Latest / AFR Saints / Saints-Vikings Preview: How Minnesota Got to 4-0 & How They Match Up With New Orleans :::writing{varia

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Saints-Vikings Preview: How Minnesota Got to 4-0 & How They Match Up With New Orleans :::writing{varia · AFR Saints

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  Speaker 1: that say they're going to beat them Saints? Let's head
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  Speaker 1: behind to Enemy Lines to preview this week's matchup.
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  Speaker 2: Is she really an enemy?
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  Speaker 1: Kind of this week, but Tatum Everett, LSU alum, Minnesota
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  Speaker 1: Vikings head content creator.
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  Speaker 2: I guess we're going behind Enemy Lines. How are you?
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  Speaker 3: I'm so good. It's great to hear from y'all.
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  Speaker 2: Always our pleasure. Vikings are 4-0. Was this expected?
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  Speaker 3: Yes, they are.
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  Speaker 1: You know, I don't know.
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  Speaker 3: I think it's hard to start any NFL season off 4-0.
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  Speaker 3: There's only, you know, three teams that have that record
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  Speaker 3: right now. So I think every team goes in just
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  Speaker 3: wanting to stack wins and going 1-0 that week. I'm
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  Speaker 3: sure you've never heard that one before. But I don't
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  Speaker 3: know about the surprise. But definitely the schedule set up
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  Speaker 3: for that, if you kind of look at it. And
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  Speaker 3: it's going to be a tough season. going there for
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  Speaker 3: a while, I think, once we get past the bye.
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  Speaker 3: But for now, this team's feeling pretty darn good.
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  Speaker 1: Here's the thing that is this statistical anomaly. There's 32
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  Speaker 1: NFL teams. The Vikings are dead last in the NFL
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  Speaker 1: in passing offense. They're first in the NFL in scoring defense.
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  Speaker 2: Please explain.
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  Speaker 3: I think you just did it with one word, anomaly.
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  Speaker 3: There really hasn't been very many teams that can go
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  Speaker 3: 4-0 and two of those games they don't score touchdowns in.
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  Speaker 3: We're just so used to seeing these high-powered offenses in
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  Speaker 3: the NFL, and you're used to seeing the NFL loving
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  Speaker 3: that for their ratings and whatnot. But this is like
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  Speaker 3: old-school defensive football team who... They don't lose the ball
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  Speaker 3: very often. Until a couple weeks, they were very clean
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  Speaker 3: in penalties. They're a very sound football team in all
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  Speaker 3: of the categories you want to win. Last week, they
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  Speaker 3: possessed the ball for 39 minutes and only allowed the
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  Speaker 3: Dolphins to run 39 plays. Brian Flores, this week, our
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  Speaker 3: defensive coordinator, he said that has never happened in his career,
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  Speaker 3: 39 plays.
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  Speaker 2: You think he was a little motivated this week? Brian Flores.
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  Speaker 3: I'm sure that was there. I'm sure that was there.
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  Speaker 3: I know he was really excited to see a lot
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  Speaker 3: of the staffers that he had. There was a lot
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  Speaker 3: of the same crossover there. I don't think like a
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  Speaker 3: ton of the players were the same, but sure. I mean,
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  Speaker 3: I think that's always on the board and you got
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  Speaker 3: to remember the guy behind the Miami run game who
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  Speaker 3: was right underneath Mike McDaniels is now the Minnesota Vikings
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  Speaker 3: assistant head coach, Frank Smith. So he also got a
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  Speaker 3: game ball and was really excited about being able to
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  Speaker 3: play his former team.
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  Speaker 1: By the way, Tatum, what is the strength of this
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  Speaker 1: Vikings defense so far through a month?
