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Speaker 1: All right, we're back. Welcome into a week eight edition

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Speaker 1: of Chargers Weekly, joined by the voice of the Chargers,

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Speaker 1: Matt Muddy Smith, Chris Hary, here with you and money listen.

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Speaker 1: More good than bad. Through the first six weeks, Chargers

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Speaker 1: stubbed the Toe of Baltimore. I don't think we really

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Speaker 1: talked about it, becau since we didn't have a podcast

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Speaker 1: last week. But I don't know, man, how would you

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Speaker 1: sum up the first six weeks as they get into

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Speaker 1: New England week? Well, I think you'll take four and two.

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Speaker 1: That's kind of the way I look at it. I

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Speaker 1: think when you looked at the way that schedule, you know,

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Speaker 1: laid out, you know, we knew what Dak and the

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Speaker 1: Cowboys looked like before we got injured last year. You know,

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Speaker 1: they traded punches with the Super Bowl champs in that

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Speaker 1: opening week, you know, and just lost on Tom Brady's

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Speaker 1: incredible heroics once again, so we knew they were a

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Speaker 1: good team. It's tough loss, just kind of the way

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Speaker 1: that game played out. But I think you end up

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Speaker 1: a toning for that by going into Arrowhead winning there,

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Speaker 1: and then the fact that they knocked off the Raiders,

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Speaker 1: So you go two and zero in division, you're four

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Speaker 1: and two overall. Yeah, there's a little bit of a

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Speaker 1: bad taste because of how poorly they played in Baltimore.

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Speaker 1: And you just hope that one doesn't come back to

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Speaker 1: buy them because I would expect. I think Baltimore is

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Speaker 1: I'm not still not quite sure, but I think Baltimore

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Speaker 1: is going to be there in the end. So, you know,

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Speaker 1: just kind of thinking back to twenty eighteen and how

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Speaker 1: a tiebreaker completely changed the trajectory of their path to

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Speaker 1: the Super Bowl. You hope that doesn't come into play.

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Speaker 1: I keep going back to that three week stretch where

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Speaker 1: you go to Arrowhead, you win, You beat the Raiders

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Speaker 1: on Monday night, and then on a short week you

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Speaker 1: beat the Browns, who I think, if they get healthy,

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Speaker 1: they're gonna be there in the end. Yeah, especially with

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Speaker 1: Chubb and Hunt said to get those three wins, and

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Speaker 1: I don't know, maybe we're so close to it, maybe

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Speaker 1: we should have saw it coming a little bit right,

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Speaker 1: you know, ye had a short week, you score forty

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Speaker 1: seven points against the Browns, yet turn around play ten

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Speaker 1: am a ten am game. I guess on the West

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Speaker 1: coast going west to east, and I think the way

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Speaker 1: that that game played out. I mean, there are a

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Speaker 1: couple plays early in that game had Justin connected with

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Speaker 1: Mike all It takes as a player two to kind

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Speaker 1: of change the trajectory of a game. And we saw

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Speaker 1: basically the following week the Bengals. You know, that was

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Speaker 1: a close game until it wasn't until Jamar Chase had

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Speaker 1: that that ridiculous touchdown and then the flood gates opened

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Speaker 1: for since and Baltimore was on the receiving end of

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Speaker 1: of a blowout. Balls. Yeah, it was a weird game,

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Speaker 1: and you know, look, I think that's probably why I

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Speaker 1: sort of stuttered a little bit when talking about whether

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Speaker 1: or not the Ravens are gonna be there. Just I

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Speaker 1: look at that secondary and I was really surprised that

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Speaker 1: the Chargers weren't able to take advantage of it. I mean,

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Speaker 1: you're talking about Joe Burrow, Derek Carr, and Carson Wentz

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Speaker 1: each throwing for four hundred yards against that secondary, and

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Speaker 1: it looked like it was going to start out great.

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Speaker 1: You know, I should say it looked like it was

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Speaker 1: going to play out that way from the start. You know,

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Speaker 1: Keenan Allen ends up attack canavor it on that first drive,

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Speaker 1: I know it stalled out at midfield, but that looked

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Speaker 1: like that was going to be there all day and

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Speaker 1: it was just weird that they never went back to it.

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Speaker 1: You know, it was an odd game, you know, and look,

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Speaker 1: I'm not one to question, you know, what the calls are,

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Speaker 1: who's making decisions, and why they are, but it just

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Speaker 1: seemed odd that on critical downs, you know, Keenan's not

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Speaker 1: getting targeted, Mike Williams wasn't getting targeted. It was like JALENK.

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Speaker 1: Dighton and Josh Palmer and it was just a strange

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Speaker 1: game the way it played out. I thought. I thought

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Speaker 1: the Chargers offense left quite a bit out there, and

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Speaker 1: Herbert was off you know, as passes were off the mark.

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Speaker 1: It was just it happens, just like the track me

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Speaker 1: against the Browns. You know, those things happen. But you

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Speaker 1: hope that it's an anomaly. I have no reason to

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Speaker 1: believe it's not. The one thing that I think is

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Speaker 1: a bit of a concern is that run d you know,

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Speaker 1: especially after seeing what the Bengals defense was able to

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Speaker 1: do against those running backs that looked like they were

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Speaker 1: three steps slow in the Charger game yet still were

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Speaker 1: gashing that defense for eight nine yards to carry and

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Speaker 1: then completely shut down by the Bengal I mean, leve Bell,

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Speaker 1: Ottavias Murray did absolutely nothing in that game. So that's

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Speaker 1: you know, I think that's my big thing coming out

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Speaker 1: of the bye UM and that, like I think the

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Speaker 1: legitimate concern beyond hey, it's kind of surprising it was

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Speaker 1: an outlier. Well you know with Justin Jones return, which

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Speaker 1: your Tranquill's return, with nas Atlee's return just right up

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Speaker 1: the middle of that defense. You know, that's that's what's

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Speaker 1: got to come out of this bye week is they

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Speaker 1: have got to be better in the middle of that defense.

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Speaker 1: And that's I think getting bodies back. Like you said,

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Speaker 1: you know, you get Justin Jones back, that's gonna help

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Speaker 1: your run d And you know you can get away

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Speaker 1: with maybe not having Murray or Tranquill on the field,

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Speaker 1: not having both. You know it definitely you're exposed a

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Speaker 1: bit if they get back to that run defense. Uh.

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Speaker 1: But to day football where they allowed forty eight yards

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Speaker 1: to the Raiders, and I know, I know they were

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Speaker 1: thrown all around the yard, but uh, I appreciate the

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Speaker 1: tweaks too made to special teams UM recognizing that you

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Speaker 1: don't want this to be something that bites you later

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Speaker 1: in the year, you know, with feel Posi. And you

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Speaker 1: get a guy in Are Roberts who was just he

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Speaker 1: was in Houston and they weren't going anywhere. He's been

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Speaker 1: a pro bowler each of the last three years. And

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Speaker 1: then you're bringing Dustin Hopkins, who, frankly, he had a

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Speaker 1: tough start to the year. He was kicking pretty good

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Speaker 1: for Washington and then they cut him after a loss.

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Speaker 1: And it really wasn't necessarily on him. I mean, this

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Speaker 1: is a guy who has a proven track record in

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Speaker 1: the league, and you know, I wish Tristan all the best.

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Speaker 1: He's a great dude, and and it just it wasn't

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Speaker 1: working out. And it's tough when you miss five extra

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Speaker 1: points in the first six weeks of a season, it's

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Speaker 1: kind of tough to overcome that. So making these subtle

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Speaker 1: tweaks money on special teams, knowing that that third phase

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Speaker 1: starting against New England is going to be so critical

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Speaker 1: moving forward, I think that was a good move. Yeah, no,

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Speaker 1: no doubt. And even you know, I know the the

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Speaker 1: extra point misses and the field goal misses are certainly

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Speaker 1: more obvious, but to me, the return game had to

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Speaker 1: get something. Just the lack of speed, the lack of

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Speaker 1: explosive play, I think was crushing the Chargers. I really do.

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Speaker 1: Like every time you know, one of those you know,

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Speaker 1: whether it was Round True whomever it might have been,

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Speaker 1: brought a ball out of the end zone, I was

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Speaker 1: just like, this just isn't gonna end. Well, it's not.

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Speaker 1: You know, they are not going to get to the

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Speaker 1: twenty five. And you can see it. There's just no

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Speaker 1: juice you know in those returns and Robert Scott Jews

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Speaker 1: you know, and that's just that's what you need, you know,

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Speaker 1: And look, Adderlee had juice. We saw it last year,

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Speaker 1: you know when Coach Lynn put him back. There, just

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Speaker 1: the difference in the return game from what they had

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Speaker 1: prior to what it looked like with Adderlee. And you

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Speaker 1: talk about special teams, coverage and blocking and that, but

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Speaker 1: it was clear, you know, last year, it was clear. Okay, yeah,

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Speaker 1: it was the returner. And I got no problem with

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Speaker 1: them going out and getting a guy that's done it

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Speaker 1: at a very high level and seeing if you know,

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Speaker 1: that can be the panacea to that particular facet the game.

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Speaker 1: In terms of Hopkins, you know, they said all the

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Speaker 1: right things, and look, they gave Tristan an extra week.

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Speaker 1: You know, I thought maybe he was gonna they were

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Speaker 1: gonna move on, you know, after the Browns game, especially

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Speaker 1: considering what could have happened after that extra point miss

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Speaker 1: and being down one late, but they gave him an

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Speaker 1: extra try, you know, they gave him an extra a chance,

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Speaker 1: and unfortunately he came up short again. So what that

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Speaker 1: signals to me is this is a front office and

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Speaker 1: an organization that believes they have what it takes to

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Speaker 1: make the playoffs and win a Super Bowl, and they

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Speaker 1: cannot be patient with developing young players right now on

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Speaker 1: the field. I'm sure they'll try to sign him back

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Speaker 1: to the practice squad they may have already by the

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Speaker 1: time this posts, and continue to develop him because he's

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Speaker 1: got a strong leg and we've seen, you know, with

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Speaker 1: Chase McLaughlin and young Way Coup, you know, the kickers

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Speaker 1: of Chargers pass that have gone on to have great success.

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Speaker 1: I'm sure they would like to keep Tristan around and

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Speaker 1: hopefully develop him. And I can't imagine he won't clear waivers.

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Speaker 1: But I like, you know, like I said to me,

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Speaker 1: the biggest thing that comes out of that is. We

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Speaker 1: appreciate developing young talent. We just can't do it this year,

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Speaker 1: not with all this talent and a foreign to start

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Speaker 1: to the season. He hadn't lost you a game yet,

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Speaker 1: and you didn't want that to happen coming out of

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Speaker 1: the bye. So I agree. I think it's important to

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Speaker 1: get a vener kicker in here. And um, you know,

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Speaker 1: Hopkins could could hit the ground running. You know, I

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Speaker 1: think he's almost on extra points. That's a that's a

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Speaker 1: good start, and then you know from forty five in

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Speaker 1: he's pretty good. So uh, I'm looking forward to seeing

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Speaker 1: that special teams get an action against a New England

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Speaker 1: patriotscy money and you called it last year. Um, this

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Speaker 1: is a This is a team I think that should

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Speaker 1: have the full attention of the Chargers. I think they're

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Speaker 1: an ascending team right now. I know it was the

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Speaker 1: New York Jets, and I know they're three wins have

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Speaker 1: come against really bad teams. But they could easily beat Dallas,

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Speaker 1: they could easily be Tampa. The quarterbacks playing better, and

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Speaker 1: they got their running game going. I think Bolden and

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Speaker 1: in harris Um combined one hundred and ninety two total yards,

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Speaker 1: So you know that running game. You mentioned they're gonna

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Speaker 1: be tested against Harrison Company comes Sundays has been good

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Speaker 1: and you know, I'm hoping we're going to see what

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Speaker 1: we saw against the Chiefs, and that is an aggressive

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Speaker 1: because look, Harris has had some fumble problems. I'm trying

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Speaker 1: to get a look at it now. Yeah, he's lost

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Speaker 1: two fumbles already, so you know, get after it, get

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Speaker 1: after that ball. Ball security has been an issue. But

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Speaker 1: he's been running effectively four and a half yards per carry.

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Speaker 1: He's got nearly five hundred rushing yards. He's got along

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Speaker 1: of thirty five and that's what they're gonna do. You know,

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Speaker 1: they're gonna run Harris. And you know, you know how

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Speaker 1: Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels like to do this. They

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Speaker 1: exploit weak I mean like every team does that, but

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Speaker 1: they do it better than almost everybody else. They find

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Speaker 1: weakness and they exploit weakness. And we saw that last year.

