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Speaker 1: Week nine of Vikings football is two days away as

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Speaker 1: the team in Purple travels down south to the nation's

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Speaker 1: Capitol to face the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Welcome to

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Speaker 1: the Minnesota Vikings Podcast. My name is Gabe Henderson. I'm

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Speaker 1: alongside Vikings dot COM's Tatum Everett and producer Eric Davidson

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Speaker 1: and helping us break down Sunday's game. On today's show

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Speaker 1: is John Kyne from ESPN, a man with valuable knowledge

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Speaker 1: who has covered the Burgundy and Gold for nearly a decade.

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Speaker 1: I've had the opportunity to work with him for a

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Speaker 1: couple of years and have always been a huge fan

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Speaker 1: of his work. But before we get to him, Tatum,

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Speaker 1: there are a bunch of storylines heading it to Sunday's

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Speaker 1: matchup Sunday's Boom at noon in Landover, Maryland, and I

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Speaker 1: mean the obvious ones. Kevin O'Connell, Kirk Cousins, Christian Darisau,

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Speaker 1: all returning to their stopping grounds. But I got to

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Speaker 1: ask you which storyline stands out to you the most

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Speaker 1: heading it to Sunday. You know, I love the Kirk

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Speaker 1: Cousins storyline, but I do think as we kind of

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Speaker 1: touch on with John a little bit later in the show.

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Speaker 1: It is a little bit of a one sided thing,

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Speaker 1: and I don't think there's any animosity left. It's been

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Speaker 1: a while. It's not like it's gonna be Patrick Peterson

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Speaker 1: two years removed from the Cardinals, who's feeling like, you know,

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Speaker 1: this is this is you know, my time to let

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Speaker 1: them know how I feel. What if that does happen?

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Speaker 1: Though I do not expect that to happen. You know,

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Speaker 1: I did ask Kirk that this week in our Game

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Speaker 1: Day Live interview, and not shocking, that was not his answer.

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Speaker 1: He did say he did say a lot about how

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Speaker 1: you know, those guys like Jordan and Patrick, Jordan Hicks

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Speaker 1: and Patrick Peterson, they play positions where that juice is

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Speaker 1: really vital to what they do. So when you bring

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Speaker 1: that type of energy to your position, you know, on

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Speaker 1: the defense, technically that goes a long way. Whereas as

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Speaker 1: a quarterback, the CEO, as Kirk said of the team,

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Speaker 1: he likes to keep a really steady demeanor, and so

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Speaker 1: I think like for him, I think we see cool,

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Speaker 1: calm collected Kirk like we always do. That would be

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Speaker 1: great to see because we're going to need it on Sunday. Honestly,

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Speaker 1: I would like to see fired up Kirk. Let me

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Speaker 1: let me after the game, maybe after I want to

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Speaker 1: hear like after every you know, first down, you like that,

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Speaker 1: like him look over to Ron River and said, well,

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Speaker 1: I guess Ron River isn't his problem, but like look

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Speaker 1: over to you know, the siline to say, you like that.

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Speaker 1: But I know Kirk isn't petty like that. Right, Well,

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Speaker 1: it's just been so long and just worked out really

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Speaker 1: well for him this way, right when you say, I

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Speaker 1: think he ended up on the better side of the deal,

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Speaker 1: and his team is six and one, and the fact

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Speaker 1: that his team is you know, second in the NFC

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Speaker 1: as far as record wise. Going into the Sunday's game,

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Speaker 1: I think this makes for an interesting matchup. But I

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Speaker 1: think the big storyline for me heading into it is

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Speaker 1: seeing how Kirk and this offense will implement TJ. Hockinson

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Speaker 1: into the mix. I was at practice on Wednesday and Thursday,

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Speaker 1: and the practice on Wednesday really stood out to me

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Speaker 1: because Brian Angelico, Vikings tight ends coach, had a paper

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Speaker 1: in his hand along with TJ. Hockinson and they were

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Speaker 1: just like reading out the plays together and then TJ.

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Speaker 1: Hockinson was going through his step with the plays. It

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Speaker 1: was basical, I'm gonna just give up a play of

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Speaker 1: like you know, one A and then TJ would step

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Speaker 1: right and it's good job. One B, steps left, two steps.

