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Speaker 1: Football is finally back. What's up, guys, Welcome into a

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Speaker 1: Week one edition of Chargers Weekly. Chris Hary here with you,

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Speaker 1: And normally I would introduce this guy as my first

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Speaker 1: guest each and every week during the football season. He's

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Speaker 1: my co host now all twenty twenty one, Matt money Smith. Dude,

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Speaker 1: I can't tell you how excited I am football, but

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Speaker 1: equally to have you joint Charges Weekly, well, feelings mutual, Chris,

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Speaker 1: love it, love engaging with the fans. You've built a

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Speaker 1: heck of a brand here with Chargers Weekly, and certainly

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Speaker 1: the numbers proved that and bear it out. So excited

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Speaker 1: to be part of it, a small part of it.

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Speaker 1: I know you're gonna corral the best guests out there.

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Speaker 1: You got that reputation, so everybody wants to come on.

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Speaker 1: It's been that way through the preseason, and I'm looking

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Speaker 1: forward to getting started here with what's gonna be a

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Speaker 1: pretty damn nasty Week one for the Chargers and the

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Speaker 1: Washington football team. It's one of the better games on

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Speaker 1: the schedule in the NFL this year, Dude. I cannot

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Speaker 1: wait for that. And a little bit later we're gonna

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Speaker 1: be joined by the radio voice of the Washington football team,

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Speaker 1: Brand Weinstein and Spirodidas, who is on the call for

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Speaker 1: CBS A seamless transition from Chargers preseason to Week one.

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Speaker 1: But Buddy, I've said this like the last couple of weeks.

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Speaker 1: It's getting to a point where we're talking in hypotheticals

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Speaker 1: and what could be we finally get to see it.

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Speaker 1: And I think the great mystery about Sunday is we

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Speaker 1: really don't know what to expect. I mean, none of

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Speaker 1: these starters played the preseason. It's a new offense, it's

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Speaker 1: a new defense. You're going across country to play a

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Speaker 1: really good defense led by that defensive line in Washington.

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Speaker 1: What are your initial thoughts going into Week one? Where?

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Speaker 1: You know, I think it probably speaks to what kind

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Speaker 1: of person you are. You know, the old Aria glass

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Speaker 1: half full, glass half empty. And I don't know what

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Speaker 1: I am because the first thing that comes to mind

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Speaker 1: is that offensive line for that versus that defensive front

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Speaker 1: of Washington. And you know, I typically watch a couple

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Speaker 1: of games to get ready for, you know, whatever that

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Speaker 1: week's contest is. I'll watch a couple of games of

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Speaker 1: the opponent. The last game that the Chargers played just

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Speaker 1: kind of refresh the memory, and I ended up just

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Speaker 1: watching a lot of Washington football team defensive play. I

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Speaker 1: didn't do much with their offense because I think it

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Speaker 1: is going to look a little bit different with Fitzpatrick

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Speaker 1: back there, although maybe it won't. Maybe they'll continue to

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Speaker 1: play a little bit conservatively, do a lot of Antonio

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Speaker 1: Gibson and let the defense try to make plays, because man,

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Speaker 1: can they make plays. So that's I don't think there's

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Speaker 1: any question. The number one battle is going to be

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Speaker 1: Chargers offensive line and the rookie of the year, the

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Speaker 1: reigning rookie of the year behind it in Justin Herbert

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Speaker 1: versus that front of all first rounders, Montes Sweat, Payne

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Speaker 1: Alan in the middle, and then of course Chase Young

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Speaker 1: on the other end. And man are they nasty. They're nasty.

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Speaker 1: And everybody talks about Chase Young, Mantes Sweat maybe a

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Speaker 1: top five pass for usher in the NFL. And yeah,

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Speaker 1: we talk about Jonathan Allen and Ron Payne, matt Ianitis.

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Speaker 1: It's a scary front. I'm interested to talk to Bram

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Speaker 1: about some of these other guys, Jaymon Davis, the linebacker rookie,

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Speaker 1: and then offensively Diammy Brown, the wide receiver from North Carolina.

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Speaker 1: With Curtis Samuel's status up in the air and he

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Speaker 1: hasn't practiced much at all, that could be another kind

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Speaker 1: of X factor guy for Washington in their offense, especially

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Speaker 1: with Asante Samuel, two guys for the acc Who knows

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Speaker 1: if a couple of young bucks maybe decided on the

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Speaker 1: defensive end for the Chargers. Yeah, I think the one

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Speaker 1: thing that's that's being overlooked in it. And you know,

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Speaker 1: DJ would certainly be better, and I'm sure he's he's

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Speaker 1: already done a heck of a job for the fans

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Speaker 1: of the Chargers at breaking this down. But just you know,

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Speaker 1: one of the things he always brings up, and it's

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Speaker 1: something that I've heard in calling games with with analysts

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Speaker 1: for a long time, and that's, you know, is the

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Speaker 1: front connected to the back and do those two work

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Speaker 1: in concert with one another? And I think that's where

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Speaker 1: maybe the Chargers can exploit the football team a little bit,

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Speaker 1: you know, is and I'm sure you know we saw

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Speaker 1: it in New Orleans for all of his time there

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Speaker 1: and Joe Lombardi and just quick strikes and you know,

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Speaker 1: that's how you're going to have to attack this defensive

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Speaker 1: line is get that ball out quick and let guys

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Speaker 1: like Keenan Allen and Austin Eckler if they're too aggressive,

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Speaker 1: and you can just dump that smoke route or get

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Speaker 1: Keenan on a quick slant. Man, it can go a

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Speaker 1: long way because of how quickly those guys are trying

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Speaker 1: to get up field to get to the quarterback. But

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Speaker 1: to me, the flip side that's being overlooked is this

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Speaker 1: defensive front of the Chargers and how good Kyler Facker

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Speaker 1: looked in the preseason opposite Joey Bosa and just what

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Speaker 1: he's gonna do and how he's gonna cut loose Kenneth Murray,

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Speaker 1: Kaiser White, Drew trankwell in additional rush, And you know,

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Speaker 1: I think the best way I can describe it and

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Speaker 1: what I think it's gonna look like. And I went

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Speaker 1: back and watched a couple of Rams games as well,

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Speaker 1: just to sort of see what was going on. Defensively,

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Speaker 1: I think it most closely resembles from what we saw

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Speaker 1: last year the Dolphins and the Patriots and sort of

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Speaker 1: that Amba front and he'll he'll press six guys up there,

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Speaker 1: and you don't know which tour dropping out or if

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Speaker 1: one's dropping out, and that to me is looks Ryan

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Speaker 1: Fitzpatrick's been solid his entire career, but he's also been

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Speaker 1: bad at times. You know, he can he can get

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Speaker 1: into some mistakes, he can walk into some mistakes. So

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Speaker 1: I'm anxious to see how that first game of the

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Speaker 1: Brandon Staley defense led by Joey Bosa and Durwin James,

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Speaker 1: is going to be able to get after Ryan Fitzpatrick,

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Speaker 1: and for some mistakes of their own, this could end

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Speaker 1: up just being a hack of a defensive battle. It

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Speaker 1: really could. And you know, you mentioned we hadn't see

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Speaker 1: Bosa and Priesces, and we didn't see Tillery or Lynvall

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Speaker 1: or Justin Jones either. So I asked Staley this yesterday,

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Speaker 1: the difference between game planning in week one versus like

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Speaker 1: when you hit your stride in the middle of the season.

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Speaker 1: You got tape on, guys, And you know, he talks

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Speaker 1: a lot about just having the Chargers focus on the

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Speaker 1: Chargers and having a clean game plan going into week one,

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Speaker 1: because at the end of the day, you really you

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Speaker 1: can only focus on what you've been doing, and you know,

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Speaker 1: you don't really know what the team is gonna throw

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Speaker 1: at you week one and you have to adjust on

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Speaker 1: the fly. But you've got to be sound in your

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Speaker 1: principles and what you're doing. And that's the most fascinating

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Speaker 1: thing money, because we've seen snippets of it during you know,

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Speaker 1: joint practices with the forty nine ers, but we haven't

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Speaker 1: seen these dudes on the grass when it's actually real.

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Speaker 1: And I think that's the that's the fun part on

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Speaker 1: both sides of the football. What you know, I think

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Speaker 1: just kind of if you ever if you look at

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Speaker 1: the NFL and if you talk to people, and I

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Speaker 1: mean not to take it there, but i'll just call

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Speaker 1: them wise guys. They say the first week to the

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Speaker 1: first two weeks is when you can really exploit the

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Speaker 1: numbers because oftentimes great players and great coaches are able

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Speaker 1: to get that quicker start. They just have cleaner game plans,

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Speaker 1: they're just natural ability is able to overcome shaking off

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Speaker 1: the rust and kind of getting getting settled into the season. So,

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Speaker 1: you know, I think we all have that kind of

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Speaker 1: faith in in coach Staley and his staff that they

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Speaker 1: are going to be able to I don't want to

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Speaker 1: say out scheme, but just that They're going to be

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Speaker 1: ready that they are going this This team, I think

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Speaker 1: is going to be ready to get after it week one,

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Speaker 1: from the second that ball is put up in the air.

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Speaker 1: And I think for as much celebration, and look, it's

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Speaker 1: deserved as much celebration of the defensive front of the

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Speaker 1: Washington football team. This is still a seven and nineteen.

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Speaker 1: You know, it was still a team that went seven

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Speaker 1: and nine last year. They still have their flaws, they

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Speaker 1: still have issues, They still have giant, a giant question

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Speaker 1: mark at quarterback. Um. I was so surprised the Bears

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Speaker 1: let go at Charles Lenol and now you see their

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Speaker 1: paying the price for that because their first round pick,

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Speaker 1: for their second round pick ended up getting hurt. So

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Speaker 1: they're at their third string, you know, left tackle now,

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Speaker 1: so Lenol slides in with Scherff. I mean, it's it's

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Speaker 1: a good offensive line, but I think it's still an

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Speaker 1: offensive line that that Joey Bosa and Brandon Staley and

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Speaker 1: you know, and that whole front, and you know, whichever

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Speaker 1: linebackers he's going to cut loose are going to be

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Speaker 1: able to take advantage of. And then I think, like

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Speaker 1: of all the of all them, and again I just

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Speaker 1: want I'm looking at the depth chart here because it

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Speaker 1: escaped me. But they got a rookie Sam cost Me

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Speaker 1: and look there, he was celebrated coming out of Texas.

