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Speaker 1: I know if it's up to Matthew Stafford, he's going

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Speaker 1: to do everything he can to get out there on

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Speaker 1: the field because he hates missing games. You would like

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Speaker 1: to be out there on Sunday. Whichever team doesn't quit,

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Speaker 1: I think that will be the team that wins. But

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Speaker 1: with all these injuries and everything going on, man, you

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Speaker 1: just build on what you have, and the Vikings have

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Speaker 1: a lot of things to be proud of this year.

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Speaker 1: Hey Vikings fans, welcome to episode seventy four of the

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Speaker 1: Minnesota Vikings podcast. This is Chris Corso filling in for

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Speaker 1: si Amindson and I am joined as always by Vikings

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Speaker 1: dot COM's Jay Nelson and Gabe Henderson is here today

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Speaker 1: to join the show. So what's going on, guys? We

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Speaker 1: have one more for the road. As Jay puts this

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Speaker 1: episode episode number seventy four. Obviously, the Vikings have been

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Speaker 1: eliminated from playoff contention, but there is a game that

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Speaker 1: needs to be played on Sunday in Detroit as we

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Speaker 1: get set to take on the Lions. So just what

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Speaker 1: are your overall thoughts heading into this game so far? Jay, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: last week it was the sliver margin that we were

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Speaker 1: potentially even a playoff team, and I told you, don't

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Speaker 1: harsh up my mellow. I need to hold on to

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Speaker 1: this one before the season's officially dead. And you know,

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Speaker 1: we all know what happened down in New Orleans. It

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Speaker 1: was it was ugly and it was disappointing. I'll come

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Speaker 1: to grips with it here in about another week or two,

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Speaker 1: but it was one of those crazy, crazy seasons and

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Speaker 1: it was a lot of ups and downs, and I

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Speaker 1: think that Saints game was just kind of the epitome

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Speaker 1: of being able to slam that door shut on this team.

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Speaker 1: And you know, unfortunately for us, we're not going to

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Speaker 1: make the playoffs, but we do have one more and

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Speaker 1: hopefully you can go out of a high note here

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Speaker 1: over in Detroit against the Lions tour also having a really,

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Speaker 1: really tough season as well, So hopefully, you know, one

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Speaker 1: of these two teams is going to get straight here

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Speaker 1: this weekend. Fifty two to thirty three at Christmas Day

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Speaker 1: loss to the New Orleans Saint for the Vikings officially

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Speaker 1: kicked them out of the playoffs and game, I mean,

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Speaker 1: it's been a crazy year, to say the least. I

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Speaker 1: don't even have the words for it. Man, Like I

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Speaker 1: really don't, Like, this is not what I was expecting.

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Speaker 1: And you know, just coming into the first week of

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Speaker 1: the season and going into US Bank Stadium and just

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Speaker 1: filling the energy, well the lack of energy thereof at

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Speaker 1: US Bank Stadium. I think that was pretty much the

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Speaker 1: story of the season. And then just fast forward into

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Speaker 1: week seventeen where we are now. It's like, man, like,

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Speaker 1: it's only been sixteen weeks between now and then. I mean,

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Speaker 1: we're just talking to Rosie earlier he would you know,

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Speaker 1: I watched I've had the opportunity to watch every single

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Speaker 1: game with him, like sitting right beside him, and we've

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Speaker 1: had some crazy conversations, some crazy emotions, from Kirk Cousins

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Speaker 1: storing interception to start off the second half against the

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Speaker 1: Tennessee Titans to Dalvin Cook running for seventy yards against

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Speaker 1: the Detroit Lions a few weeks back. So it's been

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Speaker 1: a whirlwind of emotions. But there's a lot to be

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Speaker 1: excited about heading into next year, and I'm glad to

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Speaker 1: be a part of this team and be able to

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Speaker 1: share some of these experiences with you guys. Absolutely, it's

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Speaker 1: been great to work alongside you, Gabe, and as always,

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Speaker 1: Jay looking ahead. Obviously, the twenty twenty season will come

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Speaker 1: to a close this weekend in Detroit. So on this show,

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Speaker 1: we got a loaded show for you. We're gonna look

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Speaker 1: back at what happened against New Orleans at the Mercedes

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Speaker 1: Been Superdome. Team reporter Vikings dot COM's Eric Smith checks

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Speaker 1: in with Lions team reporter Tory Petrie for the second

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Speaker 1: time this season, and obviously we'll look ahead to this

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Speaker 1: game against the Lions, identify some storylines, talk about the

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Speaker 1: Vikings draft position, and really look forward to our last

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Speaker 1: post mortem episode following next game next week. So let's

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Speaker 1: start it off with what happened quickly. We've covered this

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Speaker 1: on a lot of the shows on the Vikings platforms,

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Speaker 1: but just quickly recapping that tough loss against the Saints

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Speaker 1: on Christmas Day. It's all summed up by what Alvin

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Speaker 1: Kamara was able to do on the ground. I mean,

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Speaker 1: the Saints as a team had two hundred and sixty

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Speaker 1: four rushing yards total. Alvin I mean, he had six

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Speaker 1: touchdowns in this game, tying an NFL record game. So

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Speaker 1: I mean we covered this on the Vikings dot Com

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Speaker 1: postgame report, but just quickly going over it again. The

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Speaker 1: Vikings could not stop Alvin Kamara wherever he wanted to

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Speaker 1: go on the field on Friday. Yeah, and it was

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Speaker 1: just one of those one of those games where everything

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Speaker 1: went right for him, right starting off with the first

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Speaker 1: drive of the game. He had a forty yards rushing

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Speaker 1: touchdown on that first drive of the game, sixty rushing

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Speaker 1: yards on that first drive. He had ninety six yards

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Speaker 1: in the first half. I hate, like, I don't want

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Speaker 1: to keep rubbing salt in the womb here, but he

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Speaker 1: pretty much did whatever he wanted to. But I still

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Speaker 1: think this Vikings team like they were in the game,

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Speaker 1: Like with four minutes left in the third quarter, after

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Speaker 1: everything that happened, after Alvin Kamara had rushed for four touchdowns,

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Speaker 1: this Vikings team was down thirty one twenty seven and

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Speaker 1: Drew Brees had a third down, And I think this

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Speaker 1: was a turning point in the game. It was third

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Speaker 1: down and you know, we go all out blitz and

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Speaker 1: Drew Brees throws it up tight end, catches it first

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Speaker 1: down forty yards and next play they score. And I

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Speaker 1: feel like that was the turning point of that game

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Speaker 1: on Friday, Like, I mean, I know the score doesn't

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Speaker 1: really show that the Vikings were in this game. But

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Speaker 1: if you really, you know, watched that game and saw

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Speaker 1: what actually happened, Like, yeah, you know, Alvin Kamara had

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Speaker 1: a record setting day, you know, twenty two carries one

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Speaker 1: hundred fifty five yards. With this Vikings defense being so depleted,

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Speaker 1: you can just tell that they really had no answer

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Speaker 1: down the stretch and which ultimately led to this Vikings

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Speaker 1: team not having the game that they wanted against the

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Speaker 1: New Orleans Saints. But you look at it and say, hey, look,

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Speaker 1: we know we need to build on and you just

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Speaker 1: go from there. We head coach Mike Zimmer addressed the

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Speaker 1: media this Wednesday just looking ahead to the Lines game.

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Speaker 1: I mean, he threw in his press conference that, I mean,

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Speaker 1: this defense has absolutely been depleted with injuries. We've talked

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Speaker 1: about it on all of our shows. I mean losing

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Speaker 1: Daniel Hunter, Anthony bar at the beginning of the season,

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Speaker 1: letting some of the free agents go in the off

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Speaker 1: season before the season started. It's just been a combination

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Speaker 1: of everything. The coronavirus, the protocols that were going through

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Speaker 1: this year. I think it all came to fruition in

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Speaker 1: this game against the Saints and Jay threw a statin

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Speaker 1: here about this game, which I honestly totally didn't realize.

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Speaker 1: The Saints never punted in this entire game. Seven touchdowns

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Speaker 1: all together, one field goal, two interceptions. So Drew Brees

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Speaker 1: did enough. Jay, it didn't seem like he really could

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Speaker 1: throw the ball down the field like he has in

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Speaker 1: years passed. We've covered that a thousand times now, But

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Speaker 1: what were you just overall takeaways of the way the

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Speaker 1: Saints were able to move the ball in the vikings.

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Speaker 1: You know, we all know the running games. The thing

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Speaker 1: that took over that that dominated time possession, It dominated

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Speaker 1: the ability for them to just keep running through first downs.

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Speaker 1: I think that had thirty six first downs total. I

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Speaker 1: think twenty one of those were rushing, which is an

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Speaker 1: insane stat period. I think they barely had any third

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Speaker 1: downs they would They had what nine third downs the

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Speaker 1: entire game, which is still just nuts to think about.

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Speaker 1: But the thing for me Withdrew as he did just enough.

