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Speaker 1: Paul Allen, You're played by play guy for the Minnesota

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Speaker 1: Vikings with analyst Pete versas former player and coach. We

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Speaker 1: call Vikings games on the KFAM Minnesota Vikings radio network,

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Speaker 1: and we called a high scoring victory over the Arizona

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Speaker 1: Cardinals at US Bank Stadium today. It was so wild

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Speaker 1: and so animated and crazy. I kind of lost my

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Speaker 1: voice nearing the end of the game. But that that

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Speaker 1: that's to be expected with how exciting some of these

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Speaker 1: Vikings games are. Yeah, and Paul, you're you're absolutely right

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Speaker 1: about that. It's they they get themselves, they find a

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Speaker 1: way to win, but we find a way also to

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Speaker 1: keep it exciting. And the good I mean, there's so

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Speaker 1: many goods that came from this game. The two interceptions,

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Speaker 1: one by Cambine and one by Harrison Smith, getting points

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Speaker 1: off of those turnovers, now we make the pat We

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Speaker 1: get fourteen points off turnovers, and this game is nowhere

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Speaker 1: near as exciting towards the end as it is the

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Speaker 1: running game. So it's it's like these different areas have

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Speaker 1: come in to help propel this team weekend and week out.

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Speaker 1: So that's why there's six and one. It's because like today,

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Speaker 1: the special teams unit coming up with another big turnover

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Speaker 1: at the right time. And so it's that group, that

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Speaker 1: that special teams group. Man, they're really really doing a

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Speaker 1: wonderful job. They're they're not I wouldn't say carrying the team,

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Speaker 1: but they're executing brilliantly, having given up too many any

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Speaker 1: big returns. And then the defense, I mean, Zadarius Smith

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Speaker 1: is making He's a difference maker. You know, talk about

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Speaker 1: a free agent bringing him in. He's at eight and

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Speaker 1: a half sacks right now, just a you know, having

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Speaker 1: an unbelievable season. Fits the system. M Daniel Hunter, DJ Wantam.

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Speaker 1: I mean, those guys are all getting after the passer.

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Speaker 1: And the best part of today is they kept Kyler

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Speaker 1: Murray in the pocket, right They didn't let him escape.

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Speaker 1: Let him escape outside a couple of times, and we

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Speaker 1: saw what he can do. He can pull that thing down,

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Speaker 1: get out of bounds, fire the ball down the field.

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Speaker 1: But they kept him in the pocket and made him

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Speaker 1: a pocket passer. That's what got us the two interceptions.

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Speaker 1: So the Minnesota Vikings beat Arizona thirty four to twenty six.

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Speaker 1: The Vikings are six and one. They have won five

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Speaker 1: consecutive games for the first time since twenty seventeen. They

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Speaker 1: have a strangle hold on first place in the NFC North.

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Speaker 1: They are undefeated four and oh at home and hook

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Speaker 1: Washington at FedEx Field next week. Now between the lines

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Speaker 1: with Gabe Henderson and Ben Leeber's coming up shortly, then

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Speaker 1: you will hear Kevin O'Connell, head coach of the Vikings,

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Speaker 1: with his postgame press conference. Likewise for Kirk Cousins, Kirk,

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Speaker 1: when he threw his first touchdown today, he has thrown

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Speaker 1: touchdowns in thirty seven consecutive games. That is seventh best

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Speaker 1: in National Football League history. He passed former Vikings quarterback

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Speaker 1: Brett Farvan doing so. He's won from Tony Romo thirty

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Speaker 1: eight seventeen from Drew Brees at fifty four. Kirk today,

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Speaker 1: your thoughts if you know Kirk did he did? He

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Speaker 1: did a nice job, especially early. Um, you know, the

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Speaker 1: opening of the game, not knowing exactly what the Cardinals

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Speaker 1: were going to do defensively, they had a bit of

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Speaker 1: a buy themselves, so they had some time. Um, you know,

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Speaker 1: we around the bye so there was no new film,

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Speaker 1: so they the Cardinals had an extra couple of days

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Speaker 1: of game planning. Um, but taking what's available, pulling that

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Speaker 1: thing down and running with the football. UM early on

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Speaker 1: that first drive that his legs got us, you know,

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Speaker 1: got us through that. UM. No interceptions. That's the other

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Speaker 1: big thing. UM, the pet you know, the completion percentage

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Speaker 1: that's still that still continues to to to to hover

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Speaker 1: in the you know, not in the sixties. Which I

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Speaker 1: think that pastor kg Osborne that he overthrew that was

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Speaker 1: that was a play that he normally makes, um, you know.

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Speaker 1: And then he also had Justin Jefferson on a play

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Speaker 1: that he could have pulled it down and ran it

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Speaker 1: for the first down, but miss JJ. So you know,

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Speaker 1: a couple of those things. I think finally with Cousins,

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Speaker 1: when he can identify and know that a defense is

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Speaker 1: gonna blitz, he's able to put this team in a

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Speaker 1: good position. And it's it's some of those plays where

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Speaker 1: he's just not aware of what's going on and not

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Speaker 1: aware necessarily that that I'm gonna need to get rid

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Speaker 1: of this football quickly, and that's where the problems come

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Speaker 1: into play. So again, despite the six and one record, Yeah, offensively,

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Speaker 1: I think we could really we really have a lot

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Speaker 1: of improvement that's there, and you know, I hope week

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Speaker 1: in and week out they're going to continue to work

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Speaker 1: on this and if this, if this team can run

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Speaker 1: the football as effectively as it did today Dalvin averaging

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Speaker 1: way over north of five yards per carry, that's that's gonna,

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Speaker 1: you know, really propel this offense. Because Arizona Paul did

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Speaker 1: everything in their power to keep Cousins from bootleg from

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Speaker 1: rolling out. That's why the middle of that defense was

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Speaker 1: so wide open for the run. The Vikings ran for

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Speaker 1: one seventy three. Now it's by far the most yardage

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Speaker 1: for which they have run this year. It's weird. Week

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Speaker 1: two last year at Arizona, Joseph missus a field goal

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Speaker 1: try from thirty seven at the end or else the

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Speaker 1: Vikings would have won that by two points. But in

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Speaker 1: that game they ran for one seventy seven and lost

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Speaker 1: the game. But they kind of had it set up

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Speaker 1: to win it with that Joseph field goal thing that

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Speaker 1: he missed. And speaking of that, before we start bringing

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Speaker 1: in the Luminaries, Greg Joseph missed a field goal today

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Speaker 1: from fifty six yards, so he now has missed six

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Speaker 1: in a row from fifty plus and when the Vikings

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Speaker 1: opened an eight point lead late. It ended up being

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Speaker 1: the final score at thirty four twenty six. Joseph missed

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Speaker 1: an extra point off the left upright. That was a major,

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Speaker 1: major miss. What do you do? Well, you know, he's

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Speaker 1: he's your guy, right There's It's not like these kickers

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Speaker 1: they are out there just waiting for a phone to ring.

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Speaker 1: You know. For Joseph, it's in his head. I mean,

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Speaker 1: the the field goal attempt right before halftime, he drove

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Speaker 1: that football. I mean he didn't hit the defensive lineman

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Speaker 1: in the face, so it didn't get more than six

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Speaker 1: feet off the ground. Seven feet off the ground. I mean,

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Speaker 1: it's he has to just relax, yeah, you know, and

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Speaker 1: I'd almost like to say, treat it like an extra point,

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Speaker 1: but obviously in case it doesn't, it doesn't quite work out.

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Speaker 1: But um, you know, he's just got to get out

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Speaker 1: of his own head and really take a real, real

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Speaker 1: hard look at how he's kicking these fifty plus yarders.

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Speaker 1: And you know, like I said, even if it's short,

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Speaker 1: it's it's definitely not gonna make it if it doesn't

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Speaker 1: clear the defensive line. So at least get it up

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Speaker 1: there to give yourself a chance. Postgame report it's a podcast.

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Speaker 1: Vikings beat the Birds the Cardinals thirty four twenty six.

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Speaker 1: We're six and one and we're having fun. First place

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Speaker 1: in the NFC North. Speaking of a couple of guys

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Speaker 1: having a great time. Gabe Henderson from Vikings dot Com,

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Speaker 1: Ben Lieber from the Vikings Radio Network, from a linebacker

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Speaker 1: for the squad, here's between the Lines. Welcome to a

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Speaker 1: winning edition of Between the Lines, fueled by Gatorree. My

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Speaker 1: name is Gape Henderson. I'm alongside Been Lieber been. The

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Speaker 1: Vikings win today, five in a row, thirty four to

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Speaker 1: twenty six feels pretty good. That's pretty good. Thrett's pretty good.

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Speaker 1: And the fact that it was more than three points

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Speaker 1: or four points or five points, yeah, I'll take it.

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Speaker 1: But if I had to explain this game, I would

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Speaker 1: say it was kind of like a seesawl right up

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Speaker 1: and down, up and down. But it was fun. Yeah

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Speaker 1: for you? How would you define this win for the Vikings?

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Speaker 1: I thought this was kind of stereotypical of what happens

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Speaker 1: after a bye week. It's a little inconsistent. You know,

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Speaker 1: there are ups and downs, and we don't play the

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Speaker 1: cleanest football sometimes because you just got to reset your pads.

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Speaker 1: You've got to go through all the little things. Again.

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Speaker 1: We had a lot more penalties than we normally have,

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Speaker 1: you know, for our Vikings team. But as the game

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Speaker 1: went on, obviously a defense kind of bailed us out

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Speaker 1: a little bit, you know, more more so than than

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Speaker 1: the last few games. That build us out again. You know,

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Speaker 1: got to the quarterback a bunch, you know, had a

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Speaker 1: bunch of takeaways. So it was inconsistent, but kind of

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Speaker 1: what you'd expect coming out of the buy a little

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Speaker 1: sloppy to your point, ten penalties today for seventy five yards.

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Speaker 1: The Vikings average four penalties a game, so that was

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Speaker 1: on Vikings like And also the Vikings had the most

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Speaker 1: rushing yards they had the entire season. Dalvin Cook one

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Speaker 1: hundred and eleven rushing yards, he had a touchdown, Kirk

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Speaker 1: Cousins looked like another number eight that works purple in

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Speaker 1: the NFL, and that seventeen yard touchdown run and Alexander

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Speaker 1: Madison another touchdown run. This Vikings run game got going early.