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Speaker 1: But he's a rookie playing right tackle, you know, so

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Speaker 1: you want to get after it. You got fact Roller

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Speaker 1: Bosa on him and Logan Thomas. While he's big, it's

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Speaker 1: not the best blocking tight end, so you know they're

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Speaker 1: gonna probably have to keep tight end for help. But

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Speaker 1: what I'm getting at is the one I'm anxious to

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Speaker 1: see because we saw it in practice. If Terry McLaurin,

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Speaker 1: who I think is one of the best receivers in

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Speaker 1: the league, is getting a little loose, I'm anxious to

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Speaker 1: see if you if you unleash thirty three on him

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Speaker 1: and get a little physical at the line and shove

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Speaker 1: him around a little bit, if we might see that

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Speaker 1: from Brandon Stale and Derwin James. I'm kind of excited

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Speaker 1: that that could be a possibility. I would like to

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Speaker 1: see that. And you're right that offense, they had really

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Speaker 1: the worst quarterback play in the league last year, a

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Speaker 1: big reason why they only won seven games despite having

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Speaker 1: a really good defense. And Ryan Fitzpatrick Man, it could

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Speaker 1: be five touchdowns, one pick, one touchdown, five picks. You

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Speaker 1: know it's you don't know what you're gonna get with

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Speaker 1: fitz Magic said, uh, Chris. I said this on Power

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Speaker 1: Rankings yesterday on NFL Network with the show We Do

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Speaker 1: every Ever was a couple of days ago on Tuesdays

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Speaker 1: We Do It, and we were talking about the Washington

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Speaker 1: football team, and I said, Fitzpatrick really reminds me a

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Speaker 1: lot of the old Leroy Horde quote that's so famous

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Speaker 1: for Minnesota, which is, coach, if you need two, I

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Speaker 1: can get you three. If you need four, I can

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Speaker 1: get you three. And I think that's I think that's

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Speaker 1: Fitzpatrick right. He's his whole career, he's kind of been

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Speaker 1: this great look. He's probably the best backup in the

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Speaker 1: league because if your if your quarterback goes down, I'm

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Speaker 1: good coach. I got you for three weeks until our

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Speaker 1: guy heals up. Man. But if you need me for five,

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Speaker 1: I got you for three. And I just I'm anxious

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Speaker 1: to see how it works over the course of an

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Speaker 1: entire season, no question. We talked about the offensive line

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Speaker 1: that cha the Chargers have offensively trying to stop that

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Speaker 1: defensive line. I do think, like you said, the Chargers defense,

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Speaker 1: they're equipped to slow this Washington offense. You put thirty

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Speaker 1: three out there with Bosa, who we haven't seen ever

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Speaker 1: open a season together. I know there's a lot of

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Speaker 1: parts that are new. I mean, Darwin hasn't played with Nas,

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Speaker 1: he didn't played with Kenneth, he hasn't played with Drew,

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Speaker 1: he didn't play with a lot of these guys. But

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Speaker 1: that's that's what's I think fun about this is is

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Speaker 1: he can do anything, play anywhere. He's positionless, and he's

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Speaker 1: going to be the X factor I think in this game.

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Speaker 1: But Buddy, one of the things that I think, it's

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Speaker 1: tough when you're doing a podcast on a Thursday. Austin

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Speaker 1: Ekeler didn't practice on Wednesday, So that's obviously it's something

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Speaker 1: to monitor throughout the week if he if he's limited

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Speaker 1: in any way. Let's say he goes and he's limited,

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Speaker 1: or he doesn't go. The running game for the Chargers

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Speaker 1: Justin Jackson all of a sudden full health and he

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Speaker 1: could be probably the deciding factor in terms of the

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Speaker 1: running game. If Austin is is somehow limited anyway, well,

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Speaker 1: you know, like you said, it's so hard to figure

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Speaker 1: this out because, like you said, he didn't practice, but

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Speaker 1: then when he talked to the media, he said he

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Speaker 1: felt great, and you don't know if if that's precautionary

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Speaker 1: or if he just felt something and they're playing it

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Speaker 1: safe or whatever that may be. Justin Jackson being healthy

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Speaker 1: would be huge because look, we've seen it and we

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Speaker 1: talked about it, and I just you know, my issue

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Speaker 1: was if this guy is going to be if if

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Speaker 1: Justin's going to be a health concern, it's very hard

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Speaker 1: to carry that guy in your roster, you know, when

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Speaker 1: you don't know if he's going to be available. If

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Speaker 1: he is available, we all know the talents there. He's exceptional.

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Speaker 1: I know it's crazy to say that, but he is.

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Speaker 1: He's been great when he's been on the field, especially

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Speaker 1: catching the ball out of the backfield. He's got great vision.

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Speaker 1: He's been a huge addition to this team when he's available.

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Speaker 1: I have faith in Larry Ron tra I do. And

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Speaker 1: I think you know one thing that's often overlooked and

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Speaker 1: this is going to be super important, and I think

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Speaker 1: this is why maybe you would end up seeing a

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Speaker 1: lot more Josh Kelly is you're gonna need a back

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Speaker 1: to stay in. Whoever your best pass bloss blocking back is,

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Speaker 1: that's and look, the answer to that question is Austin Eckler.

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Speaker 1: He's your best pass blocking back. We saw him do

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Speaker 1: it in those one on ones against Fred Warner where

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Speaker 1: he's holding up one of the strongest, fastest linebackers in

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Speaker 1: the league in those in those drills. So that's going

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Speaker 1: to be a huge part of success of the offensive

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Speaker 1: success is if Austin's healthy, that's a big, big boost

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Speaker 1: to your pass blocking. And if he's not, I think

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Speaker 1: you could end up seeing a lot more Josh Kelly

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Speaker 1: because he's probably your second best pass blocking back in

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Speaker 1: that room, and I think that would almost be an

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Speaker 1: overriding priority to anything else from that position. Dude, let's

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Speaker 1: just switch gears for a second. What's it gonna be

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Speaker 1: like for you to actually call a game with fans

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Speaker 1: in the stands week one? Man, it was just polar

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Speaker 1: opposite last year. You guys had to call games from

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Speaker 1: a booth on the road. It's got to be exciting

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Speaker 1: for you to actually get back to this, no doubt.

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Speaker 1: We were in a television studio with a satellite feed

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Speaker 1: last year. Sorry, my dog's trying to attack me. We

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Speaker 1: were in a television studio with a satellite feed of

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Speaker 1: the All twenty two and what's called the dirty feed,

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Speaker 1: which is just the live feed of the television broadcast,

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Speaker 1: and it was challenging, and I would say the Cincinnati

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Speaker 1: game was probably one of the worst calls I've had

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Speaker 1: because we were just getting used to it and it

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Speaker 1: was just hard to figure out where your eyes should

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Speaker 1: go and how accurate is what you're seeing on the monitor.

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Speaker 1: One was about a quarter two and a half second

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Speaker 1: delayed from the other, so you would just kind of

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Speaker 1: get caught up so to be in And it's funny

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Speaker 1: that we're starting here and I know this is kind

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Speaker 1: of almost first world football problems, but it's one of

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Speaker 1: the worst boots in all of football. The Washington Football

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Speaker 1: team FedEx field. They put you way up in the

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Speaker 1: corner and it's not the easiest thing to track. Yet still,

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Speaker 1: even with that, it's gonna be better than what we

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Speaker 1: had last year because we'll be in that ever that

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Speaker 1: place holds ninety thousand and eighty thousand places gigantic and

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Speaker 1: to feel that energy because that's you know, this is

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Speaker 1: what I always said about about the detractors and what

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Speaker 1: it was like at Dignity Health. You know, there was

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Speaker 1: energy in that building. No matter what color the fans

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Speaker 1: were wearing. There was energy and you felt it and

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Speaker 1: the players felt it. And that makes a big difference.

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Speaker 1: I just I really think especially for primetime players, you know,

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Speaker 1: like Durwin James, like Joey, those guys feed off that energy.

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Speaker 1: I really believe that. And I think even though it

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Speaker 1: may have helped Justin Herbert last year, you know, not

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Speaker 1: having to deal with noise when you're an opposing team

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Speaker 1: in a place like the Superdome, I think it's going

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Speaker 1: to help other players. It's gonna get them going. It's

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Speaker 1: really gonna get them moving where maybe they had to

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Speaker 1: create their own energy last year. So I'm excited for it.

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Speaker 1: I can't wait. Well, this podcast today, everybody who's called

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Speaker 1: the game is on this podcast. Yeah, and later Bred Whiteside,

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Speaker 1: the voice of the Washington football team, gonna give us

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Speaker 1: this week's opposing view. But first Money and I caught

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Speaker 1: out with Spirodda Spiro on the call with Jay Feeley

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Speaker 1: on TV for CBS Week one. My internet was jacked up.

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Speaker 1: Long story, Money carried me. Here's Sparrow. What I'd love

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Speaker 1: to know Sparrows. You know, for people that that don't know,

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Speaker 1: I think a lot do. But you call the Chargers

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Speaker 1: preseason games on CBS there, what like, what did you

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Speaker 1: learn could you what did you did you figure anything

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Speaker 1: out in the preseason because very few starters played, If

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Speaker 1: they did, they played very little. But was there anything

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Speaker 1: that jumped out at you that you feel like you're

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Speaker 1: going to carry over into this opener against Washington. Well,

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Speaker 1: it's getting harder and harder money, as you guys know,

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Speaker 1: to really get a feel for what a team is

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Speaker 1: going to look like and feel like based on what

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Speaker 1: we see in the preseason, And it just seems like

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Speaker 1: it's trending now even further in that direction. And Brandon

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Speaker 1: Staley another new coach in this league who is of

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Speaker 1: the same mind really as a Sean McVay and so

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Speaker 1: many other coaches where they just don't want to risk

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Speaker 1: putting their frontline players on the field. And look, you're

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Speaker 1: already seeing more preseason injuries to two top guys, you know, JK.

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Speaker 1: Dobbins in Baltimore. There's been a number of key injuries

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Speaker 1: and key guys go down. So I completely get it.

