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Speaker 1: Dirty Birds. What's up? And welcome to another edition of

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Speaker 1: Falcons Final Whistle presented by Zaxby's. I'm your host Will

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Speaker 1: mcfad and I'm joined by Tory mclaney and Tarren Wack

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Speaker 1: and Tory, this week's game feels important for so many

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Speaker 1: different reasons for the Atlanta Falcons. They're taken on the

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Speaker 1: Minnesota Vikings.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and the Minnesota Vikings are rolling right now. They

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Speaker 2: are very very good in one score games.

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Speaker 1: You have it right here.

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Speaker 2: They're seven and one in one score games. This is

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Speaker 2: not a team that I think is playing to the

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Speaker 2: level that I expected them to. I think they've exceeded

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Speaker 2: my expectations of what I thought the Minnesota Vikings were

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Speaker 2: gonna be in twenty twenty four, especially without Kirk at quarterback.

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Speaker 2: And so because of that, they kind of have surprised me.

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Speaker 2: And then you look at where the Falcons are. They're

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Speaker 2: coming off of arguably well, Kirk's coming off of his

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Speaker 2: worst performance potentially of his entire career according to what

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Speaker 2: stats you look at, and the Falcons are in a

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Speaker 2: three game skid that I think when you look at

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Speaker 2: the last three games, the same the Broncos and the Chargers.

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Speaker 2: On paper, those were all winnable games, yep. And if

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Speaker 2: the Falcons show up in the same way that they

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Speaker 2: did in October in November, we're having a completely different conversation.

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Speaker 2: But as I wrote this week in the Quest to

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Speaker 2: Outrun the South, the South is catching up and Tampa

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Speaker 2: Bay is right in lockstep with where the Falcons are

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Speaker 2: right now.

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Speaker 3: No, for sure, I think the playoff picture is what

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Speaker 3: my eye is on the most because for the longest

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Speaker 3: time it was like, oh, the Falcons are undefeated in

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Speaker 3: the division. They're undefeated in the division. It's like, well,

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Speaker 3: now they're not. And they're also amid this losing skid

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Speaker 3: where it's like the time to catch up has finished.

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Speaker 3: Like the Buccaneers are right there on the falcon's tail,

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Speaker 3: talon whatever the bird actually has back there til feather

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Speaker 3: tail feather, here you go.

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Speaker 2: And.

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Speaker 3: You can't let them take a lead, like you only

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Speaker 3: have a half game lead, you have the tiebreaker, you

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Speaker 3: can't let them sneak ahead. Well, here's the thing ahead

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Speaker 3: they are playing.

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Speaker 2: It's important to talk about who they're playing this weekend.

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Speaker 2: They're playing the Raiders this weekend.

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Speaker 1: Coming out Tampa Bay.

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Speaker 2: Tampa Bay. Yes, is playing the Raiders this weekend. The

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Speaker 2: Falcons are playing the Vikings. If this thing goes that,

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Speaker 2: I think a lot of people are expecting it to go.

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Speaker 2: Where the Bucks beat the Raiders, the Falcons lose to

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Speaker 2: the Vikings, Tampa Bay takes the lead. Now in the

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Speaker 2: grand scheme of things, that's not the end of the world.

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Speaker 1: Falcons get the Raiders next week, the Falcons.

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Speaker 2: Gets the Raiders next week, the you know, the Saints

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Speaker 2: still have or the Saints, the Bucks still have the

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Speaker 2: Saints and the Panthers coming up in the last half

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Speaker 2: of the Sea or the final two games of the season.

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Speaker 2: There's a lot that's going to shake out. And this

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Speaker 2: is another season where we're sitting here talking about this

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Speaker 2: thing going all the way potentially to the very very

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Speaker 2: end of the season. Because in the grand scheme of things,

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Speaker 2: for the Falcons to be sitting atop the NFC South

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Speaker 2: in Week eighteen, they have to do as much as

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Speaker 2: what the Bucks do. They hold the tiebreaker over the Bucks,

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Speaker 2: so in theory they can have the same amount of

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Speaker 2: win win as the Bucks and still be atop the

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Speaker 2: NFC South because of what they did in October, which

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Speaker 2: that is that month is gonna pay dividends. Yeah, carry

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Speaker 2: them into a hypothetical postseason if they can get there.

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Speaker 2: But they're not going to get there if they keep

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Speaker 2: losing games. So all of this that we're saying, all

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Speaker 2: of this that we're talking about, could be for not

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Speaker 2: if the falcons of November continue into December.

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Speaker 3: They've been in the driver's seat for so long that

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Speaker 3: you don't want to turn into a passenger princess.

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Speaker 1: I love it. No, Yeah, that's really well said, and.

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Speaker 3: It is a passenger princess is really well said.

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Speaker 1: A passenger princess. Hey, I am a sucker for alliteration. Right,

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Speaker 1: you could literally say anything as long as it starts

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Speaker 1: with the same letter, I'm gonna give you. Yeah, exactly,

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Speaker 1: and like the world's easiest editor, write whatever. No, it's

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Speaker 1: the smallest of margins, right, And that is where they

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Speaker 1: did such great work early in the season. But to

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Speaker 1: really fulfill the promise of the twenty twenty four campaign,

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Speaker 1: they've got to start playing better football. And honestly, that

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Speaker 1: starts at the quarterback position. Right. You mentioned Kirk coming

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Speaker 1: off of one of his worst performances. He's in the

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Speaker 1: midst of, arguably the worst stretch of his career, hasn't

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Speaker 1: thrown a touchdown pass in those last three games, and

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Speaker 1: he's going up against not only a defense that is

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Speaker 1: one of the very best in the NFL, but entering

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Speaker 1: an environment that he knows very well, but knows him

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Speaker 1: very well. And I think it is going to be

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Speaker 1: at fever pitch on Sunday when Kirk Cousins steps back

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Speaker 1: into US Bank Stadium, So you know, really quickly. I

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Speaker 1: just kind of wanted to get your thoughts, Toy, because

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Speaker 1: of not only the importance of kind of this matchup

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Speaker 1: in Minnesota playing really really well, in them themselves being

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Speaker 1: a really good team at ten and two, but the

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Speaker 1: Kirk factor of it all. Where has your attention kind

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Speaker 1: of been this week? Have you been looking more at

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Speaker 1: Atlanta and Kirk Cousins in kind of their mindset going

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Speaker 1: into this one, or have you been looking at the

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Speaker 1: opponent and what the obstacle will be on Sunday.

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Speaker 2: I think it's hard for me to choose one or

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Speaker 2: the other, because I think they both play off of

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Speaker 2: each other.

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Speaker 1: I had to choose.