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Speaker 1: And I'll be honest, like, man, I'm hoping that I

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Speaker 1: think they found something in the punt game. They just

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Speaker 1: did and you know, I've never seen anything like it,

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Speaker 1: and I think it flustered the coaches. I think it

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Speaker 1: flustered Tie and man, it was ugly and I'm hoping

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Speaker 1: that that isn't because it's you know, Matt Overton's there now,

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Speaker 1: so you've got a different long snapper. But I'm hoping

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Speaker 1: that that doesn't show up again because I feel like,

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Speaker 1: you know, Ties come a little bit close to getting

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Speaker 1: a couple of those blocked, and that's why the Patriots

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Speaker 1: won the Texans game. You know, not granted, the Texans

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Speaker 1: did a lot to you know, put themselves in harm's

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Speaker 1: way with that ridiculous play that made absolutely no sense,

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Speaker 1: but that you know that they should have two losses

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Speaker 1: instead of three. I should I should say they should

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Speaker 1: have two wins instead of three were it not for

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Speaker 1: that block punt. That was the difference in that game

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Speaker 1: against Houston. So you know, that's stopping Damien Harris and

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Speaker 1: Matt Jones has been really good. He's been the best

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Speaker 1: rookie quarterback, you know, and he just takes it. He

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Speaker 1: takes what you give them. And that means I think

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Speaker 1: we're gonna see because of the way that Brandon's dailys,

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Speaker 1: you know, elected to play defense this year, He's gonna

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Speaker 1: have a lot of completions. There's gonna be a lot

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Speaker 1: of underneath stuff. It's gonna look a lot like the

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Speaker 1: Chiefs game, where they're gonna, you know, force you to

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Speaker 1: complete five and six yard passes and have twelve and

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Speaker 1: fourteen play drives and hopefully bow up in the red

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Speaker 1: zone when the field shrinks, and now those aren't available

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Speaker 1: to you and you have no answers and your trade

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Speaker 1: touchdowns for goals if you're the Charger. So I think

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Speaker 1: it's gonna be a tough game. I do. I think

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Speaker 1: this is gonna be a competitive game against a worthy

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Speaker 1: and stout opponent that has some talent in some of

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Speaker 1: the weakness spots of the Chargers. Right now, Stanley was

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Speaker 1: asked he was gonna remind players what happened last year,

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Speaker 1: and he typically just said it, I wasn't here, you know,

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Speaker 1: I wasn't here. It's a new team, it's a new year.

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Speaker 1: If those guys want to get some motivation from it,

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Speaker 1: then you know, go for it. But this is a

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Speaker 1: different operation, and I'm interested to see how this team

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Speaker 1: responds coming off of bad loss with a week of

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Speaker 1: preparation against a team that you know is going to

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Speaker 1: be really prepared. Bunny, I want to get your thoughts

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Speaker 1: on this. I was just kind of looking at the

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Speaker 1: schedule and put some notes down this week. Brandon Stanley,

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Speaker 1: six of the seven coaches that he's shared the field

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Speaker 1: with have either won a Super Bowl or have been

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Speaker 1: to his Super Bowl. I mean for a first year

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Speaker 1: head coach, though, I think that that's pretty cool for

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Speaker 1: him to know that he's got to match wits against

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Speaker 1: guys who have won Lombardies. I mean, I was just

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Speaker 1: going through, I'm Michae. Okay, you know Rivera with to

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Speaker 1: a Super Bowl, but Carthy won a Super Bowl. We

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Speaker 1: know Andy Reid, we know you know bruten obviously, um

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Speaker 1: you know Belichick's up next, Hardball. So the fact that

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Speaker 1: you know your first year head coaching and you're matching

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Speaker 1: wits with some of the best minds in the game,

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Speaker 1: it's got to be a great kind of kickstart to

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Speaker 1: your career knowing that you can do it hit no doubt.

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Speaker 1: And look, I think we have discovered in the short

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Speaker 1: time we've known him that he does not lack confidence.

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Speaker 1: You know, he retainly and regularly says and I'll continue

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Speaker 1: to plug it watch all in. It's awesome what the

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Speaker 1: Chargers digital team, led by Jason has done there but

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Speaker 1: you just see it, you know, and it's it's a

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Speaker 1: it's a consistent message. You know, I don't care about

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Speaker 1: the Patriots. I don't care about and it's an awesome

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Speaker 1: stat right six to seven. But I don't care about

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Speaker 1: the other team. I care about the Chargers. You care

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Speaker 1: about the Chargers. If we do what we what our

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Speaker 1: plan is, and we execute it, we will win games.

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Speaker 1: And it's a great message because you can get distracted knowing,

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Speaker 1: all right, what's Belichick gonna take away? He's gonna take

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Speaker 1: away the tight ends. He's gonna double keen him because

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Speaker 1: he saw, you know, the struggles and trying to get

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Speaker 1: on the same page as Palmer and Dighton last week,

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Speaker 1: Like what's he gonna do? Because you know it's gonna

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Speaker 1: be something. And what he did last year was, you know,

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Speaker 1: we had, if I remember, right on the majority of

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Speaker 1: snaps between six and seven guys at the line of scrimmage,

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Speaker 1: every single snap, and justin you know, I think just

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Speaker 1: he was his rookie year. It was, you know, whatever,

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Speaker 1: his tenth start, and it was just hard for him

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Speaker 1: to get comfortable. You know, when of those seven and

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Speaker 1: sometimes even eight guys, they're only Russian three and five

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Speaker 1: are dropping back. Then they're Russian five and three, Y're

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Speaker 1: dropping back. You know, it's tough, and I would be.

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Speaker 1: I think we saw a little bit of it in

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Speaker 1: the Baltimore game where they just said, you know what,

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Speaker 1: we're not even messing with Slater and Filer. We're overloading

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Speaker 1: the other side of the line, and we're just gonna

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Speaker 1: bring extra pressure and the slot corner is gonna blitz

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Speaker 1: from the other side, and you're gonna have to figure

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Speaker 1: it out. And unfortunately, they just could never quite get

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Speaker 1: that rhythm against Baltimore because they just chose to attack

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Speaker 1: sco and and and Norton and with with extra bodies

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Speaker 1: and that was kind of their game plan and they

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Speaker 1: stuck with it the whole game and it was effective

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Speaker 1: the whole game. Yeah, you're right, it's it's about the Chargers, right, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: whatever whatever Bill Belichick throws it. You have a plan B,

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Speaker 1: have a plan C, have a plan DP. Because it's

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Speaker 1: gonna be a long day. You know. I go back

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Speaker 1: to Hunter Henry uh, he'll be back in LA for

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Speaker 1: the first time. After five seasons with the Chargers at

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Speaker 1: the East pay Well touchdown in each of the last

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Speaker 1: four weeks. But then I look at Jared Cook's numbers

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Speaker 1: and Donald Palms numbers. Those guys have more than made

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Speaker 1: up for Um Hunter's absence. And you know, I'm very

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Speaker 1: happy for Hunter and his success, but I look at

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Speaker 1: you know, what Cook has been able to do in

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Speaker 1: critical spots, uh, namely the Vegas game. He was just

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Speaker 1: he was awesome in that game. Param when he touches

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Speaker 1: the football, you know, touch it much. What he does,

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Speaker 1: something good happens. Yeah. So you know, we talked so

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Speaker 1: much about Keenan and Mike in Austin, but the Chargers

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Speaker 1: tight ends, you know, Jared had the only touchdown of

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Speaker 1: the game in Baltimore. That combination. Then you could add

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Speaker 1: Steven Anderson what he's been able to do, you know,

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Speaker 1: almost as like a fullback and in blocking. Um that

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Speaker 1: trio has been pretty good for the Chargers. Kind of

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Speaker 1: an underrated unit on the offense. Yeah. We asked coach

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Speaker 1: before the Baltimore game in our interview, we said, you know,

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Speaker 1: we spent all of training camp kicking around who the

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Speaker 1: third receiver was going to be. Is at t Billy

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Speaker 1: is at Giton is at the rookie Josh Palmer, and

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Speaker 1: turns out we should have asked who the second tight

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Speaker 1: end was going to be, because that's kind of been

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Speaker 1: the third wide receiver. Is it's it's Parham or it's

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Speaker 1: like you said, Steven Anderson. And I think that's sort

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Speaker 1: of something that's developed for Joe Lombardi and for coach

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Speaker 1: Staley is as opposed to it being that third receiver.

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Speaker 1: They're running a lot of two tight ends, a lot

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Speaker 1: of twelve or even a lot of twenty two at

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Speaker 1: times when you have both Justin and Austin out there

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Speaker 1: or Gabe and and you have you know, Steven Anderson

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Speaker 1: acting as a fullback as well. Um, who's you know,

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Speaker 1: just kind of setting up an offset eye and then

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Speaker 1: leaking out of that backfield. And for you know, he's

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Speaker 1: got a couple of big plays this season as well.

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Speaker 1: So I think that's just something that's developed. Like you said,

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Speaker 1: you know, they let Hunter go, and look, you don't

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Speaker 1: have an unlimited amount of funds to spread across a team,

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Speaker 1: and certainly when you know, when Hunter got the deal,

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Speaker 1: and I think a lot. I mean, look again, you're

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Speaker 1: worth whatever you get paid, but just kind of you know,

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Speaker 1: hearing about you know, behind the scenes sort of what

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Speaker 1: the market was a lot of people were surprised that

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Speaker 1: New England offered that much, that maybe there was not

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Speaker 1: anyone else out there. And I think it's surprised the

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Speaker 1: Chargers because I'm guessing they would have matched and maybe

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Speaker 1: given him just a tiny bit more to keep. And

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Speaker 1: we know that's what Tom likes to do it Tom

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Speaker 1: Dalsco draft, develop and reward. But when the number came

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Speaker 1: in where it did, it just you know, it made it,

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Speaker 1: you know, an obstacle. And now I would love to

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Speaker 1: see them, you know, maybe do something with it, you know,

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Speaker 1: instead of just rolling it over to twenty twenty two.

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Speaker 1: Here we are doing this pod, you know, five days

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Speaker 1: from the trade deadline, and you know, attrition has unfortunately

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Speaker 1: shown up on the offensive line, on the defensive line

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Speaker 1: for five games with Justin Jones. You know that's where

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Speaker 1: this can come in Handy is you know how to

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Speaker 1: look It takes two to dance, right. You need a

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Speaker 1: team that's willing to trade and not have exorbitant demands

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Speaker 1: on your draft capital. But you know that's kind of this.

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Speaker 1: This is the position that you find yourself in when

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Speaker 1: you let a Hunter Henry go and you've got twelve

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Speaker 1: million bucks to play with, where you can take on

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Speaker 1: someone that that perhaps can help you know on that

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Speaker 1: path to the playoffs. You mentioned it takes two to

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Speaker 1: get a deal done. Attitudes may change around the NFL

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Speaker 1: come Monday, depending on what happens to day with certain teams,

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Speaker 1: and and maybe you are willing to get a deal

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Speaker 1: done with with somebody else, you know. I also I

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Speaker 1: think that they hit on Cook having not you know,

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Speaker 1: he's not making Hunter Henry money and you're getting You're

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Speaker 1: getting the same production with him in param So to

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Speaker 1: your point, roll that over potentially into a position of

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Speaker 1: need as you try to make a run in the

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Speaker 1: AFC money. We got a great show today, Ben voland

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Speaker 1: to the Boston Globe, is going to join us to

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Speaker 1: give this week's opposing view. Will also be joined by

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Speaker 1: Evan Washburn, who was on the sidelines last week. I

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Speaker 1: think for Chiefs Titans. If I'm not mistaken, I'll ask him.

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Speaker 1: But but Evan will be on the sidelines with an

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Speaker 1: Eagle and Charles Davison, the boot favorite I love, I

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Speaker 1: love that trio. Man, it'd be great fan So we'll

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Speaker 1: have Evan as well and guys picks for Popeyes every

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Speaker 1: Chargers game this season, when the Bolts defense gets an interception,

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Speaker 1: show your game recap. Email to your local Popeyes. Get

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Speaker 1: a free chicken sandwich when you purchase a chicken sandwich

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Speaker 1: at regular menu price. And this is a good segue

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Speaker 1: to Kaiser White. How about him two receptions against the Ravens.

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Speaker 1: He was that one guy that, like you know, we

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Speaker 1: mentioned not having Trank Will, not having Murray. He was

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Speaker 1: doing his part. They try to keep the Chargers in it. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: no doubt. And by the way, you know, make sure

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Speaker 1: you pay attention because Mac Jones got six interceptions this

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Speaker 1: year to go with his nine touchdowns. So so he's

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Speaker 1: put it out there like he's a rookie, he's gonna

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Speaker 1: star player. I said, hes played very well, but I'm

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Speaker 1: just kind of getting a look at his game log now.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, I had one in each and then of

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Speaker 1: course the three against New Orleans where they got absolutely

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Speaker 1: destroyed by that Saints defense. That's really good. But since then,

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Speaker 1: you know, one in each against the Bucks Tech since

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Speaker 1: Kyleboys did not have any last week, because it really

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Speaker 1: was one of the most pathetic performances by a professional

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Speaker 1: team and in a long while, what the Jets put

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Speaker 1: out there. It was almost like a bye week. I'm

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Speaker 1: being snarky, but it was ugly. I watched that game

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Speaker 1: back and boy, that thing was that was embarrassing. But yeah,

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Speaker 1: I think you know, pay attention, make sure you h

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Speaker 1: you heed Harry's call there and uh and get yourself

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Speaker 1: the popeyes because I would be surprised, especially with the

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Speaker 1: return of trank will with how active Kaiser has been

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Speaker 1: at diagnosing and just exploding on the ball for interceptions.

