Latest / AFR Saints / Saints vs. Giants Preview: New York’s Biggest Strengths, Key Matchups & Jameis Winston at QB

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Saints vs. Giants Preview: New York’s Biggest Strengths, Key Matchups & Jameis Winston at QB · AFR Saints

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  Speaker 1: at Giants Sunday. Noon Central. Patricia Traynor, Giants on SI,
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  Speaker 1: and the host of Locked On Giants, my Locked On brethren. Patricia,
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  Speaker 1: great to have you. How are you?
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  Speaker 2: I'm good. How are you?
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  Speaker 1: Doing outstanding. I think if we're going to have a
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  Speaker 1: conversation about the Giants, we probably have to start with
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  Speaker 1: Jameis Winston. So, what has the Jameis experience been like
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  Speaker 1: for you?
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  Speaker 2: Interesting. I guess is a good way to put it.
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  Speaker 2: You know, they... It started off a little on the
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  Speaker 2: shaky side, but this past week in the second half
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  Speaker 2: against the Commanders in that wild game, I think they
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  Speaker 2: finally hit their stride with him. And, you know, look,
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  Speaker 2: the Jameis experience is just one where you have to
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  Speaker 2: basically take the good with the bad and hope that
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  Speaker 2: he's going to give you more good than he will bad.
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  Speaker 1: We'll come back to Jameis in a second. The other
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  Speaker 1: sort of like 10,000-foot view picture question is about John Harbaugh, who...
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  Speaker 1: we've known as an NFL head coach for two decades
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  Speaker 1: and had a ton of success with Baltimore. So now
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  Speaker 1: he's with the giants. How, what material ways do you
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  Speaker 1: see this franchise or this, this team different with Harbaugh
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  Speaker 1: than the previous handful of coaches?
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  Speaker 2: I think they're more disciplined, they're more locked in, and
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  Speaker 2: they're more focused. I mean, gone are the days of scholarships.
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  Speaker 2: If you were a draft pick or had a big contract,
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  Speaker 2: everything's a meritocracy with Harbaugh. That's actually the buzzword. in
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  Speaker 2: New York these days. So you basically have to earn
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  Speaker 2: your keep. And if you don't, they will find somebody
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  Speaker 2: who will earn their keep. And I think that's a
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  Speaker 2: good thing. You know, they're very big on accountability and
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  Speaker 2: the players, I think like that because it just, it
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  Speaker 2: puts them on edge, if you will, a little bit
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  Speaker 2: on edge to where they know if they screw up,
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  Speaker 2: they better make it right. Otherwise they're going to be
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  Speaker 2: on the bench.
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  Speaker 1: Do you have an example?
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  Speaker 2: Um, yeah, I would say probably John Michael Schmitz, the center, um,
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  Speaker 2: the starting center. Now, John Michael Schmitz was, it was
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  Speaker 2: a second round draft pick in 2023. Hasn't played well. Um,
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  Speaker 2: and then for like the last, you know, basically ever
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  Speaker 2: since he came to New York, he's never been challenged
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  Speaker 2: for the job. He was basically handed his starting job. And, um,
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  Speaker 2: He got the starting job to start the season, but
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  Speaker 2: he didn't play well. So, you know, a lot of
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  Speaker 2: people say, oh, Harbaugh, you know, screwed him because he
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  Speaker 2: missed a couple days of practice for the birth of
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  Speaker 2: his first child. I don't think that's why it is.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, they had this kid, Brian Hudson, on the
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  Speaker 2: roster who did play well and who was a better
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  Speaker 2: run blocker, amongst other things. So they switched to Brian Hudson,
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  Speaker 2: and he is now going to start the third week
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  Speaker 2: in a row over John Michael Schmitz.
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  Speaker 1: Patricia Trena is with us, locked on Giants and Giants
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  Speaker 1: on SI. If you want to read her or listen, watch,
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  Speaker 1: you can do it there. Injury report, the first injury
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  Speaker 1: report dropped. When you look at the Giants injury report,
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  Speaker 1: where did your eyes first go to?
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  Speaker 2: Well, obviously it goes to the starting tackles. Jermaine Illuminor
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  Speaker 2: and Andrew Thomas are both on the injury report this week.
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  Speaker 2: Jermaine with a calf injury. Andrew Thomas has a groin
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  Speaker 2: that's basically been bothering him for a few weeks now.
