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Jeff Legwold joins Kreckman and Lindahl 1-19-26 · Jeff Legwold ESPN Broncos Reports

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Jeff Lakewell, brought to you by the International Brotherhood of
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Electrical Workers ibe W Local sixty eight. You start with
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  Speaker 1: the job, you end with a career leggy, the whiplash
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  Speaker 1: of the way the things went on Saturday. You were there,
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: you were covering it. I knew you had an inkling
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: before Sean Payton walked in the room. Kinda give us
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  Speaker 1: a little bit of the behind the scenes of how
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  Speaker 1: all of that went down, from the injury to the
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  Speaker 1: you know, the the initial news being reported to Sean Payton,
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  Speaker 1: then walking into the press conference room making the decision
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  Speaker 1: to inform the media about an injury right there. How
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  Speaker 1: did all of that go down?
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  Speaker 2: Well, I mean they you know, in this world of
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  Speaker 2: covering a team, you know there there are always some
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  Speaker 2: tells here and there, people you know who tell you.
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  Speaker 2: And my understanding was that you know at the time,
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  Speaker 2: right after the game and all the frenzy is that
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  Speaker 2: you know, bo Nix is getting treatment. I've been told
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  Speaker 2: he's possibly gonna get X ray, which is very common
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  Speaker 2: after games. I don't want to make that sound like
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  Speaker 2: that's a unique thing. They've got an X ray machine
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  Speaker 2: right there by the locker room, and and it's it's
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  Speaker 2: a common thing for players to go in there still
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  Speaker 2: in full uniform, just to see if they've got something
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  Speaker 2: going on. So you know, I had made a little
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  Speaker 2: note to myself that, Okay, better check on all this
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  Speaker 2: at some point. And then you know, when you didn't
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  Speaker 2: see bowt his locker in any of the postgame interview
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  Speaker 2: time or any of that, Usually guys are really trying
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  Speaker 2: to get going, to get with their families and and
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: get out of there. So then you know, you don't
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  Speaker 2: know the extent of it. You don't know that you
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: know it's going to be he's out of the playoffs.
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  Speaker 2: You just know something's happening. And then when when Sean
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  Speaker 2: Page walked in instead of bo Knicks, you know, in
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  Speaker 2: uh to the podium, and then I at that exact second,
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  Speaker 2: I know I figured, okay, this is about Bowl uh.
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  Speaker 2: But again I'm not sure even I would have thought,
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  Speaker 2: you know, fracture done for the done for the postseason.
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  Speaker 3: We will stid and bring to the proceedings. Now, what
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  Speaker 3: what are you getting And how much do you think,
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  Speaker 3: if anything, the offense changes, will Sean call different plays?
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  Speaker 4: How do you think this affects everything for the AFC? Championship.
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  Speaker 2: Well, it's gonna look a little different. I mean, you
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  Speaker 2: don't have you don't have bo Nicks's the mobility and
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  Speaker 2: the run game as sort of a called run as
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  Speaker 2: as you know, and we just we just finished the
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  Speaker 2: playoff game where bow Knicks led the team and carries
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  Speaker 2: with twelve, So that component is much different, looks much different,
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  Speaker 2: you know. I don't Jeart's did him as some mobility,
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  Speaker 2: but I don't think he'll be in the called run
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  Speaker 2: area of the play sheet very often, and they will
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  Speaker 2: have to adjust some protection schemes. You know, Jared Stidham
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  Speaker 2: hasn't started many games, four in his career, but he's
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  Speaker 2: been sacked thirteen times in those four games, so you know,
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  Speaker 2: six and one of them. So you're gonna have to
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  Speaker 2: figure out how you're going to protect. How that's gonna
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  Speaker 2: look different. Does that mean fewer guys in the route
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  Speaker 2: in the pattern? You know that that adjusts a passing game.
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  Speaker 2: If you got two man routes and three man routes
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  Speaker 2: because you're you're trying to protect a little more, then
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  Speaker 2: that's a different deal too. But I do think he
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  Speaker 2: knows the offense as well as anyone frankly, and we'll
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  Speaker 2: be comfortable with that. There won't be any you know,
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  Speaker 2: issues with terminology or line of scrimmage or audibles or
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  Speaker 2: checks or any of that. There will be none of that,
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  Speaker 2: none of those issues. And I do think he will
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: be more apt to push the ball down the field
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  Speaker 2: as a solution to pressure. Uh So, I think that
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  Speaker 2: could be I could bear watching because I think if
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  Speaker 2: he is feels trouble or feels heat, I think he
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  Speaker 2: will be more apt to to test that down the
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  Speaker 2: field a little more. So, you know, I think in
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  Speaker 2: the scrambled drill, I think the two deep receivers suddenly
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  Speaker 2: become a bigger option.
