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Speaker 1: All right, guys, before we get started here on the

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Speaker 1: Final Drive, a big dqu to our partner Microsoft, Windows eleven,

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Speaker 1: the official operating system of the NFL and the exclusive

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Speaker 1: partner of the La Chargers. The all new Windows eleven

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Speaker 1: is here to bring you closer to what you love,

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Speaker 1: like the Chargers and the Final Drive. Learn about some

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Speaker 1: of the awesome new features of Windows eleven at Windows

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Speaker 1: dot com, and welcome in to another winning edition of

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Speaker 1: The Final Drive. Alongside Haley Elwood, I'm Chris Hayry. Raiders,

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Speaker 1: Chargers and the Bolts put up twenty one in the

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Speaker 1: first half. They went at twenty eight to fourteen. They

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Speaker 1: moved to three and one, a top of the AFC

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Speaker 1: West and Haley a top of the AFC early through

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Speaker 1: this first quarter of the season. Yeah, this is huge

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Speaker 1: for this team. I mean, you look at sort of

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Speaker 1: what's going on in the AFC right now, you look

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Speaker 1: at specifically another divisional throwout that this Chargers team will

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Speaker 1: see this year, the AFC North. I believe they also

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Speaker 1: have three three and one teams in their division as well.

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Speaker 1: But this was big. This was a really, really big win.

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Speaker 1: We talked about last week. Maybe you know, I know

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Speaker 1: Derwin James kind of downplayed the significance of it a

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Speaker 1: little bit. You and I elaborated on that. Oh yeah,

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Speaker 1: I think I think this one was even bigger in

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Speaker 1: a sense because not only does it get you a

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Speaker 1: win that gets you two games above five hundred, but

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Speaker 1: it gets you two and oh in the division. And

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Speaker 1: we talk a lot, and we have talked a lot

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Speaker 1: over the last few years about what's the easiest path

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Speaker 1: to the playoffs. It's winning your division. And to start

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Speaker 1: two and oh in it is huge. It was just

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Speaker 1: a really really big win overall, a very complete win.

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Speaker 1: Brandon Stalia I loved said after the game. The guys

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Speaker 1: had command all over the plan, which was very evident,

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Speaker 1: kind of as you saw the game unfold and go on.

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Speaker 1: But a very very big win, and one these guys

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Speaker 1: should really feel really really happy about going in here

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Speaker 1: to Tuesday. Now. Yeah, I look at this first quarter

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Speaker 1: this season. Hell, you have a new offensive scheme, a

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Speaker 1: new defensive scheme, all new coaches, a lot of new players.

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Speaker 1: You would think this team needs some time to figure

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Speaker 1: things out. So to go three and one probably should

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Speaker 1: be four or no, but three and one, two and

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Speaker 1: oh in the AFC West in September. Right, this is

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Speaker 1: the first month or two of the season where you're

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Speaker 1: just trying to like figure things out, and if you

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Speaker 1: could stack wins while you're ascending, even better, this team

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Speaker 1: has to feel pretty good about themselves entering Cleveland a

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Speaker 1: Cleveland Brown's team who's three and one, and then the Ravens,

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Speaker 1: who I believe are three and one two over the

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Speaker 1: next two weeks. Yeah, I mean, look, these teams are

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Speaker 1: these This Chargers team is beating good teams when you

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Speaker 1: look at what they did against Kansas City, what you

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Speaker 1: look what they did against Las Vegas, and then you

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Speaker 1: know Washington in week one is hanging in there. And

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Speaker 1: then obviously Dallas is proving to be a team themselves.

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Speaker 1: And that was a crazy game, the way that that

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Speaker 1: sort of ended and all of it. But yeah, it is.

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Speaker 1: It is really really huge. And I think one of

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Speaker 1: the things that you saw last night sort of come

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Speaker 1: together was the running game on both sides of the ball,

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Speaker 1: the fact that they were able to run the ball

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Speaker 1: efficiently and also stop the run efficiently. And Brandon Staley

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Speaker 1: had said after that Kansas City Chiefs game, He's like,

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Speaker 1: you kind of saw the run game sort of come

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Speaker 1: together a bit towards the end of the game, but

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Speaker 1: he goes, remember, this is an entirely new operation when

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Speaker 1: it comes to not only scheme, it's the offensive line,

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Speaker 1: it's the running backs, the tight ends, the receivers, everyone

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Speaker 1: getting on the same page to do their job when

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Speaker 1: it comes to running the football effectively. And you saw

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Speaker 1: that take shape. So when you see little things like

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Speaker 1: that sort of begin to kind of really take shape.

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Speaker 1: We know what obviously Justin Herbert can do and what

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Speaker 1: he has done and pushing the ball downfield and everything

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Speaker 1: like that, but this was big in terms of being

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Speaker 1: able to sort of fine tune things here in this

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Speaker 1: fourth week at the season, quarters of the season, whatever

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Speaker 1: those are anymore, since we have this extra game, But

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Speaker 1: it is really good for them to kind of get

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Speaker 1: that underneath them and the Skies the limit for what

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Speaker 1: they can do here going forward. Yeah, you mentioned the

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Speaker 1: running game. Austin Eckler a career high one hundred and

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Speaker 1: fourteen yards on the ground, one hundred forty five total yards,

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Speaker 1: a pair of touchdowns when that running game is going,

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Speaker 1: and this was a prime example of having a very

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Speaker 1: balanced offensive attack because coming into this game, Hailey Mike Williams,

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Speaker 1: Keenan Allen were sitting the league on fire. They didn't

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Speaker 1: do much of anything in this game, but Justin was

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Speaker 1: still able to get the ball to Eckler and his

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Speaker 1: tight ends. How about the game that Jared Cook had

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Speaker 1: a big reception to start the game, two huge fourth

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Speaker 1: down conversions. We'll get into those two at a touchdown.

