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Jeff Legwold joins Kreckman & Lindahl 12-20-24 · Jeff Legwold ESPN Broncos Reports

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Jeff Legwald is our Broncos insider Altitude Sports Radio ninety
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  Speaker 1: two five Pro Football.
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  Speaker 2: The insider I've covered while.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Jeff Legwald too cute.
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  Speaker 3: Let's dial down the queue and just play football.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Start with a job and with a career.
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  Speaker 4: RVDW Local sixty eight.
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  Speaker 1: It's Leggy, Yeah, yeah, yeah, on Altitude Sports Radio ninety
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  Speaker 1: two five. Coincidence that we're playing. You're a mean one,
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  Speaker 1: mister grinch right now, and it's Jeff Legwald time. That's right, Jeff, Jeff,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: Jeff Leggy joins us right now here on a Friday
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: afternoon after the Broncos lose. Leggy, you're you're the guy
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  Speaker 1: that I go to for answers like this in a
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  Speaker 1: game in which you have a double digit lead in
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  Speaker 1: the second half on the road, How can your run
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  Speaker 1: splits look like this? Thirteen in the first half, eight
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  Speaker 1: in the second half. What am I missing right there?
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  Speaker 3: It's not just that it's seven on the first drive, yeah,
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  Speaker 3: and fourteen after that, And I think that is it's
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  Speaker 3: perplexing he you know, he answers it the same way
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  Speaker 3: to me. And you know, a couple of us were
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  Speaker 3: talking at the game last night. It was very reminiscent
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  Speaker 3: of the Washington game last year when they had the
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  Speaker 3: big lead they quit running the ball, and after the game,
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  Speaker 3: you know, Sean Payton said, I probably gave up on
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  Speaker 3: the run too early. And you know, ever, it's almost
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  Speaker 3: like ever since then, we keep having this circular conversation
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  Speaker 3: with him about the importance of the run game and
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  Speaker 3: how much it's needed and a bigger Rollie thinks that
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  Speaker 3: can have in the offense. And then they have games
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  Speaker 3: like last night, you know, over and over again, when
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  Speaker 3: you know it's my and it really is sort of
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  Speaker 3: around the league overall, but I'm continually fascinated by one
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  Speaker 3: run play sends more teams into hiding, and yet they'll
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  Speaker 3: live with fourteen incompletions in a row. I mean, it's
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  Speaker 3: just really interesting how that the you know, the expectation
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  Speaker 3: of the run is that it's a festival every time
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  Speaker 3: and that the past game could just be, you know,
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  Speaker 3: you shoot your way out of it type thing. And honestly,
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  Speaker 3: when you look at the split last night, you wonder,
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  Speaker 3: you know, what are you gonna do if you go
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  Speaker 3: to Buffalo in a couple of weeks, So you have
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  Speaker 3: to go to Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks.
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  Speaker 2: Is that how you're gonna live.
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  Speaker 3: You're gonna put them in the gun and being three
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  Speaker 3: y and just chucking around and see what happens.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, when the win might be hawling in either location.
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  Speaker 4: He may be holling in Cincinnati next week. Jeff, what
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  Speaker 4: has happened to this Broncos defense when they go into
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  Speaker 4: z own?
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  Speaker 2: What?
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  Speaker 4: What is what is the breakdown there?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, and especially in some of the run
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  Speaker 3: plays and those when they give up the big one
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  Speaker 3: that you know, the run is one of those where
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  Speaker 3: we only get one mistake. We don't think of it
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  Speaker 3: a lot because you know, so much happens in the
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  Speaker 3: big crowd at the line of scrimmage in run defense.
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  Speaker 3: But it really is dependent on every single person being
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  Speaker 3: in the right spot. You can't miss any tackles. And
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  Speaker 3: when they miss tackles, and they don't put patser Tan
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  Speaker 3: on the the most dangerous receiver. But you know, we've
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  Speaker 3: seen this, you know, Cleveland, Baltimore, Indy. You don't put
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  Speaker 3: patser Tan on the best receiver. You are removing per
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  Speaker 3: day ability from your defense. But they're also removing what
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  Speaker 3: makes them unique and better than a lot of teams
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  Speaker 3: is not using their best guy. You know, I no
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  Speaker 3: matter if you put you know, look, I know if
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  Speaker 3: you put Sir Tam McConkie last night, they're gonna put
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  Speaker 3: McConkie in the slot. They're gonna put him in a bunch.
