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Speaker 1: Welcome to Between the Horns, presented by your Southern California

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Speaker 1: Toyota dealers. Cameron or went alongside my very good friends JV.

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Speaker 1: Long and Maurice Jones.

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Speaker 2: Drew.

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Speaker 1: We are getting ready for Thursday night football, little primetime

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Speaker 1: action for the Los Angeles Rams this week. Short week?

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Speaker 1: How are you guys feeling on this short one?

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Speaker 2: I love short weeks. I think you have offensive explosion

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Speaker 2: all short weeks. It's easier to really game plan and

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Speaker 2: kind of attack people where defensively it's like we don't

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Speaker 2: know we're gonna do, so we have to say a

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Speaker 2: little vanilla. I am concerned though this week that the

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Speaker 2: Minnesota defense is going to do the opposite and not

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Speaker 2: be vanilla, but be super aggressive and try to send

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Speaker 2: the house on the Rams. So we'll see how it goes.

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Speaker 3: You know, I've been saying all season, I thought the

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Speaker 3: first month of the year is gonna be really tough

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Speaker 3: the Rams. We're gonna take some body blows. But I

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Speaker 3: had this little two home games in five day grouping

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Speaker 3: circle because it was the key to last season. I

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Speaker 3: think getting those two wins against the Commanders and the Saints.

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Speaker 3: I didn't know the Vikings would be coming in with

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Speaker 3: only one loss, but nonetheless one down against the Raiders,

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Speaker 3: one to go, and I think it changes the course

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Speaker 3: of your whole year.

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Speaker 1: Well, it's also been a really nice week in Los Angeles.

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Speaker 1: You consider what's happening with the Dodgers. They have their

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Speaker 1: what game one of the World Series come Friday. It

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Speaker 1: feels like there's some good energy. Do you think that's

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Speaker 1: gonna help us going into Thursday night?

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Speaker 4: Yeah?

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Speaker 2: You know, first shout out to Lebron James and bronni

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Speaker 2: for doing something historical, which I think every NFL player,

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Speaker 2: every athlete would love to do, is to play with

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Speaker 2: their child man or woman, And so that was awesome.

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Speaker 2: That was great energy. Was awesome to see that last night.

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Speaker 2: Obviously the Dodgers, even though I'm a Bay Area guy,

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Speaker 2: the Dodgers, you know, which I heard is gonna be crazy.

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Speaker 2: But I think I think there is a lot of

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Speaker 2: energy around the city, and if the Rams are able

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Speaker 2: to pull this one off on Thursday, I think it'd

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Speaker 2: really be a springboard for them to get going forward.

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Speaker 3: What high school classes, deuce, Yeah, it would never it

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Speaker 3: wouldn He's twenty seven, all right, so maybe like the

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Speaker 3: twenty thirty one NFL Draft. Yeah, whatever team he goes to,

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Speaker 3: just a one week contry.

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Speaker 4: Give me, give me a day.

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Speaker 3: Lined up in the eye. You can just lead the way.

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Speaker 2: I got one carry, one carry, and then I'm gonna

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Speaker 2: fall out because I'm probably gonna break everything in my

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Speaker 2: body if I go out there and try to hit anyone.

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Speaker 1: I was gonna say, I thought at times you had

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Speaker 1: hopped into practice. Is that not true?

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Speaker 3: Sure?

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Speaker 4: For little kids?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, when they're like thirteen fourteen years old, I don't

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Speaker 2: have they don't know what they're doing, and you're out

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Speaker 2: here with these pros.

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Speaker 4: Man, I'm not gonna lie. We're at the facility. I

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Speaker 4: walk around and I'm like, I can't believe I played

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Speaker 4: with some.

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Speaker 2: Of these big giant dudes. Like how did this work out?

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Speaker 2: I must have been crazy? And now like I'm coming

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Speaker 2: back to being, you know, saying.

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Speaker 3: Again you were born like one generation too early because

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Speaker 3: you would have crushed the nil scene.

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Speaker 4: Oh man, I can't. We'll talk about that.

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Speaker 3: There's a lot of exactly treatment and the recovery these days.

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Speaker 4: Nutrician, you'se got no wonder I'm this. We didn't have

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Speaker 4: any of that. We didn't have any of that, So

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Speaker 4: I guess I just didn't get it. Well.

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Speaker 1: The Rams coming off a win over the Raiders, it

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Speaker 1: was a fantastic way to done. It was a defensive

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Speaker 1: performance for takeaways on that side of the ball. However,

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Speaker 1: there is a bit of levity coming into this Thursday

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Speaker 1: Night football considering where the Rams now sit in the

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Speaker 1: NFC West and just the general picture of the National

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Speaker 1: Football League. The trade deadline is just around the corner.

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Speaker 1: With this win, how does that maybe change the reflection

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Speaker 1: of what the Rams might do.

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Speaker 3: I think gives them the right to play these next

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Speaker 3: two games out, and I mean that win or lose

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Speaker 3: tomorrow night, because you got a chance to take a

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Speaker 3: big swing at the Seahawks right now, they're the only

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Speaker 3: team in the division with less than four losses, and

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Speaker 3: you got two games head to head against them. In

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Speaker 3: terms of how they played against the Raiders, it didn't

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Speaker 3: do much for me. It didn't inspire a ton of confidence.

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Speaker 3: But in terms of the implications of what that win

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Speaker 3: did this week and beyond immensely significant, I.

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Speaker 4: Agree with you.

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Speaker 2: We were just texting the other night about it. It

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Speaker 2: was kind of like you've given yourself an opportunity to

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Speaker 2: play the next two games to kind of see what

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Speaker 2: you want to do with your roster, right.

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Speaker 4: And that's what wins do. Wins give you. They kind

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Speaker 4: of kick the can down the road a little bit.

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Speaker 2: And so you have an opportunity now to go against

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Speaker 2: one of the top contending teams in the NFC and

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Speaker 2: not in the NFL, in the Minnesota Vikings, and if

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Speaker 2: you're able to find a way to win this one,

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Speaker 2: all of a sudden, you have a little momentum going

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Speaker 2: into Seattle. You've played well against Seattle. So if you

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Speaker 2: have that opportunity, you go and do it. If not,

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Speaker 2: it may be wholesale. And that's kind of what you're

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Speaker 2: hearing in the national media circuit is you know, teams

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Speaker 2: are caught contacted from all over the place trying to

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Speaker 2: get Stafford Cup and whoever else is available, because there

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Speaker 2: are there's still really good players on this roster that

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Speaker 2: teams that are contending want.

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Speaker 1: And I understand some of the national media and what

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Speaker 1: we've seen in terms of the conversation leading up for

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Speaker 1: this Thursday night football game in terms of the offensive production. However,

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Speaker 1: I'm going to say there's no buds about it, because

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Speaker 1: when I watch that game. I know it is frustrating.

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Speaker 1: We still pick up the win. However, I had a

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Speaker 1: blast watching this defense go to wor and so I'm

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Speaker 1: going with the no buds about it because I'm sorry

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Speaker 1: if you're looking at a guy like Jalen McColough, I mean,

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Speaker 1: we're talking about an undrafted free agent that has put

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Speaker 1: together two performances back to back, three interceptions or what

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Speaker 1: Kobe Durant has done on the backside of the ball.

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Speaker 1: After that Raiders game, as a Rams fan, I understand

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Speaker 1: there's some frustration on the offense, but the defense performed

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Speaker 1: and it's something that this young defense that we've been

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Speaker 1: looking for. They're currently growing. What were some of your

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Speaker 1: biggest takeaways watching this defense play out.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, not just the offense, but the kicking game is

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Speaker 3: wobbly again too. I mean, the defense won that game.

