And

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Speaker 1: so the only way I see Houston kind of having

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Speaker 1: a ton of success in the passing game. Is if

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Speaker 1: there's these mishaps and these blown coverages, and all of

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Speaker 1: a sudden, Brandon Cooks is down the sideline or catches

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Speaker 1: a ball in space and the safety isn't where they're

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Speaker 1: supposed to be, and and all of a sudden, now

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Speaker 1: you're dealing with kind of this weirdness. That would make

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Speaker 1: me nervous. I think if it's just the Broncos can

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Speaker 1: just get in position and play the way they're supposed

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Speaker 1: to play, I think they'll have the advantage. But without Justin,

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Speaker 1: I worry a little bit about that. And then Cady. Sorry,

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Speaker 1: sorry to go on there about Justin, but I think

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Speaker 1: he is ready for this moment. He's played a lot

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Speaker 1: of football, um comparatively, you know, over the last few years,

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Speaker 1: has played in the dime package. Uh, He's a physical player.

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Speaker 1: He's obviously shown an ability to make plays. I think

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Speaker 1: back to that Cowboys game last year. I think he's

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Speaker 1: ready for this opportunity and he'll be up to the task.

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Speaker 1: Do you think you mentioned, you know, the defensive performance

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Speaker 1: in the first half last week versus the second half.

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Speaker 1: Do you think they all can be able to continue

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Speaker 1: to ride that momentum heading into you know, this game,

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Speaker 1: I hope by not having you know, justin back there, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I hope. So I think that some of the things

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Speaker 1: that encourage me or the run defense got a lot

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Speaker 1: better in the second half. There are a fewer miss tackles.

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Speaker 1: I think you can attribute that to just kind of

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Speaker 1: getting used to the speed of the game with is

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Speaker 1: what which is what a jerro Everro said this week,

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Speaker 1: You just have to get used to that game speed,

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Speaker 1: and he said even preseason wouldn't prepare you for that.

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Speaker 1: So therek people who said, oh, that shows you should

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Speaker 1: have played in the preseason. No, that's not necessarily what

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Speaker 1: that means. But a fewer miss tackles. I think the

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Speaker 1: penalties are easy to clean up um, and then if

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Speaker 1: you're able to stop the run and not have penalties,

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Speaker 1: you put them in third and long. Obviously, Bradley Chubb

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Speaker 1: looked really good, Randy Gregory had a nice debut um

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Speaker 1: and so yeah, I do think that the Broncos are

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Speaker 1: gonna be able to play good defense from the start

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Speaker 1: of this game. I think being at home, where it's

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Speaker 1: loud and you can maybe rattle a young quarterback could

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Speaker 1: be helpful. Um, but again, they just they have to

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Speaker 1: make sure they're on the same play, the same page,

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Speaker 1: because the I don't want to say like the danger,

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Speaker 1: but I guess the danger is that you're holding them,

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Speaker 1: You're playing really good defense, and then all of a sudden,

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Speaker 1: one MISSQ you and it's you know, the Texans are

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Speaker 1: on the board with a touchdown, and so you've got

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Speaker 1: to make sure that those one or two plays don't

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Speaker 1: nullify the rest of a really good defensive effort. Allowed

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Speaker 1: to watch for this weekend, Eric, as we wrap this up,

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Speaker 1: what's your game prediction. Yeah, I think the Broncos will win. Um.

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Speaker 1: I do think it will be a little bit closer

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Speaker 1: than maybe people think I will go with. I think

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Speaker 1: on our countdown to kick off, I said, I'll give

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Speaker 1: him one more point here, I'll say Broncos. Um. Maybe

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Speaker 1: a late score for the Texans, but I think it'll

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Speaker 1: be I think it will feel it won't be a

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Speaker 1: huge blow, but I think it'll feel comfortable enough. There

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Speaker 1: won't be any last minute drives or any last second panic.

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Speaker 1: I think the Broncos getta win, get back to one

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Speaker 1: on one, back to one and one, and uh feel

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Speaker 1: pretty good. About where they are. Well, I hope you're

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Speaker 1: right and the team gets their first win at home

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Speaker 1: this weekend. Eric, appreciate your time and your insight. Got it. Well,

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Speaker 1: that'll do it for today's episode of Broncos Now Broncos Country.

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Speaker 1: Thanks so much for tuning in today and every day.

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Speaker 1: I hope to see you all this Sunday out in

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Speaker 1: power Field at Mile High for the home opener, But

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Speaker 1: if not, I'll meet you right back here on the

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Speaker 1: Broncos Podcast Network in YouTube this Monday for a game recap,

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Speaker 1: so you guys then