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Speaker 1: Jared turns, fakes the gifts, SATs looks, looks, looks, Jared

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Speaker 1: still looking middle throws and so God cuts down Detroit

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Speaker 1: Lions Isaac Tesla, And it's crazy that it is week

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Speaker 1: fourteen of the NFL season. I am Tim Twentyman. This

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Speaker 1: is twenty in the Huddle podcast. He is Jeremy Riseman.

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Speaker 1: Does a great job over at the Pride of Detroit.

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Speaker 1: And right now you guys are in your November money

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Speaker 1: raising campaign for the University of Michigan Rogo Cancer Center

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Speaker 1: that finishes up on Saturday. So it's a great cause.

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Speaker 1: You guys do a lot of stuff surrounding it. Just

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Speaker 1: where did that start, Jeremy? Why is it important? Yeah?

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Speaker 2: I think it was just once I realized I had

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Speaker 2: a platform that reached enough people, I thought it would

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Speaker 2: be good to use it for some sort of good.

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Speaker 2: I know, Lions fans are a rabid fan base, and

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Speaker 2: I'd like to kind of like push that towards a

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Speaker 2: common good. And every month, you know, it started with

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Speaker 2: me just growing out the mustache for this month, and

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Speaker 2: people seem to get get a kick out of it,

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Speaker 2: including some people inside the building here, and so yeah,

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Speaker 2: I kind of ran with it because people got excited

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Speaker 2: about that, and I channeled that towards something that felt

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Speaker 2: like a good cause for the common good.

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Speaker 1: That's a good cause and good for you. Now let's

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Speaker 1: talk about Thursday. Yeah, that's a big game.

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Speaker 3: Yep.

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Speaker 1: It has become a big game just because of what

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Speaker 1: has transpired over the last say month and a half

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Speaker 1: for the Lions. Is Jeremy has it reached must win territory?

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Speaker 1: You hate to say that when the calendar just flips

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Speaker 1: to December, but it's a big one and it seems

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Speaker 1: pretty must winish if you're talking about certainly a division title,

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Speaker 1: but even you know, the playoffs.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean when you look at the playoff picture,

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Speaker 2: obviously the Lions still need to jump one team, and

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Speaker 2: with the Cowboys kind of nipping at their heels, you

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Speaker 2: don't want to make it two teams that they have

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Speaker 2: to jump, right, And so you know, you look at

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Speaker 2: some of the numbers, you know, somewhere between like a

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Speaker 2: thirty and forty five percent chance of making the playoffs

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Speaker 2: right now, if they lose this game, it kind of

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Speaker 2: drops into that like ten to fifteen range, depending on

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Speaker 2: which model you're using. So you know, I would say

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Speaker 2: it's not quite full must win, but considering the Cowboys

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Speaker 2: are one of those teams that could be nime at

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Speaker 2: their heels. I mean, if you're not going to win

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Speaker 2: this one, you probably have to run the table.

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Speaker 1: And it's at home. And Dan Campbell talked about November

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Speaker 1: being I almost said November November being you know, moving month,

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Speaker 1: and and they were, you know, they didn't move enough.

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Speaker 1: You know, they moved back three and three over the

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Speaker 1: last six I believe it is. They haven't won back

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Speaker 1: to back game since Week four. In Week five against

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Speaker 1: Cincinnati in Cleveland. That's a long time ago, Jeremy. And

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Speaker 1: so it just seems like a big game just to

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Speaker 1: get December off on the right foot, and and and

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Speaker 1: to make this stretch run you feel good about the

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Speaker 1: start of the stretch run at home. Yeah, it's the

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Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys. You gotta win this one.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, And it would feel you know, signature wind might

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Speaker 2: be overstating a little bit, but again, like a big win,

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Speaker 2: a win that that feels like you're getting things on

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Speaker 2: the right track. You know, no disrespect to the Giants,

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Speaker 2: they've been playing some tough football, but you know, that

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Speaker 2: doesn't feel like a signature win, it feels like they

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Speaker 2: haven't really beaten a team that feels like a true

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Speaker 2: contender in a little bit here, and I would say, yeah,

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Speaker 2: doing it at home, doing it on national stage, doing

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Speaker 2: it at night, doing in front of a RACKUS crowd,

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Speaker 2: that'll do a lot too, I think, bring a lot

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Speaker 2: of more confidence into this environment, both inside and outside

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Speaker 2: the building.

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Speaker 1: How crazy is this NFL season? Ben that we're talking

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Speaker 1: about this that Kansas City, Buffalo, and Baltimore I think

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Speaker 1: are currently out of the playoffs. In Indianapolis, Denver, and

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Speaker 1: New Orleans or New England is in the NFC North

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Speaker 1: that's been completely turned upside down. The Chicago Bears lead

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Speaker 1: the division and are the number one seed in football.

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Speaker 1: I mean, it's it's kind of crazy, and I think

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Speaker 1: it's why everybody loves the NFL is and there's always

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Speaker 1: that worst to first story and everything else. But this

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Speaker 1: has been a crazy season.

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Speaker 2: Crazier than I would say most. But I think the

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Speaker 2: NFL does a really good job of like creating that parody,

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Speaker 2: whether it's with the draft, whether it's with you know,

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Speaker 2: the schedule obviously played a huge pactor, I think in

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Speaker 2: where the Lions are at and where the Bears are

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Speaker 2: at and just I think it also is a reminder

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Speaker 2: that the difference between the first place team and the

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Speaker 2: last place team is never as big as you think

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Speaker 2: it is. I think maybe we get used to college

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Speaker 2: football and like we see these, you know, twenty eight

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Speaker 2: point games every week in the NFL. It's not like that,

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Speaker 2: you know, any I truly do believe in the end

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Speaker 2: of given Sunday kind of motto that surrounds the NFL.

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Speaker 2: And and you know, it can be frustrating or exciting,

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Speaker 2: depending on which end you're on each year, but it's

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Speaker 2: it's thrilling, nonetheless.

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Speaker 1: Chicago for real, your book.

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Speaker 2: Man, It's so hard because I've been of the belief

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Speaker 2: that they're not. You know, there are a lot of

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Speaker 2: I'm a statistical guy, and a lot of the indicators

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Speaker 2: of like regression that they have. You know, they have

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Speaker 2: this crazy turnover margin. I think it's let me check

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Speaker 2: my notes here, it's crazy. Like they got a plus

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Speaker 2: seventeen point differential. The next closest is plus nine. So

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Speaker 2: I mean you put that that the point differential, the

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Speaker 2: turnover differential, the point differential. Their schedule has been relatively easy,

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Speaker 2: and it's very tough down the stretch, but you have

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Speaker 2: to give them some credit. They do and and I

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Speaker 2: think there's also this possibility that maybe Chicago wasn't that

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Speaker 2: team in October, but with a new coaching staff with

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Speaker 2: a new scheme, like you can become that team by

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Speaker 2: November December. So they kept their head above water during

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Speaker 2: those times when they were kind of melding together. And now,

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Speaker 2: I mean, they just beat the Eagles, and that's not

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Speaker 2: an easy team to be.

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Speaker 1: There's something to say about playing with confidence too. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: you know, they look to me like a very confident bunch.

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Speaker 1: And you know, when you've got some of the right

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Speaker 1: systems in place, you're confident and you you can make

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Speaker 1: place takeaways their tops in the league at When you

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Speaker 1: can run the football, you create takeaways. That stuff travels

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Speaker 1: and you can win. So will know in three weeks

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Speaker 1: for sure. They got to play Green Bay twice in

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Speaker 1: the next three weeks. I think that's where we will

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Speaker 1: know if they split with Green Bay or beat Green

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Speaker 1: Bay twice. I'll be a believer. They lose a couple

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Speaker 1: of times and you kind of know where things stand.