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Speaker 1: Get those little minuscule details. I think is going to

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Speaker 1: pay dividends when it comes to how much he plays

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Speaker 1: on Sunday. We know he's a three down tight end,

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Speaker 1: can pass, catch, can block and do everything you need.

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Speaker 1: But how quickly can he learn this playbook? I'm not sure.

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Speaker 1: I think, Kevin O'Connell said earlier this week is the

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Speaker 1: quicker he learns the playbook, the more plays he gets.

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Speaker 1: But we'll see how that fares against this Washington commander's defense.

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Speaker 1: That's really good. Yeah, I think you hit the nail

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Speaker 1: on the head. It'll be what he can make of

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Speaker 1: it in this first week. Or you look at a

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Speaker 1: guy like Christian McCaffrey and a guy that you want

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Speaker 1: an immediate impact from, and that first week was fine,

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Speaker 1: you know, got his legs underneath him, but then wow,

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Speaker 1: the second week. So a lot can change with a

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Speaker 1: little bit of extra time. And I wouldn't foresee him

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Speaker 1: making a huge splash or anything because I do think

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Speaker 1: there is a learning curve there, but this is a

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Speaker 1: guy that can make this offense even more dynamic. And

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Speaker 1: if you're not getting anything from him against the Commanders, like,

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Speaker 1: why not unleash him against the Bills. The Bills have

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Speaker 1: not really seen him on tape in the so offense.

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Speaker 1: I have a feeling Kevin O'Connell might be going into

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Speaker 1: that bag of tricks and maybe pulling out a couple

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Speaker 1: of things the Bills haven't seen. Because now you have

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Speaker 1: this guy who really didn't pop or have much going

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Speaker 1: on in the Commanders game. Yeah, it could be a

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Speaker 1: secret weapon and I love that as a secret weapon.

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Speaker 1: And the fact that t J. Hockinson basically has played

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Speaker 1: the entire NFC East already this year, I think that

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Speaker 1: helps a ton. Also, he's already faced the Commanders. They

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Speaker 1: lost to him when he was in Detroit. But that defense,

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Speaker 1: that experience, I think that helps. But I'm not a

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Speaker 1: coach here, but I would say, why not let him

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Speaker 1: get some reps early on, see how he fares, and

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Speaker 1: then you know, if it doesn't go as planned, you know,

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Speaker 1: continue to work with him in practice next week because

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Speaker 1: we know this is going to be I wouldn't say

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Speaker 1: a trap game, but it's the game in between the

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Speaker 1: game that everyone's looking forward to with the Buffalo bill.

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Speaker 1: So I think this is going to be a great

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Speaker 1: opportunity for TJ. Hockinson and the six and one Minnesota

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Speaker 1: Vikings team heading down to DC to face the four

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Speaker 1: and four Washington Commanders. All Right, moving on to our

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Speaker 1: next segment of the show, Tatum one big talking point.

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Speaker 1: This is the time in the show where we discuss

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Speaker 1: one big thing that really I wouldn't say concerns us,

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Speaker 1: but that's on our mind heading it to Sunday's matchup.

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Speaker 1: What's your one big thing? You know? I think before

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Speaker 1: I get to my actual mything at one A, Okay,

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Speaker 1: I have a one bay. I am a little concerned

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Speaker 1: about the Washington run game against US. I don't think

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Speaker 1: they really have popped this season. But I do think

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Speaker 1: that with Dalvin Tomlinson a potential out for this game,

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Speaker 1: the first time that he's ever missed a game due

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Speaker 1: to injury in the NFL, which is just insane, I

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Speaker 1: think that could be a big factor in this. You're

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Speaker 1: going to see a lot of double teams on Harrison

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Speaker 1: Phillips and you're hoping that the guys behind him, like

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Speaker 1: a James Lynch, can stand up or step up rather

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Speaker 1: and be able to, you know, make things good. But

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Speaker 1: I think you can't not talk about the Taylor Heinecke

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Speaker 1: effect either before you get there. I think Jonathan Buller

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Speaker 1: him being back would be a huge help. Hugh didn't

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Speaker 1: play last week. For him being back will definitely help

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Speaker 1: our run defense. But that's a really good point. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: totally totally right. You need you need those people to

