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Speaker 1: The lights are brighter on Sunday night because these guys

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Speaker 1: know that every other team is played, They're all watching,

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Speaker 1: and these guys are keenly aware of that, and so

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Speaker 1: you know, I think this is going to be a

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Speaker 1: really good game. Hey, everybody, Chris Harry with you on

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Speaker 1: a special Sunday night football edition of Chargers Weekly. A

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Speaker 1: star studded lineup including NBC's Al Michaels, Michelle Tafoya, Hall

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Speaker 1: of Fame, Hey coach Tony Dungee, Ed Buschett of the

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Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and Sam Farmer of the La Times

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Speaker 1: will preview Chargers Steelers, and we'll kick things off with

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Speaker 1: NBC's Peter King. All Right, my first guest, the gold

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Speaker 1: standard of pro football, writing his Football Morning in America

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Speaker 1: column appointment reading on Monday mornings. NBC's Peter King joins

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Speaker 1: me here on Chargers Weekly, and Peter, we've got quite

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Speaker 1: the treat in Pittsburgh waiting for us on sundaynight football.

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Speaker 1: How are you, sir? Everything's going great? How about you

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Speaker 1: doing very well? I want to start with your column

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Speaker 1: on Monday because you spoke to Ken wizzen Hunt about

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Speaker 1: Philip Rivers record setting day twenty five consecutive completions, and

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Speaker 1: I think a lot of people, like coach wizzen Hunt,

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Speaker 1: didn't even realize that he was nineteen of nineteen. At

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Speaker 1: the half, I heard the guys from from PTI talking

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Speaker 1: about how it's kind of like a no hitter because

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Speaker 1: there was some throws in there where receivers had to

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Speaker 1: make some some pretty impressive catches. What did you think

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Speaker 1: of Philip's performance? I mean, it's I find it really

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Speaker 1: amazing when you think about this that, you know, the

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Speaker 1: two guys at the end of the two thousand and

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Speaker 1: five season, you know who the San Diego Chargers had

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Speaker 1: to consider, what are we going to do with quarterback?

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Speaker 1: We got one guy who we drafted number one a

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Speaker 1: year and a half prior to that, and you know

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Speaker 1: in the first round who we like, and we got

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Speaker 1: another guy we like who in the last game of

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Speaker 1: the season, you know, got a really significant show older

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Speaker 1: injury that requires surgery. So what do we do? So

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Speaker 1: they did the logical thing, the smart thing, I think

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Speaker 1: over time, and they picked Philip Rivers and they let

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Speaker 1: Drew Brees go out and seek his fortune. And what

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Speaker 1: I find so interesting is that here's the New Orleans Saints,

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Speaker 1: you know, obviously sitting there at the top of the

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Speaker 1: NFC South. And you've got the Los Angeles Chargers, you know,

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Speaker 1: contending for the division lead in the AFC West, and

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Speaker 1: they're both being led by old quarterbacks who are, without

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Speaker 1: any question, in each case, each having their best year.

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Speaker 1: I think it's phenomenal. I think it's a stereo great story.

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Speaker 1: And what else is so cool about it is what

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Speaker 1: I really like is that Drew Brees and Philip Rivers

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Speaker 1: never let this sort of become a divide in their

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Speaker 1: relationship or in their friendship. They have true admiration for

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Speaker 1: each other, and whenever they get together in their little

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Speaker 1: training camp visits, it's just like old times. It's it's

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Speaker 1: it's just like it was back in the summer of

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Speaker 1: two thousand and four, the summer of two thousand and

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Speaker 1: five in training camp, where they were battling each other

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Speaker 1: to start at quarterback for the Chargers. But it was

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Speaker 1: never a battle that turned either unfriendly or or nasty

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Speaker 1: in any way. Because these are two I mean, I'll

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Speaker 1: just say this. You know, of all the players I

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Speaker 1: cover right now in the NFL, if you ask me,

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Speaker 1: name me the ten like best people, uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: on and off the field, guys who do things for

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Speaker 1: others off the field, and guys who were just good

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Speaker 1: human beings. As these guys be in the top ten

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Speaker 1: easy and maybe in the top two, they're tremendous guys.

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Speaker 1: And I think Rivers this year, it's it's so cool

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Speaker 1: to watch him really the last two years. I think,

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Speaker 1: I think since the Thanksgiving game against the Cowboys a

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Speaker 1: year ago, to just watch watch how he's played over

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Speaker 1: those seventeen games, and he's just he's ridiculously, he's out

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Speaker 1: of control. Great, and so I think it's it's a

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Speaker 1: cool time in his life, and it's kind of a

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Speaker 1: cool time to root for the Chargers. And you mentioned

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Speaker 1: this in your column, Peter. They're thirteen and four since

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Speaker 1: that Thanksgiving game, and I think the last time I

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Speaker 1: spoke with you was right before that game. You had

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Speaker 1: Philip on your podcast a couple of weeks ago, and

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Speaker 1: for Chargers fans that have not listened to it, please

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Speaker 1: do yourself a favor and do it. He said a

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Speaker 1: lot of interesting things. What intrigued you most about that conversation, Peter,

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Speaker 1: I think just the fact that I don't know if

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Speaker 1: you if if it comes across at least to you.

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Speaker 1: But I mean, so you're around him a lot, and

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Speaker 1: I think people aren't around him a lot, you know.

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Speaker 1: Like I always say this to people. You know, there's

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Speaker 1: some like big stars in the NFL who I think

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Speaker 1: America simply doesn't don't know. And I think Philip Rivers

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Speaker 1: is one of those guys, and maybe the premier guy.

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Speaker 1: But I always say to people just I mean, if

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Speaker 1: you have a chance, And that's one of the one

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Speaker 1: of the things I told a bunch of people, I said,

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Speaker 1: just listen to Philip Rivers for twenty six minutes in

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Speaker 1: this thing. If you don't walk away from that from

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Speaker 1: that listening experience on my podcast. And look, I'm not

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Speaker 1: trying to promote my podcast, I'm really not. I'm just

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Speaker 1: simply saying that if you listen to him and don't

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Speaker 1: come away thinking I wish that at one in my

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Speaker 1: life I could have played on an athletic team with

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Speaker 1: that guy. I think they're nuts. I mean, you know,

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Speaker 1: he's everything that's good about sports and everything that's unselfish

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Speaker 1: about sports. And I always I find the really interesting

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Speaker 1: thing about Philip Rivers that I had him I don't

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Speaker 1: know what it was like three years ago on the podcast.

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Speaker 1: It was when it was coming down to the choice,

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Speaker 1: you know, the voters in San Diego, you know, vote

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Speaker 1: for this new stadium or not vote for it or whatever.

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Speaker 1: And Philip Rivers was passionate about why the stadium should

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Speaker 1: be built. And he talked about look what downtown San

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Speaker 1: Diego's done for the padres all that stuff and and

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Speaker 1: and it was and it was good. He was he

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Speaker 1: was really h he was really full of passion that day.

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Speaker 1: But then for training and Coast amazing. Now they're the

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Speaker 1: Los Angeles Chargers, and he talks Evan gelically about how

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Speaker 1: great it's going to be in Orange County and then

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Speaker 1: in LA and all that, and so, you know, and

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Speaker 1: he means it. He's not he's not he's not phonying

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Speaker 1: it up at all. You know. He says, Hey, this

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Speaker 1: is gonna be great. And I think I think he's

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Speaker 1: just uh, I think he's just a really fun human

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Speaker 1: being and a good passionate guy. And and that's a

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Speaker 1: guy I'd want to be the quarterback of the team

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Speaker 1: that I roote for. And I don't want to give

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Speaker 1: anything away with that conversation. But I'll just say that

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Speaker 1: when he talked about that AFC Championship game and leading

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Speaker 1: up to it and talking to his family and talking

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Speaker 1: to his mom, I thought that part was the top

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Speaker 1: for me in a lot of different directions that you

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Speaker 1: guys went. But Peter, let's you know what, the one

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Speaker 1: the one thing I'll just the one point I'll make

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Speaker 1: about that one that I thought was so interesting. I

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Speaker 1: phoned Nick Hardwin before doing this, and I was talking

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Speaker 1: to him of Philip. And obviously everybody knows that Nick

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Speaker 1: Hardwick snapped the ball one hundred and six games to

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Speaker 1: not everybody knows, but he he sacked the ball one

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Speaker 1: hundred and six games to Philip Rivers And they're really

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Speaker 1: good pals and all that, and he's a great guy.

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Speaker 1: And and one of the things that Hardwick said to

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Speaker 1: me is that, I mean, he was he was so

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Speaker 1: crestfallen and he called his mother and said, Mom, I'm

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Speaker 1: it's the biggest game in my life. I'm not going

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Speaker 1: to get to play in it. And it was like,

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Speaker 1: you know what, it reminded me of like I was

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Speaker 1: hurt once for a soccer game that I played in

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Speaker 1: high school in Connecticut in my in my glory days

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Speaker 1: back in the seventh couldn't play. And it reminds me

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Speaker 1: justin what I said to my parents, Oh my god,

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Speaker 1: this is the biggest I can't play. And I was

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Speaker 1: I was like, I'm almost bawling, and I could just

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Speaker 1: I could hear. It was the same thing with Philip

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Speaker 1: Rivers because he's so he's so passionate about about playing football.

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Speaker 1: It was such a good conversation, so charges face. If

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Speaker 1: you haven't listened to it, please please go find Peter's

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Speaker 1: podcast and listen to that conversation. Peter listen moved to Pittsburgh.

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Speaker 1: There's so much meat on the bone here. You got

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Speaker 1: the class of two thousand and four. You got brothers,

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Speaker 1: the Pouncy brothers going head to head, you got the

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Speaker 1: Watt brothers going head to head. What are you gravitating towards? First?

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Speaker 1: And this one, I mean, you know, this is I

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Speaker 1: agree with you. This is a totally totally fascinating game.

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Speaker 1: In no particular order, the three things that I think

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Speaker 1: are most interesting. Number one, you know, if the season

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Speaker 1: ended today, it would be Chargers at Steelers Week thirteen,

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Speaker 1: then Chargers at Steelers Wildcard week five weeks later. Wow,

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Speaker 1: and that is kind of interesting because these are teams

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Speaker 1: don't play each other every year, and now they could

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Speaker 1: play each other twice in like thirty three days or

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Speaker 1: something like that. That's that's one of the things that

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Speaker 1: interests me. The second thing is that, so I really

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Speaker 1: believe right now that this Chargers team is capable capable

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Speaker 1: over a game defensively, and I want to see how

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Speaker 1: Pittsburgh blocks Ingram and Bosa. It really looks like Bosa

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Speaker 1: is getting into gear and all that, so I I

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Speaker 1: kind of want to see that. And then lastly, you know,

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Speaker 1: to me, I think one of the one of the

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Speaker 1: things when you look at Pittsburgh's defense, I thought that

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Speaker 1: it was, uh, you know, without Ryan Shazier, that they

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Speaker 1: were really going to struggle. But I found it very

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Speaker 1: interesting watching the game last Sunday, the Steelers at Denver.

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Speaker 1: In the middle of the third quarter, Tony Romo said

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Speaker 1: that he thinks that Pittsburgh right now is the most

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Speaker 1: complete team in the AFC. And so that really, I mean,

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Speaker 1: Tony Romo is Joe film guy. I mean, he watches

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Speaker 1: a lot I know of which I speak there, and

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Speaker 1: so he's watching every team and for him to think

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Speaker 1: and again, Look, obviously, seventy minutes later, would he be

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Speaker 1: saying the same thing with Ben Roethlisberger is thrown an

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Speaker 1: interception to a defensive tackle. Maybe not, I don't know,

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Speaker 1: But but the Pittsburgh has rebounded from a year ago

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Speaker 1: the tragedy involving Ryan Try's ear and the end of

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Speaker 1: his career apparently, and they have rebuilt a pretty good defense.

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Speaker 1: So I think it's going to be a great test

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Speaker 1: for the Chargers, and I think it's going to be

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Speaker 1: a fabulous game. Peter, I want to get your take

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Speaker 1: on this, because we've seen centers go to teams and

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Speaker 1: have immediate impacts. I think the first that comes to

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Speaker 1: mind for me is like Alex Mack going to Atlanta

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Speaker 1: a few years ago. Yeah, it would Pouncey has given

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Speaker 1: to this offense I don't think can be understated because

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Speaker 1: you look at Melvin Gordon's all Pro season right now

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Speaker 1: and just the protection that Phillip has been getting. He'll

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Speaker 1: face his brother across the field. They have nine Pro

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Speaker 1: Bowl appearances between the two of them. But when you

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Speaker 1: look at the landscape of free agents this past season

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Speaker 1: and the current impact they're having on their new teams,

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Speaker 1: I don't know if there's one that's having a bigger

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Speaker 1: impact than Mike Pouncey games. Yeah. I mean I think

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Speaker 1: one of the things when I look at at Pouncey

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Speaker 1: right now, I mean, I don't think he's you know,

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Speaker 1: I don't think he's all pro level right now, But

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Speaker 1: I do think that he studied a line that really

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Speaker 1: needed a strong guy in the pivot, and I think

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Speaker 1: that has been vitally important for them. He's not allowed

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Speaker 1: seepage on pass plays, which I think is really really

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Speaker 1: important because even though Rivers does get rid of the

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Speaker 1: ball quickly, you need to make sure was so many

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Speaker 1: good defensive tackles playing now that the middle of your

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Speaker 1: line can hold up. And he's done a very good

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Speaker 1: job there. But I just think the fact that he's

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Speaker 1: a veteran guy who comes in and basically plays a

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Speaker 1: position that was so desperately needed. I think that's that's

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Speaker 1: been really a great thing for the Chargers. Peter, last

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Speaker 1: thing for you. The Chargers thirteen and four since Thanksgiving,

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Speaker 1: and Anthony Lynn deserves much of that credit. And he

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Speaker 1: has an unmatched coaching tree. When you talk about his

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Speaker 1: coaching career, Bill Walsh identified him as a coach I

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Speaker 1: learned from Mike Shanahan, Bill Parcels, what do you think

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Speaker 1: of the job that coach Lynn has done here so

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Speaker 1: far in Los Angeles? I realized that there's much to

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Speaker 1: be written the second season, but he's certainly has has

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Speaker 1: developed a culture here and guys are believing inside that

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Speaker 1: locker room, you know. I think it's I think he's

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Speaker 1: been terrific um not only um, not only sort of

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Speaker 1: handling his team, but I think in establishing a toughness

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Speaker 1: and that comes from in part, uh, you know, coaching

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Speaker 1: under Parcels and and and as a player too, he

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Speaker 1: was a he was a real hard nosed guy. And

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Speaker 1: and I think that has been good. And I also think,

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Speaker 1: I think a good coach lets his coaches coach. If

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Speaker 1: you hire somebody to coach, you let him coach, and

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Speaker 1: you uh, you know, you have input to be sure.

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Speaker 1: But but I think, uh, I think that that he's

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Speaker 1: allowed Ken Wizzen uh, you know, with some reminders. Hey,

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Speaker 1: let listen, let's I want to run the ball, and

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Speaker 1: Wizzen un knows that he wants to run it too.

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Speaker 1: But I and there have been some reminders about that

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Speaker 1: in the first couple of years, but I think they

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Speaker 1: have really gotten along well. And I think that one

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Speaker 1: of the strengths of a really good coach is hiring

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Speaker 1: good coaches letting him coach, and he's done that. I

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Speaker 1: think some of the things he's done. Aside from that,

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Speaker 1: I think he has set a really a really good

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Speaker 1: standard with his team, and he's had smart people. You

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Speaker 1: know that Kobe Bryant come in. Obviously, he's I think

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Speaker 1: he knows how to get because he's been sitting in

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Speaker 1: the chair of the fifty three guys in that room.

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Speaker 1: I think he knows how to get the most out

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Speaker 1: of his players. He has seen in his career what

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Speaker 1: works and he's seen in his career what hasn't worked.