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  Speaker 3: You know, They're gonna try and keep Sir Tan away
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  Speaker 3: from him to at least give him the release. But
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  Speaker 3: I still like my odds more that he isn't consistently
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  Speaker 3: moving the chain with all six of his catches, if
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  Speaker 3: if he's got to deal with Cirtan more often, because
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  Speaker 3: they uh, they drop more coverages on McConkie than they
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  Speaker 3: did on the rest of the receivers combined. And it
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  Speaker 3: was really clear he was the only guy who was
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  Speaker 3: really gonna hurt him uh in key situations in the
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  Speaker 3: past game. So those are the two things I see.
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  Speaker 3: When they missed tackles and they miss a run fit
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  Speaker 3: or too, and they don't use certain to the max,
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  Speaker 3: that's that's when they've gotten in trouble this year.
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  Speaker 2: Defensively.
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  Speaker 1: Jeff Legwall The VSPN is brought to you by the
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: International Brotherhood of electrical Workers IBW Local sixty eight start
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  Speaker 1: with a job and with a career. Continuing to talk
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  Speaker 1: about the game plan defensively last night, Legy, what was
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  Speaker 1: what was Herbert healthier than maybe the Broncos expected? Did
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  Speaker 1: he exhibit more mobility than they expected? Because he kept
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  Speaker 1: finding holes to be able to run through last night,
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  Speaker 1: And it was almost as though they were giving that up,
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  Speaker 1: maybe out of the thought of, well, the ankle must
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  Speaker 1: be bothering him, so he'll just stay in the pocket.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. I just don't think they were as disciplined as
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  Speaker 2: they've been.
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  Speaker 3: I mean, they did not rush with the discipline in
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  Speaker 3: their lanes, their their assignments. You know, they got deeper
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  Speaker 3: than him, you know, which is you know, if you
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  Speaker 3: think the quarterback can move at all, and you gonna
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  Speaker 3: go deeper than the quarterback in the rush, you better
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  Speaker 3: get the you better get the runback sack where you
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  Speaker 3: chase them down. But they I overall, my sort of
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  Speaker 3: the thing I came away from the game, you know,
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  Speaker 3: immediately after the game even was that it was a
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  Speaker 3: little bit of a maturity test for a young team
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  Speaker 3: and and they didn't pass. Frankly, you know, and I
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  Speaker 3: think some guys in the locker room sort of hinted
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  Speaker 3: at that. You know, after the game, you know they
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  Speaker 3: it was their first real big moment with something on
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  Speaker 3: the line against the team with a winning record, and
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  Speaker 3: that is a combination they they were not prepared for
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  Speaker 3: on one night on the road in the game they
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  Speaker 3: asked to be on Thursday. They asked for that game
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  Speaker 3: because they thought it would help their overall playoff chase,
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  Speaker 3: and then they did not handle their business.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, on that very note, the coaching staff, well, one
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  Speaker 1: guy really wanted the short week. Let's be honest, we
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  Speaker 1: know who it was. Did the locker room want the
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  Speaker 1: short week? How did that all go over?
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  Speaker 3: Like I say, I think they did, And I think
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  Speaker 3: they thought, you know, we can clinch a playoff spot.
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  Speaker 3: We'll just go in there and clinch a playoff spot.
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  Speaker 3: And you know, look, they had two eleven point leads
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  Speaker 3: in that game and let it get away. That's not
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  Speaker 3: a mature team ready for the moment. And frankly, probably
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  Speaker 3: to be expected. You don't have anybody in the locker
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  Speaker 3: room who's warned the Bronco uniform in a playoff game.
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  Speaker 3: You don't have very many guys overall who've been in
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  Speaker 3: a playoff games. It's not shocking that they're going to
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  Speaker 3: have to learn both the easy way and the hard
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  Speaker 3: way what it's all about.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, they did.
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  Speaker 3: They didn't sort of show that callous of a of
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  Speaker 3: a team just gonna go in and and they did
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  Speaker 3: for a minute. You know again, you you don't build
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  Speaker 3: two eleven point leads because you're not good enough to
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  Speaker 3: do it.
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  Speaker 2: But they weren't.
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  Speaker 3: It was like the it was like the weird scenario
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  Speaker 3: at the end of the first half, just unraveled the sweater,
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  Speaker 3: you know, like pull the thread and that was it,
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  Speaker 3: you know, And and that is a sign sometimes of
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  Speaker 3: a team that's just not ready for that moment.
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  Speaker 2: Jeff, what's it gonna take.