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Speaker 1: He had three hundred and eleven yards passing two picks,

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Speaker 1: and it was, like you said before, Gabe, with the

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Speaker 1: other play, it was he literally just had to hit

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Speaker 1: a first down in order to then be able to

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Speaker 1: start over with a fresh set of downs and just

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Speaker 1: keep Kamara chugging through the lines. And you know, I

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Speaker 1: think we all knew that Drew Brees going into it

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Speaker 1: wasn't one hundred percent. He still took some shots, but

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Speaker 1: he was also smart enough to get rid of the

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Speaker 1: ball and a couple of plays too that he just

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Speaker 1: he knew he didn't have to make those kind of

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Speaker 1: plays and stand in the pockets. So it just all

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Speaker 1: around for the Saints. It snowballed for against the Vikings

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Speaker 1: and it worked well for them. And you know, as

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Speaker 1: frustrating as a fan to sit there and watch at

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Speaker 1: the same point, you're just sitting there kind of marveling

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Speaker 1: at times, going, man, these guys are rolling right now.

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Speaker 1: To boot on what Jay said, Drew Brees having a

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Speaker 1: day was because of Album Kamara's day. The only reason

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Speaker 1: why he was able to throw the balls because we

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Speaker 1: had to stack the box, which opened up more opportunities

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Speaker 1: for the receiver's downfield. So Drew Brees did not beat us.

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Speaker 1: The passing game did not beat us. We had two

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Speaker 1: key interceptions that led to seven points where this Vikings team.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, just picking Jay hitting right on the head,

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Speaker 1: looking at the offensive side of the ball. I think

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Speaker 1: that's been a positive all year long, and it certainly

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Speaker 1: was a positive in this game as well. I think

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Speaker 1: my only problem with what happened on the offensive side

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Speaker 1: of the balls we were playing from behind for most

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Speaker 1: of the game, and it was really tough for Kirk

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Speaker 1: Cousins to get a guy like Justin Jefferson involved in

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Speaker 1: this game. That those are the only things that stood

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Speaker 1: out to me that really were negative from the offensive

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Speaker 1: side of the ball. Looking at Cousins stats, he threw

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Speaker 1: for three touchdowns, two dred, ninety one passing yards through

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Speaker 1: the air twenty seven to forty one, and was only

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Speaker 1: sacked two times in this game compared to the last

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Speaker 1: few games where we were sacked six or seven times.

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Speaker 1: So the Vikings were able to move the ball a

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Speaker 1: little bit on the ground with Dalvin Cook with seventy

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Speaker 1: three rushing yards and that touchdown early in the game.

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Speaker 1: But the big positive for me, Jay was the way

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Speaker 1: that Tyler Conklin and Irv Smith, they just continue to

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Speaker 1: get involved in this Vikings offense, and for me, looking

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Speaker 1: at IRV Smith, you start to say, wow, man, this

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Speaker 1: guy has had five touchdowns in the past five games. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: the last three weeks that that tandem of Conklin and

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Speaker 1: Smith have definitely stepped up and been hitting those touchdowns.

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Speaker 1: And you know, I think part of that too, is

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Speaker 1: because guys like Feeling and Jefferson are getting much more

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Speaker 1: double teams out in the field and it's leaving those

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Speaker 1: guys up the seam and leaving them across the middle

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Speaker 1: one on one. And the best part is the fact

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Speaker 1: that with Rudolph having been out and having been injured

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Speaker 1: and missing some time here, Irvin and Tyler, who aren't

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Speaker 1: necessarily the guys that defensively they're gonna sit there and say,

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Speaker 1: we got to spy these guys because they're gonna kill us.

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Speaker 1: They have been making teams pay. So that is actually

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Speaker 1: a positive thing that has happened in development here, especially

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Speaker 1: late in the season, that we'll see what kind of

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Speaker 1: implications that has coming up for the twenty twenty one

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Speaker 1: season with those guys, because if they keep producing like this,

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Speaker 1: they're gonna see more of an increased role in this offense. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I agree, I agree. I think when you look at

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Speaker 1: the last three games so those guys have been in

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Speaker 1: in Kyle Rudolph's absence, you look at the Tampa Bay

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Speaker 1: Buccaneers game combined nine catches one hundred and three yards.

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Speaker 1: Last week ten catches eighty four yards two touchdowns. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and then against Chicago six catches ninety four yards in

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Speaker 1: a touchdown. I think we have seen a lot of

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Speaker 1: promise between those two tight ends. I think we all

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Speaker 1: know that the mismasher Arst mc jior provides when he's

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Speaker 1: on the field, but having another tight end who can

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Speaker 1: stress the field and Tyler Conklin in which we all

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Speaker 1: didn't know that was what he could do. Like we

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Speaker 1: were like, all right, well, Tyler Conklin, he has a

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Speaker 1: catching and I think what the Bears game when he

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Speaker 1: had that twenty yard catch for a touchdown, he had

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Speaker 1: that you know, the twenty yards after catch. I was like, oh,

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Speaker 1: all right, well this guy can ball. Like this guy game.

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Speaker 1: I mean, he can take some hits, he can block,

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Speaker 1: he can do everything you need him to do. So,

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Speaker 1: like you said, of course, just a lot of young

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Speaker 1: guys that showed a lot of promise this year that

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Speaker 1: can continue to bring hope to this Minnesota Vikings fan base.

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Speaker 1: Subscribe to the official YouTube channel of the Minnesota Vikings

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Speaker 1: to get all the latest video content from the Vikings

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Speaker 1: All right, we're gonna get into the breakdown of the

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Speaker 1: game at Week seventeen against the Detroit Lions. But first

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Speaker 1: join wide receiver Adam Thielin in the Salvation Army in

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Speaker 1: providing food, shelter, and care for our neighbors in need.

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Speaker 1: Texts goal to two, four, three, six five to donate today.

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Speaker 1: All right, it's onto the Week seventeen breakdown. The Vikings

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Speaker 1: will head to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions,

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Speaker 1: a team they saw earlier in the season and defeated

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Speaker 1: at home at us Bank Stadium. Obviously, this game is

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Speaker 1: gonna have a lot less suspense compared to that game.

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Speaker 1: There's a lot of injuries on both sides of the ball,

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Speaker 1: as the first injury reports came out this week on

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Speaker 1: Wednesday for both teams, and it looks like Matt Stafford,

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Speaker 1: who suffered an injury a few weeks back, he didn't

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Speaker 1: play last week in a game where the Lions were

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Speaker 1: absolutely crushed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady

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Speaker 1: I think they won by over forty points in that game.

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Speaker 1: So Gabe, what are you expecting overall in this game?

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Speaker 1: I mean, you're gonna have both teams probably resting some starters.

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Speaker 1: We know that on Wednesday, the Vikings announced the tragic

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Speaker 1: passing of Dalvin Cook's father at the age of forty

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Speaker 1: six years old. Just a tragic story, and Dalvin will

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Speaker 1: not be able to play in this last game of

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Speaker 1: the season. But obviously the Vikings are behind him and

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Speaker 1: he's back with his family in the in the city

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Speaker 1: of Miami. So Gabe, just what are your your overall

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Speaker 1: storylines heading into a game where you might even want

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Speaker 1: to think about some draft position moving forward for the Vikings. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: first and foremost, rest in peace to Dalvin's dad, James Cook,

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Speaker 1: And we just knowing being a Florida State fan growing

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Speaker 1: up and seeing Dalvin play at Florida State, I knew

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Speaker 1: how much his dad meant to him. But moving on

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Speaker 1: to this game, you know, Dalvin's not playing. I had

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Speaker 1: the opportunity to watch practice today and I'm not going

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Speaker 1: to name names, but there are a lot of new

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Speaker 1: faces getting reps today with the ones, twos and some

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Speaker 1: with the threes also, So just just seeing that today,

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Speaker 1: I would expect a lot of guys to get some

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Speaker 1: meaningful snaps this upcoming game. I think when it comes

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Speaker 1: to this rivalry, I think the Vikings should have the

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Speaker 1: upper edge, just you know, winning eight out of the

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Speaker 1: last eleven games, including the last six. But you just

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Speaker 1: never know when you have so many backups and guys

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Speaker 1: who don't play playing a game. But one thing, just

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Speaker 1: picking off of our interview with Rosen, two minutes after

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Speaker 1: this game is over, no one will be thinking about

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Speaker 1: this Vikings Lions game, whoever won, whoever lost, Like I think,

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Speaker 1: you you look ahead to what you can build on

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Speaker 1: heading into next season. And course, so stop me if

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Speaker 1: I'm going too far, but I was. We were just

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Speaker 1: talking off camera and the Vikings right now, I mean,

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Speaker 1: they're gonna They're gonna try to win this game, but

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Speaker 1: when loser draw. If they lose, they can get as

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Speaker 1: far up as the ninth overall draft pick, and if

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Speaker 1: they win, they can fall to the fifteenth draft pick.

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Speaker 1: So between nine and fifteen, that is the area where

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Speaker 1: the Vikings will be in the twenty twenty one draft,

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Speaker 1: and Rick Spielman he knows and he wants to win.

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Speaker 1: But at the same time, I think those guys in

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Speaker 1: the front office who aren't calling plays that they are

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Speaker 1: watching that draft board. Ass These games are starting to

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Speaker 1: come down the final stretch after twelve PM cents for

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Speaker 1: time on Sunday. Teams trade like major quality players to

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Speaker 1: move up that many spots in the draft. So, UM,

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Speaker 1: it's got to be on the minds of certain people.

