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Speaker 1: It is a Football Friday Week sixth edition. As the

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Speaker 1: Cardinals head to La. Welcome Bird Gang. On today's show,

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Speaker 1: Zach Gershman joins me with Cardinals and Rams played better

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Speaker 1: football than many expected so far. We break down the matchup,

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Speaker 1: plus head into enemy territory to get the La perspective.

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Speaker 1: It's Cardinals Cover two, Episode six eighty five, and it

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Speaker 1: starts now.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to Cardinals Cover two.

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Speaker 1: Who to Baker?

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Speaker 3: What Heart?

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Speaker 2: What rent?

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Speaker 1: This guy's unbelievable?

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Speaker 2: Cardinals Cover two is presented by Hyundai, proud partner of

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Speaker 2: the Arizona Cardinals, and by Arizona Cardinals Podcasts. Visit Azycardinals

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Speaker 2: dot com Slash podcasts.

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Speaker 1: He's at the ten half of five.

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Speaker 4: He's it again so far hurry Magic.

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Speaker 2: Whow Here's Craig Grioloud.

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Speaker 1: Get to the football in a moment. There is maybe

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Speaker 1: a more pressing matter to discuss, some potential conflict within

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Speaker 1: the walls here at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center,

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Speaker 1: and that is the upcoming National League Championship Series. First

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Speaker 1: and foremost, congratulations to the hometown team, the Arizona Diamondbacks

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Speaker 1: sweeping the LA Dodgers. Let's see if the Cardinals can

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Speaker 1: continue the beat l A streak. But the opponent, the

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Speaker 1: Philadelphia Phillies. Game one is Monday in Philly, and as

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Speaker 1: we've established here on Cardinals Cover two presented by Hyundai,

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Speaker 1: partner of the Arizona Cardinals, Zach is from Philly. So

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Speaker 1: i'll say this, first off, congratulations, thank you, but and

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Speaker 1: BTLA Chris, I'm good with that. I called it.

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Speaker 4: I called it. I'll just say I called it. When

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Speaker 4: the when the whole playoff picture started to unravel a

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Speaker 4: little bit, it was expected based off how the last

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Speaker 4: week of the season went, that the Phillies were gonna

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Speaker 4: play the Diamondbacks and wild card. So I tweeted out

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Speaker 4: on my personal account saying this if slash, when the

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Speaker 4: Phillies play the Diamondbacks, I'm still rocking with the hometown team.

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Speaker 4: I wasn't expecting this game to be in the NLCS,

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Speaker 4: and it's a shame. Like I'm very, very fond of

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Speaker 4: the Diamondbacks. I've never had anything against the Diamondbacks, just

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Speaker 4: I feel bad for them. Then now they have to

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Speaker 4: play a red hot, red October Philadelphia Phillies team that

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Speaker 4: is cruising along all off season or all postseason long

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Speaker 4: man Craig, I cannot. I'm like, I'm like losing my

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Speaker 4: voice as if I was there already. I'm just I'm

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Speaker 4: so excited for this one. It's you couldn't write the

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Speaker 4: script any better for me.

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Speaker 1: I'd ask if you are planning to go to Game

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Speaker 1: three at Chase Field. I just found out that game

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Speaker 1: is a two oh seven first pitch, Yes, so I

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Speaker 1: don't think I'm gonna be allowed to leave work.

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Speaker 2: Yes.

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Speaker 4: And the one afterwards Friday is at five, which is

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Speaker 4: a Friday, And because it's the Seattle Seahawks, we're playing

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Speaker 4: West Coast teams released their injury reports a little bit

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Speaker 4: later on in the afternoon, so might have some conflict there.

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Speaker 4: But Game five, which is my prediction, I might be

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Speaker 4: at because it be a shame once again when the

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Speaker 4: Phillies have to clinch in five at Chase Field. But

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Speaker 4: at least I'll be able to be there.

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Speaker 2: To see it.

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Speaker 1: To use a football analogy here, you might be on

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Speaker 1: an island like a cornerback because you can't even get

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Speaker 1: the Cardinals head coach, who spent time in Philadelphia to

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Speaker 1: get on board the field. You really, he just shut

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Speaker 1: that down. He's like now, the only thing he said

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Speaker 1: was going to be a defensive series, but he's riding

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Speaker 1: with the d Backs.

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Speaker 4: It's not gonna be a defensive series. For the first form,

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Speaker 4: first and foremost. He also said it was gonna be

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Speaker 4: like a one nothing game and like Game two against

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Speaker 4: the Brewers it was, I think, and the Diamondbacks just

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Speaker 4: put on a display with the bat. But I mean, listen,

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Speaker 4: you really think he was gonna say, no, I just

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Speaker 4: came from Philadelphia.

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Speaker 1: Now I'm in Arizona. But go Phillies.

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Speaker 4: Now, I mean I'll say that.

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Speaker 1: Now, can you get me help in that locker room?

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Speaker 1: Kaiser White, I don't know.

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Speaker 4: I mean, listen, I'm not gonna say. I'm not gonna

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Speaker 4: assume that they're the biggest baseball fans out there.

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Speaker 1: Kavon Wallace.

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Speaker 4: Once again, I'm not gonna assume that they're the biggest

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Speaker 4: baseball fans out there. But I'm sure after a couple

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Speaker 4: of conversations with me, I could you know see, like, hey,

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Speaker 4: remember the excitement like red October the Cardinals wear red?

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Speaker 4: Can't we put this together? And yeah, I mean listen,

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Speaker 4: once again, I do think it's gonna be a Phillies

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Speaker 4: Astros World series, and that irritates me.

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Speaker 1: That that happens. You're gonna be irritating a lot of people.

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Speaker 1: Oh yeah, here and throughout the state of Aera.

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Speaker 4: But here's the here's the thing. I walk into a

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Speaker 4: room and everyone's just right away. Ah, the Phillies. I

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Speaker 4: don't even ask for it.

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Speaker 1: I'm just from Philadelphia.

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Speaker 4: It's like it's like a badge of honor, and like

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Speaker 4: I walk around with that confidently, proudly. But I didn't

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Speaker 4: expect it, you know, Like Jody Jackson, for example, my

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Speaker 4: my morning screen Amble co analyst with Danny Surak, and

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Speaker 4: she walked in, she goes Zach and I was like,

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Speaker 4: I know, Jody, I know.

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Speaker 1: So Monday's episode of Scramble will be very fun and entertaining.

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Speaker 1: It always is, but this one was a little bit

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Speaker 1: more stakes involved.

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Speaker 4: Listen, I'm hopeful that it's going to be a victory

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Speaker 4: Monday for two different reasons. For a victory Monday for

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Speaker 4: the Phillies and a victory Monday because the Cardinals beat

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Speaker 4: the Los Angeles Rams. So let's get into that one.

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Speaker 4: I like how you segued there, and let's do it.

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Speaker 4: Hop I learned from the best crag.

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Speaker 1: Cardinals at the Rams one twenty five is kickoff, all right,

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Speaker 1: I know, and I but the but the when you

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Speaker 1: get compliments like that, something like you just let it

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Speaker 1: go and let it hang in the air.

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Speaker 4: Now you got to acknowledge it.

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Speaker 1: We'll let it much better that way. Cardinals at the

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Speaker 1: Rams one twenty five kickoff eight thirty Pregame coverage begins

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Speaker 1: on the Arizona Cardinals Radio Network. We'll get more on

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Speaker 1: the LA side of things. Do Jackson, Senior staff right

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Speaker 1: at the Rams dot Com will join us here momentary.

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Speaker 1: But first things first, the injury reports, and there was

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Speaker 1: a theme as Jonathan Gannon address reporters on Friday. Right

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Speaker 1: now as we record, no one has been ruled out,

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Speaker 1: and the theme was trending in the right direction, name

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Speaker 1: a player and Zach they are trending in the right direction.