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Speaker 1: What did you see that propelled them to this strong start? Well,

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Speaker 1: I think just a commitment to the run. I think

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Speaker 1: this is the first time all season long you look

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Speaker 1: at the first half, we actually ran the ball more

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Speaker 1: than we passed the ball. And you know, I know

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Speaker 1: that we talk about, oh, we got to be balanced

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Speaker 1: on offense, and so many times you think, like, well

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Speaker 1: it's got to be you look at the percentage, like

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Speaker 1: is it fifty fifty. It doesn't always have to be

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Speaker 1: fifty to fifty be balanced. But in this scenario, in

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Speaker 1: this game, you know, we were much more heavily reliant

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Speaker 1: on the run, and I think that that really did

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Speaker 1: benefit as the game went on, because there's always that

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Speaker 1: threat of running the football. You know, when we couldn't

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Speaker 1: pick up the blitz and we couldn't get things going

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Speaker 1: on on third down. Sometimes you know, we knew that

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Speaker 1: the next series we could go back to run the football.

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Speaker 1: So there's a confidence built in when you can run

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Speaker 1: the ball, and it kind of takes as a defensive player,

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Speaker 1: it takes your soul a little bit when you don't

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Speaker 1: feel like you have any answers to the run game.

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Speaker 1: So U I hope that going forward we see a

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Speaker 1: lot more of this balance and commitment to the run game.

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Speaker 1: Is that a mindset? Sometimes it's a mindset, Sometimes it

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Speaker 1: is just schemes. Sometimes like look, they they might have

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Speaker 1: some plays where they're just better than you. But when

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Speaker 1: you when you have enough answers in the run game

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Speaker 1: and you throw enough motion, you have enough plays, you

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Speaker 1: have enough personnel, it's going to keep the defense on

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Speaker 1: their heels from majority of the time. And so, um,

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Speaker 1: I love the way that our guys up front really

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Speaker 1: pushed their defensive linement. You know, we were able to

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Speaker 1: run in the A and B gaps in the inside

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Speaker 1: part of their defense and really kind of gash them.

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Speaker 1: And again, you know that takes a defensive soul when

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Speaker 1: you go you cut right to the heart of them. Well,

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Speaker 1: you talk about ABCD, I want to talk about z

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Speaker 1: I want to end. Yeah, Zadarius Smith. He is a

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Speaker 1: man amongst boys, and when he's healthy, there was nobody

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Speaker 1: out there that could stop him. Two sacks today, a

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Speaker 1: past breakup, effective in the run game. How does he

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Speaker 1: make this defense better? Well, he's relentless, you know, and

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Speaker 1: even when when he went down with his little knee tweak,

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Speaker 1: I was like, oh boy, I mean he's been, you know,

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Speaker 1: so disruptive for us. You know who we gonna find

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Speaker 1: to replace him? But um, you know, I think the

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Speaker 1: fact that we can line him up from a multitude

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Speaker 1: of different places. He's not just rushing off the left

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Speaker 1: side or the right side. I thought one of the

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Speaker 1: key things that ed Don Intel did this game was

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Speaker 1: he was bringing him on an inside on an inside

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Speaker 1: track early and often, not just on third down, but

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Speaker 1: even on second down type of plays where he said,

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Speaker 1: all right, if we've got a running quarterback, we're gonna

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Speaker 1: take an athletic guy and we're gonna knife him up

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Speaker 1: into the middle of this offensive line, and that's gonna

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Speaker 1: that's gonna take away any sort of vertical running lanes

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Speaker 1: just by by his presence. Um. Now, that puts a

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Speaker 1: little bit more stress on the guys in the outside

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Speaker 1: because they really have to contain. But I just liked

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Speaker 1: to switch up of using more athletic guys in the

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Speaker 1: rush schemes, even on earlier downs, just to tell Kyler Murray,

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Speaker 1: you're not gonna be scrambling run around all over this

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Speaker 1: field this game. I mean, Kyler Murley only had thirty

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Speaker 1: four rushing yards today, which last year he had over

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Speaker 1: one hundred. He had four hundred passing yards against US.

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Speaker 1: It was a tell of two games, and it seemed

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Speaker 1: like this Vikings team figured it out, especially coming out

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Speaker 1: of the half. The Vikers were out scored thirty three

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Speaker 1: to six in the third quarter. Going into this game.

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Speaker 1: We scored fourteen points today. Man, I know how exciting

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Speaker 1: was that just to see us make those adjustments early

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Speaker 1: on in the third quarter after that first three and

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Speaker 1: out in the third quarter, I'm like, oh boy, here

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Speaker 1: we go again. It's the same thing here in the

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Speaker 1: third quarter. But then you know, we did figure it

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Speaker 1: out and thankfully, and that that really was, you know,

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Speaker 1: thankfully the turning point for this game. You know, those

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Speaker 1: fourteen points in the third quarter, I think let them

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Speaker 1: know that. You know, if you feel like you've got

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Speaker 1: an ounce of momentum, we're gonna take it right back

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Speaker 1: from you, and we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna stomp

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Speaker 1: on your on your next a little bit. So um.

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Speaker 1: You know, rush defense, I do want to make special

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Speaker 1: mention of that. This is the fourth game in a

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Speaker 1: row where our defense has held the opposing team to

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Speaker 1: under one hundred yards rushing. It was a it was

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Speaker 1: a concern at the start of the season. Our rush

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Speaker 1: defense were like, oh my gosh, what's going on with

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Speaker 1: this new three four? Like can they stop the run.

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Speaker 1: Four game was a row right, and you take away

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Speaker 1: Kyler Murray's scrambling ability and all of his rushing yards

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Speaker 1: two point six yards by just the running backs alone.

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Speaker 1: So it's our run defense has been playing phenomenal the

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Speaker 1: last four game. I gotta ask you about that. What

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Speaker 1: do you think has changed from you know, the first

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Speaker 1: five games until the last two when it comes to

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Speaker 1: stopping the run effectively. Well, obviously, the guys up front

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Speaker 1: are doing a great job of understanding. I think they're

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Speaker 1: they're the scheme and the gap responsibilities. The linebackers doing

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Speaker 1: a much better job. They look much more confident in

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Speaker 1: knowing where to go and where to fit. You know,

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Speaker 1: because we talk about run defense, we always want to

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Speaker 1: focus on, Oh, it's just the defensive linement. No, it's

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Speaker 1: it takes seven eight guys in the runbox to fill

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Speaker 1: all those running lanes and to stop the run. So

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Speaker 1: I just think collectively, guys are getting they're getting more comfortable.

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Speaker 1: I mean, we're finally into this new three four defense

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Speaker 1: a handful of games, and now I think you're starting

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Speaker 1: to see, like, okay, guys starting to relax a little

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Speaker 1: bit more. They don't feel like they've got a press,

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Speaker 1: they play their responsibilities knowing that they're guys that they

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Speaker 1: can trust behind them to make the plays. That that

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Speaker 1: has really been official going forward, understanding that teams are

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Speaker 1: going to have to I got strategized, are coming with

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Speaker 1: their better scheme on trying to get the ball downhill

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Speaker 1: and be effective against our defense, because you know, if

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Speaker 1: you run the ball effectively, you can do whatever you want.

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Speaker 1: If you don't, you can't. And clearly the arisona Cardinals

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Speaker 1: were having problems running the ball which forced Kyler Murray

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Speaker 1: to throw those two interceptions to our safeties. But I

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Speaker 1: want to talk about two guys to play played against

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Speaker 1: their former team today, Jordan Hicks Patrick Peterson. I've said

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Speaker 1: earlier that these last two games have been Patrick Peterson's

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Speaker 1: best football game of football and his career here as

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Speaker 1: a Viking. How would you assess those two former Cardinals

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Speaker 1: now Vikings today. Well, Jordan's been phenomenal all season long.

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Speaker 1: I mean his um, you know, I've I've watched him

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Speaker 1: on film. I kind of knew what his reputation was

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Speaker 1: coming in here, but to see it live in action,

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Speaker 1: the way he around, um, it just seems like he's

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Speaker 1: He's always free, he always finds the right lane, he

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Speaker 1: always takes the good angle to the ball. He's a

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Speaker 1: tackling machine. Uh In pat p I mean you know,

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Speaker 1: you go back to the Miami game, phenomenal game that

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Speaker 1: he had there. Uh, he was all over the passes today.

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Speaker 1: You know he was from from the jump. You saw

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Speaker 1: him too, yapping for talking first play, talking to the

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Speaker 1: Arizona side of letting letting them know, like, hey, I'm here,

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna play. I want to show you guys something.

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Speaker 1: Um that you guys let go in Arizona and and

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Speaker 1: I've been in those situations before, you play against your

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Speaker 1: former team, it always does mean a little bit more. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: but he was juiced up. He had a lot of energy. Again,

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Speaker 1: he was going down the Viking sideline when when the

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Speaker 1: offense is on the field, hyping up the crowd, you know,

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Speaker 1: letting the crowd know that he's he's hyped, he's into it,

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Speaker 1: he's present. Um. I like this version of Pat pe.

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Speaker 1: I love it. I love it, and I love this

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Speaker 1: version of this Minnesota Vikings team. Not to mention J

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Speaker 1: J J J. Justin Jefferson had ninety eight receiver yards today.

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Speaker 1: I didn't even know that was quietly out quietly quietly,

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Speaker 1: but it resulted in a win, and I saw all

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Speaker 1: that matters for the six and one Vikings team headed

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Speaker 1: to the Nation's Capital Connation's Capital that faced the Washington

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Speaker 1: Commanders next Sunday for Ben Lieber Ryan O'Neill. My name

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Speaker 1: is Gabe Henderson. Thank you guys again for tuning into

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Speaker 1: another edition of Between the Lines fueled by gatorad. All Right,

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Speaker 1: thanks a lot, guys. Kevin O'Connell and his first year

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Speaker 1: coaching the Minnesota Vikings six and one. His quarterback Kirk

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Speaker 1: Cousins twenty four or thirty six two thirty two. Kirk's

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Speaker 1: completion percentage sixty six and a half. That's about where

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Speaker 1: it's been all season. He threw two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

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Speaker 1: I'm sure Kevin's going to talk about this running game

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Speaker 1: twenty nine runs one hundred and seventy three yards and

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Speaker 1: three rushing touchdowns. Let's go to KOC and his postgame

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Speaker 1: press conference. Just quick update on some injuries. Feeling and

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Speaker 1: Zadarius Smith post returned from being checked out for knee contusions.