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Speaker 2: They got the forty nine ers in there too, so

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Speaker 2: all that's kind of good news for Detroit, right, Like

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Speaker 2: those teams are going to beat up on.

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Speaker 1: The you know how this is going for both of us, right, well,

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Speaker 1: you know where this is trending. This is trending week

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Speaker 1: eighteen in Chicago in January, meaning something for both teams

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Speaker 1: and it being a crazy big game in the cold,

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Speaker 1: Ben Johnson, all of it. You know, that's where this

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Speaker 1: is headed.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, it just seems kind of inevitable at this point.

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Speaker 1: It's our fate, yeah, absolutely, all right, biggest concern with

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Speaker 1: Detroit right now before we start looking ahead to Dallas.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I think it's been the past defense recently.

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Speaker 2: You know, there's obviously a lot of talk about the

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Speaker 2: pass rush. We just talked to Kelvin Sheppard and he's

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Speaker 2: you know, he pretty bluntly said, like it needs to

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Speaker 2: be way better. Yeah, And you know it's to me,

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Speaker 2: it's not even just necessarily about the sack numbers or

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Speaker 2: the pressure numbers or things like that. It's giving up

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Speaker 2: the big plays. Yes, allowing the quarterbacks to sit back

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Speaker 2: in the pocket for three seconds at a time. The

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Speaker 2: lines have given up the most thirty yard passing plays

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Speaker 2: on the season, and it's it's way more than the

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Speaker 2: rest of the league. Dallas Cowboys, they're tied for the

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Speaker 2: most thirty plus yard passing plays on offense, So that's

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Speaker 2: gonna be a big challenge for him this week.

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Speaker 1: You know, it's funny, they've got to marry that rush

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Speaker 1: and cover a little bit better.

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Speaker 3: Too.

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Speaker 1: Too much time for quarterbacks to throw. I think you

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Speaker 1: guys were talking about down in the in the media

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Speaker 1: room before we came up here. Lions allowing the most

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Speaker 1: time for opposing quarterbacks throw almost three seconds. Yeah, that's

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Speaker 1: an eternity in this league. And so to Shepherd's point,

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Speaker 1: they need to up that pressure. They need to marry

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Speaker 1: that that Russian cover. I don't care who you are

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Speaker 1: in this league, you cannot cover these kind of athletes

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Speaker 1: at wide receiver for three four five seconds. You're just

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Speaker 1: not going to be able to do it. So, whatever

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Speaker 1: it is, whether it's guys winning more of their one

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Speaker 1: on one opportunities or shep kind of scheming it up

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Speaker 1: a little bit more, that they've got to do something

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Speaker 1: to affect the opposing quarterback a little more than they have.

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Speaker 1: So then what is it as simple as playing better

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Speaker 1: pass defense? The key to winning on Thursday? Kind of

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Speaker 1: what's your number one thing going in at a game.

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Speaker 1: The Detroit Lions do this. Yeah, there's a great there's

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Speaker 1: you know, the great opportunity for for a win.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: I mean that certainly is near the top, right, because

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Speaker 2: it's not just about you getting pressure. It's about covering

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Speaker 2: two really really turn good Yeah, wide receivers and George

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Speaker 2: Pickens and Ceedee Lamb. You know, if you want to

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Speaker 2: flip it over to the offensive side of the ball.

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Speaker 2: I think getting the run game going is a key.

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Speaker 2: I mean last week against the Packers, that was a

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Speaker 2: first game that they had crossed over one hundred yards

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Speaker 2: a game and lost. Usually if they crossed over that threshold,

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Speaker 2: you know things are working for this offense. And you know,

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Speaker 2: given some of the injuries at wide receiver at tight end,

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Speaker 2: I feel like if they can get the game going

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Speaker 2: on the ground, you know that.

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Speaker 4: Frees them up.

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Speaker 2: The play action works a little bit more, you get

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Speaker 2: the Cowboys a little bit off bounce, you keep that

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Speaker 2: Cowboys offense off the field as well. So I think

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Speaker 2: the offense has the opportunity to kind of dictate the

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Speaker 2: pace of the game, and I think maybe that's the

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Speaker 2: best way that they can do it.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and that's gonna be a big test this week too,

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Speaker 1: because you're talking about potentially the best defensive tackle dual

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Speaker 1: in the league in Quinn and Williams and Kenny Clark

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Speaker 1: in the center of that Dallas defense. And look, I

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Speaker 1: give Jerry Jones credit, like he said, we needed to

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Speaker 1: do something different. We needed to transform our defense. We

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Speaker 1: needed to be better against the run. Well, the last

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Speaker 1: three weeks since Quinn Williams has been their teams are

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Speaker 1: averaging sixty nine point six yards per game run in

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Speaker 1: the football. And this is a Detroit Lions team. You

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Speaker 1: know as well as I do. They want to run

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Speaker 1: the football. That sets up the play action everything else. Jeremy,

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Speaker 1: I think this is a great test this week for

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Speaker 1: this interior offensive line.

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Speaker 3: No doubt.

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Speaker 1: Graham Glasgow was back at practice this week. That was

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Speaker 1: a great, great sign for his availability for Sunday. But

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Speaker 1: then with Ratledge and whoever's at left guard, if it's

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Speaker 1: a Waika or somebody else, they need to.

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Speaker 3: Have a game.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 1: They need to have a really good collective effort along

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Speaker 1: the interior, try to contain those guys and get this

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Speaker 1: run game going. They just they need a good performance

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Speaker 1: the offensive line overall, but I think those three guys

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Speaker 1: in the center need a really good.

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Speaker 2: No doubt, and you're right, it's definitely going to be

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Speaker 2: a big challenge this week against the Cowboys. The Cowboys

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Speaker 2: are kind of like in this weird position because I mean,

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Speaker 2: you can see the difference when you watch the games,

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Speaker 2: right with those two guys in there, But at the

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Speaker 2: same time, you look at the teams that they've played

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Speaker 2: over those three games. It's the Eagles, which have struggled

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Speaker 2: to run to the ball, It's the Raiders, have one

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Speaker 2: of the worst running games in the league, and then

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Speaker 2: the Chiefs, which is kind of like a middling team,

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Speaker 2: And so you consider the lines probably a better running

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Speaker 2: team than both all three of those teams.

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Speaker 4: So it's a good test for both sides.

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Speaker 2: And when it comes to Lions interior offensive line, like

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Speaker 2: we saw them against the Giants pretty much do whatever

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Speaker 2: they want. And it wasn't just the big home run

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Speaker 2: hits from Jamior Gibbs, like they were hitting on those

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Speaker 2: medium chunks that I think they've missed for a lot

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Speaker 2: of this year. And so if they can kind of

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Speaker 2: bounce back from you know, probably not a great game

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Speaker 2: against the Packers. I think they have an opportunity to

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Speaker 2: really establish themselves and kind of build that momentum towards

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Speaker 2: the rest of the season in terms of building a solid,

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Speaker 2: more consistent run.

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Speaker 1: We talked earlier about the differences a year can make

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Speaker 1: in this league. How crazy is it that we're talking

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Speaker 1: about the Philadelphia Eagles as a very good Vie Barley

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Speaker 1: had two thousand yards last time they strikes again. Isn't

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Speaker 1: it nuts? All Right? The matchup you're most looking forward

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Speaker 1: to watching on Thursday we've talked about. Yeah, but if

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Speaker 1: it's one we've talked about already, go ahead. But is

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Speaker 1: there is there anything else out there?

