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Jeff Legwold joins Kreckman & Lindahl 12-13-24 · Jeff Legwold ESPN Broncos Reports

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Jeff Legwald is our Broncos insider Altitude Sports Radio ninety
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: two five Pro Football.
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: The insider I've covered while.
• 0:09
  Speaker 3: Jeff Legwall he's the balloon popper. He doesn't blow it up.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: i BBW Local sixty eight. Start with the job and
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: with a career. It's Leggy on Altitude Sports Radio ninety
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: two five. Celebrate the holidays with Safeway. They have everything
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  Speaker 1: local flavors. Let's get into some local flavored football talk
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  Speaker 1: with our friend Jeff Legwald of ESPN. Leggy, how you doing.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: I'm great, guys, We're doing quite well.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: Leggy. Uh Broco goes back to work this week. The
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  Speaker 1: performance against Cleveland? What did that do to inform Sean
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  Speaker 1: Payton and the coaching staff about what needed to be corrected?
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  Speaker 1: Focused on, et cetera for the home stretch in these
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  Speaker 1: final four games.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Nat, I mean he got the best of both worlds.
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  Speaker 2: You get to win, and you also get to stand
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  Speaker 2: in front of the team and sort of do the
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  Speaker 2: old you know, don't get too full of yourselves. You
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  Speaker 2: won the game. But and you know, they went about
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  Speaker 2: the business of having a pretty normal practice week this week.
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  Speaker 2: He Peyton has said several times that a discussion with
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  Speaker 2: Andy Reid long ago about simply cutting your players loose
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  Speaker 2: for the bye week was beneficial and he does believe
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  Speaker 2: in that. And you know, he said, they came back
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  Speaker 2: and you know, we're ready to go. And I think
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  Speaker 2: that having a late bye and still being in the
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  Speaker 2: the playoff mix helps them get their attention immediately. You
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  Speaker 2: don't have to sort of ramp things up. They come
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  Speaker 2: back ready to go because they know they're still in it.
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  Speaker 2: And I thought it was interesting this week. You know,
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  Speaker 2: Patrick Mahomes was asked in Kansas City, you know, because
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  Speaker 2: they're in sort of like the Broncos. They're they're gonna
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  Speaker 2: end up having you know, three games in ten or
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  Speaker 2: eleven days span like the Broncos will and Mahomes said
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  Speaker 2: something about or I think Chris Jones, actually I think
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  Speaker 2: Chris Jones said something about, boy, it would be nice
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  Speaker 2: to have a late buy and you know, the Broncos
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  Speaker 2: got that late bye and their injury report shows they're
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  Speaker 2: in pretty good shape health wise, you know, beyond Riley Moss.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, you still expecting what do you think Bengal game
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  Speaker 3: for him? What's your best guess?
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  Speaker 2: You know me, you know, and he he was ruled
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  Speaker 2: out today and he didn't participate in any of the
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  Speaker 2: team portions of things this week. But this week was
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  Speaker 2: a big step. He was on the working with the
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  Speaker 2: training staff on the side field. You know, after the
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  Speaker 2: opening portion of practice, he is doing like some back
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  Speaker 2: pedals and the usual rehab for a knee injury. But
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  Speaker 2: you know, he's he's at least doing all of the
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  Speaker 2: movements a corner would do in a game. And now
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  Speaker 2: it's just a matter of getting it healthy enough to play.
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  Speaker 2: And I still think, you know, unless something happens, they
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  Speaker 2: don't expect next week. You know, the Bengal game is
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  Speaker 2: still pretty good target. But I think you would have
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  Speaker 2: to practice early in that week for that to be
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  Speaker 2: a go. And you know, it wouldn't shock me if
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  Speaker 2: they left him behind from the Los Angeles trip just
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  Speaker 2: so he could rehab more fully. But we'll see what
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  Speaker 2: they do, and that when next week rolls.
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  Speaker 1: Around, who will be the third cornerback on Sunday against
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  Speaker 1: the Colts.
