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Speaker 1: All right, guys, Before we get started today, a big

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Speaker 1: thank you to our partner, Microsoft Surface celebrating ten years

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Speaker 1: of partnership with the NFL. As the official laptop, tablet,

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Speaker 1: and sideline technology provider for the LA Chargers. Microsoft Surface

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Speaker 1: provides players and coaches with the tools to succeed both

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Speaker 1: on and off the field every day. Learn more about

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Speaker 1: Surface at surface dot com and welcome into the Final

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Speaker 1: Drive as the Chargers beat the Miami Dolphins twenty three

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Speaker 1: to seventeen in Week fourteen, as always, joined by team

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Speaker 1: reporter Haley Elwood and senior writer Eric Smith. And guys,

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Speaker 1: I think everybody's been waiting for this type of game

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Speaker 1: from the Chargers. They were shorthanded on defense. They got

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Speaker 1: it done, but I think Haley most importantly, they got

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Speaker 1: it done against a playoff caliber opponent. And sometimes you

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Speaker 1: need to do something to actually believe that you can

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Speaker 1: do it. And hopefully this starts a little bit of

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Speaker 1: momentum for the Chargers. Yeah. I mean this is their

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Speaker 1: first win, I believe against a team with a winning record,

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Speaker 1: their first win against a team that you mentioned it

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Speaker 1: is in prime playoff contention. We talked about it last week.

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Speaker 1: When you look at this two game stretch. This was

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Speaker 1: a big one considering the fact that the Dolphins are

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Speaker 1: in the thick of the AFC wildcard race and that

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Speaker 1: AFC East and so we'll win against them with potential

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Speaker 1: tiebreakers on the line, would be huge, and it was

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Speaker 1: I think a lot of the conversation, it's not even

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Speaker 1: a think A lot of the conversation going into this

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Speaker 1: game was about the quarterbacks, but I don't care about

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Speaker 1: them at this point. This game was about the defense.

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Speaker 1: This game was about the Chargers defense finding a way

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Speaker 1: against a really, really prime offensive opponent that has been

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Speaker 1: lighting it up all year. And we knew coming into

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Speaker 1: this game. It's not hyperbole to say you don't have

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Speaker 1: Derwin James, you don't have Bryce Callahan, you don't have

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Speaker 1: Sebastian Joseph Day, and you're sitting there going, how the

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Speaker 1: heck are you going to get this done against that

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Speaker 1: Miami offense. But as Brandon Staley said last night, they

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Speaker 1: were up for the challenge and they answered it. Answered

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Speaker 1: that challenge, and it was very very clear that they

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Speaker 1: had a game plan that was solid defensively, that was

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Speaker 1: executed nearly flawlessly. You had contributions from guys like Morgan

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Speaker 1: Fox and Kyle van Noy getting sacks, and we've talked

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Speaker 1: a lot about who can help pick up that pressure

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Speaker 1: and get that pressure. It was a full team defensive

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Speaker 1: win in that regard, and not to slight the offense

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Speaker 1: at all. There are some things to be said about

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Speaker 1: their red zone production, but defensively, this is the game

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Speaker 1: that's like, where is this defense? Ben? You know, we've

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Speaker 1: seen Travis Kelsey and DeVante Adams and Josh Jacob's lighte

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Speaker 1: this unit up over the last few weeks. But to

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Speaker 1: see them lock it down you mentioned it. This is

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Speaker 1: the type of performance. Build off of it. Let's go

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Speaker 1: like we're in December. We're playing meaningful football right now.

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Speaker 1: This team is so this is what you want to

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Speaker 1: see at this point, they, as they said, answered that challenge. Now,

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Speaker 1: in my opinion, it's time to just keep it going

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Speaker 1: and keep it rolling. Yeah, Haley, just to beck you

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Speaker 1: up here too. His numbers ten of twenty eight, one

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Speaker 1: hundred and forty five yards and a touchdown. Sixty of

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Speaker 1: those forty five yards came on one play, and the

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Speaker 1: Chargers allowed seventeen points. Seven of those points came on

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Speaker 1: a broken fumble. Recovery. The worst guy on the field

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Speaker 1: if you're the Chargers got it and had nothing but

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Speaker 1: but green in front of him. Eric. You know, we'll

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Speaker 1: get more into the defense, but what a difference. Mike

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Speaker 1: Williams and Keenan Allen on the field together for four

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Speaker 1: quarters makes Justin Herbert played really really well thirty nine

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Speaker 1: to fifty one, three hundred and sixty seven yards and

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Speaker 1: a touchdown and Mike six for one sixteen and a touchdown.