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Speaker 2: I'm always a fan of wide receivers versus corners. It's

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Speaker 2: it's one of the more fun things to watch in

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Speaker 2: this league. So I'm looking at George Pickens first. You know,

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Speaker 2: maybe a Meek. I don't know if the Lions are

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Speaker 2: gonna travel their corners necessarily, but a Meek always seems

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Speaker 2: to like really step up his game against these big,

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Speaker 2: physical receivers, and Pickens has been on.

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Speaker 1: Fire over a thousand yards.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean he's been great the last three games alone,

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Speaker 2: twenty four catches, three hundred and seventy eight yards and

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Speaker 2: two touchdowns, So it's gonna be a big And those

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Speaker 2: are two like very prideful, very emotional guys. They're out

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Speaker 2: on the field, so Mike, you know, might get a

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Speaker 2: little chippy, might be a little fun to watch there

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Speaker 2: on Thursday night.

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Speaker 4: I'm gonna go to the other side, okay.

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Speaker 1: And I'm gonna say Jamison Williams versus Bland, drown Bland.

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Speaker 1: If that's the matchup. We'll see if Diggs is back

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Speaker 1: this week or not. I know they started his practice

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Speaker 1: window this week. He could play as well too, so

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Speaker 1: they can have both those corners. But whoever is against

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Speaker 1: Jameson Williams. I thought that was big last week for

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Speaker 1: him to step up. You lose, I'm on Rossie on

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Speaker 1: nine minutes into the game. Tom Kennedy has to step up.

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Speaker 1: But you're looking for the number two guy to be

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Speaker 1: the number one guy, and I thought Jamo was And

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Speaker 1: I think that's a very encouraging sign for this offense

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Speaker 1: for him that when they needed it, he had seven catches,

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Speaker 1: one hundred and forty four yards a touchdown. Probably wants

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Speaker 1: that fourth down play back. I know the ball was

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Speaker 1: behind it, but in my book, I agree with John

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Speaker 1: Moorean when he says, look, if it touches a receivers hands,

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Speaker 1: he should catch it. But I thought that was encouraging

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Speaker 1: and I think that'll be an interesting one. We didn't

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Speaker 1: see Saint Brown to start the week on the practice field.

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Speaker 1: Seems a little doubtful he plays, in my opinion. We'll

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Speaker 1: have to see, but they're gonna need another Jmo type

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Speaker 1: of game, and that's an aggressive, you know, talkative frunch

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Speaker 1: back there, and that could get a little chippy too

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Speaker 1: and could certainly be fun to watch. One good news

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Speaker 1: for Detroit. Kirby Joseph back at practice. We haven't seen

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Speaker 1: him in six weeks. Jeremy, what kind of impact do

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Speaker 1: you think he can have immediately?

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Speaker 3: Man?

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Speaker 4: I mean huge?

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Speaker 2: Right, He's he's kind of a turnover machine for them,

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Speaker 2: and that feels like that's something just like that extra

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Speaker 2: juice that the entire team could use. Right if turnovers

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Speaker 2: just don't help your defense get off the field, but

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Speaker 2: they put your offense in advantageous situations. The Lions are

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Speaker 2: six and one in games in which they just get

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Speaker 2: a single turnover, just one, which means, of course they're

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Speaker 2: one and four without him.

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Speaker 4: So, and they haven't.

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Speaker 2: I feel like they've struggled to really produce those interceptions.

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Speaker 3: You know.

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Speaker 4: Not not that Thomas Harper is playing poorly. I don't

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Speaker 4: think he is.

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Speaker 2: And he actually you know, he has the latest turnover

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Speaker 2: for the team in a game that you know was

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Speaker 2: tight against the Giants. But Kirby's just kind of on

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Speaker 2: a different level there with with his ball skills, with

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Speaker 2: his ability to run sideline to sideline. So if they

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Speaker 2: can get him back this week, wouldn't be surprised to

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Speaker 2: see him pick off Deak once or twice.

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Speaker 1: You know, there's gonna be opportunities, Yeah, because you know

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Speaker 1: Dak is gonna send it down the field to pickens

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Speaker 1: in Ceedee Lamb, especially when he sees or what he

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Speaker 1: thinks he sees as a one on one matchup Kam

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Speaker 1: Kirby in that knee, Is he still the same player

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Speaker 1: in terms of speed, the ground he can cover over

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Speaker 1: from the center, you know, field position over there down

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Speaker 1: towards the sideline. I think that'll be interesting to watch too.

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Speaker 1: How much the time off and how much the knee.

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Speaker 1: He was wearing a big brace on that on that

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Speaker 1: left knee when we watched practice on on Monday, So

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Speaker 1: we'll see if he is the same player. All right,

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Speaker 1: who needs to step up besides Hutch you know, yeah

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Speaker 1: along that pass us because we talked about a little

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Speaker 1: bit earlier and Shepherd brought it up that look, we're

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Speaker 1: not affecting the quarterback enough to run any style of defense.

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Speaker 1: I think he was very honest, yeah, and he said, look,

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Speaker 1: you know, Leam did some good things on Thanksgiving. We've

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Speaker 1: seen a little bit you know of him since he's

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Speaker 1: been back. But they need somebody else or multiple people, Right,

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Speaker 1: who's that guy that that that that can kind of

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Speaker 1: step up and provide them a little spark to that

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Speaker 1: to that rush game the end of the season.

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Speaker 2: I think, I mean, I think the most obvious have answers.

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Speaker 2: Marcus Stavenport. You know, he played you know, twenty some

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Speaker 2: snaps in his kind of return last week. He's a

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Speaker 2: guy that they have a lot of faith in. Right,

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Speaker 2: He's a guy that they I think when he that

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Speaker 2: as healthy as when they're they're most comfortable with him.

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Speaker 2: He can play like fifty sixty steps because he can

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Speaker 2: be in there for the run game, he can be

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Speaker 2: there for the pass rush. He's physical, he's got a

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Speaker 2: great long arm. I think Al KaDee Mohammad still has

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Speaker 2: a little bit of that in him. We saw a

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Speaker 2: little bit more of it earlier in the season, maybe

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Speaker 2: a little bit less of it now. But I also

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Speaker 2: think the lines can get a little bit more creative,

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Speaker 2: you know, get some some other guys involved. You know,

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Speaker 2: of their four most recent SACT one and a half

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Speaker 2: of them are from Brian Branch.

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Speaker 5: You know.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, he's a guy that's good toward the line. Maybe

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Speaker 2: mix in a couple of corner blitzes. You know, Jack

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Speaker 2: Campbell has proven that he can blitz. I think they

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Speaker 2: need to have some more from.

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Speaker 1: Derek Barnes too. For sure. I haven't said his name

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Speaker 1: enough now. Obviously he affects the game in terms of

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Speaker 1: his versatility, what he does spying rushing quarterbacks, and that's

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Speaker 1: been a huge part of his game. But just the

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Speaker 1: your pass rush, go get the quarterback when when they

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Speaker 1: do send him, he's getting a lot of those one

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Speaker 1: on one opportunities. He's a guy to me that I'd

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Speaker 1: like to see maybe step up a little bit. I'd

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Speaker 1: like to say his name a little bit more, right

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Speaker 1: at the at least a few more times on on game.

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Speaker 4: Day tap into pass rushing there.