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Speaker 1: And I mean just looking at the Vikings injury report. Obviously, UM,

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Speaker 1: Dalvin Cook did not practice on Wednesday, and and it

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Speaker 1: was it was really good to see some of the

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Speaker 1: players who addressed the media, UM just give their support

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Speaker 1: to Dalvin and Justin Jefferson and Kirk Cousins to name

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Speaker 1: a few. UM. But looking at the rest of the

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Speaker 1: team's roster. On the injury report, Dan Bailey didn't practice. UM.

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Speaker 1: Cornerbacks Chris Jones and Cameron Danzler didn't practice. UM a

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Speaker 1: Fadio Danibo, Eric Kendricks, and Jalen Holmes all did not

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Speaker 1: practice in this game. So those are some quality names. UM.

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Speaker 1: On the on the Vikings injury report on Wednesday, And

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Speaker 1: and definitely something the track. If you're looking at some

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Speaker 1: of the players who will sit out Um in this game,

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Speaker 1: there's not much that you really want to risk injury

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Speaker 1: or wise for some of the players that you really

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Speaker 1: see futures for Um this season. And and and one

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Speaker 1: other note is the fact that Riley reif Um went

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Speaker 1: on the injured slash COVID reserve list today. But Jay, Uh,

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Speaker 1: are your expectations for the lines in this game? Do

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Speaker 1: you think that they're gonna like give us the roll

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Speaker 1: and try to win this game? Because they're in a

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Speaker 1: very similar situation that weren't I think much like our team.

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Speaker 1: They are in a similar situation where they do have

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Speaker 1: a lot of injuries. They had seven defenders that are

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Speaker 1: on IR this year, so they've been definitely playing with

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Speaker 1: the depleted roster, especially defensively. As chaotic as our season

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Speaker 1: has been for a lot of reasons, they've gone through

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Speaker 1: almost even more. You know, they fired their GM, they

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Speaker 1: dropped Matt Patricia as the head coach. Bevel takes over

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Speaker 1: as the head coach, but then he ends up having

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Speaker 1: to go on the COVID list, and he was trying

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Speaker 1: to coach the team last week remotely, so like the

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Speaker 1: lines have been going through a similar thing. And here's

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Speaker 1: the thing for me, when it comes to this time

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Speaker 1: of year, even though you're out of it, all those

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Speaker 1: players that are getting a taste and a crack at

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Speaker 1: an actual NFL game, they're getting that valuable reps and

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Speaker 1: valuable game speed tape to put out there. They might

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Speaker 1: be putting that out for their team that they're on

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Speaker 1: right now, but they might also be putting that out

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Speaker 1: for any other GM or coach or somebody else that's

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Speaker 1: around the league that's going to be looking for some

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Speaker 1: talent in the offseason to at least give him a shot.

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Speaker 1: Or you know, some of these guys are playing for

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Speaker 1: big name free agent money too. So I think across

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Speaker 1: the board, you're still going to get a solid effort.

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Speaker 1: It just comes down to who's got more playmakers. And

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Speaker 1: you know, to be honest with you, you're going to Detroit.

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Speaker 1: How checked out have they been for the last month?

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Speaker 1: I'm not quite sure. I mean, we saw them give

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Speaker 1: up forty seven to seven loss to Tampa when Tampa

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Speaker 1: definitely wanted to make a statement. And you know, it's

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Speaker 1: not like Detroit just walked out there and said, yeah,

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Speaker 1: let's get our brains beat in today. Like, to me,

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Speaker 1: those Lions players, they're trying and here's the thing for them,

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Speaker 1: what are the Lions going to be quarterback wise this week?

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Speaker 1: Because yeah, Stafford was injured, but much like Kirk Cousin,

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Speaker 1: Stafford was also talking about how any chance he gets,

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Speaker 1: he's going on on that field if they'll let him, Well,

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Speaker 1: if that happens and he's injured, you know, does he

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Speaker 1: take more of an injury And if they do decide

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Speaker 1: to shut him down this week and just tell him

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Speaker 1: it's not worth it, we all assume it would be

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Speaker 1: Chase Daniel, But then last week they also brought in

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Speaker 1: David Blau at the end of the game too. So

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Speaker 1: if it's kind of a weird thing where it doesn't

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Speaker 1: really mean much to either team except for a third

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Speaker 1: or fourth place division seating, and to me, it's almost

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Speaker 1: gonna be like they're gonna play really, really hard, but

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Speaker 1: it's almost gonna be like a third or fourth preseason

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Speaker 1: game where these guys are trying to, you know, put

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Speaker 1: their best foot forward and end the year on a

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Speaker 1: solid note. So across the board, it's going to be

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Speaker 1: a really weird end of the season and we'll see

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Speaker 1: what team actually wants it more well, talk about a

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Speaker 1: consummate pro. One thing that I always have to give

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Speaker 1: credit to is Matthew Stafford man because I feel like

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Speaker 1: he's had so many injuries throughout his career and him

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Speaker 1: saying that he wants to play if cleared in a

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Speaker 1: game that is absolutely meaningless for this team. I feel

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Speaker 1: like it's happened so many times in this guy's career

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Speaker 1: and I'm looking at him on the injury report. He's

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Speaker 1: listed with a rib and a right thumb after not

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Speaker 1: practicing on Wednesday. So props to Matt Stafford who has

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Speaker 1: taken quite the amount of hits in his career as

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Speaker 1: the Detroit Lions quarterbacks. So just rounding out the injury report,

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Speaker 1: Kenny Golladay, Jamie Collins, and Danny Amandola and Joe Dall

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Speaker 1: the guard all did not practice on Wednesday. So game

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Speaker 1: I think it's gonna be a lot of the same

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Speaker 1: with this Lions team, with the starters that decide to

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Speaker 1: play and that are asked to play by the coaching

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Speaker 1: staff in this game. Yeah, this will this will be

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Speaker 1: a game of who has the better backups. I mean,

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Speaker 1: this game means a lot to those guys that are

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Speaker 1: trying to put things on film, But as far as

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Speaker 1: like implications, nobody is really gonna care about the final

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Speaker 1: score of this game outside of the team. So it

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Speaker 1: really comes down to, all right, who has the better backups?

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Speaker 1: Who can we use for our team next year? Okay,

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Speaker 1: all right, well man, Jeff Glidney had a really good game.

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Speaker 1: He stepped up this year. So I think this game

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Speaker 1: will be what the NFL is about, what have you

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Speaker 1: done for me lately? And what have you done for

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Speaker 1: me lately? In the last game of the season, and

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Speaker 1: which whichever team doesn't quit, I think that will be

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Speaker 1: the team that wins. But with all these injuries and

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Speaker 1: everything going on, man, you just hope the starters that

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Speaker 1: do play, you just hope they stay healthy. And from

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Speaker 1: there you just build on what you have and the

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Speaker 1: Vikings have a lot of things to be proud of

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Speaker 1: this year. One storyline that you always follow when this

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Speaker 1: guy is playing against the Vikings is Adrian Peterson, who

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Speaker 1: is now a member of the Lions. I mean, this

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Speaker 1: is the second time he'll be playing the Vikings this season,

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Speaker 1: but it's always a note. I mean I'm sure this

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Speaker 1: guy wants to have a great game against his former

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Speaker 1: team and hopefully try to put something on film that

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Speaker 1: he continues to be able to play in this league

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Speaker 1: for who knows how many years now. Jay, So, just

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Speaker 1: what are your overall impressions of the Vikings going against

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Speaker 1: Adrian and the young DeAndre Swift that is behind him

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Speaker 1: as well in this Lin's backfield. You know, lately in

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Speaker 1: the season, DeAndre Swift has taken a little bit more

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Speaker 1: of a focal point in this offense. It's Adrian's been

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Speaker 1: kind of your bruiser back where DeAndre has done a

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Speaker 1: lot more within the receiving game as well. DeAndre has

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Speaker 1: got seven rushing touchdowns this year in two receiving touchdowns.

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Speaker 1: Peterson's got six rushing touchdowns, and I think they're probably

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Speaker 1: gonna try to again get DeAndre some touches, but at

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Speaker 1: the same point, if it gets tards the end of

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Speaker 1: the game and it's out of hand, they'll probably just

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Speaker 1: hand the ball to Adrian since they want to keep

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Speaker 1: DeAndre fresh and clean for the future. Looking at some

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Speaker 1: of the receivers, it's been a injury plague season for

432
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:30,840
Speaker 1: Kenny Galladay, the number one target for Matt Stafford for

433
00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:33,159
Speaker 1: most of the time that the Vikings have played the

434
00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:36,080
Speaker 1: Lions as of late. We will see if he's able

435
00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:39,000
Speaker 1: to suit up, but it's Marvin Jones, Junior, TJ. Hockinson,

436
00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:42,879
Speaker 1: Danny Amondola who's also on the injury reports. So I

437
00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:46,200
Speaker 1: don't know if they're gonna have many options for targets

438
00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:48,720
Speaker 1: in this game. We might see a lot of Adrian

439
00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,760
Speaker 1: Peterson running the football, But I want to look at

440
00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,719
Speaker 1: their defense game because when you look at this Lions defense,

441
00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:57,520
Speaker 1: we touched on some of the injuries they've had this season,

442
00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:03,080
Speaker 1: but they are about thirty second through twenty ninth in

443
00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:06,640
Speaker 1: every single category on the defensive side of the ball.