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Speaker 1: Jared was playing well against his former team. Yeah, I

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Speaker 1: think that's kind of one of the beauties of this

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Speaker 1: Chargers offense when you look at the receiving stats of

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Speaker 1: just how last night shook out, and like you said,

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Speaker 1: you know, Mike Williams one reception for eleven yards, that's

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Speaker 1: atypical for what we've seen of him over the last

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Speaker 1: couple weeks. But the fact that they really spread the

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Speaker 1: ball around in other areas. You got those tight ends involved.

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Speaker 1: Donald Parum had the touchdown, Jared Cook had the touchdown

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Speaker 1: and was a huge factor, like you said, in last

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Speaker 1: night's game, but getting Austin involved back in the passing game.

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Speaker 1: You know, he had that fourteen yard reception too. It's

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Speaker 1: just sort of it felt like one of those games

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Speaker 1: where it was okay, now it's you know, your turn

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Speaker 1: or your turn or your turn. There was just sort

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Speaker 1: of spreading it around and really sort of kept the Raiders,

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Speaker 1: I think, on their toes too. We'll have for Native

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Speaker 1: Ramirez of Sports Illustrated joining us in just a few

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Speaker 1: minutes to continue to break this one down. I want

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Speaker 1: to go to the end of the first half, Haley,

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Speaker 1: and this was, in my eyes, I think, the play

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Speaker 1: of the game. It was by the head coach Brandon's

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Speaker 1: Daily to throw the challenge flag Raiders thought they had

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Speaker 1: a first down. They challenge it. It wasn't a first down.

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Speaker 1: You put it back to the Chargers and the harder

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Speaker 1: score before the half. It's twenty one nothing. That could

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Speaker 1: have been fourteen to three. You could have been fourteen

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Speaker 1: to seven with the Raiders getting the ball in the

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Speaker 1: second half. I thought that that challenge was absolutely huge.

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Speaker 1: It probably was the deciding factor. It got a little

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Speaker 1: interesting in that third quarter, but with the Raiders scoring

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Speaker 1: back to back touchdowns, but to be up twenty one

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Speaker 1: nothing so comfortable in the first half. That challenge had

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Speaker 1: a big deal to do with it. Yeah, So I

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Speaker 1: was standing I was part of the halftime presentation, as

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Speaker 1: you know. So I was standing in one of the tunnels,

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Speaker 1: and I couldn't go out onto the field yet, and

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Speaker 1: I was wondering what was going on because there was

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Speaker 1: like a stoppage in time and I didn't have you know,

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Speaker 1: I couldn't use my phone and didn't not my notebook

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Speaker 1: and everything like that. And then they reversed it, and

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Speaker 1: then once the Chargers got the ball back to me,

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Speaker 1: there was no doubt that that team was not going

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Speaker 1: they were going to score. You just felt it. You

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Speaker 1: knew at that point. And I think, you know, a

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Speaker 1: couple of guys talked about that after the game. You know,

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Speaker 1: using momentum is a motivating actor. That there's this belief

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Speaker 1: and trust and those were two words that were tossed

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Speaker 1: around a lot last night, but not in jest. I

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Speaker 1: mean they truly, truly for lack of ore saying this,

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Speaker 1: do believe in a belief in this team. And they

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Speaker 1: talked about having momentum and sort of the kind of

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Speaker 1: gutsy calls that Brandon's daily has been making, sort of

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Speaker 1: taking the risks. It adds to that when you feel

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Speaker 1: They also talked about sometimes it's a feel thing too,

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Speaker 1: when you feel like you can capitalize on it, go

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Speaker 1: for it, and they felt like with that challenge last night.

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Speaker 1: I don't know if there's anyone else who felt differently

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Speaker 1: that truly they were going to score after it, because

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Speaker 1: you just felt like at that point all the momentum

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Speaker 1: was on their side, and like you said, third quarter

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Speaker 1: got a little interesting, been a little interesting for this

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Speaker 1: team too. I was gonna say it was interesting get

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Speaker 1: Arrowhead as well. The quarter is going to be something

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Speaker 1: I'm sure we'll be a topic of discussion and coach

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Speaker 1: to Mesa. But the identity of this team, I think

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Speaker 1: it's slowly starting to form, Haley, this new identity. We

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Speaker 1: trust our offense, we trust Justin Herbert, and we don't

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Speaker 1: necessarily need to pun or we don't necessarily need to

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Speaker 1: kick a field goal because we had that much confidence

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Speaker 1: in our offense. All Right, we're gonna bring it. Fernando

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Speaker 1: Ramirez to continue to break this down here on the

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Speaker 1: final drive. Here's Fernando, another gentleman as so Far Stadium

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Speaker 1: on Monday night to see the Chargers beat the Raiders.