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Speaker 1: For me, the biggest takeaway was sitting down with Brandon

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Speaker 1: Staley and really getting a feel for who this guy is,

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Speaker 1: because you know, we've all heard the story of his

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Speaker 1: meteoric rise, which is still incredible to think of where

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Speaker 1: he was four or five years ago coaching Division three

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Speaker 1: and not even as a head coach, and here he

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Speaker 1: is now at the age of thirty eight, getting ready

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Speaker 1: to coach his first game in a real game in

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Speaker 1: DC this weekend, and just like you, guys, blown away

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Speaker 1: by his football acumen, his overall feel, the relationships he's

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Speaker 1: been able to build with his players here in such

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Speaker 1: a short time, and talking to the guys, you know,

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Speaker 1: talking to Justin Herbert and Derwin James and Joey Bosa.

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Speaker 1: A lot of times you listen to guys talk about

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Speaker 1: their coach, and you can tell pretty quickly when it's

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Speaker 1: lip service and when it's genuine and and it's it's

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Speaker 1: really authentic with these guys when they talk about Brandon Staley,

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Speaker 1: because I think the modern day player now, really guys

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Speaker 1: wants a coach who's going to put them in a

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Speaker 1: position to succeed. You know, whether that's a personal thing

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Speaker 1: with the player or if they're really team guys, and

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Speaker 1: they want to truly win and be on a contending team.

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Speaker 1: And Brandon Staley is part of this new age of

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Speaker 1: coach who, you know, like a Sean McVay and like

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Speaker 1: so many of the other these other young, dynamic coaches,

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Speaker 1: has such an unbelievable understanding of the game, and he's

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Speaker 1: just coming from such an analytical place that these guys

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Speaker 1: buy in very quickly. Whether that translates into wins for

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Speaker 1: this team and how quickly it takes for them to

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Speaker 1: turn this thing around a little bit remains to be seen.

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Speaker 1: But just sitting with him for for thirty minutes that

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Speaker 1: first time we met him with with Dan Fouts and

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Speaker 1: the rest of our crew, we all kind of walked

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Speaker 1: out of that meeting looking at each other saying this,

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Speaker 1: this guy's pretty impressive spear. His pressors are like podcasts.

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Speaker 1: They're like always twenty one minutes, twenty two minutes, and

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Speaker 1: you get so much out of them. We talked to

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Speaker 1: him this week just about you know, some of these

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Speaker 1: storylines in this game and what stands out to you.

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Speaker 1: We got the offensive rookie of the year versus the

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Speaker 1: defensive rookie of the year, Bosa Slater Young what jumps

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Speaker 1: out of first glance. Well, first of all, just on

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Speaker 1: a macro level, guys, to see how far Washington has

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Speaker 1: come as an organization over the last year and a

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Speaker 1: half since Ron Rivera took over, its pretty staggering. I mean,

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Speaker 1: you know, we all saw the headlines. We all know

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Speaker 1: what a black cloud was hanging over this franchise with

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Speaker 1: just a nightmare after nightmare scenario. On a pr level,

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Speaker 1: all the changes that they've undertaken, you know, the fine

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Speaker 1: levy by the NFL, which was kind of unprecedented to

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Speaker 1: go from that kind of a rudderless organization to where

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Speaker 1: they are now with not only Ron Rivera at the top,

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Speaker 1: but the new hierarchy that he's kind of put in

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Speaker 1: place in there with Marty Hernie, new GM, new salary

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Speaker 1: cap people. I think when you when you read, when

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Speaker 1: you you know, listen to what agents are saying, not

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Speaker 1: just players and other teams, um, but what agents are saying.

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Speaker 1: The agents that have to deal with front offices around

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Speaker 1: the league, and they kind of know what teams are

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Speaker 1: our first class and what teams are you know, the

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Speaker 1: other end of the spectrum. I think there's suddenly a

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Speaker 1: respect with this team, and I'm I'm interested to see

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Speaker 1: how that kind of translate for them, because you know, look,

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Speaker 1: the NFL is in a better place when when the

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Speaker 1: big market teams are successful, and I think for too

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Speaker 1: long that franchise has been down. So just interested to

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Speaker 1: see what Washington's able to do. And obviously, you know

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Speaker 1: with the Chargers, it's it's Brandon Staley, it's it's Justin Herbert.

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Speaker 1: You know, what kind of sophomore season can he have?

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Speaker 1: He's set the bar so high and last year he

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Speaker 1: kind of came out of nowhere. This is a completely

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Speaker 1: different year and a situation for Justin Herbert had as

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Speaker 1: he handled now the expectation that he has that he

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Speaker 1: didn't have to think about or contend with last year,

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Speaker 1: he kind of came took everyone by surprise. Derwin James,

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Speaker 1: you know, how quickly can he become an elite player?

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Speaker 1: And if he can, then to me, this team has everything. Yeah, Spiro,

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Speaker 1: you know for people that that don't know CBS is,

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Speaker 1: you know is AFCUM, but it's AFC road team. So

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Speaker 1: just I don't know what your exact schedule was last year.

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Speaker 1: If you had a chance to see the Washington football

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Speaker 1: team at all last year, but just kind of okay,

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Speaker 1: so you did going back and watching some games to

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Speaker 1: get ready for this one. Have you seen a front

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Speaker 1: like that? I'm not talking about in the NFL last year.

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Speaker 1: I just mean in recent years. I mean that that

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Speaker 1: is going to be. You know, you always hear when

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Speaker 1: you draft, you got to draft the quarterback or you

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Speaker 1: got to draft players to get to the quarterback. I

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Speaker 1: have not seen a front like that. Montes sweat is

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Speaker 1: so overshadowed by Chase Young because of how great a

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Speaker 1: rookie year he has. He's the best player on that line,

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Speaker 1: and my god, is he a nightmare. Um when when

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Speaker 1: you watched their games and you called their games, kind

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Speaker 1: of walk us through what it's like to see that

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Speaker 1: front four on a snap in, snap out basis. We went,

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Speaker 1: we went down on the field. M pregame a little bit.

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Speaker 1: We kind of snuck down there last year despite all

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Speaker 1: the protocols and and just from a little further away

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Speaker 1: than we are normally able to get. And we watched

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Speaker 1: them as they warmed up a little bit, and and

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Speaker 1: to see that those four guys up front just standing

428
00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:26,800
Speaker 1: next to each other on the field. You know, arch

429
00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:28,960
Speaker 1: but my partner last year out of March, Leda just

430
00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:30,800
Speaker 1: looked him. He's like, he's like, wow, you know he

431
00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:33,920
Speaker 1: said something I can't repeat here. But to see them

432
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,760
Speaker 1: up close with the agility thrown in not you know,

433
00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:38,720
Speaker 1: with the way that they moved and the size was

434
00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:41,440
Speaker 1: first of all eye opening for me. And then once

435
00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,880
Speaker 1: the game started, we were just blown away by by

436
00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:49,480
Speaker 1: the sheer domination of these guys physically and and to

437
00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:51,160
Speaker 1: first of all, I agree with what you said about

438
00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:53,640
Speaker 1: Montes sweat, but just to say that when when Chase

439
00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:55,320
Speaker 1: Young is next to him, I think tells you all

440
00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,840
Speaker 1: they need to know about how incredibly gifted this front is.

441
00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,359
Speaker 1: And to me, that's the other big storyline, guys with

442
00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:04,280
Speaker 1: this game. You know, so much of what the Chargers

443
00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,000
Speaker 1: are able to do this you're the biggest factor for

444
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,080
Speaker 1: them is going to be this revamped offensive line that,

445
00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:11,320
Speaker 1: of course, as you guys know, was the top priority

446
00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:15,120
Speaker 1: for Tom to LESCo. And so they're unable to basically

447
00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,160
Speaker 1: practice as a group for more than two or three

448
00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,200
Speaker 1: days straight. Obviously, none of their starters, with the exception

449
00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,040
Speaker 1: of Slater, has played really in the preseason. I think

450
00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,000
Speaker 1: Filer played a little bit, and so Oh, by the way,

451
00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:28,480
Speaker 1: you've got to take on this group, this defensive front

452
00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:31,159
Speaker 1: in the opening game. To me, that is going to

453
00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:33,399
Speaker 1: be the most fascinating part of this of this game

454
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,680
Speaker 1: on Sunday, and how quickly they can put it together.

455
00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:38,560
Speaker 1: I think it's going to determine, you know, not only

456
00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,359
Speaker 1: who can win this game, but but how this team

457
00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:42,720
Speaker 1: fares in the early part of the season. It's the

458
00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:44,520
Speaker 1: head of the first test, and you know, a guy

459
00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:48,760
Speaker 1: like Matt Nanitis, he would start for like twenty five teams.

460
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:53,280
Speaker 1: He's like, he's like the fifth guy on that defensive line. Yeah,

461
00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:59,320
Speaker 1: spirow this Brandon Staley defense. We've talked about it so much, right,

462
00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,520
Speaker 1: we'll finally get to see it on Sunday. What I

463
00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:04,600
Speaker 1: think is just really unique, is it? You know, Joey

464
00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,879
Speaker 1: Bosa and Derwin James, They've never started a season together.

465
00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:12,359
Speaker 1: Drwin has never played with nas Adderley and Chris Harris Jr.

466
00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:16,680
Speaker 1: And Asante Samuel junior Um. What do you think it's

467
00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:20,000
Speaker 1: gonna look like on Sunday. We've heard about how this

468
00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:23,480
Speaker 1: scheme will confuse an offense and how guys are to

469
00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,200
Speaker 1: be coming from everywhere. We just haven't seen it yet.

470
00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:28,959
Speaker 1: What do you expect. Yeah, you know, the other thing

471
00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,600
Speaker 1: I'm looking forward to. The other pairing is Derwin with

472
00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:34,399
Speaker 1: Chris Harris. You know, I think Chris this is going

473
00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:36,240
Speaker 1: to be kind of a new role for him, and

474
00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:39,360
Speaker 1: so I think, you know, when when Brandon Staley has

475
00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:44,400
Speaker 1: this kind of a core group of really talented playmakers, Um,

476
00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:46,479
Speaker 1: look at what he did last year with the Rams.