444
00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:11,040
Speaker 1: Jay has the notes here on our little outline here

445
00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:15,080
Speaker 1: thirty second and points thirty second and average points thirty first,

446
00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:19,080
Speaker 1: and yards allowed thirty first and average yards allowed thirtieth

447
00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:23,320
Speaker 1: and passing yards allowed and twenty ninth in rushing yards allowed.

448
00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:26,040
Speaker 1: So I don't know if you've seen a lot of

449
00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,280
Speaker 1: this Lions defense this year game, but just what are

450
00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:32,720
Speaker 1: your overall impressions of this defense that seems to be

451
00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:35,480
Speaker 1: beaten up at this point in the season. I really

452
00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:38,199
Speaker 1: don't know, man, I really don't know what else to

453
00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:40,640
Speaker 1: say about this Lions defense other than you know, they're

454
00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,119
Speaker 1: just not that great and we should we should like

455
00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:44,959
Speaker 1: we should have a field day against I mean, if

456
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:46,880
Speaker 1: you if you look at the last time we played them,

457
00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,520
Speaker 1: we had a field there was arguably our best offensive

458
00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:52,560
Speaker 1: game of the season. So in hindsight, you would expect

459
00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:55,400
Speaker 1: a guy like Mike Boone or Alexander Madison to run

460
00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,200
Speaker 1: for over a hundred yards or you know, Kirk Cousins

461
00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,920
Speaker 1: Winnie's in or Sean Mayon if he gets in this

462
00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:04,320
Speaker 1: upcoming Sunday to you know, have a pretty decent game.

463
00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:08,000
Speaker 1: I don't think that this Lion's defense does anything to

464
00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,000
Speaker 1: scare you or say, hey, we need to watch out

465
00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,119
Speaker 1: for this guy. I mean, they have a you know,

466
00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:16,000
Speaker 1: two young bright corners. I mean it's Jeff Okuda, Like

467
00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:18,760
Speaker 1: he's a guy that you boat your defense around. But

468
00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:22,920
Speaker 1: at the same time, this upcoming Sunday, January the third,

469
00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:26,640
Speaker 1: I think this Vikings offense can have their way with

470
00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,440
Speaker 1: this Lions defense. Looking back at that Week nine game

471
00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:33,520
Speaker 1: when the Vikings played at us Bank Stadium, Dalvin Cook

472
00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,880
Speaker 1: had two hundred and six rushing yards and two touchdowns,

473
00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,600
Speaker 1: So my thing that I'm watching. I'm not watching the scoreboard.

474
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,600
Speaker 1: I'm watching a lot of young players in this game.

475
00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:47,080
Speaker 1: I want to see a very impressive running game out

476
00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:50,439
Speaker 1: of Alexander Madison, who's been kind of banged up this

477
00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,680
Speaker 1: year with an illness and having to get a pretty

478
00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:56,919
Speaker 1: quick surgery and getting back on the field on the

479
00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:58,760
Speaker 1: practice field. But I want to see him get back

480
00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,400
Speaker 1: in this game, getting the flow of an NFL game,

481
00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,320
Speaker 1: and really put something on tape before this season's over. Jay,

482
00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:08,120
Speaker 1: So that's my storyline. Who's the player that you're gonna

483
00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:10,360
Speaker 1: be watching in this game? I think the biggest thing

484
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,360
Speaker 1: for me is that if your offensive line can give

485
00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:16,280
Speaker 1: Kirk time and you get the ability, I want to

486
00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:19,040
Speaker 1: see what the heck happens with that receiving game, not

487
00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:21,960
Speaker 1: only from our normal receivers. You know the storyline of

488
00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:23,960
Speaker 1: does Adam thieland play? Do you take a chance on

489
00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:27,560
Speaker 1: him potentially getting injured? But more than that, let's see

490
00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:29,439
Speaker 1: what happens with these tight ends. You know they've been

491
00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:31,960
Speaker 1: rolling for the last three weeks. If you can keep

492
00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:34,879
Speaker 1: moving the sticks on first down, controling the clock and

493
00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:39,240
Speaker 1: getting Herb and Conklin in there now, especially with Rudolph

494
00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:41,800
Speaker 1: officially on IRR for the rest of the season. Let's

495
00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,240
Speaker 1: keep those guys rolling and see what you have moving

496
00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:47,160
Speaker 1: in because honestly, that would mean then for the last

497
00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,360
Speaker 1: quarter of the season what you saw was an increased

498
00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,680
Speaker 1: set of targets for them, and more than that, what

499
00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:55,280
Speaker 1: you saw was them actually produce and become a two

500
00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:57,440
Speaker 1: headed monster that was getting some touchdown. So if you

501
00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,520
Speaker 1: can keep those guys moving and potentially get them going

502
00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:03,320
Speaker 1: in the red zone again, just ended on a high

503
00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:05,800
Speaker 1: note here for this offense, and just know that, yeah,

504
00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,000
Speaker 1: you're a running team, but you've definitely got some weapons

505
00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:09,960
Speaker 1: that you can hit through the air and that I'll

506
00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,120
Speaker 1: just make you feel good moving forward for next season. Yeah,

507
00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:15,720
Speaker 1: I've just building on what Jay said. I mean, Erstenovi

508
00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:18,120
Speaker 1: Junior had two catches for two touchdowns the last time

509
00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:20,640
Speaker 1: he played the lines, and Meer Abdullah had one catch

510
00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:23,919
Speaker 1: for one touchdown. So I think it's more about getting

511
00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:26,600
Speaker 1: the other guys involved, seeing what they can do, getting

512
00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:28,600
Speaker 1: some other playmakers the ball, because like I said in

513
00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:31,800
Speaker 1: the beginning, you want to make sure a majority of

514
00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,200
Speaker 1: the guys, if not all, come out of this game healthy.

515
00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:37,600
Speaker 1: Make sure you call up plays to get guys the

516
00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:41,119
Speaker 1: ball in space and from there you just let you

517
00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:42,960
Speaker 1: just let the game take care of itself. I mean,

518
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,520
Speaker 1: this is just one of those times where you get

519
00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:47,719
Speaker 1: to see who's going to step up to the occasion

520
00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,080
Speaker 1: where their numbers called. So I'm excited to see, well,

521
00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:52,320
Speaker 1: you know, a Mira Abdulla Ers junior, those guys would

522
00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:54,000
Speaker 1: be able to do when a number is called. This

523
00:25:54,080 --> 00:26:00,800
Speaker 1: upcoming Sunday, The Voyage delivers unprecedented access to fans who

524
00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,399
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525
00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:07,359
Speaker 1: Mike Zimmer and have an insider's look and listen during

526
00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:11,160
Speaker 1: this talks with the team. Viewers also here directly from

527
00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:15,240
Speaker 1: current Vikings who will be writing outcomes of games through

528
00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:18,560
Speaker 1: their play on the field. Watch bi weekly during the

529
00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:22,800
Speaker 1: NFL season on the Vikings digital and social channels including

530
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,399
Speaker 1: Vikings dot com, the Vikings Mobile app, Vikings Now, the

531
00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:30,399
Speaker 1: team's connected TV app, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Watch today

532
00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:34,160
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533
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537
00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:53,680
Speaker 1: All right, well, Eric Smith had a chance to sit

538
00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,960
Speaker 1: down with Tory Petrie of the Detroit Lions, so we'll

539
00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:02,560
Speaker 1: let Eric take it away. I'm Viking team reporter Eric Smith,

540
00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:05,440
Speaker 1: and I'm now joined by Tori Petrie of the Detroit Lion.

541
00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,280
Speaker 1: That would we look ahead to the season finale, Week seventeen,

542
00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:11,640
Speaker 1: Vikings that Lion, Tory, thanks for hopping on today. Oh,

543
00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:13,600
Speaker 1: thank you so much for having me. It's crazy that

544
00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,240
Speaker 1: this weird and wild twenty twenty season is actually coming

545
00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:19,280
Speaker 1: to a close, at least for some of us. It's

546
00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:22,160
Speaker 1: been quite a roller coater for both teams this year,

547
00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:26,480
Speaker 1: and you know, Week seventeen, Sunday will be the season finale.

548
00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:29,720
Speaker 1: I wanted to ask you. We start off about Darryl Bevill,

549
00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:32,040
Speaker 1: who was a familiar name to Vikings fans. He was

550
00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:34,320
Speaker 1: out with to the team the offensive coordinator here from

551
00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:37,480
Speaker 1: two thousand and six to two thousand and ten. You know,

552
00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:39,959
Speaker 1: he's kind of had some tough circumstances of late. He

553
00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:42,480
Speaker 1: wasn't able to coach last week in Week sixteen, but

554
00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:44,879
Speaker 1: just kind of overall, you know, how has he done

555
00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,960
Speaker 1: being the interim head coach and he a candidate for

556
00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:51,040
Speaker 1: the full time head coaching role. Yeah, I mean, Daryl

557
00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:54,120
Speaker 1: Bevill has stepped in and done a fantastic job with

558
00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:57,600
Speaker 1: what he had to work with. Obviously, this last week

559
00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:01,919
Speaker 1: was so unfortunate because of just the way things shook

560
00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,960
Speaker 1: out and having been flex to that Saturday game and

561
00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,280
Speaker 1: then having all the COVID exposures on the coaching staff

562
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,160
Speaker 1: and all of them continued to test negative. They just

563
00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:14,080
Speaker 1: couldn't get back in the building or be on the sideline.