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Speaker 1: Even with the long list of players on Thursday's injury report,

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Speaker 1: including newly added to the injury report linebackers Jesse Lucetta,

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Speaker 1: my j Sanders who had his practice window open, Cameron Thomas,

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Speaker 1: Josh Woods.

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Speaker 2: But it didn't.

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Speaker 1: I didn't get the sense that there is any major

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Speaker 1: concern with any of the players and that would include

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Speaker 1: Jalen Thompson, who has not been on the practice field

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Speaker 1: either Wednesday or Thursday.

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Speaker 4: Would I would say so the fact that I mean,

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Speaker 4: I do think explicitly Jonathan gan had said that Cam

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Speaker 4: Thomas is gonna be fine. We didn't hear that about

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Speaker 4: anybody else. We just heard that they're trending in the

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Speaker 4: right direction jayohen Thompson. The one that concerns me most

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Speaker 4: is probably Josh Woods because he had that ankle injured

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Speaker 4: for the previous two three weeks since Week one. He

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Speaker 4: played in that game, got injured after that, and we

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Speaker 4: heard from Jonathan Gannon that Woods was trending in the

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Speaker 4: right direction. It took him three and a half weeks

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Speaker 4: to get back onto the practice field, So I think

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Speaker 4: in that case that's something to highlight.

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Speaker 1: It should also be mentioned that Gannon acknowledged that it

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Speaker 1: was the same ankle mm hmm, but he did think

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Speaker 1: Woods would be good. But when you're re injuring an ankle, yeah,

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Speaker 1: you might be able to play, but it's a weakened ankle,

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Speaker 1: and who knows you roll it and what could be

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Speaker 1: just a mild spraying because it's already been tweaked. You

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Speaker 1: do it again and all of a sudden, do you

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Speaker 1: risk further injury as far as more extensive damage. So

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Speaker 1: just something to keep an eye on. And it's the

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Speaker 1: fact that.

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Speaker 4: It came during the week as well. He got put

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Speaker 4: on the injury report list on Thursday. Was not all

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Speaker 4: on Ellen Wednesday, and he spoke to us on Monday

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Speaker 4: and was very upbeat and lively about it. And then

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Speaker 4: to see his name pop back up on Thursday, he

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Speaker 4: started to think, oh boy, did he reinjure it again.

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Speaker 4: Now I believe he's gonna be okay, But if he's not,

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Speaker 4: that I think is a very big hit the safety

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Speaker 4: room as a whole. I kind of trust Kevon Wiwles

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Speaker 4: to be the leader of that group. And he said

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Speaker 4: to me earlier this week when we were in the

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Speaker 4: locker room, he said, whether it's Joey Blunt back there

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Speaker 4: with him, whether it's and Andre Shasherie back there with him,

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Speaker 4: it doesn't matter who he's with. He's gonna go out

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Speaker 4: there execute the standard that he's tried to uphold all

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Speaker 4: season long. He had a big game against the Bengals

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Speaker 4: as well, so he's kind of going into it. But

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Speaker 4: that linebacker corps of having Kaisier White and Josh Woods,

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Speaker 4: they definitely have a connection with one another. Josh Woods

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Speaker 4: said that they want to come into this league they

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Speaker 4: started in the offseason, saying that they're going to be

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Speaker 4: the best tandem out there in that linebacker room. So

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Speaker 4: that I think is definitely one to circle as Sunday

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Speaker 4: comes around.

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Speaker 1: Chris Barnes Ezekiel turned did play well in Woods's absence,

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Speaker 1: but again there is you want to see your starter

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Speaker 1: back on the football field. Jalen Thompson again I said

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Speaker 1: he was not on the practice field as far as

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Speaker 1: a participant. We did see him on the practice field

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Speaker 1: watching his teammates on Thursday. I would be a surprise

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Speaker 1: if he did not or if he did play, because

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Speaker 1: with a hamstring sometimes that requires at least a week.

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Speaker 1: But knowing JT and just how much he wants to play,

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Speaker 1: it wouldn't surprise me either way. But I'm not expecting

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Speaker 1: him to be available this week.

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Speaker 4: We've kind of seen a trend and I think a

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Speaker 4: big part of it will depend on if he practices

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Speaker 4: on Friday, because we've seen a trend, whether it was

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Speaker 4: with Jonathan light Better when he started and then got

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Speaker 4: put on and did not practice on the DNP, and

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Speaker 4: then we saw he was inactive and he did not play.

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Speaker 4: The players that are on the DNP on Fridays are

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Speaker 4: mostly the ones that so far the season have not

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Speaker 4: been playing come Sunday, so I think Friday's practice would

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Speaker 4: be true indicative of if we will see him or not.

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Speaker 4: But he was running around out there doing his personal

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Speaker 4: rehab on the side of the field. He was moving

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Speaker 4: very quick and he looked like the JT we've seen

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Speaker 4: all season long, So I'm hopeful, but still you never know.

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Speaker 1: My Jay Sanders, who was a limited participant on Thursday,

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Speaker 1: his practice window open. Not exactly sure when he'll be

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Speaker 1: added to the active roster, probably needs more practices. Gannon

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Speaker 1: made sure to say that Sanders was a little out

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Speaker 1: of shape as far as football shape, making sure his

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Speaker 1: wind was their offensive lineman Dennis Daly though second week

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Speaker 1: of practice. He is someone that could be added to

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Speaker 1: the active roster after missing the first four games or

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Speaker 1: missing the first five games on IR so that is

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Speaker 1: something to keep an eye on over the weekend. And

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Speaker 1: then he brought up Jonathan Ledbetter. He's missed the past

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Speaker 1: two games. He has been practicing that hand has been

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Speaker 1: wrapped after the finger injury that he suffered, but it's

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Speaker 1: the rap that is not nearly as big as it

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Speaker 1: once was. And we speculated here a week ago on

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Speaker 1: Cardinals covered two percented by Hyundai, proud partner of the

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Speaker 1: Arizona Cardinals, that it wasn't a setback per se, but

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Speaker 1: trying to figure out what could Ledbetter do with that

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Speaker 1: hand wrapped, and if it was too much of a rapping,

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Speaker 1: then you couldn't grab, you couldn't pull, you couldn't kind

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Speaker 1: of get leverage on an offensive lineman. And I had

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Speaker 1: a chance to speak with Ledbetter in the locker room

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Speaker 1: earlier in the week and he said, that's exactly what

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Speaker 1: it was. It wasn't that he had a setback. Hey,

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Speaker 1: let's give you another week to kind of let that

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Speaker 1: injury heal. Also at the same time, figure out what's

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Speaker 1: the base way to wrap that hand so you can

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Speaker 1: be effective because if you basically, if it's a club

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Speaker 1: you're while they're one handed in a defensive lineman, that's

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Speaker 1: just not gonna work.

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Speaker 4: And the size of the club, I mean, now it's

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Speaker 4: just over is I'm pretty sure just his pinky and

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Speaker 4: his ring finger on his left hand. I believe it is,

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Speaker 4: so the rap has decreased in size as well. Somebody

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Speaker 4: who's rap has not decreased in size has been Calvin Beecham's,

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Speaker 4: which I've just I've seen through pictures that you did

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Speaker 4: with when when Caitlyn Epps posts to her Collajah photos

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Speaker 4: to see the club that Kelvin Beacham has on his hand,

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Speaker 4: it's kind of remarkable with how much tape he has

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Speaker 4: around it. But with Jonathan Ledbetter, he uh, the rap

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Speaker 4: has definitely decreased in size, and we've been able to

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Speaker 4: see through open practices in the individual and the individual

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Speaker 4: workouts against the blocking sleds. He's he's looked really good

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Speaker 4: and he looks like he's able to have full grasp,

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Speaker 4: full motion, and that's something you definitely need out of

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Speaker 4: a defensive line room that has taken a lot of hits,

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Speaker 4: and I know Kevin Strong and Dante Stills and Ben

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Speaker 4: Stilly have kind of been the ones to man it

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Speaker 4: down a little bit. Jonathan Ledbetter coming back would be

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Speaker 4: a huge addition to that room.