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Speaker 1: step up in there when you have injuries and when

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Speaker 1: you suffer for them. And for the most part this

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Speaker 1: team has been rather healthy, but gotta step up and

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Speaker 1: do that, right. So yeah, But my one A would

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Speaker 1: be just the Taylor Heineke effact. I mean, clearly, the

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Speaker 1: kid has got something that just makes this team feel

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Speaker 1: like they believe in themselves. And the difference in play

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Speaker 1: between Antonio Gibson and Terry McLaurin when Taylor Heinecke is

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Speaker 1: in there is very noticeable, and they just kind of

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Speaker 1: jump off the page. They're a team that with him

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Speaker 1: mirrors the Vikings in a way because both teams, I

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Speaker 1: feel like recently respond to the adversity and it's because

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Speaker 1: of the belief they have in themselves. They can win

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Speaker 1: close games. Yeah, they can win close games. And that's

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Speaker 1: all that matters in the NFL is winning when you

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Speaker 1: need him in the fourth quarter. He's made a couple

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Speaker 1: of big plays, and um, I was reading that he

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Speaker 1: has a fan pole right now that he has fans

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Speaker 1: custom made custom I guess voting on a pair of

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Speaker 1: his custom made Jordan's in the team colors that he beats.

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Speaker 1: I don't know. I'm not sure if that makes sense. Oh,

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Speaker 1: I don't know, it doesn't, But that's okay, sounds cool.

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Speaker 1: He beat the Colts last week's white Jordans. Yeah, he

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Speaker 1: has fans vote on three pair of blue and white

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Speaker 1: Jordans that he has to buy. So if he beats

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Speaker 1: the Vikings, which I'm hoping he doesn't and I don't

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Speaker 1: think he will, fans get to vote on a pair

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Speaker 1: of purple and gold Jays. This sounds like an excuse

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Speaker 1: that maybe his wife or significant other does not approve

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Speaker 1: of because then his shoe collection might get too large. Right, Well,

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Speaker 1: we can keep him off the field with our Minnesota

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Speaker 1: moving company. And that's my one big talking point is

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Speaker 1: how will we fare against this Washington defense that's only

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Speaker 1: given up one hundred yards on the ground once. They've

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Speaker 1: only given up four touchdowns for rushing touchdowns all year,

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Speaker 1: which is third best in the NFL. And I think

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Speaker 1: if we're going to be able to have success, we're

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Speaker 1: going to have to be able to run the ball effectively,

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Speaker 1: because if we do that, the shots will be there

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Speaker 1: over the top. I don't think their cornerbacks are that great.

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Speaker 1: They leave the NFL and defensive pass interferences. So justin Jefferson,

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Speaker 1: if he gets opportunity and Kurt gets time in the pocket,

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Speaker 1: that will open up shots down the field. But wow,

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Speaker 1: would you like to see another bomb touchdown or just

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Speaker 1: like another big play. It was funny when we're talking

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Speaker 1: to Brian O'Neill and Christian Darris on the audible. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: how they said, could we just get like like it's

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Speaker 1: a twelve it's a twelve play drive and we're tired,

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Speaker 1: Like can we just get like a bomb? Can we

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Speaker 1: just get someone that has air it out? Please? And

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Speaker 1: I'd like to see it? And it's rare you get

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Speaker 1: offensive linemen to talk like that because they want to

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Speaker 1: run the ball. I was like, dude, we just we

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Speaker 1: just want to take some shots down the field. Well

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Speaker 1: they can talk like that when they're so good at

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Speaker 1: pass protection. Yeah, you know, Derris, I was not giving

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Speaker 1: up a sack all year, Brano, No, I believe it's

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Speaker 1: only giving up one. They've got their work cut out

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Speaker 1: for him with this Washington Commander's defense. But we'll see

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Speaker 1: how that fares out, and it'll be good to hear

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Speaker 1: from John Kinne from ESPN, who has covered this Washington

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Speaker 1: Commander's team for nearly a decade. He interviewed Jake Gruden,

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Speaker 1: which is a shocker to me because Jay Gruden never

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Speaker 1: talks to the media, and Jay Gruden previewed Terry mclauren