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Speaker 1: And I think he's really pressed all the right buttons

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Speaker 1: and a nomination of him, you know, when Philip Rivers

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Speaker 1: playing so well, I think it's been a it's been

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Speaker 1: a great thing for this franchise early on, you know,

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Speaker 1: in their new tenure in la Peter King NBC, Peter,

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Speaker 1: I always learned something when I talk to you, I

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Speaker 1: really can't thank you enough for your time. We got

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Speaker 1: a treat on Sunday and hoop to talk to you

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Speaker 1: down the line. Sounds great. Chris's great being on with you.

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Speaker 1: All right. Before we get to Michelle Tafoya, I want

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Speaker 1: to tell you that the LA Chargers rely on Bows

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Speaker 1: QC thirty five headphons two to blackout distractions and focus

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Speaker 1: or whatever you're passionate about. Learn word Bows dot com

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Speaker 1: Slash Chargers Bows the official headphones of the LA Chargers.

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Speaker 1: All right, my next guest, we'll be on the sidelines

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Speaker 1: this Sunday night when the Chargers take on the Steelers

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Speaker 1: from Hinesfield. NBC's Michelle Tafoya, one of the very best

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Speaker 1: in this business, joins me on Chargers Weekly and Michelle,

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Speaker 1: we're excited to see you in Pittsburgh on Sunday. How

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Speaker 1: are you. I'm good and I shouldn't say this out loud,

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Speaker 1: but I'm hoping when the weather is, you know, tolerable.

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Speaker 1: I hope it's southern California like we'll see this December

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Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh. You never know, but you never know, Michelle,

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Speaker 1: this one got flexed, so this wasn't originally on the

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Speaker 1: Sunday Night football schedule, and I think you have to

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Speaker 1: go back to December of twenty fourteen, that was the

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Speaker 1: last time the Chargers played on Sunday Night and only

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Speaker 1: five Chargers currently on that active roster. How enjoyable is

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Speaker 1: that process for you? Of digging into a new team

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Speaker 1: and working a game featuring a team that you Alan

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Speaker 1: Chris haven't seen her a while. It's a challenge, but

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Speaker 1: it is fun. You know, we get used to seeing

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Speaker 1: kind of the usual suspects on Sunday Night football, so

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Speaker 1: this is kind of a surprise one for us. I

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Speaker 1: don't think any of us expected the Chargers to be

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Speaker 1: kind of this the story that they are, So this

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Speaker 1: is really fun. And like you said, some of the

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Speaker 1: guys we've known, because Antonio Gates has been there since

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Speaker 1: I was eight, I think, and and Philip Rivers. You know,

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Speaker 1: it's one of those guys that everyone in the NFL love.

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Speaker 1: So this will be fun. There's no shortage of storylines either.

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Speaker 1: So you talk about the quarterbacks class of two thousand

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Speaker 1: and four, you got playoff positioning, you got a pair

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Speaker 1: of brothers going head to head. Where does it start

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Speaker 1: for you in the storylines department? Well, you do look

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Speaker 1: at all the obvious ones, and then we as a

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Speaker 1: crew ask ourselves, how do we want to approach these?

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Speaker 1: You know, who do I want to talk to you

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Speaker 1: during the week. So I kind of have my own

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Speaker 1: checklist of players that I'm going to talk to you

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Speaker 1: this week and on both teams, and we sort of

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Speaker 1: approach it, you know, how do we want to do this?

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Speaker 1: How do we want to cover the brothers angle that

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Speaker 1: sort of thing. So it's it's we dig into everything.

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Speaker 1: No stone is unturned on Sunday Night football, and that's

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Speaker 1: the way we like it. Quarterback class. At two thousand

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Speaker 1: and four, Ben Roethlisberger Philip Rivers seventh and eighth, respectively,

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Speaker 1: all time in passing yards. Does it surprise you at all,

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Speaker 1: Michelle that both players are playing at such a high level.

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Speaker 1: In your fifteen Philip just set that scene game consecutive

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Speaker 1: completions record, you know what. Like I said before, everyone

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Speaker 1: loves Philip Rivers and I've seen exceptional playout of this

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Speaker 1: guy so many times. That street the other day was

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Speaker 1: kind of cool, you know, it was was really neat

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Speaker 1: to see, very unexpected. Those are the kinds of things

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Speaker 1: that I think are just um, good surprises and you

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Speaker 1: know when you see Tom Brady tweeting out something about it,

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Speaker 1: and you know, Phillip's just one of those guys who's

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Speaker 1: never I don't think gotten his due because of probably

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Speaker 1: because of where he plays, and probably because of the

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Speaker 1: lack of success that the Chargers have had over the

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Speaker 1: course of time. I mean, look, he's played in some

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Speaker 1: playoff games. He played injured in a playoff game years ago,

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Speaker 1: so there is he has the stuff, Um, but this

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Speaker 1: might be a little bit more. This is it's great

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Speaker 1: to have him on national television in prime time to

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Speaker 1: let people know what this guy's all about. And you

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Speaker 1: can't take these games for greata Michelle, because you know,

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Speaker 1: Ben and Philip they're not in the same division and

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Speaker 1: they don't play each other every year. This is the

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Speaker 1: year that the Chargers played the AFC North, So it

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Speaker 1: could be the last time that they share a field together.

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Speaker 1: Is completely possible. Yeah, it is, unless they meet up

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Speaker 1: in the playoffs. Yes, that's true. Year. You're right, You're right.

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Speaker 1: This year is could definitely be that. You know, we

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Speaker 1: don't know how much longer Ben's going to hang around.

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Speaker 1: I guess we could say the same for Philip, although

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Speaker 1: I get the sense that that Ben has taken a

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Speaker 1: little bit more of a physical beating and might might

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Speaker 1: decide to step down sooner than than Philip does. But

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Speaker 1: you're right, it's it's that's what makes this one unique,

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Speaker 1: and it makes it really interesting because, like you said,

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Speaker 1: similar age, similar things, all that, but they are very

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Speaker 1: I think, different kinds of quarterbacks in their personalities, in

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Speaker 1: their strengths, and so I just that part of the

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Speaker 1: matchup is is really fun. No, they're not on the

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Speaker 1: field at the same time. We get that part of it,

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Speaker 1: but you can't help but compare. You know, here comes

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Speaker 1: to Pittsburgh offense. What's Ben gonna do? How's he going

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Speaker 1: to escape the rush this time? And how's he going

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Speaker 1: to extend to play? Here comes Philip? What kind of

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Speaker 1: dime is he gonna drop? Who's he going to put

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Speaker 1: it on this time? You know? What are they gonna do?

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Speaker 1: So it's us It's a really interesting pair of guys

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Speaker 1: to see and like you said, you don't see it

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Speaker 1: very often, you know, Michelle. I talked to Derek Watt

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Speaker 1: earlier this week for our Backstage Chargers podcast, and of

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Speaker 1: course he's gonna face his brother TJ. It's the first

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Speaker 1: time that they've ever faced off as opponents, and of

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Speaker 1: course Mike and Marquise Pency, they're not going to be

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Speaker 1: on the field together. But two starting centers playing at

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Speaker 1: a high level. We've seen Peyton and Eli. I think

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Speaker 1: that's the gold standard when we talk about brothers on

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Speaker 1: a national stage. But can you remember a game where

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Speaker 1: you've had a pair of brothers that are really all

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Speaker 1: four are prominent on their football teams, you know, I

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Speaker 1: feel like and I wish I had thought about this earlier,

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Speaker 1: because I feel like earlier this season we did have

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Speaker 1: a pair of brothers and it's uh and I'm trying

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Speaker 1: to remember who it was. They were offensive linemen and

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Speaker 1: it'll come to me eventually. But you're right, this is

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Speaker 1: a little bit different. I mean, the Watt family is

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Speaker 1: kind of special in the NFL. They are a special

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Speaker 1: kind of player. They're very special people I can speak

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Speaker 1: to that I've gotten to know JJ fairly well and

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Speaker 1: that we all know what kind of guy he is,

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Speaker 1: So that one's fun. And the fact that they do

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Speaker 1: step on the field at the same time, you know,

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Speaker 1: you've got an offense and a defensive player that's fun.

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Speaker 1: The Pouencies have done it before, but so it's kind

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Speaker 1: of nothing new for them, but it's still it's still

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Speaker 1: fun to have these twins, you know, playing the same

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Speaker 1: position on the field for the same game. So that's

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Speaker 1: another interesting, little kind of underlying story. You know. It

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Speaker 1: adds to that, to Michelle, the fact that all three

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Speaker 1: brothers are on AFC teams that are currently in a

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Speaker 1: position to get in the playoffs. I think as a

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Speaker 1: brother unit, they're twenty three nine and one this year.

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Speaker 1: So not only have three brothers in the NFL, you

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Speaker 1: have three brothers on teams that look to be in

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Speaker 1: playoff position, which is pretty remarkable. I always go back

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Speaker 1: to what Mike Tomlin said when he first got a

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Speaker 1: Watt on his team. You know, there's JAJ, there's TJ. Anyway,

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Speaker 1: he said, everybody needs a watch. And I think he's right,

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Speaker 1: because you know they are. He's not. I mean, these

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Speaker 1: are guys that work extremely hard, they don't take anything off,

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Speaker 1: they're passionate, they're great teammates and so and what's neat

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Speaker 1: about these three is that they all want to live

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Speaker 1: near each other. When it's all said and done, I

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Speaker 1: think they're building now They've got a big plot of

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Speaker 1: land out in Wisconsin, and you could just see these

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Speaker 1: guys grown old together, all their kids playing together, their

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Speaker 1: wives being buddies and just hunting together and all that

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Speaker 1: stuff out in Wisconsin. That's how close this family is,

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Speaker 1: and it's it's really unusual and neat to see. It's awesome. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: Derek said, they're all on a group chat this week

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Speaker 1: and it'll probably get a little heated as the week progresses.

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Speaker 1: But you know, TJ has ten sex in the year.

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Speaker 1: Chargers got a big boost getting Joey bose back a

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Speaker 1: couple of weeks ago. He sacked Josh Rosen twice last Sunday.

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Speaker 1: How much better does he make this defense? Michelle that

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Speaker 1: already bow Pro Bowl caliber players talking about Melvin Ingram,

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Speaker 1: Casey Hayward and the rookie Derwin James. Yeah, I think

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Speaker 1: Derwin James has been a really fun surprise and I

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Speaker 1: think is a legitimate part of the conversation for defensive

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Speaker 1: Rookie of the Year. But anytime you add to the

427
00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:20,000
Speaker 1: front level, that first level of defense a guy the

428
00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,960
Speaker 1: caliber of Joey Boza and you're getting him at just

429
00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:26,400
Speaker 1: the right time, you know he's had to overcome the injury.

430
00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:31,359
Speaker 1: He's back, assuming that he can play, even at ninety percent,

431
00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:34,080
Speaker 1: Joey Boza is better than no Joey Bosa at all,

432
00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:36,600
Speaker 1: and better than a lot of defensive linemen in the

433
00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:38,760
Speaker 1: league as it is. So yeah, I think it's a

434
00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:42,200
Speaker 1: huge addition to what you said to players on all

435
00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:45,520
Speaker 1: three levels that are really making a difference, making an impact.

436
00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:47,639
Speaker 1: It's not going to be easy for Pittsburgh, and I

437
00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,440
Speaker 1: realized the Cardinals are struggling this year, but they held

438
00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,640
Speaker 1: Arizona to twenty five total yards in the second half

439
00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:55,680
Speaker 1: of that game, So defense looks to be clicker a

440
00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:57,840
Speaker 1: little bit. It is. It is crazy just because it's

441
00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,639
Speaker 1: an NFL team. Yeah, that's right. Are all paid the

442
00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:03,760
Speaker 1: same and they're all talented. Michelle, you had an opportunity

443
00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:06,480
Speaker 1: to see these Steelers up close in Pittsburgh earlier in

444
00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:08,399
Speaker 1: the year. I know they lost to the Ravens twenty

445
00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:11,400
Speaker 1: six fourteen, but since then they've been hot. They won

446
00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:15,240
Speaker 1: sixth straight up until last Sunday. What's the biggest challenge

447
00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:18,800
Speaker 1: you think for the Chargers going to Pittsburgh at night

448
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,200
Speaker 1: at Hinesfield. I think that's what what you just said

449
00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,800
Speaker 1: at Pittsburgh at night Hinestield. It's a it's a different

450
00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:28,879
Speaker 1: kind of crowd, and they are they love their Steelers,

451
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,520
Speaker 1: and every home team does. But this is a tradition,

452
00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,240
Speaker 1: you know, and if the weather's ikey or whatever, this

453
00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:38,000
Speaker 1: is not a hospitable place to play. This is not

454
00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:41,200
Speaker 1: going into a dome. This is this is going into

455
00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:45,240
Speaker 1: hostile territory, and it's a place where on this Pittsburgh team,

456
00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:49,160
Speaker 1: there are a good number of guys on that team

457
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,000
Speaker 1: who have been together for a long time, and that

458
00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:54,040
Speaker 1: Mike Thomins been there for a long time. Funny thing

459
00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:57,119
Speaker 1: when we got there earlier this year and things, you know,

460
00:25:57,160 --> 00:25:59,560
Speaker 1: they sputtered out of the gate, the Steelers, and of

461
00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,679
Speaker 1: course every time that happens, you go, oh, this is

462
00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:05,719
Speaker 1: the year. Tomlin's on the hot beat. Tomlins just he

463
00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,480
Speaker 1: never wavers, He never he just is as steady as

464
00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,600
Speaker 1: they come. He He's just flatline. Even though he's an

465
00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,960
Speaker 1: emotional and a really fun guy to talk to, he

466
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:19,640
Speaker 1: doesn't he doesn't, you know, let those things bother him.

467
00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:23,639
Speaker 1: He doesn't get ruffle. The process stays the same. He

468
00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,600
Speaker 1: stays the same. And here you are, they're looking at

469
00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,919
Speaker 1: a playoff Berth again, and I think that you know,

470
00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,399
Speaker 1: you've got a quarterback who's really motivated by the fact

471
00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,040
Speaker 1: that he knows he's facing I'm not saying this is

472
00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:39,800
Speaker 1: his last year, but last year we thought he might

473
00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:41,880
Speaker 1: be retiring at the end of the season. We don't

474
00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,720
Speaker 1: know what's in Ben's mine, but I think he's very, very,

475
00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:49,040
Speaker 1: very motivated, and and that defense is always motivated. So

476
00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:51,360
Speaker 1: it is not going to be easier for the Chargers.

477
00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:54,600
Speaker 1: Having said that, look, there is no reason they can't

478
00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,480
Speaker 1: go in there and win. I think they're talented enough

479
00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:58,040
Speaker 1: to do that. I'm sure they're going to be missing.

480
00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:02,400
Speaker 1: You know, they're running back and it's it's you've got

481
00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,600
Speaker 1: a nice little backup in the rookie. And so I'm

482
00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:06,760
Speaker 1: not gonna I'm not going to say that often Eckler

483
00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:08,760
Speaker 1: can't get them what they need, but Melvin Gordon is

484
00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:11,520
Speaker 1: special and that hurts them, but you know what, they'll

485
00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:13,639
Speaker 1: find a way around it. Yeah, Melvin's having an all

486
00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,320
Speaker 1: Pro season over twelve hundred yards total from scrimmage, thirteen

487
00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:19,800
Speaker 1: total touchdowns. But Michelle, you know, I go back to

488
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,240
Speaker 1: there was a five week stretch where this Chargers team

489
00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:24,240
Speaker 1: was on the road they were in Cleveland, they're in London,

490
00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,040
Speaker 1: they went to Seattle, they went to Oakland, and they

491
00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:30,280
Speaker 1: went four. And oh. So I think having that past

492
00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,359
Speaker 1: experience at least prepares you for a hostile environment. It

493
00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:35,680
Speaker 1: doesn't mean it's going to be easier, but at least

494
00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:39,199
Speaker 1: it prepares you for what to expect on Sunday. It

495
00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:42,240
Speaker 1: not only did it to prepare them for what to expect,

496
00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:46,600
Speaker 1: but it also showed them and gave them proof that

497
00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:50,919
Speaker 1: they can win in those situations. And so, yeah, Pittsburgh's different,

498
00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,280
Speaker 1: but but you know, Oakland's not an easy place. Although

499
00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:57,119
Speaker 1: the team is not nearly as formidable as most teams

500
00:27:57,119 --> 00:28:01,200
Speaker 1: this year, but still those are roads. Those are road games.