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: Jeff, we know Sean Payton really likes Jared Stidham. When
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  Speaker 1: you sign a quarterback to two different contracts, you you
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: have made your feelings about that player clear. What is
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  Speaker 1: it about Jared Stidham that is that has appealed to
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  Speaker 1: Sean in this coaching staff so much.
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  Speaker 2: Well, nay, he's got the one attribute coaches love in quarterbacks.
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  Speaker 2: He's really smart. You know, you could pile on the
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: information and it gets digested and anyone who's here with
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  Speaker 2: you know, years from now, when the retrospectives are done
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: a lot of the early times of whatever becomes of
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  Speaker 2: bo Nix as Broncos quarterback. Jared Stidham has had a
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  Speaker 2: big hand in that as far as how you handle
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  Speaker 2: the day to day, how you bounce back from tough plays.
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  Speaker 2: You know just how to be the quarterback of an
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  Speaker 2: NFL team, because you know, Stidnam watched Brady do it,
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  Speaker 2: and there aren't too many guys you can watch do
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  Speaker 2: it better than Brady, so you know that. I think
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  Speaker 2: that's why you let you know you're good in the
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  Speaker 2: locker room and you're smart, and it's it is not
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  Speaker 2: an exaggeration that what people may have heard. His teammates
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  Speaker 2: do care about the guy. I mean, he's got a
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  Speaker 2: presence in the locker room. He's he's funny. You know,
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  Speaker 2: he's got the whole group dynamic thing down and and
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  Speaker 2: people like him. I think guys will play hard for
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  Speaker 2: that guy, and you know that can count for something,
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: all right.
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  Speaker 4: JK.
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  Speaker 3: Dobbins, you think things are as positive as it's trending. Jeff, Look,
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  Speaker 3: you and I think both well. I remember going to
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  Speaker 3: New York with you and the Liz Frank thing and
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  Speaker 3: just watching Champ and Champ felt like he could run okay,
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  Speaker 3: but then aah just didn't die. Just gave you a
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  Speaker 3: Sean Payton and the super Bowl just didn't feel like
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  Speaker 3: he had the kind of the wheels that he wanted.
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  Speaker 3: That's a dB that's got to chase guys Dobbins. Wi'll
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  Speaker 3: at least know where he wants to go and what
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  Speaker 3: he wants to do. Are you optimistic? Dobbins can contribute?
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  Speaker 3: If activated, I wouldn't.
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  Speaker 2: I would never say optimistic till I see him in
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  Speaker 2: pat I mean, did he look good working off to
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  Speaker 2: the side the other day? Yes he did. Uh, but
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  Speaker 2: again that's cones and and your first time out in
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  Speaker 2: the sunshine, you know, in the afternoon, and you know,
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  Speaker 2: life was probably pretty good right then for JK. Dobbins
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  Speaker 2: after rehabbing for weeks. Uh, but he did look good
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  Speaker 2: moving around, and more importantly, you know, he looked pretty
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  Speaker 2: balanced in going through the drills, which is what I
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: always looked for, you know, when a guy's coming back
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  Speaker 2: from a lower lower leg or a foot injury or
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  Speaker 2: something like that. So I think this is really a
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  Speaker 2: testament of let's open the window and see because you know,
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  Speaker 2: if you can get him back for this, or if
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  Speaker 2: you get lucky and fortunate and win and make a
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  Speaker 2: Super Bowl or get him back for that. It's a
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  Speaker 2: bonus either way. But you might as well open the
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  Speaker 2: window now and see Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, then see what
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  Speaker 2: he looks like at the walkthrough on Saturday and go
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  Speaker 2: from there.
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  Speaker 1: What do we know about Pat brian and Troy Franklin.
