WEBVTT - Press Conference: Doug Pederson December 23

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<v Speaker 1>The third and ten throw to the nixt throw after

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<v Speaker 1>he came back in the game, to Zach, can you

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<v Speaker 1>kind of walk us through the call the last drive? Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>the twenty yards passed. Oh oh oh yeah yeah yeah, okay,

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<v Speaker 1>um yeah, so you know, um, just to call that's

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<v Speaker 1>been in our offense. Um again thinking thinking of our

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<v Speaker 1>playmakers obviously you know al Shaw making a tremendous catch

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<v Speaker 1>and then and then Earth's uh the two defenders for

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<v Speaker 1>Houston actually collided, um, and which allowed Zack to really

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<v Speaker 1>really pop free and Nick did a great job there

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<v Speaker 1>have just been able to be patient in the pocket,

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<v Speaker 1>find him and put up a good throw and then

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<v Speaker 1>have the awareness of getting out of bounce on. There's

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<v Speaker 1>been a few couple orders. What were you thinking? We

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<v Speaker 1>got time and time outs again and uh, have a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of confidence in the offense, and you know it's

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<v Speaker 1>something that um, you know, we we work on a lot.

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<v Speaker 1>There's a two minute drive and tempo offense and um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, um, this league has always been about about

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<v Speaker 1>players making plays and and uh, you know a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of credit to the offense today for for putting us

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<v Speaker 1>that position to win this game. Nicole was plays with

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<v Speaker 1>calmness with poise. But how impressive was it today, especially

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<v Speaker 1>after he took that hit, had to come out then

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<v Speaker 1>to come back and direct the offense. You know, that's

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<v Speaker 1>just that's just Nick. Um. You know, he's always been calm,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, in in in and around the you know,

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<v Speaker 1>his preparation during the week and then of course leading

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<v Speaker 1>up to the game. And you know, he's a guy

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<v Speaker 1>that just wants to wants to continue to just help

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<v Speaker 1>the team win and and and dish the ball and

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<v Speaker 1>put it put it in our playmaker's hands. And you know,

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<v Speaker 1>um really not not get much credit. Just just let

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<v Speaker 1>the other guys do it, you know. And and uh,

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<v Speaker 1>even after taking that hit and then going back in,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought it took a lot of a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>courage excuse me, a lot of courage and guts at

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<v Speaker 1>that point to want to finish the game and come

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<v Speaker 1>back in. And it's just credits to credit to Nick.

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<v Speaker 1>What did he say when he came off the field

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<v Speaker 1>for that one play? Um, I was getting Nate ready,

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<v Speaker 1>so I didn't talk to him. You guys think you're

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<v Speaker 1>playing your best football this season right now heading in

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<v Speaker 1>the next week, Yeah, I think so. I think I

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<v Speaker 1>think he you know, UM, these last you know, three

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<v Speaker 1>four or five games, I think things have um kind

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<v Speaker 1>of picked up for us. Uh. I do feel like

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<v Speaker 1>that this time of the year. Uh. You know, if

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<v Speaker 1>you want any kind of momentum, um, you know, if

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<v Speaker 1>you get a chance to go to the postseason, you

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<v Speaker 1>need to be playing your best football now. And and UM,

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<v Speaker 1>I think that's uh, you know, I think that's what

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<v Speaker 1>we're doing at this time. You got lead for most

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<v Speaker 1>of the game. But the past front ratio is pretty

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<v Speaker 1>lot time favorite past stuff because they were kind of

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<v Speaker 1>depleted at a corner. Did you see their rush defense today?

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<v Speaker 1>Thirty five yards rushing in football? It was hard? Oh okay, okay,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe maybe we need to run the ball more or something.

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<v Speaker 1>But um as a tremendous defense. Now, it's a great

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<v Speaker 1>group that front seven eight guys with their safeties. I

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<v Speaker 1>mean that they do it. They do a really good job.

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<v Speaker 1>They're um uh they create um different angles for our

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<v Speaker 1>offensive linement. And so some of the things that we've

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<v Speaker 1>been able to do on the last couple of weeks, Um,

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<v Speaker 1>they just kind of took us out of it. And

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<v Speaker 1>and so you know, I knew we're gonna have to

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<v Speaker 1>we're gonna have to run the ball late in the game,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, even when we went up the you know

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<v Speaker 1>by the third, by thirteen there, twenty nine sixteen. I

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<v Speaker 1>felt like we could, you know, get a little momentum

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<v Speaker 1>run the ball, Uh, make them use timehouse. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe we could finish the game at that point. But um,

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<v Speaker 1>we didn't do it. It's just a great defense on

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<v Speaker 1>the version of the first hand. Two questions, what made

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<v Speaker 1>you go for that one? And was there an except

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<v Speaker 1>as Um, well, the I wanted to go up six

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<v Speaker 1>at that point, so that's really the option there. Um

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<v Speaker 1>And then um, yeah, you know it's something we'll just

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<v Speaker 1>have to take a look at. You know, we'll send

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<v Speaker 1>we'll send it in tomorrow and see what we get back.

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<v Speaker 1>But uh, um nothing for eighty three that able. Yes, Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>Lane Johnson on j J to Day did a tremendous job.