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Speaker 1: Kirk Cousins. He had the opportunity to coach both of

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Speaker 1: those guys. So this will be an interesting set of

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Speaker 1: events this upcoming weekend to see which storyline kind of

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Speaker 1: outweighs the other. Yeah, no one has been busier than

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Speaker 1: John Kim yesterday. You know, they saw the trade trade

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Speaker 1: deadline was going to be a lot, but then whatever's

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Speaker 1: been going on in Washington is also a Yeah, there's

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Speaker 1: a lot. It's a lot going on over there too,

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Speaker 1: So I'm interested to get his thoughts on how that

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Speaker 1: maybe affects this matchup. What is it going to be

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Speaker 1: like when you know, the Vikings of the first team

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Speaker 1: to play the Commanders and missed all of these headlines. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and just from working with John a couple of years

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Speaker 1: down there when I was in Washington and being a

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Speaker 1: part of you know, some of the storylines that that

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Speaker 1: happened when I was there. It is very unique and

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Speaker 1: I love the fact how how Ron Rivera has still

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Speaker 1: got those guys to show up every single Sunday. So

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Speaker 1: John Kim who talks to ron A lot Ron Rivera,

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Speaker 1: the head coach for the Washington Commanders, I think this

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Speaker 1: is going to be a fun conversation with John who

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Speaker 1: knows a lot about this Washington Commander's team and a

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Speaker 1: lot about Kirk Cousins. So Vikings fans do not turn

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Speaker 1: the We will be right back with more of the

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Speaker 1: Minnesota Vikings podcasts right after the break. Hey, Vikings fans,

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Speaker 1: right now you can pick up a commemorative Vikings Cup

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Speaker 1: at us Bank Stadium, fill it with a nice coote

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Speaker 1: Pepsi and you'll be ready for football watching. Salon Montage

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Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Minnesota Vikings Podcast presented by Pepsi.

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Speaker 1: My name is Gabe Henderson, alongside Vikings dot Com statum

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Speaker 1: Everett and producer Eric Davidson. And now joining us now

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Speaker 1: on the show is a good friend of mine, mister

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Speaker 1: John Kine from ESPN who covers the Washington Commanders out

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Speaker 1: in ashburn and John, before we talk football, the big

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Speaker 1: elephant in the room, which is the most recent news

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Speaker 1: coming out of Ashburne, is that Dan Snyder has announced

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Speaker 1: that they are hiring Bank of America Securities to explore

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Speaker 1: potential transactions involving the team. What effect has that had

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Speaker 1: in the building heading it to Sunday's game, Well, as

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Speaker 1: far as the players go, I mean, you were here,

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Speaker 1: you know how this works. There's always something going on here.

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Speaker 1: So they have gotten very good at getting used to

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Speaker 1: all sorts of distractions. So you know, it comes up,

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Speaker 1: it comes up, you know from the media, it comes

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Speaker 1: up just when they might be looking at their phones.

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Speaker 1: But they've become really good at just being focused on

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Speaker 1: the game, So I don't think it's going to have

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Speaker 1: any effect in that regard. It may juice the crowd

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Speaker 1: a little bit because they'll be very happy. You may

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Speaker 1: hear a lot of sell the team chance, but not

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Speaker 1: with disgust but with hope, and that could actually fail

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Speaker 1: the players. But as far as their preparational that, I

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Speaker 1: don't think it has much affaid. And I will say, Gabe,

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Speaker 1: you know how this works too. They're gonna be a

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Speaker 1: lot of other people in that building who aren't sure

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Speaker 1: about their futures beyond this. But that's still a ways

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Speaker 1: away because we don't know where this is going. We

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Speaker 1: don't know if it's full or partial ownership at this

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Speaker 1: point what will happen. But that's a different side of building.

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Speaker 1: The players, I think they'll be okay. Ye when you

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Speaker 1: think about what the Commanders have been able to do

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Speaker 1: the last three games with a street going John, what

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Speaker 1: has led to this team believing in themselves the last

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Speaker 1: few games and turning it around for the most part. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and I will say this before this is going to

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Speaker 1: be a big test for them, and they know that.