564
00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:16,800
Speaker 1: So you know, he described it as feeling helpless. There's

565
00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:19,200
Speaker 1: really nothing he could do, and you know that whole

566
00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,959
Speaker 1: coaching staff did the best they could do in those circumstances.

567
00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:25,680
Speaker 1: It just was a totally difficult circumstance to deal with.

568
00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,199
Speaker 1: But Bebel has stepped in, and I think the biggest

569
00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:30,080
Speaker 1: thing that he brought this team when he stepped in

570
00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:32,960
Speaker 1: was energy, and that was something that he really wanted

571
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,160
Speaker 1: to infuse this team with and say, hey, we can

572
00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,399
Speaker 1: have a good time when we're at practice and in

573
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:39,560
Speaker 1: the building, but we can also work hard and those

574
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:41,840
Speaker 1: two things can go together. And that's something that he's

575
00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:45,360
Speaker 1: really emphasized as he's taken over. Now, obviously those games

576
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:48,720
Speaker 1: that he's played haven't gone according to plan. The Lions

577
00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,720
Speaker 1: have just been so injured on defense, and it was

578
00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,000
Speaker 1: a defense that was struggling already, and you add those

579
00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,360
Speaker 1: injuries on top of it, you know, they've just been

580
00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:58,720
Speaker 1: in a really tough spot. And then you add the

581
00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:02,560
Speaker 1: coaching quarantine on top of that. To say this season

582
00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:04,800
Speaker 1: has had a lot of adversity for the Lions would

583
00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:08,040
Speaker 1: be an understatement. So you know, he's done the best

584
00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:11,120
Speaker 1: that he could with those circumstances. And you know, Rodwood

585
00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:14,320
Speaker 1: said that he was under consideration they'd see how these

586
00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:16,920
Speaker 1: final few games of the season win. And I don't

587
00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:21,760
Speaker 1: think he's done anything incorrectly or done anything, you know, poorly,

588
00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:25,000
Speaker 1: as far as things have gone. With the handling of

589
00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:27,560
Speaker 1: taking over as the interim head coach. It would probably

590
00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:30,720
Speaker 1: just be a matter of whether this coaching staff or

591
00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,920
Speaker 1: whether this front office staff wants to start over fresh,

592
00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:36,480
Speaker 1: because you know, they really did a little bit of

593
00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:38,760
Speaker 1: a house cleaning earlier this season, so we'll see if

594
00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:40,600
Speaker 1: they just kind of want to start fresh after the

595
00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:44,240
Speaker 1: season's over. You mentioned injuries on defense either kind of

596
00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,480
Speaker 1: showed up against Tampa Bay but Matt Dafford also left

597
00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:49,680
Speaker 1: that game with an injury, and he's the guy who'd

598
00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,800
Speaker 1: played through a bunch of injuries throughout his career. What's

599
00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:55,360
Speaker 1: his status this week and who would be in line

600
00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,280
Speaker 1: to play if he can't play in the season finale. Well,

601
00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:00,680
Speaker 1: as of you and I talking right now, and we

602
00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:03,920
Speaker 1: know how quickly the NFL news cycle can change. As

603
00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:06,120
Speaker 1: of you and I talking, they're just kind of monitoring

604
00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,440
Speaker 1: him as the week goes on, and they've said that

605
00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:11,640
Speaker 1: it just depends on how he is feeling. I know,

606
00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:13,600
Speaker 1: if it's up to Matthew Stafford, he's going to do

607
00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:15,680
Speaker 1: everything he can to get out there on the field

608
00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:18,760
Speaker 1: because he hates missing games. He wants to be out

609
00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:20,800
Speaker 1: there on the field. You know, he talked about it

610
00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:23,200
Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago when he first played that

611
00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:26,840
Speaker 1: game against the Titans where he was playing after having

612
00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:30,920
Speaker 1: the injured rib, and he said, Hey, the off season

613
00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:33,280
Speaker 1: is for resting and recovering, and that's what you do

614
00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:35,040
Speaker 1: in the off season. But my guys are going out

615
00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:36,920
Speaker 1: there and fighting, and I want to be alongside them.

616
00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:38,760
Speaker 1: And that's the kind of mindset that he brings to

617
00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:40,600
Speaker 1: the table. So I know, if it is up to him.

618
00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:42,880
Speaker 1: He would like to be out there on Sunday. We'll

619
00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:45,640
Speaker 1: see what ends up happening. Maybe won't have an answer

620
00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:47,640
Speaker 1: until a little bit later in the week. But if

621
00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:50,080
Speaker 1: he doesn't go, it will be interesting to see what

622
00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:52,720
Speaker 1: the Lions do because this last game after he went down,

623
00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,920
Speaker 1: they actually played two different quarterbacks. After Stafford went down,

624
00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:57,880
Speaker 1: they played Chase Daniel for a little bit, and then

625
00:30:57,960 --> 00:30:59,840
Speaker 1: later on in the game they went to David Blow

626
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:01,600
Speaker 1: who's the younger guy who got a little bit of

627
00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,840
Speaker 1: action last year when Stafford was injured. But Chase Daniel

628
00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:07,040
Speaker 1: was the free agent that they signed to be a

629
00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,560
Speaker 1: safety net in case Stafford were to go down. So

630
00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:12,720
Speaker 1: I would think that they would probably start with Chase

631
00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,560
Speaker 1: Daniel and see how that goes. But it might be

632
00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:17,680
Speaker 1: a situation where they do get David Blow in there

633
00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:20,280
Speaker 1: a little bit to get him more game experience and

634
00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:22,520
Speaker 1: you know, to develop him a little bit more as

635
00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:24,960
Speaker 1: a backup quarterback. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw

636
00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:27,040
Speaker 1: a little of both of them if Stafford doesn't go.

637
00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:30,080
Speaker 1: If we stick with the Lions offense, who's the name

638
00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:31,920
Speaker 1: on that side of the ball that has been a

639
00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:35,280
Speaker 1: bright spot this season and someone who it's primed to

640
00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:37,680
Speaker 1: really be a focal point of the offense in twenty

641
00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,479
Speaker 1: twenty one and beyond. So a couple of bright spots.

642
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,640
Speaker 1: I think the easiest ones are those Pro Bowl players

643
00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:46,120
Speaker 1: for the Lions. I mean TJ. Hockinson has had a

644
00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:49,680
Speaker 1: fantastic year, well deserved Pro Bowl bid for him. This

645
00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:52,320
Speaker 1: is his second year at tight end for the Lions

646
00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:55,840
Speaker 1: and he has been a total bright spot on that offense.

647
00:31:56,560 --> 00:31:58,920
Speaker 1: Almost seven hundred yards with a game left to play.

648
00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:01,120
Speaker 1: That's pretty good for a tie. You know, He's been

649
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:03,880
Speaker 1: really involved in this offense and a really big target

650
00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,440
Speaker 1: for Matthew Stafford, especially in the red zone. He's second

651
00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:10,400
Speaker 1: on the team with touchdowns so far this season, second

652
00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,600
Speaker 1: only to Marvin Jones Jr. Another right spot would be

653
00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:18,240
Speaker 1: Frank Ragnow, who is that center from the state of Minnesota,

654
00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,720
Speaker 1: and you know, he really has had a fantastic year,

655
00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:25,160
Speaker 1: played so so well. You know, has just been in

656
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:28,040
Speaker 1: the conversation as far as best centers around the league

657
00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:32,840
Speaker 1: this year. Unfortunately, he had a throat injury, which that

658
00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:36,719
Speaker 1: just sounds absolutely brutal to me. Hopefully he's healing up

659
00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:39,360
Speaker 1: from that. We don't know whether he's going to go

660
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:44,080
Speaker 1: in this finale or not, but definitely wishing him well

661
00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:46,360
Speaker 1: as he recovers from that. But you know, he's just

662
00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:48,800
Speaker 1: been fantastic for the Lions this season. So I would

663
00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:52,800
Speaker 1: say Frank ragnow TJ. Hackinson bright spots for this Lions

664
00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:55,320
Speaker 1: offense and someone to watch for the future. Yes that

665
00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:58,840
Speaker 1: as well. DeAndre Swift, the rookie running back, has really

666
00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:01,520
Speaker 1: stepped in and on a fantastic job for the Lions.