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Speaker 1: I look, he played exceptional. He was our player of

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Speaker 1: the game. The really wasn't much to choose from. But

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Speaker 1: you know, I think you talk about that pairing and

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Speaker 1: to me, like that's of the three linebackers, and I

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Speaker 1: love the rotation and being able to keep those guys

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Speaker 1: fresh when when Kenneth is healthy. But I just I

427
00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:15,760
Speaker 1: love the way Drew and Kaizier play together. I just

428
00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:18,880
Speaker 1: feel like they compliment each other perfectly. I think once

429
00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:22,159
Speaker 1: Kenneth gets healthy, um, that's going to be interesting as

430
00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,920
Speaker 1: well because he is so explosive and fast, and I

431
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:27,800
Speaker 1: think that's going to add something to the pass rush.

432
00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:30,280
Speaker 1: And I feel like we need a little bit. I

433
00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:31,960
Speaker 1: feel like charges you a little bit of juice in

434
00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:33,960
Speaker 1: the pass rush. I mean, if you watch that Baltimore

435
00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:37,440
Speaker 1: game back, I'm not exaggerating. I'm not embellishum when I

436
00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:42,240
Speaker 1: say Joey was getting triple teamed, not double triple team.

437
00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:46,200
Speaker 1: It was crazy. I saw it. I forget who it was.

438
00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,119
Speaker 1: Maybe it was Christoph Passo. CBS Sports. They put in

439
00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,440
Speaker 1: like the like every single play of him getting double

440
00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:56,120
Speaker 1: and triple teamed. It was incredible. Had a gay plan

441
00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:58,840
Speaker 1: exactly if that's if that's going to be the Patriots

442
00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:00,720
Speaker 1: as well, because their offensive line has been good. I

443
00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:02,280
Speaker 1: think they thought it was going to be great. It's

444
00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,800
Speaker 1: been good, it hasn't been I think exceptional. Mac Jones

445
00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:09,520
Speaker 1: been sacked fourteen times. So you know, let's let's see

446
00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:11,920
Speaker 1: if we can get especially with Justin Jones back. You

447
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,000
Speaker 1: know you're not gonna have blockers. They're freeing up and

448
00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:18,159
Speaker 1: doubling up on Lynvall and letting Tillery just go one

449
00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:19,639
Speaker 1: on one. So let's see if they're gonna do that,

450
00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:22,040
Speaker 1: if that's going to be their approach. Would love to see,

451
00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,159
Speaker 1: you know, Chenna fact Roll, you know that's a Durwin

452
00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:27,200
Speaker 1: get cut loose a little bit more on the pass

453
00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:29,679
Speaker 1: Rushian just kind of heat up mac Jones. Heat him

454
00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:31,399
Speaker 1: up a little bit. You know, he's good at getting

455
00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:33,679
Speaker 1: the ball out quick. Like I said, I think he's

456
00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,439
Speaker 1: played exceptional, especially for a rookie. I think he's been

457
00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,680
Speaker 1: everything that the Patriots thought he was going to be.

458
00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,159
Speaker 1: There were a lot of detractors because there's not a

459
00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:43,879
Speaker 1: lot of sizzle there, there's not a lot of twitch.

460
00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:48,040
Speaker 1: He's just a really quarterback m that that takes what

461
00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:50,400
Speaker 1: you're And that's the thing about quarterbacks is so many

462
00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,119
Speaker 1: of them aren't willing to take what the defense has

463
00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:55,960
Speaker 1: given you. When you have talent and you have athleticism,

464
00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,119
Speaker 1: you you want to make the big play, you know,

465
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,640
Speaker 1: and we're seeing Patrick Mahomes struggle with it right now.

466
00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:02,639
Speaker 1: You know, Brandon Staley forced him to do it, and

467
00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:04,680
Speaker 1: he just didn't want him. He was turning down what

468
00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,199
Speaker 1: was available, trying to make the spectacular, and that's how

469
00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:09,840
Speaker 1: you find yourself in trouble. Mac Jones is the exact opposite.

470
00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:12,320
Speaker 1: You want to give him five and six, you know,

471
00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,120
Speaker 1: and that ball's coming out under two seconds, that's fine,

472
00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:17,439
Speaker 1: three step drop bang, let my guy get I think

473
00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:19,800
Speaker 1: I think the receivers for the Patriots leading yards after

474
00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,119
Speaker 1: catch in the league right now, So I think of

475
00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,080
Speaker 1: his I'm looking at it right now, what has he

476
00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,160
Speaker 1: got seventeen hundred? I think I read of his seventeen

477
00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,959
Speaker 1: hundred and seventy nine yards like eleven hundred of them

478
00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:33,000
Speaker 1: or yards after the catch in passing, Like that's how

479
00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:34,560
Speaker 1: quickly he's getting rid of the ball. So I think

480
00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:36,960
Speaker 1: to me, you know, as we talk about this matchup,

481
00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:38,800
Speaker 1: got to heat him up. I think that's you know,

482
00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:42,879
Speaker 1: being sound, playing some press and getting guys back there

483
00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:44,440
Speaker 1: to try to force this guy in to some turnovers.

484
00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:46,680
Speaker 1: Kind of makes me laugh a little bit. This whole

485
00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,640
Speaker 1: draft evaluation process where you know, forty nine ers fans

486
00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:51,600
Speaker 1: were upset that mac Jones may have been to pick

487
00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,560
Speaker 1: over Trey Lance, and you know, based on how there's

488
00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:58,720
Speaker 1: teams constructed right now, mac Jones would be looking pretty good.

489
00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,960
Speaker 1: Look I get it, man, I totally understand going through

490
00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:05,840
Speaker 1: you know, someone who covers it and has covered it

491
00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:08,680
Speaker 1: for I think this was my eleventh year covering the draft.

492
00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:11,160
Speaker 1: I totally see it. You know, it's like that, look, look,

493
00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:13,560
Speaker 1: there was there's been a bit of a you know,

494
00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:16,080
Speaker 1: this could be a pendulum swing right when when Justin

495
00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:19,440
Speaker 1: Herbert was drafted, When Josh Allen was drafted, it was

496
00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:23,040
Speaker 1: it's not always about traits, you know, Traits aren't you know?

497
00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:24,840
Speaker 1: You got to be careful with traits, not about the

498
00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:26,960
Speaker 1: biggest arm. It's not about being six six and two

499
00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:28,560
Speaker 1: hundred and thirty five. And then all of a sudden,

500
00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:31,239
Speaker 1: Josh Allen and Justin Herbert, you know, are arguably two

501
00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,159
Speaker 1: of the best quarterbacks in the league, and everyone's like,

502
00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:35,119
Speaker 1: what are we doing? Why weren't we thinking about traits?

503
00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:37,040
Speaker 1: Look at Trey Lance. He's six foot four, he's two

504
00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:39,320
Speaker 1: hundred and three. Mac Jones looks like a guy that's

505
00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,680
Speaker 1: working at the local bar, you know, slinging drinks. You

506
00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,280
Speaker 1: can't draft that. It's just so funny how how it works,

507
00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:49,000
Speaker 1: and how the pendulum just constantly is swinging back and

508
00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:53,480
Speaker 1: forth when it comes to quarterback evaluation. It's hilarious. All Right,

509
00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:55,879
Speaker 1: we're gonna we're gonna dive into this matchup Ben Bowling

510
00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:59,800
Speaker 1: a little bit later. But now here's Evan Washburn. All right,

511
00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,879
Speaker 1: any our first guest. He'll be on the sidelines as

512
00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:07,400
Speaker 1: SOFI Stadium this Sunday for Chargers Patriots. First Chargers game

513
00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,920
Speaker 1: with the season. Evan Washburn, how are you, man? I'm

514
00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,520
Speaker 1: doing well. Guys, excited for it. First time you had

515
00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,719
Speaker 1: seeing the Chargers this year, first time in that fancy

516
00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:19,159
Speaker 1: new stadium. We're looking forward to it. Thanks for having me,

517
00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,359
Speaker 1: you know, Evan, you uh, we were talking about it

518
00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,920
Speaker 1: right before we started the pod here. We're surprised that

519
00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:27,679
Speaker 1: you and I and and CD have not been out yet.

520
00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:30,120
Speaker 1: You were kind of our companions last year. You guys

521
00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:31,720
Speaker 1: had a whole bunch of Charger games. You had a

522
00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:33,800
Speaker 1: chance to see justin Herbert a few times. It felt

523
00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:36,200
Speaker 1: like I saw you at least just kind of your

524
00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:39,159
Speaker 1: your thoughts on what Herbert did last year. And as

525
00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,159
Speaker 1: you sit in the meetings and talk to these coaches

526
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:43,160
Speaker 1: and talk to other coaches around the league, the opponents,

527
00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:45,720
Speaker 1: you know kind of what the what the evaluation is

528
00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:49,640
Speaker 1: on Herbert here through six games of his second season, Well,

529
00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:52,720
Speaker 1: I think incredibly impressed, and you guys know that. But

530
00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,240
Speaker 1: I mean, we had that Week four game in Tampa,

531
00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:59,159
Speaker 1: and I feel like that was really when he burst

532
00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:02,159
Speaker 1: on the scene as Wow, he has a bunch of potential.

533
00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:04,119
Speaker 1: We knew that that's why he was drafted where he was,

534
00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:06,400
Speaker 1: but he looks like he ready to go right now,

535
00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:08,840
Speaker 1: and I mean, Eckler doesn't go down in that game,

536
00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:10,879
Speaker 1: maybe it's a little bit of a different story for

537
00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:14,240
Speaker 1: the Chargers. And then he just continued that run throughout

538
00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:17,400
Speaker 1: the year and then early this season statistically, but also

539
00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:22,359
Speaker 1: just command appears to be the striking point when it

540
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,440
Speaker 1: comes to justin Herbert and what he's doing at that position.

541
00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:28,360
Speaker 1: And then you have guys like Bill Belichick saying things

542
00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:31,639
Speaker 1: like he said early in the week about where Herbert is.

543
00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,920
Speaker 1: And look, Bill does do that with his opponents at times.

544
00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:37,359
Speaker 1: I mean, he's always going to praise them, but it

545
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:41,760
Speaker 1: felt like it was an honest assessment of a really,

546
00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:46,040
Speaker 1: really talented young quarterback. Evan. I saw your training camp

547
00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,680
Speaker 1: this year, and obviously it's a whole new operation with

548
00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:53,720
Speaker 1: Brandon Staley at the controls. What did you take from

549
00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,360
Speaker 1: training camp that maybe you're seeing play out through these

550
00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,119
Speaker 1: first six seven weeks with the Chargers. So I ever

551
00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,840
Speaker 1: met Brandon at all and didn't know much about him,

552
00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:07,720
Speaker 1: and we spent probably fifteen minutes talking off camera, and

553
00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:11,560
Speaker 1: in that short window of time, it was clear how

554
00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:14,960
Speaker 1: dialed into the details he is, and that seems to

555
00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:19,600
Speaker 1: permeate through their approach to building this program and how

556
00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:22,640
Speaker 1: they've started this year and the way that he goes

557
00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:26,400
Speaker 1: about his business, and I think that was my biggest takeaway.

558
00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:28,639
Speaker 1: But he also seems to have some humanity to him.

559
00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:32,080
Speaker 1: There's an authenticity that I think so important for coaches

560
00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,640
Speaker 1: to have to be able to connect with what ends

561
00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,560
Speaker 1: up being twenty three to thirty five year olds and

562
00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,800
Speaker 1: mostly it's guys in their twenties. And he seems to

563
00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,920
Speaker 1: have that. And there's a you know, as you guys

564
00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,800
Speaker 1: well know. And now some of the press conferences are

565
00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:52,080
Speaker 1: becoming must watch just because of how open he is

566
00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:54,560
Speaker 1: with while you know, also doing the thing you need

567
00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:56,720
Speaker 1: to do as a coach, keeping things close to the best.

568
00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:00,959
Speaker 1: So all that came through and again sure conversation there

569
00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:02,760
Speaker 1: at training camp, and I can't wait to catch up

570
00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:04,480
Speaker 1: with the game and again here in a few days.