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Speaker 1: They know that they play Minnesota this week, Phildelphia next

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Speaker 1: week to see exactly where they're at. Because we you know,

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Speaker 1: this three game winning streak, it's by a combining points

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Speaker 1: and they were the Bears had the ball inside the

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Speaker 1: five to try and win the inside the two and

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Speaker 1: try and win the game, and couldn't. They got you know,

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Speaker 1: but then before that, Washington had the ball in the

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Speaker 1: two yard len against Tennessee. I couldn't get it in,

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Speaker 1: so it could have been a four game streak. So

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Speaker 1: where well, I think where they have hope is that

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Speaker 1: the defense is playing much better and not giving up

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Speaker 1: as many explosive plays as they had been earlier in

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Speaker 1: the year. The defensive line, John Allen, the tackles John Allen,

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Speaker 1: de Rohn Payne in particular have been great and so

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Speaker 1: that's where they get their hope. And I think they

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Speaker 1: have They feel like they have an improving back seven

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Speaker 1: that will be tested this week because that's a good

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Speaker 1: passing attack with obviously some weapons there, so they're going

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Speaker 1: to be tested. But I think that's where they get

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Speaker 1: the hope. And then the last two games, I do

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Speaker 1: think Taylor Heineke provided a spark with his ability to

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Speaker 1: escape trouble, and that's one thing. He's not more talented

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Speaker 1: than Carson Wentz, but his mobility has made a big

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Speaker 1: difference behind the line that doesn't protect well. Yeah, and

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Speaker 1: he seems like a winner also for Vikings fans tuning

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Speaker 1: in right now. This is the Minnesota Vikings podcast. We're

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Speaker 1: talking to John Kyne from ESPN and John this Taylor

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Speaker 1: Heineke experience. Vikings fans somewhat loved him when he was

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Speaker 1: here as the backup quarterback here before he got injured.

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Speaker 1: But how would you describe that the experience right now

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Speaker 1: down there in Ashbury. He brings energy, There's a lot

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Speaker 1: of things. And it's funny because we've gotten to the

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Speaker 1: point when I talk on my podcast, you know, just

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Speaker 1: get to the point where it's like we know what

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Speaker 1: he can't do, we know what he doesn't have. He

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Speaker 1: doesn't have a big arm. He's not a big guy.

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Speaker 1: When when he walks to the locker room, he looks

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Speaker 1: like a middle aged dad going to the beach, you know.

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Speaker 1: So that's but but he's got a hold on these

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Speaker 1: players and sometimes it's just hard to explain. And I

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Speaker 1: was talking about this with their punter trust way, they

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Speaker 1: very much last week, and the whole thing was he

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Speaker 1: said he's got the its factor. And I said, well,

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Speaker 1: when you watch him on film, you want to go

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Speaker 1: back and watch a game like on the coaches film

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Speaker 1: where it basically takes out the emotion of the game.

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Speaker 1: You don't hear the crowd, you just watch the play.

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Speaker 1: You don't feel the presence as much as when you're there,

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Speaker 1: or when you're in the huddle or when you're on

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Speaker 1: the sidelines. And he said, that's the it's factors. You

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Speaker 1: can't explain it. So the players really gravitate toward him. Now,

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Speaker 1: he's also someone when when it goes bad, he can

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Speaker 1: look really bad because of all the flaws in his game,

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Speaker 1: but when it's going well, he provides a spark. And

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Speaker 1: what I also really like about him, you bring up

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Speaker 1: some he's a competitor. When he throws a pick, he

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Speaker 1: responds well. On the next series he did against Green Bay,

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Speaker 1: throws a pick six, leads a touchdown drive. In the

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Speaker 1: next series against the Colts, throws an interception. His arm

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Speaker 1: was hit, but it's still an interception. The next two

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Speaker 1: series field goal and then touchdown, so he really responds well,

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Speaker 1: and I give him a lot of credit. And that's

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Speaker 1: what players latch on. You mentioned truss Way. I was

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Speaker 1: actually going to ask you about this because I saw

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Speaker 1: your tweet that said he's a key part of this streak.

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Speaker 1: He was just named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month.