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  Speaker 3: I would think the ability to handle a lot. and
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  Speaker 3: showing almost nothing. So what I mean by that is
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  Speaker 3: the key to a Brian Flores defense is that they're
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  Speaker 3: showing you a look, and they're going to do something
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  Speaker 3: exactly opposite. So it really confuses the quarterback. They may
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  Speaker 3: show eight at the line, but like three will drop back,
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  Speaker 3: and you don't know which three. They depend a lot
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  Speaker 3: on man coverage on the outside of their secondary. And
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  Speaker 3: what they did this offseason was really beef up their
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  Speaker 3: interior defensive line. I think that was something that they targeted.
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  Speaker 3: So to me, the strength, is the pressure that they're
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  Speaker 3: able to put on teams. They're blitzing at a 68%
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  Speaker 3: rate and getting things done. They lead the league in
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  Speaker 3: sacks with 16. They're only allowing teams to score 13
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  Speaker 3: points per game on average. I think they just overwhelm
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  Speaker 3: at the line of scrimmage, and teams are just not
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  Speaker 3: able to get into a rhythm and do what they
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  Speaker 3: want to do.
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  Speaker 1: Tatum Everett is our guest, head content creator for the
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  Speaker 1: Minnesota Vikings. Let's flip it and talk offense, though, because
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  Speaker 1: when I think of the Vikings, I think of Justin
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  Speaker 1: Jefferson and Jordan Addison. And, like, as you mentioned, the
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  Speaker 1: Vikings have won two games where they didn't score a touchdown.
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  Speaker 1: I did say that.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, I did. Isn't that crazy? It is.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, I was looking at the Vikings box. I'm like,
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  Speaker 1: I know they won 15-10. I'm like, they kicked five
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  Speaker 1: field goals in that game.
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  Speaker 2: What's happening offensively? Why the slow start?
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  Speaker 3: I think a lot of it has to do with, A,
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  Speaker 3: injuries and just, B, new faces. You know, Kyler Murray
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  Speaker 3: gets in the game against the Packers, and by the
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  Speaker 3: second drive, he's injured. He can't get back in the game.
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  Speaker 3: He's in concussion protocol the next week. So Carson Wentz,
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  Speaker 3: who has been in this offense for a year, came in,
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  Speaker 3: did a wonderful job. Kyler gets back in the game,
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  Speaker 3: and I think they're just still trying to find their identity.
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  Speaker 3: There's also one of the backup running backs. It's like 1A, 1B,
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  Speaker 3: Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. Jordan Mason also got hurt
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  Speaker 3: in the season opener. So really, Aaron Jones has been
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  Speaker 3: carrying this team on his back in the backfield, and
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  Speaker 3: they don't want to run him that much. And I
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  Speaker 3: don't think Kyler really... Well, first of all, he played
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  Speaker 3: last week without Justin, so his number one weapon wasn't
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  Speaker 3: out there. It's his second game, like second full game
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  Speaker 3: he's played since October of last year when he was injured.
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  Speaker 3: I just think they're just getting their legs underneath them.
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  Speaker 3: And obviously, we're out here in a world in the
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  Speaker 3: NFL preseason where you don't really play your starters. There
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  Speaker 3: isn't that time to gel and mesh. And time on task,
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  Speaker 3: I think, is going to play in this offense's favor.
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  Speaker 3: They just need to start... And I think we saw
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  Speaker 3: that actually towards the end of the Dolphins game. They
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  Speaker 3: had the ball for almost the entire fourth quarter and
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  Speaker 3: into the third quarter. It was insane. They only allowed...
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  Speaker 3: I think they had the ball 14 minutes there in
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  Speaker 3: the back half. And they were able to just control
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  Speaker 3: the clock and just... develop some rhythm. Kyler Murray completed
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  Speaker 3: nine straight passes to end the game. He was 12
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  Speaker 3: of 13 for 125 yards. Um, I, I just think
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  Speaker 3: that they just need a little bit more time to
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  Speaker 3: figure this out.
