Latest / AFR Saints / Saints Lose to Steelers 16-10 | Run Game Struggles, Roster Failures & Gayle Benson

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Saints Lose to Steelers 16-10 | Run Game Struggles, Roster Failures & Gayle Benson · AFR Saints

• 0:00
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• 0:25
  Speaker 2: Ultimately, they played better than us. Simple as that. There's
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: opportunities in these games. Again, we had our opportunities to
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  Speaker 2: go win this game. We missed those opportunities, and they
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  Speaker 2: made enough to win it. That's how it goes.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: We are getting this close. If you're listening and not watching,
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: I got my index finger and my thumb about Half
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  Speaker 1: a centimeter apart. This close. We are getting this close
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: to finding out if Grandma Gail has any bite behind
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: her bark. You see, two weeks ago, when she went
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: to the New Orleans Quarterback Club and made her comments,
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: everybody out here melted. Oh, she's calling out Mickey and...
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: Ellen by name. Ellen Moore. She called him Ellen. She
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: called him Ellen. And the point I made sitting in
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  Speaker 1: this very chair was, but did she really say anything?
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  Speaker 1: All she really did was say what their duties were,
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  Speaker 1: what their responsibilities were. She didn't threaten anything. She didn't
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  Speaker 1: put any timeline, deadline by anything. Did she? She didn't
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: do anything. We're about to find out. if there's any
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: bite behind that bark. It was a new week. It
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: was a new continent. It was the same issues. We
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: all know, Einstein said, definition of insanity, doing the same
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: thing over and over again, expecting a different result. It's
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: the same thing. Oh, Shocker, the Saints had another slow start.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: They've now been held scoreless. They've been held scoreless in
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: the first quarter. In 17 of the 24 games, Ellen
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: has coached.
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  Speaker 2: Ellen Moore.
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: Trailing 3-0 after one. Dig yourself a hole. Try to
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: get out of it. It's the same song and dance.
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: We have talked about Their inability to run the football.
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  Speaker 1: Bad last year. And so what did they do? They
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: signed David Edwards. They signed Travis Aitken. They signed Noah Fant.
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  Speaker 1: They drafted Oscar Delp. Let's go get better at the
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: line of scrimmage. Better in the run game. Not only
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: are you still atrocious at running the football. This was...
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: and historic level of ineptitude for New Orleans on Sunday
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: in Cali. Maybe they were too fat and happy after
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  Speaker 1: eating crips all week. Maybe they were bogged down by
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: eating a lot of French toast or baguettes. 17 rushes
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  Speaker 1: for 18 yards. 17 rushing.
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  Speaker 2: Attempts.
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  Speaker 1: For 18 yards. Tyler Shuck was your leading rusher. Three
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  Speaker 1: carries for seven yards. Say that again for you. Tyler Shuck,
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  Speaker 1: your quarterback, was your leading rusher with three carries for
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  Speaker 1: seven yards. Kendra Miller, who gets paid money to be
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  Speaker 1: a running back in the National Football League, had eight
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  Speaker 1: carries for six yards. Alvin Kamara also gets paid money
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  Speaker 1: to be a running back in the NFL. Six carries
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  Speaker 1: for five yards. Aaron Rodgers, who's almost as old as me,
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  Speaker 1: had a long rush of eight yards. That would have
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: been the longest rushing attempt for the New Orleans Saints.
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: And by the way, Aaron's eight-yard scramble was at the
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  Speaker 1: end of the game when they went into their two-minute offense,
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: or I guess their four-minute offense, because they got the
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  Speaker 1: ball at 5.52. Aaron converted a third and six with
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: an eight-yard run, which allowed Pittsburgh to melt the clock.
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  Speaker 1: And then in a desperate moment where you need them
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  Speaker 1: to kick a field goal, you can get maybe a score,
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  Speaker 1: an onside kick. You jump off sides in their field
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: goal attempt so they're able to just take a knee
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: because you're an undisciplined team who's poorly coached and you
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  Speaker 1: don't do anything right. But back to the running game.
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: Hat tip to Cat Terrell, or the lack of a
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  Speaker 1: running game. Hat tip to Cat Terrell who found this
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  Speaker 1: courtesy of ESPN stats and research. The New Orleans Saints
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  Speaker 1: are the first team without a 10-yard rusher in a
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  Speaker 1: game since the Buccaneers against the Chiefs in 2022. It's
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  Speaker 1: the third time this has happened in Saints history. The
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  Speaker 1: first since 1993. The other was 1980. And that team
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: finished 1-15 and drafted first overall. You know, it's embarrassing,
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  Speaker 1: but it's also inexcusable because of the investment you've made.
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: And this all ties together. You know this. We've talked
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: about it before. They know it's a problem. Look at
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: the investment they've made. They used a first-round pick on Fuaga.
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: They used a first-round pick on Ruiz. They used a
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  Speaker 1: first-round pick on Banks. They used a second-round pick on McCoy.