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Speaker 1: I'm not sure we really knew how healthy Mike was

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Speaker 1: gonna be coming into this one, and it didn't take

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Speaker 1: long to know that he was ready to go. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: he was. He was ready to go. He was such

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Speaker 1: a big piece and a needed piece and an added piece.

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Speaker 1: I would doing some research on Friday and I was like, Okay,

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Speaker 1: this is gonna be you know, Mike is coming back, Keenan,

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Speaker 1: we'll be back, and Josh Palmer will play. And I'm

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Speaker 1: trying to figure out when the last time the three

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Speaker 1: of them were on the field together was like for

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Speaker 1: a full game, and it hasn't happened this year. I mean,

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Speaker 1: the last time they were all together to start a

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Speaker 1: game was was Week one. Because even when Keenan came

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Speaker 1: back in week seven, Palmer did not play, and then

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Speaker 1: Mike missed time. And it's just like been like a

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Speaker 1: such a such a like a shuffle between those three guys.

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Speaker 1: And I think much like we saw like on the

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Speaker 1: defensive side, like you know, we were kind of waiting

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Speaker 1: for this game, you know, waiting for him to show up.

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Speaker 1: I had been waiting for the offense to kind of

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Speaker 1: break out like this. I know it's only twenty three points,

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Speaker 1: but you know, we talked about the red zone. Well,

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Speaker 1: this could have easily been a forty to seventeen game

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Speaker 1: if the offense can just execute inside the twenty. And

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Speaker 1: that's kind of been a theme all year and want

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Speaker 1: to like track that the rect of the way. But yeah,

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Speaker 1: just having Mike and Keenan back and Josh Palmer, it's

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Speaker 1: so big for Justin Herbert and I thought the play

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Speaker 1: that really stood out was the fifty five yard past

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Speaker 1: and Mike because at that point, Justin's just like if

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Speaker 1: it I'm just gonna throw it up to Mike and

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Speaker 1: he's gonna make a play. And that element has been

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Speaker 1: missing from the Chargers offense probably most of the year,

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Speaker 1: and so to have that back. It's huge. I thought

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Speaker 1: it was probably one of the best offensive performances of

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Speaker 1: the entire year. And again, that's only twenty three points.

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Speaker 1: You think, you know that they if they scored forty

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Speaker 1: or something, we'd be talking about how great it was.

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Speaker 1: But I think the offense left a lot out there

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Speaker 1: but also showed a lot And much like Hayley said

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Speaker 1: about the defense, like let's go for them, I feel

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Speaker 1: the same way about the offense, like let's go. I

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Speaker 1: think this offense has a lot of potential in the

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Speaker 1: final four games. Haley, I want to talk about just

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Speaker 1: how what a complete game I guess this was for

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Speaker 1: this team, and I think the offense really allowed this

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Speaker 1: shorthanded defense to play it its best. The defense was

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Speaker 1: only on the field for twenty minutes in this game,

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Speaker 1: so I feel like that's such a huge thing. They

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Speaker 1: had twenty nine more lays than Miami, so yes, they

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Speaker 1: could have cashed it in the red zone a few

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Speaker 1: more times and put up some more points. But the

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Speaker 1: fact that they kept the ball away from Towah in

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Speaker 1: this offense and then once two in this offense was

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Speaker 1: on the field, the Chargers defense really did its thing. Man,

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Speaker 1: I couldn't have been more impressed with just how they

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Speaker 1: played team defense without some of these stars. You know,

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Speaker 1: we tend to forget that, all right. Not only was

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Speaker 1: Bryce and Sebastian and Der went out, but you know,

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Speaker 1: you lose Austin Johnson a month ago. Joey hasn't been

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Speaker 1: in this lineup, No j C. Jackson, So these guys

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Speaker 1: have really had to battle, and they put together their

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Speaker 1: best defensive performance. Yeah, they absolutely did. And I think

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Speaker 1: when you mentioned the offense helping them out in terms

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Speaker 1: of time of possession, look at that final drive in

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Speaker 1: the fourth quarter that ended in a field goal. Seventeen plays,

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Speaker 1: eight minutes and thirty nine seconds, and at that point,

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Speaker 1: you know it was tight seventeen plays, but like score wise,

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Speaker 1: it was tight. So you did those three. Those were

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Speaker 1: a crucial three. You would have loved again to cash

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Speaker 1: in with six, but the three, You'll take the three

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Speaker 1: at that point because you took a ridiculous amount of

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Speaker 1: time off the clock seventeen plays. And that was as

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Speaker 1: I had tweeted, the Keenan Allen drive. He's getting, you know,

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Speaker 1: key conversions on third down, eighteen yards on second and seven.