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Speaker 1: You wrote about that room earlier this week on Eazycardinals

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Speaker 1: dot Com, and Kevin Strong has kind of been that

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Speaker 1: one constant in the room. He didn't start this season,

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Speaker 1: but he's been the healthiest among those guys that have

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Speaker 1: had a heavy dose to the rotation. You want to

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Speaker 1: make sure you've got five active bodies, and that's what

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Speaker 1: they've had. But you're missing the Carlos Watkins, You're missing

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Speaker 1: an LJ. Collier like he fo to missed week one.

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Speaker 1: He is now back ledbetter. As we mentioned, has missed

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Speaker 1: the past two games. Now he hopes to be back

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Speaker 1: and I think he will be back this week. But

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Speaker 1: that's a room that you hope you have some consistency,

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Speaker 1: not just as far as the numbers, but consistency as

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Speaker 1: far as who you wanted to be your starters, quiet

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Speaker 1: slash rotation players and definitely, and I think a big

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Speaker 1: part of it also is the stamina that comes with it.

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Speaker 1: That's a room that's taken a lot of a lot

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Speaker 1: of heat. They're taking a lot in the battle. They're

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Speaker 1: right in the trenches of everything. When I was talking

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Speaker 1: with Kevin Strong, I asked my go, I go, this

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Speaker 1: is what you've been waiting for. And we're talking a

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Speaker 1: little bit about.

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Speaker 4: It, and he says, but man, by the fourth quarter,

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Speaker 4: you're feeling it, and that's something we saw in the

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Speaker 4: first couple of weeks of the season, were like, is

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Speaker 4: that room. They looked a little tired, and rightfully so,

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Speaker 4: that's a room that's right in the trenches of everything

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Speaker 4: going against strong offensive lines. And to see the type

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Speaker 4: of it's like the dominoes just keep falling. It's just

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Speaker 4: one after the other, and it's been really tough to see.

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Speaker 4: But knowing that Kevin Kevin Strong said, though this is

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Speaker 4: the NFL, you're gonna get hurt, and you live for

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Speaker 4: these opportunities and you gotta be ready to take on.

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Speaker 4: And this is his fifth year in the league. He's

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Speaker 4: been waiting to have starting snaps. During his first few

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Speaker 4: seasons in Detroit, had one snap out there, one start

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Speaker 4: out there. In his season and a half with Tennessee

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Speaker 4: he only had one start out there. He's already has

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Speaker 4: three so far this season, and it looks like he's

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Speaker 4: gonna continue having more until a guy like LJ. Kylli

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Speaker 4: or Carlos Watkins if they return this season, comes back.

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Speaker 4: But until then, it's gonna be Kevin Strong in the

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Speaker 4: thick of it.

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Speaker 1: The opportunity for Strong and everyone else is the La

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Speaker 1: Rams on Sundays. I mentioned earlier we had a chance

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Speaker 1: to speak with Stud Jackson, senior staff rider for the

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Speaker 1: Rams dot Com, get his perspective on this matchup, and

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Speaker 1: we started our conversation talking about last week's game, specifically

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Speaker 1: for the Rams, the return of Cooper Cup, who didn't

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Speaker 1: seem to miss a beat at all.

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Speaker 3: No, and Sean McVay actually mentioned that it was good

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Speaker 3: to see him get what was essentially a full workload,

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Speaker 3: full game workload last week against the Eagles. And so,

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Speaker 3: you know, the first drive there, I mean, they were

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Speaker 3: really testing him and seeing how comfortable he was, and

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Speaker 3: he caught I think I had down five of those

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Speaker 3: of those six targets that opening drive alone, And so

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Speaker 3: you know, that was really good and really promising to see.

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Speaker 3: And obviously, like I said, Sean McVay feels, you know,

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Speaker 3: really good about the way he's going to progress and

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Speaker 3: recover from that hamstring moving forward.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, eight catches for one hundred and eighteen yards in

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Speaker 1: his season debut. Now Cardinals have done a good job

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Speaker 1: of limiting Cup's effectiveness in the last handful of meetings.

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Speaker 1: Now it's different coaching staff, some different players this go around,

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Speaker 1: But how do you see the Cardinals defending Coop and

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Speaker 1: Pooka Nikola.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that's the big question this week. You know,

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Speaker 3: I'm sure if the defensive staff was you know, looking

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Speaker 3: at this, the Cardinals defensive staff that is, I mean,

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Speaker 3: it may remind them at least if you know, wherever

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Speaker 3: whatever stops they were at, you know, back in seventeen, eighteen, nineteen,

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Speaker 3: even twenty and twenty one, to an extent of maybe

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Speaker 3: some of the things the Rams were doing with Cooper

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Speaker 3: Cup and Robert Woods. Poka honestly reminds me a lot

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Speaker 3: of Robert Woods just with the way he plays. And so,

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Speaker 3: you know Pooka especially, I mean he's he's he's been

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Speaker 3: really great about beating you know, finding the boys in

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Speaker 3: his own coverage and you know, understanding leverage and things

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Speaker 3: like that. But he's also been winning his matchups one

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Speaker 3: on one. And then obviously when you have someone like

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Speaker 3: Cooper Cup who can do those things as well, it

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Speaker 3: makes it pretty tough. So I don't know that there's

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Speaker 3: one particular, you know, way or kind of except their

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Speaker 3: coverage that is going to be best for defending those guys.

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Speaker 3: But when again, when they can win their matchups the

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Speaker 3: way they do it, it certainly makes for a challenge.

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Speaker 1: This will be our first look at the fifth round

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Speaker 1: draft pick out of BYU. He has surprised a lot

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Speaker 1: of people, and I'm not so sure that he has

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Speaker 1: surprised the Rams. But why has Nikou have been so

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Speaker 1: good so quickly?

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Speaker 3: I think I'd go back to what we learned in

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Speaker 3: the spring during OTAs and then even training camp. He

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Speaker 3: just has a really strong knack for being able to

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Speaker 3: process information. And that was one of the first things

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Speaker 3: that Cooper Cup actually said about him was, you know,

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Speaker 3: he'll take what you know he learns in the meeting

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Speaker 3: rooms and do a really great job of applying it

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Speaker 3: on the field. And when you're able to translate that

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Speaker 3: information in that way, makes it a lot easier to

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Speaker 3: get not only get on the field, but obviously you're

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Speaker 3: in the trust of all of your teammates obviously, but

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Speaker 3: especially a quarterback like Matthew Stafford. And so when you're

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Speaker 3: a conscientious worker like Puka is, and again you're able

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Speaker 3: to you know, translate concepts from meeting room into practice

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Speaker 3: field and now obviously you know, the regular season game field,

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Speaker 3: it makes it a lot easier to you know, get

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Speaker 3: those opportunities and have the chance to have some of

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Speaker 3: the success he's obviously had early on in his career.

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Speaker 1: It's been pass first for the Rams so far this season.

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Speaker 1: Cardinals defense ranks twenty sixth against the pass. Do you

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Speaker 1: see that change in anyway this week as far as

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Speaker 1: what the Rams look to do against the Cardinals defense, Yeah, I.