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Speaker 2: I do think that a lot of what I have

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Speaker 2: personally written about this week has to do with Kirk,

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Speaker 2: and I think that I was critical in my column

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Speaker 2: after the game in saying that the Falcons need more

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Speaker 2: from Kirk Cousins if they hope to be a playoff contender,

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Speaker 2: if they hope to even make it to the postseason,

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Speaker 2: just point blank period, and what they've gotten from not

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Speaker 2: just him, but I'll say the offense as a whole

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Speaker 2: in the last three games is not enough and it's

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Speaker 2: not going to be enough. And whereas we were looking

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Speaker 2: at the last five games of the season and you're like, Okay,

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Speaker 2: the Vikings Commanders, they are who they are, but you

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Speaker 2: also have the Raiders and the Giants and the Panthers.

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Speaker 2: Those other three games are not looking as easy right

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Speaker 2: now because of the lack of consistency that this offense

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Speaker 2: has been playing with in the last three times out.

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Speaker 2: So a lot of that does go back to Kirk

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Speaker 2: and the production or lack thereof of which he has

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Speaker 2: been playing with, playing with and something that I try

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Speaker 2: often to not be, like not to kick someone when

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Speaker 2: they're down, but sometimes you need a little kick in

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Speaker 2: the keaster in order to get where you need to go.

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Speaker 2: And I think back to Kirk's presser on Wednesday, and

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Speaker 2: I knew going into that presser like thinking about what

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Speaker 2: he could say, what he should say, that it doesn't

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Speaker 2: matter what he says. Everyone's gonna be mad. Yeah, everyone's mad.

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Speaker 2: The Falcons put themselves in the position of they drafted

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Speaker 2: a quarterback with the number eight overall pick and then

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Speaker 2: gave Kirk Cousins the contract that they did. Of course,

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Speaker 2: we knew this when Michael Pennocks was drafted that as

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Speaker 2: soon as Kirk Cousins has a bad stretch of games,

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Speaker 2: people are gonna be calling for Michael Pennocks. Yep, that's

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Speaker 2: the situation that the Falcons put themselves in. But another

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Speaker 2: fact of the matter is is that in the span

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Speaker 2: of his thirteen year career, Kirk Cousins has bounced back.

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Speaker 2: He has been this very like hot and cold player,

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Speaker 2: someone who one of my friends in the league texted

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Speaker 2: me the other day and they're like, Kirk Cousins is

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Speaker 2: simultaneously one of the best players that I've ever seen,

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Speaker 2: and then he has these moments like what we saw

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Speaker 2: this past Sunday where it's just like not clicking.

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Speaker 1: It's the difference to me between when we talk about

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Speaker 1: like an elite quarterback, right and the great quarterbacks and

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Speaker 1: the good quarterbacks. It's the level of consistency. Yeah, the

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Speaker 1: elite quarterbacks, week in and week out, bring it every

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Speaker 1: single time, whether the team around him plays well or not.

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Speaker 1: The great quarterbacks maybe have a couple of games a

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Speaker 1: year where they dip below their usual standard to play

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Speaker 1: the good you know, you can take it from there.

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Speaker 1: It's just kind of the frequency. And to me, Kirk

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Speaker 1: has always been even before he came here to Atlanta,

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Speaker 1: we would have debates in the press box and just

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Speaker 1: kind of talk about it as everybody around the league did,

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Speaker 1: because he was kind of the poster boy for I

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Speaker 1: think straddling that line between great and elite and at

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Speaker 1: times like very good and great. And that's kind of

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Speaker 1: I think where he is right now is he's like

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Speaker 1: going through that portion of the season where to your point,

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Speaker 1: he does sometimes take a little bit of a step back,

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Speaker 1: but before he has risen to the occasion he has

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Speaker 1: bounced back. He is kind of throughout his career been

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Speaker 1: defined by overcoming the odds a little bit.

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Speaker 2: No, And that's exactly what I wrote about today. We're

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Speaker 2: recording this on Thursday, and I had a story that

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Speaker 2: ran this morning about just kind of all those different

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Speaker 2: points in time in his career where something happened, whether

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Speaker 2: it be an injury, whether it be getting benched, whether

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Speaker 2: it be losing games, throwing interceptions, and then he comes

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Speaker 2: back on a high yep, and he does have this

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Speaker 2: moment of redemption. If there ever was a moment for

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Speaker 2: not just the Falcons to have redemption, but Kirk Cousins

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Speaker 2: to have redemption within himself. It's in the context and

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Speaker 2: story of this game in Minnesota for all of the

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Speaker 2: reasons that we just said of where this team is

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Speaker 2: coming into this game, but also where Kirk Cousins is

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Speaker 2: coming into this game and coming back to Minnesota.

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Speaker 3: No, I completely agree. I was actually came running from

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Speaker 3: practice for this podcast and was talking to another reporter

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Speaker 3: at actice about how I think this may be possibly

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Speaker 3: the most important game of Kirk's career. Like, I'm sure

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Speaker 3: there are ones that. Yeah. I mean, like this is

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Speaker 3: your third team, You're getting older, and you're in this

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Speaker 3: really rough stretch and the pressure's on. Like people have

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Speaker 3: been questioning you since you arrived in Atlanta, whether it's

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Speaker 3: the injury, whether they should have done this, whether they

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Speaker 3: should have drafted a quarterback. There have been so many

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Speaker 3: questions surrounding the decision to bring Kirk Cousins to Atlanta,

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Speaker 3: and now that he's in a rough patch, I do

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Speaker 3: think like those are resurfacing. Like you said, people are

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Speaker 3: bringing up Pennix for the first time since they drafted him,

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Speaker 3: and to return home to a place where maybe he

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Speaker 3: didn't leave on the best of terms.

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Speaker 1: I'm really curious to see what the reception is for

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Speaker 1: him La Sunday because six seasons, three Pro Bowls, two

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Speaker 1: playoff trips, a very memorable win against the Saints. Let's go.

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Speaker 1: But you guys just know sol the I'm so sorry,

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Speaker 1: let's go.

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Speaker 2: My capital j journalism is coming out where I'm like,

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Speaker 2: I cannot cheer for anything ever.

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Speaker 1: I need you to be a capital pea podcaster, capital entertainer.

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Speaker 3: His fans flag is deflated.

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Speaker 1: But I yeah, So I mean to your point, like

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Speaker 1: did what what terms did he leave on and what

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Speaker 1: does the fan base in Minnesota feel towards him?