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Speaker 1: Just obviously that trust factor is there, and I think

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Speaker 1: when you look at that, it is what you want.

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Speaker 1: And you know, again, as we've talked a numerous times,

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Speaker 1: they haven't played a lot together this year, but now

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Speaker 1: maybe they're kind of hitting their stride and maybe this

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Speaker 1: is the time of year where you want to do that.

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Speaker 1: But defensively, again, it's it was complete and this is

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Speaker 1: something that this team has talked about a lot, just

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Speaker 1: wanting to play a complete game, wanting to have all

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Speaker 1: the sides compliment each other. And I think you saw

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Speaker 1: that last night. I think you saw the fact that

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Speaker 1: the defense was just putting the pressure on the Dolphins.

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Speaker 1: The Dolphins, I don't know what the heck was happening

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Speaker 1: with them. I mean, I think you saw it in

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Speaker 1: San Francisco the week prior, but just not accurate. But again,

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Speaker 1: and huge contributions from Michael Davis and a Looie Gilman

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Speaker 1: and guys Asante, guys on this in the secondary who

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Speaker 1: had a huge, huge challenge but made the most of it.

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Speaker 1: But it all worked together, and Staley said they were tight,

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Speaker 1: they were connected, and he said it's been hard because

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Speaker 1: we've obviously had a lot of attrition throughout this season,

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Speaker 1: so at times it's been tough to find that. And

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Speaker 1: it's kind of ironic that you say, Okay, well you

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Speaker 1: lose Derwin, Sebastian and Bryce for this game and get

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Speaker 1: they're tight, they're playing super super connected together. But they

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Speaker 1: didn't and they found a way. And I think at

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Speaker 1: that point, like we mentioned it, when you look at

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Speaker 1: both sides just kind of complimenting each other, that's what

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Speaker 1: you want. And it hasn't happened many times this season,

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Speaker 1: and sometimes you've sort of eked out these wins, but

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Speaker 1: this was a game that you felt they were in

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Speaker 1: control of for the most part, and certainly those long

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Speaker 1: drives definitely helped supplement that defense as well. A couple

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Speaker 1: stats here, Eric that stood out to me, Dolphins three

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Speaker 1: of eleven on third down, the Chargers nine of eighteen.

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Speaker 1: I mentioned that the Chargers ran twenty nine more plays.

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Speaker 1: They both had eleven drives each Um and to Haley's

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Speaker 1: point that was that was strange for me to see

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Speaker 1: two a play the way he did. Um ten of

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Speaker 1: ten of twenty eight, one hundred and twenty seven yards UM.

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Speaker 1: I was surprised that they didn't run the football is

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Speaker 1: as much as I thought they were going to run

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Speaker 1: the football. Um, but shoot, man, you give the Chargers

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Speaker 1: credit that they had a game plan for two that

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Speaker 1: they obviously have enough tape on them to see what

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Speaker 1: Mike McDaniel has been doing with him all season long,

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Speaker 1: and it's sure paid off. Yeah. I thought it was

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Speaker 1: the maybe one of the best like defensive game plans

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Speaker 1: of the season for the Chargers, obviously on defense. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, and I asked alohe after the game, I said,

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Speaker 1: you know, with this sort of a statement game for

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Speaker 1: you guy, because like you said, you know, they I

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Speaker 1: think I kind of there down. I think sixth starter

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Speaker 1: from what we've thought they'd have in the preseason with

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Speaker 1: you know, a bunch of big name guys. He said. Yeah.

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Speaker 1: But He's like, we kind of knew during the week

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Speaker 1: that we were going to play well on Sunday. He

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Speaker 1: said at practice on Wednesday. I guess it was a walkthrough,

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Speaker 1: but he said, guys who were dancing around, handshakes like

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Speaker 1: they were just like a vibe coming from the team.