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Speaker 3: Mean, we'll see. I do know that that. Matthew Stafford

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Speaker 3: said that the you know, just the overall effort, reckless

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Speaker 3: abandon was what he specifically used as far as the

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Speaker 3: way that you know, the Cardinals were flying around and

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Speaker 3: making plays defensively, and he also made note of some

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Speaker 3: of the unique things they were doing from you know,

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Speaker 3: coverage standpoint, and so perhaps because of the of the

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Speaker 3: you know, that approach defensively within the secondary, It's what

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Speaker 3: I'm getting at. You know, maybe it causes them to

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Speaker 3: do things a little bit differently or prepare a little

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Speaker 3: bit differently compared to you know, maybe some of the

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Speaker 3: coverage concepts and structures that they've seen in the past.

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Speaker 3: But I don't know that it will change their their

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Speaker 3: approach at least from a passing standpoint too too much,

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Speaker 3: especially because again, as you know, even with what they're

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Speaker 3: rank statistically, it's not something that you know one way

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Speaker 3: or another, should you know influence it, because again, they

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Speaker 3: still offensively, they still need you know, efficiency in the

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Speaker 3: run game and that balance to really achieve what they're

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Speaker 3: trying to do offensively.

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Speaker 1: Only five games in, So is it more too small

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Speaker 1: of a sample size because as you mentioned, I mean,

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Speaker 1: the numbers are completely one sided. Fifth passing twenty second

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Speaker 1: as far as rushing the football, and Kyraen Williams hasn't

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Speaker 1: done a whole heck of a lot. A lot of

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Speaker 1: his yards though I've noticed have come before contact. So

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Speaker 1: credit the offensive line for open up some holes. But

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Speaker 1: is it just too much of a small sample size

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Speaker 1: to kind of figure out where this Rams offense might

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Speaker 1: be headed.

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Speaker 3: I think you could say that. I mean, I think

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Speaker 3: part of it has also been just the caliber of

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Speaker 3: opponent they've played. Just look, I mean again, they're coming

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Speaker 3: off to facing the Eagles in Week five. They've also

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Speaker 3: had the Bengals, and obviously they've been doing some good

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Speaker 3: things defensively under under their defensive coordinator. You know, they

406
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Speaker 3: faced the Niners, so they've had some pretty tough competition defensively,

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Speaker 3: here through the first five weeks of the season, and

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Speaker 3: so you know, on the one hand, that's that's probably

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Speaker 3: a good thing if you know, if the if the

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Speaker 3: passing offense is the top five. On the other hand,

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Speaker 3: it you know, maybe maybe that's uh, you know, a

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Speaker 3: different a different story if if the if the run

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Speaker 3: game is you know, twenty second like you mentioned. But

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Speaker 3: either way, I mean, I think you can still attribute

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Speaker 3: part of that to the caliber of defenses that they've played,

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Speaker 3: at least for the run game, because especially with the

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Speaker 3: defensive fronts that both San Francisco and Philadelphia have, I mean,

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Speaker 3: it's tough for any team to run the ball against them,

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Speaker 3: and so that may cause things to skew a little

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Speaker 3: bit statistically. Because Kyraen Williams has had a one hundred

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Speaker 3: yard rushing game this seasons, he's capable of doing that.

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Speaker 3: So I think it comes down to, you know, obviously

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Speaker 3: there are some things that the Rams would acknowledge they

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Speaker 3: can clean up, but you have to consider I think

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Speaker 3: the caliber of opponent, caliber of secondary defensive fronts that

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Speaker 3: they've faced as well to this point.

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Speaker 1: One more question on this Rams offense Cardinals defense matchup.

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Speaker 1: The big question here has been Okay, what do you

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Speaker 1: do as a defense as far as try to get

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Speaker 1: more help for your secondary and to affect the opposing quarterback.

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Speaker 1: This is a coaching staff that at least through five games,

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Speaker 1: has shown it does not want to blitz although last

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Speaker 1: week they it's Joe Burrow, then they had any other

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Speaker 1: quarterback so far this season, and then looking at the numbers,

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Speaker 1: Stafford has been blitzed the fourth most of any quarterback

436
00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:11,560
Speaker 1: in the league this season. What are the Rams expecting

437
00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:13,760
Speaker 1: from this Nick rollis led defense?

438
00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:17,360
Speaker 3: Yeah, kind of what kind of what I mentioned before Craig,

439
00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:21,080
Speaker 3: as far as just the you know, just the relentless

440
00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:24,080
Speaker 3: effort that they play with, and like I said, like

441
00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:26,720
Speaker 3: and like Stafford talked about the way they're they're flying

442
00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,679
Speaker 3: around the ball. I mean, it's just the effort, especially

443
00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:34,639
Speaker 3: and knowing that, you know, the challenge that will present

444
00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,960
Speaker 3: uh is really is really the biggest thing that they're

445
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:42,000
Speaker 3: expecting from this defense. In addition to like I said,

446
00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:46,600
Speaker 3: just knowing that, you know, they're doing some different things,

447
00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,040
Speaker 3: some unique things from a coverage standpoint as well that

448
00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:52,560
Speaker 3: have kind of caught their attention.

449
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:54,879
Speaker 1: All right, let's switch it up here as we speak

450
00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:58,280
Speaker 1: with Stu Jackson, Senior staff Ryder of the Rams dot Com.

451
00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:01,359
Speaker 1: Here on Cardinals cover two, presented by partner of the

452
00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:07,000
Speaker 1: Arizona Cardinals Defense. Rams Defense against Cardinals Offense. The big

453
00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,359
Speaker 1: story here again, no James Connor. That's a huge loss.

454
00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,119
Speaker 1: How do you think that changes one thing or another

455
00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:16,600
Speaker 1: of what defensive coordinator Raheem Morris might do on Sunday.

456
00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:20,159
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's something that I think they'll definitely have to

457
00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:24,719
Speaker 3: take into account. You know, the with the physical style

458
00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,960
Speaker 3: of a of a runner that you know James Connor is,

459
00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:32,199
Speaker 3: and obviously you know, even just statistically knowing the numbers

460
00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,440
Speaker 3: he's put up in seasons past, you know, he's he's

461
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:39,400
Speaker 3: been a big part of Arizona's offense. And so when

462
00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,520
Speaker 3: you don't have that anymore, it'll it'll probably change the

463
00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:44,760
Speaker 3: way you're going to be preparing for this game. And so,

464
00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:48,080
Speaker 3: at least off the off the top of my head,

465
00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:52,919
Speaker 3: I know that Kanty Ingram's been been hurt and I

466
00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,160
Speaker 3: know that Amari. I think it's Mari de Marcato.

467
00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:57,840
Speaker 2: Do I have that? Okay?

468
00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,480
Speaker 3: I know he I know he was getting action and

469
00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:02,520
Speaker 3: so and I think they also the Cardinals also just

470
00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:06,639
Speaker 3: signed Tony Jones off of waivers from the Saints to

471
00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:06,919
Speaker 3: have that.

472
00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:07,440
Speaker 2: Right as well.

473
00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:11,400
Speaker 3: Correct, So when you take all that in the consideration,

474
00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:14,760
Speaker 3: and you know, obviously it's depending on the how the

475
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:19,360
Speaker 3: Piante I'm sure. And again with you know Demarcrole doing

476
00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:22,000
Speaker 3: as well as he did, you know, you're, at least

477
00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:23,880
Speaker 3: the way I see, you're gonna have to be performing

478
00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:26,359
Speaker 3: for three different running backs until you know for certain

479
00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,800
Speaker 3: you know who's up or who's going to be involved,

480
00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,520
Speaker 3: because you really don't know. I guess at this point

481
00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,359
Speaker 3: at least if you're Raheem Morris, like who who would

482
00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:38,720
Speaker 3: be you know, kind of taking on that lead role

483
00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:40,480
Speaker 3: or how they're going to divy up that carries with

484
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,600
Speaker 3: Connor being out, and so it's certainly a wrinkle that

485
00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:46,280
Speaker 3: will be they'll have to be accounted for in the

486
00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,480
Speaker 3: defensive game plan end of Sunday.