477
00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:48,439
Speaker 1: You know, the Rams certainly had some talent, but I

478
00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:50,600
Speaker 1: don't think they had this level of talent and certainly

479
00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:54,080
Speaker 1: not playmakers. You know, you give a guy like Brandon

480
00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:57,040
Speaker 1: Staley this kind of a number of pieces of chess pieces,

481
00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:00,560
Speaker 1: I think that there's there's really no end to the

482
00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:04,239
Speaker 1: possibilities of what he could do, and this is what

483
00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:05,800
Speaker 1: he does. I just think it's going to be a

484
00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,960
Speaker 1: completely different defensive system. You know, they're gonna be multiple,

485
00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,040
Speaker 1: the pre scap, the pre snap disguising that they're gonna

486
00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:16,280
Speaker 1: do is gonna be very different. I'm fascinating to see

487
00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:17,840
Speaker 1: what he can do with this group. You know, Ronaldo

488
00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:19,840
Speaker 1: Hill I think is someone that that we need to

489
00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:21,760
Speaker 1: talk about as well. I think, you know, the other

490
00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,480
Speaker 1: thing we asked Brandon about Ronaldo and he was so

491
00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:28,480
Speaker 1: authentically impressed with what he has brought to the table

492
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,520
Speaker 1: as a coach. They had one year together in Denver

493
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:34,280
Speaker 1: on Vic Fangio's staff, and Brandon told us he would

494
00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:37,640
Speaker 1: just sit and pick Ronaldo's brain because, you know, knowing

495
00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:39,680
Speaker 1: that this guy had played the position for ten years

496
00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:41,320
Speaker 1: in the league and had done it at a pretty

497
00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:44,600
Speaker 1: good level, there was so much that he wanted to

498
00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,080
Speaker 1: glean from those conversations. You know. He talked about how

499
00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:49,159
Speaker 1: they bonded for that year and he couldn't wait to

500
00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,159
Speaker 1: bring Ronaldo on, you know, if and when he got

501
00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,560
Speaker 1: a head coaching job. So I think Ronaldo Hill is

502
00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:55,680
Speaker 1: going to be heavily involved in what they do, and

503
00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,480
Speaker 1: it's gonna be The potential for this defense guys is

504
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,040
Speaker 1: pretty strong. Now they got to put it together and

505
00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,560
Speaker 1: see what they can do. Come Sunday, Spirow. You know,

506
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,200
Speaker 1: because you do the games, you get into these production

507
00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:12,520
Speaker 1: meetings and you have a chance to talk to head coaches, coordinators, players.

508
00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:15,800
Speaker 1: With all the Charger games that you've called over the

509
00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,639
Speaker 1: last four years, what are some of the things that

510
00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:22,040
Speaker 1: you remember if you can recall them. Coaches saying about

511
00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,359
Speaker 1: Austin Eckler because it was always interesting to me when

512
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:26,880
Speaker 1: DJ and I would walk down on the field, that'd

513
00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:28,359
Speaker 1: be one of the first names that came out of

514
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,239
Speaker 1: the defensive side of the balls. Their opponents, Miles, They're like, man,

515
00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:33,920
Speaker 1: this Austin Ekeler, But like, what do you remember hearing

516
00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,560
Speaker 1: about him? Because he certainly is overshadow When you have

517
00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,120
Speaker 1: Herbert and then especially Keenan Allen out there, you don't

518
00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:42,000
Speaker 1: hear his name quite as much. Yeah, Austin Nickler. You

519
00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:44,159
Speaker 1: know when we first heard about him, he started to

520
00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:45,879
Speaker 1: have a little bit of success that first year, I

521
00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,760
Speaker 1: think twenty seventeen, and Anthony Lynn every time we asked

522
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,040
Speaker 1: him about him, his eyes would light up. And there

523
00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:55,800
Speaker 1: was something about Austin that Anthony saw that reminded him

524
00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:59,760
Speaker 1: of himself as a player, not necessarily in terms of

525
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:03,879
Speaker 1: a style or running style, but just blue collar, you know,

526
00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:07,679
Speaker 1: a guy who had really been overlooked his entire career,

527
00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:10,959
Speaker 1: you know, high school, collegiate level, obviously from a small school.

528
00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,760
Speaker 1: And there was such pride that Anthony and the coaching

529
00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:18,560
Speaker 1: staff had taken in finding this kid and giving him

530
00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:22,200
Speaker 1: a chance. And and I think when when teams hit

531
00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:25,679
Speaker 1: those kinds of home runs, it's almost more meaningful for

532
00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,200
Speaker 1: them because you know it's easier to find the high

533
00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:30,760
Speaker 1: draft pick who pans out and you know has the

534
00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,480
Speaker 1: success you expect. But when you can go pluck an

535
00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:36,760
Speaker 1: Austin Ekeler off the scrap heap, there's just something that

536
00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:38,840
Speaker 1: I think of the front office takes pride and when

537
00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:42,400
Speaker 1: when something like that happens, you know, hopefully his hamstring

538
00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:46,400
Speaker 1: injury isn't something overly serious, although I don't know many

539
00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:50,040
Speaker 1: hamstring injuries that aren't serious. Um, not not the way

540
00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:52,040
Speaker 1: you want to start the first week of the season.

541
00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:54,479
Speaker 1: I don't know if you guys have heard anything as

542
00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,479
Speaker 1: far as that goes, but you know it's if he

543
00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:00,400
Speaker 1: can stay healthy. He just adds such an l into

544
00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:02,960
Speaker 1: this team. I mean, obviously this has been an offense

545
00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,760
Speaker 1: with Philip Rivers and all those teams that really utilizes

546
00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:09,480
Speaker 1: running backs that can catch the football out of the backfield,

547
00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:12,240
Speaker 1: and he certainly fits that bill. So hopefully the hamstring

548
00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:15,639
Speaker 1: is good and he's ready to go on Sunday. Spirit

549
00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:17,760
Speaker 1: is gonna be a different week one obviously from from

550
00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,159
Speaker 1: last year. And listen, we know Justin Herbert has played

551
00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:25,160
Speaker 1: in ruckists environments in college, but you know he didn't

552
00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,400
Speaker 1: have a crowd really for a majority of last year

553
00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:30,400
Speaker 1: at all. I mean, and I have to imagine that's

554
00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,639
Speaker 1: probably an advantage for a quarterback in some respects, especially

555
00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:37,000
Speaker 1: like going down to the Superdome four touchdowns in New Orleans,

556
00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:39,719
Speaker 1: but but not having that crowd noise. What do you

557
00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:41,960
Speaker 1: think Week one is gonna be, like, obviously it's gonna

558
00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:44,720
Speaker 1: be a rugiss crowd there at DC. Do you think

559
00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:49,000
Speaker 1: there'll be an adjustment for quarterbacks and offenses based off

560
00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:53,040
Speaker 1: of how last year transpired? Yeah, Chris, you know, you

561
00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,600
Speaker 1: bring up another great point. He played in empty stadiums

562
00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:59,480
Speaker 1: last year. Right on the one hand, you know, I

563
00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,560
Speaker 1: still talk about what he did Week two against Kansas City.

564
00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:04,520
Speaker 1: I don't think it's talked about enough, to be honest

565
00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:07,439
Speaker 1: with you, to be told you're going to be the

566
00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,600
Speaker 1: starter as the ball literally is being kicked in the

567
00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:13,000
Speaker 1: air against Kansas City, against that team, and to go

568
00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:15,159
Speaker 1: out and to throw for over three hundred yards and

569
00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,600
Speaker 1: almost win that game, to me is one of the

570
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:21,439
Speaker 1: most amazing stories that I've ever experienced or seen or

571
00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:24,240
Speaker 1: heard about in the NFL since covering this sport. So

572
00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:26,720
Speaker 1: we know that the kid is special. And obviously he

573
00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:29,919
Speaker 1: proved that last year, but this year again, to me,

574
00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,239
Speaker 1: it's it's just different. You know, it's different when you're

575
00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:35,159
Speaker 1: able to sneak up on everyone and you know, teams

576
00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,720
Speaker 1: haven't really prepared for you. Obviously they did as the

577
00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:41,160
Speaker 1: season went on, but it's it's just different now to

578
00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:44,160
Speaker 1: deal with the heightened expectations and to now have to

579
00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:46,680
Speaker 1: go into these full stadiums and deal with the crowds

580
00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:49,320
Speaker 1: and deal with things when you know, you throw an

581
00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:52,640
Speaker 1: early pick or something bad happens and the pressure starts

582
00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:56,000
Speaker 1: to ratch it up. So you know, I think he's

583
00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:58,440
Speaker 1: proven that he's for real and that he's a generational

584
00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:01,120
Speaker 1: type talent. Now he's got to go do it under

585
00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,760
Speaker 1: far more difficult circumstances, and it starts this week. Guys.

586
00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:07,320
Speaker 1: This is this is going to be really really interesting

587
00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:09,920
Speaker 1: to see how he handles this defensive front. He's got

588
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:13,360
Speaker 1: more responsibility now, certainly with past protections and the things

589
00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,800
Speaker 1: that they want to do offensively, and let's see where

590
00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,360
Speaker 1: he is. This is why I was a little bit

591
00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,640
Speaker 1: surprised that Brandon didn't at least play his frontline guys

592
00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:24,520
Speaker 1: a little bit, you know, maybe get justin some reps

593
00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:27,640
Speaker 1: with the first team offensive lineman. I know that there

594
00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:30,520
Speaker 1: was some injuries that they were dealing with, certainly with Bulaga,

595
00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:33,760
Speaker 1: but man, this is a tough set of circumstances considering

596
00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:36,360
Speaker 1: they haven't played together yet in the live game. Yeah,

597
00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:39,600
Speaker 1: I know, just in terms of Tom and Coach Staley,

598
00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:41,760
Speaker 1: Ton talesco and Coach Staley just kind of pointed to

599
00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:45,440
Speaker 1: those those reps against the ones of San Francisco's kind

600
00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:48,240
Speaker 1: of the thrown into the fire and sort of moments

601
00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:51,480
Speaker 1: this preseason for their offense. Justin Herbert included last thing

602
00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:53,880
Speaker 1: from me, Spiro. You know we've we've been friends for

603
00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:55,200
Speaker 1: a long time, so you know me well enough to

604
00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:56,880
Speaker 1: know how much I love the mascots. So I don't

605
00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:59,480
Speaker 1: know if you saw the story that leaked, but eight

606
00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:03,920
Speaker 1: finally that that that President Snyder. I think Tracy is

607
00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:08,680
Speaker 1: her name, right, Yeah, I said, said, Uh said confirmed, Yes,

608
00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:10,800
Speaker 1: those are the eight finalists. So of the eight, I

609
00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:13,320
Speaker 1: have my favorite, uh And I'm gonna try to remember

610
00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:14,720
Speaker 1: him off the top of my head. And it speaks

611
00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:17,200
Speaker 1: to how much I love mascots. But I believe it

612
00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:25,480
Speaker 1: is Armada Brigade Commanders Defenders Washington football team red Wolves,

613
00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:30,480
Speaker 1: red Hogs, and Presidents. I know I rattled through those quickly.