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  Speaker 2: Abdul Carter is also on the injury report this week.
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  Speaker 2: He's got a calf issue. And then you've got a
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  Speaker 2: few guys that were limited and full participants, so you're
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  Speaker 2: not too worried about them. But I would say that
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  Speaker 2: the starting tackles is a big one, especially going up
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  Speaker 2: against the Saints' edge rushers. And I would definitely say
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  Speaker 2: Abdul Carter is a big one. So we'll see how
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  Speaker 2: he comes through during the week. I think he's going
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  Speaker 2: to play, but he didn't practice today, so we'll just
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  Speaker 2: see if I'm right.
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  Speaker 1: Patricia, when I think about the Giants, I think about
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  Speaker 1: some of the offensive star power. Obviously, everyone here is
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  Speaker 1: familiar with Malik Nabors. Cam Scadaboo has become a very
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  Speaker 1: popular player, as we know. There's no Jackson Dart, but
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  Speaker 1: Jameis is in there. Where is the strength, perceived or otherwise,
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  Speaker 1: of this Giants offense?
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  Speaker 2: I would say right now it's the duo of Malik Neighbors,
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  Speaker 2: the receiver, and Isaiah Lightly. They have been the two
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  Speaker 2: go-to guys on offense in the passing game, and they
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  Speaker 2: have just been absolutely lighting it up. Lightly, of course,
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  Speaker 2: the big tight end who plays like a receiver. So, yeah,
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  Speaker 2: that's probably where the strength is. The running game, not
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  Speaker 2: so much because they're not getting movement at the second level.
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  Speaker 2: So the running game has kind of been– slogging right along,
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  Speaker 2: but definitely neighbors are starting to look like the pre-injured
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  Speaker 2: version of himself. Isaiah likely has proven that he's been
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  Speaker 2: worth every penny that they invested in him.
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  Speaker 1: What does New York need from Jameis Winston on Sunday
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  Speaker 1: to have success offensively? Is it just simply protect the football?
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  Speaker 2: Well, that helps, obviously. You don't want any turnovers, especially
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  Speaker 2: in critical situations. You don't want any turnovers, period. But
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  Speaker 2: they just need him to be efficient. They need him
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  Speaker 2: to be smart, move the chains, and just let him cook.
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  Speaker 2: If they can give him a game plan that matches
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  Speaker 2: his skill set, which they kind of did last week
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  Speaker 2: more so than anything. I mean, they went away from
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  Speaker 2: the power running game a little bit, and I don't
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  Speaker 2: think they're going to ask him to throw 54 times
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  Speaker 2: like they did last week. But give them an opportunity
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  Speaker 2: and just kind of see what can happen down the field.
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  Speaker 2: I don't think they throw down the field enough times.
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  Speaker 2: And they've got guys that can do it. They've got
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  Speaker 2: Darnell Mooney. They've got Malachi Fields. They've got, obviously, Malik Nabors.
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  Speaker 2: So these are all guys that can go deep and
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  Speaker 2: catch things down the field. And I don't think they've
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  Speaker 2: really done that just yet, at least not enough.
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  Speaker 1: Patricia, flip it defensively. I think most people can look
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  Speaker 1: at the Giants and the investment they've made in some
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  Speaker 1: elite-level defensive talent. You already mentioned Abdul Carter. How good
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  Speaker 1: is that defense right now through five games?
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  Speaker 2: Right now, they're coming along. I mean, the only area
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  Speaker 2: that's a little shaky, it's feast or famine, is the
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  Speaker 2: run defense. I mean, last week, the run defense was just,
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  Speaker 2: they had no answers for Jayden Daniels. And they've struggled
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  Speaker 2: against quarterbacks who are mobile. So, you know, if they
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  Speaker 2: can steady that part of the game, I think they'll
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  Speaker 2: be fine. The pass rush is starting to come alive.
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  Speaker 2: And I'll tell you what, the defense is secondary, which
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  Speaker 2: I know a lot of people, myself included, had big
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  Speaker 2: question marks about. They played really well. You know, they've
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  Speaker 2: been opportunistic. They have, I think it's five interceptions total,
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  Speaker 2: which is, I want to say, second in the league.