571
00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,000
Speaker 1: I would love to know Evan, we just you know,

572
00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:09,320
Speaker 1: we're coming off to buy. But the prior game was

573
00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:11,800
Speaker 1: was Baltimore, and man it was ugly, just got away

574
00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:15,480
Speaker 1: from him from the jump. The Ravens absolutely dominated. But

575
00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,720
Speaker 1: but kind of going into that game is Chris and

576
00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,080
Speaker 1: I were talking, you know, Obviously it did not play

577
00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:22,639
Speaker 1: out how we thought it was going to. It seemed

578
00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:25,240
Speaker 1: like their secondary has been real leaky all year that

579
00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:27,200
Speaker 1: you know, they've given up four hundred yard passing games

580
00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:29,320
Speaker 1: to three different quarterbacks. I was really surprised with the

581
00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:31,400
Speaker 1: way it played out. Is someone who's seen so many

582
00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:34,760
Speaker 1: AFC teams, like, you know, I don't expect you to

583
00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:36,960
Speaker 1: rank them one through five, but kind of the Chargers

584
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:38,520
Speaker 1: are right there at four and two, The Bengals are

585
00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:40,080
Speaker 1: five and two, the Ravens are four and two, Like,

586
00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:41,840
Speaker 1: how do you see the top of that? Is there

587
00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:43,960
Speaker 1: a team that you feel has separated? Is there a

588
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,080
Speaker 1: group and what is that group of Maybe that the

589
00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,040
Speaker 1: better teams in the AFC? Man, I don't think anybody

590
00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:52,560
Speaker 1: separated themselves, and that that's what makes this year so exciting.

591
00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:54,080
Speaker 1: I mean you could make the argument the same thing

592
00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:56,359
Speaker 1: on the NFC side, but specific to your question, I

593
00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:59,600
Speaker 1: think Buffalo if you had to pick a team that's

594
00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:02,520
Speaker 1: the top DC, I'd have them there, but right it

595
00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,960
Speaker 1: in that group or right a tier below if we

596
00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,640
Speaker 1: want to play that game would be Baltimore. What since

597
00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,560
Speaker 1: he did now puts him in that conversation and absolutely

598
00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:16,080
Speaker 1: la is there, and the Las Vegas Raiders, despite all

599
00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:20,440
Speaker 1: they're going through, have gone through some moments in games

600
00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:24,000
Speaker 1: where you like because this team really, in that conversation,

601
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,960
Speaker 1: has proven to be based off of their record, and look,

602
00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,200
Speaker 1: I've seen a lot of Kansas City the last four weeks,

603
00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,960
Speaker 1: and last week was the first time where it was

604
00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,080
Speaker 1: it was a maybe something really is going on here.

605
00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:39,880
Speaker 1: But I'm not ready to give up on them because

606
00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:43,600
Speaker 1: I've just seen too many times how they're able to

607
00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:48,920
Speaker 1: utilize all that ability to make a run. Just diving

608
00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:52,920
Speaker 1: a little bit deeper into the AFC West, Evan, like

609
00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:56,520
Speaker 1: you said, you saw Chiefs Titans. That wasn't the Chiefs

610
00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,600
Speaker 1: team that we're accustomed to seeing over the last several years.

611
00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:04,120
Speaker 1: The Raiders, they've won five games. The youth sense that

612
00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:06,760
Speaker 1: there could be a shift in power in the AFC

613
00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:10,440
Speaker 1: West or the Chiefs just playing like really sloppy right

614
00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:14,320
Speaker 1: now and things could be correctable, although I say that

615
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:16,560
Speaker 1: knowing that the defense has just had its issues every

616
00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,760
Speaker 1: single week. Yeah yeah, Chris, Look the math is going

617
00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,080
Speaker 1: to start to work against you. So whether that means

618
00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,560
Speaker 1: shift in power and who's the most talented team, I

619
00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:28,080
Speaker 1: don't know, But we are in week eight look at

620
00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:30,840
Speaker 1: seventeen weeks, so that kind of does some things with

621
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:35,840
Speaker 1: where we normally would make determinations and start to forecast

622
00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:39,680
Speaker 1: playoff picture. But each week Kansas City's putting themselves in

623
00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,320
Speaker 1: a deeper hole to have to dig out of, and

624
00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:46,320
Speaker 1: they just haven't shown the consistency on either side of

625
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:49,120
Speaker 1: the ball to be able to dig themselves out. Now again,

626
00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:51,720
Speaker 1: I'm not ready to put them to the side and

627
00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:55,640
Speaker 1: say this isn't their year, but specific to the AFC West,

628
00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,360
Speaker 1: I think they're in a tough spot to try and

629
00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,200
Speaker 1: regain the lead in that division and win that division

630
00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:05,760
Speaker 1: because as you mentioned, there seems to be systemic problems

631
00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:09,000
Speaker 1: on the defensive side of the ball, and offensively they've

632
00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:13,600
Speaker 1: got a turnover bug they just can't kick, and frustration

633
00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,239
Speaker 1: at some points going to set in no matter how

634
00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:18,840
Speaker 1: talented you are, and I should Matt, just going back

635
00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:22,440
Speaker 1: to your point, put Tennessee in that conversation too. I

636
00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:24,600
Speaker 1: left them out just because we're still working through all

637
00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:28,080
Speaker 1: these teams. But they showed a lot, not just in

638
00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:31,200
Speaker 1: their win over Kansas City Sunday, but to do it

639
00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:34,120
Speaker 1: off of the Monday night game. I'm a huge Rabel

640
00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:36,360
Speaker 1: fan who talked about Staley and what he does with

641
00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:40,240
Speaker 1: building that programmer has done. Rabel's got that team playing

642
00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,200
Speaker 1: with an identity over the last couple of years that

643
00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:44,680
Speaker 1: just puts them in every game. Yeah, I love that

644
00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:48,080
Speaker 1: you mentioned that, just because you get to sit with

645
00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:51,240
Speaker 1: all these coaches. Sometimes it's head coaches, coordinators depending on

646
00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,800
Speaker 1: you know, whom your request and the team makes available.

647
00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:58,920
Speaker 1: But you know what the cliche is around the Patriots takeaway?

648
00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:00,960
Speaker 1: What do you do bats going to exploit a weakness

649
00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,880
Speaker 1: in all of your meetings? Like with that staff, how

650
00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:06,560
Speaker 1: would because it's been pretty consistent who's on that staff, Like,

651
00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:10,160
Speaker 1: how would you describe the way or your impressions and

652
00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:12,480
Speaker 1: the conversations you've had with them. The way they approach

653
00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:16,480
Speaker 1: a football game each week stands alone? And I don't

654
00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,120
Speaker 1: buy that with every team, no matter how much a

655
00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:21,760
Speaker 1: coach or player will say, hey, it's a week to

656
00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:26,000
Speaker 1: week league, but New England it truly is. And we

657
00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,840
Speaker 1: always joke we'll walk out of a meeting and look,

658
00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:30,680
Speaker 1: there's times where we do get a little bit more

659
00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:34,400
Speaker 1: and times where we don't. But we don't necessarily know

660
00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:36,840
Speaker 1: how they're going to approach a game, you know, car

661
00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:39,200
Speaker 1: prime example would be this weekend we have met with

662
00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:42,400
Speaker 1: New England. But on paper, you would say, based off

663
00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,440
Speaker 1: of the way they ran the ball against the Jets

664
00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,480
Speaker 1: and LA struggle to stop the run this season and

665
00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:51,640
Speaker 1: specifically against Baltimore, man, they're going to run the rock

666
00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:54,080
Speaker 1: in this one. But I've done enough of these New

667
00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:56,240
Speaker 1: England games to know that that's not the way to

668
00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:59,160
Speaker 1: approach it, because you could come out and they throw

669
00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,760
Speaker 1: at fifteen times to start the game. So that that said,

670
00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:06,360
Speaker 1: I think over the years, I truly believe that they

671
00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:10,040
Speaker 1: go into each week and determine three or four things

672
00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:11,800
Speaker 1: that they want to do, yes, that could be taken

673
00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:14,960
Speaker 1: away an opponent's strength, or they see a vulnerability in

674
00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:18,280
Speaker 1: an opponent that they want to exploit, and they're unique

675
00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,360
Speaker 1: to that week and that opponent, and that puts a

676
00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:22,560
Speaker 1: lot on the players. And I think that's what you're

677
00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:26,080
Speaker 1: seeing now with somewhat of a new shift, not just

678
00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:28,920
Speaker 1: a quarterback, but a lot of youth in certain spots

679
00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:33,080
Speaker 1: where it can be a lot for players to handle,

680
00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:35,320
Speaker 1: because again it's it's almost like you're learning a new

681
00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:38,640
Speaker 1: playbook each week. But what do you make of this

682
00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:43,360
Speaker 1: twenty one Patriots team. Just from Afar Money. I was

683
00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:46,600
Speaker 1: just having this conversation. I think they're ascending. The rookie

684
00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:50,480
Speaker 1: quarterbacks really good in mac Jones, there are three wins.

685
00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:52,960
Speaker 1: Have come against the Jets twice in the Texans, but

686
00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:56,360
Speaker 1: they almost beat the Cowboys, they almost beat the Bucks.

687
00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:58,840
Speaker 1: I think they lost by a point to the Dolphins.

688
00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:02,719
Speaker 1: What do you make of what the Patriots are right

689
00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:04,840
Speaker 1: now and kind of where they're going is we get

690
00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:09,000
Speaker 1: closer into twenty one? Yeah, my thirty thousand foot view

691
00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:12,720
Speaker 1: on a Chris is they're building right now, and they're

692
00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:17,440
Speaker 1: building towards what I think will be something sustainable special.

693
00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,400
Speaker 1: We'll see. I'm just not sure if it's building for

694
00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:23,320
Speaker 1: this season or it's gonna take a little bit more

695
00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:27,760
Speaker 1: time to really be a threat to consistently weekend and

696
00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:31,240
Speaker 1: week out beat the top teams in the NFL. But

697
00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,000
Speaker 1: as you mentioned, the fact that they've hung around with

698
00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:36,720
Speaker 1: what appears to be the class of the league means

699
00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:40,520
Speaker 1: that they're building in a right direction. And I think

700
00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:43,560
Speaker 1: that the performance against the Jets, while you have the

701
00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,600
Speaker 1: factor in the opponent, does go a long way. And

702
00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,800
Speaker 1: just again going back to the fact yet young guys,

703
00:33:50,360 --> 00:33:53,720
Speaker 1: it just validates, Okay, the work is going to pay

704
00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:55,760
Speaker 1: off at some point, and it paid off Sunday, and

705
00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,360
Speaker 1: I think they can carry that at least into this

706
00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:02,200
Speaker 1: week a prep for a much more challenging opponent in

707
00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:06,880
Speaker 1: La Sunday. Evan is someone who does his work on

708
00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:08,560
Speaker 1: the field. I would love to know and if you

709
00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:10,839
Speaker 1: got to take a second to think about it, feel free.

710
00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:13,919
Speaker 1: But when we walk around on the field, when DJ

711
00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:15,920
Speaker 1: and I'll go down for like an hour, you know,

712
00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:18,680
Speaker 1: after kind of our pregame duties are done. Every now

713
00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:21,640
Speaker 1: and then there's a player that you just you're standing

714
00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:23,840
Speaker 1: next to and you're like, this is ridiculous, you know,

715
00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,279
Speaker 1: And like Trent Brown was one of those guys. I mean,

716
00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:29,680
Speaker 1: he was just a mountain of a man. Montes Sweat

717
00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:32,440
Speaker 1: with the Washington football team. You know, so much attention

718
00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:34,960
Speaker 1: on Jase Young, but when you're standing next to Montes Sweat,

719
00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:37,400
Speaker 1: You're like, this is incredible. Can you think of a

720
00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:40,200
Speaker 1: couple players as someone who's down there that just stand

721
00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:41,759
Speaker 1: out to you. I mean, obviously with the Chargers, I

722
00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:43,640
Speaker 1: bring it up because of Derwin. He's just built so

723
00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:46,920
Speaker 1: different than everyone that plays that position. Yeah, it's it's

724
00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:50,920
Speaker 1: it's a good question. And I think what often strikes

725
00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,839
Speaker 1: me is are the players, probably in the back end

726
00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:58,360
Speaker 1: in safeties. I mean going back to Seattle days. I

727
00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,000
Speaker 1: mean I remember standing next to camp Chancellor and going

728
00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:04,359
Speaker 1: up to them being like, I love watching you play,

729
00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:06,759
Speaker 1: and then just to see him in person. And this

730
00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:10,160
Speaker 1: was early on in my career. So I mean the

731
00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:14,680
Speaker 1: guys at that position you mentioned Derwin, even some corners,

732
00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:19,880
Speaker 1: to the speed in which they play, but the command

733
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,319
Speaker 1: and and sort of stature that they have, it's it's

734
00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:25,080
Speaker 1: wild too. I always say this. They'll come into a

735
00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:28,239
Speaker 1: meeting room and like a hoodie and some jeans on

736
00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:31,640
Speaker 1: or whatever, or a suit, and look they look you know,

737
00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:35,040
Speaker 1: obviously well put together, their athletic young guys, but they

738
00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:39,279
Speaker 1: don't look completely imposing. But something happens when they put

739
00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:41,879
Speaker 1: those pads on. Maybe they put a little uh lather

740
00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:44,640
Speaker 1: on the old biceps. And some of these corners and

741
00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:47,920
Speaker 1: safeties and obviously linebackers too, those are the ones that

742
00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:50,200
Speaker 1: strike me because they move so fast. To look, the

743
00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:53,240
Speaker 1: d linemen are you know, big, and the offensive linemen

744
00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:56,040
Speaker 1: are big, and that that's obviously part of the position,

745
00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:59,600
Speaker 1: and you're impressed by their stature, but I'm always struck by,

746
00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:03,440
Speaker 1: uh the corners and safeties and how fast they go

747
00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:08,040
Speaker 1: at certain sizes. We'll segway from players to just stadiums.