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Speaker 3: The other two units did not perform. And look, that

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Speaker 3: was probably the worst team the Rams are going to

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Speaker 3: face this year. Like they got the Raiders at the

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Speaker 3: right time. And make no apologies because that matters in

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Speaker 3: the league who you play and when they play them

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Speaker 3: for takeaway gain. Great for a team that I think

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Speaker 3: had that many in the previous games before the buy combined.

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Speaker 3: You'll take it, no excuses, but I also know that

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Speaker 3: three of those were pretty much gifts like one you

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Speaker 3: really earned this coop and score you really earn the

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Speaker 3: other ones kind of minch you mania for me?

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I think.

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Speaker 2: I guess how my glass half full kind of guy.

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Speaker 2: Because going into the season, the question mark was what

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Speaker 2: is this defense gonna be, How is Chris Shula going

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Speaker 2: to be the d as a DC.

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Speaker 4: What's gonna go on?

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Speaker 2: The offense is gonna need to carry him? And the

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Speaker 2: first since the start of the season, it has been the opposite.

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Speaker 2: The defense has been making plays, they've been finding ways

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Speaker 2: to get off the field to create turnovers, and now

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Speaker 2: they win you a game. Now, you don't want to

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Speaker 2: live this way in the world of the NFL with

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Speaker 2: all the different rules, But if this is a confidence

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Speaker 2: for them to continue to build off that, it's awesome.

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Speaker 4: And then we've talked about it.

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Speaker 2: I haven't seen a tackle block Jared Verse yet, and

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Speaker 2: he's went against some of the top guys in the NFL,

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Speaker 2: and yet he continues to dominate, which is a consistent

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Speaker 2: piece that you're looking for. Offensively, Like I said, you

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Speaker 2: just have to get healthy like you're playing, you're really

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Speaker 2: playing with one hand tie.

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Speaker 4: Behind your back.

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Speaker 2: In this situation with so many guys being out and

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Speaker 2: then the kicking game, it's I don't know a lot

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Speaker 2: of times rookies, I've been a part of rookie kickers.

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Speaker 4: A lot of time. Rookies need that they like it's weird.

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Speaker 2: Sometimes they need like a year off like or sometimes

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Speaker 2: they just need like just a feel good about themselves.

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Speaker 4: And it seems like once.

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Speaker 2: Cardi missed that first one, it was kind of like downhill, downhill, downhill.

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Speaker 4: He started thinking about it.

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Speaker 2: You kind of have to be like water off a

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Speaker 2: duck's back a little bit in that situation because that

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Speaker 2: swing of the leg is all that matters.

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Speaker 3: I don't want to diminish what the defense did because

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Speaker 3: there were a lot of ingredients that I think you

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Speaker 3: can build from. We talked about this with less need

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Speaker 3: on Monday to be months removed from Aaron Donald, like

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Speaker 3: fresh into this post Aaron Donald universe, and if be

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Speaker 3: generating more pressure without him than you did with him

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Speaker 3: as recently is a year ago, it's a big deal.

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Speaker 3: Darius Ones has put things right in the secondary. You

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Speaker 3: could do a lot worse with your trio of corners

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Speaker 3: than Darius, Kobe and Akello. And then the way the

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Speaker 3: safeties are playing, like that red zone tackle that Quinton

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Speaker 3: Lake made on Bowers, that was as good a play

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Speaker 3: as I this season. Cam Curl coming off his best

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Speaker 3: game as a ramp for all the grief, and I

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Speaker 3: know that it's been here in this common section that

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Speaker 3: the inside linebackers have taken this season. Go back and

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Speaker 3: watch what Chris Shula and his defensive staff did in

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Speaker 3: that bye week, the roles that they played, what they

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Speaker 3: asked them to do and win, and then when they

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Speaker 3: took them off the field and who they replaced them with.

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Speaker 3: There was a lot of creativity. There was a lot

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Speaker 3: of problem solving in that win defensively that was earned.

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Speaker 3: Despite my previous comment.

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Speaker 1: On defense, a couple more silver linings for you defensively.

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Speaker 1: Jared Versus, who you mentioned nine pressures on thirty six

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Speaker 1: pass rushes. He actually tied for the most for a

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Speaker 1: rookie this season. He's also leading the league right now

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Speaker 1: at twenty three point six percent from a pressure rate

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Speaker 1: through Week seven, so to your point, he's doing some damage.

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Speaker 1: And also Chris Shula walking all away with a game ball.

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Speaker 1: I thought that was really fitting in those moments.

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Speaker 3: And congratulations to the land Shark, right, he's the defensive

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Speaker 3: player of the Week this week. Well deserved. That one

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Speaker 3: was a well time pressure got the hit on Menshee

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Speaker 3: to have a sack and a pick. That's DeMarco Farr

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Speaker 3: stuff or on the short list of rands who've ever

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Speaker 3: done that in the same.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and again, you know, I thought, I thought the

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Speaker 2: defense at the end of the day, they needed to

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Speaker 2: show up because of the way the offense was struggling.

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Speaker 2: We knew there was gonna be some concerns and protection

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Speaker 2: and they were able to find a way. And anytime

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Speaker 2: you can score on defense as much.

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Speaker 4: Needed, no doubt.

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Speaker 3: This week's challenge is just completely different.

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Speaker 4: Completely different.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, there's no question about it. And just in terms

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Speaker 1: of having a little fun here on between the horns,

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Speaker 1: I mean, what was better.

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Speaker 3: Than between the horns?

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Speaker 1: We'll always have fun on between the horns, But what

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Speaker 1: was better Kobe Durant celebration or the rowrow row your boat?

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Speaker 1: Did you guys see those?

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Speaker 3: I like the pure prime high step from Cam Croullo.

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Speaker 3: That was smooth.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm a I'm a team guy.

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Speaker 4: I just thought we could have did a better than

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Speaker 4: rowrow row your boat.

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Speaker 2: I think there's a lot, there's a there's I mean,

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Speaker 2: come on, that's like in the eighties.

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Speaker 4: We gotta we gotta pick it up.

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Speaker 2: Let's do it together, but let's be a little bit

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Speaker 2: more hip to it, like we should be doing a

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Speaker 2: TikTok dance together or something out there.

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Speaker 4: I think that would I appreciate that.

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Speaker 1: Back to that ni own money, that's where it would

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Speaker 1: have been clutched.

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Speaker 3: No question, Ritty's coming in next. Yeah, yeah, you've got

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Speaker 3: a game up.

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Speaker 2: You gotta do the gritty now because you know this

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Speaker 2: is all he's going to do if he scores.

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Speaker 1: So I was a little more concerned as to who

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Speaker 1: was the coxin in that rowboat because there were oars

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Speaker 1: flying right and lab. The rhythm was little.

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Speaker 4: That's the thing.

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Speaker 2: I don't know if they you know here in La

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Speaker 2: we have rotae, right, so you know all the little

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Speaker 2: the little positions. There was no one in there leading yelling,

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Speaker 2: row back and forth. There's just a bunch of guys

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Speaker 2: rowing where are we going? When are we stopping?

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Speaker 4: Where?

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Speaker 3: Like it was just chaos La twenty twenty eight.

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Speaker 1: They were not okay, Well, let's switch it up a

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Speaker 1: little bit. We talked a bit about the offensive side

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Speaker 1: of ball. There was a bright spot obviously, Kraen Williams

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Speaker 1: nine consecutive games with a touchdown. That's longest active streak

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Speaker 1: in the NFL. He's just one of two guys right

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Speaker 1: now with a touchdown in every game. Derick Henry the other.

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Speaker 1: I mean from the opposite side, Lake Quorum. Maybe not

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Speaker 1: as in the mix in this last one. Whittington was

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Speaker 1: still dealing with some stuff, only played nine snaps. Where

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Speaker 1: can they kind of look as you reflect against the Raiders.