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  Speaker 4: What is Bonie to working on in the offseason so
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  Speaker 4: he hits those big plays when they're available. There's no
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  Speaker 4: doubt there was an egregious pass interference missed. But I'd
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  Speaker 4: rather you just hit the hit the player and get
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  Speaker 4: the touchdown. Let's not mess with any more plays. What's
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  Speaker 4: it gonna take for those to become a little more consistent.
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  Speaker 3: Do you think by the last few weeks we've seen
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  Speaker 3: what we speculated early in the season might happen. They're
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  Speaker 3: people are pushing him outside the numbers. I mean, how
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  Speaker 3: many balls really went to wide receivers in the second
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  Speaker 3: half last night? So an awful lot of running backs,
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  Speaker 3: so an awful lot of tight you didn't see a
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  Speaker 3: lot of targets going to the wide receiver.
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  Speaker 1: The second half last night.
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  Speaker 2: That's what I mean.
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  Speaker 3: Yet you know the ball was not going to because
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  Speaker 3: people are forcing him.
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  Speaker 2: This is what happens in the NFL.
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  Speaker 3: I always say the biggest difference between college football and
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  Speaker 3: NFL is the speed of the adjustment to you to
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  Speaker 3: what you don't like, to what you may not be
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  Speaker 3: as good at, and they forced you to deal with it.
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  Speaker 3: And they're you know, two interceptions outside the numbers against
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  Speaker 3: the Colts. The near interception last night was outside the numbers.
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  Speaker 2: Uh.
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  Speaker 3: They are pushing him out there because they think that's
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  Speaker 3: not his comfort level. And he's, you know, as you
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  Speaker 3: would expect in the offense he ran in Oregon. He's
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  Speaker 3: far more comfortable. But when he sees the number when
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  Speaker 3: he throws it, and that's that's awesome. You know, he's
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  Speaker 3: having a great year for a rookie year. That's that's
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  Speaker 3: not to be diminished. But he's learning what happens. You know,
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  Speaker 3: he didn't even make it through his first season, and
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  Speaker 3: people are already grinding him at the things he's not
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  Speaker 3: comfortable with, and that's that's going to take some adjustment
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  Speaker 3: on his part, in Sean Payton's part. And you know
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  Speaker 3: how they run routes and you know, other than when
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  Speaker 3: I saw vele in a couple of plays in the
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  Speaker 3: second half, there wasn't a lot of separation. You know,
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  Speaker 3: to Bow's credit, he didn't force the ball when there
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  Speaker 3: wasn't separation. They just got caught. And you know that
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  Speaker 3: again the second half. It's like, but to me, if
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  Speaker 3: you add play action to the mix, you create separation.
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  Speaker 3: You give the defense something else to think about at
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  Speaker 3: the line of scrimmage. They can't just stick on those routes.
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  Speaker 3: And right now they're just sitting on the routes. And again,
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  Speaker 3: you know, they ran the ball seven times with four
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  Speaker 3: different guys on the first drive and then it was like, okay,
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  Speaker 3: I'm done with that toy.
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  Speaker 2: I want to unwrap all the rest now.
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  Speaker 3: And you only run it fourteen times the remainder of
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  Speaker 3: the game, And I just don't think that's the recipe
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  Speaker 3: for them right now.
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  Speaker 1: Audric estimate five point three yards per carry last night,
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  Speaker 1: nine carries. That made me sense that's it by the
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: time it's all said and done. And Leggy, you mentioned
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  Speaker 1: four different guys carried the ball on the opening drive.
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  Speaker 1: Plus Burton had a catch on the opening drive, So
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: five backs touched the ball. We're calling mimsa back at
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  Speaker 1: this point, essentially, but five backs touched the ball on
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  Speaker 1: the opening drive. This is another thing that baffles me.
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  Speaker 1: The guy said before, it's hard to get three backs involved,
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  Speaker 1: and now there's five of them touching on the opening drive. Again,
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  Speaker 1: At what point does anybody actually start to find a
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  Speaker 1: rhythm and start to build up a lather the way
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  Speaker 1: that backs like to. I mean, estimate had a carry.
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  Speaker 1: I want to say, I want to say it was
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  Speaker 1: fourth quarter, but I clocked it. He got hit it
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  Speaker 1: three yards and he shoved his guy and he fell
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  Speaker 1: forward and he turned it into a gain of five.
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  Speaker 1: That's all you ask a running back to be able
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  Speaker 1: to do on a first down carry. That's exactly what
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  Speaker 1: you need to do. Why Why in the world have
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  Speaker 1: we not yet had a football game where Sean Payton
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  Speaker 1: just says, I'm gonna let that guy touch the ball
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  Speaker 1: sixteen times? Why hasn't it happened?