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  Speaker 2: You know, I wish I could give people the definitive answer,
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  Speaker 2: but I think they've prepped both ways to either play
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  Speaker 2: the rookie Chris Abrams drain more and to just you know,
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  Speaker 2: wave it off as what Levi Wallace himself called the
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  Speaker 2: worst game of his career, wave it off as a
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  Speaker 2: veteran guy knows better than to have two of those
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  Speaker 2: in back to back weeks. And I think they will.
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  Speaker 2: They will be far more aggressive doing things with Certain
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  Speaker 2: over the last four weeks. The Browns game was a
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  Speaker 2: pretty much a reminder that it's pretty good to use
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  Speaker 2: your best guys in as many of the situations as possible,
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  Speaker 2: and Sean Payton has said a couple of times this
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  Speaker 2: week part of the debrief from the Browns game was
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  Speaker 2: the old what would you do differently if you played
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  Speaker 2: him again? Type of thing? And I think Certain on
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  Speaker 2: Judy or Certain in more of a matched up situation
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  Speaker 2: on particular downs was part of that discussion.
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  Speaker 3: All right, Before we get into strategy with the Colts, look,
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  Speaker 3: Jeff surprised, I'm surprised, Garrett Bowles got the extension. It
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  Speaker 3: didn't feel like anything in the offing. You had said
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  Speaker 3: many times on this show that hey, they hadn't messed
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  Speaker 3: with this contract that seemed to be intentional. But you
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  Speaker 3: know what, they decided to go and hold on to
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  Speaker 3: a guy that probably would be highly sought after on
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  Speaker 3: the market. Were you surprised at the fact that he
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  Speaker 3: decided to stick around.
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  Speaker 2: I think Garrett was surprised. I mean I asked him,
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  Speaker 2: you know, as recently as a couple of weeks ago,
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  Speaker 2: about how things were going, and and he didn't express
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  Speaker 2: much confidence. So, like the Jonathan Cooper deal, it came
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  Speaker 2: together pretty quickly. And I think two things happen. I
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  Speaker 2: think Bowles has played better than maybe the Broncos expected.
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  Speaker 2: You know, his metrics, which GMS all look at these days,
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  Speaker 2: it's you know, it's part of the equation now, whether
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  Speaker 2: we like it or not. But his pass blocking metrics
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  Speaker 2: are you know, top six, top seven in the league
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  Speaker 2: right now. And Sean Payton wants a pass blocker on
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  Speaker 2: the left side with his rookie quarterback prospect moving forward
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  Speaker 2: when he isn't a rookie anymore. And I think they
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  Speaker 2: came to the realization, Okay, if you let Garrett Bolth walk,
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  Speaker 2: will the replacement be a better player? And I think
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  Speaker 2: the free agency crop is not expected to be all
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  Speaker 2: that great at tackle, and beyond the top two guys
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  Speaker 2: on the board, the draft isn't going to be particularly
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  Speaker 2: deep at tackle either, at least right now. So I
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  Speaker 2: think they came to the conclusion. I thought it might
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  Speaker 2: hinder them the Jacksonville just gave Walker little like, you know,
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  Speaker 2: forty some million dollars over a three year deal, and
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  Speaker 2: he's nowhere in the category of Garrett Boles as a player.
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  Speaker 2: So I thought that may inflate what the deal could
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  Speaker 2: be or even you know, make it not happen. But
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  Speaker 2: once it's essentially a two year maybe three year deal,
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  Speaker 2: but that second year is pretty much guaranteed, and I
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  Speaker 2: think once the Broncos were willing to do that, the
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  Speaker 2: deal got done.
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  Speaker 1: We're talking to Jeff Legwald. It's brought to you by
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBEW Local sixty eight.
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: Start with a job and with a career like you.
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  Speaker 1: This is a really good Broncos defense. I know it's oversimplified,
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  Speaker 1: but that's what I would call them. I'd call them
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  Speaker 1: really really and taking a look at the schedule this year,
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  Speaker 1: I mean the two most mobile quarterbacks the Denver has
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  Speaker 1: gone up against. Justin Field's only rushed for twenty seven
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  Speaker 1: yards in Week two against Denver. Lamar Jackson only rushed
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  Speaker 1: for four yards in that Baltimore game. Grennity threw for
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  Speaker 1: one thousand. But still Anthony Richardson's averaging forty seven rushing
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  Speaker 1: yards per game since he returned from his we'll call
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  Speaker 1: it sabbatical for the Indianapolis Colts. Is this say Denver
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  Speaker 1: defense is you have watched them sort of schematically that
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  Speaker 1: is just well positioned to stop or contain mobile quarterbacks.