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Speaker 3: I think the Rams have been at their best when

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Speaker 3: they've been under center offensively, which is great because Stafford

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Speaker 3: has actually thrived and especially for Kiren, that's when they've

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Speaker 3: been able to be most efficient. They've been better running

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Speaker 3: the football than they have passing, as we know. Unfortunately,

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Speaker 3: this week's opponent, Minnesota, is really good against you under center. Looks.

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Speaker 3: They specialize in all sorts of things, but among them

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Speaker 3: is matching your eleven personnel with their dime defense and

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Speaker 3: still being able to stop the run out of it.

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Speaker 3: So it's going to be difficult to have early down

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Speaker 3: success unless unless you get your chest piece back in

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Speaker 3: Cooper Cup and maybe pukin Nakua. And I think that

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Speaker 3: has the power to set a lot of things right

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Speaker 3: because I do know about you. But what I noticed

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Speaker 3: the Rams miss most against the Las Vegas Raiders. They

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Speaker 3: knew that you knew that, they knew that it was

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Speaker 3: going to have to be a certain style of game

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Speaker 3: and you couldn't do anything about it. And they were

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Speaker 3: They were throwing a lot at you, and they were

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Speaker 3: hitting iron in the backfield with run blitzers. And to me,

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Speaker 3: that's like, oh, that's normally where Cooper Cup is taking

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Speaker 3: care of that. That's normally where Jordan Winnington is folding

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Speaker 3: into your surface or pookin Nakua and making sure that

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Speaker 3: that guy doesn't get a hit on your running back.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, we call that a level three.

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Speaker 2: When they know that, you know that they know it's

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Speaker 2: a problem. To me, I think the biggest thing in

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Speaker 2: this and this comes from a buddy of mine who's

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Speaker 2: the safety coach for the Minnesota Vikings, and I got

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Speaker 2: a chance to talk to him in London.

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Speaker 4: He came to see our high school play and he

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Speaker 4: was saying that.

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Speaker 2: We earn the right to do all these exotic looks

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Speaker 2: because we have to be able to stop the run.

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Speaker 4: Right.

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Speaker 2: If you can't stop the run, then it doesn't give

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Speaker 2: us a chance to be in these exotic looks, to

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Speaker 2: do these different blizzes to run you know, cover zero

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Speaker 2: or cover two, And that's kind of what they do.

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Speaker 2: They're gonna put all these guys up at the line

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Speaker 2: of scrimmage and they're gonna drop out in the cover

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Speaker 2: two or they're gonna send everyone. And to me, you

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Speaker 2: have to you can't live in the third and long.

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Speaker 2: You can't live in the second and long. You have

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Speaker 2: to be efficient in this game. That's the most. When

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Speaker 2: you watch the Detroit Lions, they were efficient. They were

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Speaker 2: never in third and ten. When they were, they had

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Speaker 2: a plan for it. And so you have to have

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Speaker 2: a plan if you get put in that situation. And

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Speaker 2: and again you just want to make sure because these

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Speaker 2: are confusing defenses. We've seen this with the Dolphins and

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Speaker 2: the Rams in twenty twenty. I've actually played against these

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Speaker 2: type of defenses in my time in the NFL. And

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Speaker 2: if you don't pick it up right or identify it right,

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Speaker 2: my goodness, I mean, they can come from everywhere. And

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Speaker 2: so you want to make sure that as you're getting

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Speaker 2: guys back, you're protecting your quarterback as well.

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Speaker 3: What's crazy, though, is because it's World Series time, like

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Speaker 3: they pitch backwards. What I mean by that is in

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Speaker 3: baseball sometimes you throw an off speed pitch to steal

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Speaker 3: an early strike. That's part of what Brian Flores and

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Speaker 3: these Vikings have done. Like they present the two high shells.

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Speaker 3: They've got great safeties, but they'll blitch you on first

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Speaker 3: and second down, get you in trouble, and then they'll

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Speaker 3: play coverage on third down, like they'll just play vanilla,

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Speaker 3: make you throw it shy at the sticks and tackle

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Speaker 3: and be done with it. So when you see that

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Speaker 3: from an offensive lens, like, what is your answer? Like,

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Speaker 3: I know you study what the lines said too, and yeah,

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Speaker 3: being explosive on early down runs is a secret sauce.

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Speaker 2: It is again like I said, this is coming from them,

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Speaker 2: like they're they're so nervous when they run those, like

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Speaker 2: it's a gamble. We're gonna put all these guys in

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Speaker 2: the line of scrimmage hoping that you don't get in.

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Speaker 4: We get there before you can figure out the answer.

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Speaker 2: The key is when they do that to hit them

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Speaker 2: early with it right to get a big play or

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Speaker 2: to get a first down, or to be successful, because

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Speaker 2: now he's gonna be like, all right, they have a plan.

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Speaker 2: We'll try one more time if it does. If it

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Speaker 2: doesn't work, we'll back off. So you have to answer it.

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Speaker 2: The answer really to me is downhill runs because you're

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Speaker 2: gonna have linebackers lined up over guards or safeties lined

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Speaker 2: up over guards. Push those guys out the way, and

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Speaker 2: then you have to start trying to find a way

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Speaker 2: to insert those receivers and to help with that protection

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Speaker 2: as well. If you're throwing the ball, you're gonna have

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Speaker 2: to go on one to two guy routes and then

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Speaker 2: hopefully you can get a guy beat man to man.

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Speaker 3: Well, if you have to do that, then what a

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Speaker 3: week to have. Cooper like, Yeah, if you're gonna try

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Speaker 3: and beat with a hot answer or one guy nine

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Speaker 3: and dime, is that answer right?

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Speaker 4: It has to be.

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Speaker 2: It has to be kind of like whoever the quarterback

362
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Speaker 2: was and brock Bauers on third day, like whoever they're

363
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Speaker 2: gonna play a quarterback, We're gonna get the ball to

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Speaker 2: eighty nine as much as we can in this game.

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Speaker 2: And I think that's what if you're gonna be the Rams,

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Speaker 2: you have to get that nine and nine, that third

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Speaker 2: and Cup, That's what it has to be for you

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Speaker 2: in those crucial situations.

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Speaker 3: Because Cameron, what's terrifying about this defense is they get

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Speaker 3: pressure from everywhere, Like all these pre snap sims and stuff.

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Speaker 3: A lot of times they will play coverage. A lot

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Speaker 3: of times they will blitz the living daylights out of you.

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Speaker 3: A lot of times you don't know where it's coming

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Speaker 3: from preer, post snap, and so as a result, there's

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Speaker 3: a whole bunch of guys on all three levels of

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Speaker 3: their defense that have hits and sacks on the opposing quarterback.

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Speaker 3: Those of us who watch the Rams down and down

378
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Speaker 3: out what's been the big issue this year in pass protection, coverage, breakdowns,

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Speaker 3: free runners at your quarterback and so if that is

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Speaker 3: is your raw nerve, this is the defense, more so

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Speaker 3: than any other in the league that can really make

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Speaker 3: you feel it.

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Speaker 1: You mentioned Cooper Cup potentially coming back, Well, Joe Noteboom

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Speaker 1: might be one of those guys that can maybe make

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Speaker 1: a difference here if he makes his return. We will

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Speaker 1: dig into the Minnesota defense even further. But I love

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Speaker 1: the breakdown from the two of you, it's fantastic. Let's

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Speaker 1: talk a little bit more about the NFC West because

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Speaker 1: this is still something that's up for grabs, and it

390
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Speaker 1: was a conversation last week with US Maurice in terms

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Speaker 1: of where we sat and the strength of schedule remaining.

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Speaker 1: This is up for grabs. We still have the Seahawks twice.

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Speaker 1: We already have to win over the forty nine ers.

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Speaker 1: What do the Rams have to do this week? Do

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Speaker 1: they have to find this win in order to find

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Speaker 1: the top of the NFC West.