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<v Speaker 1>JJ's name didn't get called very much. I'll tell you Lane,

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<v Speaker 1>Lane had a great week of preparation, got it got

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<v Speaker 1>in the in in his mindset. He's he's awesome. I

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<v Speaker 1>mean he's awesome. He's he's a tremendous right tackle and

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<v Speaker 1>you know he's had to block some really really really

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<v Speaker 1>good defensive ends. Uh this season. Um, this was probably

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<v Speaker 1>one of the uh, probably the best one he's he's

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<v Speaker 1>seen all season. And I did a nice job, did

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<v Speaker 1>a really nice job, and and uh it's a credit

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<v Speaker 1>to him and um well deserved. They check out of

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<v Speaker 1>on that audible. It was into coverage check that he

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<v Speaker 1>saw something Houston had been running earlier in the game,

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<v Speaker 1>and he saw it, got to another, got to another

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<v Speaker 1>one of them that got to a play that would

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<v Speaker 1>attack that coverage, and uh, great protection and allowed him

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<v Speaker 1>to get the ball down the field play it was

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<v Speaker 1>a pass play to begin with. Yes, yeah, exact broke

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<v Speaker 1>Wittin's record tonight today. What does he meant to your

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<v Speaker 1>quarterbacks to have a guy, particularly on third down and

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<v Speaker 1>in the red zone that they know can get open

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<v Speaker 1>and they can count on. Yeah, first of all, it's

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<v Speaker 1>it's a great honor for Zach and and um you know,

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<v Speaker 1>can congratulations go to him. You know, but he's another

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<v Speaker 1>one of those guys that very unselfish. UM quarterbacks do

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<v Speaker 1>have a comfort level with him, you know. He seems

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<v Speaker 1>to kind of be that guy that that uh, you

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<v Speaker 1>know exactly where he's gonna be and Um, you know

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<v Speaker 1>he's he's obviously great after the after the catch, Um,

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<v Speaker 1>runs great routes. So you know, for the quarterbacks to

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<v Speaker 1>have that type of guy, Um, again, it just gives

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<v Speaker 1>you that little comfort, you know, do you especially in

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<v Speaker 1>crucial moments like you know, the the corner route that

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<v Speaker 1>he ran late in the game. Um, It's just it's

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<v Speaker 1>a moned to credit to him for how hard he

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<v Speaker 1>works and then and then his uh relationship with our quarterbacks.

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<v Speaker 1>You see, I was just proud of him, told him

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<v Speaker 1>how proud of proud I was. And you know, um,

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<v Speaker 1>we had to we had to come through a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of adversity today. Uh and and and they hung in there,

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<v Speaker 1>they hung together. The game wore on our Our team

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<v Speaker 1>got tighter and tighter and tighter and played played well

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<v Speaker 1>down the stretch. And you know, it wasn't pretty obviously. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, there were a lot of a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>mistakes and a lot of things that went around. But

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<v Speaker 1>but the bottom line was they they found a way

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<v Speaker 1>to win past a certain feeling about your team. Are

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<v Speaker 1>you seeing something now in these past five natures that

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<v Speaker 1>gives you encouragement? I'm value prospects you yeah, I mean

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<v Speaker 1>you know that's and part of the message in the

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<v Speaker 1>locker room too, is just you know, I'm proud of

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<v Speaker 1>the way they come to work every day and prepare

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<v Speaker 1>that day. It's Wednesday or Thursday or Friday, whatever it is,

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<v Speaker 1>they prepare that way and it pays off, you know

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<v Speaker 1>in these games. And um, you know, our guys don't

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<v Speaker 1>make plays that they made today if we don't practice

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<v Speaker 1>those situations or at least put them in situations to

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<v Speaker 1>make those plays in practice. And you know, you're just

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<v Speaker 1>seeing how a lot of our young guys are really

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<v Speaker 1>maturing now and they're growing up and they are they

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<v Speaker 1>are contributing and making some plays and you know it's

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<v Speaker 1>not again, it's not perfect. There's still some mistakes being made,

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<v Speaker 1>but you know, the veteran guys are rallying. The veteran

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<v Speaker 1>guys are making plays there, um, doing the things that

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<v Speaker 1>that we ask them to do. And that's for me. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>that's all I can ask for. The effort is there, obviously, Um,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, the excitement is there, the passion for the game,

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<v Speaker 1>the desire to win, and you know, it's a resilient group.

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<v Speaker 1>Was like a few times this year, and that resiliency,

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<v Speaker 1>this group has been at least playoff wise declared dead

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<v Speaker 1>for the year, even part of today. What does it say?

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<v Speaker 1>And how proud of you that you're going into week

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<v Speaker 1>seventeen with something to play for us? Now? Oh, it's

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<v Speaker 1>it's everything. I mean, these guys are so excited to

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<v Speaker 1>be to be still you know, in the hunt and

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<v Speaker 1>and and to really um, you know we talk about

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<v Speaker 1>controlling things that we can control. Well, we get to

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<v Speaker 1>control where you know, our destiny a little bit. We

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<v Speaker 1>get to make our own and create our own and

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<v Speaker 1>and and so that's that's that's why I'm you know,

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<v Speaker 1>these guys never quit, you know, they they don't quit.

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<v Speaker 1>And um, it would have been easy, you know today

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<v Speaker 1>just to you know, kind of let your guard down

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<v Speaker 1>at the end and and not finish the game. But um,

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<v Speaker 1>again kind of goes back to your question. Just it's

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<v Speaker 1>a veteran group, resilient group. They hang together and they

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<v Speaker 1>find a way to win and and uh, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>as a head coach, that's what you can all you

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<v Speaker 1>can ask for, really,