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  Speaker 1: They went and spent $ 60 million this offseason on Edwards.
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  Speaker 1: Not to mention the first-round pick they used on Trevor Penning,
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  Speaker 1: who's a total bust and is no longer with the organization.
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  Speaker 1: All of that investment, and you still suck at running
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  Speaker 1: the football and protecting your quarterback. So what does that
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  Speaker 1: tell you? One of two things. Either you're very poor
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  Speaker 1: at evaluating talent, or you're bad at coaching that talent
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  Speaker 1: to match what you're trying to do on the field.
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  Speaker 1: And all of that points to the general manager and
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: the head coach. And namely the general manager who hired
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: the head coach. I'll credit the defense who played well.
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: Let me say they played well enough. The defense played
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  Speaker 1: well enough to win. They gave up 16 points. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: the Steelers are right there on the doorstep of scoring
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  Speaker 1: at the end of the game. They could have scored
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  Speaker 1: more had they intended to at the end, but the
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  Speaker 1: issue was no longer in doubt. But the defense came
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  Speaker 1: up with enough plays at times to at least keep
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: you in the ballgame. Chase Young continues to be outstanding.
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: He's the only guy who plays like he gives a
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: darn out there every single week. I mean, he's like
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  Speaker 1: a He-Man action figure in real life that nobody can block.
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  Speaker 1: One and a half sacks at TFL, two quarterback hits,
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  Speaker 1: three pressures. He was awesome. Jay Shung is a great
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  Speaker 1: player on a miserable team who still plays every snap
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: with his hair on fire. I mean, you're a professional.
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  Speaker 1: You're getting paid to do it. It's what you should do.
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  Speaker 1: A lot of guys around him don't. And it's one
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  Speaker 1: of the reasons why, I mean, I'd hate to keep
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: bringing this back, but why I hated letting Demario Davis go.
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: because you continue to purge your organization of a winning culture.
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: Like we remember the Saints being good. The only guys
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  Speaker 1: on this team that remember the Saints being good are
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: Alvin Kamara and Cam Jordan. That's it. No one else
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  Speaker 1: on this team has been good. None of them know
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  Speaker 1: what it's like to be, I guess Eric McCoy, but
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: none of them know what it's like to be in
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  Speaker 1: a playoff hunt, to play in the playoffs, to feel
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  Speaker 1: the dome when it's an advantage and rock and expect
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  Speaker 1: to win. None of them know. All they know is,
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  Speaker 1: All Chris Alave knows is losing. That's all he's done
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  Speaker 1: since he's been in the NFL. Not his fault, but
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: for as long as he's been with the Saints, he's
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  Speaker 1: been a part of losing teams. I mean, you went
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  Speaker 1: to half in a 13-10 ballgame. I'll credit the Saints.
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  Speaker 1: They managed to get the touchdown on fourth down to Vele, which,
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  Speaker 1: by the way, I mean, this is the juxtaposition of
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  Speaker 1: these New Orleans Saints players. Shuck throws the– they go
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  Speaker 1: forward on fourth down to get the touchdown to Vele
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  Speaker 1: to bring it within– well, they tied it at that
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  Speaker 1: point at 10, and the Steelers went and kicked a
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  Speaker 1: field goal at the end of the half to make
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  Speaker 1: it 13-10. But this is the juxtaposition of the New
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: Orleans Saints. That goal-to-go situation, right? Kamara gets the screen
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  Speaker 1: down to the one-yard line. First down, Tyler Shuck bootleg.
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  Speaker 1: Looks like he's going to walk in, can't get to
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  Speaker 1: the pylon. fumbles the ball out of bounds. That's first down.
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  Speaker 1: Second down, you're on a tush push, and Shuck gets
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  Speaker 1: no gain. You get total shocker, right? The Saints couldn't
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  Speaker 1: get a foot. No gain. Third down, you give the
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  Speaker 1: ball to Kendra Miller, who fumbles. Now, thankfully, they reviewed it,
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  Speaker 1: and his butt did hit the ground before he fumbled.
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  Speaker 1: But again, like, get in the end zone, man. Hold
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  Speaker 1: on to the ball. Like, the atrocity of those three
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  Speaker 1: plays was... If you're not a Saints fan and you're watching,
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  Speaker 1: it's comical. If you are a Saints fan, it's devastating.
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  Speaker 1: And then they go four on fourth down. He throws
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  Speaker 1: the touchdown pass to Bailey. Even when it's good, it's bad.
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  Speaker 1: But you go into the game. the third quarter and
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  Speaker 1: what do you do you put together a 14 play
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  Speaker 1: 68 yard drive you chew up half the third quarter
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  Speaker 1: seven minutes and 28 seconds Tyler Shuck interception hmm They
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  Speaker 1: get the ball. They convert a third and nine, a
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  Speaker 1: third and four, a third and six. Your defense can't
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  Speaker 1: get off the field. Then on third and 10, from
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  Speaker 1: the 14, you get a sack, force a field goal
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  Speaker 1: at 16 to 10. You get the ball back.