501
00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:04,360
Speaker 1: You're facing fans as well as the teams, and so

502
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,199
Speaker 1: you can go in there and be successful. And you know,

503
00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,760
Speaker 1: this Chargers team is kind of on this interesting role

504
00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:15,040
Speaker 1: right now. And even when Gordon got injured last week,

505
00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,160
Speaker 1: Ekeler came in there and did what they needed to do.

506
00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,040
Speaker 1: And then you know, you've got Keenan Allen who's playing

507
00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:24,119
Speaker 1: really well and a lot of these weapons on offense

508
00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:27,200
Speaker 1: for Philip, and Philip is just honestly, I have seen

509
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,159
Speaker 1: him play some brilliant football. He just doesn't get in

510
00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:32,960
Speaker 1: the conversation enough because they haven't gone to the Super

511
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,040
Speaker 1: Bowl because they you know, they're in San Diego. They're

512
00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,600
Speaker 1: kind of that little brother to the Rams thing. But

513
00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:40,640
Speaker 1: this is a good night for them to come out

514
00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:43,120
Speaker 1: and show the country who they are and what they're

515
00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:45,040
Speaker 1: made of. Michelle will get you out here on this.

516
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,840
Speaker 1: You've had the opportunity to see a lot of these

517
00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:50,800
Speaker 1: elite AFC teams up close to the season. Talked about

518
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,760
Speaker 1: the Chargers as of now eight and three with five

519
00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:55,920
Speaker 1: games to play in December. How do you think this

520
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:59,440
Speaker 1: team measures up to what you've seen from the likes

521
00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,160
Speaker 1: of the Dealers, the Chiefs, the Patriots and company. Entering

522
00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:05,760
Speaker 1: week thirteen, I would say we're going to put the

523
00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,520
Speaker 1: Chiefs in their own little category because they're like a

524
00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:11,040
Speaker 1: little video game going on on offense over there. It's

525
00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:14,920
Speaker 1: amazing to watch, and it is. It is a special

526
00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:19,160
Speaker 1: group of talent, a special you know, roster. It's really different,

527
00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,000
Speaker 1: but we're going to find out. I think this is

528
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,280
Speaker 1: a really good litmus test for the Chargers to see

529
00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:27,360
Speaker 1: how they compare. You know, look, all of those teams

530
00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,000
Speaker 1: you just mentioned have their issues. They all have their

531
00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:32,920
Speaker 1: weaknesses and strengths. But we're now heading into this final

532
00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:36,080
Speaker 1: kind of quarter of the season, if you will, where

533
00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:39,120
Speaker 1: it's the fourth quarter, and this is where teams prove

534
00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:41,520
Speaker 1: what they're made of, what they've got and what they're

535
00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:43,520
Speaker 1: going to do with it, and their mindset and their

536
00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:48,440
Speaker 1: abilities mentally to take on these tests and prove you know, look,

537
00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,520
Speaker 1: we've got talent. You've got talent, you've got the home field.

538
00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:53,440
Speaker 1: We don't, but we really want to win, and so

539
00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,760
Speaker 1: do you Now who's going to go out there and execute,

540
00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:57,920
Speaker 1: who's gonna have the best game plan, who's going to

541
00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,480
Speaker 1: win the coaching chess match? All those things get put

542
00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,240
Speaker 1: to the test, and it's it's the lights are brighter

543
00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,360
Speaker 1: on Sunday night because these guys know that every other

544
00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:09,760
Speaker 1: team is played except for the Monday night teams, and

545
00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:11,640
Speaker 1: they're all they've all gone home and they're turn on

546
00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:14,880
Speaker 1: their TVs and everyone's turn on the TVs. They're all watching,

547
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,880
Speaker 1: and these guys are keenly aware of that, and so um,

548
00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:20,760
Speaker 1: you know they're gonna I think this is gonna be

549
00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:24,240
Speaker 1: a really good game. We can't wait. Michelle Tafoya, NBC

550
00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:27,200
Speaker 1: Center Night football, Michelle, great stuff. Thank you so much

551
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,040
Speaker 1: for your time, and we really look forward to see

552
00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:33,680
Speaker 1: you for having me. Well see in Pittsburgh. Well, you

553
00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:35,840
Speaker 1: know it's a big game. One of my next guest

554
00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:39,840
Speaker 1: is at the Hope Performance Center. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, Sam,

555
00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:42,440
Speaker 1: how are you. I'm doing great, Chris. Great to see you.

556
00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:44,600
Speaker 1: So the last two weeks I've seen you. We saw

557
00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,320
Speaker 1: you a stuff Hope Center. Yeah, with the Chargers beat

558
00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:49,880
Speaker 1: the Cardinals. Forty five ten didn't start so great, but

559
00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:52,640
Speaker 1: forty five on answer, have you seen anything like that? No,

560
00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:56,600
Speaker 1: you know, there was something. There was like this casual

561
00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:00,160
Speaker 1: feel to Philip and the way he was throwing the ball.

562
00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:03,240
Speaker 1: To me, it looks like a guy throwing darts, and

563
00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:06,880
Speaker 1: you know there are such those were spirals that could

564
00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:11,720
Speaker 1: just cut glass. That everything was tight, thrown into tight,

565
00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:16,000
Speaker 1: you know. And somebody on Twitter was saying, you know,

566
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:17,920
Speaker 1: it was a dink and dunk game. It didn't feel

567
00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:20,360
Speaker 1: like a dunk game to me at all. It's felt

568
00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:25,760
Speaker 1: like a perfectly controlled passing attack where he went deep

569
00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,280
Speaker 1: when he needed to go deep, he hit guys underneath

570
00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:32,440
Speaker 1: when he needed to, and it just seem Yeah, some

571
00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,160
Speaker 1: great catches this guy sold out for it, and it

572
00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:39,880
Speaker 1: was just really fun to watch. And you know, that

573
00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:43,360
Speaker 1: was a signature game for Philip Rivers. I think, and

574
00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:46,520
Speaker 1: and you know the argument you're hearing more and more

575
00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:50,640
Speaker 1: now because of the stage of his career is is

576
00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:53,320
Speaker 1: Philip Rivers a Hall of Fame quarterback? And more and

577
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,160
Speaker 1: more you're hearing, yes, he is. Even though he doesn't

578
00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:59,480
Speaker 1: have the hardware to back that up like a Ben

579
00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,560
Speaker 1: roethlis Burger or Eli Manning, two other guys from his class,

580
00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:09,240
Speaker 1: he has consistently been excellent, consistently elite, and it's fun

581
00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:11,560
Speaker 1: to see because he's such a good guy and you

582
00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:14,720
Speaker 1: pull for a guy like that. It's fun to see

583
00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:17,360
Speaker 1: the ruts of his labor payoff with the game Like Sunday,

584
00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:20,360
Speaker 1: you know same. It was ironic too, because Tony Gonzalez

585
00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,600
Speaker 1: before the Game of Fox, he said that Philip Rivers

586
00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,000
Speaker 1: is the best quarterback to never win a Super Bowl.

587
00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,280
Speaker 1: He included, I mean that includes Marino, that includes Jim Kelly.

588
00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:31,680
Speaker 1: Then he goes out and has that performance. Then you

589
00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,080
Speaker 1: hear guys like Tom Brady praised him, and Brett Farves

590
00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:37,400
Speaker 1: said he's the most underappreciated quarterback of all time. I

591
00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,560
Speaker 1: think folks are starting to realize and you're fifteen. Philip

592
00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:42,520
Speaker 1: has not in control of this team, but he's been

593
00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:44,800
Speaker 1: doing this for a long time. He has, and you know,

594
00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:48,960
Speaker 1: I think it points to a larger thing about the Chargers,

595
00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:55,320
Speaker 1: and that is every team gropes for some hint of disrespect.

596
00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:58,320
Speaker 1: And we saw, you know, most recently with the Eagles

597
00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:01,720
Speaker 1: and the underdog masks and the where all we need

598
00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,640
Speaker 1: and the whole team motto thing. The Chargers have it

599
00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:07,920
Speaker 1: gift wrapped for them. Every week. They have a truckload

600
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:11,240
Speaker 1: of this arrive at the facility and dump it off

601
00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:16,800
Speaker 1: every week of you know, people, this team has flown

602
00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:21,040
Speaker 1: under the radar. And we talked about this, Chris. I mean,

603
00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:24,400
Speaker 1: you talk about the Sunday night game. Listen, if Pittsburgh

604
00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:27,760
Speaker 1: wins this game, people are just gonna the Chargers will be,

605
00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:30,840
Speaker 1: you know, the Washington Generals whatever, They're going to be

606
00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:33,760
Speaker 1: the team that nobody talks about. It's gonna be, Oh yeah,

607
00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:38,400
Speaker 1: it's the Steelers. What happens if the Chargers win this,

608
00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:42,960
Speaker 1: I mean, it changes the whole AFC narrative and people say, wow,

609
00:33:43,040 --> 00:33:46,760
Speaker 1: this team is for real coming across the country. Playing

610
00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:50,880
Speaker 1: at a franchise that always plays well in primetime, maybe

611
00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,040
Speaker 1: has to deal with a little weather, certainly has to

612
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:58,080
Speaker 1: deal with an allowed environment. And you know, there's something

613
00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:03,120
Speaker 1: to me about this team that feels battle hardened. And

614
00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:06,000
Speaker 1: I think part of it is they're not tethered to

615
00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,400
Speaker 1: any kind of home field advantage. They haven't been reliant

616
00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:11,359
Speaker 1: on this. They don't need to be at their home

617
00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:14,120
Speaker 1: field to play their beasts. Wellston, they were on the

618
00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:16,560
Speaker 1: road for five weeks and I was on that trip

619
00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:19,640
Speaker 1: with them. When you go to Cleveland and at that time,

620
00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:22,880
Speaker 1: the Browns had played every game within three or four points.

621
00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:26,240
Speaker 1: They blew out the Browns. You go to London, stay

622
00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:28,959
Speaker 1: in Cleveland. You gotta beat the Titans, a hard fog

623
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,600
Speaker 1: game without Melvin Gordon, bye week, go to Seattle, get

624
00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:35,200
Speaker 1: a pick six late from Desmond King. You controlled that

625
00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:37,400
Speaker 1: game for the most part in probably the most hostile

626
00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:39,480
Speaker 1: place to play. We talk about hind Field, seattles right

627
00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:41,520
Speaker 1: up there with it. And then you go to Oakland.

628
00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:44,399
Speaker 1: We know Oakland's been struggling, but I think that five

629
00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:48,959
Speaker 1: weeks stretch has prepared them for moments like this. When

630
00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:51,560
Speaker 1: you know, listen, it's not just the Steelers. We talked

631
00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,640
Speaker 1: about it earlier. The Chiefs. You got the Ravens, you

632
00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,520
Speaker 1: got the Bengals, and you got the Broncos on the road.

633
00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:00,840
Speaker 1: So five tough games in December, but it's starts in Pittsburgh,

634
00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:03,399
Speaker 1: and these guys seem prepared for it. Yeah. I mean

635
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:08,480
Speaker 1: it's you know, I keep looking at this team and

636
00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:12,080
Speaker 1: looking at the Rams naturally being the two LA teams

637
00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:15,799
Speaker 1: and both doing so well, and I think which team

638
00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:18,360
Speaker 1: is better suited to make a deep run into the playoffs.

639
00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:21,200
Speaker 1: I mean, the Rams are obviously very impressive in what

640
00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:25,920
Speaker 1: they've done offensively and have exciting players and everything. But

641
00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:29,520
Speaker 1: you look at the Chargers this season, quarterback, you know

642
00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:31,799
Speaker 1: the team you have to go through right now as

643
00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:34,480
Speaker 1: the Kansas City Chiefs. Well, I don't think the Chiefs

644
00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:36,600
Speaker 1: want to play the Chargers three times. I mean Chiefs

645
00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:39,840
Speaker 1: almost lost to the Chargers in the opener. The team

646
00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:42,919
Speaker 1: in the NFC is the Saints and playing in the Dome,

647
00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:44,640
Speaker 1: and that's a tough place, and that might be the

648
00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:47,560
Speaker 1: best team in football right now. I almost look at

649
00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:51,400
Speaker 1: it and say, the Chargers have a better chance right

650
00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:55,759
Speaker 1: now to make a deep run. So it'll be just

651
00:35:55,880 --> 00:36:00,279
Speaker 1: very interesting to watch. I just think this team is

652
00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:04,560
Speaker 1: still overlooked and you can't go to sleep on him

653
00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:08,759
Speaker 1: because because they're they're really talented, and they got a

654
00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:12,200
Speaker 1: great quarterback, and now they got Joey Bosa back, and

655
00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:15,719
Speaker 1: so they can they've their defense. The one thing I

656
00:36:15,719 --> 00:36:19,520
Speaker 1: would say with the Steelers is if you're the Chargers,

657
00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:21,839
Speaker 1: you're really concerned about him running the ball down your

658
00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:24,839
Speaker 1: throat because of the injuries, because of Mebane's not gonna

659
00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:29,080
Speaker 1: be in this game because Denzel Perriman. You know, are

660
00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:32,360
Speaker 1: they gonna play ball control in Pittsburgh and run it

661
00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:35,720
Speaker 1: down your throat. I'm intrigued to see how this defense

662
00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:38,439
Speaker 1: responds to December when you have a lot of tough

663
00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:41,839
Speaker 1: opponents on the schedule. Joey Bosa's back. He's been back

664
00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:43,640
Speaker 1: for two weeks, but I think he was officially back

665
00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:46,520
Speaker 1: last week with those two sacks on Josh Rosen. He

666
00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:49,360
Speaker 1: makes everything better on all three levels of the defense.

667
00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:52,680
Speaker 1: I think the run defense too. I mean, he's really

668
00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:55,799
Speaker 1: underrated in that aspect of his game. They shut the

669
00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:58,520
Speaker 1: Cardinals down twenty five total yards in the second half

670
00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:00,920
Speaker 1: of the Cardinals It's hard to believe even I mean

671
00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:02,759
Speaker 1: I know that the Cardinals struggling, but this is an

672
00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:06,319
Speaker 1: NFL team team. I was in Kansas City a couple

673
00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:09,600
Speaker 1: of weeks ago for the Cardinals playing there, and they

674
00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:11,839
Speaker 1: made it interesting in the fourth quarter. I didn't think

675
00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:15,880
Speaker 1: they we're gonna win. But until Rosen was picked justin

676
00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:18,920
Speaker 1: Houston picked Rosen at the line of scrimmage, they had

677
00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:22,759
Speaker 1: a chance. They were hanging in there. And so it

678
00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:27,200
Speaker 1: is an NFL team and for the Chargers to shut

679
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:31,279
Speaker 1: down the Cardinals so thoroughly really says something about this

680
00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,880
Speaker 1: LA team. James Connor though the last two weeks he's

681
00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:37,520
Speaker 1: been slowed a little bit, so I agree with you.

682
00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:39,760
Speaker 1: I'm InTru to see how they stopped the run because

683
00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:42,160
Speaker 1: you have to account for James Connor. I think with

684
00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:45,840
Speaker 1: the the Broncos rather said they did was they sold

685
00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:48,600
Speaker 1: out to stop Antonio Brown and try to stop Juju

686
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:50,800
Speaker 1: Smith shoester. I think one hundred and ninety yards receiving.