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Speaker 1: Fernando Ramirez Sports Illustrated FERDA. We were just talking about

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Speaker 1: just the fact that the first quarter of this season

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Speaker 1: Chargers still trying to figure things out. Still three and one,

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Speaker 1: two and zero in the AFC West, they really should

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Speaker 1: be four and oh but I mean we're not gonna

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Speaker 1: get into that Cowboys game. But yeah, it seems like

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Speaker 1: Brandon Saley and the guys are really trying to still

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Speaker 1: figure out the defense how to work the offense. Last

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Speaker 1: night was an indication though, that the Chargers can beat

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Speaker 1: you several different ways. Keenan Allen, Mike Williams kind of

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Speaker 1: taking away a little bit if like that's what that's

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Speaker 1: what John Gruden and and Gus Bradley's defense was gonna be.

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Speaker 1: Took those guys away. Okay, I'm gonna hit Jared Cook,

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Speaker 1: We're gonna establish the run game, Donald Parham, Steven Anderson

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Speaker 1: get that going a little bit. So it seems like

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Speaker 1: the Charges are really fighting different ways to try and

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Speaker 1: win these games. And then the defense just keeps on

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Speaker 1: coming up clutch in certain situations. Derwin James with the interception, uh,

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Speaker 1: the misfield goal with Carlson because of the Christian Covington sack.

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Speaker 1: Just they're finding different ways on all in both phases

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Speaker 1: to come out with the victory in in this game.

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Speaker 1: And I apologize in my voice his horse, but it was.

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Speaker 1: It was. It was a late night yesterday. I didn't

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Speaker 1: pull into my garage till three thirty in the morning,

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Speaker 1: so it was it was a long night. Haley was

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Speaker 1: Fernado colleague defensive places from the SEC, I think he was.

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Speaker 1: I mean it was very loud and there as we

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Speaker 1: can all attest and and uh yeah, it's you got

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Speaker 1: the Tom Brady voice that was happening last week with them.

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Speaker 1: I wish I had his paycheck. Yeah, I wish I

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Speaker 1: had his hair. We'll say that. Bernando. I'm gonna ask you,

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Speaker 1: this team has gotten off to really really heart pot

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Speaker 1: starts over the last few games. And that's something that

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Speaker 1: I think we are maybe kind of this is new

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Speaker 1: to scene with this Chargers team. Sometimes they've, you know,

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Speaker 1: in years past, have sort of started out slow. What

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Speaker 1: can you say about that? Why do you think this

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Speaker 1: team is sort of just getting really really off to

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Speaker 1: really really hot starts really effectively in these games. It

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Speaker 1: feels like Joe Lombardi has really he's dialing up very

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Speaker 1: good opening drives and it feels like that's where the

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Speaker 1: charge you're filling it out. The thing is they're balanced

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Speaker 1: in those opening drives. Run run past past, they're mixing

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Speaker 1: it up, they're doing different things with it. So I

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Speaker 1: just really feel like Joe Lombardi's calling and I feel

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Speaker 1: like he doesn't get enough credit. Everybody's like, oh, Justin Herbert,

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Speaker 1: or if you're a lavarn airing team from FS one,

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Speaker 1: you're gonna call him Jordan Herbert. That's what he called

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Speaker 1: him this morning. I couldn't believe that. But slowly but surely,

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Speaker 1: these guys are kind of understanding it. You started off

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Speaker 1: against I think it was in Washington on a first

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Speaker 1: open on an opening drive. Against Dallas, you kind of

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Speaker 1: did it as well later but and then against Casey,

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Speaker 1: same thing. Once you get that turnover, you kind of

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Speaker 1: bring the ball back down and you score. Well, it

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Speaker 1: took two turnovers, but they were able to bring it down.

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Speaker 1: But this is something new that we haven't really seen

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Speaker 1: from this team, and I just feel like Joe Lombardi

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Speaker 1: deserves a lot more credit for the stuff that he's

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Speaker 1: dialing up. And guys have really bought into this offensive scheme.

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Speaker 1: So Justin has a strong command of it. It feels

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Speaker 1: like you're just like waiting, does Okay, how's Justin doing?

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Speaker 1: Boom goes right up the field, marches down scores a touchdown.

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Speaker 1: So it really feels like they have a great grasp

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Speaker 1: of this offense. And and Justin really just feels comfortable

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Speaker 1: back there. And obviously the offensive line is performing at

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Speaker 1: a high level, especially when it comes to in those

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Speaker 1: opening moments. For ned of the defense that first quarter,

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Speaker 1: zero yards, zero first tales, allowed one first down, one

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Speaker 1: first down for the Raiders in that first half. And

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Speaker 1: I tell you this, Chris Harris Junior is not out there.

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Speaker 1: Justin Jones isn't out there, Kenneth Murray Junior isn't out there.

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Speaker 1: What do you make of the defense, especially I think

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Speaker 1: responding after you know, the second half of Kansas City

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Speaker 1: to go out on MODERNI football and you hear about

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Speaker 1: Derek Carr twelve hundred yards. It's explosive Raiders offense. It

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Speaker 1: seemed like Day had a plan right away to shut

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Speaker 1: that down. Brandon Staley I had some concern when coming

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Speaker 1: into the season, could Brandon manage to be the head

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Speaker 1: coach and call the defensive scheme. But it seems like

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Speaker 1: it's working. He's doing a great job. He knows exactly

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Speaker 1: what to scheme for. But the defense is really bought

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Speaker 1: in and I feel like that's kind of the key

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Speaker 1: word to describe the Chargers. These guys have bought in.