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  Speaker 2: So they're what they do well is they're very sound. Mate,
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  Speaker 2: they don't get greedy in the pass rush against those guys.
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  Speaker 2: Those a mobile quarterback counts on you getting greedy in
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  Speaker 2: the pass rush, that one of the outside edge guys
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  Speaker 2: will go deeper than the quarterback. That old adage, you know,
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  Speaker 2: against a mobile guy, don't go deeper than the quarterback.
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  Speaker 2: And because once you allow a mobile guy the ability
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  Speaker 2: to go vertical to escape, you're going to have a
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  Speaker 2: huge problem. And they they're just really disciplined. You know,
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  Speaker 2: he's a defensive you know, he's sort of an interior
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  Speaker 2: guy on a three four. But Zach Allen is just
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  Speaker 2: having as good a season as anybody can have in
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  Speaker 2: the defensive line, and that's a big part of it.
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  Speaker 2: He is rarely out of position. He rarely, if ever
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  Speaker 2: has a down where he isn't just going at you know,
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  Speaker 2: pedal to the medal. So they and John Franklin Myers
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  Speaker 2: has been just a great addition. So when you're solid
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  Speaker 2: and disciplined on the interior, you're going to handle mobile
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  Speaker 2: quarterbacks better because you take away their favorite escape routes
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  Speaker 2: and that that's what they do the best. Now, they
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  Speaker 2: got in trouble in the passing game sometimes, you know
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  Speaker 2: against Lamar, because you know they try to play so
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  Speaker 2: much zone. And that's what I'm intrigued with, because if
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  Speaker 2: you play man against the quarterback that can run, the
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  Speaker 2: minute he sees the dbs with their backs to them,
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  Speaker 2: you know, that can be a cheap ten yard game
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  Speaker 2: over and over again. So that's the line you're walking.
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  Speaker 2: You'd like to match certand up and all of those things,
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  Speaker 2: but the minute you play man defense against the mobile guy,
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  Speaker 2: you're you're almost giving them what they want at least
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  Speaker 2: as a runner.
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  Speaker 3: How good is this Colts team, Jeff, I'm looking at
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  Speaker 3: the schedule. You know, one point victory over the Patriots
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  Speaker 3: not a very good team. One point victory over the Jets,
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  Speaker 3: not a very good team. You know, hardy victories for
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  Speaker 3: the Bills and the Lions over them. Vikings got them
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  Speaker 3: all right, pretty good. The Texans beat them only by three.
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  Speaker 3: But what do you make of them? They a good team,
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  Speaker 3: they scary team? Or are they just living off of
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  Speaker 3: us and momentum after beating a couple of bad teams?
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  Speaker 2: Well, and in some ways they're like the broncosa of
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  Speaker 2: the of the playoffs, of the teams that would make
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  Speaker 2: the playoffs and the AFC right now, the Broncos have
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  Speaker 2: the lowest strength of victory, So I mean, it's just
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  Speaker 2: you played who's in front of you. But you know,
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  Speaker 2: their issues have been largely on offense with the quarterback situation,
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  Speaker 2: and he is statistically, Anthony Richardson is having almost the
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  Speaker 2: exact season Tim Tebow did in twenty eleven. That year,
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  Speaker 2: Tim was led the league in yards for completion and
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  Speaker 2: yards per attempt, and he was last in the league
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  Speaker 2: in completion percentage. And that's where Richardson is right now,
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  Speaker 2: a mobile quarterback who will occasionally hit the big play
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  Speaker 2: over a lolled defense or a defense more intent on
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  Speaker 2: defending him as a runner. And that's the exact formula
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  Speaker 2: you know Tebow had in twenty eleven with the Broncos.
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  Speaker 2: You know, he had those games games where he would
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  Speaker 2: complete single digit past I think he had one game
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  Speaker 2: where he had nine completions and two of them were touchdowns.