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Speaker 1: I like it. Well, it's obviously a huge game Thursday night.

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Speaker 1: Jeremy will be there, coming for the Pride of Detroit.

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Speaker 1: I do love that mustache.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, going away, It's going away.

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Speaker 1: He's got one more week of the mustache. Jeremy, Thanks

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Speaker 1: for taking the time.

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Speaker 4: Appreciated, man, appreciate it.

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Speaker 1: Welcome back to the toy M Huddle podcast. Happy to

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Speaker 1: welcome and Roy Lopez, defensive tackle for the Detroit Lione.

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Speaker 1: Is I doing right?

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Speaker 3: I'm good man. I appreciated you.

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Speaker 1: Have no appreciate you. You coming on. Let's start with

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Speaker 1: this first year here and you're obviously coming over front

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Speaker 1: from Arizona. One of the things, one of the reasons

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Speaker 1: why you're here is Brad was telling a story about

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Speaker 1: just going up against Frank gregg Now and Frank being like,

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Speaker 1: byro Lopez is like one of the hardest guys I've

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Speaker 1: ever had to play against. Effort. How much did you

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Speaker 1: appreciate the fact that an all Pro player like Frank

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Speaker 1: grag Now said that about you and that it kind

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Speaker 1: of spurred this this thought of what you could mean

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Speaker 1: for this for the middle of this line's defense.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, I think you know, it's it's one of those

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Speaker 5: things that you know when people probably play against ro

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Speaker 5: Lopez or you know, people signed when the team signs

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Speaker 5: Rore Lopez, you know, people probably have never really heard

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Speaker 5: of me. You know, I'm not just this big high

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Speaker 5: name that played a big school or a high draft pick.

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Speaker 5: But you know, here I am, you know, swinging and banging,

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Speaker 5: you know, in the middle of the trenches, and uh,

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Speaker 5: it's it's been fun, man. And to hear those compliments

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Speaker 5: you know from you know, a player of that stature

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Speaker 5: is just you know, I don't we don't take it lightly.

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Speaker 5: You and my family don't take it lightly. And uh

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Speaker 5: it's cool, man. You know, recognition is always great. You know,

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Speaker 5: it's fun and uh, I love the game of football,

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Speaker 5: you know, so when it one kind of pays you

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Speaker 5: back like that, it's a you know, it's definitely a

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Speaker 5: nice thing to hear because those guards don't get love, man,

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Speaker 5: And those guards just don't don't get any love, you know,

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Speaker 5: So to be here in this position, it's it's it's

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Speaker 5: great and uh, you know I've gotten a couple of

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Speaker 5: those throughout my career, you know, from from great centers

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Speaker 5: that I've played against, and you know, future Hall of

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Speaker 5: Famers kind of just be like Mande, you can play,

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Speaker 5: you can play, you know. So that's always fun to hear,

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Speaker 5: and it's been great.

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Speaker 1: What is it about this scheme that maybe fits your game?

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Speaker 1: We slowly seen your reps increase, your impact increase. What

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Speaker 1: is it about Shep's scheme? Maybe who's around you that

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Speaker 1: that that kind of just seems to fit your style play?

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Speaker 5: Yeah, I think just the mindset of of this defense

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Speaker 5: and the mindset we play with, and the group of

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Speaker 5: guys for sure, you know, from top to bottom, you know,

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Speaker 5: and starting with Shep, you know. And I think the

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Speaker 5: coolest thing about is you know, and and when you're

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Speaker 5: in that huddle and breathing heavy in the Swiss rolling

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Speaker 5: and man Jack Campbell's telling you to play like it's

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Speaker 5: you know, there's no better feeling in the world, you know,

437
00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,200
Speaker 5: and the stadium's going crazy. It's it's it's a it's

438
00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,080
Speaker 5: a great feeling, you know, to be in that huddle

439
00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:55,359
Speaker 5: and you look to your left, you see Allen mcknw.

440
00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:57,880
Speaker 5: You look to your right, you see Ada Hutchison right,

441
00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:00,480
Speaker 5: and uh, you know, guys are out there, Arvin Man

442
00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,480
Speaker 5: starving to make plays names for themselves, names for this defense,

443
00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,000
Speaker 5: and you know, we got such a high standard we

444
00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:08,240
Speaker 5: set for ourselves, you know. And I think that's the

445
00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,840
Speaker 5: biggest thing is it's fun to play. It's fun to

446
00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:13,120
Speaker 5: play here, it's fun to play on this defense, and

447
00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:16,520
Speaker 5: every week's a blessing. It's I don't take it lightly.

448
00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:18,880
Speaker 1: For one of the things shep talked about this week

449
00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,880
Speaker 1: was just needing to affect the quarterback a little bit more,

450
00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:24,560
Speaker 1: and it basically said, I don't know if it's changing

451
00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:28,040
Speaker 1: up personnel a little bit, maybe doing something schematically, but look,

452
00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:31,160
Speaker 1: you know, the good pass defense in this league is

453
00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,199
Speaker 1: a marriage between the rush and the cover. How do

454
00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,000
Speaker 1: you guys, You're really great at it. At the beginning

455
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:38,399
Speaker 1: of the year, you kind of reached a little bit

456
00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:40,720
Speaker 1: of low four sacks over the last four games. How

457
00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:43,720
Speaker 1: do you guys go about affecting Dak Prescott in the

458
00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:45,480
Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys a little bit more Thursday?

459
00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,360
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's playing fast man, play fast. We do your move,

460
00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:52,960
Speaker 5: throw hard, and commit to it. And that's the biggest thing,

461
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,560
Speaker 5: you know, play confident and fly around like we have

462
00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,800
Speaker 5: a great group of guys man, great football players, great men.

463
00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,040
Speaker 3: So to be out there, like it's just just.

464
00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,040
Speaker 5: You know, it's just back to the basics, you know,

465
00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:09,199
Speaker 5: when you're practicing and do your drills and have purpose

466
00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,480
Speaker 5: and everything you do and you understand that, you know,

467
00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,679
Speaker 5: if you're tired, big air breathe, you know, one more play, right,

468
00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,680
Speaker 5: just always kind of tell yourself one more play and uh,

469
00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:19,840
Speaker 5: you know it, they'll come, you know. I think that's

470
00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,439
Speaker 5: the biggest thing is is you know, we're a great,

471
00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:25,920
Speaker 5: great unit and and you know we compliment each other

472
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,639
Speaker 5: really really well. And when you got a guy like

473
00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:34,280
Speaker 5: Ada Huncheson, man, he's he's definitely special, crazier man.

474
00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:36,880
Speaker 1: He he makes it easier for everybody around him exactly

475
00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,480
Speaker 1: just because of the exactly exactly.

476
00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,239
Speaker 3: And then Alaid McNeill can can rush the passer as well. Right,

477
00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:44,680
Speaker 3: he's a dog for sure.

478
00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,159
Speaker 5: I think that's the coolest thing about this room is

479
00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:50,919
Speaker 5: everybody's got talent, man, and so you know, for it

480
00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:53,280
Speaker 5: to be used, we got to play fast and play confident,

481
00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:54,440
Speaker 5: and it's to be fun.

482
00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,639
Speaker 1: What's the biggest test Thursday Night? Obviously an offense that

483
00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:00,840
Speaker 1: comes in number one scoring, number one passing offense, they've

484
00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:04,240
Speaker 1: got a lot of skilled weapons. What do you see

485
00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,240
Speaker 1: from them on tape. What's the big point of emphasis

486
00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:10,560
Speaker 1: this week for you as a defense and in that

487
00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:12,400
Speaker 1: defensive line room especially.