748
00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,960
Speaker 1: Sofi Stadium a pack house on Sunday, Evan, that'll I

749
00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,840
Speaker 1: guess that'll be your first time seeing that place full.

750
00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:18,160
Speaker 1: I correct me. I don't know what game you did,

751
00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:22,600
Speaker 1: it's so far last I've never been you guys, had

752
00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:25,600
Speaker 1: you guys on the road last year. So, uh, this

753
00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:28,600
Speaker 1: is uh, this is my maiden voyage. I'm excited, all right.

754
00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:30,880
Speaker 1: I'm not to just check a box, but also just

755
00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:34,000
Speaker 1: to see it in person. Oh, you're gonna love it, man.

756
00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:36,719
Speaker 1: So I mean, I don't know if you can rank

757
00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:39,759
Speaker 1: out of your favorite stadiums to to do this job.

758
00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,239
Speaker 1: I mean there's probably so many iconic venues that you

759
00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:45,480
Speaker 1: think of right away. By by bed is that after

760
00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:48,759
Speaker 1: after Sunday, so far is gonna be up there? Yeah,

761
00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:50,840
Speaker 1: I mean it would appear. So I will say I

762
00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:55,520
Speaker 1: am a sucker for sort of nostalgia and football history

763
00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:59,520
Speaker 1: and tradition and places like Green Bay. We don't go

764
00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:04,600
Speaker 1: there all obviously, NFC CBS eight crew will often do

765
00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:07,839
Speaker 1: those games, but I've done probably three over the last

766
00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:11,080
Speaker 1: few years, and it's unique in a lot of ways,

767
00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:14,080
Speaker 1: not just because the location, but for example, they just

768
00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:16,440
Speaker 1: don't have many ads. I mean they have one I

769
00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:19,040
Speaker 1: think on the big screen, and then everything else is

770
00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:22,320
Speaker 1: just green and yellow and it you just know that

771
00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:25,600
Speaker 1: the history of that place. So I would say, whenever

772
00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:28,279
Speaker 1: I'm there, I do take a moment to appreciate it,

773
00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:33,160
Speaker 1: and do appreciate it. And then places like Pittsburgh, where

774
00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:38,120
Speaker 1: I've been a bunch, is also one of my favorites

775
00:37:38,239 --> 00:37:41,200
Speaker 1: because the way it's structured. I like it when fans

776
00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:42,880
Speaker 1: are right on top of you. Buffalo would be in

777
00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:46,920
Speaker 1: this conversation as well. They got Renegade going down the

778
00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:50,360
Speaker 1: sketch to get to get that place lathered up. Buffalo's

779
00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:55,080
Speaker 1: wild in all the obvious ways as we've seen. So again,

780
00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:59,320
Speaker 1: I kind of I trend towards the older places because

781
00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:04,960
Speaker 1: they're built to h kind of make the atmosphere almost

782
00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,120
Speaker 1: feel electric. Um. But I will say, and look, it's

783
00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:10,320
Speaker 1: in the division. It's a it's a it's a rival

784
00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:13,279
Speaker 1: of of you guys. But the Vegas spot for a

785
00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:16,839
Speaker 1: new for a new venue, they did a nice job

786
00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:20,000
Speaker 1: of making sure because I found with some of the

787
00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:24,560
Speaker 1: newer the newer um stadium, especially the indoor out whatever,

788
00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:27,680
Speaker 1: and ends up being they're just not as loud. They

789
00:38:28,200 --> 00:38:31,080
Speaker 1: don't worry about acoustics. It's more about maybe you know,

790
00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:35,440
Speaker 1: suites and all those things. The Vegas spot gets really loud.

791
00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:38,279
Speaker 1: They did a nice job and making sure one that

792
00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:40,560
Speaker 1: it checks all the boxes that they want for the

793
00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:45,200
Speaker 1: fun um, but man, it resonates in there. So uh.

794
00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:48,839
Speaker 1: But again I tread towards the older spots. Just last

795
00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:51,400
Speaker 1: thing for me real quick. I mean, as you have

796
00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:55,160
Speaker 1: now done a game in Vegas, it's different than any

797
00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:56,840
Speaker 1: other city. You go, like what did you end up

798
00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:59,120
Speaker 1: doing on Saturday night before the game? Did you go out?

799
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:00,960
Speaker 1: Did you stay in? Like where'd you stay? I would

800
00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:04,239
Speaker 1: love to know. Yeah, we stay at a hotel that's

801
00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:07,880
Speaker 1: connected to one of the big casinos. But it's not

802
00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:09,800
Speaker 1: it's one of a few hotels. Because I've been to

803
00:39:09,880 --> 00:39:13,400
Speaker 1: Vegas a bunch for work, most of Durm basketball season,

804
00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:16,520
Speaker 1: and it's unavoidable, Like you want to go to the gym,

805
00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:18,759
Speaker 1: you're walking through a casino. So the place we stay

806
00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,480
Speaker 1: doesn't have that, which kind of keeps you in check,

807
00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:24,520
Speaker 1: which is nice. I like that. I'm not a big gambler,

808
00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:26,040
Speaker 1: but I like to have fun, like to go to

809
00:39:26,120 --> 00:39:31,440
Speaker 1: good restaurants. So I would say Saturday was just keeping it,

810
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:33,920
Speaker 1: keeping it low key. But Friday, yeah you can. I

811
00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:36,880
Speaker 1: mean the nice part is that you're whether you're staying

812
00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:39,760
Speaker 1: at the casino to do a game or you're connected

813
00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:42,520
Speaker 1: to one like we are. Honestly, take the elevator into

814
00:39:42,640 --> 00:39:45,160
Speaker 1: the casino level, you walk out, you walk through it,

815
00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:46,839
Speaker 1: and then there's as you guys well know, I mean,

816
00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:50,600
Speaker 1: a bunch of five star restaurants right there. So I've

817
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:53,400
Speaker 1: I've enjoyed it. I mean, it's a long flight from Baltimore,

818
00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:57,200
Speaker 1: so selfishly sometimes that's part of the math for me.

819
00:39:57,480 --> 00:40:00,920
Speaker 1: But we're there. It's cool. People are into it. They

820
00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:03,880
Speaker 1: have a really good I was worried that it was

821
00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:06,200
Speaker 1: gonna be and you guys have fought some of this too,

822
00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:10,319
Speaker 1: I know, kind of the road Team's fun trip, and look,

823
00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:11,799
Speaker 1: there was some of that. We did the Bears game.

824
00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:13,360
Speaker 1: There are a lot of Bears fans there, but the

825
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:16,000
Speaker 1: Raiders fans bring it. I mean, it's again, it's really loud,

826
00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:19,400
Speaker 1: and they seem to somehow either grab control of that

827
00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:23,440
Speaker 1: community or they get people coming from open well Man,

828
00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:26,240
Speaker 1: we can't wait to have you in La on Sunday.

829
00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:27,839
Speaker 1: So I can't believe that you guys can do a game.

830
00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:29,600
Speaker 1: It's so far last year, so this will be fun

831
00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:32,799
Speaker 1: for well. I'm glad honestly that we're not gonna I mean,

832
00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:34,719
Speaker 1: I'm sure it would have been cool last year to

833
00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:36,800
Speaker 1: see it, but to I mean, I was just watching

834
00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:39,840
Speaker 1: back the Browns game this morning and that place was

835
00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:42,239
Speaker 1: a place that was askin. It was loud, it was

836
00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:46,800
Speaker 1: I mean, just look so big. Yeah, it's big. So

837
00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:49,320
Speaker 1: I'm glad we're seeing it for the first time, probably

838
00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:54,759
Speaker 1: with a full packed house. Our buddy safe travels. Appreciate

839
00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:57,560
Speaker 1: your time, and uh, we'll see you on Sunday. Yeah,

840
00:40:57,640 --> 00:40:59,719
Speaker 1: thanks for having me guys, and uh we'll see in

841
00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:03,600
Speaker 1: a few days. Be welesome. Appreciate it. Evan. Thanks all right, guys.

842
00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:05,920
Speaker 1: Before we get to Ben Voland of the Boston Globe,

843
00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:08,399
Speaker 1: a quick note to let you know the Pepsi they're

844
00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:12,560
Speaker 1: handing out the Ultimate Chargers Fan Experience only at seven

845
00:41:12,719 --> 00:41:15,480
Speaker 1: eleven Russian scan the code enter for a chance to

846
00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:20,040
Speaker 1: win some awesome prizes. Bolt up with Pepsi No purchase necessary,

847
00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:24,839
Speaker 1: must be eighteen years or older. Sponsor PepsiCo. For official rules,

848
00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:30,279
Speaker 1: visit Bolta La dot com slash seven eleven. All right

849
00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:32,680
Speaker 1: to get this week's opposing view, Let's bring him in,

850
00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:37,080
Speaker 1: Ben voland Boston Globe. Ben does great work covering the

851
00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:42,359
Speaker 1: Pats a big one in Los Angeles Sunday. Ben, Absolutely,

852
00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,160
Speaker 1: this is a big game for the Patriots in the

853
00:41:45,239 --> 00:41:47,600
Speaker 1: AFC standings right now. It's never too early to look

854
00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:50,200
Speaker 1: at the playoff race. There's a whole cluster of teams

855
00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:52,839
Speaker 1: between five and two and three and four. No one's

856
00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:55,759
Speaker 1: really running away with the conference right now, so this

857
00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:57,560
Speaker 1: is a big game for the Patriots who are in

858
00:41:57,640 --> 00:42:00,839
Speaker 1: that three and four cluster. There three wins this year,

859
00:42:00,920 --> 00:42:02,920
Speaker 1: two or against the Jets and one against the Texans,

860
00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:05,920
Speaker 1: so they haven't really beaten any quality opponents yet. So

861
00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:07,520
Speaker 1: this is a big test for them. Can they go

862
00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:09,640
Speaker 1: on the road, how will they fare against I think

863
00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:12,640
Speaker 1: a very solid Chargers team that I think has always

864
00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:14,879
Speaker 1: had good talent and now you're really starting to see

865
00:42:14,920 --> 00:42:18,640
Speaker 1: it come together under Brandon Staley, who when he was

866
00:42:18,719 --> 00:42:23,200
Speaker 1: the coordinator for the Rams last year dominated the Patriots

867
00:42:23,239 --> 00:42:25,279
Speaker 1: and the tune of a twenty four three win for

868
00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:28,560
Speaker 1: the rams at so far, so he's done well before

869
00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:31,480
Speaker 1: obviously a new Patriots team with Mac Jones now a quarterback,

870
00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:34,839
Speaker 1: but this is a big pervo game. The Patriots really

871
00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:36,399
Speaker 1: could use a win to get to four and four

872
00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:38,440
Speaker 1: and stay in the thick of the AFC race. And

873
00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:40,600
Speaker 1: this is a big privo game for the Patriots at

874
00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:42,759
Speaker 1: the show who they are. Are they only a team

875
00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:44,840
Speaker 1: that beats up on the dregs of the league, or

876
00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:47,839
Speaker 1: are they a quality team here in the AFC? Ben

877
00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:52,640
Speaker 1: have expectations changed and of course my dog pops into

878
00:42:52,680 --> 00:42:54,920
Speaker 1: the screen here because that's just the way these things

879
00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:58,560
Speaker 1: have to work. Have expectations changed based on how Mac

880
00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:03,480
Speaker 1: Jones and the offense has played. What's funny is the

881
00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:07,759
Speaker 1: expectations were pretty high. I think enduring the season, I've

882
00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:10,719
Speaker 1: picked them to be eleven and six. You know, yeah,

883
00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:12,120
Speaker 1: I mean a lot of people around you know, maybe

884
00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:15,120
Speaker 1: we're just big Patriots hongs, but I think a lot

885
00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:17,520
Speaker 1: of us expected them to bounce back. My thinking was

886
00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:20,400
Speaker 1: they went seven and nine last year with not a

887
00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:23,560
Speaker 1: very good roster, and now they've I think upgraded a

888
00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:25,760
Speaker 1: lot of different areas on the roster and free agency,

889
00:43:25,840 --> 00:43:27,799
Speaker 1: spent a ton of money on both sides of the ball,

890
00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:31,319
Speaker 1: got all new weapons, new tight ends, Hunter Henry as

891
00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:33,360
Speaker 1: you guys know very well, John new Smith and Nelson

892
00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:37,600
Speaker 1: agilor Kendrick Bourne, beated up the defense, Matthew Judean as well.