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Speaker 1: Um that that sort of carried over through the week

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Speaker 1: and carried over to Sunday for sure. You know, if

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Speaker 1: we're talking about guys who stepped up, I would throw

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Speaker 1: Jacre Taylor into that mix for sure. I mean he'd

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Speaker 1: get first start against like a high flying Miami offense

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Speaker 1: and just crushed it. I thought he did really well. Um, Chris,

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Speaker 1: you mentioned the third down like three of eleven. I

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Speaker 1: tweeted this last night. I just wanted to like read

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Speaker 1: off these stats. Here's our like the third down that

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Speaker 1: Miami faced black night, third and ten, third and nine,

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Speaker 1: third and fifteen, eleven, ten, fourteen, nine, five, ten, nineteen

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Speaker 1: and three. So like that's a lot of like third

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Speaker 1: and eight, third and nine and longer, and that's like

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Speaker 1: credit and maybe maybe, like we talked about, the Dolphins

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Speaker 1: should have ran the ball more to set up more

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Speaker 1: favorable third down situation, but they didn't. And when when

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Speaker 1: you get a team into third and long, more likely

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Speaker 1: than not it's going to favor the defense. And I

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Speaker 1: know that like Tyreeks cutdown catch was on third and five.

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Speaker 1: But yeah, a great plan by the defense. Um. You know,

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Speaker 1: Brandon Daily, he kind of took offence a little bit

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Speaker 1: after the game and said, oh, you guys might have

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Speaker 1: like copied what the Niners did, and he kind of

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Speaker 1: got mad and was like, no, we kind of played

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Speaker 1: our own system. And that was like the corners on

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Speaker 1: the outside, pressing the wide receivers with like some safety help,

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Speaker 1: but like just like a really physical game plan. He said,

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Speaker 1: you can't play zone against the team because they're just

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Speaker 1: too fast and the guys are going to run through

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Speaker 1: the zone and run down the field and no one

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Speaker 1: can keep up with Tyreek Hill. We saw that on

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Speaker 1: the fumble recovery. So the best way to beat him

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Speaker 1: it just jam them at the line, throw them off

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Speaker 1: their timing. And I think that's what we thought, because

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Speaker 1: like I agree too, looked off like all game and

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Speaker 1: even from the start. You know, it was clear that

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Speaker 1: like he didn't like have it. Um. But I credit

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Speaker 1: the Charger for that, you know, I credit the game plan. Um.

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Speaker 1: You know, if Daily Ronaldo Hill, the you know, everyone

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Speaker 1: on that defensive staff, I think they do there have

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Speaker 1: a lot of credit. Hally. I'm with you. I'm sick

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Speaker 1: of the comparisons of Herbert to come over it. I

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Speaker 1: don't care. Let these guys both have good careers and

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Speaker 1: you know, hopefully meeting the playoffs for for multiple times

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Speaker 1: throughout the course of their career. Chris, you and I

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Speaker 1: we also both worked for the Lakers, and there's always

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Speaker 1: like you know, basketball comparis like who's the greatest, and oh,

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Speaker 1: I'm just so over it. Just like let everyone just thrive. Sorry,

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Speaker 1: it's it's it's almost festivals, right, like it's almost time

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Speaker 1: the air grievances. But like this, it's just one of

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Speaker 1: those things like let them, let them do their things,

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Speaker 1: let them. We love Justin Herbert. We're super stoked. He's

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Speaker 1: the quarterback of the Chargers. Fantastic, Yeah, and that's what

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Speaker 1: we'll focus on. Thirty nine to fifty one, three hundred

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Speaker 1: and sixty seven yards in a touchdown, the most passing

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Speaker 1: yards to the first three seasons of an NFL career.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I felt like Justin really had some emotion

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Speaker 1: in this one. And I think when you when you

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Speaker 1: know it's time to go in terms of you have

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Speaker 1: to show the league that you're a contender. Right throughout

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Speaker 1: the course of the season, they have fallen short against

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Speaker 1: playoff caliber teams. I really think that this win will

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Speaker 1: breed confidence in the locker room. Doesn't mean anything if

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Speaker 1: you don't beat the Titans on Sunday, but I really

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Speaker 1: think that this sets up nicely for the Chargers to

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Speaker 1: play Tennessee. Well, you did well, against the run against

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Speaker 1: the Dolphins, albeit they didn't run that much. Derrick Henry

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Speaker 1: comes to town and this is another playoff caliber opponent.

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Speaker 1: It is this is again we've chunked this season out

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Speaker 1: into pairs, games of pairs at times, and this is

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Speaker 1: one of those two game pairs that is really really

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Speaker 1: critical in terms of your standing as the season rolls

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Speaker 1: into the postseason. The Titans are a reeling team. I

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Speaker 1: haven't paid enough attention to really figure out what's going on.