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Speaker 3: So I'm not from Minnesota, so I don't know, But

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Speaker 3: you don't say I don't know. It's just like it's

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Speaker 3: all these things coming together in this big moment where

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Speaker 3: the division has caught up, like he has this as

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Speaker 3: you he keep saying the worst game of his career

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Speaker 3: last week, possibly like it rivals it. I think this

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Speaker 3: game rivals what could be the most important. It's following

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Speaker 3: possibly his worse, and it could be possibly his most

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Speaker 3: important because I think all of these reasons to get

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Speaker 3: highlighted bolded underlined. If this is a loss, so it's

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Speaker 3: just gonna get louder.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, no, it will, I mean for sure, So really quickly,

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Speaker 1: I kind of want to maybe like a minute each

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Speaker 1: do we expect a good game from Kirk? What kind

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Speaker 1: of performance do we think we're gonna get on Sunday Tory?

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Speaker 1: I don't know, because that's the right answer. I think.

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Speaker 2: I think that he said all the right things. I

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Speaker 2: think the Falcons have said all the right things. But

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Speaker 2: words mean little if you can't back it up with action.

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Speaker 2: And I'm it's one of those things that I won't

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Speaker 2: believe it until I see it. And I feel like

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Speaker 2: the trends don't bode well. And that's the thing is like,

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Speaker 2: if we're taking kind of the like storylines out of it,

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Speaker 2: if we're just looking at this from a pure analytical

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Speaker 2: stand black and white, the trends don't look good for

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Speaker 2: this offense. At this current juncture. If this is, if

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Speaker 2: this game is happening off the tail end of the

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Speaker 2: Dallas win, or even though like it wasn't the best

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Speaker 2: collective performance from first quarter to fourth quarter, but they

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Speaker 2: did what they needed to do to get the win,

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Speaker 2: perhaps I feel very differently. But they're coming off of

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Speaker 2: three games, one of which you did not score an

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Speaker 2: offensive touchdown, the second time this year that you have

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Speaker 2: not scored an offensive touchdown.

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Speaker 3: I think it's like it's.

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Speaker 2: A it's a bit right, it's a bigger deal than

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Speaker 2: I think just Kirk Yes, And I think that's another

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Speaker 2: thing that was very obvious to me when Zach Robinson,

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Speaker 2: Raheem Morris, like receivers people were talking is they kept

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Speaker 2: kind of and they could just be saying this to

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Speaker 2: get everybody's back or get off of Kirk's back, as

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Speaker 2: good coaches do. But there is this part of me

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Speaker 2: that's like they're sitting there saying, like, we as an

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Speaker 2: offense need to be.

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Speaker 1: Better we before last week, We as.

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Speaker 2: A defense need to be more consistent, and it's like

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Speaker 2: all of these things that asking the question of what's

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Speaker 2: repeatable about this team and the way that they perform

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Speaker 2: is pass rush repeatable from last week to talk about

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Speaker 2: the defense? Is the Kirk tober of Kirk Cousins repeatable?

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Speaker 2: Three games after a skit like these are big questions

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Speaker 2: that you're asking about who this team is and what

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Speaker 2: they're gonna do. It's not just in my mind it's

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Speaker 2: Kirk's a major Kirk's a major storyline. But if you're

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Speaker 2: just looking at it from a statistical analytical point of view,

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Speaker 2: it's everything.

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Speaker 1: Oh. Absolutely, But do you think, holy plot twist.

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Speaker 3: You're going with the stats and I'm gonna go with

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Speaker 3: the sentimental. I know, I know the tables have turned,

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Speaker 3: the turns have tabled. This was our question of the

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Speaker 3: week for the dot Com And yes, kind of like

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Speaker 3: if you were Kirk, how would you feel. Oh, I'm eager.

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Speaker 3: I'm chomping at the bit to get on that field

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Speaker 3: and show your former team, like look what you lost.

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Speaker 3: It's kind of like, instead of a revenge bod, you

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Speaker 3: have a revenge game, Like I don't know, that's me,

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Speaker 3: and like you have the comfort of knowing the environment

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Speaker 3: you're going into. I haven't been to this stadium, but

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Speaker 3: I've heard epic things about it, and so you know

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Speaker 3: what you're walking into let that fuel you, like, this

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Speaker 3: should be comfortable, like you don't know the visitor's locker

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Speaker 3: room whatever. You don't know that any week most of

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Speaker 3: the time. And so this time, though, when you step

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Speaker 3: on that field, let those old feelings of familiarity and

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Speaker 3: comfortability relax you instead of make you more and more anxious.

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Speaker 3: That's how I look at it, because I think of

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Speaker 3: like when I return somewhere I used to live, it's

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Speaker 3: not ever.

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Speaker 2: Like a pressure I don't know, like apprehension.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it's more of like a huh.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you kind of slide right back in that mind.

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Speaker 3: And so if Kirk can slide back into this idea

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Speaker 3: or this mode where he is productive and throwing touchdowns

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Speaker 3: and whatnot, do it like I don't, I don't know.

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Speaker 3: Mine's a sentimental thing, and that might just be me.

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Speaker 3: Maybe someone else would have like anxieties returning home kind

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Speaker 3: of thing. But I also I will pull stat out too.

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Speaker 3: He's only ever had two games in US Bank Stadium

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Speaker 3: in which he never threw a touchdown. What better place

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Speaker 3: to break this three game streak than somewhere was dominant

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Speaker 3: and so and that's in forty four games, So ninety

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Speaker 3: five percent of the time.

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Speaker 2: Add to that, I'll also say that the Falcons don't

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Speaker 2: win this game unless Kirk Cousins performs. And I think

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Speaker 2: that the facts and the stats back it up. I know,

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Speaker 2: I tweeted this the other day just about the fact

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Speaker 2: that where Kirk Cousins goes, this team has gone in

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Speaker 2: twenty twenty four and if he has a sub ninety

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Speaker 2: passer writing, they're one in six. If he has over

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Speaker 2: a ninety passer writing, they're five and zero.

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Speaker 3: Do you know what that one was? One in six?

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Speaker 2: I can't remember off the top of my head.

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Speaker 1: I was just curious if I could venture a guess.

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Speaker 1: Is like New Orleans the first New Orleans game on yeah,

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Speaker 1: where they again didn't.

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Speaker 2: Score off in touchups right, Yeah, but we're moving the ball?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I both those points are are great tearing

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Speaker 1: your the visuals. I totally agree. I like that's kind

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Speaker 1: of what sure I wrote in my answer to the

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Speaker 1: question of the week, which was is this a good

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Speaker 1: time for the Vikings game? Right for k Cousins? And

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Speaker 1: I think that there is something to returning to a

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Speaker 1: very familiar place that you can have these good muscle

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Speaker 1: memory kind of like reflexive visualizations with and he has

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Speaker 1: done some amazing things inside of that building. So I

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Speaker 1: think getting him touches early, like getting a few passes

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Speaker 1: completed early on in the game, kind of get him

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Speaker 1: into the flow of everything. But bottom line is he

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Speaker 1: has to perform in this game because the Falcons need

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Speaker 1: him to, right Like it has to be a good

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Speaker 1: time for him to go back to Minnesota, because the

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Speaker 1: Falcons need it to be a good time. Their backs

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Speaker 1: are against the wall. His back is against the wall,

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Speaker 1: So now it's time to do what he's always done

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Speaker 1: throughout his career and respond. So now we just got

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Speaker 1: to see if he does that. But to your point, Toy,

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Speaker 1: he will not be doing this alone, right The Falcons

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Speaker 1: need him, but he also needs to rely on the

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Speaker 1: guys around him against a team that is one of

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Speaker 1: the very best in the NFC, if not the NFL.