893
00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:40,560
Speaker 1: And with the up you know, you would think it's

894
00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:43,080
Speaker 1: an upgrade at quarterback to Mac Jones as well. And

895
00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:45,320
Speaker 1: the schedule I don't think is quite as difficult. So

896
00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:47,440
Speaker 1: I think a lot of people around here and even

897
00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:50,960
Speaker 1: nashally were optimistic that this would be a ten win

898
00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:54,160
Speaker 1: team and a playoff contender, and they might get there.

899
00:43:54,239 --> 00:43:56,200
Speaker 1: I mean, it's they're not out of it by andy stretch,

900
00:43:56,280 --> 00:43:59,160
Speaker 1: but it's been definitely a slower start for them. They

901
00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:02,080
Speaker 1: started owing for at home before finally beating the Jets

902
00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:06,000
Speaker 1: last week. You know that a week one loss to

903
00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:08,920
Speaker 1: the Dolphins, that's just looking worse and worse, a bad

904
00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:11,640
Speaker 1: loss to the Saints as well. So a really slow start.

905
00:44:12,280 --> 00:44:15,080
Speaker 1: But the hallmark of Bill Belichick teams usually is that

906
00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:17,879
Speaker 1: they've built throughout the season. Again, that's why I think

907
00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:21,239
Speaker 1: this is such an important game against the Chargers coming up,

908
00:44:21,239 --> 00:44:23,960
Speaker 1: because it's it's a good chance for the Patriots to

909
00:44:24,120 --> 00:44:26,719
Speaker 1: prove that last week against the Jets wasn't just beating

910
00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:28,760
Speaker 1: up on a bad team, that the Patriots are starting

911
00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:32,520
Speaker 1: to find their legs and are building into something good here.

912
00:44:32,880 --> 00:44:35,360
Speaker 1: Mac has has shown good improvement. I think he's clearly

913
00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:38,200
Speaker 1: been the best of the rookie quarterback so far because

914
00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:40,760
Speaker 1: I think he has the best surrounding, the best teammates,

915
00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:44,400
Speaker 1: the best coaching. So, you know, the hope is that

916
00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:47,280
Speaker 1: the longer the season goes, Mac just feels more comfortable,

917
00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:50,080
Speaker 1: the offense opens up more. We'll see, it's a big

918
00:44:50,160 --> 00:44:53,080
Speaker 1: test this Sunday against the Chargers. Then let's keep it

919
00:44:53,160 --> 00:44:56,680
Speaker 1: on Mac. He seems to be ascending. You know, you

920
00:44:56,760 --> 00:44:59,440
Speaker 1: go toe for toe with with Tom Brady and Dak

921
00:44:59,480 --> 00:45:02,920
Speaker 1: Prescott at home, I'll be at losses. He's looked good

922
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:07,680
Speaker 1: the last few weeks, specifically our Patriots fans and you know,

923
00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:11,239
Speaker 1: Patriots coaches. Are they comfortable with where he is and

924
00:45:11,480 --> 00:45:14,640
Speaker 1: kind of where he's going at this point? It definitely

925
00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:16,680
Speaker 1: seems like it from the coaching staff and the fans

926
00:45:16,760 --> 00:45:19,239
Speaker 1: have been happy with Mac Jones as well. What's been

927
00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:21,799
Speaker 1: funny about the Patriots so far is you went into

928
00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:24,120
Speaker 1: the season thinking okay, rookie quarterback, but they've got a

929
00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:27,040
Speaker 1: veteran line, all these new veteran pieces around him. You

930
00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:29,279
Speaker 1: just need the rookie not to mess it up, and

931
00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:33,080
Speaker 1: you know, other players kind of lift him. Whereas throughout

932
00:45:33,160 --> 00:45:35,400
Speaker 1: the first quarter of the season it's been the guys

933
00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:39,200
Speaker 1: around mac Jones running back. So the four fumbles from

934
00:45:39,200 --> 00:45:41,919
Speaker 1: their running backs so far, including two in the red zone,

935
00:45:41,960 --> 00:45:44,680
Speaker 1: and lots of penalties, and the offensive line was a

936
00:45:44,840 --> 00:45:47,759
Speaker 1: revolving door for a while, and the defense had some

937
00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:50,799
Speaker 1: issues as well. And mac Jones has been I don't

938
00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:53,000
Speaker 1: think he's been great, but he's been steady and he's

939
00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:55,839
Speaker 1: shown some really good toughness. He pops right back up

940
00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:59,160
Speaker 1: every time he gets hit, he bounces back from interceptions. Well.

941
00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:02,160
Speaker 1: Against the Cowboys, he threw a pick six, came right

942
00:46:02,239 --> 00:46:04,160
Speaker 1: back on the next play, threw a seventy five yard

943
00:46:04,239 --> 00:46:06,520
Speaker 1: touchdown right at Trevon Diggs, the guy who had got

944
00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:09,680
Speaker 1: him on the on the previous play. So he's you know,

945
00:46:09,719 --> 00:46:13,040
Speaker 1: I think he's good for a rookie. You know, he's

946
00:46:13,080 --> 00:46:15,720
Speaker 1: not a Pro Bowl caliber player yet, but he's showing

947
00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:19,759
Speaker 1: that he can develop into that. And maybe, you know,

948
00:46:19,880 --> 00:46:22,080
Speaker 1: he had a very quick development in training camp. He

949
00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:24,800
Speaker 1: started off training camp I think significantly behind Cam Newton

950
00:46:25,040 --> 00:46:27,360
Speaker 1: and picked up really quickly. So maybe he can do

951
00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:29,360
Speaker 1: that during a regular season. Maybe it's a little bit

952
00:46:29,400 --> 00:46:31,279
Speaker 1: of a slow start he finds his legs, but then

953
00:46:31,360 --> 00:46:34,560
Speaker 1: once it clicks, this team can take off. So again,

954
00:46:34,640 --> 00:46:37,160
Speaker 1: I keep coming back to this big test this Sunday

955
00:46:37,160 --> 00:46:40,000
Speaker 1: against the Chargers Ben. I know the team doesn't want

956
00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:42,520
Speaker 1: to look back and they're always looking forward, but would

957
00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:45,480
Speaker 1: love to do it here. And just sinking back to

958
00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:48,000
Speaker 1: the last two times these teams played one in the

959
00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:51,400
Speaker 1: divisional round of the playoffs when at the coin toss

960
00:46:51,680 --> 00:46:55,719
Speaker 1: the Patriots won and elected to receive, and both DJ

961
00:46:56,000 --> 00:46:57,400
Speaker 1: and I, as we were calling the game, looked at

962
00:46:57,400 --> 00:46:59,799
Speaker 1: each other and went, oh, they got something figured out

963
00:47:00,400 --> 00:47:03,640
Speaker 1: that never happens. And then the last last year in

964
00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:06,120
Speaker 1: the forty five nothing game. Clearly, and you know, the

965
00:47:06,200 --> 00:47:08,200
Speaker 1: special teams had not been good going into that game,

966
00:47:08,239 --> 00:47:10,880
Speaker 1: but clearly they found something and they were just coming

967
00:47:11,040 --> 00:47:13,800
Speaker 1: hard after every punt. They felt like they could exploit

968
00:47:13,880 --> 00:47:16,839
Speaker 1: that facet of the game. And man did they going

969
00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:19,719
Speaker 1: into this game. Do you have a feel of what

970
00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:22,520
Speaker 1: maybe they see or how this game might look if

971
00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:26,719
Speaker 1: it is to go the Patriots way, they have to

972
00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:29,520
Speaker 1: play clean football. And it's funny you mentioned the special

973
00:47:29,600 --> 00:47:32,279
Speaker 1: teams last year. I forgot about all those special teams

974
00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:35,520
Speaker 1: players I didn't mention this year. The Patriots had two

975
00:47:35,640 --> 00:47:37,960
Speaker 1: punts block in their first six games, and prior to

976
00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:40,240
Speaker 1: this year they hadn't had one block since twenty fifteen.

977
00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:43,439
Speaker 1: So this has not been the Patriots we're used to seeing,

978
00:47:44,920 --> 00:47:47,200
Speaker 1: and that just adds to, like I said, the sloppiness

979
00:47:47,239 --> 00:47:50,320
Speaker 1: and just kind of giving the games away. So for

980
00:47:50,440 --> 00:47:53,520
Speaker 1: the Patriots, hopefully this is the second straight game they

981
00:47:53,560 --> 00:47:56,160
Speaker 1: have their offensive line combination. You know, they got Trent

982
00:47:56,280 --> 00:47:59,120
Speaker 1: Brown back from the Raiders and they had him pencil

983
00:47:59,239 --> 00:48:02,439
Speaker 1: in at right tack. He lasted seven snaps before hurting

984
00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:05,120
Speaker 1: his calf muscle in Week one against Miami. We haven't

985
00:48:05,160 --> 00:48:07,680
Speaker 1: seen him since and so it's just kind of been

986
00:48:07,719 --> 00:48:09,840
Speaker 1: a cascade effect. Then they had Covid hit two of

987
00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:12,480
Speaker 1: their guys. So finally last week they you know, they

988
00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:16,680
Speaker 1: got their five guys in the positions that they ideally

989
00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:19,160
Speaker 1: want them too, had a great game on offense. Mac

990
00:48:19,239 --> 00:48:21,440
Speaker 1: Jones was barely touched. So they've got to play a

991
00:48:21,520 --> 00:48:25,239
Speaker 1: clean game, you know, not many penalties. The offensive line

992
00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:28,520
Speaker 1: has to hold up well. Mac Jones can't let the

993
00:48:28,600 --> 00:48:30,640
Speaker 1: other team touch the football. He keeps talking about this,

994
00:48:30,840 --> 00:48:33,160
Speaker 1: that the defense has been getting their hands on the

995
00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:35,480
Speaker 1: football too much. He's been lucky. He's had a lot

996
00:48:35,520 --> 00:48:37,759
Speaker 1: of dropped interceptions. I think he has six on the

997
00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:40,840
Speaker 1: year six interceptions, and he could have easily had double that.

998
00:48:41,080 --> 00:48:43,800
Speaker 1: So he needs to be very careful with the football.

999
00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:46,440
Speaker 1: The Patriots are not a team that can overcome too

1000
00:48:46,480 --> 00:48:49,360
Speaker 1: many mistakes. When they play perfectly and clean foot fotball,

1001
00:48:49,840 --> 00:48:52,960
Speaker 1: they can definitely beat any team. But when they can

1002
00:48:53,040 --> 00:48:56,760
Speaker 1: commit a couple turnovers, when they're not executing and finishing

1003
00:48:57,080 --> 00:48:59,799
Speaker 1: red zone drives with touchdowns, that's when they run into

1004
00:48:59,840 --> 00:49:01,839
Speaker 1: try So. I think the Chargers are an excellent team.

1005
00:49:01,840 --> 00:49:04,279
Speaker 1: They're coming off and buy Brandon Stanley is going to

1006
00:49:04,320 --> 00:49:08,080
Speaker 1: have them ready to go. Justin Herbert is a fantastic quarterback.

1007
00:49:08,080 --> 00:49:09,759
Speaker 1: I think their plan on offense is going to be

1008
00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:12,000
Speaker 1: much better than what they had last year. So the

1009
00:49:12,320 --> 00:49:14,680
Speaker 1: Patriots are definitely gonna get everything that the Chargers can

1010
00:49:14,760 --> 00:49:17,120
Speaker 1: bring them, and it's gonna be a difficult challenge for

1011
00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:19,239
Speaker 1: the Patriots. I think to just play a clean game

1012
00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:22,960
Speaker 1: on Sunday. Man, I'm glad you mentioned the Rams Patriots

1013
00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:25,400
Speaker 1: game too, because that was like a four day span

1014
00:49:25,800 --> 00:49:28,440
Speaker 1: right where the Chargers played the Pets on Sunday, then

1015
00:49:28,480 --> 00:49:31,920
Speaker 1: they played the Rams on Thursday Night football. I realized

1016
00:49:31,960 --> 00:49:35,040
Speaker 1: that it's two different teams. But what did Brandon Stanley

1017
00:49:35,160 --> 00:49:38,960
Speaker 1: do defensively in that game? They gave the Patriots so

1018
00:49:39,040 --> 00:49:43,360
Speaker 1: much trouble. If I recall, it was really about the

1019
00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:46,800
Speaker 1: Rams speed on defense and the Patriots I think a

1020
00:49:46,920 --> 00:49:49,480
Speaker 1: roster last year. It was kind of a rest year

1021
00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:51,880
Speaker 1: for them. They didn't spend any money in free agency,

1022
00:49:52,400 --> 00:49:54,040
Speaker 1: they didn't have a whole lot of talent, and they

1023
00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:56,200
Speaker 1: definitely didn't have a whole lot of speed on offense,

1024
00:49:56,320 --> 00:49:59,040
Speaker 1: especially once Edelman went down. So I think they just

1025
00:49:59,120 --> 00:50:01,840
Speaker 1: stacked the line again Cam Newton, they dared him to

1026
00:50:01,880 --> 00:50:04,880
Speaker 1: throw deep. I don't think the Patriots passing him was

1027
00:50:04,960 --> 00:50:08,320
Speaker 1: executing too cleanly last year at that time, and the

1028
00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:11,600
Speaker 1: Rams just their speed. They just overwhelmed the Patriots on offense.