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  Speaker 2: So they have played very well. But, yeah, get the
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  Speaker 2: run defense together, and I think this defense will really
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  Speaker 2: be cooking with gas.
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  Speaker 1: What about special teams? If it comes down to a kick,
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  Speaker 1: I know John Harbaugh obviously has had great special teams
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  Speaker 1: all those years in Baltimore, but if it comes down
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  Speaker 1: to a kick, how confident are the Giants?
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  Speaker 2: I think they're very confident. I know people are going
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  Speaker 2: to say, well, the rookie kicker missed three field goals
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  Speaker 2: last week. Well, yeah, look at the conditions. The conditions
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  Speaker 2: were just absolutely atrocious. So I don't know if I
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  Speaker 2: would have had him kicking in those situations, but they did,
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  Speaker 2: and live and let live and whatnot. But yeah, if
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  Speaker 2: they need a big kick, Dominic Zavada has been money
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  Speaker 2: for the most part. So I think there would be
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  Speaker 2: a lot of confidence in him if he had to
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  Speaker 2: go out there and try and nail a 60-yarder.
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  Speaker 1: Zavada, of course, is the rookie from Michigan. Are you
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  Speaker 1: surprised at all by the spread in this game and
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  Speaker 1: the line movement? I don't know if you follow... Vegas
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  Speaker 1: betting lines, all that, but it opened Giants 2.5. It's
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  Speaker 1: moved all the way. It's moved four points to Saints 1.5.
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  Speaker 1: I was surprised to see it. You?
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  Speaker 2: I am a little surprised, you know, considering that the
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  Speaker 2: Giants are, A, the home team. Usually the home team
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  Speaker 2: gets the benefit of the doubt. Also, the Saints have struggled.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, you know, let's be honest here. They have struggled.
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  Speaker 2: So I'm really not sure. I've never understood how Vegas
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  Speaker 2: comes up with their lines and I don't gamble, but
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  Speaker 2: I know there are people out there that do. I
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  Speaker 2: don't know that I would take that bet. I think
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  Speaker 2: on paper, the Giants probably have the better matchup across
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  Speaker 2: the board, but you never know. That's why you play
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  Speaker 2: the game. This could very well be one of those
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  Speaker 2: games where everybody thinks, oh, the Giants have it in
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  Speaker 2: the bag, and The Saints, you know, they've been motivated.
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  Speaker 2: I know Mrs. Benson stepped up and said, look, this
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  Speaker 2: is not acceptable. We need better. So maybe they respond
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  Speaker 2: to that.
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  Speaker 1: They didn't respond after getting embarrassed on the anniversary of
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  Speaker 1: Dome coming by their rival on Monday Night Football. I
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  Speaker 1: don't know that they get off the mat here, but
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  Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of people hopeful. Hey, Patricia,
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  Speaker 1: before you go, and your time much appreciated, what is
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  Speaker 1: the blueprint for John Harbaugh's squad on Sunday there at
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  Speaker 1: the Meadowlands?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think they have to play error-free ball. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: they can't turn the ball over. That has now become
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  Speaker 2: an epidemic with them, and they know that. And Harbaugh
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  Speaker 2: actually spoke about that today. He said we can't keep
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  Speaker 2: turning the ball over, you know, putting it on the
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  Speaker 2: ground in the run game. Get back to a balanced offense, obviously.
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  Speaker 2: And then on the flip side, they have to basically
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  Speaker 2: get at Tyler Schuch. He's still a young quarterback, very
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  Speaker 2: good quarterback, but, you know, no quarterback likes to be pressured.
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  Speaker 2: and and harassed and the giants have done a really
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  Speaker 2: good job of doing that you know with their pass
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  Speaker 2: rush so i think if they can do that again
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  Speaker 2: maybe they can force a few errant.
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  Speaker 1: Throws giants are uh plus one on the season right
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  Speaker 1: now in turnover margin see if uh protecting the football
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  Speaker 1: becomes a key component on Sunday there in New York.
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  Speaker 1: She's at Patricia underscore train. If you want to give
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: her a follow Giants on SI or locked on Giants,
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: if you want to go subscribe on YouTube or podcast,
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: great way to get some, some info on big blue
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  Speaker 1: this week before the Saints head up to NYC. Patricia,
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  Speaker 1: we appreciate it. Thank you.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you. Yep.
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  Speaker 1: It's our pleasure.