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  Speaker 2: We you know, we keep asking those questions.
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  Speaker 3: We don't get really good answers other than it's difficult
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  Speaker 3: to find them all touched is but they all had touches. Well,
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  Speaker 3: you know, here's my thing. I don't think they've had
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  Speaker 3: a thirty carry game since November three.
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  Speaker 2: Okay, I don't think that's the way they should live.
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  Speaker 1: Well, it's messed up too, because they've won a bunch
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  Speaker 1: of those games exactly.
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  Speaker 3: But again, you're, you know what their record against winning
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: teams is. Make some of that an illusion, an illusion
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: they don't have to apologize for you play who's in
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  Speaker 3: front of you. Sure, that's that's always true. But for
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  Speaker 3: this team, with the quality of their offensive line going forward,
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  Speaker 3: there aren't many better going forward than those two guards
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  Speaker 3: they have. And to not have a thirty carry game
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  Speaker 3: since November three in Baltimore, I just I don't understand it,
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  Speaker 3: and you know, and I think ultimately it's because they've
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  Speaker 3: chosen bo Nicks is going to be in the shotgun
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  Speaker 3: most of the time, almost all the time. They're going
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  Speaker 3: to be in three wide most of the time. Almost
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  Speaker 3: all the time because he can see it better, he
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: can see the coverages better, he can find the extra
• 13:51
  Speaker 3: rusher better.
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  Speaker 2: And when they.
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  Speaker 3: Do that, their decision is to have Javonte Williams in
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  Speaker 3: because he's the best passport. So they're making decisions for
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  Speaker 3: bo Nicks that are affecting other things and they're either
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: going to have to just live with the other guys
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  Speaker 3: in pass protection or we're gonna keep riding this merry
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: go round until the end of the season. But again,
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: I don't see them going to Buffalo, going to Pittsburgh,
• 14:23
  Speaker 3: or going to Baltimore this time of year in a
• 14:27
  Speaker 3: playoff game where everything is always squeezed down a little
• 14:31
  Speaker 3: more in a playoff game, and not be able to
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  Speaker 3: just line up and do what they did on the
• 14:39
  Speaker 3: first drive against Frankly, one of the best defenses in
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  Speaker 3: the league. They just shove them around and quit doing
• 14:47
  Speaker 3: it after that.
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  Speaker 1: Death Legwald, everybody of ESBN, Jeff, we got about a
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: minute here, but I know this is near and dear
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  Speaker 1: to your heart. College football postseason games normally played in
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: tropical environments, full tarpet tonight Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana,
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: and Notre Dame are gonna play a game, a playoff
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: game with everything on the line, thirty degrees, a kickoff
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: in the snow, the expanded College Football Playoff. Jeff, I
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: know you love it. This is the best thing to
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: happen to sports this year.
• 15:21
  Speaker 3: When I spent ten years covering the SEC along with
• 15:26
  Speaker 3: my NFL duties, and I always said on those trips
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: on radio shows all over the South to other beat writers,
• 15:36
  Speaker 3: I want to see games when the best of the
• 15:39
  Speaker 3: SEC comes north after Halloween.
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  Speaker 2: I want to see it.
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  Speaker 3: They're good, they're good enough to do it, they got talent,
• 15:48
  Speaker 3: but I just want to see it. And we're gonna
• 15:51
  Speaker 3: see it at least twice in this first round of playoff.
• 15:55
  Speaker 3: I mean, the Penn State games gonna be, you know,
• 15:59
  Speaker 3: a snowy effair. And I just I've always wanted to
• 16:03
  Speaker 3: see this because I've always felt like it's just the
• 16:07
  Speaker 3: one piece missing from the SEC football mastique is go
• 16:13
  Speaker 3: into Notre Dame, go into ann Arbor, go in somewhere
• 16:17
  Speaker 3: and just you know, go to Ohio State and play
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: in that and then see how it looks and just
• 16:25
  Speaker 3: just watch it happen, and it means the best teams
• 16:28
  Speaker 3: are playing each other yep, which is always really cool.
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: With everything on the line, it's gonna be great. Jeff Legwald, everybody.
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: He's brought to you by the International Brotherhood of Electrical
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: Workers IBW Local sixty eight. Start with a job, end
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: with a career, leggy, beautiful work as always, man, Thank you,
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: Thanks both