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Speaker 2: I don't know if they do or they don't. I

398
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Speaker 2: was last week. I was like, all right, Seattle's going

399
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Speaker 2: to go to Atlanta and lose because Atlanta was like hot.

400
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Speaker 2: It was like, oh, and then Seattle found a way

401
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Speaker 2: to win, which was insane. Now they have DK Metcalf

402
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Speaker 2: who's a little banged up. But the team that scares

403
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Speaker 2: me more than anyone is Arizona. Like, I don't know

404
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Speaker 2: how Arizona's finding these ways to win games all of

405
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Speaker 2: a sudden, Like they go on these kids and you

406
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Speaker 2: beat the Chargers on Monday night in a close battle.

407
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Speaker 2: It's tough. The Niners, they're just like us. They may

408
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Speaker 2: be even worse, right, like you just lost Ayuk Deebo

409
00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:12,239
Speaker 2: was out sick. They're hoping to get CMC back like

410
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Speaker 2: they got a whole bunch of other stuff going on.

411
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Speaker 2: So to me, if you're the Rams, yes you would

412
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Speaker 2: like to win this game, but if you don't, you

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Speaker 2: have a game next week that or in two weeks

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Speaker 2: that are gonna be that's gonna be pretty big for you,

415
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Speaker 2: right to go up to Seattle and find a way

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Speaker 2: to get that victory. If you can get that win

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00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:29,399
Speaker 2: in Seattle, then that really puts you or where you

418
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Speaker 2: need to be down the stretch.

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Speaker 3: We have not seen the best football anywhere close to

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Speaker 3: it from the twenty twenty four Rams, but I know

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Speaker 3: for a fact that their best is good enough to

422
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Speaker 3: win this division now that I've seen it, and so

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Speaker 3: it would be a real shame, and I think I

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Speaker 3: speak for Rams fans here to not take your best

425
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Speaker 3: swing at the Seahawks, to not have your best roster

426
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Speaker 3: on the field and then see what the dust settles

427
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Speaker 3: like on that Monday after the trip to Seattle and

428
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Speaker 3: the trade deadline. Because the Seahawks got that win in Atlanta,

429
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Speaker 3: but they're home Buffalo this week. It's gonna be a

430
00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:03,959
Speaker 3: good game to watch on your couch. The forty nine

431
00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,320
Speaker 3: Ers host the Cowboys, and I know Dallas is in disarray,

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Speaker 3: but they're also desperate and coming off of bye. It's

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Speaker 3: another good game to watch on your couch. Win or lose.

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Speaker 3: This week, the Cardinals are going to Miami.

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Speaker 4: I think, yeah, with two of coming back.

436
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Speaker 3: And I hear what you're saying about Arizona, but Arizona

437
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Speaker 3: is a twenty twenty five problem for me. It's a

438
00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:19,680
Speaker 3: long time since you have until you have to worry

439
00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,119
Speaker 3: about the Cardinals. Okay, so I'll let some water go

440
00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,479
Speaker 3: into the bridge before I give them any mind. But

441
00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:28,359
Speaker 3: my point is beating the Raiders I think gives you

442
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:30,480
Speaker 3: the margin to play this as a two game stretch.

443
00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:32,200
Speaker 3: Now that being said, if you can't get this one

444
00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,320
Speaker 3: on Thursday night, it's gonna be a long, uncomfortable wait

445
00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:37,160
Speaker 3: for that trip to Seattle. And I get that. I'm

446
00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:39,320
Speaker 3: sensitive to that, which is why I say, get greedy,

447
00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,120
Speaker 3: get on a winning streak, and then go to Seattle

448
00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:43,000
Speaker 3: and take your big swing.

449
00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, we do have to talk about your greediness here

450
00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,520
Speaker 2: in a little bit, So I respect that, and I

451
00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:51,919
Speaker 2: understand that I always Again, when you're where the Rams are,

452
00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,719
Speaker 2: it's a one game season. Every every game is like

453
00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,240
Speaker 2: the you can't overlook you right now. It's a one

454
00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:01,239
Speaker 2: game season on a short week, a tough opponent. But

455
00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,120
Speaker 2: remember they're coming from far away on a short week.

456
00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:08,919
Speaker 2: So again, there's things that you can do that you

457
00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,560
Speaker 2: may I believe there's things that the Rams can do

458
00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:13,720
Speaker 2: to really put themselves in position to win this game.

459
00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:15,399
Speaker 1: All right, well let's dig into some of those. We

460
00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:17,240
Speaker 1: already talked a little bit about nine and time and

461
00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,280
Speaker 1: the potential return for Cooper Cup. Everyone's pointing to the

462
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:22,320
Speaker 1: direction that, yeah, he's going to be out there in

463
00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,240
Speaker 1: prime time. How much will they actually utilize him.

464
00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:27,920
Speaker 4: I don't think he'll come off the field.

465
00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:32,640
Speaker 2: If he's out there like you're fresh, go like, don't

466
00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:32,960
Speaker 2: even look.

467
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:34,679
Speaker 4: I had a Okay, I gotta tell this story. I

468
00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:35,520
Speaker 4: had a coach one time.

469
00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,080
Speaker 2: We're in preseason, and he gave us all a quarter

470
00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:41,280
Speaker 2: and he was like, in this quarter, don't look to

471
00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:41,920
Speaker 2: the sidelines.

472
00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:43,600
Speaker 4: I don't care if you're tired. You could be on

473
00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:45,320
Speaker 4: a twenty play drive. You have the whole drive.

474
00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:47,960
Speaker 2: So I was like, oh, whatever, well, well, just my luck.

475
00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:49,800
Speaker 2: I have the second quarter run a fifteen play drive.

476
00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,160
Speaker 2: I'm exhausted, so I looked at the coach to tap

477
00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:53,919
Speaker 2: to come out, and he turns his back on me.

478
00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:55,240
Speaker 2: That's what I would do to Cooper Cup if he

479
00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:56,600
Speaker 2: tried to come out. I'm just gonna turn my back

480
00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:59,000
Speaker 2: and say, look, don't even look over here. You know

481
00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,120
Speaker 2: where you're out there, don't even look.

482
00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,760
Speaker 3: Thanks Stafford's passer rating, it's like some twenty points higher

483
00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,040
Speaker 3: in his tenure as a RAM when Cooper's out there

484
00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,640
Speaker 3: when he's not like, that's what you should be banking

485
00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:11,680
Speaker 3: on as a Rams fan here in these next twenty

486
00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:14,680
Speaker 3: four hours. You got the right to play chess again

487
00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:16,600
Speaker 3: this week. It's been a long time since you've been

488
00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,680
Speaker 3: able to play anything but checkers. This is a defense

489
00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,520
Speaker 3: where you need your best game plan and execution, and

490
00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,520
Speaker 3: finally you're getting closer to having the right pieces in

491
00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,399
Speaker 3: place to do exactly that. I'm not saying you spam

492
00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:30,200
Speaker 3: them like you did in that second half against Detroit,

493
00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:31,640
Speaker 3: but if you need to, and if that's your path

494
00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:34,840
Speaker 3: the victory, at least you have that option, right I agree.

495
00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,200
Speaker 1: Another good news too, since we're already talking about wide receivers.

496
00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:42,719
Speaker 1: Poka Nakula has been designated to open his practice windows,

497
00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:47,480
Speaker 1: so there's potential, maybe, I say, with inflection in my voice, Yeah,

498
00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:48,040
Speaker 1: who knows.