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Speaker 1: So let's go ahead and kind of start by talking

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Speaker 1: about another premier matchup, and that's going to be AJ

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Speaker 1: Trael versus Justin Jefferson. I think that if you look

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Speaker 1: at Justin Jefferson, he's second in the league in receiving

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Speaker 1: yards right now, even though it doesn't feel like he's

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Speaker 1: having a traditional Justin Jefferson type of season.

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Speaker 3: A J.

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Speaker 1: Trell I think has re established himself as one of

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Speaker 1: the top corners in the league. Teams aren't throwing at

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Speaker 1: him a ton. He is, you know, giving up a

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Speaker 1: few catches here and there, but he's been really good

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Speaker 1: at limiting yards after the catch. He's got a couple

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Speaker 1: of picks so far this season. So when you look

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Speaker 1: at ajate Trel versus Justin Jefferson, kind of who do

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Speaker 1: you think has has an edge there? And is this

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Speaker 1: maybe the most exciting non quarterback involved matchup of the No.

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Speaker 2: I absolutely think it's the marquee matchup of the game

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Speaker 2: because I do believe that. Here's the thing we also

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Speaker 2: have to put into context, what's going to happen opposite

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Speaker 2: AJ Trell. Mike Cues has had a neck injury that

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Speaker 2: they've been very conservative.

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Speaker 3: With, don't.

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Speaker 2: I mean, you don't mess with that, right, So he

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Speaker 2: was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. So if they're

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Speaker 2: able to get him back, does he return to the

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Speaker 2: starting lineup? If it's not him, is it Clark Phillips? Like,

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Speaker 2: what's happening opposite of AJ? But then there's also the

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Speaker 2: exact same conversation where like, if you're Jerry Gray and

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Speaker 2: Jimmy Lake, it's just like AJ just follow Justin Jefferson

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Speaker 2: everywhere across the field at all times.

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Speaker 1: And he goes everywhere, and he goes everywhere left, right,

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Speaker 1: slot wide, like tight, He's everywhere right.

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Speaker 2: And I also think that it'll be very important the

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Speaker 2: role of Justin Simmons of Jesse Bates d Alford Like

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Speaker 2: I but the thing is is you can't overlook to

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Speaker 2: what Jordan Madison's doings, Like Yeah, that's the thing is,

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Speaker 2: Like we can talk about AJ Turrell and Justin Jefferson

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Speaker 2: all day long, and you know each guy is probably

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Speaker 2: gonna get his moment. But and I hate that this

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Speaker 2: has become the theme of the podcast where I'm just like, but.

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Speaker 1: What about everybody else?

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Speaker 2: Like, but that's kind of where my head's at because

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Speaker 2: if you do put all your eggs in the Justin

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Speaker 2: Jefferson basket and you do have some shading happening, it

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Speaker 2: worries me about what what can happen elsewhere. But in

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Speaker 2: the grand scheme of things, this is the premier matchup

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Speaker 2: for me. And I think if you're a football fan,

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Speaker 2: like you're excited to see these two guys go at

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Speaker 2: each other a little bit.

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Speaker 3: I talked to Justin Simmons in the locker room Wednesday

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Speaker 3: a bit about it, just kind of like, all right,

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Speaker 3: got to ask about Justin Jefferson, like everyone's got his

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Speaker 3: name highlighted when it comes to the passing game in

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Speaker 3: general for the Vikings, and his thing was, get four

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Speaker 3: eyes on him, like, make sure more than one person

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Speaker 3: has their eyes on Justin and Jefferson at all times,

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Speaker 3: because you do have to shut him down. But the

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Speaker 3: key to also doing that is making sure that they

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Speaker 3: stop the run up front to begin with.

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Speaker 2: And putting pressure on Sam.

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Speaker 3: Darnold absolutely repeeding that pass rush.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, So let's let's go ahead and talk about

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Speaker 1: that aspect of this matchup, the Falcons pass rush against

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Speaker 1: the Vikings pass protection. There are a lot of elements

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Speaker 1: of this Vikings team that are great, but the pass

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Speaker 1: protection hasn't necessarily been one of them. And so if

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Speaker 1: there is an area where Atlanta, coming off of a

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Speaker 1: five sack performer it's their best of the season, can

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Speaker 1: maybe make an impact. It could be with their pass rush.

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Speaker 1: If you look at you know, the Vikings have given

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Speaker 1: up thirty seven sacks so far the season, ninth most

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Speaker 1: in the league. They have the fourth highest pressure rate allowed,

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Speaker 1: and recently acquired left tackle Cam Robinson has allowed the

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Speaker 1: second highest pressure rate in the league since he joined

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Speaker 1: the Vikings eighteen point four percent. So, Arnold Abakaty, I know,

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Speaker 1: I was like.

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Speaker 2: Jud circling that, figuring out whatever you have to do

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Speaker 2: to take advantage of that kind of weak link right there.

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Speaker 3: And not to say that weaklink well, I mean, if

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Speaker 3: you think.

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Speaker 2: About a chain gain in like offensive line like that,

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Speaker 2: that's what it is.

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Speaker 3: And so Alabama grad though, yes.

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Speaker 1: Sorry, but I do plenty of weak claks in Alabama

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Speaker 1: this year.

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Speaker 3: So I do think necessary.

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Speaker 2: I do think to get us back on topic, I

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Speaker 2: do think that this could be another game that you

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Speaker 2: could see Arnold Abacaty really like get going a little bit.

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Speaker 2: I thought I was very very impressed by especially going

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Speaker 2: back in water. I felt like in the moment against

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Speaker 2: the Chargers that I could feel Arnold Abakhetty's presence. And

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Speaker 2: you know, but in the moment you're watching so many

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Speaker 2: other things you have different storylines in your head. Whereas

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Speaker 2: going back and watching the All twenty two a day later,

437
00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:17,680
Speaker 2: seeing what he was able to do, and how explosive

438
00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,159
Speaker 2: he looked, and how much I felt like he was

439
00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,880
Speaker 2: kind of playing with a physicality that we've been missing

440
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:26,040
Speaker 2: in the past.