488
00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:13,880
Speaker 3: Right you said that number one. That means they're high

489
00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:14,440
Speaker 3: in efficiency.

490
00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:14,679
Speaker 1: Right.

491
00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,320
Speaker 5: They like their plays, they like to run them, how

492
00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,159
Speaker 5: they run them, the timing they run them, get them,

493
00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,440
Speaker 5: you know, get them off script, get them off rhythm,

494
00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:25,119
Speaker 5: you know, make plays when they come to us. And

495
00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,680
Speaker 5: and you know, I think that's the best thing about

496
00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:29,920
Speaker 5: this union. I keep saying, is this a great group

497
00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:30,960
Speaker 5: of guys, you know, so.

498
00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:33,119
Speaker 3: We can do it.

499
00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,400
Speaker 5: I think that's the thing is play fast, play confident,

500
00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,000
Speaker 5: get them off rhythm is I would say it's the

501
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:39,560
Speaker 5: biggest thing.

502
00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:43,000
Speaker 3: And uh, that's always fun. You got a little juice

503
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:43,359
Speaker 3: for sure.

504
00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:47,200
Speaker 1: Has it been talked about? Do you sense it maybe

505
00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:50,720
Speaker 1: just an increase in the magnitude of the game, right,

506
00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,080
Speaker 1: I mean they get the calendar slipped to December. Obviously,

507
00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:56,320
Speaker 1: you guys haven't stacked up the total wins that you want.

508
00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:59,239
Speaker 1: You know, where your place is, These games are important, now.

509
00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:02,280
Speaker 1: Do you get that sense or is it just business

510
00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,960
Speaker 1: as usual? Next game up? Or do you sense there's

511
00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:06,480
Speaker 1: a little bit something extra for this one?

512
00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,320
Speaker 5: No, for sure, there's definitely a sense of urgency, but

513
00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:13,119
Speaker 5: there always is come November, December, January, you know, no

514
00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:15,320
Speaker 5: matter who you're playing for, no matter what your record is,

515
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,600
Speaker 5: right like, and you know, I've been on a couple

516
00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,240
Speaker 5: of teams that will probably already eliminated at this time

517
00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,000
Speaker 5: of year, right you're still playing with that sense of urgency,

518
00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:27,280
Speaker 5: right like, it doesn't doesn't at this point the record is,

519
00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:30,680
Speaker 5: you know, you're still fighting, right I think that's the

520
00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:34,560
Speaker 5: best thing about this league come December, and the fun

521
00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:35,520
Speaker 5: game is playing man.

522
00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:37,800
Speaker 3: That's just so loud. It's so loud.

523
00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,960
Speaker 5: Thursday was rocking at foreign fields, you know, so I

524
00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,119
Speaker 5: think those are so fun to play man when you

525
00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:46,479
Speaker 5: can just you can't even hear yourself, right or your

526
00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:49,000
Speaker 5: hear is your breathing, and you're just your hard.

527
00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,840
Speaker 1: It's a magnitude of it's the cowboys, it's National TV.

528
00:22:57,160 --> 00:22:59,480
Speaker 3: There's no there's no beating around the bus man. It's

529
00:22:59,520 --> 00:22:59,919
Speaker 3: the real deal.

530
00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,879
Speaker 5: And blessed to be in the moment because you know,

531
00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,080
Speaker 5: I tell my family all the time when when there's

532
00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:07,840
Speaker 5: no better feeling, man, when you're you're in it. You

533
00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,200
Speaker 5: got sweat on your visor and you just hear the crowd,

534
00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:14,160
Speaker 5: but all you can hear is you're breathing your heartright, and.

535
00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,240
Speaker 3: It's just so much like going on.

536
00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:20,160
Speaker 5: But you know, like you're able to slow it down, right,

537
00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:22,080
Speaker 5: And I don't know if that's for everybody or it

538
00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:24,240
Speaker 5: comes with playing years in the league, right, You're able

539
00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,480
Speaker 5: to slow down in that moment and play the game.

540
00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:30,760
Speaker 3: For what it is. And like there's to.

541
00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:31,480
Speaker 5: Be in a room that I am with a Lean

542
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,399
Speaker 5: and DJ and HUDs and Tyleek and all these guys

543
00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:37,719
Speaker 5: that have played great football and played great football for years,

544
00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:38,880
Speaker 5: they do it as well.

545
00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,199
Speaker 3: They know that feeling, right. So when it's late in

546
00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:42,000
Speaker 3: the game and you're.

547
00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:43,840
Speaker 5: Tired and you look over and he's tired, but like,

548
00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:47,159
Speaker 5: oh it's on, Like it's like I need you, I

549
00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,080
Speaker 5: got you, right, Like I think that's the coolest thing

550
00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,280
Speaker 5: about this room is, you know sometimes we look at

551
00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:52,840
Speaker 5: each other and we say, you know, I got you,

552
00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:53,480
Speaker 5: I got you.

553
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,359
Speaker 3: Listen, that's good, that's right, let's go. So it's fun with.

554
00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,359
Speaker 1: Jack Campbell in the huddle. I'm curious what kind of

555
00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,159
Speaker 1: temper demeanor he is. He strikes me as such like

556
00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:07,080
Speaker 1: a hardcore, old school throwback kind of linebacker. You know,

557
00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:09,320
Speaker 1: was covering his mouth so we didn't spit blood on

558
00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:12,040
Speaker 1: you all. You know, when he had the mouth? What

559
00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:15,399
Speaker 1: kind of leader? What kind of of guys jack in

560
00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:18,439
Speaker 1: the huddle and just in the center of that defense.

561
00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:22,040
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think that that Baltimore game, right when is

562
00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:25,480
Speaker 5: that when he happened? That speaks for yourself, man, And

563
00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,879
Speaker 5: when you look at your leader and he's telling you like,

564
00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:32,840
Speaker 5: come on and he's got bluzzz moment.

565
00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yes, sir, I got you right.

566
00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,280
Speaker 5: Like it's he's he's been fun to play with, man,

567
00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:44,760
Speaker 5: and uh so much trust that's putting him put into him,

568
00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:47,960
Speaker 5: you know, from the coaches, from the players, and uh,

569
00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:49,320
Speaker 5: you know, I'll go to work with him any day

570
00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:51,160
Speaker 5: of the week, you know. And he's earned that, he's

571
00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:51,600
Speaker 5: earned that.

572
00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:56,600
Speaker 1: It's interesting you signed here from Arizona. Obviously they had

573
00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,440
Speaker 1: a you know, a plan for how you're going to

574
00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:01,600
Speaker 1: fit into the defense. But I found it interesting when

575
00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:05,359
Speaker 1: you were just talking about the environment and the playing

576
00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:07,959
Speaker 1: in huge games and stuff like that. How much was

577
00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,600
Speaker 1: that a part of your decision too? What did you

578
00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:15,720
Speaker 1: know about Ford Field, this team, the atmosphere, the culture,

579
00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,640
Speaker 1: everything else. How much was that a part of the decision,

580
00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:20,040
Speaker 1: and not just the money.

581
00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:24,480
Speaker 3: No, it was a huge probably the biggest part for sure.