487
00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:51,520
Speaker 1: Whoever is running the ball for the Cardinals on Sunday,

488
00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:53,560
Speaker 1: obviously they're going to have to pay attention to where

489
00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,160
Speaker 1: number ninety nine is lined up. I'm going to hold

490
00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:58,720
Speaker 1: off though, on asking about Aaron Donald because I do

491
00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:02,560
Speaker 1: think the law uh nose tackle Bobby Brown has not

492
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:06,399
Speaker 1: been talked enough about how big of a loss is that?

493
00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:08,120
Speaker 1: Or am I making too much of a big deal

494
00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:08,560
Speaker 1: out of it?

495
00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,000
Speaker 3: No? I absolutely think it's a it's a big loss.

496
00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:16,320
Speaker 3: I mean again, if depending on you know, how you've

497
00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,199
Speaker 3: used statistics and how you take that into account for

498
00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,480
Speaker 3: measuring a player's impact, you know, you could you could

499
00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:24,040
Speaker 3: view it one way. But the way I look at

500
00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:27,399
Speaker 3: it is, you know the sides that he brings, uh,

501
00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:29,760
Speaker 3: you know that that that makes a big difference as

502
00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:31,560
Speaker 3: far as the space that he's able to take up

503
00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:34,359
Speaker 3: on the interior of that offensive line. He's one of

504
00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,040
Speaker 3: the bigger bodies on the interior of the offensive line,

505
00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,080
Speaker 3: you know, obviously among guys that are defensive line excuse me,

506
00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:45,960
Speaker 3: besides guys not named and how obviously, But so that's

507
00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:49,960
Speaker 3: gonna that's gonna be a big adjustment I think for

508
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:53,119
Speaker 3: this defensive line and in terms of figuring out, you know,

509
00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:55,760
Speaker 3: how they make up for that loss and how they

510
00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:59,840
Speaker 3: how they account for that absence, because again, while this

511
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:07,040
Speaker 3: statistics maybe don't suggest or show a significant impact, I

512
00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,520
Speaker 3: think again, when you just look at the tape and

513
00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,119
Speaker 3: you know what he does, Like I said, as far

514
00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:14,840
Speaker 3: as just taking up space on the interior it's like

515
00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,080
Speaker 3: it's a big loss that the Rams are going to

516
00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:17,880
Speaker 3: have to work through.

517
00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,679
Speaker 1: Speaking of statistics, and I almost hesitate to bring this

518
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:25,480
Speaker 1: up because I don't want Aaron Donald to be upset

519
00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,800
Speaker 1: going into this game. But just two quarterback hits the

520
00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:32,000
Speaker 1: past two games for number ninety nine, and historically Donald

521
00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:35,720
Speaker 1: has been dominant against the Cardinals sixteen sacks, twenty three

522
00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:39,000
Speaker 1: tackles for loss in eighteen career games. What's been going

523
00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:42,320
Speaker 1: on or is this just again small sample size, but

524
00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,560
Speaker 1: we haven't heard Donald's name called a lot so far

525
00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:46,520
Speaker 1: here this season.

526
00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:52,840
Speaker 3: Yeah. I think it's a matter of he's still the

527
00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:59,000
Speaker 3: same impact player that's drawing double and trip teams, but

528
00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:01,400
Speaker 3: in years past he he's had a little bit more help,

529
00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:04,800
Speaker 3: I would say, from you know, a pass rush standpoint,

530
00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,760
Speaker 3: when again, even even players like him still still need

531
00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:11,480
Speaker 3: other guys to you know, take attention off of him.

532
00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:12,959
Speaker 3: And as much as you can try to scheme up

533
00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,560
Speaker 3: those one on one matchups and things like that, there

534
00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:18,560
Speaker 3: are still ways that offensive coordinators are gonna are going

535
00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:22,320
Speaker 3: to come up with, you know, blocking schemes, double triple

536
00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:25,479
Speaker 3: teams like I said, to to try to neutralize his impact.

537
00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:29,760
Speaker 3: And so I think a lot of it has to do,

538
00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:32,680
Speaker 3: like I said, with just the the attention that he's

539
00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:37,440
Speaker 3: the increased attention that he's getting, and especially with again

540
00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:44,560
Speaker 3: teams probably knowing that you know, the RAMS pass rush

541
00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:48,359
Speaker 3: is still kind of a work in progress and and

542
00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:51,960
Speaker 3: isn't bringing maybe as much pressure as it normally has.

543
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:58,040
Speaker 3: And so if that, I would imagine onnes itself in

544
00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:03,200
Speaker 3: part to you know, maybe why he he hasn't the numbers.

545
00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,320
Speaker 3: I guess that you know, externally people are are so

546
00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:10,760
Speaker 3: accustomed to him seeing But that being said again, I

547
00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:15,160
Speaker 3: would all I would that's the point about just even

548
00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,679
Speaker 3: for as good as he is, if you see some

549
00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:20,280
Speaker 3: of these blocks that he's been been thrown this way,

550
00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:22,560
Speaker 3: I mean, it's tough for anybody, like I said, to

551
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:26,000
Speaker 3: beat those those double and triple teams and whatnot. So

552
00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:28,760
Speaker 3: and Raheem Moor is also like to say too, the

553
00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:32,280
Speaker 3: Rams defensive coordinator that you know, it kind of to

554
00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,960
Speaker 3: the point I was making earlier with Bobby Brown, like

555
00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:38,960
Speaker 3: statistics don't necessarily tell the whole story of his impact,

556
00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:43,280
Speaker 3: because again he's still still drawing that attention and still

557
00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,480
Speaker 3: making an impact in other ways that maybe the numbers

558
00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:48,800
Speaker 3: don't necessarily reflect.

559
00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:51,680
Speaker 1: Always got to make sure where number nineteen is, ninety

560
00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,480
Speaker 1: nine is at all times. You got two teams, two

561
00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,000
Speaker 1: division rivals who I think are playing better football than

562
00:28:57,040 --> 00:29:01,240
Speaker 1: many expected. They meet on Sunday at Sofi Stu. Always

563
00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,760
Speaker 1: appreciate the time and look forward to seeing you. I'm

564
00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:06,880
Speaker 1: actually making the trip this time to La so I'll

565
00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:09,080
Speaker 1: go out of my way and say hello on Sunday.

566
00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:12,719
Speaker 3: Awesome, Craig, looking forward to seeing you at Sofi Stadium

567
00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:15,160
Speaker 3: and thanks as always for the time. Appreciate you guys

568
00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:15,640
Speaker 3: have me on.

569
00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:18,680
Speaker 1: Appreciate Stu giving us a couple of minutes here on

570
00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:21,680
Speaker 1: Cardinals cover two presented by Hundai, proudly partner of the

571
00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:24,400
Speaker 1: Arizona Cardinals. Let's go over a couple of things that

572
00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:27,560
Speaker 1: we touched on Zach and first and foremost is something

573
00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:30,520
Speaker 1: that also Gannon mentioned earlier on Friday, and that is

574
00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,520
Speaker 1: Cooper Cup and the route tree that he has. And

575
00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:36,000
Speaker 1: then how do you defend Cup? How do you defend

576
00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:40,000
Speaker 1: Puka Nakua? Two wide receivers? Last week it was one

577
00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:43,959
Speaker 1: wide receiver and Jamar Chase. But now this Cardinals secondary,

578
00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,560
Speaker 1: they've been getting a lot of slings and arrows, not

579
00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:49,840
Speaker 1: all on them. You need a consistent pass rush that

580
00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:52,400
Speaker 1: would certainly help more on that though in a moment.