687
00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:53,600
Speaker 1: But is that the game plan? You think? Try to

688
00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:56,440
Speaker 1: not late eighty four beat you and take your chances

689
00:37:56,440 --> 00:37:59,640
Speaker 1: with the other guys. I think so, I don't look

690
00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:03,640
Speaker 1: at James. James Connors is incredibly special back, you know,

691
00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:06,879
Speaker 1: to me, it's a little like DeMarco Murray a few

692
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:10,600
Speaker 1: years ago where he is a huge game against where

693
00:38:10,640 --> 00:38:14,240
Speaker 1: he has a huge season rather built behind that line,

694
00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:17,000
Speaker 1: and he leaves that line and he's not play really

695
00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:19,759
Speaker 1: well with Mike Muncheck at the home. Yes, what they've

696
00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:24,040
Speaker 1: done in Pittsburgh with the offensive line, I think I'm

697
00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:26,160
Speaker 1: not saying you could put any back back there, but

698
00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:28,719
Speaker 1: it's a little like Denver in the old days where

699
00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:31,759
Speaker 1: they had a lot of thousand yard backs who were

700
00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:36,680
Speaker 1: sort of guys before they were just guys name Mike

701
00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:43,200
Speaker 1: Anderson played as Garytist absolutely and so I mean James

702
00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:45,439
Speaker 1: Connor has done a really nice job, but I don't

703
00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:48,880
Speaker 1: think it's Levion Bell back there, and so it'll be

704
00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:53,320
Speaker 1: very interesting. Um See, I don't think that that's the

705
00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:57,800
Speaker 1: guy who's gonna kill you, but you know, certainly I

706
00:38:57,840 --> 00:39:01,000
Speaker 1: could be wrong. Sam. I love these games and always

707
00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:03,600
Speaker 1: love talking ball with you, just not only this era,

708
00:39:03,719 --> 00:39:06,279
Speaker 1: but you know, you go back ten, fifteen, twenty years ago,

709
00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:09,279
Speaker 1: and with this game so many fun storylines. You talked

710
00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:11,440
Speaker 1: about the class of two thousand and four with Eli

711
00:39:11,719 --> 00:39:15,400
Speaker 1: and Philip and Big Ben their seventh and eighth I

712
00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:19,160
Speaker 1: believe in all time passing yards respectively. Big Ben has

713
00:39:19,239 --> 00:39:22,640
Speaker 1: the two rings. But you know, Philip, we talked about

714
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:26,680
Speaker 1: his credentials already at this point. I love that storyline.

715
00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:29,840
Speaker 1: I love the Watt brothers storyline to Pouncey Brothers storyline.

716
00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:33,400
Speaker 1: And there's a lot to this outside of just playoff position.

717
00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:35,759
Speaker 1: And there really is. And you even go back to

718
00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:39,720
Speaker 1: the you know, the charge was only Super Bowl appearance.

719
00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:41,840
Speaker 1: They had to go through Pittsburgh and beat Pittsburgh and

720
00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:44,359
Speaker 1: they you know, I mentioned that on Twitter, and people

721
00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:46,200
Speaker 1: gave me flak for that. They're like, oh, well, you know,

722
00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:48,120
Speaker 1: this isn't a really a rematch. I'm like, well, it's

723
00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:51,520
Speaker 1: it's a pretty significant time in the history of the Chargers.

724
00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:54,160
Speaker 1: I mean, that was the place where they clinched their

725
00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:56,960
Speaker 1: only Super Bowl berth in ninety four. Absolutely, I mean

726
00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:59,440
Speaker 1: that was that was really historic. I mean, if you

727
00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:01,560
Speaker 1: go back, if you want to go to all the

728
00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:04,239
Speaker 1: it was coming back on the plane from that game

729
00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:08,279
Speaker 1: that San Diego made the agreement with the Chargers that

730
00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:11,440
Speaker 1: they'd have a ticket guarantee. I mean that really there

731
00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:13,600
Speaker 1: are a lot of things that came out of that game,

732
00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:17,279
Speaker 1: not the least of which was the Charger's only Super

733
00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:21,120
Speaker 1: Bowl appearance, so you know there's history there. This is

734
00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:25,520
Speaker 1: a historic place. If the Chargers want to plant their

735
00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:29,720
Speaker 1: flag in the sort of the story of the NFL.

736
00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:33,839
Speaker 1: This is a crown jewel franchise. There's a prime opportunity

737
00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:36,920
Speaker 1: on Sunday Night football to go out there and tilt

738
00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:40,120
Speaker 1: the balance of power toward the West Coast because I

739
00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:42,720
Speaker 1: think everybody looks at it and they say and Anthony

740
00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,360
Speaker 1: Lynn talked about it, talked about it today, was just

741
00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:49,239
Speaker 1: you know, you think of West Coast players all they're

742
00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:51,920
Speaker 1: used to the sunshine, but whether they can't handle it,

743
00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:54,680
Speaker 1: it would be a real slap in the face if

744
00:40:54,719 --> 00:40:58,080
Speaker 1: the Chargers were to go to that place. And when

745
00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:02,600
Speaker 1: it's a prime opportunity, it really is. It's a prime

746
00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:07,239
Speaker 1: opportunity for this team. The AFC. We talked about the

747
00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:10,319
Speaker 1: Chiefs a little bit. The Steelers were rolling up until

748
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,840
Speaker 1: losing to the Broncos. Patriots of the Patriots, they dropped

749
00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:15,719
Speaker 1: a few they probably shouldn't have, but they're going to

750
00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:19,560
Speaker 1: be there at the end looking at this AFC. And

751
00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,000
Speaker 1: based on what you said about the NFC, where you

752
00:41:22,080 --> 00:41:25,759
Speaker 1: have I mean, the Saints are hotter than anybody the

753
00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:29,160
Speaker 1: rams are rolling. How do you look at the AFC landscape?

754
00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:32,080
Speaker 1: And I think a lot will be determined Sunday if

755
00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:33,640
Speaker 1: the Charges will take care of business and get to

756
00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:35,799
Speaker 1: dine at three. Looks like it's a division that could

757
00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:39,200
Speaker 1: be up for grabs. Yeah, or conference rather Yeah, And

758
00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:42,640
Speaker 1: I think this conference sort of is the is the

759
00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:46,879
Speaker 1: usual suspects, the teams that we look at, the New

760
00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:50,919
Speaker 1: Englands and the Pittsburgh's and maybe even you could stick

761
00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:56,000
Speaker 1: up Baltimore in there, but teams that are consistently hanging around,

762
00:41:56,520 --> 00:41:59,040
Speaker 1: and then the sneaky teams. And I'd certainly put the

763
00:41:59,160 --> 00:42:01,640
Speaker 1: Chargers at the top the list there. But you also

764
00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:03,680
Speaker 1: have to look at the Texans and winning eight in

765
00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:05,560
Speaker 1: a row and just the way they're doing it. That's

766
00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:10,759
Speaker 1: small feet and the Colts. The Colts are are coming on,

767
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:13,920
Speaker 1: you know, whether they are able to get in or

768
00:42:14,040 --> 00:42:16,880
Speaker 1: not with the way that Andrew Luck's plan, that's a

769
00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:21,160
Speaker 1: stingy defense, you know, t Y Hilton, It's uh, they're

770
00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:24,480
Speaker 1: a really interesting story. Yeah, it's amazing. You started one

771
00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:27,040
Speaker 1: in five and you know the same with the Texans.

772
00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:29,880
Speaker 1: The Texans were owing three and someone brought up to

773
00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:32,160
Speaker 1: this point I forget who it was, but that fourth

774
00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:35,759
Speaker 1: game went to overtime against I want to say was

775
00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:39,440
Speaker 1: the Colts, and they won that game to avoid going

776
00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:41,719
Speaker 1: to Owen four the Texans did, and then since then

777
00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:45,120
Speaker 1: the Colts have been on fire. So so both teams

778
00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:48,279
Speaker 1: with that trajectory going up. It just shows you how

779
00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:50,960
Speaker 1: long the course of an NFL season and the ups

780
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,320
Speaker 1: and down, the trials, the tribulation, absolutely, and the and

781
00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:58,239
Speaker 1: the you know how we try to ascertain after a

782
00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:00,320
Speaker 1: few weeks which are the good teams in or not.

783
00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:04,080
Speaker 1: You can't really do that because there's so many ups

784
00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:07,720
Speaker 1: and downs during the season. And looking at the Colts,

785
00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:10,560
Speaker 1: the way they've protected Andrew Luck, I mean it's you know,

786
00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:13,279
Speaker 1: between two thy twelve and twenty and sixteen, there was

787
00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:18,080
Speaker 1: nobody completely different operation. And I think they've gone maybe

788
00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:21,560
Speaker 1: five games without giving up a sack. And so that's

789
00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:24,239
Speaker 1: a team you have to be concerned with. Certainly the

790
00:43:24,360 --> 00:43:27,600
Speaker 1: Texans we saw him come on now, Lamar Miller playing

791
00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:30,200
Speaker 1: the way he is and Deshaun Watson looking a little

792
00:43:30,239 --> 00:43:33,520
Speaker 1: bit like he did last season. That's such a loaded defense.

793
00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:36,279
Speaker 1: You concerned a little bit about the secondary there. But

794
00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:41,439
Speaker 1: but they've got so much a firepower up front. That's

795
00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:45,120
Speaker 1: a team that could could make some noise in the postseason.

796
00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:48,280
Speaker 1: So the AFC in that log jam is really interesting.

797
00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:51,799
Speaker 1: NFC is interesting too, But it seemed like last year

798
00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:54,160
Speaker 1: all the storylines were in the NFC and the AFC

799
00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:57,480
Speaker 1: was just kind of the Patriots and yeah and everybody else. Yeah,

800
00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:01,600
Speaker 1: now we're getting more storylines in the FC and certain Chargers.

801
00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:06,600
Speaker 1: Oh look at the look at the championship teams last year. Uh,

802
00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:11,080
Speaker 1: you know, you got Philadelphia, which we can get to that,

803
00:44:11,280 --> 00:44:13,560
Speaker 1: but they the way they've fallen off, they don't have

804
00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:17,880
Speaker 1: any quarterbacks. Yeah, you know, absolutely, And you think, okay,

805
00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:21,080
Speaker 1: look at the next three weeks. LA is center stage

806
00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:23,560
Speaker 1: on Sunday Night Football. You've got two games that were

807
00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:27,839
Speaker 1: flexed into this week Charges of Pittsburgh, next week Rams

808
00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:30,600
Speaker 1: at Chicago. Both of those were flexing into not originally

809
00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:33,360
Speaker 1: planned at Sunday night games. The one that was planned

810
00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:36,000
Speaker 1: as a Sunday night game, the Eagles at the Rams.

811
00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:38,319
Speaker 1: They might have to flex out of that game if

812
00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:40,399
Speaker 1: you believe that, which is I don't know if they've

813
00:44:40,440 --> 00:44:42,840
Speaker 1: ever flexed out of a game with a defending champion,

814
00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:46,040
Speaker 1: you know, defending champion against the team that's that's ten

815
00:44:46,120 --> 00:44:48,320
Speaker 1: and one right now, and you're gonna flex out of it.

816
00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:51,279
Speaker 1: But you know, that's certainly got to be a consideration.

817
00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:53,600
Speaker 1: If the Eagles lose this week on Monday Night Football

818
00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:57,880
Speaker 1: to the Redskins and then are you know, sort of

819
00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:01,120
Speaker 1: dead team walking then, And if the Rams were to

820
00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:04,200
Speaker 1: lock things up divisionally or maybe even get a first

821
00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:08,640
Speaker 1: round by that's so, it's just it's a testament to

822
00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:10,680
Speaker 1: the parody in this league. And now we have a

823
00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:14,960
Speaker 1: Chicago Bears team that's eight and three, and how funny

824
00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:18,160
Speaker 1: it is a couple of years ago everybody was kind

825
00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:20,440
Speaker 1: of down on the Bears for draft and Mitchell Trubisky

826
00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:23,200
Speaker 1: and praising the forty nineers to getting Solomon Thomas and

827
00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:26,240
Speaker 1: that that extra pick that was Ruben Foster. How quickly

828
00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:28,160
Speaker 1: things changed in a couple of years. Oh yeah, And

829
00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:30,640
Speaker 1: that's and that's why I always laugh at the at

830
00:45:30,719 --> 00:45:33,160
Speaker 1: the grading the drafts. I think those were so still

831
00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:35,359
Speaker 1: fun in the moment. Yeah, it's fun in the moment.

832
00:45:36,719 --> 00:45:39,560
Speaker 1: Nobody ever goes back and looks at how people graded,

833
00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:42,400
Speaker 1: or you know, they seldom go back and look at

834
00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:45,160
Speaker 1: the sort of revisionist historians to say, oh, yeah, I

835
00:45:45,239 --> 00:45:48,000
Speaker 1: knew that was the case. But so many times we

836
00:45:48,120 --> 00:45:52,399
Speaker 1: see things that were viewed uh, you know, even going

837
00:45:52,480 --> 00:45:54,600
Speaker 1: back to the Rams and you think, oh, the cupboard's bear.

838
00:45:54,960 --> 00:45:57,640
Speaker 1: All they got is uh Gerald Everett, all they got

839
00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:01,040
Speaker 1: is Cooper cup All they got is uh John Johnson

840
00:46:01,120 --> 00:46:04,239
Speaker 1: and anyway, guys who all made a difference in that

841
00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:08,360
Speaker 1: Monday night game. Yeah against the Chiefs. It's kind of

842
00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:12,200
Speaker 1: folly to say this team did poorly in the draft

843
00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:14,480
Speaker 1: right away. You can go back three or four years

844
00:46:14,600 --> 00:46:19,000
Speaker 1: later and say, Okay, now you know Solomon Thomas, where's

845
00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:22,200
Speaker 1: he match up? Certainly Ruben Foster, where's he match up?

846
00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:25,680
Speaker 1: Was that a good move? But at the time it's

847
00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:28,160
Speaker 1: it's kind of silly. It is. It's silly, all right, Sam,

848
00:46:28,239 --> 00:46:31,080
Speaker 1: final thing for you, what are you looking for on

849
00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:32,840
Speaker 1: Sunday night? What do you think is going to decide

850
00:46:32,880 --> 00:46:35,640
Speaker 1: this game? Based on which assault from the Chargers last

851
00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:38,640
Speaker 1: week and throughout the season, and obviously a Steelers team

852
00:46:39,080 --> 00:46:41,960
Speaker 1: that no bones about it, they're tough at home. Yeah,

853
00:46:42,239 --> 00:46:44,400
Speaker 1: I you know, there's so many elements of this thing.

854
00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:47,799
Speaker 1: I think going into this without Melvin Gordon is tough.