499
00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,040
Speaker 3: I'll say it again because it really felt it against

500
00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:53,479
Speaker 3: the Raiders. And I'll ad Jordan Whittington this conversation too,

501
00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,440
Speaker 3: because in a couple of months he's he's filled those

502
00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,160
Speaker 3: shoes admirably. Like to play offense the way this team

503
00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:02,479
Speaker 3: was built to play off you need those hybrid receiver

504
00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:05,080
Speaker 3: tight ends. And I love our other receivers, you know

505
00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:06,399
Speaker 3: from what's the end of the show. I'm as a

506
00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,760
Speaker 3: big A two two fan as there is. DeMarcus Robinson

507
00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:12,080
Speaker 3: is my guy. Tyler Johnson another great play against the Raiders.

508
00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:14,560
Speaker 3: But their skill set and their body types are not

509
00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,719
Speaker 3: what you have in Cooper and Pooka and Jordan, and

510
00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:20,520
Speaker 3: that's why the Rams have been special with those guys.

511
00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:22,959
Speaker 3: The more of them, and all three of them are

512
00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:24,560
Speaker 3: kind of in that category, the more of them you

513
00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,400
Speaker 3: can get reps on Thursday and again next week against Seattle,

514
00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:30,919
Speaker 3: the more real this push I think becomes.

515
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:32,320
Speaker 4: Yeah, I completely agree.

516
00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:34,200
Speaker 2: If you get a chance to get pookin Nakua back

517
00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,600
Speaker 2: on Thursday, that change the whole dynamic of this game.

518
00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,639
Speaker 2: I think the game now is completely changed. Even with

519
00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:42,399
Speaker 2: the offensive line woes and issues you have there, the

520
00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,080
Speaker 2: game is different now because when you looked at the Raiders,

521
00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,320
Speaker 2: they were like, look, we're going to force you to

522
00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:49,879
Speaker 2: throw the ball to these dudes and tight covers and

523
00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,439
Speaker 2: they have to make they have to make these tough catches. Well,

524
00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:54,480
Speaker 2: if you have your guys now, all of a sudden,

525
00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,120
Speaker 2: if Pookina Koua actually he's blocking the linebacker goes out

526
00:21:57,119 --> 00:21:59,640
Speaker 2: to a route, there's that's an easy throw, easy pitch

527
00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:02,040
Speaker 2: and catch, and so it opens up for everybody, but

528
00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:03,280
Speaker 2: all the tight ends that play.

529
00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:04,840
Speaker 4: It opens up the running game.

530
00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,159
Speaker 2: It opens up everything because now you have to worry

531
00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:08,160
Speaker 2: about other pieces.

532
00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:09,480
Speaker 4: Where a lot of guys.

533
00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:11,520
Speaker 2: And it's not saying that two too at well and

534
00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:13,720
Speaker 2: the other receivers can't do it. It's just like you said,

535
00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:15,439
Speaker 2: their body types doesn't allow you to put two two

536
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:16,840
Speaker 2: in there to dig out a linebacker.

537
00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:18,639
Speaker 4: Why would I put him in there to do that? Right?

538
00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:20,440
Speaker 4: His job is to stretch the field vertically.

539
00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:22,600
Speaker 2: And so if you can figure out what if you

540
00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:24,760
Speaker 2: can get these guys back, that puts more pressure on

541
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,080
Speaker 2: Brian Floores that have to really account for those guys.

542
00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:30,080
Speaker 3: When this offense is at its best, run looks like pass, pass,

543
00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:32,400
Speaker 3: looks like run pre snap. You can't tell post snap.

544
00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,880
Speaker 3: Sometimes you can't tell. When's the last time that it's

545
00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:36,480
Speaker 3: looked like that?

546
00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:38,479
Speaker 4: Man, a little bit in Detroit.

547
00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:40,080
Speaker 1: I was about to say, yeah, same thing.

548
00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,040
Speaker 3: So that's why again, I'm not giving up on this offense.

549
00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:45,000
Speaker 3: I'm not giving up on this season until I see

550
00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:47,760
Speaker 3: that again because I know that's how this organization was

551
00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:48,400
Speaker 3: built to play.

552
00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:51,720
Speaker 1: Let's move forward, because you guys have already been talking

553
00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,320
Speaker 1: so much about the vikings. You guys have flipped the page,

554
00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:57,359
Speaker 1: and I'm not surprised because this task is right in

555
00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:01,560
Speaker 1: front of us. I'm curious with all this conversation about

556
00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:03,959
Speaker 1: the defense from Minnesota and what Brian Flores has been

557
00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,520
Speaker 1: able to do, where does it really lie in terms

558
00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,600
Speaker 1: of the pressure. Is it on Stafford, is it on McVeigh,

559
00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,320
Speaker 1: Is it on play design? Is it on read? Because

560
00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:16,480
Speaker 1: I know there's so much deception in their defense.

561
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:18,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think you have to have a plan for it,

562
00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:20,720
Speaker 2: meaning you have to have a package. And that's what

563
00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:22,840
Speaker 2: scares me on a short week, right, that you don't.

564
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:24,919
Speaker 2: You have to have a plan. If we see this

565
00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:28,320
Speaker 2: front and this look, we have to get the ball

566
00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:32,360
Speaker 2: out wide. It can't be too like a slant inside

567
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:34,119
Speaker 2: because that's where they drop guys out and pick the

568
00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:36,480
Speaker 2: ball off. That ball has to go out towards the

569
00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,000
Speaker 2: sidelines because then you're you're more protected instead of Stafford

570
00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:44,919
Speaker 2: throwing her across the middle. This is the thing. He

571
00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:48,080
Speaker 2: runs a very simple defense. It's very simple. It's not

572
00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:50,840
Speaker 2: complex at all. Either they're gonna run too high shale

573
00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:52,840
Speaker 2: or they're gonna put everybody on the line of scrimmage

574
00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:54,800
Speaker 2: and make you think that they're assimilate blitz or not.

575
00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:56,280
Speaker 2: And you just have to have answers for it. And

576
00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,840
Speaker 2: again that that is in the plan, and then that's

577
00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:02,600
Speaker 2: on the players execute and said plan. I go back

578
00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:04,920
Speaker 2: to the Dolphins. I go back to the Dolphins game

579
00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,080
Speaker 2: in twenty twenty when they had a plan but it

580
00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:10,560
Speaker 2: wasn't executed right, and I go down to this one.

581
00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,080
Speaker 2: Like we've seen Aaron Rodgers get messed up by it.

582
00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:16,439
Speaker 2: We've seen Sam Darnold and the Niners get messed up

583
00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,000
Speaker 2: by this plan. You have to figure out a way

584
00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:21,720
Speaker 2: and understand there's someone is going to tell you what's

585
00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:22,159
Speaker 2: going on.

586
00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:24,720
Speaker 4: If it's a safety're a linebacker, someone.

587
00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:26,000
Speaker 2: Has to tell you, and you have to be able

588
00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:27,720
Speaker 2: to believe that and trust that and then get to

589
00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:29,600
Speaker 2: your your answer zone for every defense.

590
00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,399
Speaker 3: Their scheme has been so good and so well executed

591
00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:37,320
Speaker 3: this season they haven't even needed their first round edge rusher. Insane, Like,

592
00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:38,760
Speaker 3: is that not a humble brag?

593
00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:38,960
Speaker 1: Like?

594
00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:42,159
Speaker 3: They're Jared Verse right, Dallas Turner, who they traded a

595
00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,520
Speaker 3: whole boatload of capital to go get. He's playing twenty

596
00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:47,600
Speaker 3: percent of snaps. Can you imagine the Rams right now

597
00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,280
Speaker 3: playing Jared Verse twenty percent of snaps? But like Van

598
00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:54,679
Speaker 3: Ginkel and Grenard and Patrick Jones, their off ball linebackers

599
00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:57,840
Speaker 3: have a bunch of QB hits. They've got their Ferrari

600
00:24:57,880 --> 00:24:58,440
Speaker 3: in the garage.

601
00:24:58,560 --> 00:24:59,159
Speaker 4: That's wild.