581
00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:55,480
Speaker 1: But if you're the Cardinals here going up against this

582
00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,800
Speaker 1: week's opponent, as far as a team that likes to pass,

583
00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:01,960
Speaker 1: that's number onenumber two and sometimes number three and four

584
00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:04,880
Speaker 1: for Matthew Stafford and company. But this is a tall

585
00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:07,320
Speaker 1: task for the Cardinals defensive backs.

586
00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:10,400
Speaker 4: Matthew Stafford has been slinging it all season long, and

587
00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:12,960
Speaker 4: it's it's quite impressive because you would assume as he's

588
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:14,920
Speaker 4: gotten older in the league, and people thought once he

589
00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:16,880
Speaker 4: went to Los Angeles that he kind of wasn't going

590
00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:19,520
Speaker 4: to be the same Matthew Stafford just with age, and

591
00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:22,040
Speaker 4: then the team goes to the Super Bowl. He's done

592
00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:24,320
Speaker 4: incredible ever since then. And when you have a guy

593
00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:27,640
Speaker 4: like Cooper Cup that has so many routes in his

594
00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,640
Speaker 4: repertoire that he could just do all these different motions,

595
00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:33,480
Speaker 4: you would assume coming off his injury, and when he

596
00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:35,920
Speaker 4: came back against the Philadelphia Eagles, you would assume that

597
00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,000
Speaker 4: he would be like, okay, let's have him a little

598
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:39,600
Speaker 4: bit on that pitch count that we've talked about with

599
00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,840
Speaker 4: player after player, but he did not skip a beat

600
00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:46,080
Speaker 4: at all, and he's so impressive and he has not

601
00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:49,800
Speaker 4: lost a step. And to have before all the focus

602
00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:51,960
Speaker 4: used to be on Cooper Cup. Now to have a

603
00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:54,960
Speaker 4: rookie like Pookin Nakula that nobody would have ever thought

604
00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:56,840
Speaker 4: was going to be the star that he's kind of

605
00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:58,800
Speaker 4: become and the fan favored that he's kind of become

606
00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:02,520
Speaker 4: as well, adds an element to this Cardinal secondary that

607
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:04,880
Speaker 4: they have to be careful of. And whether you have

608
00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:09,000
Speaker 4: JT back there or not, Marco Wilson, keetro Clark slash

609
00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:11,640
Speaker 4: Antonio Hamilton, whoever's going to be getting that starting is

610
00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,160
Speaker 4: going to be playing most of those snaps. They got

611
00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:17,000
Speaker 4: to seriously try to lock him down. Jamar Chase had

612
00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:20,280
Speaker 4: his way last week. Cooper Cup is probably gonna try

613
00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:23,280
Speaker 4: to have his way again once again. The Cardinal secondary

614
00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:25,240
Speaker 4: has kind of been on their heels so far, and

615
00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:27,479
Speaker 4: I understand the Blitz has to be a little bit

616
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:31,680
Speaker 4: more involved into the defensive scheme to see though. The

617
00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,840
Speaker 4: type of heat that this secondary is getting, it's deservedly

618
00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:37,440
Speaker 4: so because they've allowed a lot of explosives that Jonathan

619
00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:40,280
Speaker 4: Gannon has harped on but they got a task ahead

620
00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:42,080
Speaker 4: of them with these two wide receivers coming in and

621
00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:44,200
Speaker 4: a quarterback that likes to throw the ball, no doubt.

622
00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:47,160
Speaker 1: Cooper Cup in his season debut last week eight catches

623
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,920
Speaker 1: for one hundred and eighteen yards that led the Rams

624
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,520
Speaker 1: in both categories. And then it's Pooka Nakua who was

625
00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:57,440
Speaker 1: the guy for the first five games, and that was

626
00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,600
Speaker 1: a lot of just that immediate connection between he and

627
00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:03,520
Speaker 1: Matthew Stafford. But a surprise to a lot of people,

628
00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:06,280
Speaker 1: but not a surprise I don't think too many people

629
00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:09,080
Speaker 1: around NFL circles. In fact, Gannon was asked about Nikua

630
00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,520
Speaker 1: and as far as their scouting reports on him and

631
00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:15,880
Speaker 1: ye had Nikoua lasted until the fifth round, but just

632
00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:18,960
Speaker 1: looking at what they saw on tape the Cardinals scene

633
00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:22,040
Speaker 1: from Puka Nakua quote looks like an eight year vet

634
00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:24,720
Speaker 1: and that speaks volumes to what he's been able to

635
00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:28,440
Speaker 1: do now for the Rams. At least five catches and

636
00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:32,880
Speaker 1: fifty receiving yards in all five games as a rookie

637
00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:35,800
Speaker 1: and not a first round pick, not a second round pick,

638
00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,600
Speaker 1: but a Day three pick out of BYU. Not one

639
00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:41,840
Speaker 1: of those schools that gets a lot of attention during

640
00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:45,280
Speaker 1: the season. And here you've got Matthew Stafford, who is

641
00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:49,040
Speaker 1: not only one of the better passes passers in the

642
00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,120
Speaker 1: league overall throughout his career, but this year second most

643
00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:56,920
Speaker 1: pass attempts, fourthmost completions, fourthmost yards. His completion percentage ranks

644
00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:00,440
Speaker 1: twenty ninth. But they are really relying on that pass game.

645
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:03,000
Speaker 1: And now you throw in Cooper cup who's got a

646
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:06,840
Speaker 1: week under his belt and now a second week of practice. Yeah,

647
00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:10,280
Speaker 1: this Cardinals secondary, I'm gonna be very curious one how

648
00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:13,200
Speaker 1: they work those snap counts and then how do they play.

649
00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:16,120
Speaker 1: They gave the Bengals wide receivers I e. Jamar Chase

650
00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:20,200
Speaker 1: a lot of cushion. They were back eight, nine, ten yards.

651
00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:23,840
Speaker 1: And sometimes that's okay by design because you want the

652
00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:27,200
Speaker 1: offense to have more plays. More plays lead to the

653
00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:29,640
Speaker 1: possibility of more mistakes. You don't want to give up

654
00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:31,840
Speaker 1: those chunk plays. Whereas the three, four or five play

655
00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:34,400
Speaker 1: drive you would hope it's a seven, eight, nine, ten

656
00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:38,440
Speaker 1: plus play drive because penalties occur, turnovers can happen. But

657
00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:41,640
Speaker 1: I'm just curious now, based off the last week, what

658
00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:43,440
Speaker 1: the decision is to do this week.

659
00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:46,560
Speaker 4: But it's also because the Cardinals are not a team

660
00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,080
Speaker 4: that presses their wide receivers at the line. Really they

661
00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:51,120
Speaker 4: do give him that cushion, but it's the speed of

662
00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:54,280
Speaker 4: these wide receivers that has allowed them to burn players

663
00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:57,480
Speaker 4: like Marco Wilson and go on those big explosive routes

664
00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,959
Speaker 4: we saw against when Jalen Hyatt. Jalen Hyatt had that

665
00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,520
Speaker 4: big sixty yard bomb and to start off the third

666
00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:05,400
Speaker 4: quarter against the when when the Cardinals played the New

667
00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:07,880
Speaker 4: York Giants, there was cushion on that play and they

668
00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,360
Speaker 4: broke right through it. Jamar Chase had a very similar

669
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:14,040
Speaker 4: route as well. We've seen that cushion and not playing

670
00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,520
Speaker 4: tight to the line has kind of hurt the Cardinals

671
00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,560
Speaker 4: defense in a lot of different ways. And this receiving

672
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:23,640
Speaker 4: core of Nikoula and Cup they both have a lot

673
00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:26,480
Speaker 4: of speed over there, so their route running ability is

674
00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,640
Speaker 4: second to none. They are incredible at it. Johnathangan who

675
00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:31,560
Speaker 4: gave them a lot of praise for that as well