855
00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:51,759
Speaker 1: Austin Ekeler has been very effective, but can you get

856
00:46:51,840 --> 00:46:54,000
Speaker 1: him going. Can you establish the run, get the play

857
00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:57,200
Speaker 1: action going, and get those receivers involved like he did

858
00:46:57,320 --> 00:47:00,440
Speaker 1: last week. Can they get to Ben Roethlisberger and get

859
00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:05,800
Speaker 1: him down? All those things I think are quite possible

860
00:47:05,880 --> 00:47:09,440
Speaker 1: for the Chargers. And so if you could take the crowd,

861
00:47:09,520 --> 00:47:11,200
Speaker 1: if the Chargers can take the crowd out of the

862
00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:17,080
Speaker 1: game early and not make this a Pittsburgh coronation, don't

863
00:47:17,560 --> 00:47:20,000
Speaker 1: make it like last week where they fall behind ten nothing,

864
00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:23,759
Speaker 1: because if that crowd's engaged and it's loud, and the

865
00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:28,520
Speaker 1: team loses its confidence. So I think what happens in

866
00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:31,600
Speaker 1: the first half and in the first quarter is going

867
00:47:31,640 --> 00:47:34,640
Speaker 1: to be critical for the Chargers projecting out to the

868
00:47:34,719 --> 00:47:37,640
Speaker 1: whole game, because if they fall behind early, they could

869
00:47:37,640 --> 00:47:41,239
Speaker 1: be in trouble. But hey, you know, like I said,

870
00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:43,920
Speaker 1: this is a battle hardened team. This is a team

871
00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:48,440
Speaker 1: that in some ways, let's face it, it's played sixteen

872
00:47:48,520 --> 00:47:52,080
Speaker 1: road games, is a team that is not reliant on

873
00:47:52,200 --> 00:47:55,839
Speaker 1: a home field advantage. So I think those teams travel well,

874
00:47:55,920 --> 00:47:59,840
Speaker 1: and like like anything Lynn said today, this team's built

875
00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:03,600
Speaker 1: for December. And so we'll see, We're going to find

876
00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:06,319
Speaker 1: out first game for them in December gets no better

877
00:48:06,520 --> 00:48:09,839
Speaker 1: than December football in Pittsburgh Sunday. That's gonna be fun. Sam,

878
00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:12,680
Speaker 1: can't wait forward, looking forward to seeing you there and

879
00:48:13,239 --> 00:48:18,359
Speaker 1: we'll catch up in Pittsburgh. Sounds great, Thanks, Chris. All Right,

880
00:48:18,360 --> 00:48:20,440
Speaker 1: to get this week's supposing view, we bring in a

881
00:48:20,520 --> 00:48:23,359
Speaker 1: gentleman who knows the Pittsburgh Steelers better than anybody. He's

882
00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:26,000
Speaker 1: covered the team for thirty three years. Ed Bouchette of

883
00:48:26,080 --> 00:48:28,960
Speaker 1: the Pittsburgh Post Gazette joins me on Chargers Weekly. Ed,

884
00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:32,719
Speaker 1: how are we doing? Sorry, I'm great, Chris. Thanks for

885
00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:36,080
Speaker 1: having me on here. I'm grateful for the time. Ed.

886
00:48:36,160 --> 00:48:39,520
Speaker 1: Let's start with last Sunday, where, similar to the Chargers,

887
00:48:39,760 --> 00:48:42,440
Speaker 1: the Steelers sixteen winning Street came to an end by

888
00:48:42,480 --> 00:48:44,920
Speaker 1: the hands of the Broncos. They lost twenty four to seventeen,

889
00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:48,600
Speaker 1: and again, like the Chargers, the Steelers had opportunities to

890
00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:51,879
Speaker 1: win it. What were the reasons that prevented them from

891
00:48:51,920 --> 00:48:54,839
Speaker 1: making it seventh straight? Yeah, that loss was more at

892
00:48:54,880 --> 00:48:59,120
Speaker 1: the hands of the Steelers, I think, Chris, because they did.

893
00:48:59,200 --> 00:49:01,200
Speaker 1: They moved the ball up and down the field over

894
00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:06,719
Speaker 1: five hundred yards. In offense, they blew one touchdown when

895
00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:10,880
Speaker 1: their third string tight end Xavier Grimble was wide open,

896
00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:14,960
Speaker 1: he caught a ball. It would have been a twenty

897
00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:19,440
Speaker 1: four yard touchdown except he fumbled at the one when

898
00:49:19,480 --> 00:49:22,480
Speaker 1: he was hit by a safety and fumbled the ball

899
00:49:22,600 --> 00:49:24,879
Speaker 1: into the end zone and out of bounds. And it's

900
00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:29,719
Speaker 1: a crazy rule, but nobody recovered it. But by a

901
00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:32,520
Speaker 1: rule that that goes back to the twenty yard line,

902
00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:36,320
Speaker 1: it's a touchback, not a touchdown. And they had a

903
00:49:36,560 --> 00:49:39,279
Speaker 1: field goal block. Denver did a good job of that.

904
00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:44,520
Speaker 1: But the Steelers James Conner lost another fumble deep in

905
00:49:46,120 --> 00:49:50,719
Speaker 1: Denver territory and then Ben Roethlisberger through that interception you've

906
00:49:50,760 --> 00:49:52,959
Speaker 1: probably seen if the goal line, it would have tied

907
00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:54,839
Speaker 1: it if they could have scored a touchdown there at

908
00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:58,600
Speaker 1: the end. So turnovers were four enough, and then that

909
00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:00,680
Speaker 1: was the story of that tale. There you go. And

910
00:50:00,960 --> 00:50:05,280
Speaker 1: also when Chris Boswell's throwing touchdown passes to Villa Nueva,

911
00:50:05,360 --> 00:50:07,359
Speaker 1: you know it's a it's kind of a wacky game, huh,

912
00:50:08,080 --> 00:50:12,120
Speaker 1: right it was. That's the first first offensive lineman to

913
00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:17,080
Speaker 1: catch touchdown pass for the Steelers thirty five years. Chris unbelievable.

914
00:50:17,280 --> 00:50:19,400
Speaker 1: You know what we heard a lot about the Broncos

915
00:50:19,920 --> 00:50:23,560
Speaker 1: doubling ab trying to take hey in Juju smith Schuster

916
00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:26,040
Speaker 1: out of the game and then letting everybody else beat

917
00:50:26,120 --> 00:50:28,800
Speaker 1: you was that the Broncos strategy did they try to

918
00:50:28,840 --> 00:50:31,440
Speaker 1: employ on Sunday had Well, that's what they said they

919
00:50:31,480 --> 00:50:33,279
Speaker 1: tried to do. They didn't do a very good job

920
00:50:33,360 --> 00:50:37,400
Speaker 1: of covering Juju Smith's shuster though he had on one

921
00:50:37,480 --> 00:50:43,640
Speaker 1: hundred and most one hundred and ninety yards on one play, right, yeah, yeah,

922
00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:46,759
Speaker 1: ninety seven on that one play. And uh, you know

923
00:50:46,800 --> 00:50:51,520
Speaker 1: Antonio Brown uh did catch nine passes, but they didn't

924
00:50:51,520 --> 00:50:55,440
Speaker 1: go very far. I think was his longest was fourteen um.

925
00:50:56,200 --> 00:50:59,200
Speaker 1: But you know, he he has a lot of receivers,

926
00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:02,880
Speaker 1: Chris and that he goes to I think he brewed

927
00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:05,759
Speaker 1: and well he didn't cond of the guy who caught it,

928
00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:09,680
Speaker 1: Bosiball through the touchdown pass the kicker. There were nine

929
00:51:09,760 --> 00:51:13,040
Speaker 1: different receivers and they threw to ten. The only one

930
00:51:13,080 --> 00:51:16,279
Speaker 1: they threw too didn't catch who was a rookie James Washington,

931
00:51:16,800 --> 00:51:19,440
Speaker 1: who was you know, from from out that way. And

932
00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:26,279
Speaker 1: I just don't think that I don't think he even

933
00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:29,480
Speaker 1: has a number one receiver anymore. He's president ball around

934
00:51:29,560 --> 00:51:32,040
Speaker 1: so much. Well, this one was a big time game.

935
00:51:32,120 --> 00:51:35,200
Speaker 1: And what are the Steelers saying about facing the Chargers?

936
00:51:35,480 --> 00:51:37,600
Speaker 1: A lot of similarities between these two teams when you

937
00:51:37,640 --> 00:51:40,040
Speaker 1: talk about winners of six to seven, you got the

938
00:51:40,120 --> 00:51:42,759
Speaker 1: quarterbacks from the class of two thousand and four, both

939
00:51:42,840 --> 00:51:47,000
Speaker 1: teams jacking for playoff positioning with about the same record. Yeah,

940
00:51:47,080 --> 00:51:50,239
Speaker 1: they you know, the one thing the Steelers have a

941
00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:53,600
Speaker 1: you know, a better command of their division obviously because

942
00:51:53,760 --> 00:51:56,640
Speaker 1: Kansas City is and the AFC West and the Steelers

943
00:51:56,680 --> 00:51:58,560
Speaker 1: have already lost in them. In fact, the Steelers are

944
00:51:58,640 --> 00:52:01,440
Speaker 1: all in two against AFC West teams that they have

945
00:52:01,640 --> 00:52:05,719
Speaker 1: Los Angeles and Oakland over the next two weeks, So

946
00:52:06,120 --> 00:52:08,600
Speaker 1: they know how big this is. Uh, you know, they

947
00:52:08,680 --> 00:52:12,040
Speaker 1: still they still want to try and get a seed.

948
00:52:12,680 --> 00:52:15,560
Speaker 1: That loss to them or hurt them a whole lot

949
00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:19,480
Speaker 1: the other day. Um, but nevertheless, uh, you know, they

950
00:52:19,640 --> 00:52:23,560
Speaker 1: they have some big games coming up, and the Chargers

951
00:52:23,600 --> 00:52:27,799
Speaker 1: are wontable. You know, this Steelers team, some weeks they

952
00:52:27,920 --> 00:52:30,400
Speaker 1: look dominant and you know, I go back to that

953
00:52:30,520 --> 00:52:32,800
Speaker 1: Carolina game a few weeks ago on Thursday night, and

954
00:52:32,840 --> 00:52:35,319
Speaker 1: I know, Hines Field's a tough place to play. Regardless.

955
00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:38,400
Speaker 1: What's been the story with this team? You know, you

956
00:52:38,480 --> 00:52:42,040
Speaker 1: have the Levion Bell situation that is finally over. Uh,

957
00:52:42,120 --> 00:52:44,239
Speaker 1: it didn't seem like it was a distraction because they

958
00:52:44,280 --> 00:52:47,359
Speaker 1: had won sixth straight. What's the pulse of this team now?

959
00:52:47,440 --> 00:52:50,720
Speaker 1: Is we in our week thirteen? You know, Chris, basically

960
00:52:50,800 --> 00:52:54,719
Speaker 1: it's as as Ben Roethlisberger goes, so go the Steelers. Um.

961
00:52:55,680 --> 00:52:59,320
Speaker 1: You know, when he's on, they're tough to be. He

962
00:52:59,480 --> 00:53:03,839
Speaker 1: was arable the previous week for three quarters against Jacksonville

963
00:53:04,400 --> 00:53:06,600
Speaker 1: and then he looked like Superman at the end. They

964
00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:09,719
Speaker 1: were down sixteen nothing and he just he pulled it

965
00:53:09,800 --> 00:53:13,320
Speaker 1: out for him. Um. The other night he was he

966
00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:15,759
Speaker 1: looked really really good and they should have scored a

967
00:53:15,840 --> 00:53:18,480
Speaker 1: whole lot more points. But you know, there were two

968
00:53:18,560 --> 00:53:23,719
Speaker 1: interceptions the air boat toward Antonio Brown, and actually Ben

969
00:53:25,160 --> 00:53:27,880
Speaker 1: Ben complained that the official on one and the crown

970
00:53:28,080 --> 00:53:30,279
Speaker 1: was grabbed and that's why that one was picked off.

971
00:53:30,360 --> 00:53:34,680
Speaker 1: And then he also said that Brown didn't frown a

972
00:53:34,760 --> 00:53:38,080
Speaker 1: good route which on the second one, the last one

973
00:53:38,120 --> 00:53:40,680
Speaker 1: in the end zone, which is unusual for him to

974
00:53:40,760 --> 00:53:45,120
Speaker 1: criticize Antonio Brown, but he did. And what do you

975
00:53:45,160 --> 00:53:49,239
Speaker 1: think is going to decide this game. What's been designing

976
00:53:49,320 --> 00:53:52,840
Speaker 1: games for the Steelers, Chris our turnovers um and that

977
00:53:53,040 --> 00:53:58,160
Speaker 1: that's not that's nothing new. Um. You know, you could

978
00:53:58,200 --> 00:54:02,120
Speaker 1: go probably look at on stat from every NFL game

979
00:54:02,160 --> 00:54:04,960
Speaker 1: and pretty much figure out who won are lost by

980
00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:09,360
Speaker 1: the number of turnovers um. Steelers have been committing a

981
00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:13,279
Speaker 1: lot and they have not. I just wrote this in

982
00:54:13,400 --> 00:54:17,680
Speaker 1: the Post Gazette on Wednesday, but that they have not

983
00:54:18,520 --> 00:54:21,279
Speaker 1: forced turnovers. It's not It used to be a fall

984
00:54:21,400 --> 00:54:25,080
Speaker 1: hawking team, you know, Soun and Cows, Troy, Paula Mallow

985
00:54:25,320 --> 00:54:32,400
Speaker 1: and James Harrison just freaking have it turn get creating turnovers.

986
00:54:32,440 --> 00:54:35,359
Speaker 1: They don't do that anymore. They have twelve this year

987
00:54:35,520 --> 00:54:40,239
Speaker 1: six interceptions, only two by starting members of the secondary.

988
00:54:40,320 --> 00:54:43,399
Speaker 1: So uh that that's been a big issue for them,

989
00:54:43,480 --> 00:54:46,560
Speaker 1: and Mike Tomlin brought that up big time at his

990
00:54:46,640 --> 00:54:49,960
Speaker 1: press conference this week. Well ed, we can't thank you

991
00:54:50,040 --> 00:54:52,480
Speaker 1: enough for your time, really appreciate it and look forward

992
00:54:52,520 --> 00:54:54,440
Speaker 1: to Senior on Sunday. Night's gonna be a big one.

993
00:54:55,400 --> 00:54:58,040
Speaker 1: Yeah it is, Chris, And you know the Steelers have

994
00:54:58,200 --> 00:55:00,759
Speaker 1: the Chargers, they have to win, let them home. They

995
00:55:00,840 --> 00:55:03,719
Speaker 1: have to go to the Saints. They have some tough

996
00:55:03,800 --> 00:55:06,279
Speaker 1: games yet, and you know that the end of this

997
00:55:06,400 --> 00:55:10,440
Speaker 1: story has certainly got a long way to go. All right,

998
00:55:10,480 --> 00:55:12,360
Speaker 1: my next guest, we'll be on the call this Sunday

999
00:55:12,480 --> 00:55:15,640
Speaker 1: night for Chargers Steelers. The great Al Michaels joins me

1000
00:55:15,760 --> 00:55:18,239
Speaker 1: on Chargers Weekly Out. We got a great one. This

1001
00:55:18,360 --> 00:55:21,399
Speaker 1: one got flexed. How are you? I'm great and I'm

1002
00:55:21,640 --> 00:55:24,120
Speaker 1: glad we got flexed because the original game was San

1003
00:55:24,200 --> 00:55:29,480
Speaker 1: Francisco at Seattle, which does not have quite close or

1004
00:55:29,560 --> 00:55:33,640
Speaker 1: repeal or interest as does the Chargers against Pittsburgh. I'm

1005
00:55:33,680 --> 00:55:35,759
Speaker 1: really looking forward to it would be great. This one's

1006
00:55:35,760 --> 00:55:38,040
Speaker 1: got a lot of meat on the bone. In terms

1007
00:55:38,080 --> 00:55:42,160
Speaker 1: of storylines, what do you gravitate towards? First alt, Well,

1008
00:55:42,960 --> 00:55:44,799
Speaker 1: there are two ways to look at this game for us.

1009
00:55:44,920 --> 00:55:47,160
Speaker 1: Number One, do you have the Pittsburgh Steelers, who we've

1010
00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:50,360
Speaker 1: had so many times through the years, and people know

1011
00:55:50,800 --> 00:55:53,239
Speaker 1: a lot about the Steelers. We've had been Roethlisberger on

1012
00:55:53,360 --> 00:55:56,440
Speaker 1: national television. I can't even count the number of times,

1013
00:55:57,080 --> 00:56:00,319
Speaker 1: and Antonio Brown and people like that. In my has

1014
00:56:00,360 --> 00:56:03,200
Speaker 1: been coaching there a long time. But what's gonna be

1015
00:56:03,200 --> 00:56:04,920
Speaker 1: a lot of fun for Chris and for me and

1016
00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:08,000
Speaker 1: for Michelle this week is the fact that the Chargers

1017
00:56:08,120 --> 00:56:11,960
Speaker 1: get so little national television exposure that people really need

1018
00:56:12,040 --> 00:56:17,239
Speaker 1: to be reintroduced to somebody like Philip Rivers and introduced

1019
00:56:17,680 --> 00:56:21,160
Speaker 1: to people like Joey Bosa, Melvin ingram Alost. The Neckler.