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Speaker 1: I think they've had some defensive injuries. I think, you know,

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Speaker 1: if you take away Derrick Henry, they just don't have

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Speaker 1: enough in the passing game that really is sustainable for them.

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Speaker 1: Losing a J. Brown, I don't know what to happen

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Speaker 1: there a couple of weeks ago, but with their whole

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Speaker 1: GM situation. But you know, but you still got to

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Speaker 1: take care of business. You can't play down and you

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Speaker 1: can't just sort of like let them waltz in and

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Speaker 1: let Derrick Henry run all over you. I hope that

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Speaker 1: this win breeds confidence. It should, and I again, I

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Speaker 1: want to see them keep it going. I want to

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Speaker 1: see them rolling because you have an extremely favorable back

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Speaker 1: end quarter of the schedule after this Titans game. You

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Speaker 1: have teams with losing records, and you have teams that

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Speaker 1: are just pretty much out of it. And look, I'm

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Speaker 1: sure they'd love to play spoiler. I'm sure the Broncos

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Speaker 1: in Week A t would love to play spoiler if

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Speaker 1: they have the chance, and you can't give them that opportunity.

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Speaker 1: You just have to put your foot on the gas.

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Speaker 1: They are getting healthier, they are getting guys back. We

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Speaker 1: don't know the status of Joey Brandon. Staley talked yesterday

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Speaker 1: that you know when he will return when it happens,

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Speaker 1: he's not sure yet, but he does look, you know,

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Speaker 1: good in individuals, which is some of the reports that

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Speaker 1: some of those insiders had on their Sunday morning shows.

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Speaker 1: So maybe it's good. You know, obviously you're hitting things

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Speaker 1: at the right time. But but this is a winnable

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Speaker 1: game against the Titans. I believe the Chargers are favored

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Speaker 1: right now. But you have to go in with that

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Speaker 1: same sort of energy and that same sort of execution

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Speaker 1: to get it done and keep it rolling. The playoffs.

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Speaker 1: They're in the playoffs right now, like their playoffs have

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Speaker 1: started essentially they started last week against Vegas it didn't

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Speaker 1: go great, but now you're keeping it going and you're

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Speaker 1: keeping things rolling to hopefully finish this year strong. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: let's say you don't take anything for granted. I know

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Speaker 1: the last three opponents their seasons are over at this point,

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Speaker 1: but it's the NFL. It's December, and these these guys

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Speaker 1: are playing. You know, if you're not in the playoffs,

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Speaker 1: you're playing for something, right, You're playing for a contract

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Speaker 1: next year, You're playing for your job. Eric, what are

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Speaker 1: the things that I'd like to see this Chargers team

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Speaker 1: do starting against the Titans is give the ball to

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Speaker 1: Joshua Kelly a little bit more. Four carries twenty nine yards.

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Speaker 1: I think last week you started to see it, and

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Speaker 1: this week you really saw it. Josh has some juice

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Speaker 1: in the running game. And I realized that you control

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Speaker 1: the clock for forty minutes really by throwing the football

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Speaker 1: justin through a fifty one times. But I think it

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Speaker 1: at some points throughout you know, December and potentially the playoffs,

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Speaker 1: you're gonna have to run the ball. And I do

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Speaker 1: think Joshua is a real asset for this team. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I agree, And I'm not just staying that because I

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Speaker 1: covered Josh in high school, like he like JK is

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Speaker 1: my guy, But yeah, I think you gotta give him

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Speaker 1: the ball more. And even with like like the makeshift

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Speaker 1: offensive line, like Eckler is is a great player, you know,

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Speaker 1: but I think if you're looking to like go full

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Speaker 1: steam ahead and like run the ball, I think JK

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Speaker 1: is probably the better option. I think we saw that

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Speaker 1: on that third and one where he just like exploded

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Speaker 1: through the hole for twenty two yards and it's like, man,

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Speaker 1: this guy had some pop. Like he's healthy. You know,

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Speaker 1: we kind of missed some time with that knee injury.

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Speaker 1: But yeah, I would agree with that for sure. I

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Speaker 1: think he need probably a little bit more touches. That's

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Speaker 1: something we said like in week five, you know, when

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Speaker 1: he was kind of getting him and then he got hurt.