602
00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:02,600
Speaker 2: Dan Harrison's Smith is playing like he's twenty again, which

603
00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:06,920
Speaker 2: was just crazy. They've done a great job. And again

604
00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:08,840
Speaker 2: this is coming from a buddy of mine that I

605
00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,520
Speaker 2: went to high school with. It's simple to them, but

606
00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:16,200
Speaker 2: it looks complicated to the offense, which that's normally what

607
00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:20,240
Speaker 2: Sean mcvay's offense is. Right, It's simple to us but

608
00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,240
Speaker 2: it looks complicated to you guys with all the motion

609
00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:22,960
Speaker 2: and ships.

610
00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:24,840
Speaker 3: And you tell me if I'm wrong. To defeat it,

611
00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,560
Speaker 3: you've got to be cerebral enough and gutsy enough to

612
00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:31,520
Speaker 3: attack it. And I know a guy, yeah right, you.

613
00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:32,840
Speaker 4: Know, I know a guy that knows a guy.

614
00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:37,199
Speaker 1: I know two guys. Just to give you some context too.

615
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:39,680
Speaker 1: Just from the blitz ray, that's forty two percent. They're

616
00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:42,480
Speaker 1: currently leading the league. Also leading the league in pressures

617
00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:45,960
Speaker 1: at eighty nine and hurries at thirty four, So definitely

618
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:47,439
Speaker 1: going to be a bit of a task to take on.

619
00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:51,520
Speaker 1: Let's switch it over though, to the offensive side. For Minnesota.

620
00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:56,199
Speaker 1: Sam Darnold is in charge of this offensive attack. What

621
00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:57,600
Speaker 1: have you seen from him this season?

622
00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:02,199
Speaker 3: I don't mean to belittle him or his performance, but

623
00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:05,880
Speaker 3: probably no better than league average quarterback play, which, given

624
00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,439
Speaker 3: the skill around him in the NFL's best defense is plenty,

625
00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:11,600
Speaker 3: they don't need much more than that. But he's been

626
00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:15,960
Speaker 3: sacked a ton, he's fumbled a lot, and that's probably

627
00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:19,120
Speaker 3: LA's clearest path to victory for me, because their offensive

628
00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:21,360
Speaker 3: line's been pretty good. Their tackles have had great seasons.

629
00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:24,439
Speaker 3: Guard to guard, they've been a little shaky. But if

630
00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:26,760
Speaker 3: I'm Kevin O'Connell, one of my main questions this week

631
00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,040
Speaker 3: is how much am I willing to leave Sam Darnold

632
00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:31,439
Speaker 3: back at seven in the pocket. Because if there's a

633
00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,440
Speaker 3: way to disrupt this offense, if there's a way to

634
00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:35,600
Speaker 3: keep it out of Justin Jefferson's hand, it's with your

635
00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,760
Speaker 3: pass rush. And so the Rams, that's my sweet spot,

636
00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,040
Speaker 3: that's my wheelhouse. I can get pressure guard to guard,

637
00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:43,080
Speaker 3: I can puncture your pocket early. I can pull a

638
00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:46,000
Speaker 3: quarterback's eyes down. Now, whether I can finish those rushes

639
00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:48,480
Speaker 3: remains to be seen, but that, to me is the

640
00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:50,200
Speaker 3: path to victory for the Rams.

641
00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:50,480
Speaker 4: Yeah.

642
00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:52,959
Speaker 2: To me, when you look at their offenses, really run

643
00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:54,560
Speaker 2: run through Aaron Jones.

644
00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:55,920
Speaker 4: He's the guy. He's the key.

645
00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:58,680
Speaker 2: Like as much as we love Justin Jefferson and what

646
00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:01,160
Speaker 2: he's able to do in the passing game, last year

647
00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:05,520
Speaker 2: they were a terrible offense with a better quarterback because

648
00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:07,800
Speaker 2: they didn't have a running back that garnered all the

649
00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,560
Speaker 2: respect that Aaron Jones has. Aaron Jones has the ability

650
00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:13,320
Speaker 2: to take a handoff and go sixty. He could catch

651
00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:15,760
Speaker 2: the while out of the backfield. He could run receiver routes,

652
00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,600
Speaker 2: and it really simplifies things for Sam Darnold. Right, if

653
00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:20,960
Speaker 2: I put a lot, If I put Aaron Jones out

654
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,240
Speaker 2: at wide receiver on the far outside, and I have

655
00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,359
Speaker 2: a receiver on the slot and there's a linebacker out there,

656
00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:25,840
Speaker 2: guess what it is.

657
00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:27,439
Speaker 4: It's man, It's simple.

658
00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:29,359
Speaker 2: Or I can turn around and you know, do the

659
00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:32,720
Speaker 2: playfake again running similar of what the Rams run. Do

660
00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:35,400
Speaker 2: a play action pass and now I have a half

661
00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:36,239
Speaker 2: field read right.

662
00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:36,600
Speaker 4: And so.

663
00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:39,679
Speaker 2: The biggest thing is for the Rams is they have

664
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:44,520
Speaker 2: to nullify Aaron Jones, meaning no explosive plays from him,

665
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,159
Speaker 2: and then force him to have to drop back and

666
00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:49,119
Speaker 2: throw the ball. And again, I go back to their

667
00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:51,320
Speaker 2: their their last game, which is their only loss.

668
00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:53,200
Speaker 4: Detroit did that right.

669
00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,800
Speaker 2: When Detroit stopped the run finally and they were able

670
00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:59,439
Speaker 2: to play their coverage. Brian Branch was all over the

671
00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:01,600
Speaker 2: place getting picks left and right, and it seemed like

672
00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:03,639
Speaker 2: Sam really didn't have an idea what they were doing.

673
00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:05,800
Speaker 2: So you just have to figure out a way to

674
00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:08,600
Speaker 2: really get pressure on him. But you have to stop

675
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:11,080
Speaker 2: the run. First, stop Aaron Jones, and then let allow

676
00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:12,040
Speaker 2: Sam Darld to beat you.

677
00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:14,240
Speaker 3: He's been a head eight for years. The laundry is

678
00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:16,840
Speaker 3: different this year. But he's like pro Football focus is

679
00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,800
Speaker 3: number three back. He's having a great season and he's

680
00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:22,240
Speaker 3: given the Rams and fits. And what's troublesome to me

681
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:25,000
Speaker 3: is he's doing it against base defenses like they've been

682
00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:28,920
Speaker 3: getting explosive runs. Because it's Kevin O'Connell and I see

683
00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:30,680
Speaker 3: he's having a great year. I go in think into

684
00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:33,320
Speaker 3: my study. Okay, he's probably getting light boxes, right, they're

685
00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:36,320
Speaker 3: matching eleven personnel the defenses are and he's having success

686
00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:40,160
Speaker 3: in fable run situations. Oh no, No, he's getting explosives

687
00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,640
Speaker 3: off against bas defense, which is super impressive. And I

688
00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:45,560
Speaker 3: know this is not the premise of this conversation, but

689
00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:47,520
Speaker 3: if they get TJ. Hawkinson back, and I don't know,

690
00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:50,320
Speaker 3: we won't know until later today, that is a major

691
00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,480
Speaker 3: issue for a team right now. The Rams defense that

692
00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:56,320
Speaker 3: struggled to defend a posing tight ends. He levels up

693
00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:58,240
Speaker 3: that room in a big way if he plays.

694
00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:01,200
Speaker 1: I mean, Hawkinson accounted for I think about sixteen percent

695
00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,640
Speaker 1: of their offense in twenty twenty three at nine hundred

696
00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,960
Speaker 1: and sixty yards, and that was just behind Jefferson at

697
00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,920
Speaker 1: one thousand and seventy four. And to your point about

698
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:12,360
Speaker 1: Aaron Jones too, he's top ten right now in scrimmage

699
00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:16,000
Speaker 1: yards in the NFL, half of those coming through a

700
00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:18,840
Speaker 1: receiving ed and four hundred and forty three on the

701
00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:20,920
Speaker 1: opposite side on the ground. I mean, he is a

702
00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,560
Speaker 1: dual threat. There's no questions.