441
00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,000
Speaker 1: It's really part of his game, or at least I

442
00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:29,440
Speaker 1: wouldn't off the top of my head if I was

443
00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:31,439
Speaker 1: listing the top three things that I think of when

444
00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:33,480
Speaker 1: I think of Arnold E. Wa Katty. It's not necessarily

445
00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:35,359
Speaker 1: a bullrush. It's not like a straw. It's not that

446
00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:38,240
Speaker 1: power element to his game. So yeah, I mean, I

447
00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,560
Speaker 1: think Matthew Judon has brought that, but like to see

448
00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:42,679
Speaker 1: that on the other side from ak has been awesome.

449
00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, and it's kind of a new development to your point.

450
00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:49,000
Speaker 2: And I think that if you can, if you're Arnold

451
00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:51,520
Speaker 2: Abakhetty and you're Jimmy Lake and you're Jerry Gray and

452
00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,600
Speaker 2: kind of you're looking at the fact of the matter

453
00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,760
Speaker 2: of Cam Robinson and what he's kind of given up

454
00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,720
Speaker 2: this year and how you can exploit it. I think

455
00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:04,199
Speaker 2: you're sitting there with guys like Arnold W. Katie and

456
00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:06,320
Speaker 2: Matthew Judon licking their lips a little bit.

457
00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:07,440
Speaker 1: Kaden Ellis, maybe.

458
00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:10,760
Speaker 2: Kaden Ellis do some fun things with Kayden Ellis, especially

459
00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,920
Speaker 2: if you can get more of Troy Anderson out there

460
00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,280
Speaker 2: who can kind of help in dropping into coverage talking

461
00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:20,680
Speaker 2: about what some of these receivers weapons can do for

462
00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:25,240
Speaker 2: the Vikings. That's gonna be kind of the Chestnut Checkers

463
00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:27,480
Speaker 2: type of thing, is like what do you do with

464
00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,919
Speaker 2: Troy Anderson and how do you help him help the

465
00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,520
Speaker 2: secondary versus like help him help Caden Ellis. So that's

466
00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,159
Speaker 2: an intriguing part of this matchup as well. That I

467
00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:39,840
Speaker 2: don't think anybody's talking about.

468
00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:41,720
Speaker 1: You optimistic about the pass rush Taren.

469
00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:45,639
Speaker 3: We know I don't use the word optimists or pessimists,

470
00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:48,679
Speaker 3: like just neutral. It's kind of how Tory said earlier

471
00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:50,080
Speaker 3: when it came to Kirk Cousins. I don't know how

472
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,080
Speaker 3: he's gonna perform. I don't know how the pass rush

473
00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:53,879
Speaker 3: is going to do because we haven't seen it do

474
00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,840
Speaker 3: or perform at that level on a consistent basis. Because

475
00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:00,399
Speaker 3: I think back to Dallas when they had three and

476
00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:02,520
Speaker 3: it was like, can they do it again in the

477
00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:04,720
Speaker 3: next week, and then they did not, and so now

478
00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:06,600
Speaker 3: it's like they had five, can they do it again

479
00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:08,400
Speaker 3: this week? TBD?

480
00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, even if it's short of five rights have to

481
00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,560
Speaker 1: be five, you can get three really impactful, timely sacks,

482
00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,840
Speaker 1: Like I think that could be the difference in this game,

483
00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:21,840
Speaker 1: because I like we went into that Chargers game kind

484
00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:25,320
Speaker 1: of talking in a similar fashion Kirk stuff like aside

485
00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:27,560
Speaker 1: that wasn't a part of it. But the Chargers were

486
00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:29,800
Speaker 1: a really good team with a great defense, with a

487
00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:32,560
Speaker 1: quarterback who's playing well in some dynamic offensive weapon like

488
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,240
Speaker 1: and the Falcons were the better team on the field

489
00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,280
Speaker 1: on Sunday in that game. So I'm not discounting this

490
00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:43,719
Speaker 1: group's ability to prepare for this specific opponent, come up

491
00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,280
Speaker 1: with a game plan that is effective, and I think

492
00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:48,320
Speaker 1: the pass rush will be a part of that game

493
00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,840
Speaker 1: plan and have an impact on Sunday. But you could

494
00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:53,800
Speaker 1: flip it around and say the exact same thing about

495
00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:58,320
Speaker 1: Minnesota's pass rush. They are an attacking defense. They love

496
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,359
Speaker 1: to blitz. They are the number one team in the

497
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:05,560
Speaker 1: league in zone blitz rate. They have one player, Jonathan Garnard,

498
00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:07,680
Speaker 1: with ten sacks. They have Andrew van Ginkl who has

499
00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:11,480
Speaker 1: nine sacks. They create turnovers Byron Murphy as five interceptions.

500
00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:14,680
Speaker 1: So Taren, when you kind of look at what Kirk

501
00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:17,000
Speaker 1: Cousins in Atlanta's offensive line is going to be up

502
00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:21,919
Speaker 1: against in Minnesota's defense or against Minnesota's defense, Like, what

503
00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:26,000
Speaker 1: kind of performance do you think Atlanta's offense will be

504
00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:28,560
Speaker 1: able to muster against a group that is again one

505
00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:29,439
Speaker 1: of the best in the league.

506
00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:31,919
Speaker 3: I think it just feeds into the narrative where it's like,

507
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,880
Speaker 3: now they're going to be pushing and wanting to get

508
00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:41,119
Speaker 3: to Kirk so much that it's just putting more and

509
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,000
Speaker 3: more pressure on him and then even more so on

510
00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,480
Speaker 3: the offensive line to have the success as a group,

511
00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:50,320
Speaker 3: because it's a whole team effort that Kirk can't have

512
00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:52,439
Speaker 3: the success if he's on the ground, yeah, or if

513
00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:56,320
Speaker 3: he's no wee clinks, being completely pressured and whatnot and

514
00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,760
Speaker 3: getting rattled back there. And so I think it starts

515
00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:04,040
Speaker 3: up front and how they're able to hold off the

516
00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:07,480
Speaker 3: Vikings defense so Kirk can operate with time and no pressure.

517
00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,520
Speaker 2: Yeah, And the other part of that, to your point

518
00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:12,640
Speaker 2: of it starts up front, which I know we say

519
00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:14,119
Speaker 2: that all the time and it can kind of be

520
00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:16,879
Speaker 2: a cliche, but when you look at this Minnesota defense,

521
00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:21,840
Speaker 2: it does matter because not only are they doing some

522
00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:25,040
Speaker 2: good things with their blitz packages, and getting after the quarterback.

523
00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,520
Speaker 2: They're also one of the best, if not the best,

524
00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:28,960
Speaker 2: run defenses.

525
00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:30,240
Speaker 1: Yes, they are number one.

