Latest / Jeff Legwold ESPN Broncos Reports / Jeff Legwold joins Kreckman and Lindahl 11-17-25

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Jeff Legwold joins Kreckman and Lindahl 11-17-25 · Jeff Legwold ESPN Broncos Reports

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Yes, it is a rally house Football Monday, Big Voice
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: guy rally house shop every team in town. That's Andy Lindell.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: I'm Nate Correctman, Mark Springer producing the program, and Jeff
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Legwald is with us here from ESPN on a Monday afternoon.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: Jeff Legwald is brought to you by the International Brotherhood
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: of Electrical Workers ibe W Local sixty eight. Start with
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: a job, end with a career. Jeff, When did the
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Chiefs lose that game yesterday? When did the Broncos win
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: that game yesterday?
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  Speaker 2: You know, I think the Chiefs lost when, you know,
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  Speaker 2: like the Broncos, they kicked too many field goals early
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  Speaker 2: and did not have the Broncos defense backing them up.
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  Speaker 2: You know, I think in a game where they you know,
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  Speaker 2: it's you know, I've heard the the image sort of
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  Speaker 2: made already from other people, I know, but the first
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  Speaker 2: half was just kind of like the old circling each
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  Speaker 2: other hoping somebody makes a mistake where you get the
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: you get the opportunity, and that didn't really happen.
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  Speaker 3: And that the second half, Uh, they really went at it.
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  Speaker 2: I thought both teams, Uh, but when the Chiefs don't
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  Speaker 2: hit those early big play shots, and I think only one.
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  Speaker 3: Of those was really open early.
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  Speaker 1: Uh.
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  Speaker 2: The one to worthy was that that throw. If he
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  Speaker 2: makes that throw, that's a that's a touchdown. But uh,
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  Speaker 2: I think when they didn't hit those in the first series,
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  Speaker 2: then the game kind of settled into the rhythm the
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  Speaker 2: Broncos wanted and the Chiefs never really got that back.
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  Speaker 3: Uh.
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  Speaker 4: Jeff, what was the most impressive part about yesterday's when
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  Speaker 4: How about that from your football eyes? What was maybe
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  Speaker 4: the most undervalued part of what they did there the Broncos.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know if it's undervalued because everybody saw it,
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: but they they took their leading tackler and the reigning
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  Speaker 2: defensive player of the year and the best player at
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  Speaker 2: his position in passer ten, you know, Alex Singleton, their
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: leading tackler didn't play. They took those two guys out
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  Speaker 2: of the equation and still played elite title worthy defense.
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  Speaker 2: And I think that tells you the depth of what
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  Speaker 2: they've assembled there and the care they've taken to build it,
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  Speaker 2: to build the depth chart, and just the number of
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  Speaker 2: difference makers they have deep into the depth chart.
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  Speaker 3: I think that's what you know.
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  Speaker 2: Look, the Chiefs aren't that the advanced metrics say, the
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  Speaker 2: Chiefs aren't playing that much differently than last year when
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  Speaker 2: they won fifteen games. It's just they're not winning the
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: close ones like the Broncos are. But I think defensively,
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: it's hard to argue that was not a really impressive performance.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, I'm not sure I care what people
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  Speaker 2: think about the Chiefs offense right now as compared to
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: last year, years before. In the moment, that was a
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: really really good defensive performance.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: No, it really was Jeff and to that point, like
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  Speaker 1: it was it was Mahomes who, as you said he was.
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: He was missing the throws early. He overthrew Worthy, he
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: overthrew Thornton, like, he threw behind Noah Great, like those
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: were all those were all gonna be splashed, chunk explosive
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: plays that he missed out on early in that game.
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: And I think he got frustrated to the point where
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: he eventually made the big mistake by trying to force
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: the ball into Elijah Mitchell and instead Jake Kawan McMillan
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: comes up with the interception right there, Like if if
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: he just holds his water in Kansas City takes their
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: field goal, like the game stays on schedule for them.