703
00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:23,560
Speaker 4: He's always been that way.

704
00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:25,480
Speaker 2: I remember him coming out of UTEP and I was

705
00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:27,560
Speaker 2: shocked that he failed to the fifth round. I was like,

706
00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:31,640
Speaker 2: this kid has game, Like he did everything Christian McCaffrey did,

707
00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:33,560
Speaker 2: but he was at UTAP and then he goes to

708
00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:35,160
Speaker 2: Green Bay and he doesn't get the same respect. And

709
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,640
Speaker 2: now all of a sudden, he has this team up

710
00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:41,000
Speaker 2: and running so very again defensively, you have your hands

711
00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:42,320
Speaker 2: full for sure on a short week.

712
00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:44,240
Speaker 3: I just kind of dawned on me though, like that's

713
00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:46,640
Speaker 3: why I love this game right now. Like, if we're

714
00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,560
Speaker 3: sitting here talking about the Rams making a playoff push,

715
00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:52,240
Speaker 3: maybe winning the NFCU West, what are you talking about

716
00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:54,920
Speaker 3: the right to play a home game in the postseason

717
00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:57,520
Speaker 3: against a wild card opponent that probably looks a lot

718
00:29:57,560 --> 00:29:59,479
Speaker 3: like the Minnesota Vikings. So you get it right now

719
00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:01,040
Speaker 3: before a hal I mean this is great. Go make

720
00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:01,640
Speaker 3: the most of it.

721
00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:03,800
Speaker 1: Well and Jab we were chatting a little bit last

722
00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:06,560
Speaker 1: night too in terms of what's regularly scheduled for the

723
00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,200
Speaker 1: RAMS and remaining give us a little breakdown because there

724
00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:11,560
Speaker 1: could be some added pressure for Los Angeles Rams in

725
00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:12,320
Speaker 1: the remaining schedule.

726
00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:14,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, shout out ten behind the scenes for pulling this out.

727
00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:15,800
Speaker 3: But like, you're going to go on the road and

728
00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:17,680
Speaker 3: play some really tough environments, and you're going to play

729
00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:20,280
Speaker 3: in primetime at SOFI Stadium, Like, this is the portion

730
00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,720
Speaker 3: of your schedule where it's your time to shine. If

731
00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:24,560
Speaker 3: you're ready for it, you'll stay right there and play

732
00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,560
Speaker 3: those games. If you're not, you might get that that

733
00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:28,560
Speaker 3: reverse flex action.

734
00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:29,479
Speaker 4: Yeah, we don't want that.

735
00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:30,160
Speaker 3: We don't want that.

736
00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:33,520
Speaker 1: No, no, we don't. Before we jump into our final

737
00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:37,920
Speaker 1: Keys to Victory, I'm curious whether you guys think that

738
00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:40,120
Speaker 1: this is possible or not. And I tend to think

739
00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:42,480
Speaker 1: that maybe there's something to what I'm just about to

740
00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:46,360
Speaker 1: bring up because it tends in our favor. The Lions hangover.

741
00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:48,080
Speaker 1: Have you heard anything about this.

742
00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:51,920
Speaker 3: I've experienced it exactly twice in twenty twenty four.

743
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:54,640
Speaker 1: Well, we were the first so teams that have faced

744
00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:57,479
Speaker 1: the Lions and taken a loss end up losing the

745
00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:02,440
Speaker 1: next game. It was the it was the Bucks. Uh.

746
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:04,880
Speaker 1: They lost to the Broncos the week after, The Cardinals

747
00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:07,000
Speaker 1: lost the Commanders the week after, The Seahawks lost to

748
00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:09,840
Speaker 1: the Giants the week after. And now could Minnesota be

749
00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:12,320
Speaker 1: the next victium especially on a short week.

750
00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:14,560
Speaker 2: You know that used to be the Niners thing. That

751
00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:16,200
Speaker 2: used to be the Niners deal. When you play the

752
00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:19,680
Speaker 2: Niners they were so physical that you lose the next week.

753
00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:23,280
Speaker 4: I'd love for that. I mean, that's I'd love for

754
00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:25,040
Speaker 4: that trend to keep going, right. Uh.

755
00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:28,400
Speaker 2: I just think this when you do play Detroit, they

756
00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:32,400
Speaker 2: played such a physical style of ball that you know

757
00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:36,000
Speaker 2: that physicality travels, and they it showed on Sunday, like

758
00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:39,560
Speaker 2: Detroit was way more physical in both the running game

759
00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:42,600
Speaker 2: and on defense than I've ever Like, I was like, oh,

760
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:44,360
Speaker 2: they're they're they're kind of starting to get in their

761
00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:47,840
Speaker 2: their their rhythm a little bit, and you got to

762
00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:50,480
Speaker 2: be prepared for that. I I just I just think

763
00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:52,440
Speaker 2: the travel that game, and the travel is going to

764
00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:54,160
Speaker 2: add a little bit to this game a little bit.

765
00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:56,880
Speaker 3: You're like trying to convince us that the lines are

766
00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,360
Speaker 3: the service Academy of the National Football League. You know

767
00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:03,680
Speaker 3: in college football, all you like, you like, pour into

768
00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:05,920
Speaker 3: that preparation. It's completely different than what you do. You

769
00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:07,720
Speaker 3: take all those bumps and bruises, and then the next

770
00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:10,200
Speaker 3: team on your schedule get you exactly.

771
00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,200
Speaker 1: Hey, if it works in our favor, I'll get the.

772
00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:13,920
Speaker 3: Ras are that next team on their schedule.

773
00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:18,520
Speaker 1: So all right, guys, just some final keys to victory JB.

774
00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:19,520
Speaker 1: I will start with you.

775
00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:21,240
Speaker 3: Don't start with me because I got the dumbest one of.

776
00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:25,880
Speaker 1: The starting because we had this conversation. You guys were

777
00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:28,640
Speaker 1: already chirping about it. So let's hear always.

778
00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:30,360
Speaker 3: I feel like we've covered like some of the technical

779
00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,440
Speaker 3: elements of this game, so I can go down this road.

780
00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:33,560
Speaker 4: Fair, let's go.

781
00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:37,040
Speaker 3: I am so done with deferring what that is?

782
00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:39,640
Speaker 4: That is you're supposed to do. You get the ball?

783
00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:41,920
Speaker 4: Why because you get the ball the second half at

784
00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:43,400
Speaker 4: least you have to do something with it. At least

785
00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:44,240
Speaker 4: you get an operation.

786
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,560
Speaker 3: That's you got to do something with it. And the

787
00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:49,719
Speaker 3: Rams don't control this because they're the home team, But

788
00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:51,960
Speaker 3: like am I kind of rooting for the Vikings to

789
00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:54,560
Speaker 3: win the coin toss? And defer a little bit. You

790
00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:57,880
Speaker 3: know why, because the Rams have not scored a first

791
00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:01,280
Speaker 3: drive touchdown all season. They haven't scored a first quarter

792
00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:03,520
Speaker 3: touchdown all season, and this is the game to do it.

793
00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:07,680
Speaker 3: Because the Vikings have outscored their opponents fifty eight to

794
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:10,920
Speaker 3: three in the first quarter. That is not a typo

795
00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,520
Speaker 3: plus fifty five their margin. They gave up a field

796
00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:16,400
Speaker 3: goal to the Giants in week one. They've outscored opponents

797
00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:19,440
Speaker 3: in the first frame fifty eight to zero. Since that

798
00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:21,480
Speaker 3: is no way to live against the Vikings.