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Speaker 1: Dalvin Tomlinson with a right calf will send him for

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Speaker 1: an MRI. Pretty hopeful on that one. We'll just see

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Speaker 1: the timeline that he's been so so big for us,

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Speaker 1: contributor for us that we you know, we hope to

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Speaker 1: have back as soon as possible. I'll keep you guys

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Speaker 1: updated on that one. And then late there on the

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Speaker 1: touchdown pass to kJ Osbourne, IRV Smith got rolled up.

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Speaker 1: He was kind of in a protection against an all

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Speaker 1: out protect a pressure and they got a little ankle there.

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Speaker 1: Will send him for the MRI as well, and I'll

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Speaker 1: keep you guys updated there. But just in summary, a

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Speaker 1: lot to kind of unpack from this football game. Coming

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Speaker 1: out of the buy um, we had a real mindset

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Speaker 1: of wanting to run the football, continue to establish the

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Speaker 1: different types of core runs that we want to you know,

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Speaker 1: be features in our offense. Very excited to give Dalvin

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Speaker 1: Cooking game ball for his first one hundred yard game.

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Speaker 1: Long overdue, just impactful. I thought Dalvin was one hundred

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Speaker 1: thirty thirty four yards all purpose, could have had a

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Speaker 1: little bit more all purpose yards there. Didn't have great

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Speaker 1: execution on that last screen call. Otherwise I thought we

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Speaker 1: might have been able to make turn that one into

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Speaker 1: an explosive But I thought Kirk played really efficient. We

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Speaker 1: were plus turn plus two turnover wise, how we look

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Speaker 1: at it, including that punt muffed punt in the special

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Speaker 1: teams area, and then ultimately to be able to be

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Speaker 1: five or five in the red zone and good enough

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Speaker 1: on third down to control the ball enough. I still

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Speaker 1: think there's a lot of things that I can continue

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Speaker 1: to improve on as well as our team. And the

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Speaker 1: best thing is those guys are the ones talking like

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Speaker 1: that in the locker room already. So once again an

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Speaker 1: incredible atmosphere here at US Bank Stadium. It is so

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Speaker 1: special to get to play in this place in front

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Speaker 1: of our great fans and just how much they impact

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Speaker 1: the game every single week. We're very, very lucky to

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Speaker 1: have this home environment that we do, and it's really

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Speaker 1: equaled some winning football for us here at home. That

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Speaker 1: I'll open it up to you guys. It's the ability

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Speaker 1: to lend these goals games, these time games. Is that

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Speaker 1: the greatest strength of this team. I just think we

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Speaker 1: talk a lot about doing the little things right. We

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Speaker 1: did have a high number of penalties today, I thought,

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Speaker 1: but we were plus you know, plus in the turnover

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Speaker 1: margin again. To continue to grow that number, which is

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Speaker 1: our goal to do. I think when I look at it,

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Speaker 1: there's always ways we can improve, There's always ways we

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Speaker 1: can sustain and play better football throughout four quarters. But

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Speaker 1: the feeling you get on our sideline in our locker room,

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Speaker 1: no matter what the circumstances are, I do feel like

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Speaker 1: these guys believe in each other, they believe in what

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Speaker 1: we're doing, and ultimately they believe that we're one play

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Speaker 1: away from being where we want to be if the

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Speaker 1: momentum maybe isn't on our side. And that's a proud

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Speaker 1: feeling for a coach because when you know these guys

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Speaker 1: are feeling that, you know you have a chance to

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Speaker 1: overcome a lot of the adversity that's out in front

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Speaker 1: of us to where we want to get to. Yavin,

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Speaker 1: how about that continued knack of coming up with those

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Speaker 1: big plays when you have to. I mean, you mentioned

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Speaker 1: the turnovers and Jordan Hicks stop huge a few inches short,

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Speaker 1: but you just have that continued knack to do that

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Speaker 1: in games. I think our coaches are preparing our guys

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Speaker 1: for those critical moments that you mentioned the turnovers, both

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Speaker 1: cam Binam and Harrison Smith getting those interceptions in the

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Speaker 1: deep part of the field. I think it's huge for

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Speaker 1: our team, a great example of what our defense can

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Speaker 1: be when our front is physical and slowed down a

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Speaker 1: good rushing attack with a real weapon at the quarterback

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Speaker 1: position to kind of hold them from really getting those

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Speaker 1: explosive runs that they're accustomed to getting to kind of

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Speaker 1: fuel their whole offense. It allowed us to play a

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Speaker 1: little bit more coverage, to have a plan for Hopkins,

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Speaker 1: he's a special player. And then obviously Pat p I

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Speaker 1: think three more pass defense for him. I think that's

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Speaker 1: ten total for the season against his former team. Jordan Hicks,

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Speaker 1: that play he mentioned, you can go on and on.

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Speaker 1: I mean, we're gonna just need to continue to make

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Speaker 1: those timely winning plays and then throughout the game, how

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Speaker 1: many of those can we make to maybe not always

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Speaker 1: make it so close in the end playing complimentary football.

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Speaker 1: Jordan Hicks talked a little bit a locker about and

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Speaker 1: how this team has come together so quickly and how

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Speaker 1: that an uncommon thing, and he attributed a lot of

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Speaker 1: that to just guys knowing the overall plan and knowing

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Speaker 1: what's supposed to happen from from the top down. I

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Speaker 1: guess from your perspective, how has that atributed to the

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Speaker 1: smarts part. Well, every every single week we talked to

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Speaker 1: our team about what it's going to take to win

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Speaker 1: the game, real you know, definitive things, not just coach speak.

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Speaker 1: I don't stand up there. I mean we talk about

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Speaker 1: playing smart and limited penalties and situational masters and being

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Speaker 1: you know, plus plus two in the turnover is always

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Speaker 1: our goal. But it's more than that. It's it's how

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Speaker 1: are we going to win the game. What are the

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Speaker 1: things that we've got to really focus on in all

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Speaker 1: three phases to win the football game each and every week.

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Speaker 1: And when you do that to a smart football team

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Speaker 1: that has great leadership, you'd be shocked at how much

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Speaker 1: you see those things come to life. And then when

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Speaker 1: you're able to highlight, hey, we talked about it was

429
00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:41,360
Speaker 1: going to take this, that or the other, and then

430
00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:45,440
Speaker 1: show them this team doing that. It's great to win

431
00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:47,840
Speaker 1: football games for your overall growth. But when you do

432
00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:49,919
Speaker 1: it like that, I do think you can take some

433
00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:53,320
Speaker 1: significant steps forward because it only improves your preparation if

434
00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:55,639
Speaker 1: they know that these are major things we gotta do,

435
00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:57,320
Speaker 1: and we gotta you know, hit the nail on the

436
00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:00,320
Speaker 1: head when we give them those pieces of information, some

437
00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:02,480
Speaker 1: of the things that you guys kind of highlighted this week,

438
00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:04,560
Speaker 1: and what plince did you see coming to Promossian team. Yeah,

439
00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:06,800
Speaker 1: we wanted to try to limit the run game on

440
00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,800
Speaker 1: some of those early downs defensively against their offense, so

441
00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:12,959
Speaker 1: we could allow the Russian coverage to work together. And

442
00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,840
Speaker 1: then ultimately, when that Russian coverage happened, how could we

443
00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,359
Speaker 1: contain Kyler. I have so much respect for the playmaker

444
00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:21,880
Speaker 1: that he is in the past game. I mean there's

445
00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:24,959
Speaker 1: multiple times where he's able to create off schedule. They

446
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,800
Speaker 1: got Hopkins back, they add Robbie Anderson. Zach Ertz has

447
00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:29,720
Speaker 1: been a big time player in this game for a

448
00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,080
Speaker 1: long time. So you really have to focus snap in

449
00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,200
Speaker 1: and snap out without any kind of let up, which

450
00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:37,280
Speaker 1: I thought our guys did. And then offensively, we wanted

451
00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:39,080
Speaker 1: to run the football. We wanted to run the football,

452
00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:40,800
Speaker 1: get back to being a fish and I think we

453
00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:44,720
Speaker 1: had fifteen ten plus yard plays today, some explosive runs

454
00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:48,600
Speaker 1: which were nice. And then ultimately, you know, the situational

455
00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:51,280
Speaker 1: finishing with points against a team like that is really

456
00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:52,879
Speaker 1: really important. So the five or five in the red

457
00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:58,000
Speaker 1: zone was huge. Special Zadarius ability to play both outside

458
00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:02,199
Speaker 1: and dominates. Yeah, it's huge because it's really hard to

459
00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,639
Speaker 1: have a protection plan for a guy that can be

460
00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,479
Speaker 1: in any one of five spots up front. We can

461
00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:09,800
Speaker 1: use him to manipulate the protection call if we want.

462
00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:12,119
Speaker 1: We could use him to try to isolate somebody in

463
00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:14,600
Speaker 1: protection if we want, And then how does everybody else

464
00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,840
Speaker 1: play off of that? Linebackers included. I saw thirty three

465
00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:20,640
Speaker 1: Brian Brian in there a little bit, just to continue

466
00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:22,600
Speaker 1: to allow our athletes to kind of show up in

467
00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,600
Speaker 1: some of those downs, especially against the quarterback like that.

468
00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:30,040
Speaker 1: So I can't speak enough. Sadai's clearly a game ball. Again,

469
00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,640
Speaker 1: the three sacks right before that last play he made.

470
00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:35,399
Speaker 1: I went over and asked him and I said, hey,

471
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:37,320
Speaker 1: I need one more man, and he goes out and

472
00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:38,680
Speaker 1: gets it, and he was the first one to tell

473
00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:40,959
Speaker 1: me about it. Yeah, you guys have been really healthy

474
00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:42,719
Speaker 1: this year. You know, when you look at you know,

475
00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:46,560
Speaker 1: an actives, you guys, I start you tribute that anything,

476
00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:48,760
Speaker 1: and you pay attention to that much because you haven't

477
00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,600
Speaker 1: had a lot of miss starters or misstams. Yeah, I

478
00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:54,720
Speaker 1: don't really pay attention to any any of the other

479
00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:56,600
Speaker 1: thirty one teams. I know we all go through our

480
00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,680
Speaker 1: own challenges out there. Um, it's a it's a grueling

481
00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:02,480
Speaker 1: schedule weekend and week out in this league trying to

482
00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:04,400
Speaker 1: get your team turned over. But what I will tell

483
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:07,800
Speaker 1: you is I'm very very confident and how we prepared

484
00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,320
Speaker 1: our team coming into the season with really no stone

485
00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:12,800
Speaker 1: unturned of how and why we did the things that

486
00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:15,640
Speaker 1: we did. Um and then ultimately the players taking it.