676
00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:35,320
Speaker 4: during his Friday press conference. It's gonna be the snap count,

677
00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:37,839
Speaker 4: the how they get the players in and out that's

678
00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:39,680
Speaker 4: going to be interesting to see, as you said, Craig,

679
00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:42,799
Speaker 4: But it's gonna be a matter of pressing them at

680
00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:44,840
Speaker 4: the line and not letting them try to burn. You

681
00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:47,279
Speaker 4: take advantage of the fact that you do have a

682
00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:50,279
Speaker 4: strong safety out there, a Cavon Wallace that has been

683
00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:53,000
Speaker 4: stepping up. Yes, he's allowed a couple of plays himself

684
00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:56,040
Speaker 4: that has hurt the team, and he's been very critical

685
00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:58,719
Speaker 4: of himself. He shouldered a lot of the blame, even

686
00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:01,520
Speaker 4: though Johnathan Gannon said it should be everybody that's shouldering

687
00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,880
Speaker 4: the blame. It shouldn't just be him, and it starts

688
00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:06,600
Speaker 4: with Jonathan Gannon at that So they're gonna have their

689
00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:09,080
Speaker 4: work cutout for them, as I previously mentioned, but it's

690
00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:11,640
Speaker 4: gonna also be a good challenge, and against an NFC

691
00:35:11,719 --> 00:35:14,439
Speaker 4: West opponent that you're gonna see twice, you definitely want

692
00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:15,800
Speaker 4: to try to make an impression early.

693
00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:19,040
Speaker 1: And you brought up blitzing, and this is something that

694
00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:21,239
Speaker 1: we haven't seen a lot of this season, although the

695
00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:24,080
Speaker 1: Cardinals did blitz Joe Burrow the most of any opposing

696
00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:29,239
Speaker 1: quarterback this season thirteen times on Sunday. Now, Stafford not

697
00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:33,000
Speaker 1: a mobile quarterback, very stationary in the pocket, and you're

698
00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:36,799
Speaker 1: seeing defense has come after Matthew Stafford. He is the

699
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:42,120
Speaker 1: fourth most blitzed quarterback and is when he is pressured,

700
00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:46,640
Speaker 1: his completion percentage is not very good. In fact, it

701
00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:50,760
Speaker 1: dips below fifty percent. So do the Cardinals do something

702
00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:55,160
Speaker 1: that they have been trending towards doing more and something

703
00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:57,320
Speaker 1: that they would hope they don't have to? But because

704
00:35:57,600 --> 00:35:59,840
Speaker 1: of the issues in the secondary, do you need to

705
00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,520
Speaker 1: a fifth guy a sixth guy to get that quarterback

706
00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:05,839
Speaker 1: either to make a mistake or get the ball out

707
00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:08,960
Speaker 1: quicker so those guys in the secondary in the back

708
00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:11,879
Speaker 1: end don't have to cover for an extended period of time.

709
00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:13,319
Speaker 4: I think a lot of the game plan when the

710
00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:16,520
Speaker 4: Cardinals played the Bengals was because you were uncertain of

711
00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:19,359
Speaker 4: Joe Burrow's mobility with his calf injury. And I think

712
00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:21,680
Speaker 4: that's what we discussed last week and cover too, when

713
00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:24,320
Speaker 4: we said you should try to get into the backfield

714
00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:26,160
Speaker 4: as much as possible because you don't know of Joe

715
00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:29,640
Speaker 4: Burrow's ability with his legs. Considering his calf injury, well,

716
00:36:29,719 --> 00:36:32,160
Speaker 4: Joe Burrow showed that he was quite all right and

717
00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:33,680
Speaker 4: was able to get out of the pocket and was

718
00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:36,560
Speaker 4: able to escape those or was able to scape those

719
00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:39,759
Speaker 4: up blitzes. We knew that that was in Joe Burrow's game,

720
00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:41,239
Speaker 4: we just weren't sure if he was going to be

721
00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:43,840
Speaker 4: healthy enough to do that. We know that it's not

722
00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:46,680
Speaker 4: in Matt Stafford's game at all to scramble out of

723
00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:49,400
Speaker 4: the pocket. He could move around a little bit, but

724
00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:52,040
Speaker 4: you're not going to see him go for seven, eight, nine,

725
00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:55,319
Speaker 4: ten yards on a quarterback scramble. He's not that type

726
00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,279
Speaker 4: of quarterback. So trying to get back there, trying to

727
00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:00,319
Speaker 4: get to Stafford, and you brought up the stat of

728
00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:03,400
Speaker 4: him being the fourth most plitzed quarterback and the fact

729
00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:07,400
Speaker 4: that the completion percentage matches up with that as well.

730
00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:10,200
Speaker 4: You gotta hope that Nick Rowis is going to be

731
00:37:10,239 --> 00:37:12,840
Speaker 4: able to draw some things, whether it's the three different

732
00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:15,520
Speaker 4: schemes that you know you'll have, the three outside linebackers

733
00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:18,600
Speaker 4: and the one defensive lineman, or all the different rotations

734
00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:21,080
Speaker 4: that he has. You got to try to get into

735
00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:24,120
Speaker 4: the backfield drein the offensive line for the Los Angeles

736
00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:27,600
Speaker 4: Rams is also a scattered throughout the injury report as well,

737
00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,200
Speaker 4: So trying to take advantage of that is key for

738
00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:30,840
Speaker 4: this defense.

739
00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:32,840
Speaker 1: The other key, and I can't believe it's taking us

740
00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:35,000
Speaker 1: this long to bring him up at least between you

741
00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:39,399
Speaker 1: and Isaac, and that is ninety nine Aaron Donald, who's

742
00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:43,720
Speaker 1: that one of the most dominating defensive players, not only

743
00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:47,200
Speaker 1: in my generation but throughout the entire National Football League.

744
00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:50,239
Speaker 1: And he is wrecked havoc on the Arizona Cardinals sixteen

745
00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:53,520
Speaker 1: career sacks against the Cardinals. So and we know Donald

746
00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:56,160
Speaker 1: will line up in the interior. Sometimes he is all

747
00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:59,120
Speaker 1: the way outside as well. He moves wrong along along

748
00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:03,239
Speaker 1: that defensive line. Cardinals cannot allow Aaron Donald to get

749
00:38:03,239 --> 00:38:05,920
Speaker 1: into the backfield. And as Gannon mentioned, and as I

750
00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:08,759
Speaker 1: just mentioned, wreck the Cardinals and what they want to

751
00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:09,520
Speaker 1: do offensively.

752
00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:12,080
Speaker 4: Cannon called him a war daddy, and that's exactly what

753
00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:14,440
Speaker 4: he is. He's going to be a future Hall of Famer.

754
00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:17,920
Speaker 4: He's already widely considered as that, and he deserves that

755
00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:20,440
Speaker 4: respect as well. He's one of the best defensive linemen,

756
00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:24,080
Speaker 4: especially one of the best nose tackles in the NFL period.