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Speaker 1: And now I think we've circled back to the same conversation.

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Speaker 1: If we're talking about things we want to see from

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Speaker 1: the team. I would love to see a third quarter

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Speaker 1: touchdown because that's just like not happening. I mean, and

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Speaker 1: and we could have put the game, not put the

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Speaker 1: game away, but like just made it so much easier

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Speaker 1: on ourselves. So after day again, if we just score early.

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Speaker 1: You know we're up at half. If you come out

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Speaker 1: and just get a touchdown after the half, it just

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Speaker 1: it makes it so much easier on yourself. But we

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Speaker 1: just can't can't do that. You know, we haven't quared

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Speaker 1: a third quarter cutdown now since I think Week six Cleveland.

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Speaker 1: You know where we were in Week six. We have

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Speaker 1: a long time ago. Um, but you know that that

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Speaker 1: is like a sore spot. I think, you know, if

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Speaker 1: we talk about areas where we can improve, you know,

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Speaker 1: to me, like yesterday was the best win of the

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Speaker 1: season for the Chargers, but scoring in the third quarters,

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Speaker 1: going a tuckdown in the third quarter, and then we

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Speaker 1: have to be better in the red zone and goal

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Speaker 1: to go situations. I mean, I kind of agree with

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Speaker 1: what Hailey said, like this, this was a great win,

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Speaker 1: and but now it's like, okay, what's next for the team? Um,

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Speaker 1: you have to keep going because you can't have a

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Speaker 1: big win and then have a letdown and then you're

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Speaker 1: kind of back where you were and you're just like

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Speaker 1: keep keep fighting. It's like uphill battle, Like it's time

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Speaker 1: to go, um, and you gotta keep going. I think

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Speaker 1: we all have Houston PTSC from last year still towards

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Speaker 1: the end of the season with that loss, and again

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Speaker 1: we talked about it. There are a lot of factors

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Speaker 1: that contributed to the loss in that game, but it

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Speaker 1: should have never happened when Justin Herbert is still healthy

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Speaker 1: and was your quarterback. So I think that's that. Like again,

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Speaker 1: there's PTSD there, there's like a freak out of please

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Speaker 1: don't do that again. And this last chunk, yeah, it's

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Speaker 1: like a it needs to be a one eighty from

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Speaker 1: last December. The teams who typically do well in the

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Speaker 1: playoffs are are peaking and ascending in December, and this

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Speaker 1: is an opportunity for the Charges to do just that.

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Speaker 1: This is not I don't think this is a win

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Speaker 1: where you're you're celebrating. This is a win that gives

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Speaker 1: you confidence so you can get to the next one

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Speaker 1: and get to the postseason. So the Tennessee on deck

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Speaker 1: on Sunday, that's gonna be a tough game. The Titans,

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Speaker 1: especially the way that they've been playing. They had not

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Speaker 1: been playing very well the last two to three weeks,

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Speaker 1: so you know they're gonna want to try to get right.

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Speaker 1: The AFC South, it looks like they still have the

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Speaker 1: inside track to get that that division title. Um, but

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Speaker 1: with Jacksonville beating them on Sunday, you know you don't

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Speaker 1: want to get too comfortable, so I do Mike Rabel

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Speaker 1: in company, Haley, they're gonna bring it on Sunday. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: they absolutely will. I mean just there, I mean just

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Speaker 1: Derrick Henry alone in the rushing attack, and we've seen

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Speaker 1: at times him be contained this season, and I know

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Speaker 1: we had an insane first half yesterday. He finished still

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Speaker 1: with over one hundred rushing yards. But it obviously starts

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Speaker 1: with him, and he's a huge focal point. But I

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Speaker 1: don't doubt, just knowing Mike Rabel's short time in this

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Speaker 1: league already as a head coach, and just how fiery

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Speaker 1: he is. I mean, I don't doubt that they're going

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Speaker 1: to try to get right. I mean, they don't want to.

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Speaker 1: They have their division. They are so lucky to be

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Speaker 1: in the AFC South because in any other division that

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Speaker 1: probably wouldn't fly. So how about yeah or yeah, or

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Speaker 1: they could be in the NFC South. But the South,

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Speaker 1: the South in general, the South, the the east of

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Speaker 1: the NFL is also a crazy situation right now. But

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Speaker 1: I have full faith that the Titans are going to

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Speaker 1: bring it, but again, you just have to rise to

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Speaker 1: the challenge. They check the box this week, you got

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Speaker 1: to do it again next week. Yep, guys. Final thoughts

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Speaker 1: as we get out of here. Obviously you got Tennessee

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Speaker 1: and then the Colts, MODERNI Football, the Rams in Baker Mayfield,

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Speaker 1: New Year's Day, and then you close with the Broncos.