487
00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:17,960
Speaker 1: And it's only so much to lay out a plan

488
00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,119
Speaker 1: for players unless you know there's that buy in and

489
00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:23,760
Speaker 1: understanding of their own role in their own personal health

490
00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,120
Speaker 1: and in their preparation weekend and week out. It's much

491
00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:29,720
Speaker 1: much more than XS and O's. We've got an unbelievable

492
00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:34,119
Speaker 1: sports performance staff, strength staff, just the resources that we

493
00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,520
Speaker 1: get from our ownership in our great building here at home.

494
00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:40,520
Speaker 1: We feel like, you know, we can accomplish a lot

495
00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:42,879
Speaker 1: and and prevent a lot at the same time. Now,

496
00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,600
Speaker 1: injuries are going to happen. That's just the NFL, and

497
00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:47,800
Speaker 1: and we just try to do what we can control,

498
00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:50,800
Speaker 1: you know, on our standards and by living up to

499
00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:52,720
Speaker 1: our standards with what we do for these players and

500
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:55,000
Speaker 1: how they respond with what they do to prepare every week,

501
00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:57,040
Speaker 1: you've talked about something. I know that's a long answer,

502
00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:58,919
Speaker 1: but I'm very proud of what our building and what

503
00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:01,679
Speaker 1: our guys have able to do. He talked about some

504
00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:03,840
Speaker 1: of the place today by Peterson and Hicks. Did you

505
00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,680
Speaker 1: seek of an extra oomps or anything they're going against

506
00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,560
Speaker 1: their former teams and that sort of thing. I did

507
00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:13,760
Speaker 1: both Jordan and Patrick, I think today meant they all

508
00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:15,920
Speaker 1: mean a lot. But I could feel it from both

509
00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:17,720
Speaker 1: those guys, and it got a little chippy out there

510
00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:20,240
Speaker 1: at times between you know, their side and ours, And

511
00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,520
Speaker 1: those are two of our leaders. I mean, obviously Patrick

512
00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:25,000
Speaker 1: Peterson is one of our captains, but Jordan Hicks is

513
00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,280
Speaker 1: a former captain of that football team over there. So

514
00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:31,080
Speaker 1: when you wear a C for any team in this league,

515
00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,080
Speaker 1: you know that carries a lot of wait as far

516
00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,400
Speaker 1: as both with your teammates and with maybe your former teammates.

517
00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:38,720
Speaker 1: So I think it meant a lot to him to

518
00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,560
Speaker 1: play well. He did, made that great tackle on fourth down,

519
00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:44,040
Speaker 1: and Pat Pee, like I said, continues to show up.

520
00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:45,960
Speaker 1: Really proud of those guys. They both got game balls

521
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,639
Speaker 1: as well. He's worked well for you guys in the

522
00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:51,560
Speaker 1: red zones today, going five or five down that the

523
00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:55,120
Speaker 1: first rushing touchdown being our quarterback. He's talked a lot about,

524
00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:57,439
Speaker 1: you know, when people don't account for the quarterback, just

525
00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:01,000
Speaker 1: what can he be as that kind of six eligible

526
00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:02,679
Speaker 1: to go get us what he can and he was

527
00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,119
Speaker 1: just trying to steal the first down and found himself

528
00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:07,560
Speaker 1: in the end zone. Unbelievably huge play on our first

529
00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:09,840
Speaker 1: drive to go get that touchdown. We're able to get

530
00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,439
Speaker 1: a couple other rushing touchdowns, kind of not needing to

531
00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:13,960
Speaker 1: get all the way down to the one yard line.

532
00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,040
Speaker 1: I got to continue to have trust that we can

533
00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:18,280
Speaker 1: run it in and be physical down there. And then

534
00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,920
Speaker 1: two touchdown passes where one of which we got big

535
00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:23,320
Speaker 1: and and you know, the illusion of a run and

536
00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:27,280
Speaker 1: found somebody pretty open again. And then third down, tight coverage,

537
00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,680
Speaker 1: all out pressure. Kirk makes a great protection call kJ

538
00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:34,000
Speaker 1: Osborne in that moment, making a huge play that those

539
00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,400
Speaker 1: that you know came out to training camp and those

540
00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,000
Speaker 1: that have seen us in some of these games, they've

541
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,240
Speaker 1: seen that concept before. Our opponents probably seen it before.

542
00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:45,040
Speaker 1: But that level execution is what was the secret to

543
00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:46,879
Speaker 1: making that go at that moment when we had to

544
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,879
Speaker 1: have it. Talk about the illusion and how satisfying is

545
00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,320
Speaker 1: it when you maybe lean on previous looks that you've

546
00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:55,480
Speaker 1: shown in other games and used this motion just various

547
00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:57,760
Speaker 1: kind of deceptiveness to set up those those scores in

548
00:25:57,760 --> 00:25:59,600
Speaker 1: their time. Yeah, it's huge. That's what Mary in the

549
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,480
Speaker 1: run in the pass is all about. That those mantras

550
00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:07,399
Speaker 1: and those philosophies matter in situational football, especially when you

551
00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:09,919
Speaker 1: are a team that wants to, you know, be diverse

552
00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:11,960
Speaker 1: in the red zone and apply a lot of different

553
00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:14,040
Speaker 1: types of pressure to the defense. And but when that

554
00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:16,840
Speaker 1: field shrinks, Um, some of the illusion can kind of

555
00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:18,879
Speaker 1: be hard to come by sometimes if you don't have

556
00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,840
Speaker 1: the ability to run it or protect in the past game.

557
00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:24,280
Speaker 1: And that five or five is a credit to all

558
00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:26,760
Speaker 1: those guys. And really, when I think back on any

559
00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:29,560
Speaker 1: times we've had lapses in the red zone, UM, it's

560
00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,520
Speaker 1: really been by our own doing in my opinion, and

561
00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,280
Speaker 1: I think that's really serves us well moving forward to

562
00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:37,720
Speaker 1: know the types of things we can activate down there.

563
00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:44,159
Speaker 1: J Yeah, it was huge. Um. We were kind of

564
00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:47,360
Speaker 1: just seeing how they were playing on third down. Clearly

565
00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:51,000
Speaker 1: had a plan to play with great leverage, tough leverage

566
00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:54,040
Speaker 1: form so that defender, UM is in a form of

567
00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:56,240
Speaker 1: man coverage on him. But we'll stand about a half

568
00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:59,320
Speaker 1: yard to a yard outside and not let him outside.

569
00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:01,639
Speaker 1: Why because there's somebody coming to join the party and

570
00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:04,480
Speaker 1: he sees that a lot. And so what he did

571
00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:07,480
Speaker 1: was he was able to kind of not worry about

572
00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:08,960
Speaker 1: fighting to win the leverage. I'm just going to be

573
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,359
Speaker 1: an attack mode. And what I loved was Kirk's willingness

574
00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:14,000
Speaker 1: to put that ball up at that moment to you know,

575
00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:15,760
Speaker 1: our best player when we had to have it, and

576
00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,600
Speaker 1: he made an unbelievable catch right there. But I give

577
00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:20,760
Speaker 1: Kirk a lot of credit. And when we can hold

578
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,480
Speaker 1: up and give Kirk time, he's proven to make those

579
00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,600
Speaker 1: throws for us. You mentioned winning plays, or there's some

580
00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:29,720
Speaker 1: parameters who set for winning players reduced save a guy wins,

581
00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:32,439
Speaker 1: you know, feats us at home. No, it's what it is.

582
00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:35,120
Speaker 1: It's it's it's the winning plays in critical moments that

583
00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:37,600
Speaker 1: we look at. It's not always you know, the fourth

584
00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:39,480
Speaker 1: quarter or the end of the first half, end of

585
00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,400
Speaker 1: the second half. Sometimes it could be a winning play

586
00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:44,199
Speaker 1: in my mind, as when your quarterback scrambles for a

587
00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:47,440
Speaker 1: touchdown against kind of a single high man. Look where

588
00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:49,720
Speaker 1: they're not accounting for him. That's a winning play in

589
00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:51,600
Speaker 1: my mind, Jordan Hicks. It won't go in the stat

590
00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,320
Speaker 1: sheet as a turnover, but that tackle a half yard

591
00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,000
Speaker 1: short being where he needs to be at that moment

592
00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:00,320
Speaker 1: to make that play winning play. And then special teams

593
00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:03,959
Speaker 1: obviously accounting for that, you know, that extra turn over

594
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,800
Speaker 1: there with the h with the fumble recovery by Troy

595
00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,440
Speaker 1: dye Um, those guys have been huge for us. We'll

596
00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:11,920
Speaker 1: continue to search for those plays as much as possible.

597
00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:14,919
Speaker 1: But I'm really proud of our team, proud of our fans.

598
00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:19,000
Speaker 1: Another unbelievable experience here at US Bank. Good for us,

599
00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,040
Speaker 1: really hard for our opponent, and we're hoping to have

600
00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:22,639
Speaker 1: that each and every time we get to play here.

601
00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:26,920
Speaker 1: Thank you, guys. Thanks Kevin, first year head coach, yet

602
00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,800
Speaker 1: to go to over time. And you know we we

603
00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:32,280
Speaker 1: we still we. You know, we frequently talk about like

604
00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:37,000
Speaker 1: new three four defense, new offense, and so on, just

605
00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:40,520
Speaker 1: things are new and evolving. Well, Kevin's a new head coach.

606
00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:42,600
Speaker 1: I mean he's called plays in the NFL before, but

607
00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,240
Speaker 1: never as a head coach. And we're approaching the midway

608
00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:47,920
Speaker 1: point of the season, you know, and and and we've

609
00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:51,120
Speaker 1: talked about it before, Pete is, I don't exactly know

610
00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:53,280
Speaker 1: how to quantify it, but it comes back to the

611
00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:57,720
Speaker 1: head coach, Man, this team doesn't panic, and they're organized.