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Speaker 1: The guys are really understanding their assignments where to be. Yes,

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Speaker 1: they have hiccups, you have a Nissante Samuel, the past interference,

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Speaker 1: you have the Derwin James gave up that past to

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Speaker 1: Henry Ruggs. But you'll take that stuff. Without them scoring

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Speaker 1: the football. They only manage fourteen points yesterday. That's literally

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Speaker 1: nothing when it comes to, like you said, Chris, that

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Speaker 1: high powered offense. But it feels like they've really bought

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Speaker 1: in and they have their heart and soul back. They

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Speaker 1: have Derwin James back. I don't think people understand how

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Speaker 1: big that is. Yesterday, at the end of the game,

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Speaker 1: Gilbert and I are walking, are like we're walking and

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Speaker 1: leave the stadium and I tell him, I'm like, you know,

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Speaker 1: it's interesting. He's like what. I'm like, Derwin has never

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Speaker 1: been in that same old Charger story quote unquote where

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Speaker 1: they give up the game, they give up a lead.

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Speaker 1: I'm like, Derwin hasn't been a part of that, and

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Speaker 1: it feels like he really is the guy that at

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Speaker 1: one point I remember I saw him when they were

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Speaker 1: when they give up those fourteen points. He looks at

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Speaker 1: the defense and he kind of claps and he says,

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Speaker 1: all right, guys, we gotta get back into this. Let's

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Speaker 1: do it, Let's settle down, and let's play our game.

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Speaker 1: And really, I think it starts with Brandon, but at

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Speaker 1: the same time, it's thirty three who really gets it

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Speaker 1: going for these guys. And you could tell pass rush

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Speaker 1: was on it. Stopping the run was an emphasis. They

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Speaker 1: were able to do it. And I just feel like

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Speaker 1: the defense really, even with the fourteen points allowed, I

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Speaker 1: feel like they played a very very strong game last night. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: bending but not breaking is what Joey Bosa had said,

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Speaker 1: and he's like, look, we're okay with it. As long

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Speaker 1: as we don't break, We're fine with it. I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: flip back to the offense for a second, because these

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Speaker 1: fourth downs are becoming to me and I think everyone

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Speaker 1: sort of hallmarks of Brandon Staley now coaching this team,

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Speaker 1: making these aggressive decisions. Jared Cook last night said he's

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Speaker 1: been choosing so great he might as well play some

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Speaker 1: lottery numbers with coach with sort of the decisions that

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Speaker 1: he's been making. What do you make of these fourth

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Speaker 1: down calls, And I will say this too. I loved

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Speaker 1: when Jim Trotter asked Justin Herbert, are you bummed when

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Speaker 1: you guys don't go for it on fourth down? Because

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Speaker 1: it feels like that's kind of what you guys are

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Speaker 1: doing now. First of all, I love Jim Trotter. I

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Speaker 1: feel like when we have him there at games, he

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Speaker 1: adds a little bit extra umphed the questions postgame two.

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Speaker 1: I do want to ask Brandon Saley with all that

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Speaker 1: money out there, I do want to ask Brandon what

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Speaker 1: he thinks the numbers should be. But uh, but definitely,

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Speaker 1: I think it's just shows it that he's confident in

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Speaker 1: his offense. He knows the weapons that he has. He

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Speaker 1: knows that he has Keen and he has Mike, he

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Speaker 1: has Jared, he has Austin, he has different weapons, he

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Speaker 1: can Mason mix and match. But he also knows that

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Speaker 1: at times you have to go for it. There's times

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Speaker 1: where you can't show fear, you have to go for it,

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Speaker 1: and if you don't get it, hey you didn't get it.

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Speaker 1: But at the same time, they're just showing that they're

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Speaker 1: aggressive with it. And I think I think, I think

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Speaker 1: most of these four downs have led to scoring opportunities.

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Speaker 1: So it's it's literally what helps the difference. That's the

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Speaker 1: difference between putting the nail in the coffin and letting

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Speaker 1: teams come back in and win. And I feel like

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Speaker 1: Brandon Saley knows that. I think Brandon kind of studied

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Speaker 1: this team and said, Okay, we have all these weapons,

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Speaker 1: we have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

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Speaker 1: Why not do this? Why not keep on going with it?

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Speaker 1: For it? But it's also smart. On one of these

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Speaker 1: four downs, I remember I saw Rashaan Slater at tight

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Speaker 1: end and I saw I think it was Jared No,

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Speaker 1: it was Donald Parham at left tackle, and You're like,

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Speaker 1: what are you guys doing? And they ran that fake

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Speaker 1: They ran the fake run and they threw it a

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Speaker 1: quick pass of Jared Cook. It was another one earlier

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Speaker 1: in the game, and I was like, Wow, Rashawn Slater

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Speaker 1: at tight end and Donald Parham at left tackle. That's awesome.

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Speaker 1: But just little things like that really help and they

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Speaker 1: give that extra umph to your offense. So I really

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Speaker 1: do feel like Brandon is showing a team I trust

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Speaker 1: you guys, and I believe in you guys, but also,

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Speaker 1: let's get this let's let's get these points, let's win

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Speaker 1: these games and kind of shut them out. This is

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Speaker 1: the first game that didn't come down. I mean, obviously

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Speaker 1: there was a little bit of a oh my god,

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Speaker 1: are they gonna allow this team to come back? But yeah, exactly,

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Speaker 1: so it's all at This really was a game where

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Speaker 1: the Charges separated themselves from the opposing team, and you're

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Speaker 1: kind of like, okay, there, there, there it is. There's

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Speaker 1: a separation. Can you keep on doing that consistently and

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Speaker 1: let us get our stories in and not have to

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Speaker 1: change them halfway through the fourth quarter. So it definitely

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Speaker 1: is a game changer when Staley goes for it on

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Speaker 1: fourth down. Staley helping out the beats as well as

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Speaker 1: with the football gets to the Chargers. I love especially

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Speaker 1: with that weather delay last night, we didn't we didn't

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Speaker 1: have we got any lightning jokes in yet, and how

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Speaker 1: we were like twenty minutes into this podcast, Hey, Joey

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Speaker 1: had a good and I was I saw Hailey tweeted out, Hey,

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Speaker 1: I can't wait for these weather jokes, and Joey's like, well,

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Speaker 1: I guess it was an indication or something like that

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Speaker 1: the lightning struck or whatever, and I'm like, there it is.