614
00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,800
Speaker 1: But is there one that stands out to you amongst

615
00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,160
Speaker 1: those eight that you think would be the best mascot

616
00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,640
Speaker 1: choice for twenty twenty two? Oh? Man, you know in terms,

617
00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:41,400
Speaker 1: I was just listening to this podcast last night and

618
00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:42,959
Speaker 1: I heard the same thing you did. By the way,

619
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:44,840
Speaker 1: the fact that you could rattle those names off, man,

620
00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:48,080
Speaker 1: I mean, you just it speaks to much. You can't

621
00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:49,920
Speaker 1: name their starters, but I can give you the eight

622
00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,120
Speaker 1: finalists for the mascot. I don't know if that was

623
00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,880
Speaker 1: impressive or frightening, but impressive, no doubt, you know. I mean,

624
00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,200
Speaker 1: I guess it just depends on what the mascot is.

625
00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,040
Speaker 1: I mean, to me, Presidents, and defends just based on

626
00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:04,000
Speaker 1: where that franchise is. Just kind of makes sense. And

627
00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:05,880
Speaker 1: for some reason, I think of Point Break, one of

628
00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:09,000
Speaker 1: my favorite movies with President's masks. If they can pull

629
00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:11,479
Speaker 1: off like one of those deals, to me, it's Presidents, Yes,

630
00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,800
Speaker 1: that is my app So that is my number one. Absolutely.

631
00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:16,880
Speaker 1: If they can full Presidents, I think it would be

632
00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:19,800
Speaker 1: like every week. Every week, maybe they just put a

633
00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:21,680
Speaker 1: different mask on, you know, the dude runs out and

634
00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:24,200
Speaker 1: just scared a lot of different a different president's head

635
00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:26,040
Speaker 1: on the side of their helmet every single week, just

636
00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:29,920
Speaker 1: a different decal. Yeah, the possibilities are limitless. Yeah, presidents

637
00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:32,400
Speaker 1: for me for sure, I like I like to see,

638
00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,280
Speaker 1: you know, growing up at DC. I like the homage

639
00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:37,560
Speaker 1: to the eighties with the Hogs. But I think red

640
00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:40,400
Speaker 1: Hogs is trying. It's my number two hard let's try

641
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,760
Speaker 1: too hard. Yeah, you see, I think red Hawks is

642
00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,640
Speaker 1: my number two because everybody's doing like red wolves and

643
00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,440
Speaker 1: red hawks, and like the idea that they're like, Okay,

644
00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:50,760
Speaker 1: we want to keep red in the name. You know.

645
00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:52,360
Speaker 1: I don't know if that's like a bit of a

646
00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,720
Speaker 1: middle finger or whatever by keeping red in the name.

647
00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,600
Speaker 1: But but I do like red Hogs a lot more

648
00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:00,760
Speaker 1: than red wolves, that's for sure. That makes sense. You know.

649
00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:02,440
Speaker 1: When I first saw red Hogs, I thought, man, it

650
00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,040
Speaker 1: sounds a little minor league he ish a little bit.

651
00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:07,920
Speaker 1: But money you've explained it and it makes sense. Now,

652
00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,920
Speaker 1: what about you up there? What do you got, Harry?

653
00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,880
Speaker 1: What do you want? You know what, I'm very conflicted.

654
00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:17,040
Speaker 1: I like I said, I like the red Hogs because

655
00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:20,160
Speaker 1: I think of Rigo and I think of that offensive line.

656
00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,440
Speaker 1: I think it's a nice homage to the past where

657
00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:26,080
Speaker 1: they did win those three Super Bowls. Uh. The Washington

658
00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:30,040
Speaker 1: football team people, I feel like have and I'll say this,

659
00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:33,000
Speaker 1: if they played well this year, who knows, if they

660
00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:35,800
Speaker 1: just stick with the Washington football team. I don't know.

661
00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:37,720
Speaker 1: I don't know what's gonna happen. But but the way

662
00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:41,480
Speaker 1: that you explained, President's it's it's skyrocketing up by power rankings.

663
00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:44,560
Speaker 1: There we go, there we go. I'm living in fear

664
00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:46,880
Speaker 1: that I'm gonna call them by their old name on Sunday.

665
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,400
Speaker 1: You'll be fine, man, I'm gonna put a shot collar

666
00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:54,400
Speaker 1: on me. I think you'll be fine. Sparrow, you're the

667
00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:56,600
Speaker 1: best man. I know you're You're busy today, so we

668
00:32:56,640 --> 00:32:59,880
Speaker 1: appreciate spending some some time with us and the best.

669
00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:02,640
Speaker 1: Luck on to call on Sunday. Brother, Thanks boys, my pleasure.

670
00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:06,200
Speaker 1: We'll do it again. Thanks Spirill. All right to get

671
00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:10,160
Speaker 1: this week's opposing view. A blast from the past for me,

672
00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:14,800
Speaker 1: brand winside the voice of the Washington Football Team. Mighty

673
00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:18,080
Speaker 1: funny story. My very first job in sports, Bram. You'll

674
00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:24,440
Speaker 1: remember this. It was training camp two thousand. Dion Sanders

675
00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:30,960
Speaker 1: Bruce Smith, Mark Carrier. My first job was getting in

676
00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:33,800
Speaker 1: a golf cart and taking John Thompson to the remote

677
00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,959
Speaker 1: location at Redskins Park. So, like, you know, I'm eighteen,

678
00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:40,120
Speaker 1: nineteen years old, and I'm doing everything in my power

679
00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:43,320
Speaker 1: just to not mess anything up, you know, And I'm

680
00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,640
Speaker 1: like ninety percent of the way there. We start the show.

681
00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:49,400
Speaker 1: I know, Brand was like right next to me. You

682
00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:52,560
Speaker 1: don't remember this, Bram, But he goes John Thompson Show

683
00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:56,480
Speaker 1: Sports Talk nine eighty. We're here at Washington Trade in

684
00:33:56,600 --> 00:33:59,640
Speaker 1: camp and it'd be great if this intern would get

685
00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:04,080
Speaker 1: out of my way. So I watched the practice. He

686
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:07,040
Speaker 1: says this on air. I'm sure, I'm sure you can

687
00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:09,839
Speaker 1: picture him saying that, Prim, I have a golf cart

688
00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:11,960
Speaker 1: story ride. If you want it, I'll do it as

689
00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:16,879
Speaker 1: quickly as possible. Okay, all right. So he's referencing my

690
00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:20,120
Speaker 1: first season covering them, which was the two thousand and

691
00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:21,920
Speaker 1: two thousand and eight, which is Trial by Fire. It's

692
00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:24,600
Speaker 1: the beginning of the Dan Snyder air Boomer bust Washington

693
00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:27,000
Speaker 1: football team obviously know as the Redskins at the time.

694
00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:31,160
Speaker 1: John Thompson first day, first week covering the team, I

695
00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:33,000
Speaker 1: never covered him before team doesn't know me from a

696
00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:36,480
Speaker 1: hole in the wall. First week. At the time, Dan

697
00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:39,960
Speaker 1: Snyder was really really close with Sunny Jurgenson, who was,

698
00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:42,360
Speaker 1: you know, legendary Hall of Fame player, was in the booth.

699
00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:44,160
Speaker 1: He was always hanging out with him. And I was

700
00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:47,680
Speaker 1: on a local show one night and I was asked

701
00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:51,360
Speaker 1: about the relationship between Sunny Jurgenson and Dan Snyder. I

702
00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:52,920
Speaker 1: didn't really know it from a hole in the wall anyway,

703
00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,799
Speaker 1: but I answered the question anyway, and I said on

704
00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:59,200
Speaker 1: the show Steve's Aban's show. I said, I said, oh, man,

705
00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:01,520
Speaker 1: that's his dog man, and I meant it. You have

706
00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:05,160
Speaker 1: to remember this is twenty years ago. DAWG not DG.

707
00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,920
Speaker 1: Somebody in the organization heard this and thought that I

708
00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:12,440
Speaker 1: had just called Sunny Jergenson greatest living legend of the organization,

709
00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:16,000
Speaker 1: the pet of the owner and want to be fired,

710
00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:19,240
Speaker 1: you know, five days into getting this job that I

711
00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:25,160
Speaker 1: wanted to get. And so fortunately my boss has stood

712
00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:26,920
Speaker 1: up for me and said, you know, you guys are

713
00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,719
Speaker 1: classically unhip and you don't know what you're talking about, etc.

714
00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:32,560
Speaker 1: But they put me on basically the watch list, and

715
00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:34,359
Speaker 1: you get one more strike, you're gonna be out of here.

716
00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:36,920
Speaker 1: The next day, as I'm going to training camp, I'm

717
00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:39,839
Speaker 1: petrified because I'm fairly certain five days into getting this job,

718
00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:42,440
Speaker 1: I'm going to be fired. John Thompson pulls up in

719
00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,680
Speaker 1: the aforementioned golf cart that Chris mentions and says, Bram,

720
00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:47,520
Speaker 1: do you want to ride? And if you've never met

721
00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:50,600
Speaker 1: John Thompson, he's the largest, most looming figure you've ever

722
00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:53,000
Speaker 1: seen in your life. And his voice is so deep

723
00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:55,799
Speaker 1: that makes your bone shake. Right, so you understand very

724
00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:58,879
Speaker 1: quickly why people played as hard as they did for him. Right.

725
00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:01,719
Speaker 1: And as we're pauling on the corner and getting to

726
00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,080
Speaker 1: our setup where training camp was and where the radio

727
00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:07,239
Speaker 1: station tent was, um the president of the team who

728
00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:10,520
Speaker 1: had called my boss and wanted me fired for colleague

729
00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:13,800
Speaker 1: Sunny Jurgenson, a dog walks out of the building. John

730
00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:17,080
Speaker 1: Thompson on Q asked the person driving the cart. I

731
00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:18,959
Speaker 1: don't think it was Chris, but could have been Chris,

732
00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:23,239
Speaker 1: to please stop the car, right, Eddie goes, look here,

733
00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:27,040
Speaker 1: you mess with him, you mess with with me, Effer

734
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:33,080
Speaker 1: and this guy looked like crapped his pants and they

735
00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:36,200
Speaker 1: never messed with me again. So I credit John Thompson

736
00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:39,240
Speaker 1: for saving the beginning of my career in the golf

737
00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:42,200
Speaker 1: cart that Chris used to ride around with him. That's

738
00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:44,560
Speaker 1: as good as it gets. I mean, that did John Thompson.