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Speaker 1: We talked a little bit about Tennessee, but Eric, anything

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Speaker 1: that you noticed last night or want to address as

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Speaker 1: we get out of here. Yeah. So I think, like,

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Speaker 1: you know, we've talked a lot about, you know, on

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Speaker 1: this podcast, about like the potential of the team, right

428
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Speaker 1: and how like we've kind of just been searching for

429
00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:49,840
Speaker 1: that like all year. I think last night was like

430
00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:51,600
Speaker 1: a glimpse of it. I'm not saying it with the

431
00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:53,960
Speaker 1: whole thing, but I think it was like a big

432
00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,240
Speaker 1: step in the right direction. You know. I saw some

433
00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,440
Speaker 1: tweet before we hopped on with it, like the Chargers

434
00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,960
Speaker 1: increased third playoff chances by almost thirty percent with last

435
00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:06,040
Speaker 1: night's win. So it was a great, a great step forward.

436
00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:09,560
Speaker 1: But to me, they're still just a little bit or

437
00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:12,400
Speaker 1: a lot more out there that the team can can

438
00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,800
Speaker 1: find um and that's why I think yesterday was so

439
00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,760
Speaker 1: big because we needed that to kind of you know,

440
00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:23,800
Speaker 1: move ourselves in the right direction. But keep going, you know,

441
00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:25,720
Speaker 1: keep going. I think that's what we've all kind of

442
00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,760
Speaker 1: talked about. Keep going, right, this is the time to peak. Um,

443
00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:31,160
Speaker 1: you know, if guys keep coming back and we get

444
00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:34,680
Speaker 1: continue to kind of um get healthier as we go,

445
00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,760
Speaker 1: you know, play play our best ball down the stretch.

446
00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,480
Speaker 1: You know, if the Chargers can get in, I think

447
00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:43,280
Speaker 1: they could be a team that maybe no one wants

448
00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,600
Speaker 1: to see. Now, it's a long way to go before

449
00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:49,520
Speaker 1: we get there, but the path is clear for this team,

450
00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:54,399
Speaker 1: like keep getting better, keep getting healthier, and you know,

451
00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:58,800
Speaker 1: just peak, start peaking in the final four games. Hayley,

452
00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,720
Speaker 1: I'll get your final thoughts too, and I'll just you know,

453
00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:05,280
Speaker 1: we talk about the injuries and you mentioned these reports

454
00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:08,040
Speaker 1: were hopefully you start to get guys back in December

455
00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,920
Speaker 1: at some point. Um. I think yesterday kind of put

456
00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,600
Speaker 1: a perspective just how many guys they've lost, especially on defense.

457
00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:16,359
Speaker 1: I mean we're not even talking about guys like Austin

458
00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,640
Speaker 1: Johnson and um, you know j C. Jackson. Yeah, So

459
00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:23,960
Speaker 1: for the way that they played on defense, you know Asante.

460
00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:26,960
Speaker 1: Samuel said, we heard it all week that we didn't

461
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,720
Speaker 1: have a shot, And I said, who'd you hear from you?

462
00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:34,280
Speaker 1: Because friends, family, you know, like he was no one

463
00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:36,240
Speaker 1: gave us a shot. That we gave ourselves a shot.

464
00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:40,560
Speaker 1: So you know that motivation. You know, sometimes you don't

465
00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:42,800
Speaker 1: know if it's real or not. But I really truly

466
00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:46,719
Speaker 1: think that it made those these guys really connected. Hey, Sante,

467
00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:49,120
Speaker 1: you don't have to buy them Christmas presents, dude, So okay,

468
00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:57,800
Speaker 1: like yeah, um no, it's it was again. It was

469
00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,919
Speaker 1: a It was a complete effort, and like I said earlier,

470
00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:02,479
Speaker 1: so funny when you lose someone like you or I'm

471
00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,440
Speaker 1: sorry I should say, you don't have someone like Derwin

472
00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,760
Speaker 1: James for this game, who, as we all know, is

473
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:08,960
Speaker 1: the heart and soul of this defense and many times

474
00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,040
Speaker 1: of this team as well. It's weird that they almost

475
00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:14,240
Speaker 1: flipped a switch. And from the get go, like from

476
00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:17,600
Speaker 1: that first Asante people, I'm sorry, a Lowe PBu it

477
00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,480
Speaker 1: was like, oh they're they're out of the gate, they're

478
00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:22,879
Speaker 1: ready to do this, and they did the entire game.