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Speaker 1: I'm like, that is awesome, Fernando. I want to get

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Speaker 1: your opinion on this. I go back to just the

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Speaker 1: end of last year, right justin Herbert won his last

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Speaker 1: three starts in the division. He's five and oh the

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Speaker 1: AFCU West at his last five games. I know that

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Speaker 1: those games didn't mean anything in terms of playoff positioning

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Speaker 1: and even getting into the playoffs, But how much confidence

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Speaker 1: do you think it gave him coming into this year

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Speaker 1: that we stacked some wins at the end of last year.

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Speaker 1: We know momentum doesn't carry over, but I can do this.

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Speaker 1: I can beat the Raiders, I could beat the Broncos.

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Speaker 1: I could beat the Chiefs on the road. How much

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Speaker 1: do you think that that really helped him going into

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Speaker 1: his second year, because right now the Chargers are two

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Speaker 1: and oh for the first time in the ASC West

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Speaker 1: is twenty twelve. Yeah, no, I don't think any of

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Speaker 1: us were around the organization around then. Hayley, you weren't

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Speaker 1: around it, were you yet? Oh fourteen, which they're also

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Speaker 1: three and one though for the first time since twenty fourteen.

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Speaker 1: There you go. You know, it's funny. Last night they

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Speaker 1: won their first Monday night football game since twenty thirteen.

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Speaker 1: I was actually my first game interning that Monday night

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Speaker 1: game against the Coltso I kind of sat back and

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Speaker 1: I was like, oh, wow, that's a really long time. One. Two,

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Speaker 1: I'm not twenty one like I was when I started interning. Wow.

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Speaker 1: Times have really changed. But but yeah, no, definitely, Chris,

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Speaker 1: what was your question again? My bad? It was the

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Speaker 1: sorry I kind of got off on a No. It's

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Speaker 1: good because Keenan Hello was interning that year too. I

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Speaker 1: think he was a rookie yeah to touchdowns and he

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Speaker 1: and he kind of told us after the game, Hey,

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Speaker 1: this is my coming out party, and you're like, oh, okay, cool,

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Speaker 1: thank you, congratulations. No for data, I was just asking

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Speaker 1: about just the fact that Justin Herbert was able to

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Speaker 1: win the Vision Games at the end of last year,

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Speaker 1: and I just think that deck gave maybe him and

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Speaker 1: some of the other guys around him even more confidence

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Speaker 1: in number ten. And it's it's what they did, Chris.

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Speaker 1: It was come from behind wins. It was final field goals,

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Speaker 1: it was having to drive the team down the field.

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Speaker 1: There was a game, the game against I mean, I

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Speaker 1: know it was in a divisional game, but there was

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Speaker 1: that game against Atlanta where he throws it to Keenan,

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Speaker 1: it's intercepted, and you're kind of like a dude, are

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Speaker 1: you really gonna lose this game? And then I think

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Speaker 1: Michael Davis makes an interception, the team gets hyped, they

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Speaker 1: drive down I think Michael Badgley hits a field goal

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Speaker 1: to win the game, and you're like, Okay, there there's

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Speaker 1: a little bit of a confidence booster. Then you go

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Speaker 1: into Las Vegas and the famous I was in a

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Speaker 1: game where he drives the team back up the field

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Speaker 1: and game winning drives. It really changed the momentum of

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Speaker 1: Justin Herbert because earlier in the season you knew they

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Speaker 1: blew a couple of leads on Monday Night Football. They

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Speaker 1: blew the lead against Tampa, against Denver. This kind of

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Speaker 1: gave him that boost that he needed. Okay, I can

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Speaker 1: come from behind, I can win these games. And I

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Speaker 1: really do feel like he took that and he was like, Okay,

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Speaker 1: this is something I can build on for next season.

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Speaker 1: I thought those last four games were so critical for him.

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Speaker 1: It was kind of like a bat like Steph Curry

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Speaker 1: needing to He's oh for nine from three point land.

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Speaker 1: He needs to see one go in for him to

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Speaker 1: be okay. That's what Justin had at the end of

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Speaker 1: that season, is that he saw a couple of buckets

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Speaker 1: go in and he's like, all right, I can do this,

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Speaker 1: I can come from behind, I can make the correct plays.

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Speaker 1: And I really thought that last year was a perfect

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Speaker 1: season for Justin to grow to see exactly what he needed.

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Speaker 1: And you're seeing it now. Now he feels the confidence.