526
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,960
Speaker 2: They are number one. And when you're thinking about the

527
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,160
Speaker 2: way that Bajon Robinson is used in this offense, Bazaron Robinson,

528
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:41,520
Speaker 2: especially in the last few games, has been the go

529
00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:43,640
Speaker 2: to guy. Well, I think it was I can't remember

530
00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:46,800
Speaker 2: if this was you or somebody who you went back

531
00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,119
Speaker 2: and you looked at kind of the first drives of

532
00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:54,000
Speaker 2: the Falcons over the last like five games, and how

533
00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:57,000
Speaker 2: much they're giving the ball to Beajon to start the

534
00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:01,640
Speaker 2: series and that those that opening drive that series is scripted.

535
00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:05,040
Speaker 2: That like, that's your your one script. You have scripted

536
00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:06,720
Speaker 2: plays for you two minute and everything like that, but

537
00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:10,320
Speaker 2: that's the one drive that you're like, this is everybody

538
00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:11,160
Speaker 2: knows what we're doing.

539
00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a play. Is the plays everybody should feel

540
00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,880
Speaker 1: best about, right, the quarterback feels good about the offensive line,

541
00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:19,400
Speaker 1: the running. Everybody has worked on that throughout the week.

542
00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:22,520
Speaker 1: You feel like it'll either expose something in the defensive

543
00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,600
Speaker 1: game plan that you can exploit later or you're outright

544
00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:29,640
Speaker 1: attacking something you've identified on film that you think, hey,

545
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:31,479
Speaker 1: this is a good matchup for us, let's go to

546
00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,119
Speaker 1: it early and let's just go ahead and start exploiting it.

547
00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,720
Speaker 2: And they use Bijon Robinson as the measuring stick for this,

548
00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:39,959
Speaker 2: and how what they can get away with using him

549
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,639
Speaker 2: because of his versatility and because of the athletic talent

550
00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,720
Speaker 2: that he is and his vision for the holes and

551
00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,120
Speaker 2: being able to make something happen maybe sometimes when something

552
00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:53,760
Speaker 2: isn't there, they use him as the benchmark. What can

553
00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,160
Speaker 2: we do with Bijon Robinson very early on? What can

554
00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:58,200
Speaker 2: we exploit very early on? And how does that open

555
00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:00,879
Speaker 2: things up for us later in the game. So that

556
00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:04,360
Speaker 2: piece of it, if we're talking about just the Vikings

557
00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:07,400
Speaker 2: defense overall and what they've been able to do stopping

558
00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:12,280
Speaker 2: the run and kind of understanding how much the Falcons

559
00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:17,040
Speaker 2: rely upon Bajon Robinson very very early. Hm, that gives

560
00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,600
Speaker 2: me pause. And it's a part of the game that

561
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:22,760
Speaker 2: I think is going to matter the most very early on.

562
00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,479
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's a great way to phrase it.

563
00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:26,840
Speaker 1: Is this going to be kind of like an early

564
00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:29,680
Speaker 1: measuring stick matchup because it is good on good turn.

565
00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:32,600
Speaker 3: Yeah. I think the way that the we're circling justin

566
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,159
Speaker 3: Jefferson is the way they're circling Bajon Robinson because in

567
00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:38,440
Speaker 3: six of the last seven games he's had at least

568
00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:42,200
Speaker 3: one hundred yards from scrimmage, So obviously he's getting the ball,

569
00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:45,119
Speaker 3: whether he's running it or being incorporated into the past

570
00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,200
Speaker 3: game and being productive whenever he does touch the ball.

571
00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:51,159
Speaker 1: Yeah, and when you look at some of the like

572
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,240
Speaker 1: just the statistics for Minnesota's run defense and Vijon are

573
00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:57,600
Speaker 1: fascinating and they will be really in early bell Weather,

574
00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:00,200
Speaker 1: I think for whether Atlanta's going to be well to

575
00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,600
Speaker 1: kind of do what they dig against Los Angeles and

576
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:05,400
Speaker 1: stick it to them and play their style of football,

577
00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:07,760
Speaker 1: or whether Minnesota at home is going to really be

578
00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,119
Speaker 1: able to kind of put Atlanta in a tough spot early.

579
00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,240
Speaker 1: But it's really like outside of the runs or outside

580
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:15,320
Speaker 1: of the tackles, that's the part of the run game

581
00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:18,360
Speaker 1: that Atlanta has been really effective with with, which makes

582
00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:21,359
Speaker 1: sense because Bijon is just so good at making people miss.

583
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,680
Speaker 1: He's forced forty four missed tackles on outside runs, which

584
00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:27,359
Speaker 1: is the third most running backs, but the Vikings had

585
00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:30,760
Speaker 1: the second fewest miss tackles on outside runs. So like

586
00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,960
Speaker 1: it's it's like an unstoppable object against then removable force.

587
00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:37,920
Speaker 2: No, it's the absolute definition of good versus good.

588
00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:39,959
Speaker 1: Yeah, because Bijon can make anybody miss right.

589
00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:42,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, but the Vikings have don't miss don't missy.

590
00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:43,920
Speaker 1: I love it.

591
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:45,840
Speaker 2: I think that's going to be the most fun talking about,

592
00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:48,600
Speaker 2: like playing chess not checkers, like this is a good

593
00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:53,240
Speaker 2: also test for someone like Zach Robinson and yep, I

594
00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:54,920
Speaker 2: think that it'll be.

595
00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:57,400
Speaker 1: It's Charlie Warner to breake London the I.

596
00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:00,480
Speaker 2: Think that's when we look back at this game, this

597
00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:02,840
Speaker 2: could be a big moment for the way that we

598
00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,280
Speaker 2: think about Zach Robinson as a play caller.

599
00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:09,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, I really agree as well as how what are

600
00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:11,080
Speaker 1: the spots he's able to put his guys in and

601
00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:15,040
Speaker 1: is he able to kind of get the Vikings guessing,

602
00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:18,880
Speaker 1: not knowing what's coming, keeping them off balance and mixing

603
00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,120
Speaker 1: in the different elements of this offense effectively. Yeah, that

604
00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,760
Speaker 1: that is what an offensive coordinator needs to do to

605
00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:26,640
Speaker 1: put his team in the best situation when you're going

606
00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:28,760
Speaker 1: up against one of the best groups in the league

607
00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,080
Speaker 1: and a very very good defensive coordinator on the other

608
00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:36,280
Speaker 1: side as well. So let's go ahead, We're going to

609
00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:38,800
Speaker 1: go back to the game at the very end of

610
00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:42,240
Speaker 1: this podcast, but we're going to take a brief detour

611
00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:44,600
Speaker 1: to do something that maybe only I care about, because

612
00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:49,840
Speaker 1: this is a passion point of mine. Duluth, Georgia versus Dluth, Minnesota.