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: But that's a ten points win because the Broncos scored
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: right after it, and and that that got Mahomes on
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: his heels the rest of the way. And then when
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: they get the lead and they have a chance to
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  Speaker 1: make it a touchdown game, well Frank Crumb then blocks
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: a pat and and keeps it a field goal game
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  Speaker 1: and keeps it in the place where Denver has to
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: have it. And then you forced two three and outs
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: in the fourth quarter. Like Vance Joseph and his game
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  Speaker 1: plan yesterday, this defense plays so sounded. There's such an
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  Speaker 1: excellent tackling group. The tackling on this defense, Jeff, Like,
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  Speaker 1: we talk all the time about the pass rush, about
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  Speaker 1: the coverage, but yesterday the tackling that was on display
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  Speaker 1: was absolutely marvelous. Like there's almost nothing that this defense
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  Speaker 1: doesn't do at a completely elite level.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think the ultimate compliment was paid by
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  Speaker 2: probably the most accomplished coach in the NFL right now,
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  Speaker 2: with one of the greatest quarterbacks we've ever seen, and
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  Speaker 2: what they choose to do immediately, They took a couple
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  Speaker 2: early shots just to see and then the ball was
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  Speaker 2: out of Mahomes's hands, so quick. They wanted no part
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  Speaker 2: of the Broncos pass rush. In no way did they
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  Speaker 2: think if they play how they usually play, would they
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  Speaker 2: hold up. I mean, they had more moving pockets yesterday
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  Speaker 2: with Mahomes than I saw in any game I charted
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  Speaker 2: leading up the Sunday's game of the Chiefs.
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  Speaker 3: So they played.
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  Speaker 2: They forced Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes to play differently
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  Speaker 2: before the game even started.
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  Speaker 3: They forced that hand.
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  Speaker 2: And I think, you know, in the offensive world, we
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: live in a play call like vance Joseph bringing a
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: corner blitz with the game on the line, that is
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  Speaker 2: equivalent to going deep on fourth.
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  Speaker 3: And one, you know, with the game on the line.
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  Speaker 2: And I thought that really spoke to what you're saying
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  Speaker 2: their play sound. I mean, they didn't just blitz ja
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  Speaker 2: Kwan McMillan. He did it exactly right. He hit it
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  Speaker 2: as long as possible before he took off and came
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  Speaker 2: clean and basically unseen by one of one of the
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  Speaker 2: best quarterback you know, people have seen.
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: Well to that point, Jeff, Like we were talking about
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  Speaker 1: this before, they're three and oh without Certan, like you
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  Speaker 1: talked about at the top of this conversation, they are
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  Speaker 1: three and oh without Patrick Surtan last year, I don't
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  Speaker 1: believe this defense could have done what they have done
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  Speaker 1: over these last three weeks when they have given up fifteen,
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  Speaker 1: seven and nineteen points over three games without the defensive
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: Player of the Year award winner out there. Everybody on
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  Speaker 1: that defense right now is so good at what they
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: do and so extremely sound. Like yesterday an absolute clinic
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  Speaker 1: in Kansas City, kind of to your point, Jeff, Like
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: you look up at the end of the game where
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  Speaker 1: she writes thirty eight yards, Hollywood Brown forty yards, zave,
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: you're worthy twenty five yards like he got the one
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  Speaker 1: shot to Thornton. Great play by Mahomes, well done. But
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: outside of that, like anything that he was trying to
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  Speaker 1: open up in the intermediate part of the football field,
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  Speaker 1: he just flat out didn't have time to be able
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  Speaker 1: to do it.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think the other interesting thing about this
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: defense you don't always see is I've seen a lot
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: of defenses have a lot of sacks. But some defenses,
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: whether they admit it or not, chase sacks. They leave
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  Speaker 2: their rush lanes, they pursue wide, they try to get
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  Speaker 2: the loop around and come back and get the quarterback.
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  Speaker 2: They didn't leave Mahomes any room to escape, and that
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  Speaker 2: was a big part of the day. I mean, he
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: came into that game with the most scrambled yardage in
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  Speaker 2: both passing and rushing of any quarterback in the league,
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  Speaker 2: including Josh Allen, and they limited those opportunities for them,
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  Speaker 2: and I think that all frustrated Mahomes. And he basically
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: said after the game, you know, he shouldn't have taken
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: that chance that Jakwon McMillan snagged. And probably he doesn't
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  Speaker 2: take that chance if he feels better about how.
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  Speaker 3: Things are going in that moment.
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  Speaker 2: But I think his mindset is I got to take
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: the risk and we're not going to get We're not
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  Speaker 2: going to get the score.