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Speaker 1: Now the team is confident around him, and it really

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Speaker 1: I feel like those last four games. I know people

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Speaker 1: are like, oh, well, we could have gotten better draft position,

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Speaker 1: but what it got exactly exactly. But when it got

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Speaker 1: your rookie quarterback is something that you'll never be able

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Speaker 1: to It got him that confidence that he really needed,

429
00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:18,560
Speaker 1: and I feel like that's why those last four games

430
00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:22,560
Speaker 1: were special for for Justin. Herbert. Yeah, this team has

431
00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:24,399
Speaker 1: talked a lot, and I remember too at the end

432
00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:26,879
Speaker 1: of last season, just stacking like just let's get one,

433
00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,600
Speaker 1: like you said, get one. Go from there. And Herbert

434
00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:32,280
Speaker 1: even talked last night one of the things he loves

435
00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:34,000
Speaker 1: about this team is that they never looked too far

436
00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:36,159
Speaker 1: back or too far ahead. They sort of just focus

437
00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:38,120
Speaker 1: on the moment. And then move on to what's next.

438
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:40,359
Speaker 1: Last one for me, and I would be remiss if

439
00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:43,320
Speaker 1: I didn't mention Sergio Rojas, who tweeted at both Chris

440
00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,520
Speaker 1: and me last night saying, please make sure to bring

441
00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:50,080
Speaker 1: up stellar tackling by the defense on this podcast. I

442
00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,600
Speaker 1: think I go back to after the Dallas game where

443
00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,879
Speaker 1: Joey specifically had said we did not tackle well in

444
00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,920
Speaker 1: that game, and we saw that because Dallas was able

445
00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,639
Speaker 1: to run all over run defense really short up in

446
00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:04,720
Speaker 1: this game. What can you say, Fernando, just about the

447
00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:08,280
Speaker 1: effort that they put into wrapping up, getting to the ball,

448
00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:11,080
Speaker 1: all hats getting there. I really think it's it's been

449
00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:13,680
Speaker 1: a team effort, and that Dallas game, I feel like

450
00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,680
Speaker 1: these guys were still figuring out the defense. I really

451
00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:19,359
Speaker 1: do feel like they were still fair because a lot

452
00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:22,120
Speaker 1: of these guys didn't play during preseason. The defensive line

453
00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:24,480
Speaker 1: didn't play, a lot of the secondary didn't play, so

454
00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:28,360
Speaker 1: they're still figuring it out. But I've really been impressed

455
00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:30,320
Speaker 1: with the defensive line, the team effort that the defensive

456
00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:33,200
Speaker 1: line has had. Jerry Tillery has really impressed me in

457
00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,720
Speaker 1: these last two games. Christian Covington is coming out even

458
00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,919
Speaker 1: Forrest merriland one of those got a pretty good tackle yesterday.

459
00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:42,159
Speaker 1: So a lot of these guys are Joe Gaziano, a

460
00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:44,520
Speaker 1: lot of these guys are really putting in an effort there.

461
00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:46,840
Speaker 1: The thing is they're team tackling. That's what they did

462
00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,920
Speaker 1: last night. They team tackled against the Antonio Gibson that

463
00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,919
Speaker 1: first that first weekend. In one of those he got

464
00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:55,880
Speaker 1: loose for twenty five yards. They were trying to gang

465
00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:59,280
Speaker 1: tackle him, but they weren't able to grab him and

466
00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,080
Speaker 1: bring him down. That's when he got loose. Well, last

467
00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,160
Speaker 1: night they weren't doing that. They were wrapping these guys

468
00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:07,560
Speaker 1: up and it really helped. Having Drew Trankwill Drew Trankuill

469
00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:11,399
Speaker 1: has really I think improved. He helped yesterday. Derwin was

470
00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:13,920
Speaker 1: coming into the box, he was helping out and that's

471
00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:15,760
Speaker 1: what I felt like kind of hurt them against the

472
00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:18,520
Speaker 1: Cowboys that Derwin was in the slot, so he couldn't

473
00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,080
Speaker 1: really do his thing where he's running around, he's doing

474
00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:24,560
Speaker 1: different things. But the gang tackling last night was honestly

475
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:26,440
Speaker 1: some of the best that I've seen in a while

476
00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,400
Speaker 1: from this team. And it really helps when everybody's bought

477
00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:33,120
Speaker 1: in everybody's doing it together. So this defense literally last

478
00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:35,720
Speaker 1: night had one of their best games and it was

479
00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,040
Speaker 1: against one of the hottest offenses in the NFL. So

480
00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:40,440
Speaker 1: to see what they did to hold him to less

481
00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:42,879
Speaker 1: than I think it was two hundred yards, that was

482
00:23:43,119 --> 00:23:46,240
Speaker 1: pretty impressive. And not let Josh Jacobs or any of

483
00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:49,600
Speaker 1: these guys get loose was very impressive. So tip the

484
00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:53,520
Speaker 1: hat to the defense for that gang tackling and yeah,

485
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:57,200
Speaker 1: no that that definitely was a very impressive performance from them.

486
00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:02,240
Speaker 1: Shout out to Sergio for the question. Shy, it wasn't

487
00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:04,720
Speaker 1: really a freshing Chris, it was Hey, you guys have

488
00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:06,720
Speaker 1: to do this, So it was more of a man

489
00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:11,000
Speaker 1: It was like, this is what it's gonna be. I

490
00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:14,399
Speaker 1: like that even before Hey, it's a great segue to

491
00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:16,800
Speaker 1: buy last question for you. We push it forward to

492
00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:20,480
Speaker 1: the Browns and you talk about a rushing attack Nick Chubb,

493
00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,760
Speaker 1: Kareem Hunt. What do the Charges need to do? This

494
00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,560
Speaker 1: is a short week two, coming off a big kind

495
00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:30,600
Speaker 1: of an emotional AFC West wind back to back division wins.