757
00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:29,120
Speaker 4: And this offensive line has faced their fair share of

758
00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,759
Speaker 4: strong pass rushers, whether it was Week one with the

759
00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:35,560
Speaker 4: Law Firm that featured Payne and Young and all those guys,

760
00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:38,560
Speaker 4: and then to have Dexter Lawrence the following week, and

761
00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:42,080
Speaker 4: then with with Micah Parsons and Nick Bosa. It's really

762
00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:45,960
Speaker 4: it's been a gauntlet of dudes. As I heard Paris

763
00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:48,799
Speaker 4: Johnson was talking about, it's a gauntlet of dudes that

764
00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:51,440
Speaker 4: this offensive line has had to go against. The Bengals,

765
00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:54,040
Speaker 4: though did not really have any notable players on that

766
00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:57,280
Speaker 4: defensive line, and they were able to sack Josh Dobbs

767
00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:00,320
Speaker 4: three different times. And that's what we're discussing a the beginning,

768
00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:03,600
Speaker 4: the fact that off air, obviously, sorry guys, you're gonna

769
00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:06,640
Speaker 4: get to know all the all the conversations, but to

770
00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:09,480
Speaker 4: see how and that was the most that they've had

771
00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:11,920
Speaker 4: since Week one, and obviously Week one was a lot

772
00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:15,080
Speaker 4: of different transition. Josh Dobbs was taking his first snaps

773
00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:19,880
Speaker 4: as the Cardinals quarterback. To see how they've handled. This

774
00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:22,560
Speaker 4: offensive line has handled the big time names, the big

775
00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:24,480
Speaker 4: time players, the best of the best that the NFL

776
00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:27,200
Speaker 4: has to offer, and then a game against the Bengals,

777
00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:29,040
Speaker 4: the offensive line kind of took their foot off the

778
00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:31,560
Speaker 4: gas a little bit and allowed for the three sacks

779
00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:34,759
Speaker 4: to happen. This offensive line seems to thrive against the

780
00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,280
Speaker 4: big time players, and you have the toughest task probably

781
00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:41,200
Speaker 4: of them all with Aaron Donald because now it's no

782
00:39:41,239 --> 00:39:44,120
Speaker 4: longer the tackles. Now it's no longer DJ Humphreys and

783
00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:47,239
Speaker 4: Paris Johnson. A lot of it's gonna be with yeldfro Hold,

784
00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:50,160
Speaker 4: a lot of it's gonna be with Elijah Wilkinson, Will Hernandez,

785
00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:52,560
Speaker 4: Tristan Coloonne. If he gets put into the mix there,

786
00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:55,160
Speaker 4: that's where it's gonna That's where the game is gonna

787
00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:56,400
Speaker 4: be one or lost in my opinion.

788
00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:59,080
Speaker 1: And what we've seen so far is most of that

789
00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:02,719
Speaker 1: pressure that do has had is coming from the outside,

790
00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:05,960
Speaker 1: very little pressure up the middle. Now, those guys that

791
00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:09,640
Speaker 1: you referenced as far as a Nick Bosa of Michael Parsons,

792
00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:12,960
Speaker 1: they don't typically rush from the inside. Aaron Donald, though,

793
00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,200
Speaker 1: mainly rushes from the inside. So this might be the

794
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:19,600
Speaker 1: biggest task that this interior Cardinals offensive line has faced

795
00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:23,439
Speaker 1: all season. What concerns me even more than just having

796
00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:26,200
Speaker 1: ninety nine on the field is that he has been

797
00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:30,800
Speaker 1: limited the past two games to just two quarterback hits.

798
00:40:31,239 --> 00:40:35,640
Speaker 1: And you don't want to get Aaron Donald on a roll,

799
00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:39,320
Speaker 1: and you hope that as the Bengals got on a

800
00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:43,480
Speaker 1: roll offensively last week. You don't want that happening defensively

801
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:45,120
Speaker 1: against the Cardinals with Aaron Donald.

802
00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:49,040
Speaker 4: The last thing this organization wants is to have their

803
00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:51,040
Speaker 4: name pop up on the schedule and a lot of

804
00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:54,600
Speaker 4: teams when they're struggling, circle this game against the Cardinals

805
00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,000
Speaker 4: and say that's the game when we turn it all around.

806
00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:00,319
Speaker 4: That's not what Jonathan Gannon has preached these guys like here.

807
00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:02,560
Speaker 4: There's no doubt about it. We've seen the fight from

808
00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:05,520
Speaker 4: these guys week in and week out. They've shown on

809
00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:07,919
Speaker 4: the field. It just has not they haven't been able

810
00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:10,840
Speaker 4: to string those four quarters together to fifty four to

811
00:41:10,880 --> 00:41:14,840
Speaker 4: seven and fourth quarters that's the score that the Cardinals

812
00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:18,280
Speaker 4: have and not in their favor. It's not been easy

813
00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:20,279
Speaker 4: for this team. Is that fourth quarter where they start

814
00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:24,080
Speaker 4: to fall off a little bit. But Jamar Chase, he

815
00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:26,160
Speaker 4: said he was going to be always open. He said

816
00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:27,640
Speaker 4: that this was going to be the game where they

817
00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:30,080
Speaker 4: wanted to turn it around. They turned it around, and

818
00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:31,879
Speaker 4: they really did, and they called it ahead of time

819
00:41:31,920 --> 00:41:34,239
Speaker 4: saying it was a must win game and they did

820
00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:36,640
Speaker 4: exactly that. And I'm curious to know depending on this

821
00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:38,640
Speaker 4: week's result of the following games are going to be

822
00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:41,480
Speaker 4: must wins. That's something I'm sure somebody's gonna have to

823
00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:43,239
Speaker 4: ask John again, and it might just need to be me,

824
00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:47,359
Speaker 4: because I'm very curious when with the divisional games going on.

825
00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:49,920
Speaker 4: You have Elie Rams this week, you already owned one

826
00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:52,200
Speaker 4: having lost to the San Francisco forty nine ers. You

827
00:41:52,239 --> 00:41:55,239
Speaker 4: have Seattle the following week. This is a chance to

828
00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:59,200
Speaker 4: start to gain some ground. The division is for those

829
00:41:59,239 --> 00:42:02,520
Speaker 4: teams that might have struggled with out A conference opponents,

830
00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:04,640
Speaker 4: but the division is where they could kind of get

831
00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:07,160
Speaker 4: their bread and butter. You know that the forty nine

832
00:42:07,239 --> 00:42:09,719
Speaker 4: ers are gonna be the top dogs out there, the

833
00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:12,120
Speaker 4: top dogs in the entire league, but you can't go

834
00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:13,120
Speaker 4: down without a fight.

835
00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:16,520
Speaker 1: Division games just matter more. Some people say they are

836
00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:20,560
Speaker 1: double because you play these teams twice a season. So again,

837
00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:24,640
Speaker 1: Cardinals at the Rams on Sunday one is the kickoff.

838
00:42:24,680 --> 00:42:28,080
Speaker 1: It is beat La week. The Diamondbacks did it, now

839
00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:31,239
Speaker 1: can the Cardinals do it on Sunday? And then yeah,

840
00:42:31,239 --> 00:42:35,359
Speaker 1: it's also beat Philadelphia week as well? Okay, I had

841
00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:36,800
Speaker 1: to bring it around full circle.

842
00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:41,600
Speaker 4: No comment there, that was not nice, sad, Sorry, it's okay.

843
00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:44,359
Speaker 4: I'm just hoping by next week's cover two.

844
00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:47,840
Speaker 1: Next week's cover two could be very interesting.

845
00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:48,560
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's gonna go.

846
00:42:48,840 --> 00:42:50,960
Speaker 1: Whether we will, whether we ask you back or not,

847
00:42:51,160 --> 00:42:54,440
Speaker 1: determines what happens between the Diamondbacks and the Phillies.

848
00:42:55,680 --> 00:42:56,880
Speaker 4: Okay, good to know.

849
00:42:57,560 --> 00:42:59,680
Speaker 1: On that note, we will put a lid on This

850
00:42:59,680 --> 00:43:02,399
Speaker 1: is of Cardinals Covered two presented by a Hundai, proud

851
00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:05,520
Speaker 1: partner of the Arizona Cardinals. As always, special thanks to

852
00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:09,080
Speaker 1: our executive producer jem Ma Mahundro, our associate producer Coddy

853
00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:11,759
Speaker 1: Fincher for Zach Kershman, I'm Craig rial Lou. We'll talk

854
00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:13,960
Speaker 1: to you next time here on Cardinals Cover two