582
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:27,639
Speaker 5: I think that because I knew you're going to get

583
00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:30,840
Speaker 5: primetime game here in Detroit, You're going to get, you know,

584
00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:34,000
Speaker 5: part of a roster that is willing to do anything

585
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,000
Speaker 5: it takes to do to win and so starving to

586
00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:41,000
Speaker 5: win the whole thing, you know, and like I can't

587
00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:45,440
Speaker 5: express it enough, the starvation that this team has to

588
00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:48,040
Speaker 5: win to win the whole thing, to be the best

589
00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,199
Speaker 5: in the world, right, to be the best in the

590
00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:51,960
Speaker 5: world that week, to be the best in the world

591
00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:55,159
Speaker 5: at the end of the season, I guess, And to

592
00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:58,240
Speaker 5: be in an environment like that, like it's it's something

593
00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:00,960
Speaker 5: that you know, I cherish, you know, I take mental

594
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,679
Speaker 5: notes throughout my time here, and it's it's it's been

595
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:09,080
Speaker 5: a blessing to watch people's routines, habits, their motivation factors

596
00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:11,720
Speaker 5: and and and I think that's it's been great.

597
00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:11,880
Speaker 6: Man.

598
00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:14,080
Speaker 5: I've heard about DJ Reader for years and to play

599
00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:18,960
Speaker 5: with him and to see his mannerisms, his techniques, his routines,

600
00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:22,080
Speaker 5: his preparation, his everything. Right, that's I've learned as much,

601
00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,720
Speaker 5: you know, I've learned playing with him right, it's it's been.

602
00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:27,520
Speaker 5: It's been great. Then I look over and I got

603
00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:30,760
Speaker 5: Lee McNeil. I'm taking notes on him. I'm everything, man.

604
00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,840
Speaker 5: I view everybody as a teacher, and it's been. It's

605
00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,560
Speaker 5: been fun. This this place has been nothing but great

606
00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:37,960
Speaker 5: for me as a player, as a man.

607
00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:42,399
Speaker 1: We got another big one Thursday night, Dallas coming to town.

608
00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:46,240
Speaker 1: Big game obviously with with playoffs and and division implications

609
00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,120
Speaker 1: for you guys to kind of hang in there, go

610
00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:52,200
Speaker 1: get them, get after that a little bit, play your

611
00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,520
Speaker 1: branded defense and hopefully you come out with juice on that.

612
00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,719
Speaker 3: Go get go, get them, go get them, you know,

613
00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:00,840
Speaker 3: get after it. I like that to do. I like it.

614
00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,160
Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Twin Huddle Podcast presented by Microsoft.

615
00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:12,520
Speaker 1: Very happy to welcome in John Maschoda. He does a

616
00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:16,000
Speaker 1: great job covering everything Dallas Cowboys for the athletic John,

617
00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:18,480
Speaker 1: Thanks for taking the time, appreciate you anytime.

618
00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:19,119
Speaker 3: Thanks for having me on.

619
00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:23,000
Speaker 1: All right, so let's start with this three game win streak.

620
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,600
Speaker 1: What has been the biggest difference with this football team

621
00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:29,200
Speaker 1: over the last three weeks. You look at the three

622
00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:33,080
Speaker 1: weeks and then you look at the previous six seven

623
00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:35,560
Speaker 1: and it looks like an entirely different football team. Well,

624
00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:37,480
Speaker 1: what's been the biggest difference the last three weeks with

625
00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:39,400
Speaker 1: this Dallas Cowboys football team?

626
00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:41,600
Speaker 6: I mean, you know how it is, it's it's almost

627
00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:44,639
Speaker 6: never just one thing. But the biggest thing from my

628
00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,840
Speaker 6: perspective is the trade for Quinnon Williams. It's just amazing how,

629
00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:51,879
Speaker 6: you know, you put that type of force in the

630
00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:54,600
Speaker 6: middle of the defense, and how all of a sudden

631
00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:56,560
Speaker 6: the corners are playing better and the back end of

632
00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:58,240
Speaker 6: the defense is all of a sudden making plays that

633
00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:00,680
Speaker 6: they weren't making. I mean, it's it's crazy to think,

634
00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:03,400
Speaker 6: but they've turned the defense in from being I think

635
00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:05,720
Speaker 6: the Bengals were the worst defense, but the Cowboys were

636
00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,560
Speaker 6: fighting him for that spot for you know, the their

637
00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:11,120
Speaker 6: first half of the season. And then you get Quinn

638
00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,960
Speaker 6: Williams and then you get to Marvion Overshown back who'd

639
00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,080
Speaker 6: been out with a season ending knee injury from the

640
00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,879
Speaker 6: year before, at linebacker, and those have been two of

641
00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:21,400
Speaker 6: the probably the biggest things there. But just the confidence

642
00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:23,280
Speaker 6: that Quinn Williams brings, and then the way that it's

643
00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:25,920
Speaker 6: changed up their front. Now they run a lot more

644
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,920
Speaker 6: five man front with three defensive tackles out there. It's

645
00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:31,400
Speaker 6: completely changed the game on their defense, and that's what's

646
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,119
Speaker 6: been needed. Their offense was good before that. Honestly, the

647
00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:36,760
Speaker 6: offense was probably pressing a little bit because the defense

648
00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,800
Speaker 6: was playing so poorly. But that Quinn Williams move has

649
00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:41,040
Speaker 6: been such a confidence builder.

650
00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:44,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, to your point, I think it was a lot

651
00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:46,840
Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty four point seven on the ground

652
00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:49,840
Speaker 1: per game this year per game this year, but that

653
00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,880
Speaker 1: number is sixty nine the last three weeks. I mean,

654
00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,200
Speaker 1: they've been really good at stopping the run, and they'll

655
00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,840
Speaker 1: obviously have to be really good Thursday. Stopping the run

656
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:01,440
Speaker 1: just what Detroit wants to do. But how does one

657
00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:04,400
Speaker 1: guy like that just make such an impact in the middle.

658
00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:06,960
Speaker 1: Is it just he makes everyone around him better? Is

659
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,880
Speaker 1: it the attention that he gets allowing other guys to

660
00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:11,800
Speaker 1: have more one on one matchups? What do you think

661
00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:14,560
Speaker 1: has been the biggest difference, particularly with the run defense

662
00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:15,440
Speaker 1: the last three weeks.

663
00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:18,400
Speaker 6: So they spent a decent amount of money to keep

664
00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:21,320
Speaker 6: Osa Dougie Zua in the off season, and then in

665
00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:23,720
Speaker 6: the Micah Parsons trade they got Kenny Clark from Green

666
00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:26,400
Speaker 6: Bay and it looked like they would shore up defensive

667
00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:29,120
Speaker 6: tackle there, but while it was improved, it wasn't to

668
00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:31,560
Speaker 6: the level they needed. Now you're adding Quinn and Williams,

669
00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:33,720
Speaker 6: and none of those guys can really be double team now,

670
00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:35,960
Speaker 6: and so because of that, it's almost like when quinnin

671
00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:38,520
Speaker 6: was with the Jets, he was getting double teamed all

672
00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:40,600
Speaker 6: the time because he didn't really have the other pieces

673
00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:42,520
Speaker 6: around him like he has now. And so I think

674
00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:45,320
Speaker 6: that's been the biggest difference is it's allowed him to

675
00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:47,880
Speaker 6: pressure the quarterback more because he's not getting doubled as much.

676
00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,080
Speaker 6: And then it's opening up things for Osa and Kenny

677
00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,600
Speaker 6: because they're not getting doubled as much as they were before.