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  Speaker 1: Uh, Tatum let's one more, a quick follow-up. Cause I
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  Speaker 1: know the, the first injury report dropped today. Uh, Jordan
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  Speaker 1: Addison was a DNP, Justin Jefferson practice, but was limited.
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  Speaker 2: Uh, is there a feeling or an expectation for those
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  Speaker 2: guys this weekend?
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  Speaker 3: I think it's a little too early to call. This
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  Speaker 3: team really does take its time through the injury protocols
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  Speaker 3: and that injury report. I find that, you know, you
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  Speaker 3: get way more information as we get closer to the
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  Speaker 3: game and The goal was always to have Jordan Jefferson,
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  Speaker 3: Jordan Jefferson.
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  Speaker 2: Oh boy.
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  Speaker 3: Oh, I just did that. Didn't I? Well, at least
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  Speaker 3: it's with you guys.
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  Speaker 2: We get it. Like we get it.
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  Speaker 3: But yes. Well, there's also like 18 people on the
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  Speaker 3: offense who have a J in there, either a first
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  Speaker 3: or last name. It's like really difficult. You'd like H
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  Speaker 3: H T J J J J O J. It's just
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  Speaker 3: so many. Yeah. But no, I think Jordan Addison, that one,
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  Speaker 3: Coach did update us on in his press conference this week,
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  Speaker 3: and they don't think it's anything that will affect his
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  Speaker 3: game status. However, Justin, the whole goal was to get
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  Speaker 3: him back into practice this week. From what I'm feeling,
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  Speaker 3: I think it's going to be a late-in-the-week call on
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  Speaker 3: Justin on whether or not he can play. I know
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  Speaker 3: he probably wants to be out there more than... anything.
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  Speaker 3: Obviously the last time he played there in the Superdome,
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  Speaker 3: there were no fans. So I think he would really
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  Speaker 3: love to be able to show out in front of
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  Speaker 3: the hometown crowd. However, you know, you do have to
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  Speaker 3: realize this is only week five and you have a
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  Speaker 3: bye after that. And then you just have an onslaught
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  Speaker 3: of games, you know, until the, to the very bitter end.
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  Speaker 3: And so, uh, they'll, they'll keep all that in mind.
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  Speaker 2: Saints may catch a break.
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  Speaker 1: I guess if, uh, if Justin Jefferson doesn't play Sunday,
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  Speaker 1: we'll see against a hurting Saints defense right now. Tatum Everett,
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  Speaker 1: Minnesota Vikings in-house content creator, on-air host. Before you go,
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  Speaker 1: if I asked you, when you look at this matchup
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  Speaker 1: and you look for PLC and what's the key, what
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  Speaker 1: do you think is maybe the most important matchup for
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  Speaker 1: Minnesota this week against Saints?
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  Speaker 3: I obviously want to say how much pressure can they
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  Speaker 3: put on Tyler Shuck because If you disrupt their offense,
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  Speaker 3: I think if you saw that on Monday Night Football,
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  Speaker 3: it's pretty not great if you're able to upset Tyler Shuck.
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  Speaker 3: And Brian Flores has such a long history against quarterbacks
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  Speaker 3: that see his defense for the first time. It never
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  Speaker 3: really goes well. He's pretty good against rookie quarterbacks, first-year quarterbacks,
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  Speaker 3: second-year quarterbacks, people that have never really played against him before.
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  Speaker 3: But I think I would have to say the offensive line...
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  Speaker 3: and how they can run the football and create rhythm
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  Speaker 3: because the left side of the line will be out
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  Speaker 3: this week more than likely. And offensive line consistency, you know,
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  Speaker 3: was such a big thing that kind of hurt the
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  Speaker 3: team last year. So I really want to, to me,
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  Speaker 3: that's the matchup I'm watching. How does the depth play
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  Speaker 3: in there? And how does that really play towards the
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  Speaker 3: favor of this offense learning more about each other and
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  Speaker 3: giving Kyler that time and comfortability? But I just think
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  Speaker 3: that This defense goes in there and says like, we're
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  Speaker 3: only gonna let you score 13 points. Our office doesn't
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  Speaker 3: really have to do that much.