612
00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:01,720
Speaker 1: Late in games, they don't panic. You know, they'll take

613
00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,840
Speaker 1: bad they'll take penalties that are obviously you don't want

614
00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:06,960
Speaker 1: to take penalties, but they'll take some bad penalties at

615
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,840
Speaker 1: the ends of games given teams a chance, perhaps they

616
00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,640
Speaker 1: shouldn't have, but they still don't panic. Man. And I

617
00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:14,800
Speaker 1: think that's a credit to Koz. I think it is

618
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:16,680
Speaker 1: too and I think it's a it's also a credit

619
00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:20,400
Speaker 1: to some of the veterans that we have, and especially

620
00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:25,440
Speaker 1: you know, against Zadarius Smith on defense. Um, I think offensively,

621
00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:29,440
Speaker 1: Dalvin Cook is still the heart and soul of this offense.

622
00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:32,880
Speaker 1: His attitude m his you know, and and he and

623
00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:36,880
Speaker 1: Madison today Alexander Madison played very very well. The blocking

624
00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,320
Speaker 1: was very very good, so that running back room, they're

625
00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:41,120
Speaker 1: they're kind of doing everything that they need to do.

626
00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:45,520
Speaker 1: But you're right, Paul, it's it's just as simple as

627
00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:49,320
Speaker 1: an attitude. Where when you have a team that's typically

628
00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:53,920
Speaker 1: lost close games, when the game does get close, you

629
00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:58,080
Speaker 1: have the lead. It evaporates the differences as simple. I

630
00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:00,280
Speaker 1: remember back in ninety eight when we were fifteen one,

631
00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,479
Speaker 1: when things weren't going our way. It was always who's

632
00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:05,640
Speaker 1: going to step up and make the big play? Who's

633
00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:07,680
Speaker 1: it going to be this week? Somebody's gonna do it,

634
00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:11,440
Speaker 1: but who's it going to be as opposed to thinking, well,

635
00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:16,600
Speaker 1: here we go again, And that subtle difference in mindset,

636
00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:20,479
Speaker 1: I think is what propelling is what's propelling this team.

637
00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:22,840
Speaker 1: They You look at last year in the number of

638
00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:25,320
Speaker 1: games we lost, Paul and you know, but by a

639
00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:27,120
Speaker 1: field goal or less. I mean, I think we set

640
00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:28,880
Speaker 1: a record. It was almost I think it was double

641
00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:32,040
Speaker 1: digits in the games that we lost by less than

642
00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:35,440
Speaker 1: by by one score or less. Turn the turn that

643
00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:38,800
Speaker 1: attitude around like that, you know, and you didn't turn

644
00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:41,800
Speaker 1: over the whole roster, but you turned that attitude around completely.

645
00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:45,400
Speaker 1: And that's a credit to Kevin O'Connell and the coaching staff.

646
00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,840
Speaker 1: He has them believing and there's no question about that.

647
00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,640
Speaker 1: Cam Dansler led the vikings and tackles. He had nine,

648
00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:55,080
Speaker 1: Zadarius Smith had three sacks and four tackles for loss.

649
00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:58,760
Speaker 1: Harris and Phillips had his first full sack as a

650
00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:02,880
Speaker 1: member of the Minnesota Vike Harrison Smith and Cam Binnum.

651
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:06,640
Speaker 1: It's the safety dance. Both safeties picked off Kyler Murray

652
00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:10,280
Speaker 1: Cam Danceler into the game was third on the team

653
00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:14,120
Speaker 1: in tackles and he had nine today and they were

654
00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:17,000
Speaker 1: all solo tackles too, so good for Cam and good

655
00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:20,560
Speaker 1: for Kirk Cousins. He had twenty four completions today, which

656
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:25,720
Speaker 1: gives him three thousand completions in his career. Here's where

657
00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:27,840
Speaker 1: Kirk had to say after the game. Great to be

658
00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:32,000
Speaker 1: six and one. Great to be winning at home. When

659
00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:33,680
Speaker 1: you look at kind of the tale of the game today,

660
00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:36,080
Speaker 1: I think it's been similar to our other wins where

661
00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:39,760
Speaker 1: it really has been the whole team, needing a play

662
00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,160
Speaker 1: from special teams, needing turnovers from the defense, needing the

663
00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,920
Speaker 1: offense to show up and score. You know, it's been complimentary.

664
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:49,920
Speaker 1: Football is the way we've been winning, and I think

665
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,400
Speaker 1: creating turnovers, our defense and our special teams creating turnovers

666
00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:55,440
Speaker 1: made a big difference. I believe after we fumbled, holding

667
00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:57,520
Speaker 1: them to a field goal was a crucial play in

668
00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:01,920
Speaker 1: the game, a crucial momentum. And then to be five

669
00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,000
Speaker 1: for five in the red zone, which I think largely

670
00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,680
Speaker 1: goes back to running the football. Well, you know, having

671
00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:09,400
Speaker 1: second and five or six and being able to just

672
00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:12,160
Speaker 1: pound pound the ball in UM really helps with the

673
00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:15,480
Speaker 1: red zone efficiency. UM stayed in really manageable third downs

674
00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:19,080
Speaker 1: in the first half, which helped a lot. UM, you know,

675
00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:22,400
Speaker 1: and uh, there's still so much we can do better. UM,

676
00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:25,120
Speaker 1: you know, there's ways to stay on the field, really

677
00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:27,600
Speaker 1: is what I look at, you know, on third down, UM,

678
00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:30,040
Speaker 1: when we're punting, you know, some of those plays that

679
00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:33,600
Speaker 1: if you can, you know, find a way to improve

680
00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:35,400
Speaker 1: in those moments, then we can stay on the field

681
00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:38,120
Speaker 1: and prolonged drives and and would prefer to pull away

682
00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:40,000
Speaker 1: when we get a lead, but it's hard to pull

683
00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:41,600
Speaker 1: away in this league, I'm learning, you know, all these

684
00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:43,280
Speaker 1: games seem to come down to the final drive and

685
00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:45,280
Speaker 1: no matter how hard you try, it's it's difficult to

686
00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:50,000
Speaker 1: pull away. UM. But UM, great to get Dalvin going.

687
00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:53,200
Speaker 1: Great to see what Alice can do. And UM, you

688
00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:56,360
Speaker 1: know we'll just keep keep going from here. But taking

689
00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:58,920
Speaker 1: any questions, yeah, how about I mean you talked a

690
00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:02,320
Speaker 1: couple weeks ago about defensive coordinators probably need to look

691
00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:04,880
Speaker 1: for you to put TENSEI run. Just your thoughts on

692
00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:08,640
Speaker 1: yeah your legs today, especially on the TV. Yeah, man coverage,

693
00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:11,560
Speaker 1: And honestly, we had a great play for man coverage.

694
00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,440
Speaker 1: They defended it really well. I was surprised at their

695
00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:17,680
Speaker 1: ability to take it away. And then I kind of

696
00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:20,160
Speaker 1: was like, I gotta I gotta go, I gotta move,

697
00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:22,760
Speaker 1: and m was still looking to throw it. Was still

698
00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:24,160
Speaker 1: when I when in the move, was still looking to

699
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:26,600
Speaker 1: throw it, but UM didn't feel we had anybody, and

700
00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:28,520
Speaker 1: then just kind of took off and usually the cavalry

701
00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:30,840
Speaker 1: gets there a lot faster, but on that one, for

702
00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:32,560
Speaker 1: some reason, I was able to get to the front pylon.

703
00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:35,120
Speaker 1: And uh, I had no idea how much it means

704
00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:37,160
Speaker 1: to the old lineman when I run. They said it

705
00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,520
Speaker 1: was it was. It was just a big deal to them.

706
00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:41,240
Speaker 1: I didn't realize that. If I had known that, maybe

707
00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:44,640
Speaker 1: I'd run more. So. For some reason, they really liked it,

708
00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:48,040
Speaker 1: how they expressed their Like Garrett I think that it

709
00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:49,800
Speaker 1: was the greatest thing he's ever seen in the locker

710
00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:51,360
Speaker 1: room after the game, which I thought was a bit

711
00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:55,520
Speaker 1: of hyperbole, but maybe not. Um Yeah, I mean, they're

712
00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:57,360
Speaker 1: they're right there in the end zone. Just their reaction.

713
00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:00,160
Speaker 1: They just were, for some reason, really happy, really out

714
00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:02,600
Speaker 1: of it perk. Seems like one of the other key

715
00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:05,160
Speaker 1: plays was the third down to Justin to where he

716
00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:08,200
Speaker 1: kind of won the jump ball there. But how did

717
00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:11,120
Speaker 1: you see that play developing? Just trusting him to go, Yeah,

718
00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:13,640
Speaker 1: when he was maybe covered up at the time, Yeah,

719
00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:15,480
Speaker 1: he was covered. And when I let that ball go,

720
00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:18,279
Speaker 1: I'm thinking to myself, is this the right decision? You know,

721
00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:19,960
Speaker 1: to give him this chance, because if it ends up

722
00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:22,280
Speaker 1: being another punt, you're kind of like, ah, I should

723
00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:26,399
Speaker 1: have just progressed. What am I doing? But what one

724
00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:29,400
Speaker 1: of the traits that makes Justin special is when the

725
00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,440
Speaker 1: ball goes up in the air, he plays in such

726
00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:35,040
Speaker 1: a way where he says, that's my football. He's not

727
00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:38,840
Speaker 1: six foot five, two hundred and fifty pounds like you

728
00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,040
Speaker 1: think the guy has to be to have that mindset,

729
00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:46,399
Speaker 1: but he plays big and so um when that ball

730
00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:48,080
Speaker 1: goes up to him, he tends to take the approach

731
00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:49,880
Speaker 1: of that's my football. And I told him that right

732
00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:51,480
Speaker 1: after he caught it. It was a big time play

733
00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:53,760
Speaker 1: by a big time player in a big time moment,

734
00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:58,440
Speaker 1: and you know, we'll need more of those up ahead

735
00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:02,040
Speaker 1: is that has that trust developed over time? Would you've

736
00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:05,200
Speaker 1: made that throw a few years ago when you know

737
00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:09,480
Speaker 1: you hadn't? Kind of I think, I think I'll never

738
00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:12,040
Speaker 1: forget playing the Titans Week three, twenty twenty, when he

739
00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:13,640
Speaker 1: caught a goal ball that was a little underthrown, the

740
00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:15,480
Speaker 1: same kind of approach. That's my ball, I'm going to

741
00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:17,239
Speaker 1: get it. And that was kind of the first time

742
00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:18,840
Speaker 1: I said, Okay, this guy's pretty good. We hit on

743
00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:20,840
Speaker 1: this first round pick. You know this guy is going

744
00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:24,719
Speaker 1: to be a good player. But yeah, certainly there's this

745
00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:28,239
Speaker 1: mindset of you know, how much more can we do that?