678
00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:54,840
Speaker 6: And so I just think that they're comfortable up front

679
00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:58,080
Speaker 6: and they're not seeing that exact same type of attention

680
00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:01,320
Speaker 6: that they were seeing before Thelliams' move was made, which

681
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:03,800
Speaker 6: now you know, most people around Dallas are saying, why

682
00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:05,880
Speaker 6: didn't they make this move earlier in the season. They tried,

683
00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:09,600
Speaker 6: They tried. Jerry Jones tried to trade Michael Parsons to

684
00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,760
Speaker 6: the Jets for Quinn Williams, but the Jets didn't have

685
00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:16,240
Speaker 6: the salary cap space. But to then give Michael Parsons

686
00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,160
Speaker 6: the contract that the Packers did, so it fell through,

687
00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:21,320
Speaker 6: but they Aaron Whitecotton is the Cowboys defensive line coach

688
00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:24,280
Speaker 6: and he is the guy that Quinn Williams really credits

689
00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:26,280
Speaker 6: for when he was in New York, helping Quinn take

690
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,400
Speaker 6: his game to the next level. So the Cowboys already

691
00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,320
Speaker 6: had that guy in the room kind of going, you know,

692
00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:33,800
Speaker 6: to bat for Hey, if we get Quinn Williams, do it,

693
00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:36,000
Speaker 6: because this guy can change everything, and so far he's

694
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:36,360
Speaker 6: been right.

695
00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,360
Speaker 1: It's amazing when you're really strong in the center of

696
00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:42,320
Speaker 1: your defense. Just how much of a difference that makes

697
00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:45,440
Speaker 1: to everything, including the outside. But let's slip to the

698
00:30:45,440 --> 00:30:47,240
Speaker 1: other side of the ball. John, how do you slow

699
00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:51,240
Speaker 1: down this high flying Cowboys offense? I mean number one

700
00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:55,320
Speaker 1: scoring offense, number one passing offense when they have struggled

701
00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:57,720
Speaker 1: when they lost her in the season. You mentioned the

702
00:30:57,720 --> 00:30:59,920
Speaker 1: defense a little bit, but how has anybody slowed this

703
00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:02,520
Speaker 1: this team down? It looks like they have so many weapons,

704
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:06,240
Speaker 1: from Ferguson to the two receivers, to Williams doing really

705
00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:09,680
Speaker 1: well as at running back. Just heisole these guys down.

706
00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:12,719
Speaker 6: It's crazy because this has been a franchise that has

707
00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:15,120
Speaker 6: spent big on running back for so many years, and

708
00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:17,640
Speaker 6: then lately they just really haven't put in the resources,

709
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:20,360
Speaker 6: you know, moving on from Tony Pollard, I thought for

710
00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:22,280
Speaker 6: sure in these one of these last two drafts that

711
00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:25,080
Speaker 6: would use the first three round pick on a running back,

712
00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:26,680
Speaker 6: and they never did. I thought, maybe they do more

713
00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:30,000
Speaker 6: in freequency, they go and get Javonte Williams. And when

714
00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,640
Speaker 6: it got into like the preseason part of this, right

715
00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,600
Speaker 6: after training camp, they weren't even playing Javonte Williams like

716
00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:37,480
Speaker 6: they already had him on ice, like, no, that's our guy,

717
00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:39,800
Speaker 6: and we're all kind of looking around covering the team,

718
00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:42,200
Speaker 6: like you guys know that already. And so they've been

719
00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:43,760
Speaker 6: right on it, don't get me wrong. I mean, Javonte

720
00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:47,200
Speaker 6: Williams has exceeded the expectations, but he's been a huge

721
00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,000
Speaker 6: part of it because it's like you go into all

722
00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,040
Speaker 6: these games and you know, the defense's biggest things. They're like,

723
00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:54,520
Speaker 6: we cannot let Ceede Lamb and George Pickens both just

724
00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:57,960
Speaker 6: destroy us. And so it's creating light boxes that obviously

725
00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,840
Speaker 6: help the running game, and then the running game starts

726
00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:02,280
Speaker 6: having success and then so all of a sudden, you

727
00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:04,240
Speaker 6: got to creep a safety up and then now that's

728
00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:08,000
Speaker 6: leeving single coverage on either George or CD. And then

729
00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:11,640
Speaker 6: so that coupled with I mean, it's ten year ten

730
00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:13,880
Speaker 6: for Dak Prescott, but he's probably playing his best football.

731
00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:15,880
Speaker 6: It's it's clear him and Brian Shott and I'm around

732
00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:17,360
Speaker 6: the same page. They've been around each other for a

733
00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:20,040
Speaker 6: few years now, and so it's really a little bit

734
00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:22,360
Speaker 6: of all of that. But making that trade for George

735
00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:25,160
Speaker 6: Piggins after their draft it is probably been the biggest thing.

736
00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,560
Speaker 1: How big is this football game? I talked to or

737
00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:30,560
Speaker 1: I didn't talk to, but I listened to, you know,

738
00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:34,600
Speaker 1: some of the Dallas audio over the weekend, and they

739
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:38,600
Speaker 1: all kind of seem that this stretch has kind of

740
00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:41,920
Speaker 1: rejuvenated them a little bit. They know they're in the

741
00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:45,960
Speaker 1: playoff hunt, they know they're playing meaningful football games right now.

742
00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:49,000
Speaker 1: Just with talking with some of those guys, do you

743
00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:51,600
Speaker 1: get the sense that they know how big this game

744
00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:54,840
Speaker 1: is Thursday in terms of the NSC playoff picture and

745
00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:57,480
Speaker 1: kind of putting themselves in a good spot down the

746
00:32:57,520 --> 00:32:58,440
Speaker 1: stretch in December.

747
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:01,400
Speaker 6: Yeah, there's no quoest I mean, it's a huge game

748
00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,560
Speaker 6: just because right now where the Lions and Cowboys are

749
00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:06,920
Speaker 6: in the playoff picture, But it's a huge game for

750
00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,640
Speaker 6: the Cowboys if they were playing the Tennessee Titans, because

751
00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:10,960
Speaker 6: they just I mean, they're in a spot now where

752
00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:12,560
Speaker 6: they probably have to win out and they know that

753
00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:14,600
Speaker 6: they put themselves in that spot with how they start

754
00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:16,840
Speaker 6: off the season. You go back to when the schedule

755
00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:19,800
Speaker 6: came out like that was that first part was when

756
00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,440
Speaker 6: they had to be hot because nobody thought that they

757
00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:24,040
Speaker 6: would have even a chance to win all three of

758
00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:25,719
Speaker 6: these games. I mean, when that schedule came out, you

759
00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:29,959
Speaker 6: saw immediately like, man, right after the bye, they got Philadelphia,

760
00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:33,160
Speaker 6: Kansas City, and then Detroit, Like are they going to

761
00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:35,400
Speaker 6: even win one of those games? And now they've already

762
00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:39,080
Speaker 6: won two out of those three, and so because of that, yeah,

763
00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:40,960
Speaker 6: there's no question they know how big this is. But

764
00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,080
Speaker 6: they're riding with a confidence that we just haven't seen

765
00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,960
Speaker 6: them have all season. Because obviously, when you beat the

766
00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:47,760
Speaker 6: last two teams that have played in the Super Bowl,

767
00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:50,120
Speaker 6: that's going to give you, you know, a lot more confidence.

768
00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:51,760
Speaker 6: And it's clear that they have that right now. But

769
00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:53,720
Speaker 6: there's no mistaking they don't feel like they can even

770
00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:55,560
Speaker 6: lose one game and have a chance for the playoffs

771
00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:56,040
Speaker 6: right now.

772
00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:00,000
Speaker 1: Any injury concerns heading into Thursday, John.