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  Speaker 4: How how healthy do you expect him to be after
• 8:07
  Speaker 4: the break? You know, they talked about it on the
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  Speaker 4: broadcast yesterday. I think he was nancey. I think it
• 8:11
  Speaker 4: was Nansen made both notes that they thought Singleton might
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  Speaker 4: be back, or at least Singleton seemed to signal to
• 8:16
  Speaker 4: them he thought he'd be able to play. They made
• 8:19
  Speaker 4: a comment about possibly having certain back for the Commander's game.
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  Speaker 3: How healthy is this team when they get back.
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  Speaker 2: I think they'll be pretty healthy, And I mean, they
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  Speaker 2: won't have Dobbins. But I've I think I've told you
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  Speaker 2: guys all along the timetable I've heard on certain all
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: along has been coming back after the right after the bye.
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  Speaker 1: Otherwise they would have put him on IR. This is
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  Speaker 1: the only way it makes sense.
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  Speaker 3: And I saw him in.
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  Speaker 2: The locker room last night after the game, and uh,
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  Speaker 2: you know, I probably wasn't at medical school today they
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: taught medicine, But uh, I think I know a football
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  Speaker 2: player who's about ready to play.
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  Speaker 3: And that's what I.
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  Speaker 2: Saw last night in the locker room from or ten
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  Speaker 2: and I you know, I think he'll be ready. And
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  Speaker 2: Singleton has given the indication, you know, he when we
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  Speaker 2: had him on a conference call a few of us
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  Speaker 2: that you know it was, he said he did not
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  Speaker 2: have all of the test back and the doctors didn't
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  Speaker 2: have all the pathology back. But I think all indications
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  Speaker 2: as he's gotten more of that information is he's I
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  Speaker 2: think my understanding is he has told the team he
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  Speaker 2: believes he'll be ready.
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  Speaker 3: To practice when they come back from the.
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  Speaker 2: Buy, that his doctors will give him the thumbs up
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  Speaker 2: to practice, and that he could play against Washington if
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  Speaker 2: that all.
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  Speaker 1: Goes well, Jeff Lake, Well, it is brought to you
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBEW Local sixty eight.
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: You start with the job, you end with a career.
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  Speaker 1: Leggy Next gen stats had bow Nix yesterday five of
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  Speaker 1: eight for a buck fifty six on throws fifteen or
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  Speaker 1: more yards downfield. It was a cleaner effort out of
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  Speaker 1: bow Nicks yesterday. How much of that was his own
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: improvements and how much of that was an offensive line
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  Speaker 1: that I thought held up really, really well yesterday against
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: Spagnolo and his pressure looks.
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  Speaker 3: I think both.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Bo deserves some credit. You know, I would argue
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  Speaker 2: it was his best footwork day of the season.
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  Speaker 3: I would agree, other than the Cowboy game.
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  Speaker 2: I thought he was really sound in the Cowboy game,
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  Speaker 2: but they didn't have much resistance and he didn't get
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: he didn't get a lot of those exotic looks. But
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: I thought he reacted well to the pressure Spagnolo tried,
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  Speaker 2: and I think he was more settled with his footwork
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  Speaker 2: and the results were clear. You know, I've said I
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: think it's there. It's a question of footwork and his
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: comfort level. I still think he gets frustrated at the
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: pace of their operation, and I think the coaches know
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: that during the bye week and when they come back,
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: they've got to at least have a discussion about are
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: you getting them to the line of scrimmage with enough
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: time on the play clock that he feels comfortable, Like,
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: it doesn't matter if the coaches think he should be comfortable,
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: it's if he is really comfortable with that. And I
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: see him spinning his fingers an awful lot, like, let's
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: get this in, let's get this going.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, it's funny because you know, Jake Plummer had said
• 11:25
  Speaker 4: something to the morning show about how you got to
• 11:28
  Speaker 4: speed it up for the guy last week than Tony Romo.