667
00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:03,560
Speaker 1: They kind of did a running back by committee approach

668
00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:07,120
Speaker 1: for the most part all season, but especially early on,

669
00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:09,680
Speaker 1: they were really given a lot more play to Adrian Peterson,

670
00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:13,120
Speaker 1: but as DeAndre Swift came along throughout the season, they

671
00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:15,600
Speaker 1: kind of shifted more towards him. It was, you know,

672
00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:18,240
Speaker 1: the game where the Lions played Washington Football Team where

673
00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:21,479
Speaker 1: they started DeAndre and he went off. He had a

674
00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:24,880
Speaker 1: fantastic game. Unfortunately ended up getting a concussion the following

675
00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:28,760
Speaker 1: week and didn't play for a few games after that.

676
00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:31,320
Speaker 1: So it was a bummer to see, you know, him

677
00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:33,160
Speaker 1: finally start to come on and then have to get

678
00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:35,280
Speaker 1: sidelined for a little bit. But even as he's gotten

679
00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:37,640
Speaker 1: back in there, we've still seen really good stuff from him.

680
00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,960
Speaker 1: He has a fantastic ability to cut on a dime,

681
00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:43,200
Speaker 1: get up field, he can catch the ball out of

682
00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:44,640
Speaker 1: the backfield, and I think he's going to be a

683
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:46,880
Speaker 1: big part of the Lions offense going forward. Kind Of

684
00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:49,080
Speaker 1: the same question, but on the defensive side of the ball.

685
00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:52,520
Speaker 1: About a bright spot in twenty twenty and then someone

686
00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:55,960
Speaker 1: that Fanton kind of be excited about in twenty twenty one. Well,

687
00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:58,680
Speaker 1: the bright spot on defense would be Romeo Aquara, that

688
00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:01,920
Speaker 1: defensive end. He had a breakout season a couple of

689
00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,400
Speaker 1: years ago and was really good, but you're kind of

690
00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:06,040
Speaker 1: waiting to see if he could put put up those

691
00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:08,840
Speaker 1: numbers again, and he has this year. He's leading the

692
00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,319
Speaker 1: Lions in terms of sacks. He has been their best

693
00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:14,720
Speaker 1: pass rusher this season. Now a lot of the season

694
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,839
Speaker 1: Trey Flowers has not been able to play, and so

695
00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:20,560
Speaker 1: he's putting up those kinds of numbers without Trey Flowers

696
00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:22,840
Speaker 1: drawing attention away from him. You know, he is the

697
00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:25,440
Speaker 1: Lion's best pass rusher who's getting the most attention on

698
00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:27,799
Speaker 1: that defensive line, and yet he's still able to put

699
00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:29,799
Speaker 1: up those kinds of numbers. I mean, he showed his

700
00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,759
Speaker 1: athleticism a couple of weeks ago where he was able

701
00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:35,520
Speaker 1: to get a safety and he just hurdles the guy

702
00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,759
Speaker 1: and gets into the backfield and takes the quarterback down

703
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:41,720
Speaker 1: for a safety. So you know, Romeo Okuara has really

704
00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:45,480
Speaker 1: really been good for the Lions this season. Another guy

705
00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:48,600
Speaker 1: to keep an eye on is probably an underrated name.

706
00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:50,640
Speaker 1: Everybody knows Jeff Okuda. You know, you take him at

707
00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:53,440
Speaker 1: number three. He spent most much of this season injured,

708
00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:55,120
Speaker 1: so you know, you hope he can get back out

709
00:34:55,160 --> 00:34:58,120
Speaker 1: there in twenty one. But I think another underrated name

710
00:34:58,160 --> 00:35:01,120
Speaker 1: would be John Pensini along the defensive line. You know,

711
00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,759
Speaker 1: he was taken late in the draft, but he is,

712
00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:06,440
Speaker 1: you know, an interior defensive lineman and he has been

713
00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:09,239
Speaker 1: really important for this Lion's defensive line, especially when it

714
00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:12,640
Speaker 1: comes to trying to stop the run. Danny Shelton, one

715
00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,359
Speaker 1: of their big free agent signings on the defensive line,

716
00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:17,759
Speaker 1: went down this season and hasn't been able to play,

717
00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:20,560
Speaker 1: and John Pensini, that rookie has stepped in and done

718
00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:23,080
Speaker 1: a really good job. So I would say he's probably

719
00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:24,720
Speaker 1: another one to keep an eye on for the future.

720
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,319
Speaker 1: Last question before we get you out of here. How

721
00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,799
Speaker 1: do you kind of expect the Lion will approach this

722
00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:32,279
Speaker 1: season finale? Are younger player is going to play? What

723
00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:35,880
Speaker 1: sort of the vibe you get in Week seventeen? Yeah,

724
00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:38,719
Speaker 1: this is definitely an interesting Week seventeen game for both

725
00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:41,640
Speaker 1: of these teams because it doesn't mean anything for the

726
00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:44,799
Speaker 1: postseason for either team. Right, So I think that we

727
00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:46,839
Speaker 1: are going to see a little bit more of those

728
00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:49,960
Speaker 1: younger players playing, giving those guys a chance to see

729
00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:52,840
Speaker 1: what they can do, put some good stuff on tape.

730
00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:55,239
Speaker 1: That's what these weeks seventeen games are about. So I

731
00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:58,200
Speaker 1: think for fans, the thing to watch as individual performances,

732
00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:00,960
Speaker 1: right You're watching to see who sticks out, who makes

733
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,640
Speaker 1: really good plays, who's kind of making a final statement

734
00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:06,000
Speaker 1: for themselves heading into the off season, whether it be

735
00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:08,759
Speaker 1: guys who are heading into free agency. I mean, the

736
00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:11,600
Speaker 1: Lines have several key guys who are heading into free agency,

737
00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:15,560
Speaker 1: including Romeo Akwara, who I mentioned along the defensive line,

738
00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:18,960
Speaker 1: Jamal Agnew, who is their you know, return man, and

739
00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:21,160
Speaker 1: he's been fantastic. He was the reason the lines didn't

740
00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:23,400
Speaker 1: get shut out last week, you know, against the Tampa

741
00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:26,120
Speaker 1: Bay Buccaneers because he had a punt return touchdown and

742
00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:28,480
Speaker 1: even kicker Matt Crador. So guys like that. This is,

743
00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:31,080
Speaker 1: you know, a game for them to show what they

744
00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:33,279
Speaker 1: can do as they head into free agency, but also

745
00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:35,799
Speaker 1: young guys as well. So I think we'll see a

746
00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:37,719
Speaker 1: lot of that. But I do know that it is

747
00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:40,600
Speaker 1: still important for this team to compete on Sunday. This

748
00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:43,560
Speaker 1: is by no means a game where they're just like, Okay,

749
00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:46,120
Speaker 1: let's just you know, throw some young guys out there

750
00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:49,440
Speaker 1: and see what happens. A lot of them have talked

751
00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:52,000
Speaker 1: about kind of the same thing that we saw that

752
00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:54,840
Speaker 1: JJ Watt video go viral for where jj Watt was

753
00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:58,480
Speaker 1: talking about how, hey, we played this game to compete.

754
00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:00,319
Speaker 1: We don't play it to just go out out there

755
00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:02,920
Speaker 1: and give half effort, and you know, we got to

756
00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:04,560
Speaker 1: show up for each other, we gotta show up for

757
00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:07,200
Speaker 1: the fans. And they have echoed much of that same

758
00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:10,000
Speaker 1: mindset this week. Corey. We always appreciate your time and

759
00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,359
Speaker 1: I'm sure we'll catch up during the off season. Eric,

760
00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:14,279
Speaker 1: thank you so much. It's always a pleasure to chat

761
00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:17,839
Speaker 1: with you. All right. Well, thanks again to Eric and

762
00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:21,320
Speaker 1: Tory for checking in on what is the final game

763
00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:24,680
Speaker 1: of the Minnesota Viking season. I know there's not as

764
00:37:24,719 --> 00:37:28,560
Speaker 1: many storylines as us and Vikings fans would like, but

765
00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:32,240
Speaker 1: certainly a lot to look forward to in the NFL

766
00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:35,440
Speaker 1: playoff picture this week for all you Vikings fans who

767
00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:38,040
Speaker 1: want to sit down and watch some NFL Red Zone

768
00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:40,640
Speaker 1: and catch up on all the games that are going

769
00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:44,000
Speaker 1: on this week. Jay has some notes here looking at

770
00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:47,560
Speaker 1: what is going on for teams in playoff contention, and

771
00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:51,120
Speaker 1: seven teams had the ability to clinch a playoff spot

772
00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:55,280
Speaker 1: last weekend, and guess what, Jay, none of those teams

773
00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:58,239
Speaker 1: were able to do that. Nobody wanted to grab the

774
00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:00,360
Speaker 1: brass ring apparently out they wanted to of all the

775
00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:03,160
Speaker 1: drama to week seventeen. So now we're literally coming down

776
00:38:03,239 --> 00:38:05,960
Speaker 1: to the wire here and we'll see which of these

777
00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:08,879
Speaker 1: horses actually runs across the wire and eats this thing

778
00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:10,880
Speaker 1: out here. So it ought to be an interesting weekend

779
00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:14,680
Speaker 1: to say the least. The AFC has eight teams fighting

780
00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:18,560
Speaker 1: for the final seven remaining playoffs spots, but just kind

781
00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:21,120
Speaker 1: of looking at the teams that are fighting for those

782
00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:23,839
Speaker 1: last spots in the AFC game kind of just give