746
00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:29,759
Speaker 1: How many more times can we put the ball in

747
00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:32,239
Speaker 1: his general direction and let him go get it? But

748
00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:34,239
Speaker 1: you don't want to be throwing a bunch of completions

749
00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:35,719
Speaker 1: and just throwing it up for grabs, and so there's

750
00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:37,759
Speaker 1: an efficiency standard there that you want to meet. But

751
00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:40,239
Speaker 1: he I told him, I said, you keep putting that

752
00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:42,600
Speaker 1: on tape. You know you you earn the right to

753
00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:44,399
Speaker 1: get more of those. How do you kind of work

754
00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:46,600
Speaker 1: through that thought process of the tension between I want

755
00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:48,080
Speaker 1: to get my guy a chance and I want to

756
00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:50,359
Speaker 1: take care of the ball. If they have been low

757
00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:52,560
Speaker 1: and you've done a really good job of that. How

758
00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:53,680
Speaker 1: do you kind of work through that in your own

759
00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:55,480
Speaker 1: head as you go through the process. There, Yeah, I

760
00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:57,319
Speaker 1: think that's been my life now for the last eight

761
00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:59,600
Speaker 1: years playing in this league. Is that tension and trying

762
00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:01,200
Speaker 1: to figure out, trying to learn. Every year you play,

763
00:36:01,239 --> 00:36:03,040
Speaker 1: you get a little better. And the key is your

764
00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:06,120
Speaker 1: critical The key is you you say, Okay, that wasn't

765
00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:08,160
Speaker 1: good enough, and let me correct, and if you overcorrect,

766
00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:09,440
Speaker 1: you said, let me go back the other way. And

767
00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:11,520
Speaker 1: so you're never like saying, oh, I've got a figured out.

768
00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:14,600
Speaker 1: You're always trying to course correct and get better. And um,

769
00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:17,720
Speaker 1: there's another one that I looked at him, and actually

770
00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:21,040
Speaker 1: I was the one where we fumbled. He had a

771
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,840
Speaker 1: basic route and the linebacker was inside leverage, and I

772
00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:25,600
Speaker 1: was trying to stay with him because I'm like, man,

773
00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:27,399
Speaker 1: the OAP middle's wide open if he can get past

774
00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:29,640
Speaker 1: this linebacker. But the guy was so far inside him,

775
00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:32,200
Speaker 1: and I checked it down to Earth but couldn't get

776
00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:33,320
Speaker 1: the ball to him. I was starting to throw it

777
00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:35,440
Speaker 1: to IRV and and they got my arm hit and

778
00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:38,080
Speaker 1: I go to look at the tablet picture and justin

779
00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:40,719
Speaker 1: separated and so I just said to him, hey, man,

780
00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:43,719
Speaker 1: just keep putting that on tape, because when you do that,

781
00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:45,640
Speaker 1: when you set a guy like that who's way inside

782
00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:49,279
Speaker 1: you and you still went inside, I see that, and

783
00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:51,600
Speaker 1: then I'm able to know, hey, next time, stay with him.

784
00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:55,840
Speaker 1: So and again Pockets got to hold up. But you

785
00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,000
Speaker 1: know he can do that kind of stuff. He's got

786
00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:01,640
Speaker 1: a lot of talk about it is how good this day?

787
00:37:03,239 --> 00:37:05,640
Speaker 1: I mean, we're one one week at a time. I

788
00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:08,520
Speaker 1: kind of like it this way. Uh, you know, I

789
00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:11,879
Speaker 1: don't need anybody to talk about us. We're good. There's

790
00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:14,880
Speaker 1: a lot of football left and uh, you all know,

791
00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,719
Speaker 1: I know, playing this league, being around this league, it's

792
00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:19,720
Speaker 1: week to week and you just got to keep earning

793
00:37:19,719 --> 00:37:22,160
Speaker 1: your way. And the difference between six and one and

794
00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:25,319
Speaker 1: one and six is, uh is pretty pretty thin. So

795
00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:27,879
Speaker 1: you just gotta keep finding ways to win and keep

796
00:37:27,880 --> 00:37:36,080
Speaker 1: moving forwards. Pretty fired up, yeah, p Yeah, that kind

797
00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:39,120
Speaker 1: of energy, the defensive thinking press of the team. Yeah,

798
00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:40,920
Speaker 1: he was bringing the energy and if anything, I was

799
00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:42,560
Speaker 1: nervous he was a little too fired up, you know,

800
00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:44,880
Speaker 1: or you sometimes I know in this game, you know,

801
00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:46,600
Speaker 1: you have to have the emotion, but you also have

802
00:37:46,640 --> 00:37:49,400
Speaker 1: to have the focus and uh uh he did a

803
00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:52,440
Speaker 1: tremendous job of you know, playing with passion but not

804
00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:54,759
Speaker 1: letting it go too far. And uh he's a pro.

805
00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:57,080
Speaker 1: You know you expect that and just did a phenomenal

806
00:37:57,200 --> 00:38:00,239
Speaker 1: job to day. And Jordan Hicks as well. Um, we're

807
00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:02,880
Speaker 1: so fortunate to have gotten Jordan and free agency. I

808
00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:05,120
Speaker 1: mean he checks every box as a person, as a leader,

809
00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:07,880
Speaker 1: as a player, as a teammate, he just checks every box.

810
00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:09,480
Speaker 1: And so you're like, man, how did how did this

811
00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:11,200
Speaker 1: guy become a free agent? You know, what a what

812
00:38:11,239 --> 00:38:13,200
Speaker 1: a gift that we were able to get him. Um,

813
00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:17,080
Speaker 1: love having him on our team. Here's the revenge game idea.

814
00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:18,680
Speaker 1: Like I know it gets used a lot in the media.

815
00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:21,120
Speaker 1: I don't know how often the players actually feel those

816
00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:23,160
Speaker 1: emotions towards their old team. I don't know if you did.

817
00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:26,560
Speaker 1: You know, we're will with Washington or whatever. But is

818
00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:29,160
Speaker 1: that typically a real thing in the locker room or

819
00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:32,200
Speaker 1: was this a rare, you know, situation where two players

820
00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:36,240
Speaker 1: seem to be genuinely at a higher level emotionally because

821
00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:37,759
Speaker 1: they were playing the team they used to play for.

822
00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:41,600
Speaker 1: I just sensed a little extra from Pat this week

823
00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:45,840
Speaker 1: and today, really today more than anything. That's probably what

824
00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:49,319
Speaker 1: stood out. Otherwise I would say, no, it's it's you know,

825
00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:51,560
Speaker 1: for you this week. You know, I haven't even gotten

826
00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:53,520
Speaker 1: there yet. I'm still trying to come down from this one.

827
00:38:53,560 --> 00:38:57,120
Speaker 1: But uh, I think for me it'll be important to uh,

828
00:38:57,560 --> 00:38:59,680
Speaker 1: you know, not even go there and just kind of

829
00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:03,920
Speaker 1: focus on the job and kind of be just very

830
00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:07,080
Speaker 1: surgical about what I'm doing. Here's some there talked about

831
00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:11,359
Speaker 1: like recognizing the impacts of Darius would make the day

832
00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:14,160
Speaker 1: he walked in. Um, what do you remember about just

833
00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:18,440
Speaker 1: recognizing his impact earlier? Yeah, I remember meeting him in

834
00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:20,360
Speaker 1: the cafeteria the day I came up for a physical

835
00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:23,279
Speaker 1: in March, and uh, and he was coming into visit

836
00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:25,719
Speaker 1: and to likely sign and just being able to say

837
00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:27,840
Speaker 1: a lot of him. You could feel his presence, his energy.

838
00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:30,279
Speaker 1: It's a guy who's made a lot of plays in

839
00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:32,200
Speaker 1: this league, and usually those guys don't get to leave

840
00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:34,080
Speaker 1: a building. And so the fact that we, you know,

841
00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:35,640
Speaker 1: he was able to leave the building he was in

842
00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:38,839
Speaker 1: and become available was a great opportunity for us. And

843
00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:41,400
Speaker 1: you know, I'm watching the game on the sidelines and

844
00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:43,080
Speaker 1: the defense on the field, just like you guys are

845
00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:45,359
Speaker 1: and I just feel him, you know, I feel him.

846
00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:47,360
Speaker 1: I feel is effecting the game and the way he

847
00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:49,799
Speaker 1: can condense the pocket and the energy plays with and

848
00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:55,440
Speaker 1: that's what you want from people whore rushing the passer. Kirk,

849
00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:57,800
Speaker 1: I think it was a fifty fourth career game for

850
00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:00,560
Speaker 1: Giant Munton. It's his first. Yeah, that's what he told

851
00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:03,000
Speaker 1: me right after it. Yeah, yeah, what's it like for

852
00:40:03,040 --> 00:40:04,719
Speaker 1: a guy that's you know, ken't done a lot of

853
00:40:04,719 --> 00:40:08,239
Speaker 1: the dirty work to catch the touchdown failing and blows

854
00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:10,799
Speaker 1: the key to though, Yeah, it's just tremendous. First of all,

855
00:40:10,840 --> 00:40:13,120
Speaker 1: that's really good design bearer coaches to create a play

856
00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:14,879
Speaker 1: like that where you can and they did it really

857
00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:16,800
Speaker 1: two weeks in a row because Miami was very similar

858
00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:19,040
Speaker 1: with a play down there with a play action where

859
00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:21,240
Speaker 1: the tight ends able to sneak through for a touchdown.

860
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:23,120
Speaker 1: So they got to get the coach a lot of

861
00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:25,279
Speaker 1: credit for coming up with that. And then he came

862
00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:27,000
Speaker 1: over to me after he scored and on the bench

863
00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:30,360
Speaker 1: and said, that's my first career regular season touchdown. And

864
00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:32,400
Speaker 1: I don't know if he was emphasizing he'd scored in

865
00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:34,279
Speaker 1: the preseason or what, or the playoffs, but he says,

866
00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:37,040
Speaker 1: the first regular season touchdown. So I said, I said,

867
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:40,920
Speaker 1: that's tremendous. And he is doing so many things for us.