739
00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:47,520
Speaker 1: Look we all I am. I am built like a

740
00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:51,080
Speaker 1: like a teenage girl. So to have someone as as

741
00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:53,279
Speaker 1: many of us radio folk that you don't have to

742
00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:55,880
Speaker 1: see in front of a camera tend to look, to

743
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:58,920
Speaker 1: have someone like John Thompson as your as your wingman,

744
00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:04,080
Speaker 1: my gosh, yeah, yeah, that was I was blind luck

745
00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:05,880
Speaker 1: and I don't know why he liked me so much,

746
00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:10,520
Speaker 1: but apparently did. So where we are twenty years later,

747
00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:13,160
Speaker 1: here we go and now you're you're the voice of

748
00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:15,400
Speaker 1: the team for him. It's it's so awesome. I know

749
00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:17,960
Speaker 1: it was a dream come true for you, and you

750
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:21,480
Speaker 1: had a pretty magical ride, a playoff run an NFC

751
00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:24,680
Speaker 1: East title last year. And now we we fast forward,

752
00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:29,040
Speaker 1: expectations even higher in Washington. What are they saying about

753
00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:32,080
Speaker 1: the Chargers coming to town a week one? So we

754
00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:34,520
Speaker 1: I really want to ask you that because for some reason,

755
00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:36,840
Speaker 1: you guys didn't play anybody in the preseason and that

756
00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:39,680
Speaker 1: is really annoying for all of us here in these parts,

757
00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:44,279
Speaker 1: like second year quarterback, first year coach, debut game for him,

758
00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:47,239
Speaker 1: they didn't feel it necessary to show a thing. So

759
00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:51,120
Speaker 1: we're trying to figure that out. Like clearly, you know,

760
00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:54,359
Speaker 1: this is an interesting first test one. There's a lot

761
00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:56,600
Speaker 1: of guesswork, I think on both sides, but really for

762
00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:58,400
Speaker 1: us to try to figure out what the Chargers are

763
00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:01,640
Speaker 1: gonna do. U. There is a healthy amount of respect

764
00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:04,680
Speaker 1: for Justin Herbert around here. There's a healthy amount of

765
00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:09,760
Speaker 1: respect for those receivers, and there is some concern here

766
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:14,280
Speaker 1: with new look secondary that you know, the deep passing

767
00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:16,680
Speaker 1: game could be a problem. So there's an impetus here

768
00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:20,359
Speaker 1: on the pass rush, which is the enormous strength of

769
00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:24,680
Speaker 1: this team, to get to Herbert, to hopefully force him

770
00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:27,919
Speaker 1: into making quicker throws than he wants to, because there

771
00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:30,920
Speaker 1: is a definitive fear that they can be beat downfield

772
00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:34,680
Speaker 1: here this weekend. Braham, just in terms of the difference

773
00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:39,040
Speaker 1: that a veteran like Ryan Fitzpatrick brings to the team,

774
00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:41,720
Speaker 1: what have you noticed just kind of about the offense,

775
00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:44,560
Speaker 1: about maybe how they're carrying themselves and what you expect

776
00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:46,840
Speaker 1: from this group with him at the helm. You know,

777
00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:50,480
Speaker 1: I think what we learned about Ron Rivera over this

778
00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:53,000
Speaker 1: first year and a half is he actually and I

779
00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:55,719
Speaker 1: think the Riverboat Ron thing really kind of meshes with

780
00:38:55,760 --> 00:38:59,640
Speaker 1: his personality. He wants more risk taking done and the

781
00:39:00,239 --> 00:39:02,480
Speaker 1: back that he seems attracted to that are you know

782
00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:04,040
Speaker 1: that he can acquire. I mean, they would have loved

783
00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:06,640
Speaker 1: to have gotten Matthew Stafford or Russell Wilson or Shawn

784
00:39:06,719 --> 00:39:09,200
Speaker 1: Watson three, all the legal stuff if it was possible,

785
00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:12,319
Speaker 1: but they settled on Fitzpatrick because they wanted someone who's

786
00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:14,640
Speaker 1: gonna yollo in a little bit and put his body

787
00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,279
Speaker 1: on the line and we'll run and we'll throw the

788
00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:20,319
Speaker 1: ball downfield, even if it's sometimes ill advised to do so,

789
00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:24,520
Speaker 1: because he wants more chances taken. This team is vastly

790
00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:27,200
Speaker 1: different in terms of its playmaking ability than they had

791
00:39:27,239 --> 00:39:30,320
Speaker 1: a year ago. Like it's night and day. They're receiving.

792
00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:35,920
Speaker 1: Core room is vastly different, vastly more versatile. They have

793
00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:38,520
Speaker 1: the opportunity to make more plays downfield, but they also

794
00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:40,640
Speaker 1: wanted someone who was willing to take those risks, and

795
00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:46,560
Speaker 1: Alex Smith was not. So they are a team honestly

796
00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:49,760
Speaker 1: that I'm not sure what we're really going to see.

797
00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:52,840
Speaker 1: They also haven't shown a lot. All they are is

798
00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:56,560
Speaker 1: kind of talking about being more explosive, taking more chances

799
00:39:56,600 --> 00:40:02,359
Speaker 1: down field, and hoping to alter their scoring ability because

800
00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:05,719
Speaker 1: they feel like if they can just be an average offense,

801
00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:08,520
Speaker 1: that their defense will carry them to hopefully a second

802
00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:11,600
Speaker 1: straight division title. Raymon, I want to ask you about

803
00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:15,120
Speaker 1: two rookies there, Jamon Davis, who's obviously gonna be playing

804
00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:18,479
Speaker 1: behind that the defensive line. How's he looked at training camp?

805
00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:22,719
Speaker 1: And then with the injury question mark to Curtis Samuel

806
00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:26,240
Speaker 1: this week, you hear the name Deanbi Brown from UNC

807
00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:29,719
Speaker 1: A lot. What is he brought to the offense? I

808
00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:33,840
Speaker 1: think two names that maybe Chargers fans aren't too familiar with. Yeah,

809
00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:38,439
Speaker 1: Jaman's gonna play a play a lot. Probably the one

810
00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:40,520
Speaker 1: spot on this team where I think that they're just

811
00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:45,040
Speaker 1: not comfortable with their depth is linebacker. So early parts

812
00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:47,600
Speaker 1: of camp, came in was swimming a little bit. He

813
00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:50,239
Speaker 1: was a little bit lost. You know, everyone just like

814
00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:53,239
Speaker 1: automatically goes, oh, this great athlete comes in behind that

815
00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:55,839
Speaker 1: defensive line. He's gonna be defensive rookie of the year.

816
00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,839
Speaker 1: And it looks like it's taken some time for him.

817
00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:00,840
Speaker 1: To get his sea legs in and he's adjusting to

818
00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:04,480
Speaker 1: the NFL game. But he plays a prominent role and

819
00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:07,640
Speaker 1: they are very thin at that position group, so he's

820
00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:09,799
Speaker 1: going to have to be a performer for them, and

821
00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:11,840
Speaker 1: they're saying he's going to be fine. And he certainly

822
00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:14,800
Speaker 1: looks the part. I mean, he looks like a pure

823
00:41:15,239 --> 00:41:17,600
Speaker 1: middle or outside linebacker. What they liked about him as

824
00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:19,399
Speaker 1: he's versatile, he can cover a little bit too. He's

825
00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:23,800
Speaker 1: got great speed. As for Dabby Brown, they were looking

826
00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:26,239
Speaker 1: for a pure deep threat. They think they have it

827
00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:30,839
Speaker 1: in him. With Curtis Samuel very much in question, and

828
00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:33,359
Speaker 1: I would describe at this point as doubtful that he'll

829
00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:36,880
Speaker 1: be playing on Sunday. He's going to play probably a

830
00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:38,560
Speaker 1: little bit more of a prominent role than I think

831
00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:41,399
Speaker 1: they probably would have anticipated. But they've loved him from

832
00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:44,160
Speaker 1: the start. They feel like they need this pure outside

833
00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:48,160
Speaker 1: deep threat. They are going to run specific place for him.

834
00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:50,600
Speaker 1: The good news with having Brown is it allows them

835
00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:53,360
Speaker 1: to move hopefully Samuel at some point and McLaren in

836
00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:57,239
Speaker 1: and out. McLaren's stud He is not He does not

837
00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:00,560
Speaker 1: take up as a specific position at why receiver. He

838
00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:02,840
Speaker 1: will move around a lot play in the slot and

839
00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:05,879
Speaker 1: play on the outside, and having Brown opposite of him,

840
00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:07,920
Speaker 1: they believe is going to give McLaurin a lot more

841
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:12,200
Speaker 1: room to operate this year. Yeah, speaking of McLaurin, just

842
00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:14,800
Speaker 1: you know, whenever people whenever we talk about the Chargers

843
00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:16,880
Speaker 1: a lot, we're always asked, you know, why why is

844
00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:20,320
Speaker 1: Keenan Allen so underrated? Why are the Chargers so adamant

845
00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:22,759
Speaker 1: that that he's been disrespected? And you know, the way

846
00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:25,040
Speaker 1: we describe it as just route running. This is the

847
00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:28,080
Speaker 1: best route runner in the league. Terry McLaurin feels like

848
00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:31,200
Speaker 1: he might be sliding into that Keenan Allen category, although

849
00:42:31,239 --> 00:42:33,200
Speaker 1: there's enough people out there that are that are pushing

850
00:42:33,239 --> 00:42:35,440
Speaker 1: that he's one of the better receivers in the league.

851
00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:37,520
Speaker 1: How would you describe, like, what is it that makes

852
00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:40,360
Speaker 1: Terry McLaurin specialist? He's kind of looks to be ready

853
00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:42,680
Speaker 1: to take that next step into that that elite group

854
00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:45,600
Speaker 1: of receivers. I don't think people realize how fast he

855
00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:49,680
Speaker 1: is and maybe you know it's it's uh, maybe it's

856
00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:52,480
Speaker 1: it's not in the metrics, but in game speed, you

857
00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:55,160
Speaker 1: see it how fast he is. He also is a

858
00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:58,640
Speaker 1: very precise route runner. What we're expecting to see different

859
00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:01,360
Speaker 1: even and improvement of him this year is he's getting

860
00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:03,600
Speaker 1: off the line better than he did in the past.