799
00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:24,040
Speaker 2: You know, it's funny every time a person leaves his

800
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,000
Speaker 2: Rams offense and they go somewhere else, it seems like

801
00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:28,280
Speaker 2: that offense is explodes.

802
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:31,840
Speaker 4: Every time. I feel like it's just Lafloor leaves. He's

803
00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:32,200
Speaker 4: in great.

804
00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:36,880
Speaker 2: This is all over the place, right, what is it like?

805
00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:40,160
Speaker 2: Because why don't we have that right because we're not leaving. Yeah,

806
00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:44,000
Speaker 2: we're just staying here, right. We don't get that. I

807
00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:47,480
Speaker 2: do understand that. But in this game, I feel like

808
00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:50,160
Speaker 2: we want the ball in the second half so at

809
00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:51,400
Speaker 2: least we know where we are and I want to

810
00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:53,040
Speaker 2: right on the jump because if we get it right

811
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:54,600
Speaker 2: from the jump and we go three and out. Then

812
00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,960
Speaker 2: now we're really backed. We're swimming. Now we're they're trying

813
00:33:57,960 --> 00:33:58,200
Speaker 2: to water.

814
00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:00,560
Speaker 3: Here's the other thing with the new kickoff. With all

815
00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:02,840
Speaker 3: these touchbacks, you're getting the ball in the thirty you're

816
00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:06,080
Speaker 3: like one explosive player, like three first rounds from being

817
00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:09,959
Speaker 3: in field goal range to begin with shock the system,

818
00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:12,000
Speaker 3: like if you're getting the guys back and you feel

819
00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:14,000
Speaker 3: like this is your time to come alive on offense.

820
00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:16,799
Speaker 2: So so Stafford goes out there, they win the tass

821
00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:17,680
Speaker 2: He goes, we want the ball.

822
00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:20,880
Speaker 3: You're gonna be excited again. It's they don't get that

823
00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:22,759
Speaker 3: they're the home team, so they don't get to call it.

824
00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:28,279
Speaker 3: It's not there. Vikings lose it. Yes, I want to

825
00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:29,840
Speaker 3: say we want the ball and we're going to score.

826
00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:34,120
Speaker 4: Oh, coach Long, Matt Hasselbeck, we want the ball, We're

827
00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:35,320
Speaker 4: going to score. Wow.

828
00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:38,160
Speaker 3: If not now when it's week eight.

829
00:34:38,360 --> 00:34:41,920
Speaker 4: I don't know. I feel like we're almost at the halfway.

830
00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:43,040
Speaker 4: We have the halfway points.

831
00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:44,680
Speaker 3: If you want to shift some of the dynamics that

832
00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:46,719
Speaker 3: we just spent a half an hour talking about.

833
00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:48,560
Speaker 4: Like you score early, put a lot of pressure, it

834
00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:50,040
Speaker 4: looks different. Yeah, no, I agree.

835
00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:52,880
Speaker 1: All right, MJD. We're getting the wrap it up finger.

836
00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:58,000
Speaker 2: Like I think I've harped on it enough. Is that

837
00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:00,160
Speaker 2: whatever the package is for that cover zero.

838
00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:04,120
Speaker 4: It's offensively you have to execute that. I've seen that.

839
00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:09,000
Speaker 2: Destroy so many different teams. It's just like you have

840
00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,480
Speaker 2: to have a plan for it. If you have a plan,

841
00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:14,840
Speaker 2: I think it'll be awesome. Again, I think Brian Flores

842
00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:16,759
Speaker 2: a lot of people want him to be a head coach.

843
00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:19,200
Speaker 4: I think he's a terrific DC. I don't know how

844
00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:19,919
Speaker 4: good he is as.

845
00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:22,040
Speaker 2: A head coach, but I think he's probably the top

846
00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:25,200
Speaker 2: DC in the game, and that may be where he

847
00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:28,080
Speaker 2: stays because what he's able to do to offenses both

848
00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:32,600
Speaker 2: stop and the run in exotic looks and creating pressure

849
00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:36,440
Speaker 2: and simulating pressure really puts it puts tough on offenses.

850
00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:39,000
Speaker 4: So to me, how you handle that zero package?

851
00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:43,080
Speaker 2: I was up last night thinking about it, like, we

852
00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:46,160
Speaker 2: can't have a twenty twenty Dolphins. You can't have that

853
00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:48,759
Speaker 2: where your defense does all this great stuff and then

854
00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:50,840
Speaker 2: you give up two or three touchdowns on offense, Like.

855
00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:51,440
Speaker 4: You can't do that.

856
00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:54,680
Speaker 2: And Van Gingkles still there, right, didn't he score against

857
00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:56,520
Speaker 2: the the Rams in twenty twenty.

858
00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:59,400
Speaker 3: Yep, why you were waking up with cold sweatsman?

859
00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:01,719
Speaker 4: Like this dude is all over.

860
00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:04,280
Speaker 2: He just had a pick six in London. So again,

861
00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:07,000
Speaker 2: they have pieces. You just have to be able to

862
00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:07,560
Speaker 2: have a planet.

863
00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:11,680
Speaker 3: Excuse that plan, right, It's it's the National Football League.

864
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:16,160
Speaker 3: It's Thursday night football. Weird things happen. Yeah, And so

865
00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:18,560
Speaker 3: as as dim as some of this looks from a

866
00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:21,719
Speaker 3: matchup standpoint, I embrace it all because wouldn't it be

867
00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,400
Speaker 3: something if the Rams have their best offensive night of

868
00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:27,680
Speaker 3: the season against the best defense they're gonna face all season,

869
00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:28,879
Speaker 3: and they do it on a short week.

870
00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,160
Speaker 2: It reminds me of Pac twelve after dark. Some of

871
00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:33,239
Speaker 2: your best games happened in there, we called it. We

872
00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:36,360
Speaker 2: called a couple of those. Uh yeah, I think my

873
00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:38,319
Speaker 2: best game was Packed twelve after It was against Cal

874
00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:38,840
Speaker 2: at nighttime.

875
00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:39,840
Speaker 1: Wild things happened.

876
00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,319
Speaker 4: Wild things happened on the West coast at night. That

877
00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:43,040
Speaker 4: is true.

878
00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:47,160
Speaker 1: My last and final key. We're gonna move over here.

879
00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:50,760
Speaker 1: Uh and I'm actually gonna go the opposite direction because

880
00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:53,600
Speaker 1: I'm gonna ask the secondary to rise to the challenge.

881
00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:56,680
Speaker 1: We really didn't even discuss Justin Jefferson, who is, by

882
00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:59,240
Speaker 1: the way, the number one threat for the Minnesota Vikings.

883
00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,160
Speaker 1: So I like what I saw from this young defense.

884
00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:03,640
Speaker 1: I want to see them get after it. Can they

885
00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:07,000
Speaker 1: stack their performance? I know the Raiders were a different tests, however,

886
00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:11,120
Speaker 1: build that confidence going into this matchup. But everything's prettier

887
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,520
Speaker 1: under the lights and Sofi Stadium, that's for sure. And

888
00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:15,640
Speaker 1: Thursday night is going to be the place to be.

889
00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:18,640
Speaker 1: And I'll leave you with this too. The streak starts

890
00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:20,920
Speaker 1: at one, the words of Chris Shula after the win

891
00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:24,319
Speaker 1: over the Raiders, let's get to number two. I'm feeling it.

892
00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:24,759
Speaker 4: You're here.

893
00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:27,360
Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us so much. On Between the Horns

894
00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:30,320
Speaker 1: presented by your Southern California Toyta Dealers cameraonor when J. B.

895
00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:33,240
Speaker 1: Long and Maurice Jones drew We'll see you in Sofi

896
00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:44,560
Speaker 1: on Thursday