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Speaker 1: And although we don't talk about this matchup very often,

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Speaker 1: Ryan Wright versus truss Way in this game is kind

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Speaker 1: of interesting because both of these are some of the

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Speaker 1: top punters, the younger punters up and comers who are

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Speaker 1: able to really pin the ball and be intentional with

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Speaker 1: their direction and where they put it. So have you,

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Speaker 1: first of all, have you heard of Ryan Wright, because

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Speaker 1: I've got to ask that question before. And what do

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Speaker 1: you see in the special teams battle? Well, I can

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Speaker 1: you know, I haven't studied Minnesota Special teams that I

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Speaker 1: can tell you with watching it that they have. And

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Speaker 1: this week it's been a little bit crazy because this

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Speaker 1: so I've you know, my preparation for all this stuff

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Speaker 1: is behind. But with the with Washington and you brought

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Speaker 1: up the ability to kick directionally, and it's his ability

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Speaker 1: to be very accurate with where he's going to punt

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Speaker 1: the ball gives the gunners and others a lot of

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Speaker 1: trust where they need to go and where they need

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Speaker 1: to find the ball, and some guys are kind of

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Speaker 1: all over the place. I think it makes it hard

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Speaker 1: to cover because you'll see good coverage by the gunners

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Speaker 1: because of that. So I think that makes a difference.

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Speaker 1: And you know, it's funny because a lot of times,

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Speaker 1: and these guys will talk about this too. A lot

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Speaker 1: of times you get guys on special teams who don't

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Speaker 1: always want to be there. I think with these guys

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Speaker 1: or some they have some young guys out there that

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Speaker 1: this is where they can help. They're not ready to

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Speaker 1: help from defense on, you know, from scrimmage and all that,

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Speaker 1: so this is their chance too up. And they have

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Speaker 1: a couple of veterans like a Jeremy Reeves who's a

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Speaker 1: backup safety and David Mayo's a backup linebacker who also

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Speaker 1: relished their opportunities to be out there in this role

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Speaker 1: because this is how they've made their career. So I

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Speaker 1: think that helps. But it always starts with the punter's

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Speaker 1: ability to be precise with his direction and give him

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Speaker 1: good hang time to get down there, and that starts away. Two.

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Speaker 1: There have been two muff punts during the street that

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Speaker 1: led to points inside. They were I think they're muff

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Speaker 1: punts inside the twenty and they were key reasons why

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Speaker 1: they've won two of these games. So that always helps.

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Speaker 1: The other part of it is too Antonio Gibson is

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Speaker 1: a kickoff returner. He doesn't he doesn't have unbelievable numbers,

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Speaker 1: but he's better than what they had there before he

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Speaker 1: put before. They put him back there, and he can

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Speaker 1: go back there because they have Brian Robinson back and

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Speaker 1: they liked Gibson a lot as a kick returner. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: that's a really good point special teams because this is

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Speaker 1: two really good defense and you would expect a lot

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Speaker 1: of punting, especially with two good defenses and offenses trying

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Speaker 1: to find their way and understanding that you got two

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Speaker 1: teams that have two NFC Players of the Month, two

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Speaker 1: teams on a winning streak, and then two teams with

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Speaker 1: the quarterback playing their former teams. Understanding that, John, how

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Speaker 1: much would style points mean for the victor of this game?

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Speaker 1: And see in the NFL, I don't think style points matter,

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Speaker 1: and I know fans they want to get excited by that.

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Speaker 1: I think I think w's matter and they've had three

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Speaker 1: somewhat I don't want to say, somewhat less esthetically pleasing

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Speaker 1: wins than maybe these fans would like. And I think

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Speaker 1: for I'll say this for Washington and this game, style

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Speaker 1: points do not matter because the Vikings are the better team.

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Speaker 1: Maybe for Minnesota would matter, but if you get I

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Speaker 1: just think there's so many equal teams in the NFC

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Speaker 1: that if you find ways to win, if you do

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Speaker 1: little things well, you end up winning, and you end

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Speaker 1: up seven and one, like the Vikings would be. They won.