496
00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,720
Speaker 1: But you have a Cleveland Browns team coming into SOFI

497
00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:37,000
Speaker 1: Stadium three and one, and you talk about stopping the run.

498
00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,000
Speaker 1: That's gotta be priority A. Yeah, no, it has to

499
00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:44,119
Speaker 1: be a quick brisket victory brisket week, so obviously Justin

500
00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:47,080
Speaker 1: has to be fast with it. Get while I think

501
00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,760
Speaker 1: exactly no, And honestly, I've done one. It took me

502
00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,200
Speaker 1: about twelve hours to make one. I bought a smoker

503
00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:56,560
Speaker 1: because of Justin and because it gave and those guys,

504
00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,720
Speaker 1: So I bought a smoker. Took me twelve hours to

505
00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:01,040
Speaker 1: cook that brisket. I was like, okay. When I ate it,

506
00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:02,879
Speaker 1: it was like, okay, that was all worth it. So

507
00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,960
Speaker 1: I definitely know how that goes. But you have to

508
00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,080
Speaker 1: be able to gang tackle next weekend as well. You're

509
00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:11,159
Speaker 1: not gonna have Justin Jones, like you mentioned, You're not

510
00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,119
Speaker 1: gonna have Kenneth Murray. Hopefully you have Chris Harry's junior

511
00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,480
Speaker 1: back that would really help. But honestly, Tomon Campbell stepped

512
00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:21,240
Speaker 1: up in this defense a lot for these guys. Two

513
00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:24,040
Speaker 1: turnovers last week. Yesterday he was on a lot of

514
00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:26,920
Speaker 1: the slot guys, so he did a good job. But

515
00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:28,480
Speaker 1: I feel like that's what they need to do. Gang

516
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,960
Speaker 1: tackling is gonna be is gonna be key. You you

517
00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:34,920
Speaker 1: kind of want to make Baker Mayfield beat you next

518
00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,879
Speaker 1: week just because of the run. You don't want the

519
00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,119
Speaker 1: run game to gash you the way you did against Dallas.

520
00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:42,160
Speaker 1: So I kind of feel like you kind of wanna

521
00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:44,680
Speaker 1: let Baker Mayfield kind of beat you in a sense.

522
00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,760
Speaker 1: There's no Jarvis Landry, who's one of his favorite targets.

523
00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:50,680
Speaker 1: So but they still man that offense. That offensive line

524
00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:53,879
Speaker 1: is good. They have a good offensive line. They have

525
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,080
Speaker 1: Hooper at tight end, they have in Joke who also

526
00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:59,680
Speaker 1: they have Odell Beckham Junior who came back from injury.

527
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:01,639
Speaker 1: But yeah, I know the gang tackling is gonna be

528
00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,560
Speaker 1: key next week, especially because like you said, either one

529
00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:07,119
Speaker 1: of these running backs can really hurt you and gash you.

530
00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:08,560
Speaker 1: So the charge you're gonna have to be on their

531
00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:11,280
Speaker 1: p's and ques when it comes to Cleveland, because Cleveland's

532
00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,639
Speaker 1: no joke. They're they're They're one of the top teams

533
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:15,440
Speaker 1: in the in the AFC for a reason, and last

534
00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:19,959
Speaker 1: week they won ugly fourteen to eleven against Minnesota Vikings.

535
00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:21,960
Speaker 1: So it's one of those things where I feel like

536
00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:24,080
Speaker 1: they can they can play up there with the Chiefs,

537
00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:26,760
Speaker 1: but they can also be in those ugly games, So

538
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:28,960
Speaker 1: it's gonna be it's gonna be a pretty good matchup

539
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:33,360
Speaker 1: going into going into a short week. Like you said, yeah,

540
00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:36,320
Speaker 1: the next two weeks, you got the Browns and Ravens

541
00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:38,720
Speaker 1: before your bye week. So this is the tough part

542
00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,200
Speaker 1: of the Charger schedule. If you can get out of

543
00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:44,320
Speaker 1: there going into your bye week with four or five wins,

544
00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:47,000
Speaker 1: I think this team would take and against two of

545
00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:49,639
Speaker 1: the top teams in the AFC North. So yeah, these

546
00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:51,640
Speaker 1: are gonna be teams that you probably you could see

547
00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:53,480
Speaker 1: in the playoffs. So this is gonna be in a

548
00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:56,560
Speaker 1: good indication of where you're at. Yeah, just really quick,

549
00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:58,720
Speaker 1: I listen to Serious X of NFL Radio a lot

550
00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:01,840
Speaker 1: and Pat Kerwin calls these games wildcard games because there

551
00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,159
Speaker 1: are games that are in your conference, not in your division,

552
00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:06,720
Speaker 1: but could have a lot to deal with when it

553
00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:08,480
Speaker 1: comes to standings at the end of the year. And

554
00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:10,600
Speaker 1: two of them are now up on this same exactly

555
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:12,920
Speaker 1: and you know what it is in Baltimore. You know

556
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,480
Speaker 1: how Baltimore it is out there, So it's gonna be

557
00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:17,560
Speaker 1: a good indication of where you're at. It's gonna show

558
00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,320
Speaker 1: this team a lot. So but like Brandon said last