868
00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:42,600
Speaker 1: He wears a lot of hats that the tight end

869
00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:47,480
Speaker 1: position does in general, past protection, route running, blocking, the

870
00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:51,160
Speaker 1: run game, and so you know, to see him get

871
00:40:51,160 --> 00:40:53,799
Speaker 1: a touchdown is outstanding. Pat was kind of talking the

872
00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:57,160
Speaker 1: locker room about appreciating this kind of an opportunity and

873
00:40:57,239 --> 00:40:59,200
Speaker 1: have been on many teams that are six or one

874
00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:01,759
Speaker 1: at the right how do you balance I guess the

875
00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:04,560
Speaker 1: week to week nature of it and looking around and

876
00:41:04,640 --> 00:41:07,319
Speaker 1: saying this is something that this kind of a winning

877
00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:09,399
Speaker 1: streak is kind of a culture is and maybe something

878
00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:12,520
Speaker 1: that you get every day. I think you focus on

879
00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:14,840
Speaker 1: going one and oh each week, and whatever happens, you

880
00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:16,440
Speaker 1: take that same approach the next week. Try to go

881
00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:18,319
Speaker 1: one and oh. You don't look ahead, you don't look back.

882
00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:23,520
Speaker 1: I do know that you enjoy it more. I think

883
00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:25,600
Speaker 1: works a little more fun when you're winning, and you know,

884
00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:28,279
Speaker 1: the practices have a little more juice. Just it's the

885
00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:30,799
Speaker 1: way you are as a human emotionally. I think talking

886
00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:33,239
Speaker 1: to you guys is a little less difficult. You know,

887
00:41:33,280 --> 00:41:35,400
Speaker 1: when we're winning, it's more difficult when you're losing. So

888
00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:37,839
Speaker 1: I do think that everything that becomes a little more

889
00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:41,480
Speaker 1: wind at your back. And uh, and that's why you

890
00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:45,160
Speaker 1: want to keep winning. Two weeks ago in Miami about

891
00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:47,759
Speaker 1: this kind of being the reverse the last season when

892
00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:49,239
Speaker 1: you were losing all these close games, I mean, what

893
00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:52,480
Speaker 1: do you think the difference is? You know what, great question, Chris.

894
00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:54,840
Speaker 1: It's a question I've asked myself. How are we suddenly

895
00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:57,440
Speaker 1: finding the inches? I knew we needed to looking at

896
00:41:57,480 --> 00:41:59,120
Speaker 1: last season. I thought we were a really good football

897
00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:01,000
Speaker 1: team last year. We just couldn't find the inches in

898
00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:03,799
Speaker 1: too many games. Why we found him now, I don't know.

899
00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:06,160
Speaker 1: I don't know. I think, like I said at the beginning,

900
00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:10,080
Speaker 1: team winning it has to be a lot of different

901
00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:12,720
Speaker 1: areas to find those inches. It's special teams, it's defense,

902
00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:16,319
Speaker 1: it's turnovers, it's um you know, run game, pass game,

903
00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:19,120
Speaker 1: a lot of different people contributing, I think, and so

904
00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:21,080
Speaker 1: it's hard to h to know where those inches are

905
00:42:21,080 --> 00:42:22,880
Speaker 1: coming from, but we have been finding them. If you

906
00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:25,680
Speaker 1: mentioned getting dabble going, what is it like for this

907
00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:28,640
Speaker 1: office or what does it mean when you, yeah, you

908
00:42:28,719 --> 00:42:33,239
Speaker 1: get short of third downs, which are then more convertible

909
00:42:33,239 --> 00:42:37,040
Speaker 1: third downs. Um, you know, you you kind of put

910
00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:40,040
Speaker 1: yourself in an advantageous position when you can hand the

911
00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:43,000
Speaker 1: ball off and then create a second and short, third

912
00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:45,319
Speaker 1: and short or not even go to third down at all.

913
00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:47,680
Speaker 1: And then obviously in the red zone, you really put

914
00:42:47,719 --> 00:42:50,720
Speaker 1: yourself in position to h to have a higher percentage

915
00:42:50,719 --> 00:42:52,480
Speaker 1: of scoring when you don't have to wait till a

916
00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:54,200
Speaker 1: third down to you know, throw it into a tight

917
00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:58,560
Speaker 1: window and you can just you know, pound the rock. Okay,

918
00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:01,120
Speaker 1: thank you, Way to go. Way goes against his former

919
00:43:01,160 --> 00:43:04,759
Speaker 1: team next week, the Washington Commanders. First time he'll take

920
00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:09,240
Speaker 1: on Washington at FedEx Field. Ron Johnson former game changing

921
00:43:09,280 --> 00:43:12,000
Speaker 1: receiver for the Golden Gophers football team. He's part of

922
00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:15,880
Speaker 1: the Vikings entertainment network and following each game we have

923
00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:19,040
Speaker 1: three takes with our j Thanks Pa, Well, this is

924
00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:21,680
Speaker 1: Ron Johnson coming to you from the Kafan Studios. And

925
00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:24,480
Speaker 1: today's game has been a microcosm of what the season

926
00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:28,880
Speaker 1: has been. The Vikings keep finding ways to win close games.

927
00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:31,360
Speaker 1: You take that Eagles game out of there, and every

928
00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:34,239
Speaker 1: single game has been efficient, has come down to a

929
00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:37,640
Speaker 1: key play, a key moment, and today's key moment is

930
00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:41,240
Speaker 1: early in the game, in my opinion, the kirk Cousins

931
00:43:41,280 --> 00:43:44,760
Speaker 1: seventeen yards scram before a touchdown. Why was that important

932
00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:48,919
Speaker 1: one Kirk Cousins told Kevin O'Connell, do not count me out.

933
00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:52,719
Speaker 1: Don't count me out of situations because guys are not

934
00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:55,560
Speaker 1: gonna account for me. You're gonna count for Kyla Murray.

935
00:43:55,719 --> 00:43:57,880
Speaker 1: They're not gonna count for Kirk Cousins. And kirk Cousins

936
00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:00,400
Speaker 1: showed that he got not only the first down with

937
00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:03,080
Speaker 1: his legs, but he got the touchdown, which helped the

938
00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:08,320
Speaker 1: Vikings become five and five for red zone efficiency today.

939
00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:10,640
Speaker 1: Coming into this game, they were really good in the

940
00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:15,000
Speaker 1: red zone twenty six percent scoring first downs or touchdowns

941
00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:16,640
Speaker 1: in the red zone, which was fifth in the NFL.

942
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:19,000
Speaker 1: Today they went five for five in the red zone.

943
00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:23,200
Speaker 1: But kirk Cousins scramble that was the longest run by

944
00:44:23,239 --> 00:44:25,839
Speaker 1: a quarterback, and going up against Kyler Murray, you would

945
00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:28,560
Speaker 1: assume Kyler Murray would account for the longest run by

946
00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:30,880
Speaker 1: a quarterback on the day, but nope, it was the

947
00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:35,439
Speaker 1: Vikings Kirk Cousins. My second takeaway, Dalvin Cook finally cracked

948
00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:37,799
Speaker 1: one hundred yards one hundred and eleven yards They had

949
00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:41,360
Speaker 1: one hundred and seventy three rushing yards against the six

950
00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:45,839
Speaker 1: best run defense in the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals were

951
00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:47,839
Speaker 1: not giving up a ton on the ground. They were

952
00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:50,359
Speaker 1: teams were only averaging one hundred and one point one

953
00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:54,200
Speaker 1: yards per game this season. They have not given up

954
00:44:54,239 --> 00:44:56,600
Speaker 1: big games like this. But the Vikings found a way

955
00:44:56,600 --> 00:44:59,440
Speaker 1: to get one hundred and seventy three yards on the

956
00:44:59,480 --> 00:45:02,879
Speaker 1: ground and Dalvin Cook again another breakout day for him,

957
00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:06,880
Speaker 1: finally breaking the hundred yard mark one hundred and eleven yards.

958
00:45:07,560 --> 00:45:10,800
Speaker 1: When that happens, it's not everybody can eat. So today's

959
00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:13,680
Speaker 1: day was Dalvin cooks, Adam Feeland and Justin Jefferson had

960
00:45:13,719 --> 00:45:17,160
Speaker 1: quiet days but very efficient, still had catches. Justin Jefferson

961
00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:19,080
Speaker 1: was two yards away from one hundred yard game. My

962
00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:21,400
Speaker 1: third takeaway has to go to the defense. The defense

963
00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:25,560
Speaker 1: they bend, but they don't break. But Zadarius Smith, I

964
00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:28,280
Speaker 1: gotta start with him. Three sacks on the day. Paid

965
00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:31,240
Speaker 1: homage to Jared Allen with the calf and rope after

966
00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:33,800
Speaker 1: his sack the first one. The next couple did the

967
00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:38,160
Speaker 1: every days of Darius Smith's celebration, but the calf roping

968
00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:41,160
Speaker 1: that was a huge tip of the cap to Jared

969
00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:44,560
Speaker 1: Allen who went into the Purple Ring of Honor today,

970
00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:46,839
Speaker 1: who came out on the horse, and so for zas

971
00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:48,759
Speaker 1: Darius Smith to get the sack and to do the

972
00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:52,319
Speaker 1: calf rope, that was an awesome, awesome moment to see.

973
00:45:52,360 --> 00:45:55,280
Speaker 1: The fans loved it. And then the interceptions by Harrison

974
00:45:55,280 --> 00:45:58,600
Speaker 1: Smith and cam buying him two safeties back. They're playing

975
00:45:58,600 --> 00:46:03,200
Speaker 1: off of each other, great conversation, great communication. But what

976
00:46:03,239 --> 00:46:05,520
Speaker 1: you're seeing is not only did he have to get

977
00:46:05,600 --> 00:46:07,319
Speaker 1: rid of the ball because he was so worried about

978
00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:10,920
Speaker 1: the pass rush, but these guys are making plays, stepping

979
00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:14,080
Speaker 1: up and always back there being the ballhawks. I personally

980
00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:16,719
Speaker 1: thought Zadarius Smith could have had a four SAT game.