1029
00:50:11,640 --> 00:50:14,440
Speaker 1: And the Patriots were run based offense then too, and

1030
00:50:14,480 --> 00:50:16,719
Speaker 1: I just I don't think they can get anything going

1031
00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:20,600
Speaker 1: against a Rams defense that finished the year number one

1032
00:50:20,680 --> 00:50:23,040
Speaker 1: in many categories. So that was an excellent defense. I

1033
00:50:23,080 --> 00:50:27,120
Speaker 1: think the Chargers present many of the same problems. Joey Bosa,

1034
00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:29,280
Speaker 1: wherever he lines up, is gonna be a big problem.

1035
00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:32,680
Speaker 1: Isaiah Win, the Patriots left tackle, has not had a

1036
00:50:32,760 --> 00:50:35,759
Speaker 1: good season. He struggled with penalties, a few sacks, He

1037
00:50:35,840 --> 00:50:38,359
Speaker 1: had COVID that knocked him out a few weeks. If

1038
00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:40,480
Speaker 1: he goes up against the right tackle, he's going up

1039
00:50:40,520 --> 00:50:43,359
Speaker 1: against the guy Michael and one who who didn't start

1040
00:50:43,600 --> 00:50:45,080
Speaker 1: the season at that position, so it was kind of

1041
00:50:45,120 --> 00:50:48,880
Speaker 1: a backup there. So, you know, Joey Bosa, the Chargers,

1042
00:50:48,920 --> 00:50:50,960
Speaker 1: I think have a chance to be very disruptive upfront,

1043
00:50:51,040 --> 00:50:53,200
Speaker 1: and it's gonna be a big challenge for the Patriots

1044
00:50:53,239 --> 00:50:56,920
Speaker 1: offensive line. How's our old friend Hunter Henry Ben I mean,

1045
00:50:56,960 --> 00:50:58,560
Speaker 1: he's got a touchdown on each of the last four

1046
00:50:58,640 --> 00:51:02,200
Speaker 1: I mean they certainly look we miss Hunter's production and

1047
00:51:02,280 --> 00:51:04,560
Speaker 1: Ulso's presence. Just such a good dude. How has it

1048
00:51:04,640 --> 00:51:07,280
Speaker 1: been having him there in New England? Yeah, it definitely

1049
00:51:07,320 --> 00:51:10,040
Speaker 1: seems like a good dude. Not that we get too

1050
00:51:10,120 --> 00:51:12,440
Speaker 1: much face to face time with any of these guys anymore,

1051
00:51:12,520 --> 00:51:15,640
Speaker 1: but he's been definitely a welcome member of the Patriots

1052
00:51:15,760 --> 00:51:18,440
Speaker 1: and someone who has come on after a slow start.

1053
00:51:19,080 --> 00:51:21,960
Speaker 1: You mentioned four straight to a touchdown on four straight games,

1054
00:51:22,200 --> 00:51:24,800
Speaker 1: so he's become a very reliable target for Mac Jones.

1055
00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:27,719
Speaker 1: Not a high volume receiver, but you know he's not

1056
00:51:27,840 --> 00:51:31,239
Speaker 1: catching ten for one twenty, but big target in the

1057
00:51:31,280 --> 00:51:34,120
Speaker 1: red zone. And you know, they've been like the Patriots

1058
00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:36,800
Speaker 1: due they've been using him to chip defensive ends and

1059
00:51:36,920 --> 00:51:39,000
Speaker 1: to stay in on blitz protection once in a while,

1060
00:51:39,080 --> 00:51:41,480
Speaker 1: and definitely in run blocking, so they're using him as

1061
00:51:41,480 --> 00:51:44,480
Speaker 1: a true three down tight end. He's been more consistent

1062
00:51:44,560 --> 00:51:47,120
Speaker 1: than John new Smith. Through the first three games, it

1063
00:51:47,200 --> 00:51:49,399
Speaker 1: was looking pretty disappointing. I mean, they spent a lot

1064
00:51:49,480 --> 00:51:51,280
Speaker 1: of money on these two tight ends and weren't getting

1065
00:51:51,360 --> 00:51:54,759
Speaker 1: much production. Henry has come on. John new Smith has

1066
00:51:54,800 --> 00:51:56,279
Speaker 1: been a little slower. He made a couple of big

1067
00:51:56,320 --> 00:51:58,239
Speaker 1: plays last week against the Jets, but they got hurt.

1068
00:51:58,280 --> 00:51:59,920
Speaker 1: So we're not quite sure where John new Smith is

1069
00:52:00,000 --> 00:52:02,719
Speaker 1: going to be this week yet. But Hanter Henry has

1070
00:52:02,719 --> 00:52:05,480
Speaker 1: been a nice a nice signing for them. I think

1071
00:52:05,520 --> 00:52:08,280
Speaker 1: they probably had to overpay for him, probably not matching

1072
00:52:08,400 --> 00:52:11,680
Speaker 1: the salary, but he's been a very solid weapon for

1073
00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:15,080
Speaker 1: them and I think only developing a better and better

1074
00:52:15,200 --> 00:52:18,600
Speaker 1: rapport with Mac Jones. Then when you look at this

1075
00:52:18,719 --> 00:52:22,640
Speaker 1: Chargers offense led by Justin Herbert, and you see some

1076
00:52:22,760 --> 00:52:25,239
Speaker 1: of the weapons with Mike Williams, who's having an All

1077
00:52:25,280 --> 00:52:28,600
Speaker 1: Pros start to twenty twenty one, and Keenan Allen, Austin

1078
00:52:28,640 --> 00:52:32,319
Speaker 1: Ekeler in the backfield. Based on what you've seen from

1079
00:52:32,560 --> 00:52:36,920
Speaker 1: this Patriots defense, what part of this Chargers offense you

1080
00:52:37,000 --> 00:52:42,120
Speaker 1: think presents the biggest challenge Their size. Those receivers are big,

1081
00:52:42,400 --> 00:52:45,279
Speaker 1: and the Patriots don't have step On Gilmour anymore. And

1082
00:52:46,200 --> 00:52:49,080
Speaker 1: you know they have this third round, a third year player,

1083
00:52:49,160 --> 00:52:52,680
Speaker 1: joe On Williams, who is another big corner. He's like

1084
00:52:52,760 --> 00:52:55,080
Speaker 1: six foot three, but he's not step On Gilmore and

1085
00:52:55,160 --> 00:52:57,800
Speaker 1: he got benched a couple of weeks ago after getting

1086
00:52:57,840 --> 00:53:01,040
Speaker 1: beaten on a couple of big plays. The Patriots, they

1087
00:53:01,160 --> 00:53:03,960
Speaker 1: just put their slot corner Jonathan Jones on I R.

1088
00:53:04,040 --> 00:53:05,920
Speaker 1: I don't know how much run he, frankly would have

1089
00:53:05,960 --> 00:53:08,000
Speaker 1: gotten in a game like this against all these big receivers.

1090
00:53:08,080 --> 00:53:12,040
Speaker 1: But you know JC Jackson, Jalen Mills, they they're solid cornerbacks.

1091
00:53:12,120 --> 00:53:14,960
Speaker 1: JC Jackson is a very good corner, but they don't

1092
00:53:14,960 --> 00:53:17,319
Speaker 1: have size, and they've been beaten on some jump balls

1093
00:53:17,400 --> 00:53:20,799
Speaker 1: this year, and so just the size and the physicality

1094
00:53:20,840 --> 00:53:24,160
Speaker 1: of the guys on the outside. I just see Herbert

1095
00:53:24,200 --> 00:53:26,480
Speaker 1: testing that over and over, especially once they get down

1096
00:53:26,520 --> 00:53:28,560
Speaker 1: to the red zone. It's gonna be it's gonna be

1097
00:53:28,640 --> 00:53:30,080
Speaker 1: tough for the Patriots. I don't know if they match

1098
00:53:30,160 --> 00:53:32,239
Speaker 1: up with Man or if they go to more zone concepts.

1099
00:53:32,719 --> 00:53:35,680
Speaker 1: We don't know what Devin mccordy, what his status is

1100
00:53:35,719 --> 00:53:37,560
Speaker 1: gonna be. He left last week with an injury. He's

1101
00:53:37,560 --> 00:53:40,399
Speaker 1: like the quarterback of the defense, you know, playing free

1102
00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:43,680
Speaker 1: safety back there. So I just think the size and

1103
00:53:43,719 --> 00:53:47,919
Speaker 1: the physicality of the Chargers receivers and of course having

1104
00:53:47,960 --> 00:53:50,680
Speaker 1: a quarterback in Herbert who can put the ball anywhere

1105
00:53:50,680 --> 00:53:52,160
Speaker 1: he wants. I think that's gonna be a big challenge

1106
00:53:52,200 --> 00:53:55,440
Speaker 1: for the Patriots. Last thing for me, Ben you mentioned it. Ben,

1107
00:53:55,880 --> 00:53:59,719
Speaker 1: you mentioned Stefan Gilmour, and when words started the leak

1108
00:53:59,800 --> 00:54:01,800
Speaker 1: out that he was going to be made available or

1109
00:54:01,880 --> 00:54:04,520
Speaker 1: maybe was waived, a lot of Charger fans got excited

1110
00:54:05,160 --> 00:54:08,640
Speaker 1: about potentially adding him ends up going to Carolina. Just

1111
00:54:09,160 --> 00:54:11,840
Speaker 1: kind of what you thought about that transaction and how

1112
00:54:11,960 --> 00:54:15,320
Speaker 1: much your thoughts Stefan Gilmore had left, was not a

1113
00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:19,880
Speaker 1: fan of it, very critical of the return that Belichick

1114
00:54:19,960 --> 00:54:22,160
Speaker 1: got on the trade. They were going to release him,

1115
00:54:22,200 --> 00:54:24,719
Speaker 1: and then it was they got a sixth round pick

1116
00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:27,759
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty three, and then reports came out that

1117
00:54:28,040 --> 00:54:32,560
Speaker 1: they didn't really shot Gilmore, that Carolina called and that's

1118
00:54:32,920 --> 00:54:36,600
Speaker 1: Gilmore's from there. And I think Belichick actually really respects Gilmore,

1119
00:54:36,600 --> 00:54:37,920
Speaker 1: and I think he wanted to do him a solid

1120
00:54:38,000 --> 00:54:40,440
Speaker 1: by sending him to a place that you know, obviously

1121
00:54:40,520 --> 00:54:42,160
Speaker 1: in the NFC, doesn't have as much to do with

1122
00:54:42,280 --> 00:54:44,200
Speaker 1: the Patriots, but I think you wanted to do right

1123
00:54:44,239 --> 00:54:46,239
Speaker 1: by Gilmore, and so I think some other teams were

1124
00:54:46,320 --> 00:54:47,800
Speaker 1: scratching their head, like, hey, we would have paid that,

1125
00:54:47,920 --> 00:54:50,640
Speaker 1: or we would have given you more for step On Gilmore,

1126
00:54:50,680 --> 00:54:53,200
Speaker 1: who I know he's coming off with torn quad, but

1127
00:54:53,320 --> 00:54:55,799
Speaker 1: I think he's still a very good player, only two

1128
00:54:55,880 --> 00:54:58,600
Speaker 1: seasons removed from Defensive Player of the Year, was still

1129
00:54:58,640 --> 00:55:01,640
Speaker 1: playing at a Pro Bowl level next year. I'm surprised

1130
00:55:01,680 --> 00:55:04,520
Speaker 1: the Patriots traded. I know they needed some cap space,

1131
00:55:04,560 --> 00:55:06,480
Speaker 1: so I think that's ultimately what it came down to.

1132
00:55:06,680 --> 00:55:09,479
Speaker 1: But my whole thing was they've known for a while

1133
00:55:09,600 --> 00:55:11,960
Speaker 1: for two years now that his contract was an issue.