1020
00:56:21,280 --> 00:56:24,320
Speaker 1: Of course this week will come into the spotlight. Not

1021
00:56:24,440 --> 00:56:26,920
Speaker 1: that you want them there, because obviously you know you'd

1022
00:56:26,960 --> 00:56:28,840
Speaker 1: like that Melvin Gordon, but that's not going to be

1023
00:56:28,920 --> 00:56:32,400
Speaker 1: the case. But there were a lot of great stories

1024
00:56:32,440 --> 00:56:35,080
Speaker 1: about the Chargers, and we look at it as a

1025
00:56:35,200 --> 00:56:39,600
Speaker 1: kind of like painting from a from a fresh pallet

1026
00:56:39,719 --> 00:56:42,520
Speaker 1: because a lot of these colors haven't been used in

1027
00:56:42,600 --> 00:56:45,719
Speaker 1: a while. Some great stories out there with Anthony Lynn

1028
00:56:45,800 --> 00:56:48,560
Speaker 1: and everybody else. So it's a lot of fun. We

1029
00:56:48,680 --> 00:56:50,760
Speaker 1: were doing a team that people know a lot about

1030
00:56:50,840 --> 00:56:54,160
Speaker 1: against the team that people know very little about. How

1031
00:56:54,239 --> 00:56:57,640
Speaker 1: what's the prob I talked to Michelle yesterday about this,

1032
00:56:58,040 --> 00:57:01,360
Speaker 1: the process of just digging in and working a game

1033
00:57:01,760 --> 00:57:04,120
Speaker 1: featuring a team that you haven't seen in a while.

1034
00:57:04,520 --> 00:57:06,880
Speaker 1: How enjoyable is that process for you? You mentioned the

1035
00:57:06,960 --> 00:57:09,080
Speaker 1: last time the Chargers were on Saturday Football it was

1036
00:57:09,160 --> 00:57:13,120
Speaker 1: December twenty fourteen, and I believe there's only six current

1037
00:57:13,280 --> 00:57:17,480
Speaker 1: Chargers on this active roster that were in that game. Yeah,

1038
00:57:17,560 --> 00:57:19,160
Speaker 1: So we've gone back, and you know, I keep an

1039
00:57:19,200 --> 00:57:20,960
Speaker 1: eye on all the teams in the league, and living

1040
00:57:21,160 --> 00:57:24,920
Speaker 1: in southern California, you know, I get to watch the

1041
00:57:25,040 --> 00:57:27,400
Speaker 1: Chargers maybe a little bit more kind of watched the

1042
00:57:27,440 --> 00:57:30,600
Speaker 1: shoulder programming and pay a lot of attention to them

1043
00:57:31,320 --> 00:57:34,400
Speaker 1: local paper and all of that. So I'm probably a

1044
00:57:34,480 --> 00:57:36,480
Speaker 1: little bit more up to speed on a team like

1045
00:57:36,560 --> 00:57:40,600
Speaker 1: the Chargers because of my geographical proximity to them that

1046
00:57:40,680 --> 00:57:42,560
Speaker 1: I would be from some other team that we haven't

1047
00:57:42,600 --> 00:57:44,960
Speaker 1: had in a lot of years. So we go back

1048
00:57:45,040 --> 00:57:47,520
Speaker 1: and I've taken a look at a lot of games

1049
00:57:47,600 --> 00:57:51,440
Speaker 1: on tape, done a tremendous amount of reading. You know,

1050
00:57:51,520 --> 00:57:53,480
Speaker 1: I've got to know a lot of the people inside

1051
00:57:53,520 --> 00:57:56,520
Speaker 1: the organization, which is terrific. You know, we've met with

1052
00:57:56,560 --> 00:57:58,960
Speaker 1: Philip Rivers through the years. We'll meet with the key

1053
00:57:59,040 --> 00:58:02,040
Speaker 1: guys on santur in Pittsbury, so we'll be up to

1054
00:58:02,120 --> 00:58:04,680
Speaker 1: speed by the time we get there. And then, as

1055
00:58:04,760 --> 00:58:08,160
Speaker 1: we always say, you're ready, you've got everything set. You

1056
00:58:08,240 --> 00:58:11,400
Speaker 1: can tell any number of stories. And then, as my

1057
00:58:11,560 --> 00:58:14,160
Speaker 1: old buddy and partner, John Madden used to say the

1058
00:58:14,280 --> 00:58:16,600
Speaker 1: game breaks out, so that people will be breaking out

1059
00:58:16,600 --> 00:58:20,000
Speaker 1: at about five fifteen Pacific on Sunday night. There you go. Yeah,

1060
00:58:20,000 --> 00:58:21,959
Speaker 1: you never know what's going to happen. And of course,

1061
00:58:22,320 --> 00:58:24,439
Speaker 1: class of two thousand and four, you've got Philip Rivers,

1062
00:58:24,480 --> 00:58:27,640
Speaker 1: you got Ben Roethlisberger. Had a conversation with Peter King

1063
00:58:27,840 --> 00:58:30,560
Speaker 1: earlier today too, and we're just talking about how it's

1064
00:58:30,760 --> 00:58:33,439
Speaker 1: so funny to look back in two thousand and four,

1065
00:58:33,640 --> 00:58:37,280
Speaker 1: Drew brees Philip Rivers in the same quarterbacks room. You

1066
00:58:37,480 --> 00:58:41,880
Speaker 1: fast forward fifteen years later, probably outside of Patrick Mahomes,

1067
00:58:42,040 --> 00:58:45,160
Speaker 1: you go one and two in MVP consideration from the

1068
00:58:45,240 --> 00:58:49,000
Speaker 1: quarter pack position. Just how well is Philip playing based

1069
00:58:49,040 --> 00:58:51,600
Speaker 1: on all the games that you've seen throughout his career, well,

1070
00:58:51,680 --> 00:58:53,760
Speaker 1: twenty eight or twenty nine, it is pretty good. That's

1071
00:58:53,800 --> 00:58:56,720
Speaker 1: pretty good. Yeah, I mean, yeah, it doesn't matter. I mean,

1072
00:58:56,800 --> 00:58:59,400
Speaker 1: twenty eight of the twenty nine with nobody defending is

1073
00:58:59,480 --> 00:59:03,200
Speaker 1: still pretty good. So, I mean, he's obviously coming off

1074
00:59:03,240 --> 00:59:06,440
Speaker 1: a spectacular game. He's played extremely well this year. That's

1075
00:59:06,480 --> 00:59:09,760
Speaker 1: no surprise to the people who follow the Chargers, and

1076
00:59:09,880 --> 00:59:13,640
Speaker 1: it's it is ironic that all these years later, you've

1077
00:59:13,680 --> 00:59:17,240
Speaker 1: got Breeze you've got rivers and in that you know,

1078
00:59:17,520 --> 00:59:21,439
Speaker 1: discussion of MVPs too. You know, you mentioned Roethlisberger, who's

1079
00:59:21,480 --> 00:59:24,040
Speaker 1: part of the two thousand and four draft class. You know,

1080
00:59:24,160 --> 00:59:26,040
Speaker 1: not that Ben is going to be the front runner,

1081
00:59:26,120 --> 00:59:28,240
Speaker 1: but I mean he's having another great year, you know,

1082
00:59:28,320 --> 00:59:30,280
Speaker 1: coming off a game in which he lost the game

1083
00:59:30,320 --> 00:59:32,640
Speaker 1: and he's still throw for over four hundred yards. So

1084
00:59:33,080 --> 00:59:35,400
Speaker 1: you have a great quarterback matchup in this game. I mean,

1085
00:59:35,480 --> 00:59:38,000
Speaker 1: it's it's probably as good as it's going to get

1086
00:59:38,000 --> 00:59:40,240
Speaker 1: it at this particular point in the season. But you're

1087
00:59:40,320 --> 00:59:43,120
Speaker 1: right with that breeze situation. I do know one thing.

1088
00:59:43,160 --> 00:59:45,240
Speaker 1: If it's the Saints and the Chargers in the Super Bowl,

1089
00:59:45,800 --> 00:59:47,880
Speaker 1: you know what the number one storyline will be. Everybody

1090
00:59:47,960 --> 00:59:50,120
Speaker 1: does I think we know? I think we don't. And

1091
00:59:50,240 --> 00:59:53,200
Speaker 1: you know, those guys the last two years out the

1092
00:59:53,320 --> 00:59:55,680
Speaker 1: Saints come out to Coast the Basin for training camp

1093
00:59:56,000 --> 00:59:58,880
Speaker 1: and they're doing that quarterback challenge and it's just it's

1094
00:59:58,920 --> 01:00:02,400
Speaker 1: so cool to see because you never know when when's

1095
01:00:02,440 --> 01:00:03,920
Speaker 1: the last time you're going to see them on a

1096
01:00:04,000 --> 01:00:06,360
Speaker 1: field together. In same with Ben, I talked to Michelle

1097
01:00:06,360 --> 01:00:09,480
Speaker 1: about this as well. We just don't know if this

1098
01:00:09,680 --> 01:00:12,760
Speaker 1: is the last time we see Rivers and Roethlisberger on

1099
01:00:12,840 --> 01:00:15,439
Speaker 1: the field together. Of course, it could happen in five

1100
01:00:15,520 --> 01:00:17,560
Speaker 1: weeks first round of the wild Card, but you just

1101
01:00:17,720 --> 01:00:20,000
Speaker 1: never know, No, you don't. And that's why we were

1102
01:00:20,040 --> 01:00:22,600
Speaker 1: so excited earlier this year when the schedule came out

1103
01:00:22,640 --> 01:00:25,240
Speaker 1: and we got that sun to night game between New

1104
01:00:25,280 --> 01:00:27,560
Speaker 1: England and Green Bay, and we obviously knew what that

1105
01:00:27,760 --> 01:00:30,000
Speaker 1: man that was going to be Brady against Rogers and

1106
01:00:30,080 --> 01:00:33,040
Speaker 1: they only faced each other, you know, one time before,

1107
01:00:33,200 --> 01:00:37,440
Speaker 1: so I would assume, unless there's some vagory and the schedule,

1108
01:00:37,800 --> 01:00:41,480
Speaker 1: depending on how a team finishes in a position in

1109
01:00:41,560 --> 01:00:43,919
Speaker 1: their division over the years, they're gonna be once every

1110
01:00:44,000 --> 01:00:46,520
Speaker 1: four years. So the fact that you know, you look

1111
01:00:46,520 --> 01:00:49,240
Speaker 1: at Tom Brady, he'd like to play at least forty five.

1112
01:00:49,360 --> 01:00:52,720
Speaker 1: Maybe there will be one more Brady Rogers meeting, but

1113
01:00:52,840 --> 01:00:54,240
Speaker 1: you never know you're going to get one, and we

1114
01:00:54,360 --> 01:00:55,880
Speaker 1: got one this year and it turns out to be

1115
01:00:55,920 --> 01:00:58,200
Speaker 1: a heck of a game. And so you know, anytime

1116
01:00:58,240 --> 01:01:00,360
Speaker 1: you can get a quarterback matchup with all of these

1117
01:01:01,160 --> 01:01:04,480
Speaker 1: backstories going inside bars, it's great for it's great for

1118
01:01:04,560 --> 01:01:06,919
Speaker 1: us on television. Now you mentioned you get to see

1119
01:01:06,960 --> 01:01:09,840
Speaker 1: the Chargers a little bit more often being in southern California.

1120
01:01:10,200 --> 01:01:12,920
Speaker 1: But you've called a number of games with these elite

1121
01:01:13,040 --> 01:01:16,360
Speaker 1: AFC teams. We talked about the Steelers, the Patriots, the Chiefs,

1122
01:01:16,760 --> 01:01:19,360
Speaker 1: even the Texans winners of eight straight. How do you

1123
01:01:19,400 --> 01:01:23,000
Speaker 1: think the Chargers measure up with some of the powers

1124
01:01:23,040 --> 01:01:26,280
Speaker 1: that we've seen over the years in the AFC, starting

1125
01:01:26,320 --> 01:01:29,120
Speaker 1: with the Steelers and Patriots. I think I think pretty

1126
01:01:29,160 --> 01:01:32,600
Speaker 1: well right now. I mean I look at the conference

1127
01:01:32,640 --> 01:01:36,280
Speaker 1: and you see, you know, Pittsburgh they started that very slowly.

1128
01:01:36,880 --> 01:01:41,320
Speaker 1: The Levion Bell story was the overrunning story throughout the

1129
01:01:42,040 --> 01:01:44,919
Speaker 1: course of the early season. Now we know that that's done.

1130
01:01:45,640 --> 01:01:47,840
Speaker 1: They've been able to withstand that they worked through that.

1131
01:01:48,480 --> 01:01:52,760
Speaker 1: You've got James Conner having a good year, Roethlisberger having

1132
01:01:52,840 --> 01:01:56,400
Speaker 1: a pretty much a typical Roethlisberger year. You know, Brown

1133
01:01:56,600 --> 01:02:01,440
Speaker 1: is Brown and Juju Smith Schuster years to be ascending

1134
01:02:01,520 --> 01:02:03,120
Speaker 1: to the point. And you know, Ben mentioned it on

1135
01:02:03,200 --> 01:02:06,560
Speaker 1: his radio show the other day that he maybe he

1136
01:02:06,680 --> 01:02:08,360
Speaker 1: didn't say he was going to be there their number

1137
01:02:08,400 --> 01:02:10,600
Speaker 1: one receiver, but he mentioned everybody on the roster, which

1138
01:02:10,600 --> 01:02:14,280
Speaker 1: shouldn'ticate it to me that you know, there's some I

1139
01:02:14,320 --> 01:02:17,560
Speaker 1: don't want to say disparity, but Juju Smith Schuster is

1140
01:02:17,560 --> 01:02:20,160
Speaker 1: the guy who was capable of scoring on an adr

1141
01:02:20,360 --> 01:02:25,000
Speaker 1: touchdown reception, as is Brown. So they've got some terrific guys.

1142
01:02:25,160 --> 01:02:27,720
Speaker 1: They've got a defense that has been a little bit

1143
01:02:27,840 --> 01:02:30,920
Speaker 1: up and down this year. The Patriots. The one thing

1144
01:02:30,960 --> 01:02:33,480
Speaker 1: about them, no matter how they look on any given

1145
01:02:33,520 --> 01:02:37,280
Speaker 1: a week, somehow, some way, they're always there. In January,

1146
01:02:38,240 --> 01:02:41,840
Speaker 1: the Texans, we got to see them early in the season.

1147
01:02:41,880 --> 01:02:44,760
Speaker 1: In fact, they were they were rolling three at that point.

1148
01:02:44,840 --> 01:02:48,560
Speaker 1: Beat the Cowboys in overtime. That got them started. So,

1149
01:02:48,760 --> 01:02:50,640
Speaker 1: I mean it's it's a little bit of a scramble

1150
01:02:50,680 --> 01:02:53,000
Speaker 1: here and then this Kansas City. We've had them a

1151
01:02:53,080 --> 01:02:54,840
Speaker 1: couple of times this year. They've been great. I mean,

1152
01:02:54,880 --> 01:02:58,640
Speaker 1: there's a fantastic team to watch. Andy Reid. I mean,

1153
01:02:58,680 --> 01:03:00,920
Speaker 1: he has all of the toys. He's got a quarterback

1154
01:03:01,000 --> 01:03:04,640
Speaker 1: who is going to be at the on the top

1155
01:03:04,800 --> 01:03:07,040
Speaker 1: level for you know, god knows how long this kid's

1156
01:03:07,040 --> 01:03:11,160
Speaker 1: just starting. He's phenomenal. Tyree Hill is something very special.