783
00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:27,560
Speaker 1: Vikings fans a recap of what's a watch this week

784
00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:32,759
Speaker 1: in the NFL's slate of games, the Titans, Dolphins, Ravens, Browns, Coats,

785
00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:36,760
Speaker 1: all fighting for a spot in the playoffs. More importantly,

786
00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:39,120
Speaker 1: the Browns in the Coats like I've always I think

787
00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:42,000
Speaker 1: since Week two, like I've been on Rutgers saying the

788
00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:44,480
Speaker 1: Coats are the best defense in the NFL. Granted they

789
00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:48,040
Speaker 1: have had a few injuries, but at ten and five

790
00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:52,880
Speaker 1: and you're outside looking in at the playoffs, like that

791
00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,399
Speaker 1: is crazy to think. And then our friend, I say,

792
00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:58,160
Speaker 1: you guys as Frans since I haven't met him, Kevin

793
00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,400
Speaker 1: Stefanski and the Browns, like they were the most likable

794
00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:03,319
Speaker 1: team in the NFL a couple of weeks ago, and

795
00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:06,879
Speaker 1: they're a seven seeds. So dude, this is this week

796
00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:08,960
Speaker 1: is going to be crazy. I think if you are

797
00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:11,279
Speaker 1: a Vikings fan, I think you just cheer for your

798
00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:14,520
Speaker 1: favorite players, and I hope those guys get in. I mean,

799
00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:16,719
Speaker 1: the Dolphins have been I mean, they're pretty much a

800
00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:19,279
Speaker 1: lock right now at the five seeds. So other than

801
00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:21,239
Speaker 1: the Chiefs, like it's pretty much up in the air.

802
00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:24,279
Speaker 1: I mean the Bills distillers. Distillers, we thought they were

803
00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:25,920
Speaker 1: going to be the best team in the NFL a

804
00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:27,880
Speaker 1: few weeks ago, but losing three in a row, it's like,

805
00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:31,080
Speaker 1: all right, are they really here to stay or is

806
00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:34,279
Speaker 1: this just a fluke team? So it will be an

807
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:37,400
Speaker 1: interest in week seventeen. It's pretty crazy. The Cleveland Browns

808
00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:40,400
Speaker 1: just a few weeks ago, we're fighting for that AFC

809
00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:44,160
Speaker 1: North title, kind of taken advantage of some of the

810
00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:47,120
Speaker 1: losses that the Steelers have had as of late. Moving

811
00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:51,319
Speaker 1: over to the NFC. There's a lot to wash this week, Jay,

812
00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:54,040
Speaker 1: I mean, we know the Vikings are out, we know

813
00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:58,040
Speaker 1: that the Bears and the Arizona Cardinals are fighting for

814
00:39:58,239 --> 00:40:02,320
Speaker 1: that last spot. Guess what the Bears are playing Aaron

815
00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:05,040
Speaker 1: Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. Jay, if you're the

816
00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:07,120
Speaker 1: Packers right now, you're looking at it too, saying there's

817
00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:10,399
Speaker 1: a very good chance that if the Bears do win this,

818
00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:13,280
Speaker 1: and if the Packers slip out of that number one

819
00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:16,680
Speaker 1: seed position and drop down to number two, there's a

820
00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:19,040
Speaker 1: very good chance they could actually be playing Chicago again

821
00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:22,000
Speaker 1: in the first round of the playoffs in that wildcard weekend.

822
00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:24,040
Speaker 1: So if I'm the Packers, you want to put one

823
00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:26,479
Speaker 1: on the Bears and just say, like slap amoya saying,

824
00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:28,600
Speaker 1: We're not going to worry about you. And if you're

825
00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:30,960
Speaker 1: the Bears and the Packers, you are fighting like crazy

826
00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:32,799
Speaker 1: because the Bears are fighting for their lives just to

827
00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:34,880
Speaker 1: get in and the Packers are fighting to get that

828
00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:38,040
Speaker 1: by round of wildcard weekend, so that I'd be in

829
00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:40,640
Speaker 1: actually a really really good game this weekend. The Packers

830
00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:42,799
Speaker 1: can clinch the number one seed if they beat the

831
00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:47,400
Speaker 1: Chicago Bears or the Seahawks lose their game this week.

832
00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:49,880
Speaker 1: The Saints and the Seahawks are eleven and four and

833
00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:54,040
Speaker 1: are chasing Green Bay for the number one through number

834
00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:58,560
Speaker 1: three seeds. The winner of the terrible NFC East is

835
00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:01,160
Speaker 1: most likely going to be the four seed, which just

836
00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:06,000
Speaker 1: really makes me upset game as a former Washington football

837
00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:10,080
Speaker 1: team alum that we have here on the Minnesota Vikings podcast.

838
00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:12,919
Speaker 1: I mean, are you rooting for your old team here

839
00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:15,960
Speaker 1: or I mean, it's just I cannot believe that, not

840
00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:18,960
Speaker 1: at all. I'm chairing for Dallas here simply because they

841
00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:22,680
Speaker 1: beat us. So if Dallas gets in and Dallas needs help,

842
00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:25,440
Speaker 1: because Dallas has to beat the New York Giants, and

843
00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:28,319
Speaker 1: then the Washington football team, being the Washington football team,

844
00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:30,960
Speaker 1: has to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington

845
00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:35,319
Speaker 1: football team just being themselves. I literally said this three

846
00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:37,440
Speaker 1: weeks ago. I said, they will find a way to

847
00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:40,360
Speaker 1: beat themselves, and here they are a week seventeen on

848
00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:44,600
Speaker 1: the verge of doing so. So I got Dallas winning

849
00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:47,160
Speaker 1: that because that makes our schedule look like it was

850
00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:49,759
Speaker 1: a little bit tougher in that Dallas game wasn't too

851
00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:53,759
Speaker 1: much of a fluke. But just it's been ridiculous that

852
00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:56,880
Speaker 1: a six six win team can be a four seed, Like,

853
00:41:57,719 --> 00:42:00,200
Speaker 1: have we seen that before? I think you probably we

854
00:42:00,239 --> 00:42:02,960
Speaker 1: have been at least seven wins in order to at

855
00:42:03,040 --> 00:42:05,640
Speaker 1: least win a conference, but or win a division. I

856
00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:09,640
Speaker 1: just I look at this NFC East and there's been

857
00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:12,320
Speaker 1: discussion for years to say, well, maybe they should recede

858
00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:16,680
Speaker 1: them given their records and everything. And I also look

859
00:42:16,719 --> 00:42:18,239
Speaker 1: at it and say, like, I get it. You know,

860
00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:22,600
Speaker 1: you're given these division winners some something to play for,

861
00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:25,319
Speaker 1: even though they might have an absolute terrible record. But

862
00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:27,840
Speaker 1: I think in the past, the worst I could really

863
00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:30,560
Speaker 1: remember was eight and eight. And I remember, even like

864
00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:32,400
Speaker 1: the New York Giants, the one year they got in

865
00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:35,000
Speaker 1: as a sixth seed and everyone was complaining saying why

866
00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:37,080
Speaker 1: is an eight and eight team getting into the playoff run?

867
00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:39,400
Speaker 1: And then they actually ran it and beat the Patriots

868
00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:42,400
Speaker 1: in the Super Bowl. So this is always why coaches

869
00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:44,440
Speaker 1: and teams say just get in and get it, you know,

870
00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:47,320
Speaker 1: chip chair chants kind of a thing. And the hardest

871
00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:50,000
Speaker 1: part for me is you look at the other teams

872
00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:52,000
Speaker 1: like the Cardinals, and you say, yeah, you deserve to

873
00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,040
Speaker 1: be in there. But at the same point, that's not

874
00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,960
Speaker 1: how the game has played. So whoever's in the NFC East,

875
00:42:57,440 --> 00:42:59,359
Speaker 1: three of the four teams still have a shot, so

876
00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:01,799
Speaker 1: buckle up and good luck. I still have a lot

877
00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:04,480
Speaker 1: of friends at work in Washington, so I hope their

878
00:43:04,520 --> 00:43:07,480
Speaker 1: season gets extended. But I just can't see it happening.

879
00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:10,040
Speaker 1: And like we've lost the six playoff teams if the

880
00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:12,279
Speaker 1: Cowboys make it, so I think that's a that's a

881
00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:14,600
Speaker 1: good way to look at it, by saying, hey, I'm

882
00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:16,839
Speaker 1: going to cheer for the Cowboys and hope they get

883
00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:19,560
Speaker 1: in because it makes us look like we had a

884
00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:21,879
Speaker 1: more tough schedule than we've Then a lot of people

885
00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:23,759
Speaker 1: say we did. One of those playoff teams that we

886
00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:26,359
Speaker 1: lost to was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game

887
00:43:26,440 --> 00:43:30,320
Speaker 1: that pretty much sealed the fate for the Vikings this season.