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  Speaker 2: So are you going to be in the dome Sunday?
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  Speaker 1: I am.
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  Speaker 3: I'm really, really excited to be home. Um, it's going
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  Speaker 3: to be awesome. I haven't been to the super dome
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  Speaker 3: for a game since I think LLC won the national championship. So, um,
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  Speaker 3: really pumped and, uh, Matt, are you going to be there?
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  Speaker 2: I will not.
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  Speaker 1: I'll actually be in Lexington for LSU Kentucky this weekend.
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  Speaker 3: Oh, well, congrats. That should be really fun.
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  Speaker 2: Let's hope so. Let's hope.
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  Speaker 1: And by the way, the last time you were in
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  Speaker 1: the Dome, it went really well for purple and gold team.
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  Speaker 1: I hope it does not go well for your purple
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  Speaker 1: and gold team this time in the Dome on Sunday.
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  Speaker 3: Hey, you have to say that. And I have to say, yeah,
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  Speaker 3: that stinks. I don't really want that to happen either.
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  Speaker 3: So I want to say 5-0 or be 5-0.
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  Speaker 1: Tatum Everett, Minnesota Vikings content creator there in-house.
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  Speaker 2: At Tatum Everett.
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  Speaker 3: The only day we disagree, right, Matt?
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  Speaker 2: Sure.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, actually, the Vikings have been awful to the
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  Speaker 1: Saints in the postseason, back to not only obviously Kyle
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  Speaker 1: Rudolph's blatant push-off, there's obviously the Minneapolis miracle, but a
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  Speaker 1: lot of people forget the Saints' very first ever playoff
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  Speaker 1: appearance was in 1987, and the Vikings came to the
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  Speaker 1: Dome and blasted the Saints.
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  Speaker 2: So I don't like the Vikings at all. I never
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  Speaker 2: have my entire life.
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  Speaker 3: One thing I have learned is that the feeling is
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  Speaker 3: very mutual.
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  Speaker 2: Wait, you don't like or the Vikings don't like the Saints?
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  Speaker 1: Oh, yeah.
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  Speaker 3: Why?
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  Speaker 2: What did the Saints ever do to the Vikings?
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  Speaker 3: 2009.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, that was right in front of my face. How
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  Speaker 2: did I walk into that wall? It's okay. I guess
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  Speaker 2: I just never really even think of that. It's just
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  Speaker 2: like that was just a... Saints fans, I don't think.
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  Speaker 3: Well, you know, Matt, neither did I. Neither did I
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  Speaker 3: until I got here. And the minute they were like,
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  Speaker 3: New Orleans, they're like, oh my God, did you grow
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  Speaker 3: up a Saints fan? I was like, well, of course
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  Speaker 3: I did, where I'm from. And then I found out
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  Speaker 3: and I was like, I guess I gotta like, you know,
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  Speaker 3: maybe not talk about that too much anymore.
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  Speaker 2: I guess because we all just default to the Super Bowl.
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  Speaker 3: Like.
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  Speaker 1: I don't think about it, but that's where their season ended.
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  Speaker 1: But I guess similarly, like in 2011, the best Saints
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  Speaker 1: team ever loses the way they did. Like I just,
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  Speaker 1: I want to dog cuss everything 49ers forever, but I
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  Speaker 1: always did because Montana, when I was a kid, Montana
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  Speaker 1: and young always beat Saints.
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  Speaker 2: So that's just, I.
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  Speaker 3: Guess, the feelings are mutual. I'll tell you that much.
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  Speaker 3: It's very interesting. It's an interesting week.
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  Speaker 2: All right. Great to chat as always. Thank you for
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: the time.
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  Speaker 3: You too. Take care, Matt.
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  Speaker 2: Safe travels. Enjoy the game.