1157
01:03:12,320 --> 01:03:16,120
Speaker 1: You've got the tie end Kelsey, who's who's as good

1158
01:03:16,160 --> 01:03:19,480
Speaker 1: as it gets at that position. You've got kareemahun coming

1159
01:03:19,520 --> 01:03:22,400
Speaker 1: out of the backfield. Their offense is scary. I don't

1160
01:03:22,400 --> 01:03:23,840
Speaker 1: have to tell you that. I mean, they score fifty

1161
01:03:23,880 --> 01:03:26,840
Speaker 1: one and lose a game. So we had him against

1162
01:03:26,880 --> 01:03:28,840
Speaker 1: New England. They scored forty and lost the game. So

1163
01:03:29,320 --> 01:03:31,200
Speaker 1: that team is going to score. The question about that

1164
01:03:31,240 --> 01:03:34,600
Speaker 1: team's defense, you know, can they stop anybody? And that's

1165
01:03:34,640 --> 01:03:37,320
Speaker 1: why it's going to be so interesting down the stretch. Yeah,

1166
01:03:37,360 --> 01:03:39,920
Speaker 1: the Chargers, not only you got the Steelers Sunday, but

1167
01:03:40,040 --> 01:03:42,080
Speaker 1: you have a Thursday night date with the Chiefs in

1168
01:03:42,120 --> 01:03:44,280
Speaker 1: a couple of weeks, you got the Ravens, you got

1169
01:03:44,320 --> 01:03:47,200
Speaker 1: the Broncos. So it's a difficult December for the Chargers.

1170
01:03:47,280 --> 01:03:50,560
Speaker 1: But out you know, they've proven to be able to

1171
01:03:50,640 --> 01:03:52,560
Speaker 1: win on the road. They had that five weeks stretch

1172
01:03:52,720 --> 01:03:54,080
Speaker 1: in the middle of the year where you go to

1173
01:03:54,160 --> 01:03:57,680
Speaker 1: Cleveland when when Cleveland was playing teams pretty tough. You

1174
01:03:57,760 --> 01:03:59,920
Speaker 1: go to London, you go to Seattle, you go to Oakland,

1175
01:04:00,600 --> 01:04:03,560
Speaker 1: you go four and oh away from Los Angeles. Do

1176
01:04:03,640 --> 01:04:05,840
Speaker 1: you think that can help them at all as they

1177
01:04:05,960 --> 01:04:09,560
Speaker 1: get to December to play in a hostile environment. You've

1178
01:04:09,600 --> 01:04:11,200
Speaker 1: been to Hines Field at night, you know how that

1179
01:04:11,280 --> 01:04:14,000
Speaker 1: place is. Yeah, it's tough. And I guess the other

1180
01:04:14,080 --> 01:04:16,160
Speaker 1: one the Chargers that too was a Buffalo and they

1181
01:04:16,240 --> 01:04:21,240
Speaker 1: routed them early in the season. Yeah, I mean hindes Field.

1182
01:04:21,600 --> 01:04:25,000
Speaker 1: It's it's a home field advantage. Is it any greater

1183
01:04:25,160 --> 01:04:27,440
Speaker 1: than most of the home fields I have seen? I

1184
01:04:27,520 --> 01:04:30,320
Speaker 1: don't think so. I mean they get people excited, and

1185
01:04:31,240 --> 01:04:34,240
Speaker 1: you know, the music is great, and there's a different

1186
01:04:34,360 --> 01:04:36,520
Speaker 1: vibe in there. But the Chargers are going to be

1187
01:04:36,640 --> 01:04:39,160
Speaker 1: used to this. I mean there's a different vibe in

1188
01:04:39,520 --> 01:04:42,840
Speaker 1: almost every stadium, and I think, you know, most of

1189
01:04:42,920 --> 01:04:46,080
Speaker 1: these guys and professionals are used to it. They know

1190
01:04:46,200 --> 01:04:48,600
Speaker 1: how to handle it. And the weather is supposed to

1191
01:04:48,640 --> 01:04:52,000
Speaker 1: be pretty good in Pittsburgh. For what I'm looking at

1192
01:04:52,080 --> 01:04:54,600
Speaker 1: here is maybe fifty degrees or forty eight degrees at

1193
01:04:54,640 --> 01:04:56,760
Speaker 1: game time. That's not bad. It's a heck of a

1194
01:04:56,800 --> 01:04:58,400
Speaker 1: lot better than going in, you know, with sleet and

1195
01:04:58,480 --> 01:05:01,240
Speaker 1: snow and rain and whatever else. You think that between

1196
01:05:01,320 --> 01:05:03,840
Speaker 1: twenty five and thirty five degrees or even less. So,

1197
01:05:04,120 --> 01:05:07,200
Speaker 1: I mean, the conditions should set up, you know, pretty favorably,

1198
01:05:07,280 --> 01:05:10,400
Speaker 1: and you know they'll just tee it up at eight

1199
01:05:10,520 --> 01:05:13,560
Speaker 1: fifteen Eastern, five fifteen Pacific. We'll see what happens alt

1200
01:05:13,600 --> 01:05:16,439
Speaker 1: Michael's NBC out. I can't thank you for your time.

1201
01:05:16,840 --> 01:05:19,400
Speaker 1: We're really looking forward to seeing you on Sunday and

1202
01:05:19,680 --> 01:05:23,280
Speaker 1: should be a good one. You bet. Thanks. All right, guys,

1203
01:05:23,320 --> 01:05:25,240
Speaker 1: we'll close the show with Hall of Fame head coach

1204
01:05:25,320 --> 01:05:27,680
Speaker 1: Tony Dungee, but a quick break to let you know

1205
01:05:27,840 --> 01:05:30,800
Speaker 1: that this season we've taken Chargers Weekly to the next level.

1206
01:05:31,120 --> 01:05:34,280
Speaker 1: That's because I'm using Bows Quiet Comfort thirty five headphones

1207
01:05:34,360 --> 01:05:37,680
Speaker 1: two on air now. The powerful noise canceling technology helps

1208
01:05:37,760 --> 01:05:40,800
Speaker 1: me blackout distractions and brings you the latest news on

1209
01:05:40,880 --> 01:05:43,080
Speaker 1: the LA Chargers. And when I'm not recording, I tell

1210
01:05:43,080 --> 01:05:45,280
Speaker 1: you every week, these are my go to wireless headphones.

1211
01:05:45,480 --> 01:05:48,240
Speaker 1: They help me blackout noise. I'll use them cross country

1212
01:05:48,280 --> 01:05:50,440
Speaker 1: on the team plane so i can concentrate on my

1213
01:05:50,520 --> 01:05:53,080
Speaker 1: game prep and of course bring you that next episode

1214
01:05:53,120 --> 01:05:56,040
Speaker 1: of Chargers Weekly. Visit Bows dot com slash Chargers to

1215
01:05:56,160 --> 01:05:59,120
Speaker 1: learn more about the most powerful Bows headphones yet. Bows

1216
01:05:59,320 --> 01:06:02,400
Speaker 1: the official head bones of the NFL. All right, it's

1217
01:06:02,400 --> 01:06:04,280
Speaker 1: a real pleasure to be joined by Hall of Fame

1218
01:06:04,360 --> 01:06:07,880
Speaker 1: head coach Tony Dungee here on Chargers Weekly, and Coach,

1219
01:06:07,960 --> 01:06:10,240
Speaker 1: we're just talking about it a big one on NBC

1220
01:06:10,480 --> 01:06:12,720
Speaker 1: Sunday night. Thanks for spending a few minutes with us.

1221
01:06:12,760 --> 01:06:15,640
Speaker 1: How are you. I'm doing great, thank you and looking

1222
01:06:15,680 --> 01:06:17,800
Speaker 1: forward to having the Charges back on with us. You

1223
01:06:17,800 --> 01:06:20,720
Speaker 1: would remind him it's been since twoy fourteen. I knew

1224
01:06:20,760 --> 01:06:22,840
Speaker 1: it's been a while, but didn't realize it was that long.

1225
01:06:23,120 --> 01:06:26,600
Speaker 1: I know, twenty fourteen, coach. I think it was the

1226
01:06:26,680 --> 01:06:30,640
Speaker 1: Patriots and Chargers in December twenty fourteen. But you know,

1227
01:06:30,720 --> 01:06:32,360
Speaker 1: before we get in that matchup, I want to brag

1228
01:06:32,400 --> 01:06:34,520
Speaker 1: on you a little bit because the trio of you,

1229
01:06:35,120 --> 01:06:38,800
Speaker 1: Rodney and Mike Tarico was just fantastic all Thanksgiving night

1230
01:06:38,880 --> 01:06:40,720
Speaker 1: for Falcon Saints. What was it like for you to

1231
01:06:40,800 --> 01:06:42,840
Speaker 1: go from the studio to the booth for the night.

1232
01:06:43,480 --> 01:06:46,480
Speaker 1: It was exciting and it was fun, but I'll tell

1233
01:06:46,520 --> 01:06:49,960
Speaker 1: you it was nerve wracking for me because obviously Al

1234
01:06:50,080 --> 01:06:52,800
Speaker 1: Michaels and Chris Collinsworth said a very high bar when

1235
01:06:52,840 --> 01:06:56,680
Speaker 1: people tune in, they expect excellent, and so Rodney and

1236
01:06:56,800 --> 01:06:59,120
Speaker 1: I were sitting there thinking, boy, we you know, we've

1237
01:06:59,120 --> 01:07:01,120
Speaker 1: got to have a good game. We can't mess this up.

1238
01:07:01,800 --> 01:07:04,000
Speaker 1: So it was a little bit. I was nervous, but

1239
01:07:04,120 --> 01:07:07,120
Speaker 1: I had a great time doing it and really really

1240
01:07:07,240 --> 01:07:09,919
Speaker 1: influent it well. Coach, he did a great job first

1241
01:07:09,920 --> 01:07:14,240
Speaker 1: of all. But let's move to Sunday Pittsburgh Chargers. These

1242
01:07:14,280 --> 01:07:17,919
Speaker 1: are two AFC powers right now. What are you looking

1243
01:07:17,960 --> 01:07:20,520
Speaker 1: for in this matchup? I think it's going to be

1244
01:07:20,880 --> 01:07:24,480
Speaker 1: a great one because of styles and contrasting styles and

1245
01:07:24,760 --> 01:07:29,760
Speaker 1: what the teams do well. The LA Chargers have been very,

1246
01:07:29,920 --> 01:07:34,919
Speaker 1: very good at explosive plays and the Steelers have given

1247
01:07:35,000 --> 01:07:37,520
Speaker 1: up a lot of big plays. Especially in the passing game.

1248
01:07:38,200 --> 01:07:41,440
Speaker 1: The Chargers can rush the passer. The Steelers have all

1249
01:07:41,480 --> 01:07:44,720
Speaker 1: these offensive weapons as well, and when Ben gets time,

1250
01:07:45,320 --> 01:07:47,640
Speaker 1: he can carve people up. So I think you've got

1251
01:07:47,720 --> 01:07:51,960
Speaker 1: strength against strength and with you know, coming into December

1252
01:07:52,040 --> 01:07:56,080
Speaker 1: with playoff matchups on the line, we couldn't have a

1253
01:07:56,160 --> 01:07:58,960
Speaker 1: better game. Coach, I want to ask you about Philip Rivers.

1254
01:07:59,280 --> 01:08:03,360
Speaker 1: Obviously he had that twenty five consecutive during the Arizona

1255
01:08:03,400 --> 01:08:06,520
Speaker 1: Cardinals game the Chargers won forty five to ten. What

1256
01:08:06,680 --> 01:08:09,480
Speaker 1: can you say about Philip in the season that he's

1257
01:08:09,520 --> 01:08:12,160
Speaker 1: had in your fifteen, probably having his best season of

1258
01:08:12,200 --> 01:08:16,080
Speaker 1: his career. He really is playing well, and what we

1259
01:08:16,160 --> 01:08:19,040
Speaker 1: saw last Sunday was something that I really don't expect

1260
01:08:19,080 --> 01:08:22,519
Speaker 1: from Philip Rivers because he's such a guy who pushes

1261
01:08:22,960 --> 01:08:25,280
Speaker 1: the ball up the field. He wants the big plays.

1262
01:08:25,520 --> 01:08:28,720
Speaker 1: He's not just a dump off guy. So you know,

1263
01:08:28,840 --> 01:08:31,320
Speaker 1: you expect him to throw for three hundred and fifty

1264
01:08:31,400 --> 01:08:35,240
Speaker 1: yards that's not uncommon, but to have twenty five completions

1265
01:08:35,280 --> 01:08:38,920
Speaker 1: of prom you know, with a guy who's actually throwing

1266
01:08:39,000 --> 01:08:41,040
Speaker 1: the ball up the field, you don't expect that. I

1267
01:08:41,160 --> 01:08:44,439
Speaker 1: thought he was just outstanding as a coach. How do

1268
01:08:44,520 --> 01:08:47,960
Speaker 1: you prepare your guys for a Sunday night game because

1269
01:08:48,600 --> 01:08:51,080
Speaker 1: you want to treat every game the same. I realized that, coach,

1270
01:08:51,160 --> 01:08:53,519
Speaker 1: But there's a there's a little added juice because it's

1271
01:08:53,520 --> 01:08:57,000
Speaker 1: Sunday night, it's a national game, it's nationally televised. The

1272
01:08:57,280 --> 01:09:00,360
Speaker 1: world is watching, and I think the players take that

1273
01:09:00,400 --> 01:09:03,760
Speaker 1: to an extent. How do you keep them on the

1274
01:09:03,920 --> 01:09:06,640
Speaker 1: task at hand, just taking care of business and not

1275
01:09:06,800 --> 01:09:10,560
Speaker 1: worrying about too much of the outside noise. There is

1276
01:09:11,040 --> 01:09:14,160
Speaker 1: something special about playing night games, whether it's Sunday night

1277
01:09:14,280 --> 01:09:17,840
Speaker 1: or Monday night. Most players are in their routine. Hey,

1278
01:09:17,920 --> 01:09:20,800
Speaker 1: you get up, you eat breakfast, you get yourself ready

1279
01:09:20,840 --> 01:09:24,439
Speaker 1: to go. Well, now you watch all the games, and

1280
01:09:24,720 --> 01:09:27,920
Speaker 1: then you go to the stadium and you're playing, and

1281
01:09:28,000 --> 01:09:31,040
Speaker 1: you realize you're the only team that's playing right now

1282
01:09:31,200 --> 01:09:33,519
Speaker 1: and the rest of the country is watching you. So

1283
01:09:33,960 --> 01:09:37,840
Speaker 1: that with competitors bring something out of them. And then

1284
01:09:37,920 --> 01:09:40,200
Speaker 1: you throw in the standings and the fact that you're

1285
01:09:40,240 --> 01:09:45,360
Speaker 1: playing in Pittsburgh and this could be for playoff home

1286
01:09:45,439 --> 01:09:48,160
Speaker 1: field advantage. You know, if we play these guys again,

1287
01:09:48,520 --> 01:09:51,479
Speaker 1: will it be in Pittsburgh or will it be in LA.

1288
01:09:51,960 --> 01:09:54,960
Speaker 1: So that becomes a factor, and then you just want

1289
01:09:55,000 --> 01:09:58,000
Speaker 1: to give your best when the whole nation is watching.

1290
01:09:58,400 --> 01:10:00,639
Speaker 1: So yes, as a coach, you've got to make sure

1291
01:10:00,760 --> 01:10:03,680
Speaker 1: you keep everybody calm down and say this is important,

1292
01:10:03,720 --> 01:10:06,960
Speaker 1: this is big, but let's just play our game. Coach.