861
00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:06,040
Speaker 1: He catches the ball at traffic. If you catch him

862
00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:10,640
Speaker 1: in stride, forget it, he's gone. They feel like overall

863
00:43:10,719 --> 00:43:13,799
Speaker 1: their team speed is way higher than it was in

864
00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:17,520
Speaker 1: the past. Once they get Samuel back, McLaurin, him Brown,

865
00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:21,560
Speaker 1: potentially JD. McKissick, and Antonio Gibson, who is going to

866
00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:23,640
Speaker 1: play a dual threat position this year, not only is

867
00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:26,120
Speaker 1: their lead running back, but as a wide receiver, which

868
00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:29,719
Speaker 1: is what he was in college. They feel like they

869
00:43:29,719 --> 00:43:32,880
Speaker 1: can create mismatches, but the biggest one for them is

870
00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:35,520
Speaker 1: McLaurin and probably a lot like Alan. I don't believe

871
00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:38,879
Speaker 1: he's as physical or as big as Alan is, but

872
00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:43,239
Speaker 1: he's a tactician. He takes this craft very seriously, and

873
00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:45,239
Speaker 1: I think we knew we had something special in him.

874
00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:48,360
Speaker 1: I'll never forget this. In the preseason of his rookie

875
00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:50,560
Speaker 1: season a couple of years ago, Jake Gruden was still

876
00:43:50,600 --> 00:43:54,520
Speaker 1: dead coach. They didn't play him in the preseason games,

877
00:43:54,680 --> 00:43:58,600
Speaker 1: and they're playing everybody else. They weren't playing him and

878
00:43:58,960 --> 00:44:01,560
Speaker 1: we were all looking at around out going, Oh man,

879
00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:03,520
Speaker 1: they know they got something and they don't want the

880
00:44:03,520 --> 00:44:07,399
Speaker 1: Eagles to see it. And sure enough, like Game one,

881
00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:10,120
Speaker 1: he walks out there and it's you know it when

882
00:44:10,120 --> 00:44:12,200
Speaker 1: you see it. He's got an incredible feel for the game.

883
00:44:12,480 --> 00:44:15,960
Speaker 1: He's already a team captain. It's deserved. He's gonna be

884
00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:18,839
Speaker 1: a fixture here for a long time. And he's just

885
00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:21,439
Speaker 1: outstanding and getting better. And he's one of these guys,

886
00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:24,680
Speaker 1: probably like Alan, who takes this extremely seriously and tries

887
00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:28,960
Speaker 1: to improve each offseason. Ram I say this with a

888
00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:33,520
Speaker 1: caveat that nobody is Sean Taylor. I don't think I've

889
00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:37,200
Speaker 1: ever seen anybody like Sean Taylor. But but Darwin James

890
00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:39,839
Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen was pretty darn close in terms of

891
00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:42,239
Speaker 1: some of the plays that he made. And I look

892
00:44:42,239 --> 00:44:44,799
Speaker 1: at Darwin is a guy who you just you want

893
00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:47,200
Speaker 1: to watch on every single play just to see what

894
00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:50,200
Speaker 1: he's gonna do next. I know he idolized Sean Taylor

895
00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:53,840
Speaker 1: and he says he's his own guy. You can't compare

896
00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:58,240
Speaker 1: to number twenty one. But how are the Washington football

897
00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:02,040
Speaker 1: team preparing for a healthy Darwin James? Knowing that he

898
00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:04,799
Speaker 1: really doesn't have a position on the field. And this

899
00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:07,920
Speaker 1: is a Brandon Staley defense that you may have a

900
00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:10,359
Speaker 1: little bit of intel long because you play the Rams

901
00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:14,560
Speaker 1: last year, But Darwin's a different animal. Yeah, they're they're

902
00:45:14,600 --> 00:45:17,319
Speaker 1: talking a lot about the Rams and going back to

903
00:45:17,320 --> 00:45:20,120
Speaker 1: the Rams and looking at people like John Johnson and

904
00:45:20,239 --> 00:45:22,640
Speaker 1: trying to figure out how did they utilize the back

905
00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:26,600
Speaker 1: end of their secondary. You can, as you might anticipate,

906
00:45:26,719 --> 00:45:30,800
Speaker 1: expect extra attention for Bosa for sure this weekend. There's

907
00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:33,480
Speaker 1: a rookie right tackle here, there's a new left tackle here.

908
00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:37,960
Speaker 1: So the stars of the Chargers defense are people that

909
00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:41,040
Speaker 1: they are earmarking and watching very closely. You know, like

910
00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:44,000
Speaker 1: I said before, I don't think we really know what

911
00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:47,520
Speaker 1: this offense is good at yet. Here, Like they're bullish

912
00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:49,480
Speaker 1: that they're going to be better, They're bullish that they're

913
00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:51,520
Speaker 1: going to be more explosive. There's a lot of reasons

914
00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:54,120
Speaker 1: to feel that way, with the personnel upgrade and the

915
00:45:54,120 --> 00:45:56,600
Speaker 1: willingness of the quarterback to take more chances down the

916
00:45:56,600 --> 00:45:58,920
Speaker 1: field and give his playmakers a chance to make plays.

917
00:45:59,200 --> 00:46:01,160
Speaker 1: But well, we have not seen in practice or in

918
00:46:01,200 --> 00:46:04,680
Speaker 1: the preseason games is an ability to show any level

919
00:46:04,680 --> 00:46:07,200
Speaker 1: of consistency at this point, and we just don't know

920
00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:09,400
Speaker 1: what their calling card is going to be, so I

921
00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:11,360
Speaker 1: think it's gonna take a little time for them to

922
00:46:11,440 --> 00:46:14,719
Speaker 1: come together. As far as Durrah James goes again, not

923
00:46:14,840 --> 00:46:19,000
Speaker 1: unlike Herbert or Bosa, there's a healthy respect here. That said,

924
00:46:19,040 --> 00:46:22,239
Speaker 1: he's been very unlucky with his injuries the last couple

925
00:46:22,280 --> 00:46:24,120
Speaker 1: of years. So let's see what he looks like when

926
00:46:24,120 --> 00:46:26,839
Speaker 1: he comes back again, and hopefully he'll stay healthy this time.

927
00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:30,680
Speaker 1: Last thing for me, Bram, just kind of wondering how

928
00:46:30,719 --> 00:46:33,480
Speaker 1: you would describe You mentioned it. New left tackle Charles

929
00:46:33,560 --> 00:46:36,319
Speaker 1: Lennel brought over from the Bears. New right tackle Sam

930
00:46:36,360 --> 00:46:40,200
Speaker 1: Cosmi drafted. How is the old line? We don't know.

931
00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:42,759
Speaker 1: They're saying out loud that they're better than they were

932
00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:46,120
Speaker 1: a year ago, and they are deeper, that's for sure.

933
00:46:46,840 --> 00:46:49,200
Speaker 1: Eric Flowers is in a second go around with them.

934
00:46:49,280 --> 00:46:51,040
Speaker 1: He's going to start at left guard. They have a

935
00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:53,680
Speaker 1: pretty good backup at that position as well, Brandon Sheriff's

936
00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:57,360
Speaker 1: stud at right guard, a new pro bowler. Cosmi is

937
00:46:57,840 --> 00:47:00,520
Speaker 1: definitely someone who's going to get tested and tested here early,

938
00:47:00,640 --> 00:47:03,680
Speaker 1: like when they the first week of camp was like

939
00:47:04,080 --> 00:47:07,120
Speaker 1: it was a trial by fire. He's blocking sweat and

940
00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:11,359
Speaker 1: young and he's getting roasted, I mean, and they're telling

941
00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:13,319
Speaker 1: him to his face, they're taking his lunch, they're telling

942
00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:16,439
Speaker 1: him to his face. And so it took a couple

943
00:47:16,480 --> 00:47:18,080
Speaker 1: of weeks for him to kind of I think they

944
00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:20,799
Speaker 1: were very cognitant of trying to keep his confidence up

945
00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:23,880
Speaker 1: because he's going against Pro Bowl defensive ends who didn't

946
00:47:23,880 --> 00:47:26,880
Speaker 1: mind telling them how badly they were beating him. And

947
00:47:26,960 --> 00:47:29,280
Speaker 1: there are some technique things that they were concerned about.

948
00:47:29,280 --> 00:47:31,440
Speaker 1: But we're gonna find out. And I would say this

949
00:47:31,520 --> 00:47:34,320
Speaker 1: they're saying out loud, they're very comfortable with their offensive line.

950
00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:36,239
Speaker 1: There are three new starters on it. One of them

951
00:47:36,280 --> 00:47:40,000
Speaker 1: is a rookie so and the other one is a

952
00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:42,480
Speaker 1: guy who's had one good year in the NFL that

953
00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:44,759
Speaker 1: was as a guard here before he cashed in by

954
00:47:44,800 --> 00:47:47,719
Speaker 1: going to Miami and now coming back. So I do

955
00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:50,040
Speaker 1: think there's some leap of faith stuff going on here.

956
00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:52,960
Speaker 1: And again this is another interesting test for them. I

957
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:55,839
Speaker 1: guess we'll find out on Sunday, because they've got one

958
00:47:55,840 --> 00:47:57,360
Speaker 1: of the best defensive ends that they're gonna have to

959
00:47:57,440 --> 00:48:00,000
Speaker 1: deal with in the NFL. So we're gonna find out.

960
00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:02,520
Speaker 1: I really like I typically I think you guys probably

961
00:48:02,520 --> 00:48:04,000
Speaker 1: have a pretty good feel. How's the team gonna look

962
00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:05,360
Speaker 1: when they start the season with someone asked you that

963
00:48:05,360 --> 00:48:07,920
Speaker 1: you probably have a pretty good feel. I frankly don't

964
00:48:08,280 --> 00:48:11,160
Speaker 1: about this team. I don't know really exactly what to expect.

965
00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:14,840
Speaker 1: I'm just, you know, optimistic, knowing that they have a

966
00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:17,680
Speaker 1: higher propensity to make big plays and relying on a

967
00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:20,240
Speaker 1: defense that looks like it should be top ten maybe

968
00:48:20,280 --> 00:48:23,000
Speaker 1: top five again, that they're gonna be good. How good?