981
00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:19,359
Speaker 1: I mean there was instances where they were fingertips away

982
00:46:19,360 --> 00:46:22,319
Speaker 1: from Saton Kyler Murray, and Kyler Murray just showed how

983
00:46:22,360 --> 00:46:24,320
Speaker 1: good of quarterback he is getting out of the pocket.

984
00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:27,560
Speaker 1: But that's it. The defense, the Darius Smith three sacks,

985
00:46:27,680 --> 00:46:31,279
Speaker 1: Harrison Smith and Cambino with the interceptions, the defense did

986
00:46:31,320 --> 00:46:34,239
Speaker 1: their job. Yes, it was a close one. Yes, it

987
00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:36,480
Speaker 1: came down to some last minute plays by the offense

988
00:46:36,520 --> 00:46:38,320
Speaker 1: having to run the clock out and then the defense

989
00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:40,359
Speaker 1: at the end of the game as well, closing out

990
00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:44,680
Speaker 1: the game defensively. Finally, closing it out did not come

991
00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:48,440
Speaker 1: down to a last heroic throw or anything by the Cardinals.

992
00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:50,840
Speaker 1: The defense closed the game out as well. It was close,

993
00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:54,200
Speaker 1: but it doesn't matter. The vikings are six and one,

994
00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:56,959
Speaker 1: and that's all everybody cares about. Back to you guys

995
00:46:56,960 --> 00:47:00,920
Speaker 1: in the stadium, six and one, Washington, I mean, it's

996
00:47:00,920 --> 00:47:04,880
Speaker 1: a different team than Arizona, different team than Miami, New Orleans, Chicago,

997
00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:08,799
Speaker 1: Detroit and so on. A winnable game, but I mean

998
00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:12,239
Speaker 1: that you're a former player and coach. The last thing,

999
00:47:12,480 --> 00:47:15,920
Speaker 1: having won five in a row, six and one stranglehold

1000
00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:18,640
Speaker 1: on the NFC North is you don't watch your players

1001
00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:21,440
Speaker 1: heading back there being like, oh, you know, Washington's terrible,

1002
00:47:21,600 --> 00:47:24,160
Speaker 1: who's Taylor Hei, Niki blah blah blah. And you know,

1003
00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:26,040
Speaker 1: I don't think I don't think the players will do

1004
00:47:26,080 --> 00:47:30,120
Speaker 1: that as much. I think the what needs to be

1005
00:47:30,160 --> 00:47:32,960
Speaker 1: done is that whatever it is that got you to

1006
00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:35,640
Speaker 1: where you are now, to continue that, to continue that

1007
00:47:35,719 --> 00:47:40,120
Speaker 1: intensity and practice, to continue that attention to detail, to

1008
00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:43,800
Speaker 1: not let the little things slip. And that's the beginning

1009
00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:46,840
Speaker 1: of it. Right, that's what happens if you start winning,

1010
00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:49,399
Speaker 1: and oh, you might meet a little bit less, right,

1011
00:47:49,440 --> 00:47:52,359
Speaker 1: you might practice without pads on a little bit more,

1012
00:47:52,480 --> 00:47:54,760
Speaker 1: you might have a little bit of a shorter practice,

1013
00:47:54,840 --> 00:47:57,000
Speaker 1: you may not get the reps, you may not stay

1014
00:47:57,040 --> 00:48:00,919
Speaker 1: as late watching film. All those little bitty things are

1015
00:48:00,960 --> 00:48:03,880
Speaker 1: what's what's what's going to keep this team winning. And

1016
00:48:03,960 --> 00:48:06,120
Speaker 1: they have to be committed to doing those things. And

1017
00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:09,560
Speaker 1: if they do, I mean again, Paul, this team is

1018
00:48:09,600 --> 00:48:12,560
Speaker 1: good enough where if one phase of the game is slipping,

1019
00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:15,719
Speaker 1: there's always another one there to pick them up. And

1020
00:48:15,840 --> 00:48:18,840
Speaker 1: it's a complimentary style of football. The points off of

1021
00:48:18,920 --> 00:48:22,160
Speaker 1: turnovers today, that was an area of improvement that that

1022
00:48:22,200 --> 00:48:25,840
Speaker 1: they really needed to happen. We got those today, and

1023
00:48:26,080 --> 00:48:28,200
Speaker 1: if that trend continues, this is going to be a

1024
00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:31,560
Speaker 1: different Second, it's it's it's as if we're we're we're

1025
00:48:31,600 --> 00:48:33,840
Speaker 1: getting there in some areas and then we're slipping another.

1026
00:48:34,040 --> 00:48:37,279
Speaker 1: But once this team puts it all together, um and hope,

1027
00:48:37,280 --> 00:48:38,360
Speaker 1: you know they're gonna have to do it, they'n have

1028
00:48:38,400 --> 00:48:39,920
Speaker 1: to figure it out pretty quickly. You're gonna go out

1029
00:48:39,920 --> 00:48:42,040
Speaker 1: to the East coast play Washington's tough place to play.

1030
00:48:42,080 --> 00:48:44,840
Speaker 1: That FedEx Field is huge to the east. After that,

1031
00:48:44,880 --> 00:48:46,840
Speaker 1: to play Buffalo and you out there and play Buffalo,

1032
00:48:46,880 --> 00:48:49,160
Speaker 1: the number one team in offense, number one team in defense,

1033
00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:52,280
Speaker 1: I mean, and they're playing the Packers tonight. So um,

1034
00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:56,000
Speaker 1: you know it's it's we'll find out. We're gonna find

1035
00:48:56,040 --> 00:48:58,920
Speaker 1: out what this team's made of. And I think with

1036
00:48:59,040 --> 00:49:01,680
Speaker 1: those kind of games and the horizon, the near horizon,

1037
00:49:02,040 --> 00:49:04,280
Speaker 1: these guys are going to continue going about their business

1038
00:49:04,320 --> 00:49:07,319
Speaker 1: the way they are. Great job, my brother, Thank you, Paul, yep,

1039
00:49:07,440 --> 00:49:11,080
Speaker 1: thank you. That's Pete Versage, analyst Vikings Radio Network, former

1040
00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:14,120
Speaker 1: player and coach for the Vikings. You know, it's interesting

1041
00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:17,400
Speaker 1: to note, at least in my opinion, Pete Versage called

1042
00:49:17,440 --> 00:49:19,839
Speaker 1: his first game on KFA and of the Vikings Radio

1043
00:49:19,960 --> 00:49:23,040
Speaker 1: Network when the Atlanta Falcons were at Metrodome in two

1044
00:49:23,080 --> 00:49:26,080
Speaker 1: thousand and seven. Vikings won the game Adrian Peterson with

1045
00:49:26,960 --> 00:49:30,560
Speaker 1: a swing pass. His first touchdown ever was a receiving touchdown,

1046
00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:33,400
Speaker 1: if you can believe that. And Ben Leeber, also an

1047
00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:36,240
Speaker 1: analyst for the Vikings Radio Network, he had three tackles

1048
00:49:36,239 --> 00:49:38,640
Speaker 1: in that game against the Falcons. Why does any of

1049
00:49:38,680 --> 00:49:42,120
Speaker 1: that matter, because we just witnessed a game today featuring

1050
00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:47,080
Speaker 1: Cardinals kicker Matt Prater, who made his NFL debut in

1051
00:49:47,200 --> 00:49:50,359
Speaker 1: that game, a loss for the Atlanta Falcons. The more

1052
00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:52,759
Speaker 1: things change, the more they stay the same. It's just

1053
00:49:52,840 --> 00:49:56,359
Speaker 1: the ways and means become rearranged. And that means your

1054
00:49:56,400 --> 00:49:59,520
Speaker 1: Minnesota Vikings took the circuitous route once again to the

1055
00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:02,640
Speaker 1: winners goal, but they got the money for a fifth

1056
00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:06,960
Speaker 1: consecutive time undefeated at home, first place in the NFC

1057
00:50:07,120 --> 00:50:09,759
Speaker 1: North Final, score thirty four to twenty six. And I'm

1058
00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:12,680
Speaker 1: Paul Allen, thank you for listening to the postgame report.

1059
00:50:12,960 --> 00:50:16,000
Speaker 1: Let's go into the locker room and here's a celebratory

1060
00:50:16,320 --> 00:50:21,839
Speaker 1: head coach Koc Meal. Real quick, First of all, I'm

1061
00:50:21,880 --> 00:50:24,080
Speaker 1: getting pretty damnly used to coming back in this hole

1062
00:50:24,160 --> 00:50:26,400
Speaker 1: locker room with the same old feeling give it up

1063
00:50:26,400 --> 00:50:31,080
Speaker 1: for your shot. That one time in this game did

1064
00:50:31,120 --> 00:50:34,399
Speaker 1: I feel like that we weren't in control as a team,

1065
00:50:34,400 --> 00:50:36,880
Speaker 1: confident in the next play, relying on the other of

1066
00:50:36,880 --> 00:50:38,840
Speaker 1: the side of the ball to set the momentum and

1067
00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:41,719
Speaker 1: tone for the other. All right, That right there is

1068
00:50:41,719 --> 00:50:43,640
Speaker 1: how we're gonna win a lot of football games as

1069
00:50:43,640 --> 00:50:46,560
Speaker 1: we continue to just clean up the execution Lord knows,

1070
00:50:46,640 --> 00:50:49,200
Speaker 1: I gotta get better for us, snap in and snap out.

1071
00:50:49,280 --> 00:50:51,239
Speaker 1: You guys feel the same way. That's the best part

1072
00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:54,480
Speaker 1: about this whole thing is we're an AS sending football team.

1073
00:50:54,800 --> 00:50:56,799
Speaker 1: There are two players in this locker room that wants

1074
00:50:56,800 --> 00:50:59,239
Speaker 1: had to see on their chest for that team over there,

1075
00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:10,040
Speaker 1: and both thy huge please and let us all day happy?

1076
00:51:16,160 --> 00:51:25,319
Speaker 1: Have you one journ, next journ, next journ, next puff,

1077
00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:29,799
Speaker 1: break us down health, let's go. Man A family right here,

1078
00:51:29,840 --> 00:51:31,600
Speaker 1: all right, that's what it's all about. Let's go. I

1079
00:51:31,640 --> 00:51:36,160
Speaker 1: take this fake any thanks, got family, I'll dake what

1080
00:51:36,239 --> 00:51:36,719
Speaker 1: don't think that