888
00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:33,040
Speaker 1: So they're the number five seed if they find a

889
00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:36,759
Speaker 1: way to beat the Atlanta Falcons this coming week, and

890
00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:38,880
Speaker 1: then six and seven they're up for grabs. You have

891
00:43:38,960 --> 00:43:42,920
Speaker 1: the the Los Angeles Rams. You have who are playing

892
00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:46,040
Speaker 1: the Arizona Cardinals, who are also fighting for a big

893
00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:48,560
Speaker 1: time win to get in the playoffs. Jared Goff is

894
00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:51,080
Speaker 1: out with a broken thumb in that game and Cooper

895
00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:54,520
Speaker 1: Cup is on the COVID list currently, so some storylines

896
00:43:54,520 --> 00:43:57,920
Speaker 1: to follow there. But the Chicago Bears are currently the

897
00:43:58,239 --> 00:44:01,560
Speaker 1: number seven seed as we noted before, so the Cardinals

898
00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:04,920
Speaker 1: are in. If they beat the Rams, they take that

899
00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:10,120
Speaker 1: spot from the Bears. But it's just it's it's crazy

900
00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:12,880
Speaker 1: the way this thing worked out with that extra that

901
00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:15,040
Speaker 1: extra team in the playoffs. Man, I don't even know

902
00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:17,600
Speaker 1: if they want to keep that going forward. I'm cool

903
00:44:17,600 --> 00:44:19,560
Speaker 1: with it. I think as many teams that are that

904
00:44:19,600 --> 00:44:22,960
Speaker 1: are still in playoff contention, the better. But it's definitely

905
00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:25,600
Speaker 1: been a fun thing to watch Jay just having that

906
00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:30,080
Speaker 1: extra playoff spot in this year's playoffs. Personally, I think

907
00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:32,920
Speaker 1: it's actually kind of cool. I think it's look at

908
00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:35,200
Speaker 1: look at the parody and the way things have gone.

909
00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:37,960
Speaker 1: You currently have four teams fighting for three spots in

910
00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:41,400
Speaker 1: the FC, and now you've still got three teams alive

911
00:44:41,920 --> 00:44:45,720
Speaker 1: here trying to grab that seven spot. And think about

912
00:44:45,719 --> 00:44:48,080
Speaker 1: how hard right now the number one seeds are fighting

913
00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:50,560
Speaker 1: just to keep them. You know, that is a that

914
00:44:50,680 --> 00:44:53,680
Speaker 1: is a huge motivating factor. And in years past, if

915
00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:55,359
Speaker 1: you had a one or a two seed locked up,

916
00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:57,319
Speaker 1: you would kind of coast and rest your starters and

917
00:44:57,360 --> 00:45:00,080
Speaker 1: all that. None of that's happening this year. You know,

918
00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:02,839
Speaker 1: the Packers got to want to beat the Bears, and

919
00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:05,919
Speaker 1: the Bears have to get in. So again, if there

920
00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:08,560
Speaker 1: was no seven seeds sitting there, Chicago wouldn't even have

921
00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:12,279
Speaker 1: a chance and they'd probably be similar to resting starters, etc.

922
00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:15,440
Speaker 1: But I like it. I think it's for me. At

923
00:45:15,480 --> 00:45:17,120
Speaker 1: this point, we were kind of curious if it was

924
00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:20,160
Speaker 1: going to really mean anything or not, And across the board,

925
00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:22,600
Speaker 1: one hundred percent it has absolutely met something this year.

926
00:45:22,640 --> 00:45:24,480
Speaker 1: So I have a hard time believing they'll get rid

927
00:45:24,480 --> 00:45:27,239
Speaker 1: of it. But you never know with offseason negotiations what

928
00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:30,600
Speaker 1: will happen. But I like it and hopefully it's here

929
00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:33,400
Speaker 1: here to stay. On my end. Well, hopefully Vikings fans

930
00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:36,479
Speaker 1: can enjoy a full slate of games, including the last

931
00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:39,239
Speaker 1: game of the season against the Detroit Lions. It's the

932
00:45:39,320 --> 00:45:42,920
Speaker 1: last week of our radio shows of the season. That

933
00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:44,960
Speaker 1: means we had under Center with Kirk Cousins at the

934
00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:47,840
Speaker 1: beginning of the week where Kirk really broke down the season,

935
00:45:48,239 --> 00:45:50,400
Speaker 1: how he feels heading into the game against the Lions,

936
00:45:50,680 --> 00:45:53,279
Speaker 1: and we hear some of the best sounds of the week.

937
00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:56,360
Speaker 1: You could hear that every Tuesday night during the regular

938
00:45:56,440 --> 00:45:59,840
Speaker 1: season on k fan also can catch that on the

939
00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:04,719
Speaker 1: Vikings Podcast Network and look all around Vikings platforms for

940
00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:08,480
Speaker 1: the video segments of that show. Also, tune into the

941
00:46:08,560 --> 00:46:12,680
Speaker 1: Vikings Postgame Live every week fifteen minutes after each game

942
00:46:12,800 --> 00:46:16,120
Speaker 1: from inside US Banks Stadium. Get a breakdown of the

943
00:46:16,160 --> 00:46:20,200
Speaker 1: game including highlights, stats, analysis and more for Mark Rose

944
00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:23,400
Speaker 1: and Ben Lieber, Pete Bursach and all the members of

945
00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:26,360
Speaker 1: the Vikings Entertainment Network. Tune in on Vikings dot Com,

946
00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:31,640
Speaker 1: the Vikings App, and the Vikings social media platforms. Also, finally,

947
00:46:32,120 --> 00:46:35,560
Speaker 1: check out the last radio show of the week from

948
00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:39,719
Speaker 1: the Vikings Entertainment Network. It's The Vikings Vantage hosted by

949
00:46:39,760 --> 00:46:43,960
Speaker 1: myself and Vikings dot COM's Gabe Henderson. We were joined

950
00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:48,200
Speaker 1: by the best guy in the business, Mark Rosen, who

951
00:46:48,239 --> 00:46:50,759
Speaker 1: was able to break down the Vikings season, give us

952
00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:55,600
Speaker 1: his thoughts on Justin Jefferson and more awesome conversation with

953
00:46:55,719 --> 00:46:58,680
Speaker 1: Gabe and myself and Mark Rosen. You can catch that

954
00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:02,600
Speaker 1: at six thirty pm on k Fan, so make sure

955
00:47:02,719 --> 00:47:06,480
Speaker 1: to check that out. All right, guys, wrapping up the show. Gabe,

956
00:47:06,560 --> 00:47:08,600
Speaker 1: I'll go to you first. You have any final thoughts

957
00:47:08,960 --> 00:47:12,040
Speaker 1: wrapping up this episode of the Minnesota Vikings podcast. I

958
00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:15,320
Speaker 1: think the only thing I can say is everyone stay healthy,

959
00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:18,360
Speaker 1: man like on the field and people off the field.

960
00:47:19,239 --> 00:47:22,920
Speaker 1: Happy New Year, everyone, Happy holidays and looking forward to

961
00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:25,759
Speaker 1: next year. Thank everybody for just tuning it in to

962
00:47:25,880 --> 00:47:27,440
Speaker 1: all of our content this year. This has been an

963
00:47:27,480 --> 00:47:30,040
Speaker 1: amazing first year. Probably could have been a little better

964
00:47:30,040 --> 00:47:31,960
Speaker 1: if you made the playoffs, but I'll take the punches

965
00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:33,719
Speaker 1: and roll with them. So it's been a great year.

966
00:47:33,800 --> 00:47:35,719
Speaker 1: Thanks Gabe. What about you? Jay? Put on a good

967
00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:37,680
Speaker 1: show and let's see what you guys got. This is

968
00:47:37,680 --> 00:47:40,920
Speaker 1: your opportunity. It's week seventeen and you're playing the Detroit

969
00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:43,680
Speaker 1: Lions team who's in a similar boat so both these

970
00:47:43,680 --> 00:47:45,840
Speaker 1: teams are fighting to see who's gonna end up is

971
00:47:45,880 --> 00:47:48,560
Speaker 1: the third team in the division. Go from there and

972
00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:51,680
Speaker 1: get out healthy, put on a good show, put up

973
00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:54,239
Speaker 1: some points, and finish this thing right and just at

974
00:47:54,320 --> 00:47:55,919
Speaker 1: least have a good taste in your mouth going into

975
00:47:55,920 --> 00:47:58,800
Speaker 1: the offseason. It's the final game of the twenty twenty season.

976
00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:02,640
Speaker 1: The last games have certainly been a disappointment, the last

977
00:48:02,680 --> 00:48:06,400
Speaker 1: three games specifically, but you'd love to end this season

978
00:48:06,440 --> 00:48:08,480
Speaker 1: off on a high note. Seeing some of our young

979
00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:11,640
Speaker 1: players and rookies have a chance to shine in this game.

980
00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:14,960
Speaker 1: That'll do it for this episode of the Minnesota Vikings Podcast,

981
00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:18,479
Speaker 1: episode number seventy four. We will be back next week

982
00:48:18,520 --> 00:48:22,200
Speaker 1: to put a bow n tie on the season and

983
00:48:22,239 --> 00:48:24,480
Speaker 1: we all hope you guys have a happy and healthy

984
00:48:24,560 --> 00:48:27,040
Speaker 1: New Year's Eve and New Year's Day and we will

985
00:48:27,040 --> 00:48:27,959
Speaker 1: see you next week