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  Speaker 2: You know, he had the two of eight game in
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  Speaker 2: Kansas City and one of those is a touchdown. So
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  Speaker 2: Richardson's having that kind of season and that always gives
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  Speaker 2: them a puncher's chance. You might defend them very very
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  Speaker 2: well for most or virtually all of the game, but
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  Speaker 2: the one time he makes the completion, it's you know,
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  Speaker 2: it's this big play for a score, and that's what
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  Speaker 2: the Broncos really have to avoid.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, he can hit those things. Jeff, before we get
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  Speaker 1: you out of here, you wrote about Travis Hunter today
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  Speaker 1: on ESPN dot com and and man, you went right
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  Speaker 1: to the source. Why don't I just talk to the
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  Speaker 1: greatest corner that I've ever seen play? And oh, by
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  Speaker 1: the way, this guy was a hell of an offensive
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  Speaker 1: player in his time as well. You talk to Champ
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  Speaker 1: Bailey all about Travis Hunter, both about what Travis does
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: so well and also about Travis's future pro process as
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: you picked the brain of an all time legend. What
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  Speaker 1: did you learn about Travis Hunter?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, because I actually covered multiple games Champs last year
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  Speaker 2: at Georgia. That was part of my NFL duties back then.
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  Speaker 2: But and he played every down for those teams. He
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  Speaker 2: returned punts and kickoffs too. And he may be the
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  Speaker 2: only comp we have in the modern era for what
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  Speaker 2: Travis Hunter is doing and has done. And Champ loves
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  Speaker 2: him as a player. He hopes somebody gives him a
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  Speaker 2: chance in the NFL to do at least some two
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: way you know, playing is concerned, not concerned. But his
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  Speaker 2: theory is that the preparation part. You know that the
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  Speaker 2: defensive backs meet at the same time the wide receivers do.
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  Speaker 2: The defensive team meeting is the same time as the
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: offensive team meeting. That just the hours in the day
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  Speaker 2: will limit what Travis Hunter may be allowed to do.
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  Speaker 2: But he said, if he gets the right coach, you
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  Speaker 2: know who knows, But he he loves Travis Hunter as
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  Speaker 2: a player. They ended up moving some things around in
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  Speaker 2: the story. But my favorite quote I don't think made it,
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  Speaker 2: but he said he's a revolution and I just thought
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  Speaker 2: for him to say that was remarkable. And he just said,
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  Speaker 2: Travis is so much more, you know, so much more
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  Speaker 2: progress has been made in training and recovery that Travis
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  Speaker 2: knows more about doing it than you know. Champ was
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  Speaker 2: just kind of doing it without any knowledge. And he
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  Speaker 2: said no trainer, a coach could even help him because
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  Speaker 2: nobody had ever done it to the extent he was before. Again,
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  Speaker 2: you're talking about a guy who played in the SEC,
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  Speaker 2: who played almost every snap on offense, every snap on defense,
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: and return kicks and punts in the same year. And
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: you know, his quote was if the ball was out there,
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  Speaker 2: I was out there. But I just thought it was fascinating.
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  Speaker 2: It just occurred to me that Champ Bailey may be
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  Speaker 2: the only guy who really knows what Travis Hunter has
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  Speaker 2: done this year and how cool it is. And he said,
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  Speaker 2: if that's not the Heisman Trophy winner, I don't know
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  Speaker 2: what is.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it was a great piece. And that party
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: that you mentioned about Champ sort of citing the sports
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: science and the advance is there these days of like
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: when Champ was doing it, we didn't know anything, you know,
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: and it's like now they have an idea how to
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: get the body prepared. We talked to doctor Eric McCarty
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: about it. There's there's that part of it, and then
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: there's also the part of like unicorns like Travis Hunter
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: and Champ Bailey come around, you know, once in a
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: lifetime if we're lucky. Jeff Lagwild. Everybody read his latest
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: at DESPN dot com. You talked to Champ Bailey about
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: Travis Hunter, who should be getting the Heisman Trophy tomorrow night, Leggy.
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  Speaker 1: Good work as always, man, Thank.
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: You, Thanks Allas, appreciate you.
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: Jeff Legwald. As always, brought to you by the International
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBW Local sixty eight. You start
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: with a job, you end with a career.