• 11:31
  Speaker 4: Tony Romo was interesting, Legy. I know you're in the
• 11:34
  Speaker 4: press box. You don't hear the commentary. There's another former
• 11:37
  Speaker 4: quarterback saying, yeah, I'd like to get to the line
• 11:40
  Speaker 4: of scrimmage. I'd like to see this get the personnel
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: in and out of there quicker. So I do think
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  Speaker 4: I'm glad to hear you say you think that they'll
• 11:48
  Speaker 4: have a conversation when they all get back. So this
• 11:50
  Speaker 4: is the only time we're talking to you this week
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: because it is a bye week for Jeff Lagwell, two.
• 11:55
  Speaker 4: What are they gonna do with the run game?
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: Run game?
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  Speaker 4: Yesterday was a day we're unfortunately, You're going, man, this
• 12:00
  Speaker 4: team is really gonna miss Dobbins.
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: Not that you didn't know it, but.
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  Speaker 4: Unfortunately, I just feel like it showed up in some spots.
• 12:05
  Speaker 4: What do you think happens he keep working with R J.
• 12:07
  Speaker 3: Harvey?
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: Do you think we see the mixed bag get back?
• 12:10
  Speaker 4: What happens?
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  Speaker 2: I think they they'd like to roll with Harvey getting
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: most of the carries, but I think they're gonna You're
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: gonna see mcgloff little more, and I think there'll be
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: a little more concerted effort that's sort of catering some
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: things to Harvey. Uh, he's still trying to find that
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: sweet spot between patient and planting your foot and going
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: you see it at moments, but you know, a rookie
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: is a rookie, and it is a big adjustment, whether
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: we like to think it's not. Uh, you know, and
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: I think he's trying to do it in real time,
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: but he shows flashes, and I think he's shown them
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  Speaker 2: enough flashes that they want they want him in there
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: to try and get it going. But they still you know,
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: yesterday was a great example, not a lot of carries
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: in the first half, and they really only start putting
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: the carries up when they up the tempo a little bit,
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: you know, and it's run, couple, pass, you know, quick
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: to the line, run again. I mean, that's that's when
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: you see the carries, and that's when you see the
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: carries have success. And I just I think, you know, again,
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: it's just one guy's Tommy the sports writer's opinion, but
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: I think the whole offense would benefit from being at
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: the line of scrimmage when the play clock's at fifteen
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: instead of seven, and I think that limits a lot
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: of the run past checks that get you those favorable
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: looks on run plays is when you see the safety
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: drifting or leaning and you make the run check that
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: you have. Every quarterback has a run past check, and
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: when you have time to make those, I think you
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: have better run plays.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: Talking to Jeff Legwald here on a Monday afternoon, LEGGI,
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: the Broncos are seven and two this year in games
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: decided by eight or fewer points, and they are the
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: only team who have played in nine games that close
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: this season. We know that there's variance when it comes
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: to close games. And one scored games in the NFL.
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: Just ask. I don't know the Kansas City Chiefs about that.
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: But for Denver, when you look at what Sean Payton
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: has put in place in vance Joseph has put in
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: place with this football team, what are the couple of
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: things that you would single out of? Okay, this is
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: why Denver is good in these situations.
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: I'll defer to Bo Nicks who said they sit on
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: the bench at times in games and know their defense
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: is going to get the critical stop and that.
• 14:39
  Speaker 3: They will get he phrased it, they will.
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: Get opportunity after opportunity, which means they believe every guy
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: in a helmet on their sideline believes their defense is
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: just going to get enough stops that eventually you're gonna
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: get the opportunity on offense or special teams to make
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: a play. And that's how they're living right now. And
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: you know, it all works as long as the defense
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: can hold the line. And that's a hard way to
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: live and it's not sustainable really. I mean, look at
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: Minnesota has had. You know, the difference between close wins
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: you get and the ones you don't get. Kansas City,
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: there's no better example, right now in the league. Is
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: that you know, again, all of the numbers, all the
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: advanced metrics say the Chiefs are basically playing the same
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: as last year, but look at their record, and that's
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: because it's a tough way to live in the NFL
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: to win all those games. But when you have a
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: defense that's good, it's easier to live that way.
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: Yeah, they forced two fourth quarter to three. Announced by
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: the most clutch player of his generation yesterday that that,
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: to me was the story of that football game. He's
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: Jeff Legwald. Everybody, ESPN dot com get his coverage right there.
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: He is covering a nine to two football team that
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: is number one seed in the af C. LEGGI excellent
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: as always, man, Thank you, Dave Bells