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  Speaker 2: Boom.
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  Speaker 1: Another drive here. And on third and 14, Tyler Shuck
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  Speaker 1: missed a, again, remember, it's a 16 to 10 ball game.
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  Speaker 1: It's a one score game. So remember what Ellen said
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  Speaker 1: there in the soundbite we played coming out? Ellen Moore.
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  Speaker 1: There were plays there to be made. There were. It's 16-10.
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  Speaker 1: You're third and 14. Chris Alave streaking down the middle
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  Speaker 1: of the field, got nobody near him. Tyler Shuck bails out,
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  Speaker 1: throws it to Kamara in the flat, who gets a
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  Speaker 1: handful of yards, and Carlson misses a 52-yard field goal.
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  Speaker 1: You chewed up 547 on that possession. You chewed up
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  Speaker 1: 13 minutes o'clock on your first two possessions of the
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  Speaker 1: third quarter and got zero points. This is a special
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  Speaker 1: kind of incompetence. Even when you're good, you're bad. That's
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  Speaker 1: what they are right now. They're 2-5. Mathematically, you're not
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  Speaker 1: out of anything. But realistically, we know what this team is.
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: Vegas has adjusted the win-loss number to 5.5 over-under. So
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: they're basically saying they're going to go 5-12 or 6-11.
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  Speaker 1: You may roll your eyes at that and say, where
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  Speaker 1: are they going to win another game? It's the NFL.
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  Speaker 1: You'll find a way to win. I mean, the Dolphins
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: won a game yesterday. They beat the Jets, but the
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: Dolphins won a game. Now you've got the open date.
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  Speaker 1: You have the bye, and the Browns come to New Orleans.
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  Speaker 1: Now the Browns are 5-2, so that's no cakewalk. And
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: then you go Panthers, at Bears, at Bengals, Packers. I
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: don't think you're favored in any of those. Then you've
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: got to go at the Panthers. That's going to be tough.
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  Speaker 1: At Bucs, Cardinals at home, at Falcons, and Bucs at home.
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  Speaker 1: Four of your last five are against the division. You
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: do get Arizona at home mixed in there. They'll find
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  Speaker 1: a way to win a couple more games here or there.
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  Speaker 1: But this season is headed exactly where last season did
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: and the season before that and the season before that,
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  Speaker 1: which is another year of missing the playoffs and another
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: year sent into the offseason wondering, do you actually have
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: a plan that's going to move this organization in the
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: right direction? You know where I stand on this. It's where,
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: it's how I felt for a long time with Mickey Loomis.
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: Like we can talk about the last five years. I
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: pointed out the fact that he was your general manager
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  Speaker 1: and six times during the Peyton Breeze era, Hall of
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: Fame coaching quarterback, six times you had non-winning seasons with
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  Speaker 1: this manager, general manager. Because he continues to throw draft
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  Speaker 1: capital at Peyton Turner and Trevor Penning And he continues
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  Speaker 1: and has continued to restructure deals and put you in
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  Speaker 1: a bad salary cap situation where you couldn't go after
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: free agents. And the whole night, his entire strategy is flawed.
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: Their ability to evaluate talent, clearly, is flawed. I mean,
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: does anybody want to disagree with me? Look at all
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: the draft capital you have invested in your offensive line
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: and you have the worst offensive line in football. Like,
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: you just keep missing. either missing in your evaluation or
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: missing in how these players gel into this offense or
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: this scheme or system. You let Paulson Adebo and Elante
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: Taylor walk and then you don't address cornerback. And you
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: wonder why Sugarwater McKinstry and Quincy Riley gets benched and
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: you're having to rely on Martin Emerson who didn't play
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: football last year. You wonder why? It's not a hard
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: thing to see. So I'll go back to where we started.
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  Speaker 1: And this is the question for Grandma Gail. You want
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: to stand up at the podium in front of the
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: quarterback's club and have a lot of bark, but do
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: you have any bite? Are you actually willing to do
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: the thing necessary? Because the sunk cost fallacy is real.
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: You don't throw good money at bad money. When you
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: know something ain't working, you don't keep sinking money into
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: it to try to fix things just because you have
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: a lot invested in it. You realize when a dead
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: dog is dead, it's dead, and you move on. And
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: if anyone is sitting here with an idea of how
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: Ellen can fix this.
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  Speaker 2: Ellen Moore.
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: I'm all ears. But we have a large enough sample
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: size to see there's no progress being made to suggest
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: he's going to fix it. And the man who assembled
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: this atrocity just continues setting a match to this roster
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: and whatever pride or opportunity that they had to be
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: a contending playoff team that we've enjoyed for a decade
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: and a half with Peyton and Breeze. That's gone. And
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: it ain't coming back with Mickey Loomis as the GM
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: or Ellen as the head coach.