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  Speaker 2: Not much, but it is Pat Bryant's second concussion this
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  Speaker 2: year and in a very short time. And look, you know,
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  Speaker 2: I always joke I wasn't at medical school today they
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  Speaker 2: taught medicine, but I have talked to enough people over
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  Speaker 2: the years to know once you've had a significant concussion,
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  Speaker 2: it's easier to get the next one, and once you've
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  Speaker 2: had the second, it's even easier to get the next one.
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  Speaker 2: So I think that that will bear some watching because
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  Speaker 2: that's that's a pretty short period of time to have
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  Speaker 2: two concussions. So that's a wait and see. In a
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  Speaker 2: hamstring this time of year, those are tough injuries, you know,
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  Speaker 2: for Franklin, So I would guess or it would be
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  Speaker 2: surprising if those two guys are anywhere close to the
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  Speaker 2: practice field this week.
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  Speaker 4: You know, Jeff, I look, did I love the whole game?
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  Speaker 2: No? I did not.
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  Speaker 3: Were there awards, certainly there were, But I gotta tell you, man, Bonix,
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  Speaker 3: when the game's on the line, fourth quarter, you give
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  Speaker 3: him a drive.
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  Speaker 4: I don't know what happens.
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  Speaker 3: I don't know what flipy switch and what switchy flips,
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  Speaker 3: but I can't get over how clutch the kid's.
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  Speaker 4: Been all year long and does it again.
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  Speaker 3: Is that gonna be his lasting takeaway from this year?
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  Speaker 3: I mean, I know there's gonna be some things. You're
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  Speaker 3: gonna want to not have two quarters where you can't
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  Speaker 3: get a first down, right, and that happened too often
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  Speaker 3: in too many games this year.
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  Speaker 4: But what do you think we'll.
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  Speaker 3: Remember about this year of Bonnicks' second year of the career.
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  Speaker 2: Well, you know, the close game data is pretty revealing,
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  Speaker 2: and you know, I it's one of those things if
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  Speaker 2: you have a good defense, that's the perfect kind of
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  Speaker 2: quarterback man who can put it together no matter what
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  Speaker 2: kind of afternoon he's having or an evening he's having.
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  Speaker 2: And if the defense can keep you close, get you
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  Speaker 2: that one drive, that might be the difference. And I
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  Speaker 2: think a lot of it is. You know, at this
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  Speaker 2: point in his career. You know, I'm still going to
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  Speaker 2: continue to say I think the two minute and four
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  Speaker 2: minute situations where the menu get shorter, he's much more efficient.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, I know they're not apt to do
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  Speaker 2: that for a whole game or anything, but he is proficient.
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  Speaker 2: Whatever they have chosen in that menu and give to him,
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: those are his greatest hits, you know, out of the playbook. Uh,
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  Speaker 2: And I think it shows they're they're very smart about
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  Speaker 2: how they've they've constructed those two minute and four minute situations,
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  Speaker 2: and they've been very careful. To me, it looks like
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  Speaker 2: at picking what he's really really good at and what
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  Speaker 2: he's really really comfortable with a lot of times that's
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  Speaker 2: first day install stuff that you would have done the most.
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  Speaker 2: But uh, if you're going to be a quarterback in
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  Speaker 2: the NFL and you're pretty good late in games and
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: Layton has you're you're gonna be around for a while
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: and you're probably gonna play in some in some big games.
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  Speaker 1: Talking to Jeff Lakewall to ESPN on a rally house
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: Football Monday rally house shop every team in town, Jeff,
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  Speaker 1: We're going to extend the conversation a few minutes here
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  Speaker 1: because We need to now start talking about the matchup
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  Speaker 1: that is coming up. This New England Patriots team is
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  Speaker 1: off to the AFC Championship in a road game at Denver,
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  Speaker 1: and they have done so, surviving to really really good
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: defenses in beating the Chargers and then beating the Texans yesterday.
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  Speaker 1: Talk about a performance with Wartz. I mean, Drake May
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  Speaker 1: fumbled four times yesterday. That thing was ugly at times,
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  Speaker 1: but the Houston pass rush is going to do that
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  Speaker 1: to you. Give me your initial thoughts on this matchup,
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  Speaker 1: and let's start with Josh McDaniels, Drake May and that
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  Speaker 1: New England offense going up against the formidable Broncos defense.