1293
01:10:07,000 --> 01:10:10,600
Speaker 1: I had a conversation with Peter King earlier today and

1294
01:10:10,680 --> 01:10:12,560
Speaker 1: we talked about Anthony Lynn a little bit, and it

1295
01:10:12,680 --> 01:10:17,240
Speaker 1: since Thanksgiving, the Chargers are thirteen and four. Coach Lynn

1296
01:10:17,320 --> 01:10:20,200
Speaker 1: has brought a discipline to this team. He's got this

1297
01:10:20,320 --> 01:10:22,920
Speaker 1: locker room believing. How would you assess the job that

1298
01:10:23,040 --> 01:10:26,120
Speaker 1: he's done in his second year with the Chargers. Well,

1299
01:10:26,200 --> 01:10:28,840
Speaker 1: he's been very, very good this year, but I thought

1300
01:10:28,880 --> 01:10:31,600
Speaker 1: he was outstanding last year. Last year or kind of

1301
01:10:31,800 --> 01:10:35,040
Speaker 1: reminded me of my first year in Tampa. We started

1302
01:10:35,080 --> 01:10:37,240
Speaker 1: off four and five and then we went to one

1303
01:10:37,280 --> 01:10:40,599
Speaker 1: and eight. But by the end of the year, our nucleus,

1304
01:10:40,640 --> 01:10:42,880
Speaker 1: our foundation was set and the guys were playing well

1305
01:10:42,920 --> 01:10:44,680
Speaker 1: and we won some games at the end of the year,

1306
01:10:44,800 --> 01:10:47,439
Speaker 1: and it catapulted us into the playoffs the next year.

1307
01:10:47,880 --> 01:10:50,080
Speaker 1: I thought that was just what was going to happen here.

1308
01:10:50,439 --> 01:10:53,080
Speaker 1: The team lost some games last year at the beginning

1309
01:10:53,160 --> 01:10:55,599
Speaker 1: that could have really taken the heart out of the group,

1310
01:10:56,080 --> 01:10:58,880
Speaker 1: but they continued to play hard. By the end of

1311
01:10:58,960 --> 01:11:01,880
Speaker 1: the year, nobody really wanted to play them, and I

1312
01:11:02,360 --> 01:11:04,519
Speaker 1: thought for sure this would be a playoff team just

1313
01:11:04,640 --> 01:11:07,400
Speaker 1: the way they finished up. So you had a little

1314
01:11:07,439 --> 01:11:10,839
Speaker 1: bit of the same thing where you have a tough start,

1315
01:11:10,960 --> 01:11:14,000
Speaker 1: you played Kansas City was really good. You have some

1316
01:11:14,240 --> 01:11:17,120
Speaker 1: kicking game issues that maybe hurts you a little bit,

1317
01:11:17,320 --> 01:11:21,160
Speaker 1: but no one pointed the finger, no one got discouraged.

1318
01:11:21,800 --> 01:11:24,160
Speaker 1: Everybody you could see how hard this team was playing,

1319
01:11:24,200 --> 01:11:27,160
Speaker 1: that they believed in what they're doing, and it's been

1320
01:11:27,439 --> 01:11:30,439
Speaker 1: pretty awesome to see. From AFAR. I want to ask

1321
01:11:30,479 --> 01:11:34,040
Speaker 1: you about two Chargers defenders. Obviously, Joey Bosa, he came

1322
01:11:34,080 --> 01:11:35,880
Speaker 1: back a couple of weeks ago. He had two sacks

1323
01:11:36,120 --> 01:11:39,920
Speaker 1: against the Cardinals last Sunday, and Drwin James looks like

1324
01:11:40,240 --> 01:11:42,559
Speaker 1: to be the defensive rookie of the year at this point.

1325
01:11:42,600 --> 01:11:44,800
Speaker 1: There's a lot of guys that the guy in Indianapolis,

1326
01:11:44,920 --> 01:11:47,600
Speaker 1: Leonard has been fantastic as well. But how would you

1327
01:11:47,680 --> 01:11:51,000
Speaker 1: says those two guys this year? I know Joey's a

1328
01:11:51,120 --> 01:11:54,280
Speaker 1: smaller sample size, but Drwin has been making play since

1329
01:11:54,320 --> 01:11:58,160
Speaker 1: Week one. Well, I'll start with Drwin because Rodney Harrison

1330
01:11:58,360 --> 01:12:00,680
Speaker 1: is on his bandwagon. We're gonna do a piece on

1331
01:12:00,840 --> 01:12:04,280
Speaker 1: Derwin on the show. Rodney thinks like you do, that

1332
01:12:04,439 --> 01:12:07,080
Speaker 1: he should be the defensive rookie of the year. Rodney

1333
01:12:07,160 --> 01:12:11,120
Speaker 1: knows safety play and he is excited about Derwin James.

1334
01:12:11,200 --> 01:12:13,720
Speaker 1: So I'm looking forward to watching him and zeroing in

1335
01:12:13,880 --> 01:12:16,240
Speaker 1: on him and see if we can circle him a

1336
01:12:16,280 --> 01:12:19,840
Speaker 1: few times in our broadcast. And Joey Bosa is just

1337
01:12:20,000 --> 01:12:23,320
Speaker 1: one of those guys who who can change things again.

1338
01:12:23,400 --> 01:12:26,960
Speaker 1: I compare it to our teams our Super Bowl year.

1339
01:12:27,360 --> 01:12:29,639
Speaker 1: Bob Sanders was out for a long period of time

1340
01:12:30,120 --> 01:12:33,200
Speaker 1: and when he came back, it just elevated our whole

1341
01:12:33,320 --> 01:12:36,040
Speaker 1: defensive play enough to get us to the super Bowl.

1342
01:12:36,320 --> 01:12:38,360
Speaker 1: And I think Joey is one of those type of

1343
01:12:38,439 --> 01:12:41,080
Speaker 1: talents where you know you've got a good defense. You've

1344
01:12:41,120 --> 01:12:44,080
Speaker 1: got guys who play hard, they're very sound, but now

1345
01:12:44,200 --> 01:12:47,240
Speaker 1: you bring that missing ingredient, that guy who can make

1346
01:12:47,320 --> 01:12:50,760
Speaker 1: that big play just when you need it. I think

1347
01:12:50,840 --> 01:12:54,240
Speaker 1: he can can take this defense to another level. Another

1348
01:12:54,320 --> 01:12:57,320
Speaker 1: guy you're very familiar with, coach. He spent seven seasons

1349
01:12:57,360 --> 01:13:00,320
Speaker 1: with Tom tolesco at the Colts. He's in an seeing

1350
01:13:00,360 --> 01:13:02,439
Speaker 1: a job building this football team. He's hit on a

1351
01:13:02,560 --> 01:13:05,559
Speaker 1: ton of draft picks, but really the undrafted free agents.

1352
01:13:05,560 --> 01:13:09,240
Speaker 1: We'll see one up close in Austin Eckler against the Steelers.

1353
01:13:10,080 --> 01:13:12,439
Speaker 1: What can you say about Tom and the job that

1354
01:13:12,560 --> 01:13:15,439
Speaker 1: he's done with the Chargers Since he's been here, Tom

1355
01:13:15,520 --> 01:13:17,840
Speaker 1: has been fantastic, and of course he learned from one

1356
01:13:17,840 --> 01:13:20,760
Speaker 1: of the best in Bill Poland. But it's interesting. I

1357
01:13:20,920 --> 01:13:24,040
Speaker 1: was talking with Tom the other day via text and

1358
01:13:24,120 --> 01:13:26,720
Speaker 1: we're going back and forth, and he told me he

1359
01:13:26,920 --> 01:13:29,640
Speaker 1: used the same blueprint that Bill used. He knew he

1360
01:13:29,720 --> 01:13:32,280
Speaker 1: had an elite quarterback there, so hey, I've got to

1361
01:13:32,320 --> 01:13:36,519
Speaker 1: put some weapons around him. But let's look at the defense.

1362
01:13:36,640 --> 01:13:39,960
Speaker 1: If we can get young, energetic, fast guys who really hit,

1363
01:13:40,120 --> 01:13:42,080
Speaker 1: and then get a couple of pass rushers. We had

1364
01:13:42,200 --> 01:13:45,679
Speaker 1: Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. And when you take Melvin

1365
01:13:45,760 --> 01:13:48,000
Speaker 1: Engram and Joey bo says, you've got the same type

1366
01:13:48,040 --> 01:13:51,679
Speaker 1: of guys who can create havoc up front, and then

1367
01:13:51,840 --> 01:13:56,040
Speaker 1: you just try to be solid and sound and you

1368
01:13:56,200 --> 01:13:59,599
Speaker 1: two try to build that roster from one through fifty three.

1369
01:14:00,080 --> 01:14:02,960
Speaker 1: And what they've done with someone, as you say, the

1370
01:14:03,120 --> 01:14:07,400
Speaker 1: undrafted free agents, the free agents NFL free agents who

1371
01:14:07,439 --> 01:14:12,040
Speaker 1: maybe weren't household names but added just what this team needed.

1372
01:14:12,200 --> 01:14:16,479
Speaker 1: I think Tom's been outstanding. How important are those guys,

1373
01:14:16,600 --> 01:14:19,320
Speaker 1: coach when you're trying to build something, you're trying to

1374
01:14:19,439 --> 01:14:21,920
Speaker 1: get to a super Bowl Because you know, a lot

1375
01:14:21,960 --> 01:14:24,240
Speaker 1: of those those first round picks, they get all the accolades,

1376
01:14:24,400 --> 01:14:27,240
Speaker 1: especially when they get drafted, but it really it goes

1377
01:14:27,280 --> 01:14:30,600
Speaker 1: one to fifty three and those are the types of

1378
01:14:30,720 --> 01:14:33,479
Speaker 1: players that will end up making plays to get you

1379
01:14:33,680 --> 01:14:37,360
Speaker 1: over the home, no question about it. And you're always

1380
01:14:37,360 --> 01:14:40,560
Speaker 1: going to have to count on those guys. And you know,

1381
01:14:40,720 --> 01:14:44,320
Speaker 1: this is a great example this week where you've got

1382
01:14:45,320 --> 01:14:49,560
Speaker 1: Melbourne Ingram, who's been phenomenal, and now he's hurt and

1383
01:14:49,640 --> 01:14:52,000
Speaker 1: you're playing maybe the biggest game of the year so far,

1384
01:14:52,560 --> 01:14:55,479
Speaker 1: and you've got it back in Austin that everybody has

1385
01:14:55,520 --> 01:14:57,960
Speaker 1: competence in. He can do a lot of the same thing,

1386
01:14:58,400 --> 01:14:59,920
Speaker 1: and he's going to go in and play well in

1387
01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:02,160
Speaker 1: They're going to change the Austense at all. They're going

1388
01:15:02,200 --> 01:15:05,760
Speaker 1: to continue to do what they do. And that's unbelievable

1389
01:15:05,840 --> 01:15:09,400
Speaker 1: to have that there, And that is just foresight on

1390
01:15:09,479 --> 01:15:13,000
Speaker 1: the part of the front office coaching staff developing Austin

1391
01:15:13,479 --> 01:15:17,559
Speaker 1: and having everyone think, you know what, we Yeah, we're

1392
01:15:17,600 --> 01:15:20,559
Speaker 1: gonna miss Melvin Gordon. Anybody would miss a great player

1393
01:15:20,640 --> 01:15:22,360
Speaker 1: like that, but we aren't going to change. And this

1394
01:15:22,479 --> 01:15:27,719
Speaker 1: guy's gonna do just fantastic when he steps in. Coach,

1395
01:15:27,760 --> 01:15:30,559
Speaker 1: we'll get you out of here on this again Sunday night.

1396
01:15:30,920 --> 01:15:34,400
Speaker 1: There's a ton of storylines, really, just two good teams.

1397
01:15:34,880 --> 01:15:36,360
Speaker 1: What do you think is going to decide this one?

1398
01:15:37,280 --> 01:15:40,519
Speaker 1: I think obviously the turnovers and taking care of the football.

1399
01:15:41,479 --> 01:15:44,280
Speaker 1: You know, both teams are explosive. Both teams want to

1400
01:15:44,479 --> 01:15:46,519
Speaker 1: push the ball up the field in the passing game.

1401
01:15:47,200 --> 01:15:49,400
Speaker 1: Both teams have guys who can make plays. They have

1402
01:15:49,560 --> 01:15:54,680
Speaker 1: defenders who are dangerous and can create takeaways. So is

1403
01:15:54,720 --> 01:15:57,280
Speaker 1: it going to be Philip Rivers or Ben Roethlisberger that

1404
01:15:57,360 --> 01:16:00,640
Speaker 1: can be aggressive and attack and make those plays up

1405
01:16:00,680 --> 01:16:04,360
Speaker 1: the field, but not be reckless and turn the ball over.

1406
01:16:04,560 --> 01:16:06,560
Speaker 1: And I think that that's who's gonna win. And I

1407
01:16:06,680 --> 01:16:10,320
Speaker 1: haven't made up my mind yet. Usually by Wednesday or Thursday,

1408
01:16:10,400 --> 01:16:12,640
Speaker 1: I have my pick all set. But this game is

1409
01:16:12,680 --> 01:16:14,439
Speaker 1: going to be so close, and I keep going back

1410
01:16:14,479 --> 01:16:16,519
Speaker 1: and forth, and I like the charges because of this. Well,

1411
01:16:16,520 --> 01:16:18,559
Speaker 1: I like to steal is because of this, and they

1412
01:16:18,600 --> 01:16:21,360
Speaker 1: are at home, and you know all the factors that

1413
01:16:21,439 --> 01:16:22,920
Speaker 1: go through your mind. But I think this is gonna

1414
01:16:22,920 --> 01:16:26,320
Speaker 1: be a great game. That's a cliffhanger for Sunday night. Coach.

1415
01:16:26,360 --> 01:16:30,760
Speaker 1: We'll have to wait for your pick on the studio show. Correct, Yes,

1416
01:16:30,880 --> 01:16:33,200
Speaker 1: you got to tune tune in and watch the show.

1417
01:16:33,479 --> 01:16:36,600
Speaker 1: We always think about five minutes before game time, and

1418
01:16:36,800 --> 01:16:38,479
Speaker 1: I think this one's going over right down to the

1419
01:16:38,520 --> 01:16:41,000
Speaker 1: wire for me. I love it. Well, Coach, it's a

1420
01:16:41,040 --> 01:16:43,080
Speaker 1: pleasure to speak with you. Thanks so much for taking

1421
01:16:43,120 --> 01:16:45,519
Speaker 1: the time, and we look forward to a big one

1422
01:16:45,560 --> 01:16:49,400
Speaker 1: of Hinesfield. Hey, thank you very much, and please say

1423
01:16:49,520 --> 01:16:52,200
Speaker 1: hi to Antonio and Phillop for me, I made a

1424
01:16:52,240 --> 01:16:56,080
Speaker 1: compat last week. I've been retired ten years and those

1425
01:16:56,200 --> 01:16:58,320
Speaker 1: were the two guys that not made it harder than

1426
01:16:58,400 --> 01:17:01,400
Speaker 1: my last playoff game, and they're still play I just

1427
01:17:01,520 --> 01:17:03,599
Speaker 1: really have a lot of respect for those guys. Oh,

1428
01:17:03,680 --> 01:17:05,960
Speaker 1: and I'm sure it goes both ways. You're a class

1429
01:17:06,000 --> 01:17:10,120
Speaker 1: at coach. Thanks so much, all right, thanks, that'll do it.

1430
01:17:10,280 --> 01:17:13,800
Speaker 1: A big thanks to Tony Dungee, Sam Farmer, Ed Bouchette,

1431
01:17:13,920 --> 01:17:17,360
Speaker 1: Michelle Tafoya, Al Michaels and Peter King for joining me,

1432
01:17:17,720 --> 01:17:20,240
Speaker 1: and of course thanks to you all for listening. Don't forget.

1433
01:17:20,320 --> 01:17:22,280
Speaker 1: If you like what you here, be sure to give

1434
01:17:22,360 --> 01:17:25,200
Speaker 1: us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Please help

1435
01:17:25,240 --> 01:17:28,000
Speaker 1: spread the word. Enjoy the game on Sunday night, and

1436
01:17:28,160 --> 01:17:30,160
Speaker 1: until next time, I'm Chris Harry