773
00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:04,320
Speaker 6: I'd say the biggest one is probably Jdvian Clowney. He's

774
00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:06,800
Speaker 6: I know, people know his name and they probably think, man,

775
00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:08,920
Speaker 6: he's still in the league. But he's been productive for them,

776
00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:10,439
Speaker 6: and they've had him on kind of a pitch count

777
00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:13,239
Speaker 6: round about thirty thirty five snaps. But he was limping

778
00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:15,000
Speaker 6: pretty bad after the game. He was working on the

779
00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,759
Speaker 6: resistance cords yesterday during their practice, and so I think

780
00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:20,440
Speaker 6: he'll go, but I don't think he's going to be

781
00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:22,480
Speaker 6: one hundred percent. And the other one would be Tyler Goeyton,

782
00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:24,839
Speaker 6: their starting left tackle probably won't go in this game,

783
00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:27,279
Speaker 6: and so Nate Thomas, who started this pass game, will

784
00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:29,839
Speaker 6: probably go again. And Nate did pretty well, but he's

785
00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,799
Speaker 6: not first round pick Tyler Geyton, And so those would

786
00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:33,959
Speaker 6: probably be the two biggest ones.

787
00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:38,120
Speaker 1: What's the number one priority for Dallas? You know, coming

788
00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:42,160
Speaker 1: into Detroit Thursday night? Obviously ruckus environment. If they're going

789
00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:45,400
Speaker 1: to win their four straight and sweep this street, this

790
00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:47,799
Speaker 1: stretch that you talked about, what do they have to

791
00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:49,560
Speaker 1: do what's the number one priority for them.

792
00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:52,359
Speaker 6: This is gonna sound way easier said than done, but

793
00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:56,239
Speaker 6: it really is Jamiir Gibbs, Like, you can't give him

794
00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:58,359
Speaker 6: those big home run shots. You know, if he's gonna

795
00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:00,000
Speaker 6: get five or ten yards here or there, that's fine,

796
00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,759
Speaker 6: But you give him those big home run plays. I

797
00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:05,440
Speaker 6: just think that it could weaken everything in the defense

798
00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:07,480
Speaker 6: and then all of a sudden, now there's the big

799
00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:09,759
Speaker 6: pass plays too coming behind it. So I think that's

800
00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:12,719
Speaker 6: the biggest thing, and that's why you'll probably see them

801
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:14,879
Speaker 6: continue to go with these five man fronts with three

802
00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:18,920
Speaker 6: defensive tackles. So they're giving up something by showing that,

803
00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:21,040
Speaker 6: but at the same time, they're basically telling you, we

804
00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:23,799
Speaker 6: don't want to let opponents run on us. And there's

805
00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:25,799
Speaker 6: not a bigger home run threat than Gibbs, So I

806
00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:28,480
Speaker 6: think everything starts there. If he's having a big game,

807
00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:30,239
Speaker 6: then that defense is in trouble, no question.

808
00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:33,000
Speaker 1: These two teams have seen each other quite a bit,

809
00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:36,320
Speaker 1: you know, over the last few years here, But who's

810
00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:40,600
Speaker 1: maybe one player that Lions fans might not know who's

811
00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:43,839
Speaker 1: having an impact with that Dallas team and who could

812
00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:45,640
Speaker 1: have an impact on the game Thursday Night.

813
00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:50,000
Speaker 6: Yeah, Demarvion Overstilm that I mentioned earlier is really like

814
00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:53,799
Speaker 6: the heartbeat of the defense. He just has not been

815
00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:57,000
Speaker 6: able to stay healthy and it's been one knee injury

816
00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,440
Speaker 6: after another. But when he has played, I mean, he

817
00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:02,120
Speaker 6: is a game. He was a third round pick a

818
00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:03,839
Speaker 6: few years ago out of Texas and I mean he

819
00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:07,280
Speaker 6: just he's all over the place and the team feeds

820
00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:09,960
Speaker 6: off of the way he plays. And since he's been back,

821
00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:11,799
Speaker 6: you can tell they're ramping him up more and more

822
00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:14,600
Speaker 6: and he's been more of a playmaker there. So I'd

823
00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:19,239
Speaker 6: say defensively he would be the number one guy. And offensively,

824
00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,399
Speaker 6: really outside those those wide receivers, it really comes down

825
00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:25,759
Speaker 6: to Dravonte Williams. They don't they don't really have like

826
00:36:26,239 --> 00:36:29,360
Speaker 6: they certainly don't have a Junior Gibbs or David Montgomery

827
00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:31,560
Speaker 6: type thing, you know. So it's like, if you can

828
00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,560
Speaker 6: stop Dravonte Williams, you're probably stopping their run game. They just,

829
00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:36,960
Speaker 6: like I said, they didn't spend big in that area,

830
00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,040
Speaker 6: and so those would probably be the two guys that

831
00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:40,400
Speaker 6: maybe everybody doesn't talk about.

832
00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:42,839
Speaker 1: Well, John, it's we've been down to Dallas so many

833
00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:44,520
Speaker 1: times here the last few years. You get to come

834
00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:48,320
Speaker 1: back up to Detroit, win little winter wonderland for you.

835
00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:50,759
Speaker 1: It should be a great contest. How much have they

836
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:54,960
Speaker 1: talked about the environment and knowing what they're going to

837
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:56,680
Speaker 1: face it at Ford Field Thursday night.

838
00:36:57,480 --> 00:36:59,560
Speaker 6: It hasn't really been talked about a lot yet. But

839
00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:03,600
Speaker 6: I don't see any environment being tougher on them than

840
00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:06,480
Speaker 6: this one that they're going to step into, because I mean,

841
00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:08,839
Speaker 6: just for my times covering a couple of lines get

842
00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:11,759
Speaker 6: there or Cowboys games up there, I know that there

843
00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:14,400
Speaker 6: are Cowboys fans from Canada that will come down, and

844
00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:16,360
Speaker 6: I do think that there will be Cowboys fans of

845
00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:18,520
Speaker 6: the game, but not to the level that we've seen

846
00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:21,600
Speaker 6: in previous seasons, and so that could certainly cause some

847
00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:25,319
Speaker 6: issues for the offense and communication issues because they're really

848
00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:27,399
Speaker 6: not going to play in a place that loud. I mean,

849
00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:29,359
Speaker 6: we were just recently in Las Vegas, but that's their

850
00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:31,759
Speaker 6: first time in Vegas for a regular season game. It

851
00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:34,759
Speaker 6: was probably fifty sixty percent Cowboys fans there, so it's

852
00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:38,000
Speaker 6: like they haven't really had that real tough road environment,

853
00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:39,600
Speaker 6: and I think this will be their first one, so

854
00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:43,680
Speaker 6: I would certainly look at communication. Problems on offense are

855
00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:46,600
Speaker 6: certainly a possibility there they were a little bit in Denver.

856
00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:49,200
Speaker 6: That would probably be the next toughest one that they've

857
00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:49,879
Speaker 6: played this year.

858
00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:53,160
Speaker 1: Well, it should be a fun match up Thursday night football.

859
00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:55,800
Speaker 1: It means so much for both teams. John, thanks so

860
00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:58,640
Speaker 1: much for joining me again. John Mashada does a great

861
00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:02,520
Speaker 1: job covering everything Alice Cowboys for the Athletic. Thanks so much, John,

862
00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:05,360
Speaker 1: Safe travels up and we'll we'll see you on Thursday.

863
00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:07,239
Speaker 4: Sounds good. Good talking to you.