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  Speaker 2: Well, New England's the model of efficiency on offense and
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  Speaker 2: they run the ball good enough, well enough to be
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  Speaker 2: a problem for the Broncos. But Drake May is the
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  Speaker 2: youngest player in NFL history. It'll lead the league in
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  Speaker 2: completion percentage and yards per attempt. And when you pair,
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  Speaker 2: I know, counting statistics aren't always great to evaluate a player.
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: I realized that, but those two, when you hook them together,
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  Speaker 2: that means you're the most accurate guy going down the
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  Speaker 2: field the most and that is a tough combination that
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: he is king of the tight window right now, and
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  Speaker 2: that can be good coverage. I mean, I don't know
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  Speaker 2: a defensive back from Champ Bailey to you know, Brian
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  Speaker 2: Dawkins to Steve Atwater, whatever Hall of famer I've spoken
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  Speaker 2: to over the years who won't tell you a perfectly
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  Speaker 2: thrown ball cannot be defended. And he throws an awful
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  Speaker 2: lot of well thrown passes, and that's that's an issue.
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  Speaker 2: So you gotta you gotta get him off the rhythm.
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  Speaker 2: If you let him just stay in rhythm, he is
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  Speaker 2: going to crush you. So being disruptive is going to
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  Speaker 2: be a priority for the for the Broncos. And he
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  Speaker 2: moves well and he can run at times, but he's
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: not like the the pure run threat of Josh Allen,
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  Speaker 2: so that does impact how they can rush him as well.
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  Speaker 2: So that's gonna be the issues. Get him out of rhythm,
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  Speaker 2: and you cannot have the kind of day on run
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  Speaker 2: defense the way you had against Buffalo.
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  Speaker 3: All right, Uh, what kind of defense are they facing there?
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  Speaker 3: Would you say? How good do you think this d like?
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  Speaker 3: Is Stinham gonna.
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  Speaker 2: Have to do?
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  Speaker 4: Well? Really, it'll be the whole offense but what is
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  Speaker 4: the challenge here? Do they rush? I bet like Leake?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, watching their two playoff games, are they quite the
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  Speaker 3: pass rush team like the Broncos?
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  Speaker 4: Where would you rank them as far as in the
• 13:20
  Speaker 4: neighborhood of the Broncos pass rush wise?
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  Speaker 2: Well, nobody rushes like the Bronco I mean, they were
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: eleven sacks ahead of everybody this year and Zach Allen
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: led the league in quarterback hits and Nick Benito's the
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: third highest pressure rate. I mean, nobody's got that combination.
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  Speaker 2: But Brable was a really really good defensive cord Well,
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: he's a really really good defensive player in his career.
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  Speaker 2: He was a really really good defensive coordinator in his career,
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: and he's been a really good head coach because he
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: they mix it up. They don't give you a look.
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: They don't give you a look at the snaff that
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: you're comfortable with. You know, they know they don't have
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: quite you know, they're still in year one of like
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: a rebuild. They went from three wins to fourteen. That's epic,
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: you know, it's unbelievable. But what that means is a
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: personnel isn't quite what some of the other fourteen win
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: teams are because they're not that far along and what
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: they're doing. But they everyone on the defense knows exactly
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: what they're supposed to be doing and they don't make
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: many mistakes. So you've got to beat it clean. You've
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: got to win the matchups, and you know, I think
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: it will be really important for the Bronco receivers whoever
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: they can get in the lineup. You have to win
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: one on one matchups every time you get the chance,
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: and you cannot put the ball on the ground. And
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: that's the bottom, you know, I think, the basic root
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  Speaker 2: of it. But he'll give Stidham a lot of looks
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: to see how comfortable Stidham is with what he's seeing.
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and they got one of those guys that he's
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: not certain because Certan's alone on top of the mountain.
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: But on the pyramid, I think Christian Gonzales he exists
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: in that spot. The former buff had a huge force
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: fumble yesterday. That dude is pretty damn good, Jeff.
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: They do it the same way, Nate. They use the
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: one maximum chess piece they have in the secondary to
• 15:22
  Speaker 2: adjust everything around it.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's been effective, and man, they made life
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: hell on CJ. Stroud yesterday. Jeff Legwall of ESPN Go
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: to espn dot com get Leggi's coverage all week long.
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: His latest on the opening window for JK. Dobbins to
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: potentially return leggy Man. Great stuff. We'll talk to you
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: more this week.
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: Thanks Bell, Saip