1134
00:55:12,000 --> 00:55:14,560
Speaker 1: So I would have traded him sooner and tried to

1135
00:55:14,640 --> 00:55:17,160
Speaker 1: get an actual return on him, or I would have

1136
00:55:17,280 --> 00:55:19,320
Speaker 1: kept him. They need him. Their depth in the secondary

1137
00:55:19,400 --> 00:55:21,520
Speaker 1: isn't that great, and I still think he's a good player.

1138
00:55:21,680 --> 00:55:24,600
Speaker 1: But for whatever reason, they couldn't come to an agreement

1139
00:55:24,680 --> 00:55:26,920
Speaker 1: on the contract, and I guess they decided that he

1140
00:55:27,040 --> 00:55:30,040
Speaker 1: just wouldn't play here because Gilmore is playing on his

1141
00:55:30,120 --> 00:55:32,120
Speaker 1: contract with the Panthers. He didn't get a new deal.

1142
00:55:32,320 --> 00:55:35,920
Speaker 1: So I don't quite understand. Belichick doesn't explain these things

1143
00:55:35,960 --> 00:55:38,120
Speaker 1: to us. You know why they couldn't keep him or

1144
00:55:38,160 --> 00:55:40,560
Speaker 1: what have you. But you know they trade him away

1145
00:55:40,560 --> 00:55:43,640
Speaker 1: and got a can of soup for him, So I

1146
00:55:43,840 --> 00:55:47,120
Speaker 1: don't love the trade. And now that they lose Jonathan

1147
00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:49,440
Speaker 1: Jones and I are that you see how thin the

1148
00:55:49,520 --> 00:55:53,840
Speaker 1: secondary is right now? Very Northeast restaurant reference. There a

1149
00:55:53,920 --> 00:56:00,239
Speaker 1: can of soup fall and slash winter has arrived, no question. Look,

1150
00:56:00,440 --> 00:56:03,160
Speaker 1: you know, Ben, that's one to watch, that secondary versus

1151
00:56:03,160 --> 00:56:05,759
Speaker 1: the charge of wide receivers. We appreciate your time. I

1152
00:56:05,840 --> 00:56:07,920
Speaker 1: know you're a busy man this week up at owners

1153
00:56:08,000 --> 00:56:11,520
Speaker 1: meetings and covering the paths and safe travels. We look

1154
00:56:11,520 --> 00:56:14,080
Speaker 1: forward to seeing you out here in La on Sunday. Well,

1155
00:56:14,120 --> 00:56:16,640
Speaker 1: I thank you the Patriots. We just got dumped with

1156
00:56:16,719 --> 00:56:19,200
Speaker 1: the nor easter like several inches of rain, so please

1157
00:56:19,280 --> 00:56:21,680
Speaker 1: just give me some sunshine California. That's all I have.

1158
00:56:22,239 --> 00:56:24,399
Speaker 1: You're gonna be good. You're you're gonna be good. You'll

1159
00:56:24,480 --> 00:56:26,360
Speaker 1: enjoy it. Ben, You're gonna get seven to d and

1160
00:56:26,400 --> 00:56:29,480
Speaker 1: maybe a little breeze. It's gonna be nice, excellent. Thank

1161
00:56:29,560 --> 00:56:31,759
Speaker 1: you for that. All right, Ben, We'll see you buddy,

1162
00:56:32,120 --> 00:56:36,280
Speaker 1: all right, take care, guys. All right, money good stuff

1163
00:56:36,680 --> 00:56:39,319
Speaker 1: from New England. Courtesy of Ben Bowling. Thanks to Evan

1164
00:56:39,360 --> 00:56:42,960
Speaker 1: Washburn for joining us as well. Your keys to the game.

1165
00:56:43,160 --> 00:56:44,480
Speaker 1: What do the Charges need to do to get to

1166
00:56:44,600 --> 00:56:48,200
Speaker 1: five and two? Big time game in the AFC, could

1167
00:56:48,239 --> 00:56:51,480
Speaker 1: have Wildcard implications. Yeah, look, I think I'm just gonna

1168
00:56:51,480 --> 00:56:53,279
Speaker 1: steal it from Ben and clean. It's gotta be a

1169
00:56:53,320 --> 00:56:57,080
Speaker 1: clean game, and to me, that's special teams. I don't

1170
00:56:57,080 --> 00:56:59,600
Speaker 1: think it's a coincidence that you know that they went

1171
00:56:59,640 --> 00:57:02,879
Speaker 1: out got Dustin Hopkins, that they went out and got

1172
00:57:03,239 --> 00:57:05,879
Speaker 1: Andre Roberts and they recognized that, you know, these games

1173
00:57:05,920 --> 00:57:08,400
Speaker 1: are probably gonna be tight, you know, like like everybody

1174
00:57:08,400 --> 00:57:10,120
Speaker 1: you know, Evan said, and Ben said, and we've been

1175
00:57:10,160 --> 00:57:13,680
Speaker 1: talking about the AFC is tight, man. It's it's slim

1176
00:57:13,800 --> 00:57:15,839
Speaker 1: margins that are going to separate teams that end up

1177
00:57:15,840 --> 00:57:18,280
Speaker 1: getting into the tournament and those that don't. And I

1178
00:57:18,320 --> 00:57:21,480
Speaker 1: think ultimately it's it's gonna come down to a couple

1179
00:57:21,560 --> 00:57:25,400
Speaker 1: plays here and there. Take care of the football, especially

1180
00:57:25,480 --> 00:57:28,920
Speaker 1: on special teams, make those kicks. And I think against

1181
00:57:29,080 --> 00:57:31,960
Speaker 1: a Bill Belichick coach Patriots team, look you said it,

1182
00:57:32,600 --> 00:57:36,600
Speaker 1: they're in those games against the Cowboys, against the Patriots.

1183
00:57:36,640 --> 00:57:37,960
Speaker 1: I mean, they are right in the thick of it,

1184
00:57:38,040 --> 00:57:42,040
Speaker 1: and I would expect nothing different. So minimize mistakes, capitalize

1185
00:57:42,040 --> 00:57:44,680
Speaker 1: on their mistakes. Like he said, you got six interceptions

1186
00:57:44,720 --> 00:57:47,360
Speaker 1: from Mac Jones, there could be six more. You cannot

1187
00:57:47,440 --> 00:57:52,200
Speaker 1: drop those. Take advantage of your opportunities and play clean.

1188
00:57:52,280 --> 00:57:53,760
Speaker 1: And like I said, I think this is going to

1189
00:57:53,840 --> 00:57:57,640
Speaker 1: be a tight, tight contest. I'm so glad. Ben mentioned

1190
00:57:57,680 --> 00:58:00,800
Speaker 1: the fact that the Rams played the Hatrios four days

1191
00:58:00,920 --> 00:58:04,320
Speaker 1: later and Brandon Staley was at the controls of that defense.

1192
00:58:04,400 --> 00:58:07,360
Speaker 1: So you know, everyone points to last year. What the

1193
00:58:07,480 --> 00:58:12,200
Speaker 1: defense is different, the system is different. The Rams have

1194
00:58:12,480 --> 00:58:14,840
Speaker 1: some pretty good personnel that had some really good person

1195
00:58:14,880 --> 00:58:17,360
Speaker 1: a last year too with the John Johnson back there

1196
00:58:17,760 --> 00:58:21,880
Speaker 1: to go with Ramsey and Donald. But you wonder if Staley,

1197
00:58:22,080 --> 00:58:25,600
Speaker 1: you know, has at least some recent familiarity with game

1198
00:58:25,680 --> 00:58:29,440
Speaker 1: plan against the Patriots and what that could look like Sunday. Yeah. Look,

1199
00:58:29,520 --> 00:58:31,880
Speaker 1: I think the other key to Chris is just health.

1200
00:58:32,080 --> 00:58:34,000
Speaker 1: That the fact that they're going to get justin Jones,

1201
00:58:34,240 --> 00:58:35,560
Speaker 1: Like I said, you know, we said it at the top,

1202
00:58:35,600 --> 00:58:37,760
Speaker 1: I'll just book end it with the same thing. Middle

1203
00:58:37,800 --> 00:58:40,120
Speaker 1: of that defense is back. You know, nas Adderly has

1204
00:58:40,120 --> 00:58:41,440
Speaker 1: been to some degree on Harold that he had a

1205
00:58:41,480 --> 00:58:43,520
Speaker 1: little bit of a rough start, but he really started

1206
00:58:43,560 --> 00:58:47,760
Speaker 1: to come on, specifically in run fills and trying to

1207
00:58:47,840 --> 00:58:50,160
Speaker 1: help shore up that run defense. He was huge, you

1208
00:58:50,240 --> 00:58:52,600
Speaker 1: know in a couple of games, and that facet Drew

1209
00:58:52,680 --> 00:58:56,560
Speaker 1: Trankwill has been fantastic, particularly in run fills. His timing

1210
00:58:56,680 --> 00:59:00,560
Speaker 1: and his vision and his anticipation is just exception. So

1211
00:59:01,120 --> 00:59:04,000
Speaker 1: having those three guys in the middle of the football field,

1212
00:59:04,000 --> 00:59:06,640
Speaker 1: I think is going to go a long long way

1213
00:59:07,480 --> 00:59:10,560
Speaker 1: for this team. You know, not only here this Sunday

1214
00:59:10,560 --> 00:59:12,360
Speaker 1: against the Patriot, but when you hit the road against

1215
00:59:12,400 --> 00:59:14,920
Speaker 1: the Eagles, and look, this is a there's a nasty

1216
00:59:15,000 --> 00:59:17,800
Speaker 1: start to the season in terms of opponents. This is

1217
00:59:17,880 --> 00:59:19,640
Speaker 1: kind of a spot where you gotta make some money.

1218
00:59:19,840 --> 00:59:22,960
Speaker 1: You know, you Ben said it. You know, really hard

1219
00:59:23,000 --> 00:59:25,360
Speaker 1: to stomach that loss to the Dolphins to start the season.

1220
00:59:25,880 --> 00:59:28,080
Speaker 1: If you're the Patriots and you know he's projecting them

1221
00:59:28,080 --> 00:59:30,200
Speaker 1: to go eleven and six, ten and seven in that range,

1222
00:59:30,280 --> 00:59:34,040
Speaker 1: that's a tough one. Cannot afford any losses at Baltimore,

1223
00:59:34,120 --> 00:59:35,720
Speaker 1: losses to the Cowboys, one of the top teams in

1224
00:59:35,720 --> 00:59:38,360
Speaker 1: the nca Okay, you know especially you know the Cowboys

1225
00:59:38,360 --> 00:59:40,440
Speaker 1: as tight as it was a last second, fifty whatever,

1226
00:59:40,520 --> 00:59:42,960
Speaker 1: six yard field goal. But he's say games you gotta win.

1227
00:59:43,000 --> 00:59:45,320
Speaker 1: It's a home game against a rebuilding Patriots team, it's

1228
00:59:45,320 --> 00:59:47,680
Speaker 1: an away game against a struggling Philadelphia team. Just that

1229
00:59:47,720 --> 00:59:51,320
Speaker 1: two weeks snapshot. Gotta gotta have these games. Yeah, you

1230
00:59:51,360 --> 00:59:53,120
Speaker 1: don't want to look back at a game and say, man,

1231
00:59:53,240 --> 00:59:55,200
Speaker 1: if only we won this one, because because that was

1232
00:59:55,280 --> 00:59:57,040
Speaker 1: all of last year, right, yes it was, now it

1233
00:59:57,080 --> 00:59:59,680
Speaker 1: was all of last year. You can stomach being four

1234
00:59:59,800 --> 01:00:02,120
Speaker 1: two losing to the Cowboys of Ravens, who are combined

1235
01:00:02,160 --> 01:00:06,200
Speaker 1: ten and three games like you said it, Sunday games

1236
01:00:06,240 --> 01:00:08,400
Speaker 1: against Philly the following week. You gotta get them. You

1237
01:00:08,480 --> 01:00:11,520
Speaker 1: gotta stack these wins. So I'm excited for it. It

1238
01:00:11,920 --> 01:00:13,360
Speaker 1: was nice to have a week off. Good to be

1239
01:00:13,440 --> 01:00:16,240
Speaker 1: back money. That's gonna do it for us. Big. Thanks

1240
01:00:16,280 --> 01:00:19,320
Speaker 1: to Ben, big, thanks to Evan. We appreciate you guys

1241
01:00:19,440 --> 01:00:24,360
Speaker 1: listening wherever you listen YouTube full episodes on video as

1242
01:00:24,440 --> 01:00:27,400
Speaker 1: well as the Chargers app. Have a great weekend, enjoy

1243
01:00:27,480 --> 01:00:30,680
Speaker 1: the game on Sunday for money. I'm Chris. We'll see

1244
01:00:30,680 --> 01:00:31,160
Speaker 1: you next time.