559
00:27:21,359 --> 00:27:26,280
Speaker 1: week yesterday, their Sunday was Monday was important because it

560
00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:29,080
Speaker 1: showed what we could do after a big win. A

561
00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:31,320
Speaker 1: lot of people thought, hey, maybe they could lay an egg. No,

562
00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:33,919
Speaker 1: they came out, they played their their played their defense,

563
00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,480
Speaker 1: their offense, they played well, and they showed that they

564
00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:40,080
Speaker 1: could win after a big win. So can they win

565
00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:43,280
Speaker 1: win after a big win? So that's gonna be the

566
00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:46,560
Speaker 1: important part right there. Yeah, you get a short week too,

567
00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:49,520
Speaker 1: that's the little wrinkle into this one as well. Hey,

568
00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:53,240
Speaker 1: for Native Romeras Copas on the FEATU, I think that

569
00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,440
Speaker 1: if you're a Chargers fan, there's no shortage of great

570
00:27:57,480 --> 00:27:59,679
Speaker 1: podcasts out there, and you guys are certainly one of them.

571
00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,800
Speaker 1: Tell us when your post and I'm sure you have

572
00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,520
Speaker 1: a postgame pod that you've either taped or about to tape.

573
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,359
Speaker 1: We actually taped it last night. We were walking We're

574
00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:11,959
Speaker 1: in the stadium sitting there and Jeff Miller's walking by.

575
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:13,520
Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, we have the great Jeff Miller and

576
00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:14,920
Speaker 1: he's like no, no, no, leave me out of it.

577
00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,640
Speaker 1: And then Gilbert's I think he's trying to go home

578
00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:19,119
Speaker 1: and I'm like, no, no, no, come over here. So

579
00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:23,600
Speaker 1: we record post game no matter what time it is.

580
00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:27,680
Speaker 1: It was like twelve thirty last night when we recorded it. Obviously,

581
00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:33,240
Speaker 1: the preview show on Thursdays, and then the regular episode

582
00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:35,720
Speaker 1: where we kind of dive into more stuff is on Wednesday.

583
00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:37,639
Speaker 1: We're gonna try and have you guys on. The thing

584
00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:40,040
Speaker 1: is that we haven't had guests. We haven't Tuesday's our

585
00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:42,400
Speaker 1: only day off, and it's kind of hard to book people.

586
00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:44,960
Speaker 1: So I'm like, hey, right now, I told Gilbert, let's

587
00:28:44,960 --> 00:28:47,280
Speaker 1: relax until the bye week and then after that we'll

588
00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:49,840
Speaker 1: come we'll come together and try and grab people. So

589
00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:52,640
Speaker 1: it's been it's been kind of tough with the season

590
00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:54,920
Speaker 1: going on, but but definitely we've had a lot of

591
00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:57,800
Speaker 1: fun with it. And honestly, like this week we talked

592
00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,520
Speaker 1: about I asked Gilbert, would you go on this roller coaster?

593
00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:03,320
Speaker 1: And he's like no. Like I'm like, okay, would rather

594
00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,080
Speaker 1: do that or take a thousand paintballs to the body?

595
00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,640
Speaker 1: And He's like, yeah, right, I'll take the roller coaster.

596
00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,640
Speaker 1: So it's just us doing goofy, doing dumb stuff and

597
00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:14,720
Speaker 1: it's just a lot of fun. So we definitely have

598
00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:17,760
Speaker 1: a lot of fun with it. Haileyot Harry on the

599
00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,000
Speaker 1: waiting list for copas. Yeah, no, definitely, no, no, no,

600
00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,040
Speaker 1: we're trying to. Like I said, we're just trying to

601
00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:25,920
Speaker 1: figure everything out. And if my co hoast would stop

602
00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:27,400
Speaker 1: being a little bit of a diva, we could get

603
00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:29,920
Speaker 1: things going. But it just it, that's just what happens

604
00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:33,120
Speaker 1: when you're in Chobiz. I guess it's Chobizz Baby. Yeah,

605
00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:36,280
Speaker 1: Chobiz Baby. Well, Compass on the beat. It's a great pot.

606
00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,520
Speaker 1: Check it out. Fernando Ramirez really appreciate the insight man,

607
00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,440
Speaker 1: especially doing a pod at twelve thirty in the warning

608
00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:45,280
Speaker 1: and then getting up early with us. That's that's dedication.

609
00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:47,840
Speaker 1: I think we're all dragging a little bit today, but

610
00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:50,560
Speaker 1: a win makes it a little bit better. And Jeff

611
00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:51,960
Speaker 1: Miller said he was not going to go on a

612
00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:54,480
Speaker 1: run today because he was gonna sleep in. I didn't

613
00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,480
Speaker 1: know Jeff Miller knew what sleeping in was, so I'm

614
00:29:57,600 --> 00:29:59,360
Speaker 1: very surprised by that. I thought he would just go

615
00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:01,520
Speaker 1: on his run normally and he's like, nope, and I

616
00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:04,440
Speaker 1: sleep And I was like, okay, I bet he ran.

617
00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:09,240
Speaker 1: I bet he ran too. Betty changes mind this morning exactly.

618
00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:12,360
Speaker 1: All right, guys, that's gonna do it for US, h

619
00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,080
Speaker 1: for Haley Elwood and Fernando robraz I'm Chris Harry. Thank

620
00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:20,080
Speaker 1: you for listening or watching The Final Drive, presented by Windows.

621
00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:23,120
Speaker 1: The left m