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Speaker 1: So I'm not huge on that because as long as

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Speaker 1: you keep winning, there you go. And I know some

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Speaker 1: of it is, well you want to see how good

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Speaker 1: you really are and all that, and this is a

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Speaker 1: game should you blow them out? And I think that's

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Speaker 1: hard to do. So, you know, I just especially for Washington,

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Speaker 1: style points do not matter. It's interesting you bring up

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Speaker 1: that point about how you feel Commanders fans field, because

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Speaker 1: I know that there are several Vikings fans out there

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Speaker 1: who also kind of feel like this team hasn't really

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Speaker 1: played a clean perfect game since Week one where they

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Speaker 1: came out and just we're able to dominate in all

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Speaker 1: three phases. Now the offense has had its moments, and

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Speaker 1: obviously it's led by Kirk Cousins, who Gabe had mentioned

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Speaker 1: is going to be returning to Washington for the first

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Speaker 1: time since he's left. What do you think the reception

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Speaker 1: will be like or has things really just changed since then?

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Speaker 1: It's kind of a thought in the back of their mind. Well,

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Speaker 1: here's the problem with FedEx. There's always a lot of

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Speaker 1: visitor fans, so he's going to get a good reception

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Speaker 1: by a decent number of a crowd. So and I think,

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Speaker 1: I don't know, because I think people obviously have moved on.

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Speaker 1: And the problem with for the Kirk Cousin's departure is

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Speaker 1: that they haven't filled the position since he left. You know,

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Speaker 1: They've tried multiple ways and nothing has worked, whether because

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Speaker 1: of injuries or bad drafting, whatever, it hasn't worked. And

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Speaker 1: so he's the last good quarterback they've had and the

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Speaker 1: best quarterback they've had over a stretch for a long time,

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Speaker 1: so that, you know, But I don't know, Like there's

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Speaker 1: so much focus on other things this week that his

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Speaker 1: return is not a dominant topic. And for the players,

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Speaker 1: there's only I think three guys that played with them,

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Speaker 1: you know, the Funt office is different, their coaching staff

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Speaker 1: is different. I just I don't know the fan reaction.

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Speaker 1: It'll probably be mixed. I wouldn't say, because I think

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Speaker 1: they realize that this Funt office botched that thing and

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Speaker 1: it wasn't all his fault. On the other hand, you know,

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Speaker 1: everybody always wants the guy to stay in their place.

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Speaker 1: But you know, but I think it'll be mixed with

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Speaker 1: the Washington fans. But again, there will be a decent

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Speaker 1: number of likings fans. YEA understood. John. Last question before

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Speaker 1: we let you go. We're talking to ESPN to John Kim,

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Speaker 1: who covers the Washington Commanders. John, what is one key

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Speaker 1: stat that you will be watching on Sunday that could

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Speaker 1: possibly be that could be a huge factor in the

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Speaker 1: outcome of Sunday's game. Third downs? For this team, it

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Speaker 1: almost always comes back to third down and when they've

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Speaker 1: had their offense going a little bit, it's converting third downs.

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Speaker 1: And they've done that better lately, So I think that

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Speaker 1: will be a big key. And defensively, they've been really

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Speaker 1: good on third downs all year. Will that continue? They

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Speaker 1: haven't always faced really good a really good quarterback, right,

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Speaker 1: But but I think offensively. The big key will be

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Speaker 1: third downs. Can they control the ball? Are they converting?

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Speaker 1: If they do that, then they'll be in the game,

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Speaker 1: you guys. He said that right. Both defenses are top

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Speaker 1: ten in the NFL and third down defense, so that

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Speaker 1: is a really good stat to be watching on Sunday. John,

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Speaker 1: Always a pleasure talking to you. Looking forward to seeing

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Speaker 1: you on Sunday. Good talking hand on, guys. That's John

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Speaker 1: Kim from ESPN heading it to Sunday's matchup against the

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Speaker 1: Minnesota Vikings down in the Nation's Capitol. Vikings fans, like

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Speaker 1: John said, he doesn't expect many Washington Commanders fans to

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Speaker 1: be there, so why would you get on board and

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Speaker 1: take the trip down to Washington, DC? As the Minnesota

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Speaker 1: Vikings looked to go seven and one after the win

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Speaker 1: on Sunday in DC for Tatum Everett, John Kim, and

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Speaker 1: Eric Davidson. My name is Davie Henderson. Thank you again

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Speaker 1: for tuning into another edition of the Minnesota Vikings podcast

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Speaker 1: presented by Pepsi. Pepsi, that's what I like