613
00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:53,600
Speaker 1: All Right, we've got our own little Duluth rivalry happening

614
00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:56,440
Speaker 1: right now. I am sick and tired as a d

615
00:29:56,560 --> 00:30:00,960
Speaker 1: Luthian here in Georgia. Probably each other hop on board.

616
00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:04,760
Speaker 1: We got hats, you know, I'll send you one anytime

617
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:06,800
Speaker 1: I go to Google and I start typing. In Duluth.

618
00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:11,720
Speaker 1: It's just da Luth Minnesota, right, So dilations, Oh, I've

619
00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:13,080
Speaker 1: got it. I've got a lot of a lot of

620
00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,440
Speaker 1: stuff for you. I'm gonna throw some stuff at you, Karen,

621
00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:18,840
Speaker 1: don't worry. But I want anybody, if somebody knows anybody

622
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:20,840
Speaker 1: who lives in Duluth, Minnesota, I want you to just

623
00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:22,680
Speaker 1: send them this and and let them know that we

624
00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:26,080
Speaker 1: have officially started a rivalry with d Luth Minnesota. Okay,

625
00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:31,760
Speaker 1: So this is bigger than football game on Sunday. This

626
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:34,719
Speaker 1: this is now the Duluth Bowl. I love that, all right.

627
00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:36,400
Speaker 1: So what we're gonna do is, I've got some some

628
00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:39,240
Speaker 1: trivia for the two of you. I'm gonna I'm gonna

629
00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:42,240
Speaker 1: the answers. No, you're not cool, You're supposed to. Uh.

630
00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:45,520
Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you the fact, and then you're gonna

631
00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:48,960
Speaker 1: tell me whether you think this is Duluth, Minnesota or Duluth, Georgia.

632
00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:51,680
Speaker 1: All right, So how do we want to do this?

633
00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:54,640
Speaker 1: You want me to to alternate or just I think

634
00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:55,840
Speaker 1: you got somebody through.

635
00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,400
Speaker 2: Some steering the ship, no asking if we want to

636
00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:00,680
Speaker 2: answer together or if we want to end her separately?

637
00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:03,480
Speaker 3: Right, And I'm just saying, whatever you want.

638
00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:04,640
Speaker 1: What do you want to do Georgia.

639
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:06,840
Speaker 2: I kind of like the idea of competition. I want

640
00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:09,600
Speaker 2: to do like t versus whoever whoever throws out throws

641
00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:10,120
Speaker 2: it out first.

642
00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:15,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, Okay. Which Duluth has a population of eighty six thousand,

643
00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:20,480
Speaker 1: six ninety seven people in Minnesota. Correct, Damn it's a lot. Oh.

644
00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:22,840
Speaker 2: I don't know if I'm allowed to cuss on this podcast.

645
00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:27,320
Speaker 1: Darn torn it. Which d'luth has a record high temperature

646
00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:27,920
Speaker 1: of one hundred and.

647
00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:29,480
Speaker 3: Six degrees Georgia, Georgia.

648
00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:34,640
Speaker 1: Incorrect, Minnesota? Gotcha? Which d Luth is the hometown of

649
00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:42,560
Speaker 1: Raven Simone, Georgia. Correct, Yeah, correct, Dluth Georgia Raven Simone's

650
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,320
Speaker 1: own I know right, Which d Luth was featured in

651
00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:51,760
Speaker 1: the novel The Great Gatsby Minnesota. Minnesota, Minnesota correct, which

652
00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:57,000
Speaker 1: Duluth elected its state's first female mayor in nineteen twenty two.

653
00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,080
Speaker 3: Minnesota, Georgia.

654
00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:03,440
Speaker 1: Whoa, Let's go Georgia, Let's go shot? How about that

655
00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:07,960
Speaker 1: for representation shot? Which d Leuth has a minor league

656
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:12,000
Speaker 1: hockey team named the Gladiators Georgia. Correct? Was the Gladiators

657
00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:16,400
Speaker 1: Gladiators Go hockey gas southree Baby, which d Luth was

658
00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:19,880
Speaker 1: the place where pie a la mode was invented, which

659
00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:22,120
Speaker 1: is a slice of pie with ice cream on top.

660
00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:25,040
Speaker 2: Like Minnesota Soda Minnesota. Okay, I thought that was gonna

661
00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:25,760
Speaker 2: be a trick question.

662
00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,880
Speaker 1: Like also the invention of the pizza role, oh.

663
00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:32,120
Speaker 3: In Minnesota, Wow, like the one said Tostinos.

664
00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,040
Speaker 1: I mean the brand, no, but just like I guess

665
00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:37,719
Speaker 1: the actual the patent. It's the concept of a pizza role.

666
00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:38,880
Speaker 1: Whoever took a pizza and.

667
00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:44,160
Speaker 3: Just my favorite yeah, pizza roles. Oh, I will just

668
00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:46,280
Speaker 3: sour pizza rolls.

669
00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:49,160
Speaker 1: That's amazing. You probably have the best looking freezer in

670
00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:54,240
Speaker 1: this entire state empty, which d Luth fielded an NFL

671
00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:58,920
Speaker 1: team nicknamed the Kellies from nineteen twenty three to nineteen

672
00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:02,400
Speaker 1: twenty five Minnesota. Correct, and then they were later named

673
00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:07,160
Speaker 1: the Eskimos. Interesting, All right, we've got one more which

674
00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:10,920
Speaker 1: Duluth hosted a PGA Tour tournament from nineteen ninety seven

675
00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:14,560
Speaker 1: to two thousand and eight, Georgia. Correct. He guys are good.

676
00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:15,760
Speaker 1: You know the loots. Yeah.

677
00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:19,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, we started off a little like slow, but we

678
00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:20,080
Speaker 2: got it. We got in there.

679
00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:23,040
Speaker 3: I know d Luth Minnesota because of the Grandma's Marathon.

680
00:33:23,240 --> 00:33:26,520
Speaker 3: It's like a major running event, and I really want

681
00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:27,080
Speaker 3: to do it.

682
00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:29,160
Speaker 1: Is it only Grandma's. Do you have to be a

683
00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:30,720
Speaker 1: maximum or is there a minimum?

684
00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:33,040
Speaker 3: No, I'm allowed to do it, and I'm not your grandma.

685
00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:38,480
Speaker 3: To heart, I think that's at first that I don't

686
00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:39,959
Speaker 3: even know how to react.

687
00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:42,360
Speaker 1: The look on your face. Everybody, go watch YouTube and

688
00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:43,800
Speaker 1: you can see the look on Terrence face.

689
00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:45,760
Speaker 3: I think I was looking directly at you know, for

690
00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:48,360
Speaker 3: them to say that was so funny, so disappointed.