969
00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:25,880
Speaker 1: I don't know. Well, we'll get you out here on

970
00:48:25,920 --> 00:48:29,000
Speaker 1: this and the fact that we don't know. There's a

971
00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:31,279
Speaker 1: lot of stuff we don't know either, Bravo on the

972
00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:35,799
Speaker 1: Charger side. Given what we do know, what do you

973
00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:39,680
Speaker 1: think may decide this game on Sunday? I think for

974
00:48:39,800 --> 00:48:42,319
Speaker 1: Washington it's the ability to get some big plays off

975
00:48:42,360 --> 00:48:45,680
Speaker 1: because I just I don't walk into this thinking, oh,

976
00:48:45,800 --> 00:48:49,719
Speaker 1: they're a good, consistent run team, So can they hit

977
00:48:49,760 --> 00:48:52,080
Speaker 1: a couple of home runs in this game? Can they

978
00:48:52,120 --> 00:48:54,000
Speaker 1: scheme up a couple of things? Because you don't know

979
00:48:54,040 --> 00:48:56,640
Speaker 1: a lot about Diami Brown, because you don't know where

980
00:48:57,120 --> 00:48:59,440
Speaker 1: mclaurin's gonna match up. Is you gonna end up having

981
00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:01,480
Speaker 1: a rookie owners stuck on him or a safety on

982
00:49:01,520 --> 00:49:03,560
Speaker 1: him in the slot. It's something like that going to happen,

983
00:49:03,600 --> 00:49:05,879
Speaker 1: where they can game something up to hit a big

984
00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:08,600
Speaker 1: play here or there, and as this defense going to

985
00:49:08,680 --> 00:49:11,200
Speaker 1: be able to do what it did a year ago

986
00:49:11,360 --> 00:49:15,080
Speaker 1: and start off fast, we're kind of banking on and

987
00:49:15,080 --> 00:49:18,880
Speaker 1: we're hoping that because the Chargers didn't do much in

988
00:49:18,920 --> 00:49:21,439
Speaker 1: the preseason that they need to warm up here too.

989
00:49:21,920 --> 00:49:25,080
Speaker 1: Like I would be so much more concerned that this

990
00:49:25,120 --> 00:49:27,279
Speaker 1: is going to go the wrong way for us here

991
00:49:27,320 --> 00:49:30,160
Speaker 1: locally if our schedule was backwards, because we're playing the

992
00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:33,080
Speaker 1: Thursday game this week against the Giants, if that was

993
00:49:33,160 --> 00:49:37,800
Speaker 1: Giants first, Charger second, that would be very concerned. We're

994
00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:41,440
Speaker 1: hoping that there's some rust out in LA and coming

995
00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:44,480
Speaker 1: out here East, that they're not hitting on all cylinders

996
00:49:44,760 --> 00:49:47,919
Speaker 1: and so we might have a choppy game and made

997
00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:50,600
Speaker 1: the best team win who hits big plays. And I

998
00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:53,560
Speaker 1: think that's kind of how we're looking at it here.

999
00:49:54,040 --> 00:49:56,239
Speaker 1: But I'm lost, you know, I really just don't know

1000
00:49:56,280 --> 00:50:01,400
Speaker 1: what to expect here early from this team voice the team,

1001
00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:04,520
Speaker 1: both voices of the team joining me money and brah

1002
00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:07,920
Speaker 1: it's been too long, brother. I'm so happy for your

1003
00:50:07,960 --> 00:50:12,399
Speaker 1: success and excited for Sunday. Get things rolling. Yeah, thank

1004
00:50:12,400 --> 00:50:17,480
Speaker 1: you guys, and enjoy enjoy your season out there, all right, buddy,

1005
00:50:17,760 --> 00:50:20,080
Speaker 1: good stuff from Brahm. I think the consessus is we

1006
00:50:20,080 --> 00:50:23,040
Speaker 1: don't really know what's gonna happen on sudden. Yeah, well,

1007
00:50:23,560 --> 00:50:26,560
Speaker 1: I guess is both both teams as you would expect.

1008
00:50:26,600 --> 00:50:29,960
Speaker 1: It's it's week one. Uh, not quite sure. You got

1009
00:50:30,000 --> 00:50:32,120
Speaker 1: a new head coach, like you said in LA, you

1010
00:50:32,160 --> 00:50:36,279
Speaker 1: have a new starting quarterback in DC, and you didn't

1011
00:50:36,280 --> 00:50:38,400
Speaker 1: really see a whole lot in the preseason. You know before,

1012
00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:40,000
Speaker 1: what you thought you knew about your team, you know

1013
00:50:40,040 --> 00:50:43,320
Speaker 1: five years ago has changed dramatically, So you know, I

1014
00:50:43,600 --> 00:50:45,480
Speaker 1: do think the one thing that is interesting is that

1015
00:50:45,520 --> 00:50:47,279
Speaker 1: you know, you've got to get started with four or

1016
00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:49,759
Speaker 1: five new starters on the offensive line against the most

1017
00:50:49,840 --> 00:50:52,839
Speaker 1: formidable defensive front in the league. And like he said,

1018
00:50:52,880 --> 00:50:55,239
Speaker 1: you've got a brand new rookie tackle that you know

1019
00:50:55,520 --> 00:50:58,520
Speaker 1: Brandon Stadium, Ronaldo Hill are gonna get Joey Bosa to

1020
00:50:58,560 --> 00:51:00,799
Speaker 1: go after And look, the one guy we did see

1021
00:51:00,800 --> 00:51:03,400
Speaker 1: in the preseason, Kyler Fakral was the most impressive player

1022
00:51:03,480 --> 00:51:06,840
Speaker 1: of the preseason. So you know, between those two and

1023
00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:11,600
Speaker 1: Shannon Awosu, you feel like there's an opportunity to exploit

1024
00:51:11,800 --> 00:51:15,359
Speaker 1: a weakness on that line as well. So that if

1025
00:51:15,400 --> 00:51:17,279
Speaker 1: I had to again just kind of reiterate what we

1026
00:51:17,360 --> 00:51:19,080
Speaker 1: talked about earlier, if you were to ask me, what

1027
00:51:19,080 --> 00:51:20,480
Speaker 1: do you think this game is going to look like?

1028
00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:24,520
Speaker 1: I think it's gonna be defensively dominated, and like Bram said,

1029
00:51:24,560 --> 00:51:26,480
Speaker 1: maybe big plays could end up being the difference, and

1030
00:51:26,520 --> 00:51:29,160
Speaker 1: you feel pretty darn good about the Charger's ability to

1031
00:51:29,160 --> 00:51:31,480
Speaker 1: make big plays after what Justin Herbert did all season.

1032
00:51:32,600 --> 00:51:34,520
Speaker 1: It's Daily said of Monday, said, this game is going

1033
00:51:34,600 --> 00:51:37,160
Speaker 1: to be decided in the trenches like it normally is,

1034
00:51:37,719 --> 00:51:39,800
Speaker 1: and that goes for both sides. It cuts both ways

1035
00:51:39,800 --> 00:51:44,280
Speaker 1: here and just this new look offensive line of the Chargers,

1036
00:51:44,360 --> 00:51:46,280
Speaker 1: how are they going to hold up? How's Rashawn Slater,

1037
00:51:46,320 --> 00:51:49,319
Speaker 1: who hasn't played a game in two years getting that

1038
00:51:49,360 --> 00:51:53,520
Speaker 1: rematch with Chase Young in Week one, Bryan Bulaga versus

1039
00:51:53,560 --> 00:51:57,200
Speaker 1: Montes sweat and it just the interior of that Washington

1040
00:51:57,239 --> 00:52:01,280
Speaker 1: defensive line versus guys like Corey Linsley Filer and Aboushi

1041
00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:06,640
Speaker 1: I think that's the fascinating really storyline here is can

1042
00:52:06,719 --> 00:52:09,719
Speaker 1: you block this defensive line of Washington. If you can,

1043
00:52:10,360 --> 00:52:14,120
Speaker 1: you'd likely win. Yeah, just to I think one thing

1044
00:52:14,120 --> 00:52:18,080
Speaker 1: we should also acknowledge, because we know Chargers fans everywhere

1045
00:52:18,160 --> 00:52:21,520
Speaker 1: are thinking about it, and that's you know, let's let's

1046
00:52:21,520 --> 00:52:25,000
Speaker 1: get let's get it. Maybe a touchdown too early and

1047
00:52:25,520 --> 00:52:28,279
Speaker 1: or you know, if you feel comfortable, let's get one

1048
00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:30,279
Speaker 1: of those drives to stall and let's get a little

1049
00:52:30,360 --> 00:52:33,840
Speaker 1: layup for Viscaino, a thirty yard or a thirty five yarder,

1050
00:52:34,280 --> 00:52:36,840
Speaker 1: just to get that confidence. You know. I know we

1051
00:52:36,880 --> 00:52:38,799
Speaker 1: started a game for San Francisco last year and went

1052
00:52:38,800 --> 00:52:40,960
Speaker 1: three for three, but you know you won the battle,

1053
00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:43,600
Speaker 1: and we know how important kicking is and how much

1054
00:52:43,640 --> 00:52:45,799
Speaker 1: that's you know, kind of shifted the season last year.

1055
00:52:45,840 --> 00:52:47,480
Speaker 1: It sure would be great to get the new kicker,

1056
00:52:47,960 --> 00:52:50,520
Speaker 1: you know, a lay up early, get his confidence up,

1057
00:52:50,600 --> 00:52:52,880
Speaker 1: feel good, and get off to a great start to

1058
00:52:52,960 --> 00:52:55,880
Speaker 1: the twenty twenty one season. I'd like that. Give m

1059
00:52:55,880 --> 00:52:57,960
Speaker 1: a little bunny early, get him some confidence, and then

1060
00:52:58,400 --> 00:53:02,040
Speaker 1: let it all roll downhill. Moneys is fun Man Week one.

1061
00:53:02,200 --> 00:53:04,560
Speaker 1: Spirodidas thank you for joining us brand Weinstein, thank you

1062
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Speaker 1: for joining us. Be sure to download and subscribe to

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Speaker 1: the Chargers Podcast Network, where you listen to podcasts. We're

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Speaker 1: also on YouTube. Check out this full video on the

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Speaker 1: Chargers YouTube channel as well as chargers dot com and

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Speaker 1: listen to Money on Sunday. Have a great weekend, enjoy

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Speaker 1: the game, and until next time, I'm Chris Harry