479
00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:25,760
Speaker 1: But but it is it is a testament, I think

480
00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:27,399
Speaker 1: to some of these other guys and just sort of

481
00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:29,439
Speaker 1: finding a way. And we've seen them sort of have

482
00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,000
Speaker 1: these peaks and valleys throughout the season. We've talked about,

483
00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:34,080
Speaker 1: you know, at the beginning of the year, they lost

484
00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:35,800
Speaker 1: some guys and then they went on that little bit

485
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,200
Speaker 1: of a run before the Seattle game and it was like, Okay,

486
00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:40,720
Speaker 1: maybe they needed to sort of face this nutrition early

487
00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:45,320
Speaker 1: plot twist. It keeps coming because why shouldn't it stop

488
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,919
Speaker 1: at some point? Unfortunately, and but they found a way.

489
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,119
Speaker 1: And so at this point in the year, this was

490
00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,320
Speaker 1: a critical game because if you lose this game, you

491
00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:57,679
Speaker 1: dip below five hundred, your playoff chances keep getting lower

492
00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:01,160
Speaker 1: and lower, and you feel defeated. But the flip side

493
00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:03,080
Speaker 1: of it is you get a win, you beat a

494
00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:05,880
Speaker 1: good team, and you have that confidence. And we've said

495
00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,800
Speaker 1: multiple times in many different ways, you just have to

496
00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,159
Speaker 1: keep it going. But I do think you make a

497
00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,320
Speaker 1: great point that with all the attrition that they faced,

498
00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:16,680
Speaker 1: somehow they found a way to come together and get

499
00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,679
Speaker 1: it done and it was really commendable. As we take this,

500
00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:25,280
Speaker 1: the Chargers would be the seventh seed in the AFC

501
00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:29,320
Speaker 1: playoffs going to Kansas City. The Jets are seven and six.

502
00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:33,320
Speaker 1: They have the Lions. I believe this Sunday. The Patriots

503
00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:37,640
Speaker 1: play on Monday night against the Cardinals. So you talked

504
00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:40,520
Speaker 1: about the easts, right, the NFC East, the AFC East.

505
00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:44,560
Speaker 1: The Patriots and the Jets are the two teams it

506
00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,399
Speaker 1: looks like like I looked at since Cincinnati has been

507
00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:52,000
Speaker 1: on a tear. Like Cincinnati, they may win the North

508
00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:55,520
Speaker 1: with Lamar Jackson's injuries. And you know, both Baltimore Cincinnati

509
00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:57,919
Speaker 1: or nine and four Chargers got a time I helped too,

510
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,760
Speaker 1: with the Raiders losing on Thursday thanks to Baker. The

511
00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:05,440
Speaker 1: Jags are five and eight, Cleveland losing to Cincinnati, five

512
00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,040
Speaker 1: and eight. Pittsburgh, who I thought was rolling and had

513
00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:11,480
Speaker 1: the potential win out, lose to the Ravens. They dropped

514
00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:14,560
Speaker 1: to five and eight, So a lot of things went

515
00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:19,080
Speaker 1: your way on Sunday, and then you know, you'll see

516
00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:22,800
Speaker 1: what happens with the with the Patriots and Cardinals. So guys,

517
00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:25,880
Speaker 1: it's fun to do this podcast when they win, right,

518
00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,439
Speaker 1: I'm sure. I'm sure fans enjoy it a little bit

519
00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:34,720
Speaker 1: more too when when we're talking about wins. Haley, Yep, yep.

520
00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,480
Speaker 1: I think the comments will be much more pleasant this

521
00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:41,160
Speaker 1: week versus last week. Don't read the comments, don't read

522
00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:44,520
Speaker 1: the comments, but just hi, guys, thanks for thanks for

523
00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:48,520
Speaker 1: your engagement. But all that said, we always appreciate you

524
00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,680
Speaker 1: guys watching and listening to the final drive for Eric

525
00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,719
Speaker 1: Smith and Haleyo Would. I'm Chris Hayry. We'll see you

526
00:26:54,720 --> 00:27:02,040
Speaker 1: next time. No