691
00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:51,760
Speaker 1: I didn't mean it at all, Terran. They're not you know,

692
00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:53,920
Speaker 1: if anybody's a grandmother in this group.

693
00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,960
Speaker 2: It's all right, mother, grandmother dollar.

694
00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:58,880
Speaker 1: All right, let's let's go and wrap this thing up.

695
00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:01,560
Speaker 1: We'll do one thing that the Falcons need to win,

696
00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:04,200
Speaker 1: needs to do to win on Sunday, Toy, We'll start

697
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:04,360
Speaker 1: with you.

698
00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:09,160
Speaker 2: Kirk Cousins needs to just throw a friggin touchdown pass. Okay,

699
00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:13,680
Speaker 2: maybe multiple, honestly, probably multiple. He's got to be better.

700
00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:17,000
Speaker 2: If Kirk Cousins plays the way that he did against

701
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,720
Speaker 2: the Chargers, the Falcons will have a hard time winning

702
00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,399
Speaker 2: any games down the stretch. And I think we saw

703
00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:26,440
Speaker 2: it didn't matter how good the defense performed. If you're

704
00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:29,600
Speaker 2: not scoring points, you're not winning games. So Kirk Cousins

705
00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:30,600
Speaker 2: has to be better.

706
00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:33,279
Speaker 3: Arn I'm gonna take a little pressure off of Kirk.

707
00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:36,719
Speaker 3: Go but keep it on the offense. Score when you're

708
00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:37,399
Speaker 3: in the red zone.

709
00:34:38,200 --> 00:34:42,560
Speaker 1: That's a good one, yes, correct, Yes, mine is also

710
00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:44,800
Speaker 1: going to be kind of on the offense. But I

711
00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:47,799
Speaker 1: went and looked at the first and fourth quarter numbers

712
00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:49,320
Speaker 1: because I just kind of have a feeling that this

713
00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:52,000
Speaker 1: game is going to really be defined by the team

714
00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:53,880
Speaker 1: that can either get off to a good starter or

715
00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:56,279
Speaker 1: really finished strong. Because both of these teams have played

716
00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:57,919
Speaker 1: in a lot of one score games, and so either

717
00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,879
Speaker 1: the ability to separate yourself early dablish your style of play,

718
00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:03,759
Speaker 1: especially for the Falcons on the road, if you can

719
00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:07,000
Speaker 1: kind of quiet that crowd down, that would be really nice.

720
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:10,000
Speaker 1: So the Vikings are number one points in the first quarter,

721
00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:14,640
Speaker 1: seven point eight points. The Falcons are number fourteen, just

722
00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:17,040
Speaker 1: under kind of like four and a half there. But

723
00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:19,440
Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter, Vikings are number twenty two and

724
00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:22,040
Speaker 1: the Falcons are last in points scored. So I need

725
00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:23,960
Speaker 1: the Falcons to kind of flip that script in the

726
00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:27,840
Speaker 1: fourth quarter, finish strong and kind of withstand the Vikings,

727
00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:30,239
Speaker 1: hold their offense down, maybe start with the ball and

728
00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:31,960
Speaker 1: kind of do what they did against the Chargers and

729
00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:35,680
Speaker 1: really ground and pound, eat up some clock, eat up possessions.

730
00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:38,800
Speaker 3: Yeah. Great, three answers to you guys. If it gets close.

731
00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:42,720
Speaker 3: The Falcons are five and four in one possession games.

732
00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:46,000
Speaker 3: And I know we led with saying the Vikings I

733
00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:48,160
Speaker 3: had to think about one are seven and one.

734
00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:54,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, so buckle up, Taren. I just I pre feel

735
00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:56,440
Speaker 1: bad for you for the game breakdown. I just already

736
00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:57,040
Speaker 1: know that this is.

737
00:35:57,040 --> 00:35:59,120
Speaker 3: Going to pass my bedtime as a grandmother, going to

738
00:35:59,160 --> 00:35:59,760
Speaker 3: be Yeah.

739
00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:01,680
Speaker 1: It will be I'll have to wake you up. It

740
00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,239
Speaker 1: will be a legendary game breakdown down to the wire.

741
00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:11,880
Speaker 1: So oh, you're so scared, Let's.

742
00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:14,239
Speaker 3: Go with legendary and down to the wire. It'll be

743
00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:18,440
Speaker 3: a above average game breakdown that'll be stress free and

744
00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:20,200
Speaker 3: come out as soon as the buzzer ends.

745
00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:22,719
Speaker 1: Yes, it will come out as soon as the mother ends.

746
00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:25,920
Speaker 1: Buzzer ends either way, because we are that guy. Average

747
00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:27,040
Speaker 1: is hilarious.

748
00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:30,920
Speaker 2: Some more credit than that I did above.

749
00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:36,920
Speaker 1: All right, let's let's hope the Falcons play above average

750
00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:43,760
Speaker 1: football on Sunday. Average everyone leave Minnesota with a victory.

751
00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:46,360
Speaker 1: But that will do it for our show today. Everybody,

752
00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:48,960
Speaker 1: be sure to check out the pregame show, which will

753
00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:52,760
Speaker 1: go live on noon or at noon on YouTube on Sunday.

754
00:36:53,120 --> 00:36:55,200
Speaker 1: Taylor is More Derek Rackley do a great job of

755
00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,160
Speaker 1: breaking down the game. Also check out Falcons Audible with

756
00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,680
Speaker 1: with rack Arch and shot. They also do a great

757
00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:05,239
Speaker 1: job previewing all of the action. Check out on Landafalcons

758
00:37:05,239 --> 00:37:08,520
Speaker 1: dot Com. A lot of content that we are producing

759
00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,040
Speaker 1: also covering this important matchup and just kind of the

760
00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:13,480
Speaker 1: mindset of the team going into it. But that will

761
00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:16,120
Speaker 1: do it for us. Today, Please like and subscribe, spread

762
00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:18,960
Speaker 1: the word. Check out our YouTube channel for Tory Macalene

763
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:20,960
Speaker 1: and Tarn Walcke. I'm Will McFadden. We will see you

764
00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:24,640
Speaker 1: all next time. Today's episode of Falcons Final Whistle is

765
00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:28,080
Speaker 1: brought to you by Zaxby's. And after a long game,

766
00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:30,759
Speaker 1: when I'm tired and I need to refuel, I turned

767
00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:35,640
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768
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769
00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:42,880
Speaker 1: crinkle fries, a nice drink in whichever of their twelve

770
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Speaker 1: signature sauces you're feeling at the moment, but it always

771
00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:49,120
Speaker 1: hits just right. So next time you need to refuel,

772
00:37:49,719 --> 00:37:51,040
Speaker 1: go get yourself some Zaxbies